Chapter 14: The Mire

Evenon waited for his subordinate's report to finish with a smile on his face. He nodded.

"You can go."

The man bowed and left the room. The report's contents had been simple: Rylan Flameheart had arrived and was seeking Evenon personally. There was nothing strange about it; this happened enough times that Evenon had long lost count. It only had one meaning: money.

A lot of it.

At his core, Evenon was a businessman. There was no reason for him to reject someone like Rylan. In fact, he dearly wished he would have more customers like the young man.

The doors swung open as the scent of booze and perfume flooded the room. It was a familiar smell. He realized exactly in what state Rylan was in. Rylan stumbled into the room, walked up to the desk, and slammed the bottle on it. With a dragged voice, he spoke.

"There's a problem."

Evenon inwardly sighed to himself. How many times would this kid need to be caught before learning to cover his tracks? Hadn't he learned anything so far? Well, it wasn't Evenon's problem. He merely flashed his business smile, taking in Rylan's appearance. Clothes stained with alcohol and the smell of cheap whores. It seemed that he had truly let loose today. The idea that this meant "money" consolidated itself.

"I'm very sorry to hear that, young master. What happened?"

Rylan scowled.

"That fucking old man caught me in my room."

Evenon blinked, genuinely surprised.

"The sizable commission for your birthday… You took it to your room?"

Rylan looked at him with dead eyes.

"Good place as any."

Evenon almost sighed.

Gods, give me strength.

Yet, as he looked deep into Rylan's eyes, he realized something.

It wasn't stupidity.

Rylan simply didn't care about the consequences of his actions. It didn't matter if he got caught or not. He lived for the present alone; as Evenon had taken note before, he was the one most uninterested in leaving his current lifestyle. He saw no regret or self-reflection in those dead eyes. At that moment, the boy's strong smell and unkempt appearance disappeared; Evenon saw only his deadpan expression and eyes without light. A slight chill went down his spine.

"…So, how I can help you today, young master?"

Rylan brought the bottle to his mouth. After a big gulp, he slammed it back on the table. His eyes turned to the staff on the left side of the room. Evenon looked at it. It was just as intricate as always. The red lines and golden engravings joined together to create the image of flying birds, while the red crystal on top of the staff glowed softly. Rylan pointed at it.

"The old man wants that back."

This time, Evenon couldn't contain his frown. Was this fucker really asking for Evenon's greatest treasure which he had himself delivered? As if unable to read his emotions, Rylan continued.

"Tell me your price."

Evenon took a deep breath before managing to let out a smile.

"…Why are you asking for the staff, young master?"

"I just told you."

Rylan's piercing blue eyes looked colder than before. He continued.

"The old man said that if I don't get it back, I won't be his son anymore."

As expected, it was for a selfish reason. That didn't mean, however, that Evenon would be willing to part with the staff. On the other hand, If Rylan got kicked out of his family, he would likely end up losing his biggest customer, as Rylan would lose his financial backing. He mentally weighed the different options. Unavoidably, he didn't want to sell the staff, since it was incredibly valuable; could Rylan's long-term spending outweigh the value of the staff if it was returned?

A few seconds passed as Evenon reached a simple conclusion.

Yes.

Rylan Flameheart was the kind of person who would do anything to get what he wanted. It was just that in his miserable life, he had only wanted women and drugs. Now that he wanted the staff back, it meant that Evenon could get even more value out of this. Evenon raised a single finger.

"I can sell it back to you for 1,000 gold coins or something of equal value. Multiple things are fine, too."

It was a low price for the staff, but still in accordance with its value. Rylan tilted his head slowly.

"You know I no longer have access to anywhere near that amount of money, Evenon."

"And when has that ever stopped you?" Evenon gestured to the staff, "You managed to get your hands on a family heirloom, after all. I'm sure finding something worth 1,000 gold coins won't be too difficult for a man of your caliber."

Rylan had cheated his family for money numerous times. He would find a way to get the coins. Evenon seriously wondered why he hadn't been thrown away long ago, but his duty as a businessman was to extract as much value out of this as possible, even though it was highly likely that the Family Head wouldn't be willing to give Rylan even a single coin.

Rylan took another gulp. Silence reigned between the two of them. Evenon deliberately let the seconds pass, counting in his head. Once fifteen seconds passed, he spoke.

"There's an alternative."

Rylan turned away from the staff with a jerk and looked at Evenon with a ravenous expression. Within his eyes, Evenon saw the same darkness that he had seen when Rylan had brought the staff. At that moment, Evenon felt absolutely certain of a single thing.

No matter what I say, he'll do it.

That was the kind of person Rylan Flameheart was. He gave the youth an unfeeling smile.

"So long as you manage to bring me thirty new customers, I'll give you the staff."

Rylan replied immediately.

"I'll do it," he stood up, grabbing his bottle, "Just give me some time."

Evenon also stood up, offering his hand for a handshake.

"I'll be eagerly awaiting your next visit, young master."

Rylan shook it with a flimsy grip. Evenon didn't let that fool him. He had gotten a new glimpse of what kind of person Rylan truly was. He didn't doubt that the offer would still have been taken even if he had said he wanted someone dead.

Taking one last look at the floating staff, Rylan stumbled towards the door. Evenon followed him as they left the room and called the nearest guard. He spoke.

"Make sure Master Rylan arrives at his destination. Be discreet."

The guard nodded, but Rylan waved his hand, shaking his head.

"No. I'll go alone."

Evenon looked at his unsteady frame. He couldn't even stand up straight.

"Are you sure, young master?"

"Yes. I'll be back soon."

Then, Rylan trudged away. Evenon watched him disappear after a turn before entering his room once more and letting out a deep breath.

He gives me the creeps.

It wasn't a matter of danger; Evenon himself was a much more dangerous man than Rylan could ever be. No, that wasn't quite right. Rylan was dangerous in his own way. A person willing to do anything for their own sake couldn't be described as anything less than 'dangerous.' The boy was the most selfish person Evenon knew. He cared about nothing except for his own immediate needs.

There's definitely something wrong with him.

Evenon sat down on his chair and looked at the floating staff. Acquiring thirty new faithful customers would render him just enough money to break even. And, in the long run, would far exceed the staff's value if got them hooked. It was a decision taken while considering that Rylan would continue to live as he always had. It would be bad to ask too much of his best customer.

In silence, Evenon drummed his fingers on the table, looking at the simple black ring around his right ring finger. He continuously deliberated on his possible courses of action. It was a necessary skill for someone like him to survive and prevail.

***

Rylan stumbled out of the building and drank the rest of the bottle at once.

Should I throw it on the floor?

No, that would be too much. He simply put the bottle down where he stood and walked away. His unsteady gait drew the gazes of many as he walked through the shopping district. He intentionally avoided the brothels. Nevertheless, as he left the district, his steps grew firmer by the second. His mana continued to revolve within him, burning away the last bits of drunkenness. His eyes were filled with bone-chilling killing intent.

That son of a bitch…

He had expected Evenon to ask for an exorbitant sum, but also to present an alternative. After some thought, he had concluded that the most likely alternative would be the one that was best for Evenon in the long run: more customers. Evenon expected Rylan to introduce him to new prey, as he had done before. In fact, Rylan had gone as far as to drag his own younger brother into the mire with him. Evenon wasn't much different; the man was willing to ruin the lives of thirty more people at the drop of a hat.

Everything had happened as he thought it would, but that didn't mean it was comfortable. What bothered him the most was the realization that his past self would have likely agreed.

I'm not that person anymore.

Completely steady, he made his way back to the Flameheart estate. At the very least, he had learned of the staff's location and managed to buy himself a bit of time.

Even if I ask Father for the coin, he'll think it's just for drug money.

Frankly, it was also a matter of principle. He refused to yield to Evenon for even a second longer. He would do this the hard way.

His left hand grasped the scabbard of the sword on his waist. Evenon hadn't even mentioned it. Rylan knew how difficult it had been to keep himself from unsheathing it and cutting off the head of the man who had been sitting in front of him in a single movement.

Not yet. He needed to become stronger before he took such drastic action. Evenon was a formidable man who was known to have reached the Third Circle. Given Rylan's lack of experience in fighting a Mage of that caliber, willingly jumping into a fight would be foolish. He needed to play the long game. He frowned.

The energy he gave off was strange.

He didn't know why this thought had appeared. He didn't even know what a Third Circle Mage's energy was supposed to be like, but Roland's instincts had whispered to him when he looked at Evenon. That had instantly put him on guard. It wasn't as if he could tell what exactly was off, so he couldn't ask anyone about it. The possibility that Evenon could prove to be more dangerous than he expected existed.

I need to be careful.

At least, the man wouldn't sell the staff as long as he believed Rylan would follow his wishes. With that time, he needed to improve. Finally, he arrived in front of the estate's gates. The Mages at its sides immediately frowned. It was obvious that they had taken notice of his appearance. Yet, his tone and gaze didn't let their minds wander any further.

"Open the gate."