I studied the girl beside me. Blonde hair that swept down to her shoulders, nice clear blue eyes that is dampened with some kind of hidden emotion. Her dress may have been simple, faded blue cotton with an equally faded brown jacket over top but it hugged her body nicely. Almost my perfect type had she not have brown or black hair and different color eyes.

“Nancy, Nancy Combs.” I played with her name on my tongue. “I will personally teach you as your potential is just too good to waste. Speaking of which, read this while we drive to meet a relative of ours.”

I pulled out a book from my satchel and passed it to her.

Her eyes trace the exotic engraving of a rune circle. Three circles overlapping on each other domains. Runes were carved inside them, some forming stars that might look like a line if one wasn’t looking close enough.

“This is a more advanced book. One given only to direct heirs of the family. Well, a copy of the one the older generation used to give to heirs. This one is more precise without wasting words on pointless history. Something I whipped up during my spare time. It will provide you with all the basic spells and runic syntax you will need. Plus a few methods on how to increase the Arcane within you. Even though the best method is utilizing the Arcane around us.”

I might have continued speaking as she flipped open the cover, both her eyes and finger traced the words as she read them. But the carriage rolled to a stop, causing me to jerk forward slightly.

I glanced out the window to see my Butler getting out and opening the door.

“We are here, young master.” he said in his usual gruff tone.

I climbed out and helped the young lady down.

I am a gentleman, after all.

We walked across the gravel path, past the evenly cut lawn with its rows of lovely tulips. Not a bad house, a standard red brick house that looks slightly dull after the rain weeks. However, there is this welcoming feeling everything gave you.

We barely made it to the porch when my target walked out of his house with a dull smile. Uncle Phillip looked quite aghast.

“Young Master, you didn’t have to come all this way. I would have met you at your house.” he sounded worried about something.

“Let’s go in,” I walked past him.

Stepping into the house to see a lovely display of wealth. Vases and paintings that left even my heartstrings play tug of war with greed. I took a left turn into the grand living room and dropped into a comfortable chair next to the roaring fireplace.

Enjoying the comforting heat upon my face as I took off my gloves.

Nancy looked around with a different style of face then the one she had worn since our meeting. It wasn’t a great contrast between expressionless and slight raise of her eyebrows.

Phillip rang a bell and turned to elderly gentlemen who came running up with heavy steps.

“Bring us some drinks and snacks.” Phillip commanded, while taking a seat across from me.

“What is the reason for the visit, young master?” Phillip asked with a concern expression.

I took note of how his hands had clenched up on the arm of the chair. How he was sitting at the edge with his feet tapping nervously.

“I had been thinking lately. How to shore up some of the spots we needed to fill and to ensure that it was done competently. I had to patiently study all those under me.” I stood up and walked to the fire place.

“Thus I came to the conclusion that you might be one of the men moving up in life. You are very competent. To the point that I almost don’t wish to make use of you but..” I moved my eyes away from the lovely pictures of him and his wife, plus his son.

Phillip’s shoulders seemed to relax. “Thank you, young master. You won’t be let down.”

I nodded, “Mm, I am sure you wouldn’t have let me down if my parents were still alive. Well, I misspoke since you had plans in motions before my parents were dead.”

I pulled out my revolver faster than his eye could blink. My finger squeezed the trigger, watching with small satisfaction as his head snapped back. Blood and brains spraying out the back, coating the wooden floors and rich carpets.

“Others might find it hard to understand you, Mr. Phillip. But I’m not such a fool as to ignore a greedy tiger sitting on my front lawn.” I put the revolver away and picked up my cane. Flames shot out of the crystal orb, devouring his body as I walked away.

My Butler came back with the hint of a dark stain upon his boots.

“All done, young master.”

Nancy sat in a corner, hands covering her mouth. She looked between both of us while stifling a scream.

I wonder, where was this fear when she was sitting across from me?

“Let’s go. We have other places to be. Other traitors to clean up.” I commanded, my footsteps echoing in the now silent house.

Nancy’s hurried footsteps came quickly after us. Not long after driving away, did I hear the sirens of the city police.

I guess the gunshot was relatively loud. I should anchor a silencing rune upon it next time.

I glanced at Nancy and spoke in a gentle tone.

“Our business demands a bit of ruthlessness. My side of the family has always dealt with the hidden world. You may or may not have heard of this but then again, you are being raised by your aunt. So there must be a story to that. However, speaking quite frankly, blood and death will be coming in your life from now on. But don’t cast aside the good in you just because a few worthless dogs have died.” I lectured what I had hoped to remember myself.

This is the main reason that I am taking her directly under me. To remind myself, to be more human and not retreat into cowardice.

We stopped at a local fashion store and I allowed the inner girl inside of Nancy to come out. Though there was slight fear in her motions, she tried to keep that stoic face. Though she couldn’t stop her eyes from lingering on dresses she thought were decent enough to wear.

By the end of our shopping trip, I pegged out her dislikes and likes. Simply by watching her eyes and breathing posture.

As for the last stop, we walked into a jewelry shop manned by a big family, just not one of the top five. Though there are reports that say the family has fallen under the Sheppard Family, a huge mining giant.

Nancy’s eyes didn’t linger long on any specific jewelry. Not even pieces I thought would be beautiful on her. Sadly, some women weren’t materialistic.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I noticed the sky darkening and decided to end the fun. As we walked to the carriage, I noticed a flash of red and my mind instantly shot back to that night when the amber eyes. I glanced around furtively but didn’t find what caught my attention.

Tsk, I shouldn’t be out this late without the protection of my gear.

I reached for Nancy's arm and she flinched away. Growling, I grabbed her waist and picked up our pace. I caught my Butler head scanning around as he positioned his cloak. My pace slowed a bit knowing that he was being alerted.

We quickly boarded the carriage and headed off.

You could hear the hissing as the carriage wasn’t properly engaged before being put into action. But it was fine, if something broke down. I’ll just buy a new one. I had to remember to give this driver a bonus for having foresight.

There were too many things that went bump in the night. Too many things preying upon us, while the government did nothing to stop this demoralizing affair.

It is sickening.

The fear they caused from their rampant behavior.

**

I took off my coat and passed it over to my Butler, motioning for Nancy to do the same. I motioned with a twist of my wrist.

“Follow me.”

I led us down into my working area. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the mechanical arms swirling around on their platform. A car frame resting in the center of them. Tools and parts scattered around it all. Other manufacturing parts position expertly throughout the rest of the dome shape room.

“This is where you will be commonly working from now on.” I glanced at her to see her still taking everything in. “I don’t know if you know how to build from the ground up but I prefer to smelt my own ore, mix my own potions, elixir, or whatever and add them to whatever I’m creating so there is no defects within the process.”

I quietly stepped towards the shower area where my work clothes hung on protruding hooks.

“Though sometimes it's best to have the manufacturing parts automated for lower end products.” I began undressing and changing into the heavier leather clothes. “These machines are programmed to not only assist you but remember the method in which you created a product. As long as you keep in prime shape. They can replicate your exact touches, almost.”

I hurried over to the table, sliding on thin leather gloves that would block the heat but still allow me to have the same level of feeling as bare hands.

“This is a modified steam engine..” I began flicking on a computer that began displaying blueprints in three D holographic format. “Hopefully, the advantages would make it faster than the current generation of steam motor carriages. Using hydrogen, steam, and oxygen to provide fuel that will keep the carriage running longer without having to refill it every ten or so miles. Which hopefully will shrink the frame, so that it is more aerodynamic.”

Nancy had walked over and it seems that I have attracted her inventor mindset. Her lips pursed as she studied over them while I went to work.

After more than an hour or so, I noticed she was looking at the bookshelf which was laden with books on alchemy. Which cost me nearly a fortune to be bought from Pattersons. Her fingers would trace over the gold or silver engravings on the spine before she would tip it out and skim through it.

I lost track of time.

Even though my brow was heavy with exhaustion, I finished the engine block. I looked around and found Nancy curled up under a blanket. Sleeping soundless on the cot, I never used.

“Guess she doesn’t stay up late much.” I yawned then went to wash the sweat stains off me.

After a refreshing shower, I realized I was hungry but first, I picked up Nancy in a princess carry. I carried her heavy ass all the way up the stairs to the spare bedroom.

I wasn’t nice enough to tuck her in but she woke up during the journey it seems. So I left her to get comfortable on her own.

***

“A telegram came in,” my Butler said, while passing over a slightly starched paper card.

I glanced at it before tossing it down.

“Prepare the private airshift and twenty knights. Fully equip them. We leave at sunset.” I commanded.

My Butler bowed and left.

I went back to studying the reports from the local government. Trying to figure out why such a large sum of money was flowing into the FSB which stood for Federal Supernatural Bureau but nothing was achieved.

Maybe they were training their members and thus a lot of money was spent on that?

I looked at the sale sheet that said that the government bought specific custom revolvers and other equipment from my company. But another sheet also detailed them buying items from a few smaller rivals in the business.

Given the items bought, they could arm up to forty agents. While it didn’t even equal the range of protection my knight class had. It was nothing less than equal to going up against the military where they had hand spun machine guns and you only had revolvers.

I leaned back into my chair before sighing.

I would have to personally see to the destruction of the blood fiends. Such disgusting creatures need to be thoroughly eliminated.

**

I stared out into the night. Smiling devilishly at the castle lit up with torch lights. My airship spun to the side, cannons reared forward.

A beautiful thunder sung to me. I closed my eyes and even hummed a bit. Enjoying the sweet, sweet melody of the explosions ruin the symphony of the night creatures.

“This might take a few minutes. They have a barrier surrounding the castle.” Mathew stated, his hand resting on a longsword station between his legs.

I opened my eyes, staring at the green barrier rippling madly at the bombardment. The ripples were overlapping and at any moment now the shield will drop and the castle will be ripe for the picking.

“I don’t understand why you have to clean this up in person?” Nancy spoke from behind me.

“There are things you can’t see from reports. Plus my perception is different than their views. Thus what they might overlook, I won’t and vice versa. It isn’t always the best to rely upon others when making decisions that could affect lives.” I lectured, with a wise smile.

Nancy rolled her eyes at the way my head tilted just a little higher.

“What if there is a creature with a twenty foot wingspan, red eyes, and angry looking claws. What do you do then?” Nancy spoke in the kind of voice that said she was reading something out loud.

I glance at her and her arm raised to point in a direction. Both myself and Mathew head follow her arm to see not one but twenty flying blood fiends.

“Raise the cannons, aim for the blood suckers!” Mathew bellowed out an order.

The staccoco firing stops, the sounds of whirling clicking noise as the cannons rise and then screams of the air as cannon balls slice through them.

I didn’t place much hope on the balls hitting the blood fiends. They were spread out enough to dodge with slight movement at their distances. Sadly, I was right.

On the other hand, unlike that day, I wasn’t hungover and unarmed. Today, I was prepared for these murderous fiends.

Raising my cane up, red flames swirled inside of the pearl. Dragons one by one, shot into the air. Steam rose from the moist night as the flaming dragons cut through the dark night. Unlike the cannon balls, they could change directions.

I wiped the sweat that was accumulating on my brow.

“You could have done that the whole time?” Nancy asked in awe. “Better question is when can I do that?”

I looked at her with tired eyes. “Better question is when will you be promoted to Grade three Artificer, then we can talk about what you can do with the Arcane.”

Mathew chuckled before bellowing, “Return fire upon the castle. Snipers take out the flyers.”

I let out a deep chuckle as the bloody fools began dropping out the sky. Merging with the west wind as ashes. Come morning they will be something trees use as fertilizer.

The barrier went down faster than the blood fiends but they knew when to retreat apparently. Not leaving behind any villainous dialogue, they spun around and fled.

The ladders descended after they bombarded the castle archer towers. My Knights descended into the night and I felt like one of those Generals that stood with his head high and chest out.

I had the dragons circle around the sky, illuminating the airship as we waited on my Knights to clean up the traitors.

“I just want to ask. Since you have us illuminated and there is a town not quite that far from here with a branch of the FSB. Do you expect them not to send an investigation team?” Nancy questioned me with a finger on her chin and head slightly tilted.

I ignored her look that said, ‘dumb person alert.’

“It is fine if they send someone but what I am more worried about is the fact that Blood fiends have shown up. Not to mention that this is a castle for one of the former guys who was most trusted by former high echelon members. But I have received consecutive reports that he is doing business with otherworlders. Which isn’t that bad in a sense, we commonly work with them.” I glance down to see a pair of wild dogs running on four legs.

I sent a pair of flaming dragons after them.

They swoop down like flaming meteors. They didn’t dive into the ground but pulled up several meters above the ground, turning into a flaming air-strafe. The mutts only had a chance to look up before turning to ashes that wouldn’t be distinguished from the burning red line in the otherwise perfect hilly landscape.

“Overkill.” Nancy muttered.