"R-Reaper Group…?"
Rey accidentally stuttered the moment he heard the name. Reaper was the new nickname he had gotten after the slaughter at the Dak Gathering, after all.
The name had spread beyond the reaches of the Merchant City, or so he had heard. Hearing the name being used by the former KariBlanc Group made him have a slight dread about what was to come.
Despite this premonition, he went ahead to ask for the reason behind their decision.
"Well, Sir Ralyks… we thought really hard about it, but it turns out that there's really nothing we can give you for your troubles…" Rebal adjusted himself on the sofa, taking a more earnest position on the seat.
"Not only do we owe you our lives, but also literally everything that is currently in our possession. It is all because of you, Sir Ralyks."
Rey couldn't deny that he had shown bias towards Rebal and his family—Kara too—due to his prior connections to the KariBlanc Group.
He would be a fool to claim that they had clean hands, or that they had committed less atrocities than the average Black Market Group. Yet, he slaughtered the rest and spared them.
If that wasn't bias, then what was?
"It's a no brainer in business to give a fair payment for the work done. And so, it was pretty obvious what the only thing we could offer you could be." Rebal smiled, bringing out a parchment rolled up like a scroll.
It had a yellowish gold tint, and based on how Rebal carefully handled it, the object seemed to be of immense importance.
"I have consulted my son and Miss Kara here on the issue, and we have reached a consensus. Sir Ralyks… we would like to offer you our lives, and the very ownership of the Reaper Group."
Rey's eyes widened underneath his mask as he heard the absurd news.
'E-eh?!'
He couldn't believe his ears. Sure, he had done a lot for Rebal and his people, just as he had helped the United Human Alliance and the Royal Council.
However, he always thought he could save up the rewards for those good deeds and reap them when the time came. For the KariBlanc Group, he would have been satisfied if they gave him monetary benefits and free Enchanted Items.
Sure, he deserved more, but he didn't expect anything more than that.
But now, they had surpassed his expectations to an unbelievable degree. He nearly yelped, but this wasn't his first surprise rodeo, so he controlled himself.
"I see. Are you really sure about this, though?" Rey asked as Rebal handed him the scroll, and he began to go through it.
'As expected… it's their company deed.'
All their current properties—well, about ninety-nine percent of them—were registered under the company's name, and the document regarding that was in his hands.
'I have been placed as the owner, and I'm supposed to imprint my Mana Signature and official signature, huh?' Rey felt his heart pound.
He was just 16 years old! He had never owned a car, or a house… but now he was being put in charge of hundreds, if not thousands of properties all over the continent.
It was too surreal.
"Yes, we are sure. Sir Ralyks, we offer you our full devotion. We would like you to be our leader and guide us to a better future." Rebal bowed his head, and the other two followed suit.
When Rey saw this, and heard the words of allegiance, his racing heart began to slow down.
'This is all very overwhelming, but I can understand why they would do this…' Once he got over his initial surprise, the gears in his head began to turn.
'For one, they are guaranteed a safer and much more stable future if I become the head of the Reaper Group. Since it is my company and I have the highest stake in it, I will always protect it no matter what.'
Unlike the Royal Council, who chose the route of alliance, the KariBlanc Group went one step further and chose authority.
'At least, I can cease my alliance with the Royal Council, but I can't easily do the same to the Reaper Group since it's my company.'
The more Rey thought about it, the more he grew to appreciate Rebal's wit on the issue.
'Or was it Kara that thought about it? It would make sense if it was her…' He had seen her technical sense, and it was astounding.
'Even though I'm the official owner of the Reaper Group, pretty much all of the management and business will be done by them. They will still get most of the profit, since I have shown that I don't really have much use for money."
Of course, Rey knew they feared 'Ralyks' too much for there to be corruption, but he also understood that there was really no true loss on their part if they turned over the ownership of the company to him.
'Other than the fact that I'll want a steady supply of Enchanted Items, of which I'll probably supply the Monster Cores or other materials for, it's really a no-brainer."
Rebal and his comrades now had a shield for the company, and Rey was tethered to it since he was the owner in every sense of the word.
Both sides benefitted, and there really wasn't a loss.
'It's also pretty cool that I now have my own faction. The Reaper Guild will definitely make lots of money, and with the resources they have as my own, I'm pretty much like a billionaire.' He began to muse.
He felt strangely excited.
It was more money than he would ever be able to spend, considering most of his needs were already covered, but the prospects of having so much disposable income and capable subordinates thrilled him to no end.
'This is really the best!' Rey grinned widely, while maintaining his outward Ralyks demeanor.
"Very well. I accept your fealty."