After speaking with Tobias Tefania, who had introduced himself, I finally ruled the high house out as a threat. Now, it was time to contact my brother without alerting the entire city to my presence.
I drove my car to a section of the factory zone that I had discreetly purchased and left its upkeep to my employees. From there, Sethon and I led the kids down a muddy street. I watched every shadow with alertness as we walked, a laugh threatening to bubble up inside me.
We slowly emerged into the backstreets of the dark districts, the mismanaged zones of the city—the slums. The people walking these streets bore the hard nature of the world they lived in. Yet, they didn't dare approach. These fellows knew how to gauge their opponents. If they didn't, they'd have been long dead in a gutter.
Soon, we reached the middle districts, the part of the residential area where small offices and businesses operated. I approached a bungalow with a small fence, unlocking it with a precise magical pattern.
The gate clicked open.
I turned to Sethon and the two kids while also ensuring we hadn't been tailed—especially by the pickpocket kids. Information they gathered spread like wildfire.
We stepped inside the office building, and I immediately pulled out a cigarette infused with a slight calming and pain-muting effect.
"Well, kids, welcome to where we'll be hunkering down until the emperor gets back to me."
"Sir," Jasmine called. When I nodded, she continued, "That man back there was the son of our family head. He's a very troublesome fellow—"
"It's alright, Jasmine. I've dealt with it. For now, we rest. I badly need some sleep."
"Sir, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm probably going to die of hunger if we don't get something to eat soon," Sethon said, his voice dramatic and exaggerated as always.
"I am famished, sir. I could go out alone to get us something."
"Alright, Sethon. Take both of them. I'll do the cleaning."
As they existed Gritting my teeth, I cast a second-realm cleaning spell over the entire building.
'Of course there's no pain.'
With that out of the way, I finally focused on the flipping sound that had plagued my thoughts since seeing Tobias earlier.
'It had been a while.'
I reached for it, and in a spiraling, gut-wrenching sensation, I found myself standing within a behemoth structure—an infinite library, where shelves of vast proportions floated in the void. Yet, all of them stood empty.
I turned toward a small section of the library and found a book titled: Attractive, aren't I?
Charm series.
'No, thank you.'
Instead, my gaze shifted to the books lining the top shelves—the series I had created. First was [The Red Tumult Series], a gift to my brother. [The Mantle of the Restless] came second, followed by [The Three Horrors of Touch] now known as the forbidden series, and most recently, The Miracle Series.
Tracing my fingers across the cold leather, a small smile played on my lips. Creating these spells had marked both the happiest and most hopeless moments of my life.
I reached for my body and staggered back to reality, finding a letter placed before me.
There was no writing on it, no seal, yet I knew who had sent it.
The swirling gusts of wind surrounding the letter were enough of a clue. A certain drunken court mage came to mind.
Swiftly, I opened the letter and read through it in a single glance. Thanks to the library within me, my ability to read and comprehend was unparalleled.
The letter's contents were simple. Aisin wanted me to work from the periphery. He was about to release official news regarding his goals and the nation's path forward, but before that, he needed dirt on the noble houses. Most were already accounted for, but a few remained, and he wanted me to gather the information—before Friday.
"Three days from now," I muttered.
Absolutely no pressure.
I paced upstairs, my mind running in overdrive, formulating a plan. The creaking stairs were lined with old pictures of tightly outfitted ladies in crocheted gowns.
Seated at the desk, my ideas finally took shape.
To get within a noble's circle or into the high city, I would need official documents. Something bearing the monarch's signature or seal. That wouldn't be difficult—I already had several divisions formed and officially documented by my brother.
'But that would mean—'
"We're back, sir. Hen, I hope you aren't dead yet?" Sethon's voice echoed through the building. He halved my name, likely to make the near-impossible connection even more improbable.
"You wish, old man. I've just got a new task assigned to all of us." I called down as I descended the creaking stairs, a bit of excitement creeping into my voice. This meant more magic usage for me.
'I also need to meet with Ophelia. I need my body fixed.'
"Sir, does that mean you'll be hiring me?" Fabii asked, his voice carrying a hint of hope.
I observed the boy. He spoke little but listened much. One of my hands had discovered him on the streets. His mana was potent, his stance firm.
"Exactly, Fabii. From now on, you will be known as the Head Commander of the Division of Blackmail and Nobility Control." His eyes lit up at first, but as I continued, they widened in shock and horror. "To the public, however, your title will be The Peace Watchers."
"But sir, engaging in noble business is suicide," Fabii said, his voice slightly unsteady.
"Not if you have the emperor's seal," I replied. He glanced at the food spread out on the parlor table as if he had lost his appetite.
"Enough of this. Let's eat," Sethon said.
'Yes, and then I'd be going on a little adventure during the night.'