"An unusual human seems to have gotten a hold of my lamp this time. You look quite young. As far as I know, there aren't many humans who can still understand the language of the Ancient continent."
The Jinn's voice boomed at first until it shrank down to a normal volume.
I blinked once and what faced me next was a tanned muscular man with silver hair and glittering purple eyes in similar garb as I was.
On that note, I must applaud his good taste. My clothes are by far better than anything he could have chosen on the fly.
The Jinn could pass up as a human if it were not for his ethereal form fading in and out of place like smoke. Along with the tremendous pressure coming off him in waves.
I wondered if it was because I was a swordmaster that I don't feel the least bit unfazed by the pressure he was emitting.
With the grace and courtesy involuntarily ingrained in me, I bowed slightly at the Jinn. Even if I wanted to attempt to be rude, now is not the time.
Smart villain lords use their brains and high intelligence quotient to choose their battles. I cannot express this enough.
"Greetings Honorable one, this humble person is Skandar Aleksandr Konstantin of Sonomi. My family has records of the old continental language. It was deemed a necessary lesson for me to learn."
I answered as respectfully as I could without being too servile. As the ruler of Sonomi, my dignity cannot be undermined even in the face of a powerful being.
Of course, even more so, an ultimate villain lord would never suck up to anyone but himself.
"A Konstantin descendant is it? It is not surprising."
The Jinn floated... Yes, floated.
He floated towards me with amusement in his strange eyes.
"I have met a couple or three Konstantins in the long course of my stay in this realm. But none of them are as peculiar as you are." The Jinn remarked as he circled me.
It felt like I was a specimen under observation. It wasn't annoying but it also wasn't that pleasant. Especially if the one observing could squash you dead in the blink of an eye.
My defense is valid.
"And I certainly did not expect that I would have a Konstantin become my master. Truly, the longer you live, the fewer surprises there are." He continued.
I glanced at him inquisitively.
Could it be?
Did I become Aladdin for real?
Is this Jinn imprisoned in the lamp like in the story?
To clear things up and prevent my head from assuming things, I turned to the Jinn in question.
"Master? As far as my knowledge goes, Jinns do not have masters. They are powerful beings who hold dignity in high regard." I stated matter-of-factly.
I wasn't spouting nonsense. There was a handful of references that talk about the Jinns within the Konstantin Library. I believe my ancestors are trustworthy enough not to put false claims in writing.
If they did, they have done the following generations a terrible blunder.
"Your knowledge of my kind is refreshing. My recent masters are so pitifully uninformed that I feel bad about them." He replied, his hand on his forehead in mock distress.
I didn't know Jinns were well-versed in sarcasm, as well. I'll have to write this down.
"But to enlighten you further, Jinns can take a master. At least those who have their essence shackled in the physical world like yours truly. And the people who have a hold on the anchor of a Jinn's essence become that Jinn's master. Masters of a Jinn have the world at the tip of their fingers. They can have anything and everything they desire."
The Jinn spoke slowly, articulating the words in a manner that was almost like seduction.
"And now that master I am referring to, is you, Skandar Aleksandr Konstantin of Sonomi." He whispered to my ear that last bit. I shuddered as I internally cringed.
I bet normal people would have given in to the temptation almost immediately. Being told that you are the master of a powerful being who could grant your wishes and desires no matter how absurd or impossible is quite an irresistible offer.
But there are no free lunches in this world. Or in any world at that matter. Especially if that lunch is an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet.
Besides, I have nothing I want that I cannot have the moment I decide to have it.
Wealth? Gold comes rushing into my pocket with every breath I take.
Power? I am a swordmaster, the peak of all aura wielders, at the age of 18.
Influence and authority? I am the Grand Duke of Sonomi, the King of the East. I am above all else and equal to one in this empire.
There genuinely is nothing more he could offer that I am incapable of getting on my own.
I do have something he could grant. Confirmation of an interesting curiosity.
"Is that so? I can wish for anything? Anything at all?" I stared at the Jinn's jewel-like purple eyes. I was looking forward to his reaction.
And possibly a priceless reward in return.
"Of course." The Jinn said a little too happily, a suppressed grin breaking from his face.
Hey man, the morbid excitement in your eyes is too obvious. Curb it a little, will you? I get that you want to play me but you're giving yourself away here.
Well, this Jinn is quite amusing one way or another. He wouldn't be that bad of a companion for a change of pace. A pity I wasn't that interested in keeping him.
"Then I wish for you to be free." I declared nonchalantly.
The gleam of the Jinn's eyes magnified a ton as he circled me again. I feel like it hasn't sunk into him yet, what I said my wish was.
"You wish for me to be free. Hahaha! Freedom is it? How fresh and new! You wish for me to be free… I shall…" His voice boomed as he floated up and around. His incorporeal form oozing with wicked mischief.
Then, an abrupt pause.
The silence was quite loud. Loud enough for me to hear his head creaking in my direction in flustered astonishment.
This is one of the moments where I am thankful for my beloved mother's upbringing. If it weren't, then I wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face and I would have laughed myself straight to my death.
The dumbfounded look of disbelief on his face was too comical. It was a great feat not to let slip a small chuckle.
"Apologies. I lost myself for a moment there. Could you repeat what you said you wanted?" The Jinn asked after recovering himself.
I almost bit my tongue off at the sudden change in his tone.
"I said I wish for you to be free," I responded and flashed him a wide gentle smile.
I had to let out some of my laughter in this subtle way. I haven't become an ultimate villain lord yet, I don't have plans to die.
"You wish for me to be free?" He parroted back.
I nodded in confirmation. The poor guy seems to have been shocked silly. Now I feel a little bad.
"Why? Don't you have anything you want?" The Jinn asked as if finding me incomprehensible.
I shrugged nonchalantly.
"Just because I can. And I do have something I want to achieve. But I will do that with my own hands, with my power. Only then can it be truly satisfying." I answered, still with that gentle smile on my face.
The Jinn froze at my reply for a good minute and then suddenly burst out laughing. I eyed him with concern.
Did I somehow break him?
"Truly. You are one strange human." He said in between laughter. It was relieving that he was amenable.
"Apologies, Honorable one, I refuse to hear that statement from you." I retorted politely.
Talk about yourself. I am normal, thank you very much.
"I will grant your wish. As a show of my gratitude, I will lend you my power once." The Jinn then declared grandly.
Checkmate.
I rejoiced internally at his last statement. Not only did I prove the movie theory and satisfied my curiosity. But I also bagged a rather sizeable trump card.
If you think I lost out, I most certainly did not.
Jinns at their full power are unmatched. You could say that I have practically secured another shot at life.
I'd rather have that on a bargain than one whose only ability is to grant me conditional wishes.
My thoughts were interrupted when a huge bolt of lightning suddenly landed on the lamp I had let go of at some point.
It went as swiftly as it came. But I did not doubt that nothing would remain of me if that lightning fell on my person. Not even ashes. Exactly like the lamp that was previously there that was now nowhere to be seen.