Jarvis coldly gazed down at Denise's corpse below. A breeze lifted his red hair, messing it up.

So much for getting any information out of her.

Just as he had Denise cornered and began questioning her, her body spasmed, and she fell off the tower's side. Without checking, he couldn't be sure, but it looked like a runic promise tattoo had been activated.

"Charles, order the guards below to gather her body and bring it down into the basement for an autopsy. See if she has any tattoos indicating what faction she was working for," Jarvis ordered.

"Right away, young master Jarvis." Charles proceeded to talk into his cufflink.

Shortly after that, a trio of guards appeared by the rose bushes and began working at pulling Denise's body off the rose bush thorns.

"Young master Jarvis, we've captured the bird she sent out. It was carrying this." One of the guards handed over a small roll meant for enclosing a message.

Jarvis turned the object over. There was a rune inscribed across it. If unlocked incorrectly, it was sure to explode.

Someone certainly took precautions.

"Charles, do we have anyone at the manor that could unlock this thing?" He gave the roll to the head butler.

"Hmmm." Charles inspected the roll and caressed his long white beard. "No. Unfortunately, no one can decipher this lock within the manor."

"Then what about outside the manor?" Jarvis asked.

"There are several people I know capable of such delicate work, but it might be prudent to wait for young master Micah or your parents to return. Or send word to them."

"That would take too long. And Luca was targeted." Jarvis took the roll back and slid it into his breast pocket. "Charles, send word to my parents and Micah regarding what happened. But before then, please provide me with a list of runic decryptors in the capital."

"Very well, young master Jarvis." Charles bowed his head. "As for talent within the capital, I know of only one. However, he serves under Lady Agnese Hensley."

Jarvis closed his eyes and sighed. He hated getting involved with any of the other factions. He knew Micah did so, but it was not something he could stand doing himself. He preferred being able to focus on his research rather than navigate the dangerous underground world's politics.

Asking for help from someone within Lady Agnese Hensley's shadow réseau would have one massive price tag attached to it.

"I don't have much of a choice." Jarvis opened his eyes. "Whatever Denise was trying to send out might be time sensitive. As her main target appears to have been Luca, I need the runic lock removed immediately. Who's this talent?"

"His name is Zed," Charles said. "He works on Ebony Alley as a jewelry seller, but his main talent is runic decryption. Look for the shadiest jewelry seller you can find; that will be your man."

"Let's go," Jarvis ordered his guard. "We're heading out before the Ebony Alley market closes."

The shady market on Ebody Alley always packed up and left sometime after lunchtime rolled around. Jarvis rarely went there unless there was a particular type of herb or plant that only an immoral person would dare sell and his parents could not obtain for him quickly enough. Besides, he didn't want to upset his mother. She was sensitive whenever the topic of the Misfortune Sisters came up, so he knew full well how taboo it was to go see them, given their stand was there.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Thank you, Micah Frey. It has been a pleasure getting to know you and how we can partner in the future." A fat man with a pencil-thin beard shook Micah's hand.

"As it has been for me as well, Harrison Bronson," Micah replied.

The past couple of days, he had been busy meeting with old partners of his grandmother, Ruth Arankagul, and establishing and renewing alliances. His mother had done the same, albeit her discussions were related more to the acquisition and protection of dangerous artifacts.

As for Harrison Bronson, he managed road construction planning across the kingdom. His job might not have seemed all that impressive at first glance, but depending on where roads led and which were prioritized over others, it was possible to shift the economy and powers within Adovoria. With enough elbow grease, Harrison was more than happy to shift priorities or dissolve a project.

It helps to have such people in your pocket rather than allowing someone else to pick them up and take them into theirs.

Harrison walked away. Just as he was out of earshot, Louis, Micah's primary servant, ran over to him.

"Young master Micah, two letters arrived for you."

"Two?" Micah pulled open the first one.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He frowned at its contents.

Jasper died after Jarvis administered what ought to have been the cure? And Jarvis suspects Denise has been poisoning Jasper?

He opened the second letter, and his frown deepened.

Not only had Denise died, but it was after Jarvis confirmed that she had been poisoning Jasper and attempting to poison Luca.

"Louis, get the carriage ready. I'm heading back to the capital," Micah ordered.

"But your next appointment—"

"Yes, it's one of the Daylan royals, is it not?" Micah said.

"It is."

"Then it's fine; I saw two of them earlier already. And I'll meet this third one after I go to the capital."

Micah found it humorous how three of the Daylan royals came to the Town of Ascot to form an alliance with the ancient Arankagul Family. Word had gotten out that Micah Frey, the eldest grandson of the late matriarch of the Arankaguls, was marrying into the Adovorian royal family. This caused an influx in alliance and work requests.

The requests that each of the Daylan royals made were precisely the same: to help kill off their siblings and help them obtain the throne.

What a pleasant family.

Not that Micah was planning on turning any of them down. He was more than happy to provide his faction's services and allow the Daylan princes and princesses to kill each other off in their race for the throne. It was all profit in the end. And more importantly, the Daylan Dynasty would weaken with the internal conflicts, which benefited the Adovorian Kingdom as well.

Next-door neighbors that are too powerful are dangerous, after all.

"Very well, I'll have the carriage ready." Louis bowed and rushed off.

***

The carriage rocked mercilessly as the horses pulled it around bends and corners. Micah had ordered the driver to go as fast as he could and thus was unbothered by the lack of comfort.

Micah peeked out the window and noted the reddish hue the sky had become. Thick dark clouds were on the horizon.

Will it rain tomorrow or the day after?

Below the reddish sky, the capital city was growing closer.

He pulled out his looking glass, a device he used to communicate with his faction's heads. He didn't bother sending birds that could be captured and forced members to maintain a discoverable post to accept messages. Looking glasses, while expensive, were far more discreet. However, the red and blue mana stones on the looking glass didn't have the right color. They were dull, indicating he needed to be closer in range with any of his subordinates for the artifact to work.

"Tsk."

He kept the looking glass in hand, waiting for the carriage to reach a location within range. The moment the red and blue mana stones regained some light, he clicked it open.

"Yes, master?" A raspy voice sounded on the other end.

To Micah's luck, his most trusted subordinate, Seymour, was within range. He was a disfigured man younger than his voice made him sound. His face was always covered with a gray hood, making it hard to see his deformed features.

"Please have someone investigate Denise's background and anything that may have changed since the last time it was checked," Micah ordered. "She was a servant of the Frey Household for the past year and recently had attempted to poison my brother. See who she may have interacted with recently."

"…" Seymour was silent for a moment. "Very well, master. I'll see to it right away. However, before then, I have an unfortunate update for you."

"What is it?" Micah asked.

"It's about your younger brother, Jarvis."

Micah tightened his grip on the looking glass. "Out with it. What happened to him?"

"I am sorry to inform you that a hit was made on him. And I learned of it too late before I could secure proper protection for him. My people arrived too late."

Micah didn't need Seymour to explain what they arrived too late to prevent.

He sighed and took a few deep breaths, controlling his emotions. He needed his mind calm and working to work the situation out.

"How was it done? Do you know who put out a hit on him?"

"It was made to look like an accident," Seymour replied. "A mad, runaway horse rushed into him. And a woman that appeared to be attempting to help him used the confusion to tackle Jarvis to the ground. Except, on the ground was a broken bottle, right where his neck fell."

"And the true culprit?" Micah asked. "Who ordered the hit?"

"We traced it to the Silver Eels," Seymour said.

Is that perhaps who was behind stealing his research? Did they kill him to prevent him from recreating his work?

Jarvis wasn't one to make waves. However, his latest research could have ruffled a few feathers.

Micah didn't know much about Jarvis's work aside from the note he had sent a few days back about it having been stolen. However, if he was working to tackle the issue of the poisoned earth, agriculture might finally revitalize, and the people of the continent could avoid the fear of starvation.

Unfortunately, not everyone was happy about such progress.

Micah gazed out the window as the carriage rolled through the city's large open gates. The mansions on the western side of Genice were decked out in lights. It was a pleasant and warm sight compared to the darkness of the lower east side.

While expanding farms would help everyone and prevent millions from starvation, some nobles profited from the short supply of good food, monopolizing the best farm regions.

"Thank you, Seymour, that will be all." Micah closed the looking glass.

The carriage rolled into the Frey manor's courtyard. A chilly breeze wafted through the air when Micah stepped out.

Charles, the head butler, strode over to greet Micah.

"Young master Micah, I have some unfortunate news—"

"I've heard it," Micah interrupted Charles. "Jarvis is dead."

"Ah, yes." Charles bowed his head. "His body is currently resting in his room. However, there is something he had on him that would be of interest to you."

Charles handed over a decrypted message container.

"He had gone to see Zed in Ebony Alley to have the rune decrypted. It was the message Denise attempted to send out just before she passed away. Not that reading this note will do much good now."

Micah pulled out the small piece of paper and scoffed, understanding what Charles meant.

The message had already been erased.

"Did you happen to see what it was?" Micah asked Charles.

Charles shook his head. "It's enchanted paper that erases itself the moment someone reads the message. Unfortunately, the only one who read it was Jarvis, and he is dead."

Micah pocketed the blank message.

Perhaps someone knows how to bring back erased letters.

"Was Denise's autopsy finished?" Micah asked. "Was anything of interest found there?"

He walked inside the manor, which felt darker and more somber than usual. Not that this was of any surprise. Three members of the Frey manor had died in a single day, including his youngest brother.

"Yes," Charles replied, following Micah inside. "We found a runic tattoo of a spider just below her neck on her spine."

Micah pushed his hands through his golden blonde hair and swore.

"The Spiders… huh."

It was a faction at the top of his list that he wanted to erase from the continent. However, it was the most powerful faction as well. They were untouchable.

"I need to see Luca," Micah said and began climbing the staircase.

"I apologize, young master Micah. But your brother isn't within the manor," Charles called out.

"Well, where is he?" Micah asked and turned to look down at the head butler.

"No one is sure. He seems to have sneaked out without a guard sometime after Denise died."