Avarus Invidia (IV): Contracts, Conmen, Congratulations, And Collections

--- Booker H. Freeman ---

“Huh, thought that would take longer?” A familiar voice noted as he once more found himself back in the VIP room that Hemingway had given to him and Lydia.

“Did you?” He smirked, dusting himself off as the last of the heat from his transportation faded away.

“Yeah, I mean you were gone for what? Fifteen minutes?” Lydia answered, causing him to pause.

(Fifteen minutes?)

(Pride: A measurement of time, one that is fairly inaccurate due to our previous outing taking at least an hour to accomplish. Perhaps this has to do with that Dimensional Drift we were discussing earlier?)

(Greed: If time is money, having more time would mean more money.)

(Interesting.) No matter how he looked at it it was something worth taking advantage of at a different time. (But for now…)

“This was merely business as usual for me.” He assured the young woman as he took a seat on the other side of the couch from her. “Nothing too complicated.”

“So, uh… what exactly did you have to do?” Lydia asked, her eyes everywhere but him.

(Greed: She wants to know what she’d have to do if she was fulfilling the contract.)

(Sloth: Sanitize the bits involving souls, but talk up the rest. People like to think they’re working for the good guy.)

(Envy: And she’s sadly naive enough to believe we are one.)

(Lust: We don’t have to be the good guy so long as we’re a nice guy!)

(Gluttony: Morality and etiquette are completely unrelated.)

(That they are!) He agreed, before explaining that. “It was a relatively simple job I believe. A necromancer thought to summon a Demon, and I fully intended to make him regret that decision. So imagine my surprise when I discover that the necromancer had been slain by his apprentice, the boy having turned to betrayal so that he could protect the final victim of the ritual!”

Lydia’s (hideous) frown made him pause his story, his smile growing tense. “Do all… Demon summonings require someone be… sacrificed?”

(Envy: Yes and no? It depends on the type of Demon.)

(Greed: Treasure is in the eye of the beholder.)

(Gluttony: Everyone hungers for different things.)

(In that case why did it summon us?) While it was fully possible that he could go for a bout of human sacrifice -the whole thing being amusingly ironic, especially if he ‘sacrificed’ his summoner in turn- he didn’t think he’d appreciate it enough to make it a requirement to summon him. (That would be so limiting.)

(Envy: Which is why it probably wasn’t.)

(Greed: That contract was offered to us, not specifically summoning us. Anyone coming here could’ve taken it for themselves if this place wasn’t trying to bribe us.)

(I see, in that case…) “It’s not a requirement, but it does influence the type of entity you summon and deal with. Due to my clout here, I can divert some of these contracts my way and then have a… chat with these men rather than having them go towards someone more… rewarding of their efforts.” He explained, being sure to continue to imply that he was the better man in these situations, something he sincerely doubted.

(Sloth: Keep doing that and she’ll eventually start justifying our actions for herself.)

(Envy: Until you cross a line she can’t forgive.)

“That’s good.” Lydia sighed, giving him a (beautifully) relieved smile.

“It is.” He nodded before noticing the box full of some circlish dish on the table, half of it already missing. “Though I’ve no idea if it is as good as your pizza here?”

“Oh, uh, yeah! The pizza was great!” His young companion assured him. “Do you, uh, want to try some?”

“Why I would be delighted!” He smiled at the offer, his stomach growling in spite of his recent meal.

(Gluttony: You should always eat while you can. Never know how long it’ll be before your next meal…)

Seeing the wisdom in that thought, he went ahead and collected a section of the pizza before taking a bite of the unfolded side.

“Hmm…” After a moment of chewing he swallowed, and told Lydia, “While not quite to my usual tastes I do quite like the seasonings they’ve added to the tomato paste, and the cheese gives it a nice buttery addition even if overpowered by the bread’s flavor. The meat though, that is an interesting highlight for me if I could just place what kind of meat it is.”

“Uh, I… never really thought about any of that.” His companion confessed, looking bemused. “I guess you really do like eating don’t you?”

He considered both his current meal and his previous one, before licking his lips. “I really do~”

“Well, uh, help yourself I mean… technically you paid for it?” Lydia shrugged with a wry grin.

(Greed: And now she’s beginning to get it.)

“My how generous of you.” He grinned back with a touch of his own amusement.

“Right, um, you were talking about your summoning, so uh, what happened after the kid killed his mentor?” Lydia prodded.

Deciding to pick up where he left off, he continued his story by explaining that, “Well, I arrived after the killing and helped him bring the poor sacrifice home, given how he couldn’t lift her himself. Though we did not stick around beyond watching her parents find her from a distance. At which point we returned to the ritual room and I helped him seal away the necromancer, as the boy was somewhat scared of his mentor resurrecting for some reason.”

“Resurrecting?” His young companion repeated in confusion before her eyes went wide. “Like back on earth?”

(Envy: Theoretically? I think, this falls into the same category as souls…)

(Meaning we know the answer but don’t remember it.)

(Pride: Gah, is there a worse curse than losing one’s mind?)

(Envy: Several.)

Hedging his answer, he told her that, “It’s possible under the right conditions, but not really something I’ve looked into given how hard it is to stay dead in our world.”

“R-right, that makes sense.” Lydia admitted, looking more than a little disappointed by that fact.

“Indeed.” He agreed, before wrapping his story up. “After that, I did my best to mitigate the damage caused by my original summoner before offering the boy a secondary contract to fill in the hole left by his previous mentor’s death.”

His companion’s eyes softened. “So you’ll be going back to check on him?”

“The boy has potential. That would be such a dreadful thing to waste.” He confessed, his mind thinking of how that potential could best help him.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

(Greed: Have to maximize those profits somehow.)

“And… what about me?” Lydia frowned (grotesquely) her eyes once more nowhere near him. “Do I have potential like him?”

(Lust: Aw, the poor girl is insecure… Cheer her up!)

(Pride: Just like the boy, she lacks purpose. Especially now that she’s achieved the freedom she so desperately sought.)

(Sloth: Forgot how much work minions are to keep around…)

“Lydia, my dear, have you forgotten already we’ve but just begun your metamorphosis into something so much greater than what you were.” He reminded the poor girl. “These things take time though. I mean we’ve known each other for perhaps three days. I may be powerful but even I have my limits, my dear.”

(Envy: Such as the lack of any memories prior to meeting her.)

(Lust: We are a fantastic actor!)

“Yeah, but why are you putting so much effort into helping me?” Lydia frowned (horrendously). “I mean, we’re out of Ira Invidia. There’s not much I can really offer you.”

(Lust: Maybe a bit of honesty is best here.)

(Envy: Really? You’re suggesting we be honest with her.)

(Lust: Yep.)

(Sloth: Yeah, he’s got a point. As long as we aren’t too honest…)

He considered that for a moment, before letting out a sigh as he rolled his eyes. “My dear, I really am not putting as much effort into this as you seem to think. Aside from going out of my way to recruit you, I haven’t actually done much that I wouldn’t have done on my own. After all, if you recall, I was just as trapped in Ira Invidia as you were and I’ve no goals that need my immediate attention either. So you ask me why am I helping you, and I ask you why not?”

Lydia looked down at that, the girl seemingly getting lost in her own thoughts. Which was a good thing as the (handsomely) smiling Hemingway took this moment to return, the jacket of his suit missing and the button up beneath it covered in a growing number of stains.

“Sir, I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate you on your successful expedition!” The horned man told him, before quickly picking up the glass pane from before and once more handing it to Booker. “And I wanted to assure you that your newest account has gone through and we are working to convert all resources gathered into Sin whenever you desire. Without our usual fees as an apology for the inconvenience of it all, of course.”

(Greed: He’s buttering you up… Ask about the status of those missing accounts.)

“Of course.” He felt his eyes narrow at the man as he stood up, passing the pane off to Lydia as he did so. “Tell me, how goes the investigation into this little inconvenience?”

Hemingway froze, his eyes going wide. “It is progressing apace sir. N-nothing to worry about. Absolutely nothing at all. Why, we should have it all sorted out by the time you finish your work today.”

(Greed: He’s lying.)

He began idly inspecting his nails. “And if I were to decide to wrap my business up right now?”

The little red man-thing froze. “That’s… Sir…”

(Lust: Come now, if you keep pressing you’re going to give the poor man a heart attack.)

He smiled at that amusing thought, before turning back to the little clerk. “Don’t worry, I’m more than aware that you need time to sort this little discrepancy out… Even if my personal plans would prefer otherwise.”

“O-oh?” Hemingway asked, with a relieved smile far less tense than his previous one.

(Greed: You can’t let him get away too easily.)

(Sloth: We’ve apparently a reputation to maintain.)

(Pride: And what is a man but his reputation?)

“Quite.” He nodded, his thoughts filling with what vengeance was most appropriate here.

(Lust: Careful, we need to maintain appearances with Lydia!)

(Sloth: And if he’s too injured he won’t be able to work.)

(Envy: To maintain Dimensional Drift takes magic; more the longer you hold it.)

(And?)

(Envy: And they make their money from magic.)

(Greed: Ah, hurting him in the wallet. Almost feels too cruel~)

He chuckled to himself before giving the hopeful Hemingway a sympathetic grin. “Unfortunately, I had been planning on making this a quick trip so I’ll come back… tomorrow I suppose, to check on your progress.”

“O-of course sir.” The clerk manager nodded enthusiastically, clearly happy that the few hours that he thought he had to settle this had become an entire day. “I’m sure we’ll have everything sorted by then.”

“I’m sure.” He nodded back. “Just as I’m sure these interesting contracts you brought me will still be sitting here whenever I feel like getting to them. All expenses compensated, of course?”

Hemingway’s face froze for a moment, before the man slumped with an, “Of course sir…”

“Very good.” He smiled, enjoying the way the man squirmed before turning his attention back to his companion staring at the glass device with wide eyes. “I do suppose that concludes our business for today. Shall we take our leave, my dear?”

Lydia jumped her eyes snapping to him as she seemingly swallowed before getting out of her seat. “Uh-yeah, that sounds… good…”

“Oh, don’t forget you food my dear.” He reminded the child before meeting Hemingway’s eyes and showing off his fangs. “You never know where you’ll find your next meal after all.”

The little clerk stiffened.

(Pride: It seems that reputation of ours does include cannibalism.)

(Gluttony: Good~)

“H-have a good after-afternoon sir!” The ever professional manager managed to squeak out.

“And to you. After all, I’m sure your afternoon will be just as productive as ours.” He called back as he escorted young Lydia out of the room.

“Uh, Booker?” His companion started once they were alone.

“Yes?” He prodded, coming to a stop when the hallways they’d been moving through remained silent.

“The, uh, the Sin you made on that contract was, was that a lot or?” Lydia trailed off.

He couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion. “Don’t you already know about all that, my dear? As I recall your plan to escape Ira Invidia was to gather enough Sin to buy a pass out.”

“Y-yeah, but…” The young girl swallowed. “You just made as much Sin in fifteen minutes as I was making in a month.”

(Greed: Before or after expenses?)

That was a very good question, which is why he asked it.

“After but… that tablet said you altered the terms of your contract to get paid less.” Lydia tried to explain.

(Sloth: Careful. You don’t want her to know why we were paid less.)

(Lust: We were paid less because we got a new friend!)

“Well, there are different kinds of contracts so when I changed things to a more long-term contract, the initial upfront payment was obviously decreased.” He shrugged, acting nonchalant about the whole thing.

“Right, but still they, they were expecting you to do three more contracts like that… If I wasn’t there you could’ve made what would take me half a year in barely an afternoon!” Lydia practically yelled.

(Greed: She’s not used to seeing this much money change hands.)

(Sloth: Street rats aren’t used to having much.)

(Envy: Lots of people aren’t.)

“Yes, well I’d like to think I’ve taken great pains to achieve what I have.” He told his companion, because even if he couldn’t remember it all, given what he could recall of his upbringing it would take both time and effort to get to the point he seemed to be at prior to his memory loss.

(Pride: Don’t worry, we’ll always be a self-made man.)

“And you think I can do the same?” Lydia frowned (hideously).

“Of course you can! With a bit of time, violence, and elbow grease, who knows what kind of chaos a determined young woman such as yourself could raise!” He assured the girl with a smile.

While Lydia didn’t meet his eyes again, she did let out a delightful little grin. (Which is such an improvement.)

Patting the girl on her head he gave her a prompt nod. “Now then, let’s do away with these little doubts of yours and figure out what we’re going to be doing with the rest of our afternoon shall we? Why, I’ve a whole bundle of Sin burning in my pocket waiting to be used!”

(Greed: Actually we haven’t had our payment converted.)

(Pride: Do any of us have the answer to that question?)

(Envy: Feel like I know something, but… no.)

(Sloth: Sounds like a lot of work.)

(Gluttony: I don’t but I know prey that might.)

His eyes darted down the hall to where Hemingway was just stepping out of the ritual room he’d been working out of. “Actually, I just realized something Lydia… Oh, Hemingway~”

Even from a distance he could hear the little clerk let out a little “Oh no…” before promptly putting on his widest grin. “What can I do for you sir? I thought you were on your way out.”

(Lust: Remember to play your part here. You’ve established a role, so don’t break it.)

“Yes, we were.” He nodded in disappointment. “But well given the… situation with my accounts, I’m feeling a little uncertain about my current withdrawal methods… you understand of course? I mean, I would be so dreadfully frustrated if I were to try it and it failed, after everything else. Why can you just imagine what that would be like?”

Hemingway’s eyes went wide as the little red man shivered before nodding. “Of course sir. I’ll get you a new Collections Crystal promptly and make sure it contains everything from your recent acquisition.”

“Good, we’ll be waiting by the entrance when you have it ready.” He told the clerk manager as he patted Lydia’s back to get her moving once more. “I’d hate to delay our afternoon plans any more than I absolutely have to.”

Needing nothing else said, Hemingway sprinted away to get him whatever a Collections Crystal was leaving Booker and Lydia with something of an awkward silence.

“So, uh, what are our afternoon plans?” Lydia eventually asked.

“Oh, that is a good question.” He admitted, not really having thought about it. “Given how my main accounts seem to be frozen for the moment, how about we…”