The Eccentric Entomologist is Now a Queen's Consort

One of them, a wiry man named Kieran, raised his hands as if to calm the murmuring. His eyes darted around nervously, the glow of the underground lamps casting eerie shadows across his scarred face.

"It's true," Kieran said, his voice trembling just enough to be convincing. "We were taken... I don't know who they were, but it was brutal. They held us underground, blindfolded the entire time. But we managed to escape." He paused, swallowing as if reliving the horror. "Honestly, it's a miracle we're even here."

His companion, Vance, nodded in agreement. He was the more imposing of the two, a man with tattoos covering his arms and a constantly furrowed brow. "Yeah," Vance added, his voice a low rumble, "We had to fight our way out. They didn't see us coming—we got lucky."

The other members watched them, suspicion clearly written across some of their faces. It wasn't every day that someone managed to "escape" from captivity like that, especially not from an unknown enemy that no one seemed to have heard of. Yet, here they were—alive, shaken, but unscathed in any truly suspicious way.

Kieran and Vance's superior, a sharp-eyed woman named Selene, approached them, her gaze scrutinizing. She crossed her arms, her expression hard as she sized them up. "Escape, huh? Sounds a bit too convenient to me." Her voice was smooth but carried an edge that made it clear she wasn't convinced. "You know how this place works. People don't just vanish and come back without someone paying a price."

Kieran put on a desperate look, his hands trembling as he gestured toward Vance. "We barely made it out! We don't even know who they were—no faces, no names! We just knew we had to get back here, report to you. If there's someone out there targeting us, the whole syndicate could be in danger."

Selene's gaze bore into him for a long moment, her lips pressed into a thin line. Finally, she gave a sharp nod. "Fine. For now, we'll assume you're telling the truth. But don't think for a second that I'm letting either of you out of my sight. One wrong move, and you won't have the luxury of a second miracle."

Kieran and Vance exchanged a glance before nodding, both doing their best to look relieved. As they were led deeper into the base, Mikhailis watched everything unfold through the display projected by his glasses. He sat in his hidden chamber, a sly grin playing across his lips.

They bought it. Mostly, anyway.

<Rather predictable, considering the psychological profile we developed on their peers,>

Rodion chimed in, his voice tinged with a note of smugness.

<The Hypnoveil's influence remains strong. Their behavior is consistent with individuals under a deep hypnotic state, guided but not entirely controlled.>

Mikhailis nodded, his eyes fixed on the projection.

Good. That means we can keep this act going for a while longer.

He shifted slightly, adjusting his glasses.

And the leaves—those seeds, they're working?

<The seeds have successfully taken root within both subjects,>

Rodion confirmed.

<Their presence ensures continuous reinforcement of the hypnotic state. The roots are subtle, embedded within the bloodstream. It is, in essence, a perfect system of control.>

Mikhailis couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

Nature's got its own way of doing mind control, huh? And here I thought I'd be the only one pulling strings.

<Your humor remains irrelevant, though not entirely inaccurate.>

Rodion's tone was dry, almost sarcastic.

The two syndicate members were led to a smaller chamber, where they were given orders by Selene. She handed them both weapons and pointed to a cart full of sealed crates.

"Since you two are back from the dead," she said, her eyes narrowing, "you can make yourselves useful. We have a shipment going out. Magical items, high value. It needs to be delivered, no mistakes."

Kieran and Vance nodded, their faces blank but obedient. Mikhailis leaned closer to the display, his eyes lighting up with interest.

Magical items, huh? Now, this could get interesting.

<Agreed. This is an opportunity to gather valuable intelligence on the syndicate's distribution network,>

Rodion replied, the display zooming in to focus on the crates.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Mikhailis smirked.

You do that. Let's see where this rabbit hole leads.

The two men moved to the cart, each grabbing a side and lifting it onto a wheeled platform. They maneuvered through the base, passing through dimly lit corridors and narrowly avoiding other members going about their business. Mikhailis could feel the tension in the air—the syndicate was wary, on edge.

The recent "capture" and "escape" of Kieran and Vance had made them cautious, and every eye seemed to follow their movements.

They made their way to a back entrance, where a small group of syndicate members waited by a pair of nondescript carriages. Selene was there, overseeing the operation. She watched as the crates were loaded onto the carriages, her gaze flickering to Kieran and Vance.

"You're going with them," she said curtly.

"We need to make sure this shipment gets where it needs to go."

Kieran nodded, his face a mask of obedience.

"Understood."

The carriages set off, the wheels creaking as they moved through the narrow streets of the city. Mikhailis watched through the display, his eyes flickering across the various feeds as the carriages made their way through dark alleys and past shadowed buildings. He could hear the faint murmur of conversations, the clip-clop of horse hooves, and the occasional bark of a distant dog.

<We are approaching the distribution point,> Rodion reported.

Mikhailis raised an eyebrow.

A storage facility, huh? Seems like a lot of trouble for a couple of crates. Must be something valuable in there.

<The crates contain high-value magical items—artifacts, enchanted weapons, and potions. These are likely intended for distribution to syndicate-affiliated buyers or smugglers.>

Rodion's voice was matter-of-fact, but Mikhailis could sense the potential here.

Alright, let's see what else we can find out, he thought, leaning back as the carriages came to a stop outside a run-down building.

The structure looked abandoned, its windows broken, and ivy growing up the crumbling walls. But the presence of armed guards at the entrance told a different story.

Kieran and Vance climbed down from the carriage, helping to unload the crates. They carried them inside, the guards barely glancing at them as they passed. The inside of the building was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of dust and something else—something metallic.

Mikhailis watched through the projection as they moved through the building, the crates being placed in a storage room. Kieran lingered for a moment, his ears picking up on a conversation between two other syndicate members standing nearby. They were talking in hushed voices, but the Hypnoveil's influence sharpened Kieran's senses, allowing Mikhailis to hear every word.

Your next chapter is on empire

"...the Technomancers are gonna love this," one of the men said, his voice filled with excitement.

"They're paying top golds for that monster."

The other man nodded, his expression serious.

"Yeah, but we gotta be careful. If anyone finds out we're dealing with them, we're done for. You know how it is—nobody wants to get caught messing with the Technomancers."

Mikhailis's eyes widened slightly, his interest piqued.

Technomancers, huh? Looks like there's more to this than just magical items.

<The Technomancers are known for their interest in rare magical creatures and artifacts, their research in modern magic uses them for experiments in the first place>

Rodion said, his tone contemplative.

Mikhailis nodded, a grin forming on his lips.

Yeah, I like the sound of that. If we can get in on this deal, we could expand our influence even further—maybe even start pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

<The subjects are currently in a position to gather more information,>

Rodion continued.

<It would be advisable to maintain their cover and continue monitoring their interactions. We should be able to determine the details of the upcoming deal, as well as the location and nature of the creature being sold.>

Mikhailis leaned forward, his eyes gleaming.

Alright, Rodion. Let's play the long game. Keep them in place, and let's see how much more we can learn.

The syndicate members finished unloading the crates, and Kieran and Vance were instructed to stand guard by the entrance. Mikhailis watched as they took up their positions, their expressions blank but attentive. He knew that their loyalty was no longer to the syndicate—it was to him, and through him, to the chimera queen.

The seeds planted by Hypnoveil had taken root, and now, they were starting to bear fruit.

It's almost too easy, Mikhailis thought, a smirk playing at his lips.

With these two in place, we'll have eyes and ears in the heart of the syndicate. And with the queen's influence growing, it's only a matter of time before we start seeing even bigger opportunities.

Rodion's voice echoed in his mind, a hint of satisfaction evident.

<The current strategy is yielding positive results. The subjects have successfully integrated back into their environment, and their loyalty remains uncompromised. We are in a favorable position to proceed with the next phase of operations.>

Mikhailis nodded, his eyes fixed on the display.

Yeah. Let's keep this going. I want to know everything—who they're dealing with, what they're planning, and where they're keeping that monster. Once we have all the information, we can make our move.

<Understood, Your Highness. The subjects will continue their assigned duties, and all relevant data will be relayed to you in real-time.>

Mikhailis leaned back, a satisfied smile on his face. This was it—the beginning of something big. With the syndicate under his watchful eye and the power of the chimera queen at his disposal, he was ready to start sowing the seeds of his influence, one step at a time. It was only a matter of time before the entire syndicate, and perhaps even the Technomancers, fell under his control.

And when that happens... he thought, his eyes glinting with excitement, I'll be ready.