Rhodesney XVIII stared at the wizard with great interest for a while.
He had expected the wizard to look rather unusual, but aside from Deke Doyle's somewhat gloomy expression, there was nothing special about his appearance compared with an ordinary person.
That made sense, too. If wizards looked unusual, how could they have hidden themselves in human society for so many years without being wiped out?
His fingers tapped lightly against the tabletop, while the candlelight cast shifting shadows across his stern face.
"You don't sound like a loyal subordinate."
Deke Doyle suddenly grinned, revealing several yellowed teeth. He leaned forward, and the shackles around his wrists clattered.
"Loyalty?" His voice sounded like sandpaper scraping against something. "Giles and I merely took what we needed from each other—he needed my potions, and I needed his live experimental subjects."
Deke licked his cracked lips, his murky eyes fixed on the king. "But a truly great monarch like Your Majesty... I'm willing to offer you genuine loyalty."
The wizard's offer of allegiance caught Rhodesney XVIII somewhat off guard.
Rhodesney XVIII's fingers stopped in midair, the candlelight flickering in his eyes. "What value would accepting your allegiance have for me?"
Deke's withered fingers twisted together. "My potions can let soldiers go three days without sleep or rest, triple the speed at which their wounds heal, increase their strength, and keep their morale high..."
"But my army just crushed Giles's Magic Potion Troop." The king calmly interrupted him, his fingertips tapping lightly against the table.
The wizard's cheek twitched. "That... that's because the potions' potential hasn't been fully developed yet, and Giles didn't invest enough in me. I couldn't conduct more research without sufficient funding!"
He drew back into himself, his voice turning hoarse again. "With the Royal Family's support, I could develop an