Nevreal eyed the red-headed Dwarf with a solemn look on his face.
He had read the report of Princess Anastasia's abduction. King Uther had even asked a master painter to draw the sketches of the people who tried to kidnap his daughter, so that his agents would be familiar with their faces.
The middle-aged Dwarf understood then and there that this was indeed the same person that had tried to use the Princess as a hostage against the King, which made his blood boil.
What many didn't know was that Nevreal was actually one of King Uther's Sworn Brothers. This was why he was given unconditional trust by the King, and even awarded him his seal that the middle-aged Dwarf could use in times of emergencies.
Perhaps sensing Nevreal's gaze, Harrus shifted his attention to the middle-aged Dwarf and gave him an annoyed look.
"What?" Harrus asked with annoyance. "You have a problem with me?"
"No," Nevreal replied. "Carry on."
Lucius, who saw Harrus disrespect his guest, wanted to punch the red-haired Dwarf so badly.
However, he was only an Apostle, and the one standing in front of him was a High-Ranker.
If he really smacked Harrus out of anger, the one who would end up getting hurt was him. Since that was the case, he merely glared at the annoying Dwarf, who could potentially ruin the negotiation that was supposed to take place.
"Leave, now!" Lucius growled. "If you stay here for even a minute, I'll make sure to let HIM know that you're getting in the way of my business! Let's see if you'll feel good after that!"
Harrus frowned after hearing Lucius' threat. Although the person in front of him was someone whom he could kill with a single slap of his hand, he couldn't do that because the Merchant was an Honorable Elder of their guild.
No matter how arrogant Harrus was, he knew that making Lucius his enemy would not give him any benefits. Also, his reason for barging into Lucius' office was to make sure that the merchant had no choice, but to talk to him.
In the past, Lucius had ignored Harrus' presence, and even refused to meet with him personally.
The merchant would always use a middle-man, like Ferron, when dealing with him, which annoyed the red-haired Dwarf in the past.
"Sure, I'll leave, but let me clarify something," Harrus stated. "I didn't do anything to your subordinates, so don't accuse me of anything I didn't do. I'll wait for you at the inn I'm staying at. Make sure to personally come, or else…"
Harrus no longer said anything and turned around to leave. When the troublemaker was finally gone, Lucius was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief before sitting back on his chair.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," Lucius said apologetically. "That person was an acquaintance of mine, but we're not that close. I apologize for any inconvenience he may have caused you."
Nevreal waved his hand as if what happened earlier was not a big deal to him.
"I understand," Nevreal replied. "Things like this happen, so don't worry about it."
Lucius smiled and nodded his head. He then shifted his gaze to his right-hand man, who seemed to be pondering something.
"What's wrong?" Lucius asked.
Ferron moved closer to Lucius and whispered something to his ear.
"Earlier, I felt a strong presence in the area so I went to investigate," Ferron whispered. "Half of the Rankers we have assigned to protect the perimeter have all been knocked unconscious.
"I thought the one who did it was Harrus and his subordinates, but he said that he didn't do anything to our people before he left. Although I don't know if his words can be trusted, it is best if we return to the Merchant Guild to ensure your safety."
Lucius was surprised to hear such a thing and a suspicious thought came to his mind.
'Am I just overthinking things?' Lucius thought as he glanced at Nevreal, who was calmly sipping the tea that he had been served earlier.
As a Merchant, he was always thinking a few steps ahead of his competition, allowing him to reap the profit before others could lay their hands on them. However, he found the timing of his men being attacked, and Nevreal's appearance to be a mere coincidence.
His suspicious nature that allowed him to survive for the past few years was on high alert, so he decided to play it safe and heed Ferron's warning.
"Since I already caused you great discomfort for the day, why don't we end our meeting here," Lucius said. "I've already heard Sir Nevreal's proposal, so I'll carefully consider it. I will let you know the answer in a few days."
"Okay." Nevreal nodded. "I look forward to a favorable reply."
The two shook hands and after that, then the middle-aged Dwarf left the Tavern and returned to his Inn where Lux and Robin were waiting for his return.
—————
"He clearly became suspicious," Nevreal stated. "Although he tried to hide it by keeping a calm demeanor, I have faced many nobles in my life that I can tell what they are thinking with a glance. He has raised his guard. So, now what?"
"Don't worry, everything is under control," Lux replied before looking at his Shadow Lord who now stood beside him. "Draven, did you manage to place your Mark on Lucius?"
Draven nodded. "Yes. Master. I have placed a mark on his shadow. Although I am unable to see his surroundings, I am able to know his location, as well as hear the things around him."
"Good." Lux sighed. "What bad timing. Now, we have no choice but to play the waiting game and see if we can continue our operation tonight."
Nevreal glanced at Robin who was keeping his silence, and asked the Prince what was on his mind.
"Would you like to return to the Royal Palace with me, Your Highness?" Nevreal asked.
Robin shook his head. "I'll stay here. I won't be able to rest easily until I know the outcome of Lux's operation. Also, that Ranker… he was the leader of the one that tried to kidnap my sister, right?"
"It is him," Lux said firmly. "If not for his unexpected appearance, our plan would have proceeded more smoothly. Still, since Lucius is still in the city, that means that he only suspects Sir Nevreal.
"But, since the offer we gave him was very tempting, he will definitely find it hard not to bite our bait. All we need to do is wait for two things to happen. Either Lucius comes to find us on his own will, or we wait until Harrus leaves the city.
"I have something in mind for what to do with Lucius, so I don't want any member of Twilight Rain to get wind of it."
The Half-Elf then glanced at Draven who had the ability to transform into anyone whom he had personally killed.
There were many ways Lux could achieve the goal he had in mind.
If his hands were forced, he would not hesitate to take the Merchant's life, and replace him with someone else.
Someone whom he could trust that would follow his orders faithfully.
Just like the Undead under his command, that would not hesitate to jump in a sea of fire as long as he wished for it.
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