Chapter 118: Who is Dune, actually?

Felix leaned back in his chair, a half-empty glass of wine tilting dangerously in one hand, three girls crowded around the small round table hanging on his every word.

"Where was I, yeah." Felix said, swirling what was left in his glass. "I went inside the room alone, and there it was, a big damn on his forehead, with tentacles wiggling out from his mouth. Standing all naked."

"Eww, sounds very disgusting." Colette wrinkled her nose, though she leaned in a little closer despite herself.

"And very powerful as well." Felix said, gesturing grandly enough to nearly spill his drink again. "He's from a different world entirely, living inside that same room for years, tormenting those ghosts."

"Then how'd you beat him?" Odette leaned forward, chin propped on her palms, fully invested now.

"You ever hear about the second impact technique?" Felix asked, raising an eyebrow.

All three shook their heads slowly.

"It's a forbidden technique my late mother taught me." Felix nodded solemnly. "First I cut its tentacles, then got close and used second impact. His center body was gone. But it regenerated quickly. I knew I couldn't beat him that way, so I brought the light itself."

"Light? How?" Odette's brow furrowed. "You said this was in the middle of the night."

"That's something I can't tell you." Felix tapped the side of his nose. "It's a secret spell connected to a different world. Just imagine a big beam of light descending and evaporating the creature to nothing."

"You're just making things up now." Isolde crossed her arms, though the corner of her mouth twitched upward.

"You can ask the people there yourself. Someone named Martinez, he's the one who hired me for the job." Felix pointed vaguely toward the crowd. "If you know him, go ask. He'll tell you everything."

"I've heard that name before." Colette muttered, tapping her chin.

"Let me tell you something you might've already heard." Felix leaned in, lowering his voice enough to pull their attention back in tight. "The Death Forest caught fire."

"Yes, yes!" Odette perked up immediately. "I heard my mother talking about that. She said the forest caught fire suddenly, and there was some giant snake involved."

"That's exactly it." Felix's voice dropped further, conspiratorial now. "That was actually me. Promise me you girls won't tell anyone."

"We won't." Odette said quickly, glancing sideways at Isolde. "Right?"

Isolde just shrugged, unconvinced but amused.

"So my plan was simple, just take the eggs and leave." Felix continued. "But the Blackstone serpent noticed me. I'm talking fifteen meters long, easy, stone scales covering every inch of it." He shook his head. "I didn't want to kill the thing, so I just ran."

"You were trying to escape quietly." Isolde said flatly. "You're not fooling anyone with that story."

"Then how'd they find the serpent lying dead afterward?"

Isolde went quiet, considering that.

"I tried to run, but the thing kept chasing me." Felix pressed on. "Then out of nowhere, more of its kin showed up. Five of them. They circled me completely. Nowhere left to run."

"So how'd you beat five of them?" Odette's eyes had gone wide. "You were alone, right? Did you use the light again? Or that forbidden technique your mother taught you?"

"No." Felix shook his head slowly, lifting his glass and taking a long drink, letting the silence stretch out around the table.

All three girls leaned in, waiting.

Felix set the glass down with a faint smile, raised his left hand, and flicked his wrist. A card appeared between his fingers, and he set it flat on the table.

"I used these."

Odette frowned down at it. "Playing cards?"

"They look simple, sure." Felix covered the card with his palm, then lifted his hand, the card gone entirely. "But in the right hands, they aren't. The Blackstone serpent's scales weren't something I could punch through. Even the strongest metal barely leaves a dent against them."

"So someone helped you, then. Just say it." Isolde rolled her eyes, lifting her glass and taking a sip. Her lips caught on something at the rim, and she pulled back fast, setting the glass down hard, a card pressed flat against her mouth where it hadn't been a second ago.

Felix raised his hand slightly, and the card spun back through the air into his fingers in one smooth motion.

"I drove the card straight inside the serpent." He said it casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Cut everything apart from the inside until it couldn't move anymore."

Colette's face went pale, mouth twisting into open horror.

Felix slumped back in his chair. "I actually didn't want to leave a whole mess behind. Killing one was enough to scare the rest into line. So I just set the forest on fire and watched them all crawl back down into their holes."

"Is it also true," Isolde asked, her voice dropping lower, "that you're the one who found whoever was behind the rumors about Hakimi Morrow?"

"Yes." Felix nodded, chest puffing slightly. "Everyone saw it happen. I investigated alone, found the culprit, and worked out every single detail of the whole conspiracy myself. The Delacroix family had nothing left to say against it. They tried lying, but none of it held up."

"Wasn't it Hakimi who told you where to look, though?" Colette tilted her head.

"Hakimi told me?" Felix let out a short laugh. "He asked for my help. That's all that happened. A stiff, straight-faced knight with a fancy sword. That's the whole of him, really."

"My father told me Hakimi was the one who restrained Nicole." Odette leaned in. "Even the guards couldn't manage it."

"That's just the ending." Felix waved a hand dismissively. "I built everything up to that point. He's good at standing near a door and looking intimidating, sure, I'll give him that much." He mimicked a low, mocking version of a plea. "Felix, help me. I'm in a lot of trouble here. That's basically how it went."

"Hakimi wouldn't say something like that." Colette glanced toward Isolde, doubtful. "He's very strong. And brave, from what I've heard."

"I've heard the same, from Lady Diana herself." Isolde nodded slowly.

Felix laughed again, louder this time. "He's all muscle, nothing much going on upstairs. Think about it. Why would he come specifically to me, when he's got the Duke, an entire army of knights at his back? No good answer, right?" He spread his hands wide. "He came to my house. Kneeling. Practically in tears, going on about how the rumors were hurting Diana." He shrugged. "I'm good friends with Diana, so I couldn't exactly turn my back on that. Took the job, finished it in under a week, barely broke a sweat."

"And Hakimi did nothing the whole time?" Odette asked.

"Absolutely nothing." Felix said, shaking his head with mock sympathy. "But he still walked away with all the credit somehow. Honestly, I feel a little bad for the guy. Can't help it though, he's just not that bright."

Isolde's lips parted like she meant to say something else, then stayed open, her eyes drifting past Felix's shoulder instead. Colette and Odette followed her gaze a heartbeat later, both going quiet at once, expressions freezing over.

Felix's brow furrowed. "What, why's everyone gone all—"

He turned around.

Hakimi stood directly behind him, face perfectly calm, arms crossed.

Felix coughed slightly, straightening in his seat. "Something you need from us? Little busy right now, in case that wasn't obvious."

"Come with me. I have something important to discuss." Hakimi's voice stayed level, no room for argument in it.

"Now?"

"Now." Hakimi turned and started walking without waiting for an answer.

"Now." Felix repeated, resigned, already pushing himself up from the table. He shot the girls a faint, apologetic smile. "Sorry, ladies, duty calls apparently. Have to excuse myself." He drank the last of his wine in one go and set the glass down before trailing after Hakimi through the crowd.

Hakimi led them toward a quiet corner near the far left of the hall, tucked away from the thick of the party, the music and chatter fading to a low hum behind them. Felix leaned back against the wall beside him, arms crossed.

"I hope this isn't about what you just walked in on."

Hakimi glanced around briefly, making sure no one lingered close enough to listen, then turned his full attention on Felix. "Where's Lady Dune?"

"Last I saw, Diana pulled her off toward some corner." Felix shrugged. "She's probably still with her somewhere."

Hakimi nodded slowly to himself, filing that away. "You know the history of this sword. Barbra must have told you."

"Yeah. Fancy little gift from King Romas himself." Felix's tone sobered slightly, the earlier drunken looseness fading out of it. "I'd be lying if I said it didn't shock me. Diana isn't just royalty." Felix's gaze sharpened at Hakimi. "Now there's Dune too. Two people the swords answer to."

Something flickered across Hakimi's expression, quiet and controlled, though not quite surprising. He'd expected Felix to piece together at least that much.

"Tell me." His voice dropped lower. "Who is Dune, actually?"