Help! I Think We Summoned A Demon King-Chapter 30: A Meeting With Victor Malverin

"What the hell do you mean by ’ordered’ his presence ?" Erica was fuming as she smacked away the hand from Zorat’s shoulder.

The guard looked indignantly at Erica but knowing he couldn’t pull the same stunt with Erica who was an ’actual’ hero, he chose to use his words.

"My lady hero. It is the grand vizier’s order to ..."

"I don’t care if it’s the king himself. No one in this kingdom has the right to order us around. We are not your kingdom’s citizens are we ?"

Erica was riled up, and Zorat had to pat her back a couple of times to calm her down. Her nature was indeed fiery, a kind of spice he liked.

But Zorat was already prepared for and expecting this moment. He knew the grand vizier would definitely call for him after what he saw, which Zorat wasn’t completely sure of as well what he did see.

"It’s okay Erica. I’ll go and see what the matter is and be right back." Zorat said with a reassuring smile at Erica.

He was certain the grand vizier won’t be foolish enough to pull something drastic when he’s publicly called him over like this. And if he does pull something untowards, all the more reason why he should go.... He summoned his soul out of the hell dimension for such reasons; the fun and the thrill.

Erica paused her verbal assault on the two Shoemakker brothers at Zorat’s words. She too does not see any situation where ’Caleb’ would be in danger from this. She was just upset by their obvious disrespect towards him.

She too, as well as the other heroes, are well aware of the bad hand that fate had dealt Caleb, and of the biased opinions and reactions of the denizens of this kingdom to his awakening as the item box hero; but now that she actually likes him, and she feels they were getting quite close. She couldn’t bear seeing it happen anymore.

But seeing how Zorat showed zero reaction to it, it didn’t seem right for her to continue to act against his wishes that she stopped, so she simply nodded and watched as Caleb followed behind the two guards out of the private training facility.

The Shoemakker brothers led Zorat through the palace grounds, and behind the left wing zone that opened into a flower garden stood a structure at the center that looked like a gazebo.

Two maids prepared tea on a fine table setting where a man with a single moustache sat going through some paperworks, and a burly man in simple combat gear with a great axe on his back stood at the left corner like a statue.

The Shoemakker brothers stopped a few meters back and said nothing. Zorat, reading their meaning, advanced ahead with his hand behind his back. Standing at the entrance of the gazebo, he noticed there was no other seat, so he just stood there, feeling a genuine interest in why this man had only a single moustache.

"Caleb Cole.. am I right ?" Victor Malverin voiced behind the fancy table, not even bothering to look up.

"Right you are." Zorat replied simply, and the stoic guard’s face at the corner seemed to be twitch irritable by Zorat’s obviously discourteous response, however Victor didn’t seem to mind as he continued.

"I heard you’ve aligned yourself with the princess..... are you certain about that choice?" Victor asked, this time, he inclined his head a quarter inch to look at Zorat who had a gentle smile on his face.

" ’aligned’ is a strong word.... don’t you think so, grand vizier ?" Zorat replied with a meaningful grin.

This caused a knowing smirk to stretch at the corner of the grand vizier’s lips. Then he decidedly set his pile of documents aside, this time giving his full attention to Zorat.

"Oh?. That’s quite a ’disloyal’ statement, coming from one of the princess’s people." Victor said grinning as well, reclining on his chair and pulling gently at his single beard with his right hand.

"You say disloyal... I say... keeping my options open. As you know, grand vizier....I am the weakest of the heroes.... So, rather than relying on blind loyalty.... I go where there’s the most benefit." Zorat added with a mischievous grin.

Pretending to play the part of a decent person at this point in front of the grand vizier, would not be strategic. He already knows Zorat is evil. Which begs the question.... How much exactly has he seen ?.

Still. He would act the way he would expect someone evil by his mundane standards to act ....

Doing otherwise would not only alert him that since someone who’s supposed to be evil is pretending before him.... Then he must be up to something.

Zorat knew this man would never actually trust him after catching a glimpse of what he did... but by leading him to believe their interests temporarily align, he will get the much needed time to bring his other chess pieces into play.

I love this game. hehehe

And just like Zorat predicted, the grand vizier also reciprocated with a grin that crept up his face.

"What if I tell you I have more benefits to offer than the princess... ?"

"You might be unaware but I control everything in this kingdom....Artifacts, armaments, gold... I could even come up with a role that pays you equal to the ministers of the royal court..."

"so what if you are the weakest of the heroes ?. you don’t even need to join their fights when you are on my team, and just relax."

"What do I have to do ?." Zorat asked with a serious tone, appearing as if the greed of all that the grand vizier had mentioned had already consumed him.

Victor Malverin smiled seeing this and said."nothing right now. But when I invite you to one of our tea sessions like this next time.... I want you to tell me every information you’ve gained from the princess’s faction. Can you do that ?"

"Leave it to me, grand vizier."

"Wonderful. Now remember. What you should tell everyone is... I called to persuade you as expected, and you rejected my offer.... Is that clear ?"

"Crystal."

"Good. You can go now, your good life has only just begun. " Victor said with the most accommodating smile.

Zorat turned and walked away in tow with the Shoemakker brothers, and as soon as they were out of sight, the guard who had been standing to the side like a statue finally spoke.

"Sir..... I don’t think we can trust him."

"Trust him ?! Hahahaha" Victor scoffed into a laugh.

"That young man has the blackest soul I have ever seen in all my life... "

"He is... pure evil." Victor said this time with a little apprehension appearing in his voice and face.

’how did the kingdom summon something like that ?’ he thought inside but was soon pulled out of his thoughts by the guards voice.

"Sir...but how is that possible? I thought they were heroes summoned by the goddess ?." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"That’s still what I don’t understand... but my eyes have never once deceived me."

"Then, sir. Shouldn’t we find a way to.... get rid of him... just like the other ministers have suggested?"

"You seem to forget ... .but sadly nothing can be done inside the palace walls..." Victor said and the guard nodded in understanding.

"Besides...it’s better to have someone like this in play on our behalf...And if he does try to rebel... "

"I’ll squash him like a bug before he grows into his abilities as a hero."

"For now.... Keep an eye on him at all times." he added as the guard bowed in acknowledgement.

"I will use this ’hero’.... for my own benefits"