Lucifer grinned at the stunned faces of Ahri and Selenia.

Ahri quickly asked, “But why, isn’t it safer to stay in the shadows?”

Lucifer replied “Indeed it is safer to stay anonymous, especially when there are so many greedy bastards in this world, but that is no longer the case. There is a high chance that the Magedom already knows of my existence, so if I ignore the threat and they come for me while I still have my head in the sand, then I won’t even stand a chance to fight back.

However, if I reveal myself now, not only will I be able to gain the opportunity to make allies, I won’t be caught with my pants down”

Selenia questioned “Are you sure that the Magedom knows, because if they don’t aren’t you simply giving yourself away”

“Perhaps, but I believe that the risk is too high to gamble on the slim chance that the Magedom are oblivious to the activities of rival kingdoms, and I highly doubt the discovery of a new dungeon escaped their spies notice”

Ahri sat up and asked “If the benefits of gaining allies sooner outway the disadvantages of being discovered, then who are you going to make an alliance with to make that worth it. The mages University is practically hostile now and even if you get the Swadian king on your side it won’t compare against the Magedom”

Lucifer sported the same grin from a moment ago and replied “Hehe, that’s my smart little fox, you hit the nail on the head so to speak, if the allies I can make aren't strong enough to make a difference then what’s the point of revealing myself like this” Lucifer’s grin deepened as he said “we are going to make friends with the Duchies”

Selenia furrowed her brows and challenged “Swadia and the Duchies have been at war since their foundation, I doubt they will “make friends””

Lucifer simply replied, “Ahri, here is what I want you to do...”

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Sometime later.

Ahri walked through the dungeon entrance capturing the heated gazes of the guards. Normally she would have made herself invisible to avoid people’s eyes, but today her mind was on more important things.

After a short walk, she entered the newly build mage tower and passed the fidgeting receptionist, who wasn’t sure if she should ask Ahri if she needed anything, but she saw Ahri’s high ranking mage robes and smartly decided to keep her mouth shut.

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Ahri quickly arrived at the top floor and waved her hand in front of a heavily fortified door, her ring shined a myriad of colours before hundreds of arcane symbols burst to life around her, the wall floor and ceiling shimmered with their strange protective enchants for a few moments longer before they deactivated. Once she deemed it safe she opened the surprisingly light iron door and entered a small circular room.

Once inside she dumped a pile of magic crystals from her storage ring into a box inlaid in the wall of the room as if they were mere stones, then started a long chant.

Several minutes later she found herself in another identical room to the one she was just in, a normal person would assume the spell had failed, but Ahri had done this enough times to know better.

She confidently exited the door and waved the same hand again as the protective enchantments deactivated in this hallway, then cast a quick invisibility spell with practiced ease.

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The King sighed deeply surrounded by piles of documents, then the door opened and a servant carrying another armful of documents entered the room and the King groaned,

The table thumped as his head met the table and he was forced to admit that 1. That hurt a little bit, and 2. This table was rather well made to survive his divine head while being crushed by a mountain of documents.

He never intended to become a paper pushing King like this, he wanted to rule the same way he became a ruler, with an iron fist coupled with an unshakable character, a warrior king, but reality is cruel and the paper mountain constantly exerted its depressing existence on his tired mind.

Suddenly he felt the presence of an unwelcome guest and he nearly cried out in joy despite the possible threat, he couldn’t see his opponent, but that didn’t matter. He was wounded by an assassin before which stopped him from uniting the Dutchies under Swadia once more, so he has spent more time than he cares to admit finding ways to combat invisible threats.

The King’s body stiffened as a woman revealed herself slightly closer than he thought before she said, “Arthus, I’ve known you since I was a child and now your point swords at me” as she gestured towards the King’s elaborate duel swords.

Arthus’ gaze sharpened at having a stranger suddenly calling his name so familiarly. The list of people who fit the woman’s description ran through his head quickly, those who knew his first name were few so that narrowed it down to only a few, someone that he knew as a child narrowed it down further. He was a bastard child of the King who was sent of to Woop Woop, he didn’t know anyone capable of sneaking into the King’s chambers unnoticed and he doubts he would forget such a beautiful woman.

Ahri stared at the King and suddenly realized that Arthus had never seen her true form, Merlin had always had disguise magic casted on her whenever she appeared in public.

She cleared her throat before saying, “I’m Ahri, Merlin’s adopted daughter”

Arthur was surprised, however, he didn’t believe the woman in front of him, “Ahri is a little mute human girl, who looks like a floor mop was used to beat her face as a child”

Ahri’s face flushed red and she rebuked, “my disguised form wasn’t that ugly” then she harshly added, “if you don’t believe me, then how about I tell you about that time Merlin was teaching you how to dodge with bear p---”

Arthus interrupted the her “OKAY okay I understand, your Ahri, I thought you were mute”

The blood that had just left her face rushed back giving her a youthful red tinge as she squirmed sheepishly, “I met someone special who helped me get used to talking”.

“I see” simply replied Arthur who was slightly confused by her sudden change in demeanor. “So why are you here”

Ahri snapped out of her delusions and sternly replied, “there is someone I want you to meet, someone that will completely change the future of Swadia”

Arthur’s expression turned grave as he replied, “so Merlin has finally decided to let me in on whatever was happening the dungeon city”

Ahri didn’t reply, she just said, “follow me” after casting an invisibility spell on both of them