"Young master, it is time." Selena appeared at his study.
Micah looked at the late hour on the clock and sighed.
He had spent the day mostly locked up in his office. Apart from the usual operations needing review regarding the Frey Manor, there were ongoing projects that he had his syndicate members running. Then there were the additional issues that Luca had brought to light.
"I'll meet you at the carriage," he told Selena. "I need to get dressed before the meeting."
She bowed and left his study.
Micah pulled out the little stone turtle with phoenix eyes from his pocket and chuckled. No matter how often he saw it, it never ceased to amuse him. Whether Luca was aware of it or not—likely the latter, the smooth black and slightly translucent stone he used to have the turtle created was actually an incredibly rare and ancient mana stone.
He said he found it on one of our beach outings. What bizarre luck he's always had.
Luca had also mentioned in his recounting of how he had obtained the gift that no jeweler wanted to touch it.
And no wonder—it would have required someone skilled in creating high-level artifacts to even attempt to work it without risking their lives.
It was one of the world's mysteries how Luca found someone skilled enough to work it without even intending it. It was even more mysterious that he didn't get blasted to bits himself when he dared to scratch in the tiny smile on the little turtle.
Micah walked over to one of the walls and used the turtle to open a portal into another dimension. The portal, about the size of a small window, appeared immediately, emanating a pitch-black void. He opened the portal each time he planned to venture somewhere perilous, such as the monthly meeting with other syndicate representatives.
What can I use this time?
He never knew what he would find inside this dimension. The artifacts were different every day. And each had a mysterious handwritten note attached to them indicating the artifact's effects and repercussions.
He reached inside the pitch-black space, his hand disappearing from view, and felt a warmth surround his hand. Then he felt something soft placed into his palm.
He pulled his hand back and inspected the oversized grey scarf. Attached to it was a small handwritten note.
> Item: Cursed Cashmere Shawl
> Description: This elegant shawl is made from the finest cashmere and imbued with dark magic. When worn, it offers a strong defense against mind attacks, shielding the wearer from psychic intrusion and manipulation. The shawl's dark aura also has the unintended effect of instilling fear and unease in those nearby, causing them to avoid the wearer as much as possible. The shawl has an effectiveness rate of 75% against mind attacks.
> Warning: Despite its luxurious appearance, the shawl will slowly sap the wearer's willpower and sanity over time. The more it is worn, the more the wearer becomes dependent on its protection and begins to experience vivid nightmares and hallucinations. The shawl's curse is insidious and once worn, it is difficult to remove. Beware of the temptation to rely too heavily on its power, for the cost may be more than you are willing to pay.
> Note: Please return within five days.
Micah didn't know who or what provided these artifacts and the notes. He had attempted to send messages into the portal but never received any response. Tossing other objects in provided no additional insight either. He also noted that he could only take out a certain number of items at a time. If an item wasn't returned when requested, the number he could pull out in the future was reduced by two. He had learned this the hard way with the white mana-enforced gloves he had decided to keep for himself.
While the artifacts the portal provided were always riddled with repercussions, they were nonetheless quite useful in the short term.
And to think I received it as a birthday present from Luca.
Micah pulled out several more irregular and cursed artifacts, equipping himself with what he deemed essential. Then he tossed on his long white coat, embedded on the inside with enough black mana stones to protect him from even the deadliest of blasts.
He was ready.
***
"You know, it's summertime." The first to greet him was Blythe ‘The Menace' Calabrese, the head of the Hogshead Syndicate. He was slouched in one of the chairs, a flask in hand.
"Your point being?" Micah sat down at the circular glass table.
Today's meeting was in one of Micah's favorite rooms; the Koi Fish Room. Instead of walls, the circular room was enclosed by a giant aquarium with growing plants, snails, other little fish, and, most importantly, rainbow koi fish swimming overhead. Micah had been so impressed by them that he had asked the Gilded Siren's owner, Marianna Gerlita, for a reference and purchased a few for Evelyn.
"It's certainly an interesting fashion choice," Lady Agnese Hensley commented. She looked pristine and put together as always, with her spine perfectly straight and her chin lifted ever so slightly. She exuded an air of regal poise and refinement that even most royals lacked.
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"And here I am, thinking the room is a tad warm," Marianna laughed. Her voice was like honey, but she had a reputation for being ruthless regarding her gambling business.
She fluttered a large, ornate fan of delicate red lace over herself.
However, Micah had a feeling that it wasn't just ornamental and likely doubled as a deadly weapon with sharp blades hidden within its folds.
"Micah, your brother wiped out all my most precious clients yesterday morning. Have you heard?" Marianna said. "He didn't even stick around to see who'd win. It was unprecedented."
"I heard about it," Micah replied.
"AH HAHAHA!" Blythe roared with laughter. "Your brother is quite the unusual one. What's the fun in gambling on a fight if you don't even stick around for the show?"
"Not everyone enjoys such forms of entertainment," Lady Agnese Hensley commented. She poured herself a fresh cup of black tea from a nearby pot. "Perhaps the boy realized its distaste and left. I most certainly wouldn't have wanted to stick around—apologies to our gracious host; I do not intend to offend your line of business."
"None taken." Marianna continued to fan herself. "Not that you would be welcome to partake in my business's entertainment anyhow."
Creak.
The doors opened, and Dion, head of the Red Lanterns, arrived. His short stature seemed to be enhanced by the brightly colored attire he wore as if the garish fabrics were trying to compensate for his lack of height.
Great, the most useless and disgusting member has arrived.
"Ah, Dion, so good of you to join us," Marianna greeted the man.
"Is there anyone else joining us?" Dion's bushy brown mustache twitched as he spoke. His beady eyes gazed about the room at the rest of the attendees.
"We shall see," Marianna said. "Some may be running late, but it's not like anyone ever bothers to RSVP."
It was a joke. No one ever told ahead of time if they'd attend. The only heads present every time were Marianna and Lady Agnese Hensley. Marianna was in her own abode, and Lady Agnese Hensley relished hearing the latest news personally.
"Blythe, I hear your business is doing rather well," Lady Agnese Hensley said, sipping her tea.
"It's certainly not doing poorly. HA HAHAHA!" Blythe laughed but didn't provide additional details, as Lady Agnese Hensley was likely fishing for.
However, Micah was also curious about Blythe's sudden expansion. He knew that the Frey Merchant Guild's expansion was impressive these past couple of years as well, but it was nothing compared to what Blythe had achieved in just one year.
He's either secretly a genius, or he has someone that manages his routes and knows whose palms to grease.
If it were the latter, Micah was curious if they were someone he could recruit over to his side.
"Speaking of business doing well, it appears that Prince Chase Daylan—or Saint Chase, has been doing a bit of recruiting for his temple," Marianna noted. "The young prince seemed like a powerless token to me, but he's heading his temple's latest new scheme. I've had several customers attempt to recruit other customers on the casino floor today."
"A curious development indeed. Ah, Micah, I heard your brother, Luca, spoke in private with Prince Chase Daylan last night," Lady Agnese Hensley said.
Micah felt a sudden heaviness on his cashmere shawl. It was working to prevent a mind attack.
He smirked.
So she wasn't just making friendly conversation all this time.
While it was considered impolite to use artifacts overtly against one another in these meetings, it was an accepted fact that there was no way to prevent the heads from wearing what they pleased. And Micah attended these meetings, expecting as much from the famous woman with eyes and ears across the Adovorian kingdom.
Lady Agnese Hensley was the main reason he tried to pull out a mind-protecting artifact before each meeting. He avoided attending them altogether if he didn't have one handy. He would have invested in a non-temporary solution, but artifacts that helped protect the mind were notoriously tricky to find and impossibly expensive.
"You heard correct," Micah replied, avoiding revealing anything else that might be of interest to her.
He gazed over at Blythe, who had also previously avoided answering Lady Agnese Hensley's question.
He must have a mind-blocking artifact on him as well. That's new. I'm curious how he managed to get a hold of one.
"Can we start the actual meeting?" Dion pipped in. "I had an issue arise that I'd like to return to."
"We should, shouldn't we? I do hope your concerns are not overly distressing," Lady Agnese Hensley said, taking a sip of her tea.
"It is too much trouble. I had some damn expensive product go kaboom, and now I got a bunch of unhappy customers," Dion explained. "So let's cut the crap and get to the agenda already."
"Very well." Marianna nodded. "Blythe, as you arrived first, we'll cover one of your topics to start off. You mentioned something about Laupia. Care to enlighten the rest of the group?"
Blythe leaned back in his chair and took a swig from his flask before responding. "It's a mess over there. The government's in shambles, and the people are getting restless. I see an opportunity for us to step in and provide some...stability."
Lady Agnese raised an eyebrow. "And how do you propose we do that, Blythe?"
"Well, I've got the means to supply arms and armor to some of the factions that are fighting for control. And if we can get them to owe us a favor or two, well, that's just good business, isn't it?" He grinned slyly.
"Revolutions aren't exactly of interest to me," Dion interjected.
Blythe shrugged. "Suit yourself, old man." He turned to the other three heads and spoke to them instead.
"I know some of you have already expanded your reach there, but why limit yourself when if we work together, we can completely monopolize the markets in each of our respective domains."
Micah was already thinking ahead. Establishing themselves as the dominant power players in Laupia would give them a significant advantage in future negotiations and diplomatic relations.
And it could help me down the line as Adovoria's ruler.
"I agree with Blythe," Micah said, his voice calm and measured. "But we need to ensure that our involvement is kept discreet. The last thing we want is to draw unwanted attention from other kingdoms or alliances."
Lady Agnese took a sip of tea, her expression thoughtful.
"I have some contacts in Laupia who could provide us with more information on the ground," she said. "And I might be able to gather some additional intel on the political climate there so we can sway things in our best long-term interest."
Marianna leaned forward, her fan still clutched tightly in her hand.
"I have a few associates who could help us fund this venture. And I'm sure we could find a way to make it worth their while."
Blythe grinned at Micah. "I don't suppose you'd have any objections to dealing with a few problematic individuals if it comes to it?"
Micah simply smiled and replied, "Of course. I'll do what needs to be done."
He had, after all, already set the wheels in motion, strategically planting his syndicate's operatives in Laupia long before the chaos began. The beauty of it was that he stood to gain twice: once for breaking the system in the first place and again for fixing it.