Jareth leaned back comfortably in his chair, his eyes fixed on Archvel.

"There's a job that needs to be done," Jareth said, his eyes looking more serious than ever.

"An investigation of some sort. We need someone skilled."

Archvel stopped for a second and asked himself.

"Why he is not using his people."

He understood the value of his own abilities.

From the perspective of ordinary people, he is a dark mage with some necromancy skills.

But from the eyes of Jareth, an experienced mage, he assumes, he should be just an apprentice.

"Why me?" Archvel asked,

"Why do you think I'm the right person for this task?"

Jareth's smile widened.

"Archvel, my friend, I've seen your potential," Jareth said, his tone filled with conviction.

Archvel did not buy it but did not say anything to refure it and let Jareth continue to speak.

"Your mastery of necromancy and the feeling you are giving it to me make me think you are a good candidate for this task."

"Besides, there's something in it for you too. You have a personal connection to the world of necromancy, and this investigation could lead you to the answers you seek."

Archvel took a deep breath and then nodded.

"Alright," he declared,

"I accept your offer."

Jareth's smile widened further.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed.

"We shall begin our investigation soon, Archvel. I will pay you twenty-five gold coins now, and after we finish our job, you will be paid twenty-five more."

Archvel stopped for a second and smiled.

"So, having connections and meeting with others does increase my chances of finding things to do and making some gold coins."

Jareth said that they will be starting the mission in the night, and he has five to seven hours of time to prepare.

After leaving the side of Jareth, Archvel went upstairs to his room and started to look for a spell to find out if he could find any that would help him in the matter of investigation.

"Predatory eyes may not be enough for a mission and investigation like this."

Jareth, having solidified the agreement with Archvel, departed from the inn and made his way back to the headquarters of the Tower of the Black Sun.

As he walked through the familiar corridors, Jareth's thoughts were consumed by the mission.

"Death of Elliot Ken..."

Entering a dimly lit chamber, Jareth found himself surrounded by his fellow members of the organization.

The air was heavy with anticipation as each member awaited his report.

"Here we go."

Jareth thought as he started talking.

"Members of the Tower of the Black Sun," Jareth started talking,

"I have enlisted the aid of Archvel, a talented necromancer, in our pursuit of justice for the fallen blackfire mage, Elliot Ken."

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Elliot Ken had been a formidable presence within their ranks, and his death changes many things, and all people present are aware of this.

"The enemy responsible for Elliot Ken's death is none other than a necromancer."

Jareth continued,

"Archvel has agreed to work with us, utilizing his unique talents to track down the necromancer and bring them to us...

As Jareth spoke, some of the mages started talking with each other.

"I am not sure we can trust an unknown mage."

A hooded man with a harsh voice spoke to an individual right beside him.

"I understand your concern. But our ranks have no necromancer category; dark mage and necromancers are rare as well as not cheap."

The woman's voice answered this time instead of the man's harsh-sounding voice.

She was wearing a hood, so her face could not be seen easily.

Jareth listened for some time before starting to talk again.

Not mentioning the fact that there are some dark mages inside of them that are not trusting of Archvel.

"We must act swiftly and decisively."

Jareth declared,

"The necromancer who took Elliot Ken's life must be found out and taken out."

"For the sake of our fallen comrade and the integrity of our organization. Archvel and I will lead the investigation.

Even as dark magic users, they still have some sort of ties with their friends and people they work with.

Being Dark mages does not mean that they are evil; it just means that they will do whatever they need to do if it benefits them, and being selfish in their eyes is not something that should be classified as being evil.

They are honest enough to accept this reality.

Jareth took a deep breath and smiled as he left the gathering.

"So, the people have no problem with me working with an unknown mage from outside of the organization."

"There were some voices who were clearly not happy, but they would still agree, as hiring a necromancer from outside organizations would not be cheap, and they would need to pay too."

Jareth smiled again and then closed his eyes.

-

Archvel continued to eat his meal, savoring the flavors of the well-cooked chicken and the refreshing taste of the beer. The seventeen gold coins he had acquired from selling the Moon Bear parts provided him with a sense of security and comfort, easing his mind for the moment.

He had around forty-five gold coins in his hands, and after the mission is finished, he will have a total of 70 to 65 gold coins.

Which is more than enough for the time being.

As he looked around the inn, observing the other patrons engrossed in their own conversations and activities, Archvel couldn't help but reflect on his current situation.

His power had grown significantly.

"But I am still weak enough to not be taken seriously."

Archvel smiled, showing his power in his face.

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, the door of the inn swung open, bringing with it a cold gust of wind.

Archvel's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the familiar face that entered.

"Jareth?" Archvel exclaimed.

Jareth's smile widened upon seeing Archvel, and he made his way over to his table. They exchanged pleasantries, and Jareth wasted no time in sharing the news.

"I have notified the Tower of the Black Sun, and they have agreed to work with you."

Jareth said.

Archvel took a moment to process the information.

He had expected this outcome, considering their previous conversation.

"I have something to attend to," Archvel said, contemplating his next move.

"Can we begin our work tomorrow, as we discussed before?"

Jareth closed his eyes momentarily, his expression thoughtful.

"I understand," he replied.

"I will come to fetch you from here tomorrow morning."

Archvel nodded in agreement.

He watched as Jareth left the inn, his mind filled with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

He couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't quite right about the situation.

Jareth's attempt to portray their interaction as that of old friends made Archvel even more skeptical.

"He's getting too close too quickly."

Archvel thought,

"I don't like this."

"If they truly wanted to take me out or harm me," Archvel concluded, his thoughts grounded in a sobering reality.

"I would have no power to stand against them."

Archvel then finished his food and drink and went upstairs to his room.

"There will be some books here that would teach me about some simple understanding of investigation."

After spending about five hours in his room. Archvel found three tomes about investigation-related materials, especially those involving necromancy.

Archvel learned about three things in three tomes.

"Basics of Corpse Investigation and Parting"

"Bone Counting and Altering"

"Voice of Last Breath"

Each of them gave different kinds of insights; Archvel seemed to understand the ideas behind them, but he believes that he needed to work on these three things for a full night to be capable of using these knowledges to aid in his investigation.