The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 179

Alvera stayed quiet, her eyes locked on him like a hawk.

Kael continued, "And the troops? They weren’t locals. Most wore Night Star’s colors, but their accents were wrong. They are transporting heavy machinery."

"Did you take anything?"

Hearing this Kael smiled.

Silence stretched between them for a moment.

Then Alvera asked, voice low, "And how much of that did you take with you?"

Kael smirked. "Enough to confirm I wasn’t dreaming."

She frowned slightly, then sat straighter. "So you were spotted."

"Only at the end. I was listening to their conversation while hiding in the vent.I made sure to mask my presence...Alas!I found out."Kael clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"They fired without warning. I had to ditch the cloak. Took many bullets here and there"

He tapped his side gently. "Not a bad aim."

Alvera didn’t respond immediately. She watched him, measured him, then finally said

"You realize what you’ve stumbled into, don’t you?"

Kael’s eyes sharpened. "Something bigger than a hidden port. Something even you are afraid to touch directly."

Her mouth curled just slightly. "Afraid? No."

"We are just cautious.We, the Ice Elves, don’t tread into wars, we didn’t light ourselves. Especially when there’s too much smoke and not enough flame."

"And yet you asked me to look into it," Kael pointed out.

"You’re not us. That’s your strength—and your weakness."

Kael chuckled. "So this is where we trade, isn’t it? You want more. I want to know what this prophecy actually means."

Alvera’s gaze cooled. "That depends. How much more are you willing to give?"

Kael leaned back in his chair, eyes glinting.

The frost of the chamber did little to cool the heated air between them.

Alvera sat straight on her silver-wrought seat, eyes narrowed, fingers intertwined in a poised yet stern manner. Kael, seated across from her on a fur-covered bench, leaned back casually, but his eyes were sharp—calculated. The slight bruising on his cheek and the barely healed gash near his ribs still pulsed under his tunic.

Alvera’s voice sharpened.

"How many strong fighters?"

"Hard to say. I encountered at least two dozen knights, and more eyes in the shadows. Enough to assume they’re guarding a secret, not a port."

"Who led them?"

Kael’s eyes darkened.

"Didn’t catch a name. But there was a mage—combat trained, swift. She used compressed fire spells, and something like a tether chain made from reinforced mana. Gave me a tough time. If Iris hadn’t appeared at the end, I wouldn’t be breathing right now."

He touched his ribs briefly with a wince.

Alvera watched him closely, silent for a beat. Then she folded her hands.

"And how much was being shipped? What quantity, and at what rate?"

Kael’s lips tightened ever so slightly. He looked away just for a second before responding.

"Enough to matter. But again, I was dodging blades, not counting crates."

Her gaze pierced him, searching. She knew he was holding back—but she also knew pressing would only make him dig his heels in. Kael played the game too well.

There was a momentary pause.

Kael sat up straighter now, his tone shifting—calm but edged.

"I did what I was asked to do. Got in. Fought through. Came back with enough blood and answers to prove it."

He looked her straight in the eyes.

"Now, it’s time for you to hold your end of the deal."

His voice dropped into a quieter, steelier tone.

"A fair transaction... isn’t it?"

Alvera’s expression didn’t shift immediately. But her fingers stopped moving. Her breath drew in, cold and steady.

"Indeed. Fair... and dangerous."

She stood slowly, her gown brushing the ice-carved floor, and turned toward the inner chamber of her sanctum.

"

The tension lingered like mist—both players watching, testing, and withholding—but the game had moved into its next round.

....

The frost of the chamber did little to cool the heat simmering beneath their composed faces.

Alvera then took out something from sanctum.

Moments later, on the carved stone table with the ice-wrought chessboard between them, each piece shaped from polished crystal and onyx.

Her fingers, long and pale, moved the white queen with a click that echoed in the stillness of the chamber.

Kael, already seated across from her with a fur-lined cloak draped over his shoulders, smirked faintly as he toyed with a black knight between his fingers.

"You always preferred games that mirrored reality, didn’t you?" he remarked.

Alvera gave a barely perceptible smile. "And you always pretend not to take them seriously. But every move you make on the board gives you away."

Kael leaned forward, placing the knight on c5. "Careful. You’re starting to sound like a strategist, not a queen."

She answered with a bishop sweep to e3—an aggressive gesture. "I never said I wasn’t both."

The game progressed, slow and deliberate, as did the conversation.

"Where were the shipments being sent?" she asked, eyes not leaving the board.

Kael moved a pawn forward, chewing briefly on his thoughts. "Didn’t catch the destination. Too many variables, too little time. I was focused on staying alive, not tracing shipping manifests."

Alvera’s next move was swift, her white rook taking his forward pawn.

"Suspicious activity? Anything that didn’t belong?"

Kael exhaled through his nose, his hand hesitating over his queen before settling on another pawn. "More than enough. Sigil-marked crates. Old tongues carved into their lids. Heavy guards. Precision routines. It was too clean. Too... quiet. Which only means the truth is dirty."

"How many?" Alvera asked.

"Two dozen, at least. And more hidden. I wasn’t welcome enough to stay long."

She pressed. "And the one leading them?"

Kael’s fingers paused over a rook before changing course to move a bishop.

"Not the typical captain type. A fore mage—battle-forged. Fast and brutal. Fire magic attacks with enhancements. If Iris hadn’t intervened..." He winced, subconsciously brushing his ribs.

"We wouldn’t be playing this game."

Alvera nodded slightly. Her white knight leapt across the board.

"And the quantity being moved?"

Kael’s face didn’t change, but the pause was longer this time. He slid a black queen forward—an unexpected risk.

"Enough to need silence. But I wasn’t in a place to count. You sent me to bleed, not audit."

Alvera sat back for a moment, fingers tapping the table’s edge. Her silver eyes narrowed slightly. "You’re withholding something."

Kael didn’t deny it. He met her stare head-on, fingers tented beneath his chin.

"And you’re not? Come now, Your Highness Alvera. You’re probing with your left hand while hiding your dagger in the right. We’re not strangers to this game."

She smiled coolly. "True. But I expected a little more generosity in return for saving your life."

Kael chuckled dryly. "Generosity is for alliances, not arrangements. This was a contract. I did my part." He reached for a piece but didn’t move it yet.

The game had become tighter now. Alvera had his king cornered with a looming bishop and knight combination, but Kael’s rooks were angled into a defensive barricade.

"You know what I want," he said. "You promised me answers. Now it’s your turn."

Alvera arched an eyebrow. "Is this negotiation or demand?"

"Fair transaction," Kael replied smoothly, finally sliding his rook into position and cutting off her knight. "And fair warning—I don’t play twice for the same truth."

The board reflected their words—constriction, threat, misdirection. Neither side was willing to fully open. Neither side was foolish enough to overextend.

Alvera studied the position, then advanced her pawn. Kael followed with his queen. In ten more moves, all pieces had locked into an intricate stalemate.

Her tone cooled. "A draw, then."

Kael rose, adjusting the collar of his cloak. "Only on the board. Off it, I’ve earned my prize."

Alvera stood as well, and for the first time, a flicker of seriousness edged into her voice. "What you seek isn’t something lightly handed over."

Kael’s eyes narrowed. "And yet, it’s part of the bargain. I went into your shadows. I bled for your secrets. Now tell me—" he stepped closer, gaze unwavering, "—what the hell is with the thing you are going to give me."

The chamber fell silent, the soft crackle of the frostfire torches echoing in the stone chamber.

Alvera’s gaze lingered on the chessboard for a moment longer, then lifted to meet his.

"Very well, Kael. But before I speak..."

She stepped past him, toward the sealed door and asked.

"What is this thing that has immense power? Something that can change the status quo to change the power balance.Allow you to destroy the nation and give you extreme power."

The more Alvera spoke the more Kael’s expression worsened.He wondered if she was joking with him by speaking all that useless shit.

"What did you mean by that?"Kael asked with a frown as his piercing gaze bore down on Alvera who stood firm and replied.

"I meant what I said."

Kael not knowing what this answer is.

"From the question, I am sure about one thing."

Alvera raised her brows and asked,"Now what’s that?"

"That you don’t know shit.."

CRACK!

Something crack but it wasn’t an object.