Outside the Anguis base in Savaria, workers carried around large boxes, loading them up onto floating contraptions built to lift heavy objects.
"Gary, bring those over here! Those are for the big boss," a voice resounded.
"Yes, boss!" Gary replied, lifting the boxes and moving them over to the float. The float was a piece of technology made in the year 325 and was capable of lifting heavy loads by floating using magic, hence the name.
"You couldn't mean Sir Pontius, could you? I've heard he's quite a pervert," inquired Gary, voice piquing with curiosity.
The boss smacked Gary across the back of his head, face full of fear.
"Do you want to die? He'll kill you if he hears you say that! I lost my brother to that good-for-nothing scoundrel!" the boss harshly whispered.
Gary's face paled, before he quietly returned to work, avoiding looking anyone in the eyes. He suddenly wanted to leave, very quickly. He wasn't being paid enough for this.
Marcus saw his chance here, and confidently yet inconspicuously walked towards the float, walking around the workers.
He leapt up onto the float, hiding between the boxes and awaiting transport. After what seemed like an age, but was really only an hour, the float began to move. Marcus had been on high alert and was running on adrenaline, heart pumping like a drum as he prepared himself.
The float reached the side of the building, before rising up into the air, reaching a height of about 80 feet before moving into the building. A large door made of magic iron opened up, and the float entered. A group of uniformed workers moved to the float, picking up boxes in a strange form of trance. They all looked tired but kept moving as if they were afraid of something.
Marcus took a mental note of this, then snuck off of the float when everyone looked away, hiding in the shadows of the room, looking around to figure out where he could find Pontius.
It was then that he heard a familiar voice. Salvius's voice.
"What do you think you're doing? Put your backs into it or I'll have you doing overtime for like. You peasants disgust me, so do one good thing in your life and unload my boxes!"
Marcus felt his rage bubbling up but managed to control himself by breathing slowly and deeply. Salvius walked through the room, going through the most ornate door Marcus had ever seen.
The workers were all looking down in fear after what Salvius said, and didn't notice Marcus. In fact, maybe they did notice him, but if he was here to harm Salvius, he was basically a godsend for them.
After making sure Salvius was unaware of him being there, he thought about how he would apply the poison to him. He'd have to give it to him in the form of a meal or a drink. A woman then walked towards the door of Salvius, and so this gave him an idea.
He confidently walked towards the workers from the shadows of a door, and ordered one of them, "Lord Pontius has ordered for someone to get him a cup of tea. Please go now and return as soon as possible."
Marcus placed 20 silver pieces in the worker's hands, even though a good cup of tea only cost about 3 silver pieces, and added a phrase that completely wiped the worker's suspicions.
"You can keep the change."
The worker's eyes glowed up, and he quickly scurried out to get a cup of tea. Marcus pretended to look over the unpacking of the boxes, looking as important as possible so that the workers wouldn't dare to question him. He called a worker and inquired as to what was in these boxes, phrasing it as a question of disdain rather than as if he didn't know.
"You, peasant. Do you even know what's in these boxes?"
The worker looked down, and muttered, "no, sir".
"Useless"
The worker who went out to purchase the tea returned now, gleaming with his newfound wealth. He handed the tea straight to Marcus, who took it graciously. The next part of his plan would be the hardest. He went over to the door Salvius went through and entered quietly. There was a woman doing paperwork and a second door to a closed-off room. This was most likely where Salvius was, as there was no other area where he could be.
The walls between Salvius's room and the rest of the room was quite soundproof, but if you listened carefully, you could hear him writing things down.
"Hello, ma'am. Someone on the shop floor has called for your presence, but they didn't tell me why. It sounded quite important, though, so you might want to check what's going on."
"And what did this someone look like?" she inquired, rather suspicious.
"Well I didn't see much of her, but she had blonde hair and was quite pretty, but not as pretty as you of course."
The woman started beaming, then said, "well that would be Melanie then. She's always thought she was prettier than me, but this proves it. I look far better. Have a nice day!"
She ran out of the room, probably going to go show off to Melanie. Marcus could only laugh. He had realised his plan wasn't as well thought out as he had initially thought as soon as she asked who had called her, but somehow he managed to pull through.
He took out the poison and poured it generously into the tea. He then went to Salvius's door and knocked politely.
"Come in," a voice resounded.
Marcus took in a deep breath, then opened the door.
"Good evening, Lord Pontius. I had a think about what you told me earlier today, and I apologise for what I did, and I am here to say that I am in full support of your son having my sister."
It pained him to say these words, but he kept himself speaking by thinking about what he would do after.
Salvius grinned, before saying, "fine, I accept your apology, but in return for the harm you caused me, I want the necklace you're wearing."
Marcus's heart skipped a beat. The necklace was the last thing he had from his parents. Both him and his sister had one, and when they were put together, they made a sun and a moon in the shape of a yin yang.
He grit his teeth and took it off, risking it all on his next move.
"I also bought you a cup of tea, made with a family recipe. If you like it, I can become your personal servant, and make you more."
Salvius couldn't hide the laughter. 'Oh how the cocky have fallen', he thought, 'then again, there aren't many who can resist my strength. And to think, I didn't even have to do anything to take revenge.'
If Marcus had heard these words, he'd cough blood then go on a murder spree in incredulity.
"Well, give me the tea then!"
It had never even crossed Salvius's mind that someone would try to poison him. He'd been raised a spoilt brat and saw everyone without incredible social status as dirt, and you wouldn't normally jump out of the way whenever you saw a plant pot or a field.
He took a large gulp of the tea, mildly scalding his tongue.
"Mmm, this is delicious. It's like a regular tea, but its got a sort of tang-"
He dropped the tea, spilling it all over the documents he was writing on and fell back limp. His face went pale and he began to sweat aggressively.
"B-b-bu-but why?" he finally said after struggling to formulate his words.
"Because you took her. My sister. The last person who cared for me. YOU TOOK HER! WHY? WHAT DID WE EVER DO TO YOU? BECAUSE YOUR EGO CAN'T HANDLE THE WORD NO, YOU HAD TO RUIN OUR LIVES? WHERE IS SHE? TELL ME NOW OR I'LL KILL YOU!" Marcus yelled whilst sobbing. It wasn't fair. They were just living a quiet life, spending time together and making a humble living, but it was all ruined for a stuck up brat being unable to hold back his hormones.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do anything. I basically don't even know you."
Salvius was terrified. He was completely paralysed neck down and was in the hands of an insane person. Without him feeding his body Vis, his natural body defences would fall to a low Silver I. He hadn't trained his strength properly, even though he had the chance, and thus was naturally weak, and had extremely impure Vis due to just absorbing all the cores he could get.
Marcus took out the hunting knife he carried with him for safety and put it to Salvius's neck. Whilst Marcus didn't have a skill book and thus couldn't channel Vis, the weapon was a weapon of the Silver II Rank so it could easily pierce the body of the paralysed, weaker Salvius.
Marcus stabbed the knife into the arm of Salvius, and growled, "one last chance. Answer honestly or I'll kill you."
Salvius gulped. He knew this would probably be his end, and hoped someone would come to save him.