"I heard that Barathis and Vorath are at odds," Haida leaned back in his seat. "It seems both of them have been accused of treachery," he said, looking directly at Maelthor. "Is it true?"
Maelthor chuckled lightly, lowering his head. "Those fools are being played, and they don't even see it."
"Is it you?" Haida asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
Maelthor looked up, a wicked smile spreading across his face.
"Well, is it you who is playing them?"
"Of course not, uncle," Maelthor said, sitting cross-legged. "It's not me."
Curiosity flickered on Haida's face. "Then who is it?"
"The one who killed Vagid, of course."
For a moment there was silence as Haida studied his face, each second a test, but Maelthor's face had now turned serious—he wasn't fooling around.
"I thought he died a normal death," Haida said sotto voce. "Who could have killed him?"
Maelthor leaned back. "Our future puppet."
"Our future puppet?" he repeated.
"Yes, uncle."
"Your words hold no meaning, Maelthor."
"You will soon understand," Maelthor said, getting up from his seat. "He's the one I'll send to discuss the plan in detail with you."
Maelthor started walking towards the door.
Haida got up from his seat. "When is he going to come? Most importantly, who is he? Do I know him?"
Maelthor reached for the hinges of the door. "He shares the same ideology as you."
Maelthor's body changed form again; this time, he shape-shifted into one of the guards that had surrounded him when he came in.
He turned back to Haida. "How do I look?"
Haida didn't answer and returned to his seat. "I'll be waiting, Maelthor."
"Of course, our future king."
With that, Maelthor opened the door and left.
Moments later, Kith came in, his face laced with confusion. "Sire, where is the visitor?"
"He just left."
"Left?" he repeated, his voice tinged with confusion. "I did not see the Demon King coming out of this room."
"Didn't you see the guard who just came out?" Haida explained. "That was the one who came to visit me."
Kith remained silent, not understanding anything Haida was saying.
"The one who came to visit me was Maelthor, disguised as his father," Haida explained. "He was suggesting that we form an alliance to take down the Demon King."
Kith tensed at the words. "And did you agree, my lord?" he paused. "What did you say to him, sire?"
"I agreed," Haida sighed. "Though I know it may be a trap."
"Then why did you agree to it, my lord?" Kith sat down on one of the chairs situated on the left side of the room. "He might just be planning to use you to get what he wants."
Haida got up and walked to a window. "I'm doing it for them," he said, looking at his people. "So that they too can enjoy a normal life." He turned to Kith. "If it means I have to play it risky to make my people's lives better, I will do it, Kith."
A small smile played on Kith's lips. "It's an honor to serve you, sire."
"What makes you say that?" Haida asked as he walked towards Kith.
"It's rare to see the strong care for us—the weak," Kith said. "That's why I feel privileged to serve you."
"Oh, Kith," Haida tapped his hand on Kith's shoulder. "I'm the one who is lucky to have a faithful friend like you. Even when I refused to bow to my brother, you supported me."
"Oh, sire, you give me too much credit," he said, looking straight at Haida. "So what is the plan to take down the Demon King?"
"Maelthor said he would send someone to discuss it with us."
"Who?"
"He said his puppet," Haida said as he walked past Kith and left the room.
"His puppet?" Kith muttered to himself. "We have to be cautious when dealing with Maelthor." He turned to the door and opened it. "I cannot allow anyone to use Lord Haida."
He walked out of the room and through the castle corridors, his footsteps echoing against the floor. Demons in the passage bowed to him in respect, but he hardly noticed, lost in thought.
"I need to keep an eye on Maelthor," he thought as he walked down the stairs leading to his chambers. "He will not notice it."
He opened the door, stepped inside, and closed it. Despite being the chambers of the Advisor, it was not lavish, filled mostly with scrolls carefully stored on a bookshelf. Kith's eyes, however, were on a particular cage—a bird cage with a crow inside—sitting on his table.
"There you are," he said, voice tinged with satisfaction. "You're going to help me, little one."
Kith looked directly at the bed, his eyes glowing with a sickly red. The eyes of the crow started glowing in the same color. He did this for three minutes, then stopped.
What he was doing was taking over the mind of the bird using his sin affinity of Lust. Like many other lower-ranking demons, Kith had mastered only one hybrid of the sin affinity of Lust—mind control.
He lifted the bird in his hands, walked to the window, and released it. The crow flew away.
"Go, little one, keep an eye on him."
The crow flapped its wings furiously, disappearing into the starless sky. Kith watched until it was a mere speck. He knew the bird would blend perfectly in the Demon King's castle , a hidden eye that no one would suspect. With Maelthor already weaving his web of schemes, Kith realized that vigilance was no longer an option—it was survival. He turned back into the room, his mind racing.
" Perfect, now I'll will be able to notice all the moves Maelthor will be making," he muttered to himself as he sat on a stool.