Selvo wore a smug smile on his face as he strutted arrogantly through the bustling streets of Nulis City. Accompanying him was his usual entourage of guards and servants, with the exception of his personal bodyguard. Following his father's command, the bodyguard assigned to keep an eye on him was recalled. Moreover, given their current standing in Nulis City, Selvo believed that no one would dare lay a hand on him.
Little did Selvo know that the true reason for the absence of his black-clothed bodyguard was that Sino Handler had reassigned him to attend to other important tasks. The pressure of handling the recently arrived group from the Sorneo House had forced the Handler family to allocate every available resource to fulfill their demands, both in business and personal matters. This had left Sino stressed on a daily basis. Nevertheless, he was willing to bear the burden if it meant propelling his family to the top of the city and, perhaps, even reaching the capital in the near future.
Today, Selvo was in high spirits, thanks to the praise he had received from his father in the morning.
Here's how it unfolded:
Yesterday, upon returning home after his secret visit to Nedar, Selvo received an unexpected summons from his father. Fear instantly gripped him, as the first thought that crossed his mind was that his father had discovered his recent escapades.
As it turned out, his fears were partially justified.
Nedar's suspicions were proven correct: Sino had indeed planted spies among the gang members. Despite Selvo's meticulous efforts to cover his tracks, his father had received information about his secret visit to Nedar.
Fortunately, Nedar's preparations and caution had only given rise to a faint suspicion in Sino's mind regarding Selvo's mischief. With a multitude of pressing matters on his plate, Sino paid little attention to his dandy of a son.
Yet, when Selvo found himself facing his father's intense gaze, he couldn't help but spill everything. Even his plan to capture a woman for his enjoyment was laid bare.
Upon revealing the true identities of Nia and Kristin, Selvo witnessed the darkness that clouded his father's expression, fearing that he might face immediate retribution. However, he managed to gather himself, recalling Nedar's advice on how to navigate such situations with his father.
Only after explaining that the girls were not there to monitor their family's or the Sorneo House's activities but rather to capture birds did Sino's expression relax slightly. Yet the gaze with which his father continued to scrutinize him made Selvo ponder the possibility of being disowned.
Gathering his courage, Selvo decided to bite the bullet and reveal Nedar's plan to address the problem. However, to claim credit for himself, Selvo conveniently omitted the fact that the plan had been formed by the gang leader. Unfortunately for Selvo, his father knew him all too well, so under that penetrating gaze, he had no choice but to reveal the name of the true mastermind.
"And here I was wondering where to find more people to handle my workload. It seems I overlooked such a capable subordinate." Those were the first words uttered by his father after listening to Selvo's revelation. It was evident from his words that he viewed Nedar as someone working under him rather than in cooperation with their family. Moreover, there was no longer a need to conceal their ties to the gang, considering their imminent dominance over the city.
Selvo didn't dwell on the nuances, though. His primary focus was on the fact that his father no longer seemed angry; in fact, he appeared to have approved of Selvo's plan.
And that was indeed the case. Despite outwardly throwing their support behind the Sorneo House, Sino harbored some apprehensions within.
Even before his son mentioned the Sorneo House's clashes with various forces in the capital, Sino had received hints from his meager connections near the capital about a significant event unfolding, with the Sorneo House at the center of the storm. Selvo's words only served to solidify his suspicions.
After hearing the entire plan, even Sino had to concede that the strategy of creating some backup alliances might not be a bad idea. Although they shared blood ties with the Sorneo House, those ties were inconsequential enough that the upper echelons would prioritize business relations over them. Thus, Sino had always made himself readily available, anticipating the Sorneo House's potential abandonment of their deal, which would leave them vulnerable and helpless.
Nevertheless, Sino cautioned Selvo that while establishing additional connections for emergency situations was prudent, once news of their involvement with other prominent families reached the Sorneo House, their fate would be far from pleasant.
"Don't worry, father," Selvo reassured Sino. "Nedar and I have already discussed this, and I won't be in frequent contact with them. Once we reach the capital, my focus will be on making our family shine among all the influential city-level forces they are in contact with." This was also the reason for Selvo's elation. His father had agreed to let him visit the capital, albeit after sternly admonishing and warning him to remain vigilant in such a place of power within their kingdom.
"Heh, now I can face them without any worries," Selvo muttered as he gazed at the grand gate that stood before him—the entrance to the Safaira family's estate.
The guards stationed outside immediately noticed Selvo's arrival and dared not disregard his presence. They swiftly approached him and sent one of their own to inform the family members inside.
Before long, a group of people emerged from within the grand mansion, led by Loreana herself.
"Welcome, young master Selvo," she said calmly. "It's a delightful surprise to have you grace our home so early. Please come inside, and allow us to extend our hospitality and assist you with whatever brings you here." Loreana's warm smile, befitting of a stand-in family head, adorned her face as she gestured gracefully.
Selvo was captivated. It was the first time he truly paid attention to Loreana, as his focus had been solely on her daughter during their previous encounter. Now, beholding Loreana's captivating appearance, his heart fluttered, wondering how he had remained oblivious to such an extraordinary woman living in the same town as him.
As he was staring at Loreana without abandon, Selvo was abruptly jolted forward by a sudden smack on his back, nearly causing him to stumble.
"Well, well, I didn't expect to find you here, Mr. Selvo. It's a pleasant surprise to meet you again before my departure."
Selvo was taken aback by the unexpected action. He was on the verge of erupting in anger, but then he recognized the voice. Turning his head, he saw a man dressed in tattered clothes, carrying a cloth bag on his back, and wearing a mask with peculiar patterns.
Despite the masked face, Selvo could still discern the identity of the person due to their recent encounter. "Blatt?" he uttered, just to confirm his guess.
Lowering his mask, the man revealed a familiar face that confirmed Selvo's recognition. It was indeed Blatt.
"I rushed out as soon as I heard of your visit," Blatt said.
Selvo's expression shifted from anger to calm as he realized it was Blatt. Had it been anyone else who had dared to act in such a manner, Selvo would have swiftly shown them why he was known as the little tyrant of the city. Fortunately for Blatt, he still held some value in Selvo's eyes.
"Yeah, it's delightful to see you too," Selvo replied with a forced smile, attempting to maintain a calm and polite demeanor. His father's earlier words lingered in his mind, echoing the importance of Blatt and his abilities.
"If there truly exists someone with such remarkable abilities, it is imperative that you bring him into our circle. He is the perfect bargaining chip that has fallen into our lap, an opportunity to elevate our standing in our dealings with the Sorneos. With him on our side, we won't languish at the bottom among their collaborators." His father's words resounded within Selvo, reinforcing the significance of Blatt as emphasized by Nedar. Therefore, Selvo was determined to fulfill his father's expectations to the best of his ability.
Blatt nodded in acknowledgment, but his smile faded, and he let out a sigh. "It's a pity. If only you had arrived a little earlier."
Perplexed, Selvo furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"
"Miss Nia and Miss Kristin had also hoped to meet you before their departure, but since you didn't appear even after they waited, they had no choice but to leave."
"They left!?"