The Principal City District State was as large a city as could be found anywhere else.
It had a bridge that was essentially a piece of rock held by a magical tree. It had an administrative ward filled with tall gilded buildings lined with tall glass windows, and lastly, it had a port where the channels met, and ships ferried across New Calvassen.
Lord Greldo stepped into his concealed glider far away from the city watch patrols. After the events of the past few days, a bounty had been placed on his head, and to avoid his prosecution by the people, he had to keep his head low, but truly, it was not them he was worried about. It was the other lords.
Even though he was losing gold, that was not the worst part of it all. The worst part of it all was the other lord and ruler skills being used against him, causing it to happen so fast. For instance, his [Observe Court] skill acted like a [Danger Sense], but instead of warning him about bodily harm, it warned him about political dangers like plots or assassinations.
Right now, it was telling him that he was being attacked by at least four lords and ladies pushing against his influence. This should have taken months, and he could have even fought back against two of them, but not four. Where had the other two lords come from?
As a patron of many businesses around the city, people relied on his skills to enforce contracts or broker deals. His [Patron’s Edict] skill allowed those few shop owners and small merchants to make a profit. which also allowed him to collect a hefty sum of gold.
After he stepped into the cabin of the enchanted transport, he scanned the small space, and his gaze landed on the flesh mage who was seated calmly among the scattered scrolls he had managed to make it out with.
“Where is Arden?” he asked.
“He’s gone,” the mage responded, and Greldo’s eyes narrowed at him.
“And the artifact?”
The mage reached into his robes, pulled out a vial of red magical blood, and presented it to the other man.
Lord Greldo hesitated, then snatched the magically roiling blood from the mage’s hands and hid it in his own robes.
“And when will he be back?” he asked.
The mage frowned. “He didn’t come back during the fighting. He’s gone.”
Lord Greldo’s hand balled into a fist, and silence filled the small glider for a moment. The magical enchantments buzzed, and the vehicle seemed to come to life.
He pushed aside the curtains and looked out the window, where the city lights blurred across the streets, and clenched his jaw.
Greldo tucked the curtain back, looked at the mage, considered his next move, then touched his rings.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Then we must leave him behind,” he muttered. he needed to talk to that rant Rraan after all, he was doing all this for him and his family. Arden would be missed, but if he didn’t have the contract, it would be hard to control the man anyway.
----
While Lord Greldo was busy planning his escape, Arden had gotten news of the attack at the ball, and he made his way to one of the safe houses for the assassins of the Rogue’s Gallery.
The air was damp, and the place was dark as faint torches flickered along the stone walls.
He was a level twenty-seven assassin and a member of the Rogue’s Gallery, which meant that he was respected—or at least he liked to believe so. After all, he was a valid member of the Rogue’s Gallery.
All real members of the Rogue’s Gallery had to get past level twenty-five to even be considered for true membership.
He walked slowly toward the main chamber of the small room, then came to a stop, where he waited for the master assassin to speak.
The master assassin didn’t speak at first. He stood in the room, watching the events of the past day play out on an enchanted mirror.
Arden didn’t speak. He could have interrupted the figure in black, but he didn’t. After all, this was his master.
He kept quiet and waited respectfully as the man studied the images and events of the ballroom.
The master turned, and his eyes narrowed at him.
“Do you know what they are calling them? The troublesome pair,” the master assassin said.
“That name won’t last it's just.... the watch captain's... view," Arden said hesitantly, trying to measure his master's mood. He thought he should kill them.
The master assassin turned fully to him.
“You asked for permission to do away with them, and yet they are still breathing,” the master assassin said.
“I can take care of it,” Arden started to say, but the master assassin threw a wooden box at his feet.
Arden looked down at what lay there. The small wooden box somehow felt familiar—it had to be a secret composite box.
“What is this?” he asked.
“It’s the secret compartment where your contract was being kept. I don’t have it.” the man said, his face looking calm despite the scar across it.
Arden frowned and looked up at the master assassin.
“Why does this matter?” he asked.
“Normally, if a client is bad for business, we retrieve the assassin’s contract. But someone else got to your contract before me.”
“So someone else has my magical contract.” he repeated, unsure and feeling confused, then angry, all at the same time.
The Rogue’s Gallery was an institution like any other. They had clients, workers, and tasks—in this case, bounties. But most importantly, they had documents and contracts that made the whole thing work. With this paperwork in place, it made throwing responsibility and blame around a lot easier.
Someone would ask who killed lord x. the masters would check the paperwork and give the name of lord y. they were middlemen, at least those who didn't know he true history of the guild.
“Yes. That’s what I just said,” the master assassin replied calmly.
Arden shifted uncomfortably at the news. He looked down at the empty box as the master assassin watched him.
“The twins,” Arden said as his eyes widened and he came to a realization.
He had found the two brothers in Lord Greldo’s chambers, and if there was anyone who had taken his magical contract, it had to be them.
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STATS
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[Initiate spy level seven] — [Initiate spy level eight]
[new skill obtained — [Walking mirage ]
[Duelist level seven ] — [Duelist level eight]
New skill obtained] — [Quick step]
Damian and Darrow [Mourntwin class] Lvl.8
[Other’s Notice],
[Shared Fear],
[Skill Imprint I ],
[Mana Infusion].
Darrow: [Initiate spy]. Lvl.8
[Altered awareness],
[Minor Spy’s intuition],
[Shadow Meld],
[Walking Mirage].
Damian [Duelists]. Lvl.8
[lesser strength],
[piercing Thrust],
[Salute the Foe],
[Quick step].
