The God of Jesters
Chapter 97 - 2.27.1 The cage.

Chapter 97: 2.27.1 The cage.

Finally, I can speak of what actually happened.

I can tell him all the things I have been holding back. But now was not the time. And instead, explaining these details was too much for my lips, it was better to show him.

So turning to Kairut, I asked him. "Keep watch over my body, don’t let him get close to that man," I ordered that old man whose youth probably saved him from Maisel’s anger. Of course, the fire Maisel held might have helped him identify Kairut’s identity, but due to him using it to suppress the curse, he didn’t notice him that much.

"Your lies would burn by my flames, demon!" Though before I could prove a thing the temperature in the area increased by multitudes, turning the whole section of the sewer into hell as the fumes from boiling sewage rose into the air.

But of course, none of it had much effect on the firepower of Maisel, who hurled multiple fireballs my way. Though, I believed in my servant, even if he was weaker than Maisel due to his magic incompatibility. The spears made out of flesh that rose for the floor acted as a perfect barrier.

Giving me ample time to give up control.

*****

Kairut didn’t know what his master meant by the owner of the body is alive.

With his past experiences, he knew that predicting the movements and plans of his master was futile, for this man had no plans or end goal in his mind, to begin with.

The nature of his master, he had come to understand it clearly.

It was what his master showed, there was no deeper planning or goals his master held. He was just someone that enjoyed stories just like he claimed. A simple direct desire is driven by entertainment.

And these last few days when his master was sane, he had communicated directly with him a lot. So he became more certain of this truth. This is what finally made him give up any desire to mess up Jester’s plan for his own advantage, for he knew that no matter what happens, his master wouldn’t probably mind it as long as it entertained him.

It was for such a reason that Kairut, even though being hated to be treated like a Minion, chose to listen to Jester’s command and fight Maisel who seemed weaker than before, to protect his master’s body.

Correction, Maisel’s son’s body. A son that might be alive.

’What a horrible being.’

Kairut thought as his body mutated into a giant bug, white different insects started to crawl out of the sewer, some of them possessing the strength of apprentice knights.

Kairut was an Entomancer, someone that controlled the insects. The giant flying insects that could cut apart humans in a single attack, the bulbous cockroach that can devour a whole human body, as well as the multiple poisonous insects that were looking for an opportunity to bite their victims.

But this was not enough.

"Poison field." With those words, the bodies of each insect started to leak poison from their body, which when met with heat, turned into a poisonous seam that spread farther and deeper.

One might be able to defend against physical attacks, or even magical ones through their mana armor or shield. But what of the air?

The air that everyone needs to breathe.

Though useless on those with powerful bloodlines and physiques among knights. For the Mages with feeble bodies, this was lethal.

But this was still not Kairut. He was an archmage that had mastered multiple dark spells and necromantic spells in his lifetime. Most of which were useless in front of these "Beings of Purity". A complete incompatibility would render most of his spells useless and might even boost the enemy’s strength.

Not to mention, the wastage of mana that would happen due to it. Hence limiting him to his current usage of spells that were mostly in the Entomancer series, which still held some weakness to fire, the most destructive element among the Arcana path.

"You are him... that bastard!" Of course, Kairut’s spells also gave away his identity, finally earning Maisel’s ire for the first time and he can feel the heat of such anger.

And then the war began. A destructive war without any winners.

******

"Where am I?... Am I still sleeping?" Farhad asked in a wide wasteland with misty walls at the end. Which oddly felt familiar to him. But he can be sure, this was the first time he ever saw such a scene.

But this was not the thing that confused him. He turned to look at a figure, a faceless boy with bright teeth sitting on a tree stump.

"You, you dragged me into that hell?" He accused me, but there was no anger or feeling of injustice in his heart. There was only fear as he backed off seeing my true form.

As for the hell he was speaking of?

Well, I didn’t have a complete idea. I just did what was written in the notes left by the "other" me.

"Young man, I saved your life from a complete death. And this is how you treat me?" I got off the tree stump that had been dented by all the sitting I have done on it. Before approaching the young man who backed off in fear while repeating words that sounded odd to me. "You are him... that man!!"

He backed off, dropping on the floor while trying to create distance.

A face full of panic, before he asked in confusion. "How are you so short now?" he asked, which also confused me.

Because for some reason, I couldn’t see into his mind properly. But that was not the issue here.

He was my green card here, there is a reason the other me, who was more complete and knew a lot more, had left me such instructions. So I said, "Your father will die if you don’t do something!!" At my words, he stopped.

Before shaking his head as he replied."Doesn’t matter, he threw me away." Even in such a bizarre place, the hate for his own father was strong in this child. "I wouldn’t have been here if he had only listened. I would still be alive."

At those words, my eyes lit up.

Did this boy not know he was not dead?

Then what of the moments he tried to wrest away the control over his body from me? Was it done at a subconscious level?

From his expression, it seemed to be the case. But there was no need to speak of such details to him.

"Explaining all of it will be difficult for me. Let’s just show it to you right away."

With those words, the world started to shatter as the control was given back to Farhad, who instinctively started to modify the place to his own liking.

Once again at the subconscious level.

Though the way this place was modified was like a cage.

A cage in which I was forced into, while the body of Farhad disappeared from my sight. He was now the ruler of this land for now, And I can finally see what he had been doing all this time, as his subconscious mind started to dream a world on its own.

While I took over the place of the part that Farhad might have played in this dream.

Which turned out to be a rat, stuck in a cage.

*****

In the outside world, the fight between two mages had come to an end.

Maisel might not be on the archmage level, but his flames of Samadhi along with the destructive nature of the fire elevated the whole section of the sewer, evaporating all the water and killing countless of the insects in the area.

One might even call that he was a pseudo-Archmage. The thing that actually gave him the right to earn the title of a marshall in the military.

"Next, it’s you," Maisel said to the giant insects that dodged the multiple pillars of fire that burst out of the ground, weaving into them like a dragonfly. Before the scythe-like hands of the insect closed in on Maisel and gave his body a strong slash.

And he felt it, the organic scythe that he created, burning to crisps in an instant in front of the flames.

But he still succeeded in slashing parts of Maisel’s shoulders, finally succeeding in spreading his poison.

"It’s done!" Kairut thought, recalling the fight he experienced before. He really didn’t expect Maisel to even burn the gaseous poison in the air which was the best way to deal with flame magicians.

Which finally forced him to take a direct approach and fight Maisel on his own. Which was still a bit easy due to his youthful body that held more vitality. Of course, this was temporary, but it still did its job.

Though before Kairut could take a sigh of relief, he saw how Maisel with a single thought burned that piece of his infected flesh, stopping the poison from spreading all at once.

’This is why I didn’t wish to fight him.’ Kairut thought.

And when Kairut got ready for another exchange of blows, a voice stopped everyone in their place. "Fa..Father?" A confused voice that sounded unlike that of the Jester attracted the attention of the two men.

One of which showed confusion, wondering if it was another game played by Jester, while the other said. "Farhad?" With confusion and expectation written all over the place. But this didn’t mean that man put down his guard.