Chapter 544: An Offer He Can’t Refuse
(Leo’s POV, The Broken Zone One Military Base)
Leo sat in a half-collapsed, dimly lit room with Dupravel to his right, Dumpy perched on his shoulders, and the enemy Commander Su Pei seated directly across from him.
’How the fuck did I end up in this situation?’
Leo wondered, as no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make sense of the situation he now found himself in.
Not the setting, not the people, and definitely not the conversation.
Su Pei, the enemy Monarch who had retreated into Sanfe City with his forces just a few hours ago, now wanted to surrender and switch sides to the Cult.
Not only that, he even wished to swear fealty to Leo directly, under a contract that was eerily similar to the one Dupravel had signed with him.
But the question was why?
Why was the enemy’s battlefield commander suddenly so eager to defect?
Why had Dupravel, who was sent to kill him, instead returned hand-in-hand with the man?
And why had Dupravel insisted that Leo meet Su Pei alone, without alerting the others?
None of it added up.
"Hahaha! You’re making the right decision, Mongrel human, by choosing Lord Father to be your master. Hahaha! Serving him will be the highlight of your entire meaningless life!" Dumpy said, as he did not seem to give two fucks that the man infront of him was a powerful Monarch.
Or that he could probably kill him with a flick of his wrists.
"Does the frog always behave like this? Also, how did you even tame an Ancient Swamp Frog? Aren’t they notoriously difficult to tame and raise because of their bad temper?" Su Pei asked, as Leo immediately grabbed Dumpy by the face and prevented him from lashing out, which he knew his frog was very much ready to do.
"My pet is called Dumpy, if we are to develop an amicable relationship, I suggest you give him appropriate respect." Leo said, before releasing his grip on Dumpy’s face, as he gestured for the frog to stay calm.
"I haven’t decided if I want to serve you or not. But I couldn’t help but feel intrigued to meet the man who could make Dupravel Nuna serve him, even though he’s a Grandmaster.
So here is my proposition—" Su Pei said, as Leo leaned in, paying close attention to his words.
"If you promise to trade in the soldiers you captured, back to the Su Clan, instead of selling them into slavery.
And promise to do the same with soldiers who will surrender from here onwards, then I’m ready to lay down my weapons and not participate in this war." Su Pei said, as Leo nodded in understanding and gestured for him to continue.
"Regardless of whether or not I choose to serve you, this part of my offer stands.
I’ve realised that fighting for the Su Clan is meaningless, and hence, I will not risk my life for them anymore.
Nor will I risk the lives of my men for a dying cause." Su Pei said, as he seemed to be slightly ashamed of himself when he spoke these words.
"As for whether or not I serve you personally....." He continued, the fire returning to his eyes.
"I suggest we settle that with a duel. I’ll restrict my strength to the Grandmaster Tier, and if you manage to beat me at equal terms.
I’ll join you under the same contract as Dupravel.
I’ll serve you for 20 years. With 60 days a year off to do as I please, and the option to walk away from this contract as a free man at the end, with all my crimes against the Cult pardoned.
But if you don’t beat me, and I choose to not serve you.
I want your word that you will provide me with a craft and a safe passage out of this planet, as I’ll probably live the rest of my life on a neutral planet." Su Pei suggested, as Leo raised an eyebrow at his words.
He did not understand the motivations behind Su Pei’s actions, but Dupravel seemed eager for him to take Su Pei under his wing.
And hence, after thinking about the offer for a while, and making sure that there were no drawbacks for him regardless of whether he won or lost, Leo eventually decided to agree to his terms.
"I accept. But if you don’t mind me asking, why did you choose me for these negotiation talks?
You do know I’m not the Commander In Chief here right?
I’m only the Shadow Dragon.
I’m not the hope of the Cult." Leo questioned, as Su Pei simply chuckled at his words.
"I don’t give a rat’s ass as to what your designation is within the Cult... I came to you, because Dupravel Nuna seems to think that you’re a man of your word, and someone who will not hesitate to turn on the Cult, if the Cult ever messes with your people.
I’ve once made the mistake of offering my loyalty to an organisation that did not care for it.
I do not wish to make that same mistake again...." Su Pei said, as Leo once again glanced towards Dupravel, who nodded in approval.
Although this whole scenario seemed absurd to him, he trusted Dupravel’s instincts on this topic and accepted Su Pei’s request for a duel.
"Alright, I’ll fight you in the abandoned forest, 3 hours from now.
That way, we won’t have too many people around us when we fight...." Leo suggested, as Su Pei nodded in agreement.
"Three hours then. I’ll see you there," he said, before turning on his heel and walking out, his long coat trailing slightly behind him as the broken door creaked shut in his wake.
Leo leaned back slightly in his chair, eyes still fixed on the space Su Pei had just vacated, while Dumpy shifted his weight and nestled into the crook of his neck.
"Twenty years of service for a single duel," Leo muttered under his breath.
"A bold wager," Dupravel replied quietly, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.
Leo didn’t answer, but a faint glint passed through his gaze.
If he won, he’d gain another overwhelmingly powerful servant under his command, one whose loyalty, in the Cult’s ever-shifting game of power, could tilt the entire board.