Mage And Wolf
Chapter 218

Chapter 218: Chapter 218

Prince Ivan wakes me up from my nap with a happy smile on his face and the bracelet I traded for the Relic Piece on his wrist. As a children’s toy, it apparently has an ownership charm on it, so it can be located if lost. The Council took it from him after I left, but the moment he thought of wanting it, the bracelet returned to his hand. At least, that’s his version of the story.

I’m informed that dinner will be in two hours, and a maid has been assigned to help me get dressed, with a theme of summer casual. He himself is wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, so I somewhat believe him, though I’ll verify it with the maid first. After all their nonsense today, a practical joke played in the council night be exactly what the Crown Prince intends.

A pair of Succubus in what I’m assuming is supposed to be a maids outfit come in to help me get ready while I’m in the bath. Karl would definitely like that outfit, I should get a set before I go. They’ve brought along a selection of summer dresses, so I’m assuming that the Prince was telling the truth about dress code, and they get right to work braiding, twirling, curling and pinning my hair into an elaborate style fit for a royal gala.

We settle for a light blue Maxi dress and some matching blue Mary Janes. I have a very deep personal dislike for pointy toes and high heels, despite my lack of height, and these were the only other option they brought. They’re not bad looking though. One of the young nobles I recognize from the throne room comes in after knocking, dressed in Jeans, a Hawaiian shirt and a cowboy hat, looking like a Mexicali cowboy on vacation.

"That Prince better not be messing with me." he says, pointing at his outfit.

"While I’m sure he would, at least we’ll all match unless he’s changed since I saw him last." I laugh as the Succubus maids eyeball the chiseled hunk of a Demon in front of us.

"This place is dangerous, so he sent me to escort you to dinner. He will be arriving early to ensure the seating arrangements are suitable, High Priestess." the Demon explains.

"Well then, I shall prevail upon your hospitality. Please, call me Katrina." I smile and he blushes, making the Succubus girls coo at his innocence. These two could be a lot of fun to travel with, but I don’t think I could get away with bringing them with me.

"Duke Marianne at your service." He says and I try not to react to his odd name. Maybe it’s a family name? I’m not really up on Demonic making conventions.

"Then lead the way Your Grace. It wouldn’t do to keep our hosts waiting." I smile and set my hand in his looped arm.

"I should also warn you, you’ve become very popular in the upper echelons of the nobility, being Immortal born and part Lycan. It raises curiosity, so be careful of their attempts to bind you to them with words, some magics can be very subtle and they’ve even been known to break mating bonds in the past to get what they want." the young Duke tells me quietly as we walk.

"Noted. I’ll be sure to watch out for the pervy and creepy sorts. But I must ask, how did you become a Duke of a Demon Plane and still retain so much innocence? I haven’t seen that level of wholesome in a long time." I smile at him.

"My father was betrayed by my mother, in an attempt to steal his position. After he killed her, he banished all females from our castle. Until I arrived here yesterday, I had grown my entire two hundred years between the betrayal and his passing without seeing one." he explains.

"I’m sorry to hear that. How did he pass, if you don’t mind my asking?"

"He failed the Tribulation. There was a hidden flaw in his cultivation after the attack by my mother that never healed and the Tribulation Lightning killed him." Duke Marianne says sadly.

I look the Duke over closely, his cultivation is in the early stages of Immortality, like me. His Core hasn’t yet been absorbed into the Nascent Soul forming inside him. There’s a clear disruption in the flow of Unholy Energy through him though. One that feels of Divine Energy that doesn’t belong in this Demon Plane. In fact only their stronger warriors who have fought against enemies from the Divine Planes might recognize it.

"Did you know that you’ve been cursed too? Right there between your heart and left lung is a bundle of Divine Energy that is disrupting your cultivation." I say, pointing at the spot on his chest.

"How could you even know that? It took the finest of doctors over a week to locate the source of the curse, and still they could do nothing about it." He frowns suspiciously.

"Innate skill of my species, or perhaps a gift from the Death God. It’s hard to tell at this point. But it’s possible for me to correct the problem. Unlike a full blooded Demon, I have no problem dealing with Divine Energy." I explain.

Duke Marianne pulls me aside into an empty room we happen to be passing. It looks to be a sitting room, clean but without any lingering scent of visitors other than the maid. This should be a good spot.

"What will it cost me to have you repair the curse on me?" he asks.

I was going to say we can work something out after, but I recalled his words about demons looking to trap others with subtle magic and vague contracts. So it’s best to give him a definitive price.

"If I succeed you will ensure I make it back to my companions in a timely manner. If I do not succeed, there will be no charge." I tell him and he nods.

If they had brought in a non Demon combat medic with practical experience this curse would be no big deal. It’s a nice cohesive ball of energy though, so I should be able to remove it intact, maybe stick it in an item to give to someone I don’t like? Yes, that sounds like an excellent plan. What do I have handy? Oh, the toys from Steve.

I look through the box in my storage ring and find a steel ring with an oversized blue gem on it. That should do. Ring in hand, I start working the curse to the surface of his body, realigning his energy flows as I go. It’s a bit like building a sand castle in a river. I don’t have to be perfect, the flow will carve where it wants to be once I fill in the hole.

The curse seems drawn to the ring, soaking right in once they make contact. Now that it is in my hand, the nature of the curse is simple to see, it will try to absorb Tribulation Lightning, causing the curse to overload and surge huge amounts of Divine Energy through the body, effectively killing the host should they try to break through to Divinity.

None of the douchebags that the King calls advisors have reached that level yet, and they seemed to really want the bracelet that Prince Ivan kept. Perhaps I can work a trade with them? If I’m not reading this thing wrong, it should curse anyone who wears it, along with the initial purpose of supplementing their internal energy level, an essential aide for Divine Plane children who want to advance rapidly but whose bodies aren’t efficient enough yet at gathering energy.