A still silence descended on the room.
The hustling and bustling of rowdy adventurers boisterously filled the otherwise deathly quietude.
Then turned his chair around and sat properly with his back straight. Then he leaned forward, breaking the authoritarian façade.
He said in a dubious tone:
"Are you insane?"
Bian smiled, slightly amused by the man's reaction. There was subtle, but not hidden glee behind it. Like a sweet lie mixed in with the bitter poison of truth.
"Maybe."
She leaned back, which was incredibly uncomfortable considering her bindings.
"Maybe not. But I do know this: no matter what you want from me, material or otherwise, you won't be getting it unless I get a little something in return."
The man scowled and lingered, then spoke with a dubious glance. He was skeptically looking at the self-proclaimed crazy woman as he said:
"A little?"
She just smiled even wider.
"Yes, just a little favor. Why? Is that too much for your taste?"
He sighed exaggeratedly, breathing in deep and exhaling for a long time, as if he wanted to empty out everything in his lungs in one breath.
As if she had just remembered something lightly trivial, Bian relaxed her shoulders and asked casually.
"Right. What's your name again? It feels wrong to make a Vow with a person I don't even know the name of."
The man lingered for a long time, just staring at her blankly.
'What's his deal?'
He sighed, pulling out a metal crest with an intricate carving of a magnificent beast, a creature with the head of an eagle, the body of a lion, and tail of a scorpion. The mighty Griffin, the very epitome of vanity, loyalty, and obedience in Lucifica. Some say that it only appears in times of dire need and brings vast destruction in its wake to all those opposing its master. There as the barest hint of magic emanating from it, most likely from the person holding it.
"…Haraki Sezukumu. Paladin of the Knight's Order and the ward of that kid over there. I'm here to deliver him to his parents on account of a… certain case. My colleague has been working on it for a long time now."
Bian nodded, dissecting Haraki's words carefully. Something about that middle bit irked her.
"You're a Paladin, you say? That's odd. People like yourself aren't usually asked for escort missions like this."
She glanced at the boy reading peacefully at the corner, practically burying his face into the pages like some kind of knowledge-starved animal. The thought reminded her of the devious Beholders, creatures of guile and extensive otherworldly knowledge and magic.
Could he be one such creature?
The possibility was slim, but nevertheless there. Such a stretch would typically only exist in fiction, fairytales, and secondhand rumors.
For some reason, Bian couldn't shake the feeling that the boy was more than he appeared to be. Much more.
"And that is?"
Harita glanced over to the boy, his corner peripheral keeping a steady eye at Bian. He must have thought that she was planning on escaping, using the boy as a distraction. And, truthfully, he would not be wrong.
However, thinking and doing were two entirely different things. And she wasn't currently interested in the latter.
"That's Lieren, no last name. At least not yet. He's the boy I've been assigned with by the Order."
Bian raised a brow as she glanced at Harita barely.
"Not yet? What are you talking about?"
He lingered, deathly quiet, as if the question had awakened something dangerous something within him, turning the room cold and chilly all of a sudden.
His eyes boldly declared that he did not want to answer the question, as if it was some kind of forbidden rule or divine sacrament. There a lot of those in New Mireton.
Despite this, she did not yield, keeping her thoughts and expression firm. As if it was cut from fine stone. Stepping down now would mean losing any advantage she has made since being rudely woken up. She did not want to give up her power position.
"He's being… delivered. To his new family."
"Oh."
Suddenly, the light of understanding lit a match of connection within Bian.
'So that's what it was. He's an orphan, like many of the people here. Except he has a chance to get out of here."
What a lucky kid.
Harita turned back to face her, the joking attitude and dubious countenance completely erased from his face and gestures. His mind was dead calm and bone-chillingly cold.
"Are you done?"
Bian sighed and gestured for her bindings with her chin.
"Yes. Just untie my bindings and I'll tell you all that you need to know."
He glared at the rope for a long, overly-extended moment, then stood up and untied the loop binding her. Considering he had only one hand to do so, it was a surprisingly impressive feat of dexterity and flexibility.
"Much bette—"
Just as Bian reached to unwrap the rest of the rope she had been tied with, a sharp blade manifested out of nothing from Harita's and occupied the space before her neck.
Slowly and decidedly, it edged closer to her throat, digging into her skin and drawing the barest amount of blood. It stained the watersteel dagger, mixing in with the blue. The crimson liquid seemed to flow ever so gently on the blade of the blue dagger, as though it was a flowing river.
Bian tried to swallow, was reminded of the blade, and gave up, letting the pressure build up. Cold sweat ran down her face and back. The palpitation of her rapidly-beating heart echoed in her ears like the sound of a beating drum.
Once again reminded of who she was facing, she relaxed her shoulders and let the man decide what her fate shall be.
'Right. He's that kind of person. How could I have forgotten…'
A cold whisper passed by her ear.
"If you ever betray me, or the boy, only hell shall await you."
Then he removed the dagger, sliding it so slowly that it left s deep impression on her psyche.
His voice sent cold shivers down her spine, as if an ice Elemental had phased through her flesh and gripped her skeleton with freezing grip.
"Remember that."
Putting his hand down, Harita dematerialized his dagger, stepped around her, and took his seat.
He flashed his usual smile.
To Bian, having experienced the horrid being behind that smile, it looked more like a devil than a human being. Or even anything close to resembling it.
"Now, where shall we begin?"
◇◆◇◆◇
"So, what you are saying is…"
The forsaken city of New Mireton is split up in various factions and alliances, with gangs and other lowly criminal groups being at the lowest of the underworld caste.
Factions and alliances vary in power and aspects, with the three main alliances, and practically the only, being the illusive Han Li-Mercuri-Krafa, the mighty Exousia-Silata-Mocný, and the illustrious Charme-Wizjo.
The Han Li-Mercuri-Krafa Alliance is considered to be the most clandestine of them all, with an intricate web of underworld connections and a multiplex of Rogues, with most of them specializing in pure stealth and assassination.
It is rumored that each Rogue is capable of a dozen different types of assassination techniques. Ranging from poison to laceration, even to the most simple backstabbing and the overly-complicated "accidental death" of high-ranking officials. Though they mostly target people of sufficient enough ranks like diplomats or bureaucrats, they are not afraid to use them even on regular civilians. As long as their mission allows them to.
The leaders of said group are said to have never revealed their faces to anybody. And anybody who do are subjected to thorough memory wiping.
The second, while not as connected or clandestine, more than makes up for it with pure military might. The Exousia-Silata-Mocný League stands proud and tall, bolstering with the highest individual firepower, as well as the highest collective firepower.
The HLMK Alliance are frequently in gang fights and territory clash with the ESM League, with the former constantly sending Rogues to assassinate the Barbarians of the latter. The two are currently in a stalemate. Though the ESM League boast higher raw destructive ability, they lack the mindset and flexibility to analyze and maneuver political machinations and economical turmoil fully to their advantage.
The ESM League prefer brawns over brain, being a militaristic group of savage marauders. Most of their resources are obtained from either pillaging nearby towns, raiding approaching wagons, or simply extorting them from the weak. Though that does not mean that they are not improving.
Their new young boss, the daughter of the current leader of the group, has been hailed a one-in-a-million genius, boasting incredible intellect from the age of ten. She used her's, her father's, and anybody with her support's influence in the league to better improve the systems in place in the city. All for the benefit of the League.
The third, but certainly not the least, is the Charme-Wizjo Federation. The group were not always a duo. In fact, it used to be — in the glory days — the most prestigious and accomplished group in the city, with dozens of partnerships and unwritten contracts with many other groups, all of which had been disbanded now except for the last two.
Droves and flocks of mages and adventurers alike begged to be a part of the miracle group, now only remembered as the old shine it used to be. It is more famous for its past than its present, with the future being largely ignored. Most people do not have faith for what lays ahead of the CW Federation.
The group was famously known for its theatrical and musical antics. They preferred show over tell, with fantastical magic and illusory spells being the majority of the group's focus. The members, what remained of them, tend to be outcasts to society, having nowhere else to go except for the abandoned group. Though there are some stayed because of the group, not because nothing else accepted them, they tend to be as rare as a six-leaf clover. There are only about six or seven of these loyal members left.
Recently though, rumors have sprung about within the city. It unsurprisingly involved the CW Federation… and devils. Not just lowly ones easily taken care of by newbie Clerics and experienced Paladins, but ones that not even the greatest of wizards can accomplish, even with divine intervention. They say the Federation has been sacrificing dozens upon dozens of its members to this devil everyday, having long reached the hundreds, very nearly approaching the thousands.
It is most likely why their recruitment requirements have become rather lax lately. It is not for members and numbers, but for blood sacrifices and demonic power. Because of this, Arcane Tricksters and Mistcasters have sprung about in the city, wreaking havoc everywhere they go.
Though there are other, more insignificant alliances, these three are the most prominent in their own right. With each one having hold of some aspect of the forsaken city in their palms.
The HMK Alliance holds the key to the city, having full control over the economic, social, and political webs of this forsaken place.
ESM League holds power and raw strength in its mighty grip. Each member can wreak havoc in their own way, boasting military strength above all. As well as a special wild card nobody could have expected.
CW Federation holds the element of surprise. With their unknown fighting ability and mysterious patron, it will be difficult to predict what their movements will be. They are the most troublesome opponents to fight.
"…is all."
Harita gasped for breath. It had been hours, maybe even days since his discussion with Bian had begun. He had a mountain of useful information at hand with him, as well as a new level of appreciation for the lithe woman.
The fact that she knew all this, no matter how trivial some information was, silently told him of her information-gathering prowess.
Which could only mean one thing…
Glancing at the woman sitting comfortably in front of her, while the invisible chains of their Vow slowly took root in both of them, he muttered quietly. As if he did not an answer in return:
"So, your boss. The one you want me to kill. Is he…"
He let the thought trail, not wanting to hear what came up next.
And yet it did. And he was all the worse for it.
Bian smiled widely, her face practically beaming as she said gladly:
"Yes. He's the leader of the insidious HMK Alliance. Chroma Mercuri, the founding father of the HMK, as well as its current leader… for the past fifty-nine years."
Harita couldn't help but sigh heavily He slumped his body forward like broken puppet.
"Of course he is."