Hair slicked back, coat fitted tight, loosened tie over the gray shirt, gloves on my hands and below the reach of the coat, black trousers, and shoes.
The whole set gave me a +15 to my charm stat, and many eyes came fluttering my way. Well, I say my way, but the one getting the most attention was the regressor.
Donning perhaps the most simple suit they could have found, the intricacy in his appearance was something only a shop as big as this could have brought along.
His hair tied back and his face fully exposed, the regressor was fairly panicky.
"S-sir… do you have a meeting appointment? Should I set up a video conference for you instead?"
"Shut up."
I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pushed him to walk along. I didn't want to mess up his suit yet, our appearance was going to be one of the biggest keys in all of this.
After walking in circles over circles all around the starting town of Symphonia. And then, we reached the storehouses at the southern end of the city.
With enormous buildings of concrete and steel erected around the storehouses in the outermost district. It was a place that just existed and could be brought using points from the tower, but most people could still break in easily.
The regressor and I walked through this labyrinthine maze of storehouses. He seemed to have gotten much calmer since no one was around.
I remembered each district to some degree, for only one reason.
My eyes shifted to the storehouse to our left. On top of it, behind the small windows, a single man sat on lookout.
Just like that, all through the place on the paths nearing our base, lookouts had been splayed out all around the invaded storehouses.
This was where we dragged people and beat them up, or where we handled other aspects of the business.
I wasn't worried yet.
Nothing had happened to Ativan in those three months. Things weren't likely to be that off.
Traitorous as they may be, Ativan had kept them all on a tight leash. And even amongst these people, there were a few idiots that truly believed Ativan was on their side, which made them more loyal than most.
After a short walk, we finally approached the largest storehouse on the block.
Without waiting for anything, I pushed the door open and waltzed straight inside.
The scape of the enormous room filled my sights. People all around were up and about on their own little kind of mischief. While some filled their lungs with nicotine, others drowned in alcohol.
A large group had gathered around a few and watched them all fight to their deaths while another smaller group betted all their rat-like lives were worth on games of poker.
Women and men alike indulged in different kinds of pleasures, and on the grand seat at the back of the room, with a group of hostesses clinging to his sides, was Ativan's right-hand man.
All of their eyes fluttered to me at once and all of them stopped their jobs.
"A-Ativan…?" Spoke my right-hand man at the center, his face dyed a color of surprise.
The scene in the novel where Lutein took his revenge left a slight impression on me.
It was a rather smart way to move about things.
Without a single shred of hesitation, I walked straight over to the couch at the center of the room. The gazes of all of them followed me as I strode through the place.
"I-I thought something happened to you—" My right-hand man spoke, he waved his hands around and explained, but I didn't listen to a word.
"Jimmy Corton."
I stood in front of him.
"Come here, my friend. I am very happy—" He slowly tried to get up, but couldn't move.
[Shadow Manipulation (D)]
The upped level helped me stop everyone around him in their tracks.
There was nothing specifically wrong with Jimmy Corton. He was a good friend, ambitious, but good. He cared for Ativan and accepted his position below him… unfortunately, he also held half of the power in the organization.
Power that wasn't in my hands, was power not needed.
"Ati…van?"
I slowly reached into my coat and pulled out a dagger.
"W-what are you—"
I held Jimmy's hair and pulled him ahead. Then, in front of everyone, I sliced his neck through.
"AAAAAH!"
Jimmy screamed.
No one else moved.
All of their eyes were stuck on me.
I let his blood drain out as it spilled through his neck like a broken geyser.
And then, only when his body stopped spasming, did I drop him on the ground.
My shadow manipulation ended and the hostesses around him dashed away, but even they didn't scream.
I fell back on the couch, and placed my feet on Jimmy's corpse. With my hands splayed out on the seat, I ran my gaze over everyone in the room.
Many from these were scums. Scums who held no shred of loyalty, no semblance of reverence.
Scum that could stab my back.
"All traitors."
They gulped at my words.
I lightly tapped the corpse below me.
"Line up for your turn."