Malcolm Tent
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Wish upon the Stars chapter 898
🕑 Added 2025-05-31 00:32:15 +0000 UTCDevlan’s voice was pleasant and urbane, but his eyes were hard and cold. He wasn’t some sophisticated gentleman, even if he dressed up like one. This was a ruthless thug, and he would have absolutely killed us if he thought he could get away with it and had a reason. Unfortunately for him, neither of those things were the case.
“No reason,” I told him pleasantly. “If you want to try, go ahead.”
He stared at me for a moment, either weighing his options or deciding if I was too insolent to put up with. Eventually though, he chuckled. “Oh good, you do have a backbone. I thought I might be dealing with one of those simpering back line armchair Ascendants your family is so famous for putting out. No offense intended, of course, I just like to know where I stand.”
I noticed he hadn’t said that he wouldn’t have killed us if he’d felt the need. Just that he hadn’t meant to be offensive.
Shrugging, I strolled over and dropped into the chair across from his. My friends stayed by the door, all of them ready and waiting for someone to start something. Walden had stepped up behind his boss’s chair, his eyes scanning the room like he was a bodyguard waiting to spring into action. I was really curious why this random old guy with the ability to smell money was confident he could take twenty of my best, but I didn’t actually think he could handle my people, so I wasn’t too bothered.
“So,” I said casually. “I’m interested in an alliance. Obviously. But since you know some of what I have to offer, you know that I’m a pretty desirable partner to have.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re a public enemy of nearly every member of your family. They’re terrified you’ll become an unstoppable tyrant like the current Wishmaster. Allying with you will make me a universal foe to every other Wyndham.”
“Come on, you’re not that naive,” I told him chidingly. “You know that isn’t how Wyndhams work. They’re too worried about gathering points and accruing influence to seriously pursue me. There might be a few that will prioritize me over their own interests, but it won’t be common. Once they realize what a tough nut I’ll be to crack they’ll wash their hands of it all. Wyndhams don’t do sunk costs.”
He hummed consideringly. “Perhaps, but a wish is a wish. There may be some variation between candidates, but I’m sure some are higher in the D-ranks than you, and some even have C or B ranked scrolls I might avail myself of.”
“You can’t pay for a C or B-ranked wish anyway,” I said with a shrug. “So it hardly matters. But we both know if you didn’t have any interest in working with me I wouldn’t be here. So stop trying to inflate the price and tell me what you want and what I get. Don’t forget, I have other options too. I have a lot of points right now, which means I can bring quite a few people out if I maintain this pace. Not to mention my assets in the B and A rank zones. I could just wait and make my alliances there.”
Sighing, he took a long, slow sip of his brandy. After he drained the glass, Walden scurried away, coming back with a bottle and pouring more of the amber liquid into the wide bottomed glass. Pulling out a lighter, Devlan flicked it, running the flame along the bottom of the crystal glas slowing as he swirled the drink. He took a long sniff, sighing contentedly. “I do so enjoy that scent. Oh, where are my manners, would you like a drink?”
“I’m not one for alcohol,” I said pleasantly. “But thank you. Now, my question, if you please?”
Clicking his tongue, he shook his head sadly. “Young people these days. So impatient. Negotiation is a delicate and elegant art. No need to rush things.”
“You threatened to kill me the second that we met,” I said, my tone dry. “I feel like you aren’t in a position to talk about elegance and delicacy. You want something, and you’re trying to put me on the back foot so I’ll agree. I’m guessing it isn’t something a wish can accomplish, or isn’t something you can pay for, so you want me to use my forces to get it done. Why don’t you cut to the chase and tell me what it is.”
He snorted out a laugh. “There’s a fine line between blunt and abrupt, my lad. But very well. You’re correct. I do want something. How familiar are you with Yettin’s operation and origins. You saw the defenses coming in, but do you know where they came from and who is in charge of the city?”
“No,” I admitted. “I was actually curious about that. “The person who built this place must have been…interesting.”
“He was a paranoid lunatic,” Devlan sneered. “And his family have been in charge of this city for almost five thousand years. You see, aside from the outer defenses, he ALSO built the city lord’s manor, an impenetrable fortress from which his descendants rule over Yettin. Specifically, they control the defenses through the use of a key passed down through their family, which never leaves the neck of the current Lord of Yettin, a thoroughly unpleasant man named Greesh.”
I had a bad feeling about this. “Since you’ve already agreed that you can’t just wish for the key, am I to assume you want me and my people to go in and get it for you?”
“Even so,” he nodded. “Word has it that you have an exceptionally profound stealth ability. “Combined with your outsized combat capability and your troop transport potential, I'm inclined to think you have a real chance at infiltrating the fortress…with a little help.”
“And if I don’t you lose nothing,” I pointed out dryly. “Which brings us to the matter at hand. Because if you want me to break into a fortress and rob the lord of this city, I need to know that this is going to be worth it. Animal didn’t tell me exactly who you represent or what I’m here for. You seem to have some influence here, but I’m moving on from this city soon enough. I hope you have more to offer than this.” I gestured around us at the club.
“I suppose I must,” he laughed. “Fine. Yes, I have access to higher level factions. The High Society is a branch of my uncle’s business enterprise in Draycia, one of the spoke cities in the C-rank zone. I’m considered his direct heir, and have my own position secured for my eventual rise to C-rank. However, should I believe that you are capable of ushering me out of this wasteland, I have certain favors I might call in to arrange your safe passage, and certain introductions I might make to yet more C-ranked forces.”
Which was tempting. While we probably didn’t have the most D-rankers in the succession war, what we DID have were some of the most elite badasses in the universe at this rank. At the same level, my people and I could handle ourselves against almost any force. But we only had a hundred C-rankers, and while everyone else also had that limitation, there were also a lot more of them than us. Despite what I’d told Devlan, I DID think some of them would team up, which meant going into the C-rank zone we would need a quick infusion of manpower, and we’d need it stat.
My friends and companions, including my cousin Felicity and several other powerful allies sourced from both the dungeon and occasionally my mom’s faction, were waiting for us ahead…somewhere. But until we got there, no one had any way of knowing who was with who. While inroads with locals were being made, I was sure, I was equally positive no actually conflicts would start until the candidates joined up with their factions. The C-ranked candidates might already be fighting, but the unattached C-rankers were most likely being left alone in consideration of possible future alliances.
“I’d need information,” I said eventually. “And since this is payment for the alliance, you’ll need to pay for the wishes out of pocket. Plus I want your full D-rank commitment spelled out in hard numbers, in writing. I don’t want to get this done and have you commit a token force while you stay behind to rule over this city like a robber baron.”
He smirked at my choice of works, but clearly didn’t feel like commenting on it directly. “Very well,” he said after a moment. “Walden?”
The butler nodded, then scurried out of the room, returning in moments with a pair of documents. He passed them both to me, sniffing disdainfully as he did so, just in case I’d forgotten how much he disapproved of his boss working with someone like me.
I unrolled them, and sure enough, they were, respectively, a dossier on the fortress in question and a contract with explicitly spelled out language on troop deployments. I snorted, withdrew a piece of paper, and carefully wrote out my OWN contract, keeping all the troop values and the useful language and carefully inserting my own terms around them. Then I passed it over to Devlan, who grinned as he unrolled it, reading it over.
“In perpetuity?” He said incredulously. “There’s no way.”
I rolled my eyes. “Non AGRESSION in perpetuity, with the exception of self defense. Term of service is a hundred years, with an option to re-up.”
Grimacing, he read over it again. “I SUPPOSE I can live with most of this. What’s this bit about renown structuring?” He frowned as he read over it. “You’re TAXING us renown? Can you even do that?”
“I can,” I laughed. “And I will. You’re getting off this planet, getting access to premium wishes, getting the city you want. This is a win across the board for you, and I want to be compensated. So, if we do this, you’ll pay me ten percent. Given the renown boost from getting off this planet and joining the mainstream WCP, it’ll more than pay for itself. Or you can try someone else, but of course, I think we both know the chances of them getting you that key are slim to none. And you want that thing, for some reason.”
He glared at me. “You’re smarter than you look. Fine. Ten percent off the top. On the assumption that you win and get us off this planet. If you don’t get first, I want out.”
I took the document, crossed some things out, and then filled in some more. “I’ll offer you a buyout option. One C-rank chit per person. IF I don’t win. Assuming I don’t die, in which case the whole thing is obviously void.”
Handing it back, I grinned as I watched him read over it a few times and then sigh. “Fine. We have an accord. But only if you get me the key.” He tossed it back. “I’m not signing until then. Understood?”
I caught it, stowing it in my ring, and then stood with a nod. “We have the dossier, and we’ll need some time to scout things out and look into the circumstances of the job. We’ll be in touch when it’s done.” I withdrew a wish scroll. “Since these are separate from the job, do you have any interest in a wish? I can spare five at the moment.” I needed some cash, and this was as good a place as any to get it.
He nodded, then sent Walden to grab the scrolls. I sat back down, smiling as the butler collected them. He looked uncertain, which amused me. I think he was finally figuring out who he’d been looking down his nose at. Who said a future wishmaster can’t be petty?
