Chapter 9: Fire starts from Ember.

'....two points, not bad....imagine the points I would get if I conquered her. But it's sad, how she has to fall.'

He gazed back at the two children, their eyes slowly closing from his light shaking. It didn't take much longer for them to fall asleep as they needed rest, to digest what they were fed. And he didn't want the pitiful woman to ruin that. 

Walking back to the children's bed, he called out, "....Ms. Jessica, Jessica Lawrence.." her full name as if he was the one who gave her the name, showing his wide back to her like her previous banter didn't affect him at all. Why would it, as it was nothing but listening to a woman who was afraid she would lose grace, lose her higher power before the nameless man before her.

"It is deplorable indeed, watching you be so scared, watching you try so hard to consolidate your position," he said, as he slowly placed the child on her bed.

"....you are right, it is pitiful," he again said, turning his neck to her, looking back at her wrathful eyes. 

He was waiting for the points, but sadly it seems the lady had already reached her limit. 

"You....." she growled. Her hand sparkling with a match-like fire. She was angry beyond belief, being looked down upon by a slave nonetheless. Forcing her to face such shame.

But she controlled her fire, as the place was not appropriate at all. And if she continued, the alarms would ring, concerning the children of the elder, concerning her job with it. She would continue this after, at the right time, in the right position, and he knew what she was thinking, as her eyes told it all.

He knew the person wasn't like Perl. She had patience, wary enough that using her Ember would only increase her mess. But sadly, the woman before him wasn't.

'Which only makes her a better target,' he thought.

"....so can you leave, Ms. Jessica? I am busy doing the job which you couldn't. Oh, how.... pitiful!" he said, spouting out his last word to her face. 

Like a bee stinging her ear, his last word wounded her all too clearly, reaching all the way to her pride. But what could she do, stepping back as she would wait, wait until her time came.

Thud!

With the door finally closed, he sighed in relief having the complete silence back to him and him alone. He shook his hands from his back, gazing at his finger as it kept shaking. 

"Haaa....this weak flesh, scared from a little bit of Ember from a weak human," he said, with a bit of disappointment. 

But he gripped it all the same, as tightly as possible, forcing the shaking to stop right away. "Don't worry, this body is mine now, so it's only right that I make it invincible."

"How many points do I have left from my yesterday's lustful session?" he asked Serahill.

[Adding the two points from before, Total 23 points,] the system replied.

He gazed at the camera, so he stayed back a little as what he was going to do would make him look like a wacky person, moving his hands in the air.

"Status.." he softly said.

 Status

Name : Kraner Luscious

Race : Human

Strength : 9 

Intellect : 555

Stamina : 5

Agility : 7

Dexterity : 5

Ember : 100 (....Wave: 26, Elemental: 74....)

Skills : Devils eye (lvl 1)

Points : 23 

A hologram appeared, like the IIA on his wrist but it was different, jazzed with more color, more brightness, as if the screen was a material itself, with edges decorated by the finest artist.

He swayed his hands, pointing his forefinger on Agility, pressing ten times in a span of seconds. 

"....and place ten points on my ember."

[Placing points....which one would you like to choose, wave or elemental?] Asked the cold Serahill.

Kraner paused, assessing his situation. He was having too many enemies, and he had no power, both politically and magically. So he was vulnerable in a way, both the maids who have exponential influence targeting his back.

He folded his hands behind his back as he walked near the sleeping children. As he saw one of them gradually open their eyes, the boy's eyes shining golden for a second, as he smiled, gazing at the man like he was family.

"....she is taking longer..." he said, turning to the baby girl. But his tone wasn't of disappointment, but only a wisp of joy flourishing from the edge of his lips.

"....your mother isn't going to protect me twenty-four seven, will she?" he asked the boy.

The child only smiled. But Kraner saw his eyes shine once more. Brighter than before. "Abuu...buu." The child blabbered.

"Hahahaha..." he suddenly laughed. "You are going to protect me?....Oh child." He replied, a bit impressed, his tone still giggling.

"....Serahill, place it on my wave," he ordered, as his palm reached for the child's hair, as he smothered him with a head pat.

[....are you sure?] asked Serahill.

Kraner was only silent, his decision finalized. With this single decision, many of his plans would change. Many of his targets would change. 

"Elemental is more profitable but, I need to have a hidden card, a card which no one would see coming," he replied. His hand still patting the boy's head.

[.....Done!]

.

.

.

After a week....

"I heard you lodged your children with a slave?" asked the old man, laying his back on his leather soft chair, his back slowly drowning back, as a sign of ease, breathing out from his gray smoked lips.

His tone was curious, not just him, the other three, sitting back on their chairs by his side were the same, their hands on top of their posed legs, giving out an aura of leaders, akin to something like individuals of power and status.

"....hmmm...that's strange, why is the council curious about something like a slave?" she asked, her back also leaning back, as her finger twirled a decorated pen, round and round. 

"Why wouldn't we? The great and confident Elder Tanya, placing a simple slave in charge of her own dear children." One of them asked.

His body slowly came towards the round table, lighting his yellow lush hair, his taunting smile visible, only leaving his one eye covered.

"Enough.....talking about a slave isn't our concern," said the old man, sensing the friction of his fellow elders. "What our concern should be is this!" he bellowed, throwing a bunch of documents on the table, and within the mess were some pictures, pictures of their one and only leader. The ruler of their great house. A man who should have brought many talks, many dialogs but there was only silence, only the quiet stare of tension lingering within the room.

And it continued, their hands not even reaching for the documents which the elder deemed important, why would they when they knew what it was about from the very beginning, the photos of their leader, forcing himself on a beautiful maid. 

"Haaa...she was supposed to be the new Chief of Red Sign Company, no?" asked Tanya.

The old man only nodded. "Yes, but now, she is only a husk of dead flesh, hanging on our lord's wall."

Tanya gritted her teeth, not just her, all the other three elders sighed, their hands reaching their foreheads, in tension, mostly in disgust. Thinking how a person, how a human being could fall so low. 

They thought they were the devious ones, but no, their one true leader took the cake. Which repulsed even them.

"...she wasn't smart enough, she must have known about the unspoken law, you try to get close to the fire and you only burn yourself," said the yellow-haired elder.

"That isn't the issue, James. The issue is the empty position, she was the perfect individual for the role, trained and mannered for this very purpose," said the old man, his chin leaning on his hand.

The old man looked around, to see if someone would give up their pawns, suggest their own maids or butlers. But he only leaned back, giving a small smirk, amused at how things always played out like he thought.

'...typical.' He thought. 

Who would do it, even though the position as a chief was attractive, it was only a dead-beat job. Before, they handled it professionally, but now, it needs some level of unprofessionalism and unlucky for them, they had only dogs and cats as servants. What they needed now was someone who could carve his own way in split seconds. Someone who has infinite potential and talent in these games, someone capable but devious, someone who was a glutton but also could starve for years.

The old man looked around, but he could only see two people following his perfect description. He realized something then, he and his fellow elders were so caught up in their games that they forgot to raise someone like them. Someone who reached their level but also wasn't important at the same time. A disposable apprentice of sorts. 

"It seems this matter can't be solved as of now, as some of you are not ready to sacrifice any pawns of yours," he said begrudgingly.

Tapping his finger on the table, he laid back, hoping he would get some reply from the elders, but they were indeed waiting for his guidance once more.

'...when will you all grow up...?'

"Haaa..." he sighed, gradually standing up from his chair. "For this matter to be done, I want all the elders to raise a disposable copy of yourselves." 

Like those were his final words, he took his cane with one hand, placing another behind his back.

"....wait, the meeting has just star..." said Tanya, but she kept quiet right after, as the old man looked back at her sternly.

"....I am only an old man now, use your young blood and put some effort. That's an order, not a suggestion," he said, as if those were his final words. His steps now echoing around the room as he finally left the meeting room.

Tanya, who finally had some peace these days, couldn't be more frustrated, hearing the old man's suggestion, but in the end, that's the right answer, she realized it now, after that cold stare. But it was easier said than done.

Who could match them in ego and brains and still be disposable? There was only their family but who in their right mind would dispatch their family to their hound of a Lord. 

"...okay, as he said, we will deal with this matter as time goes on, it's only a waste of my time to be bothered by this any longer," said the golden-haired one.

"Finally, some right words from your depravity of a mouth," Tanya joked.

Looking at his frustrated face, she could finally tip her cheeks up a bit, with a habit of checking on her babies' heartbeat, she again checked on her IIA, then all of a sudden, she thought of someone who seemed a bit capable, but after some semblance of thinking, she erased it right away.

'What am I thinking? He is just a slave.'