The God of Jesters
Chapter 469 - 7.21.1 Game is just starting.

Chapter 469: 7.21.1 Game is just starting.

War was romance to me.

When people are brought to their limits, while they face death, it’s when they show their true nature.

Would it be vile? Honorable? Filled with regrets? Or a desperation as they cling to life?

Such a wide range of emotions, all lead to one thing and one thing only.

"This is so fun."

Amir looked around, feeling dread as he saw how the new bodies or friends he found all had injuries which if it went any deeper would have killed all of them. "This bastard!!" he cursed while Farhad on his back just sighed. "He is playing with us." Farhad looked around trying to find the vitality of his opponent, but for some reason, he couldn’t detect him at all.

"This game of his."

After knowing that the opponent was a dangerous one, Amir had chosen to shake hands with Farhad. Although he can’t fight his opponent, he still can support his companion which is Amir.

While Amir had something else in his mind altogether. ’I need answers.’

"Why are you so worried?" And suddenly as if playing a disgusting game, the small monkey appeared out of nowhere, speaking in a tone that Amir found very familiar. "You bastard.." It was the tone of his cousin Ludwig.

"Hey, can you calm down, if you keep acting this way, I will be forced to hide again, and if you force me enough," I said, showing the only finger that was left on my left hand. "I will fuck you up." It was a direct threat. A threat that Amir knew held some truth.

While Farhad, who was at the back asked. "You are that shape-shifter from before correct?" He asked, looking at me as if I was some odd specimen. ’Ho.’ And he was confused, as I appeared as only an apprentice on the surface, but he knew that was far from the truth. "What happened to Number Two?" He asked, ignoring the oddity he was seeing.

While for me, I just gave him a small smile. "You know your friend won’t harm a friend of yours... she is fine," I told the direct truth, while Amir who had learned about the past of the two remained silent for a while. "But things would go bad if I were to explain our current predicament to my master..." At the mention of my master, the face of Farhad Twisted, while Amir who had been learning more and more about this new friend of his put up a guard, readying himself in case Farhad betrays him.

But that never happened. Farhad just kept staring at the little shape-shifter while Amir asked. "You know this Jester? Personally?"

"This... hah, you can say that." Farhad sighed before turning to look at the small monkey. "But I can assure you, he and I are enemies first and foremost..."

"Ho, why are you lying so much... You are the master’s lovely pet from before, aren’t you? Do you know, everyone is jealous of you... even sister Gazelle, who was the closest to master!!" Again with the mention of Gazelle, I turned to look deeply at Amir again, who turned silent for a bit, knowing that I was taunting him.

’Say it.’ I said with my eyes, but Amir held himself back, not so fast to ask questions so early, he just maintained a level of distance while ordering Farhad. "Give him the item."

Why the sudden change?

No, it was easy to see what the reason was. ’He feels that I am treating him like a scapegoat.’

"Good choice my lovely Prince, I would put in a few good words to Sister Gazelle when I have time." At my words, the face of Amir twisted a bit deeper while Farhad gave a curious look at Amir.

Although he hadn’t asked before, he had been curious about how Prince Amir came across Gazelle and why it felt like he really seemed a bit too involved in this topic. "Prince... that woman, she is part of his cult. She is a dangerous figure." Farhad remembers that woman but barely if he thinks about it.

The whole Team One had traveled with him for over a month, escaping the pursuit of hunters from all walks of life and backgrounds, including an existence like Remira. So he had some memory of that odd woman.

But that’s it, unlike members like owl, Scart, or Minat... Gazelle usually stayed by her side, acting as an older sister of the team, taking care of each member. But Farhad knew that she was dangerous even then.

’Gazelle the Mysterious.’ That was her title. Her talents and abilities truly remained a mystery to him till the end, when he saw all kinds of powers displayed by the rest of the members. She was an odd one. A dangerous one that seemed to be at the center of the whole group, while on the surface, the leader always remained Owl. ’I never thought of her too much.’

Farhad for one can’t believe that every Gazelle had made Amir fall to her charm, which went to show how dangerous she could be. ’A honey trap?’ Farhad thought a bit more before shaking his head.

"I know... And I don’t hold any interest in her, I am just curious over her actions and the existence of this Jester... but seeing you here, I think I don’t need that little monkey to look for my answers... you know enough." Then after a pause, Amir repeated. "So give it to him and send him away. I don’t wish to put the lives of these men in danger anymore."

Seeing that Prince Amir seemed to reach his limit, Farhad suddenly grabbed the shoulder of Amir, who seemed ready to attack, but before he could Farhad cut him off. "Prince Amir, might I remind you of the existence we are facing? That shape-shifter is just a puppet of his, the one we are truly facing is Jester himself... he is here at this very moment. The fact that everyone is sleeping is proof enough."

"What do you mean!!"

"Jester is a nightmarish being, he is master of dreams and occult. None of which are feats that a mere Master Ranked Knight could do... unless." Farhad said, looking at the fingers of his opponent. "He gave up his fingers as a sacrifice, and even more if I think correct... all to bring the will of Jester here."

"Am I right, little dwarf?" At Farhad mentioned the term dwarf, my face crumpled before turning into a smile once again. "Ho old friend, you are... you are smart." The tone was different from before, but this tone of mine contained a level of mystery that suddenly turned Amir a bit drowsy before the badge on his chest lit up with a blood light, removing any oddities his soul just suffered from.

And this single thing sent shivers down Amir’s spine, while Farhad noticing Amir’s oddity turned to look at me. "You have become stronger..."

"And you as well... I believe you enjoyed the feast of Ghouls from down below?... how was it, their flesh I mean...." As I was speaking, Amir, suddenly turned to look at me with a horrified eye. "You, what are you."

"What do you mean what am I? Don’t you know already? We have met before in your Chef’s body I presume, though, at that time, the girl Gazelle said you had some potential, you were not like those other fools who didn’t know right from wrong. You were some with rationality. A mind that thinks for himself."

"Sadly, She left disappointed, leaving me no choice but to put you on the kill list as well."

"Jester, stop messing with him... I can see what you did here, playing with a Prince, using that woman Gazelle for it all, haven’t you?" When Amir heard Farhad words he turned to him, surprised for a bit. ’He knows Gazelle as well?’ Then soon his mind drifted to some odd thoughts of what kind of relationship Farhad had with Gazelle, did she do the same to him?

"Oh my friend, I never did anything like that, she was here to kill him from the start, but she stopped due to this man’s talent, which even you will be surprised to hear... sadly the fool was forced to fight a war instead of focusing on things that actually matter. If only he had listened to her. Things wouldn’t progress to this level."

"You are talking about this war?"

"Oh yes, this war... I never intended to start it so early, but my hands were forced by certain people." As I said those words, I looked toward Amir. "But enough about it, now, now old friend, time to hand me the very thing my man had been promised, don’t think you can delay the time any further while the help arrives. We both know that such a tactic might have worked on the little fool, but I am not the same."

At those words, the eyes of both Amir and Farhad turned.

Though not completely an act, the two were truly just delaying time, specifically Amir.

The radio was not the only way they could transmit a message for help, there were many magical artifacts on Amir’s body that did the same.

Along with many protective charms that would save his life when in danger.

All a kind of insurance considering Farhad was out in the field when a Royal had been assassinated not too long ago.

’The bait.’

He was the bait, and they seem to think I have bit that bait.