CHAPTER 189: A DEAL
Andrés approached his superior, Giselle, who was watching the replay of his tournament.
Today was a hectic day, not only because of the appearance of the abysmal portals, but because of the three duels and the two extra tournaments.
“You have a greater advantage to attack than to defend,” Giselle mentioned, pointing to her performance.
Today the criminology tournaments were held where Jaxon won second place and the computer tournament was also held where Andrés won first place.
This modality was quite special and consisted of infiltrating a highly protected information center.
And as Giselle mentioned, he had done a better job than the other computer students.
“I would like to say that my skills are focused in that area, but the truth is that I have devoted more attention to those jobs. The risk of failure can sometimes be too high,” Andrés analyzed with a half-smile.
There were quite a few methods of getting inside an information center.
An all-out assault trying to crash the security systems, infiltrate through their connections, or simply send a virus that would crash the entire system from the inside.
However, if this work was done illegally as he worked, then the consequences could be devastating if discovered.
Andrés’ goal was to get away unscathed and in his defense, Liam’s stories caused him some trepidation.
“You did an excellent job. Well, I think your entire academy is doing a good job,” Giselle said simply.
Andrés agreed.
Today’s B-Rank duel came down to him with a group mode against Priest Academy and Jordan, Érica, Leslie, Marc, and Frank, got the win.
Nicole was their trump card in that rank, but was wisely saved in case next time they had another group match.
In Rank-A, the mode of the duel was individual and the task of facing the Adventurer Academy was not taken by Alice, but by Clémentine, who was in charge of getting the victory.
Before Andrés himself entered his tournament, he had seen Edward win against the S-Rank of the Military Academy.
The matches were not all against one academy, but each rank was divided into different academies, which made it interesting to watch.
Of course, they weren’t the only ones fighting and the other academies were already showing their strength.
Merlin Academy, as usual, got the victory and even though Aetherium Academy had problems because they were missing a student among the A Ranks, and by the way, it was their trump card, they still won their bouts.
The other academies were also advancing with great speed, losing and gaining points alike.
“Even though you don’t have a job at the academy, the truth is that the work here has come to a standstill,” Giselle mentioned, and seeing that Andrés was paying attention to her, she reported. “The old man disappeared and you’re left with only the other two targets who haven’t shown anything suspicious. According to the information given to us by the empire, many mobsters who have tried to flee have been arrested.”
Andrés was not surprised by those words and only nodded.
The South American Empire had managed to take down the entire mafia on the continent and it was clear that they would be ready for when the mobsters made their move.
Getting into the lion’s den was easy, but the issue became more complicated when they had to get out.
It was obvious that many of them would be easy targets when basically eliminating the bases and their supporters in the region.
If the mafia represented a big tree, then the two giants in America were the lumberjacks who literally uprooted the tree.
The small branches at the top also fell with the tree.
Without support, resources, or information, the remaining mobsters had no way to sustain themselves.
“Anyway, our job was just to provide support and keep an eye on some individuals. Catching him or stopping him is not our problem,” Giselle commented with a simple, but slightly peculiar tone.
Andrés felt like she was trying to say those words to herself.
Basically, he was the one who kept an eye on the old man and reported the situation regarding Xu Long, but it was the authorities who were in charge of the job.
In a sense, if they had stopped him earlier, then Xu Long would not have used the drug in the duel... If one thought beyond that, if the empire had moved earlier, then they would have caught the old man and everything could be resolved.
However, it was different.
Emperor Victor’s reputation fell to the ground worldwide, and the next day, he rose to a position high enough that no one could topple him.
It was to the extent that millions of South American gave their comments in favor of the emperor in the networks.
If the thing with Xu Long and the old man had stopped earlier and the emperor carried the cleanup, Andrés was sure he could not have gotten the same result.
“Yes. We are just workers fulfilling our mission,” Andrés commented with a half-smile.
He was only asked to keep an eye on the old man, never to act or stop him... That was the huge difference in orders.
“At least no one got hurt...” Giselle murmured with a slightly relieved tone and, changing the subject, she warned. “That’s all I have to report. Anything I’ll get back to you. Keep a watch on your two targets just to be on the safe side.”
Andrés could discover a side of his superior that he sincerely supported as well.
It was rare to work in an information network where work of all kinds comes to him and several of them are not only completely illegal but could end up affecting innocent third parties.
However, the good thing was that this information network they worked with, despite doing illegal work, had a positive moral bent.
Of course, they could always see situations like this where they gave the information, and those who hired them were in charge of turning it into something good or something heinous.
After saying goodbye to his superior, Andrés took a cab back to the hotel where they were staying.
In the evening, they had a meeting not only to prepare for the tournament, but also to find out a bit about the abyssal portals from Edward.
He knew Aurora had returned, and they were surely already exchanging information with Edward.
While the information was slowly being released, it was to the level that they would remain calm and avoid panic.
The more in-depth information was rather lacking and, to avoid paranoia being aroused, the international tournament broadcast was used to cover it.
When he arrived at the hotel and headed to the lounge to rest for a moment, he found Aurora and Cithrel talking to each other.
“So, how did it go?” Andrés asked curiously as he approached.
He couldn’t help but be curious about the abyssal portals and perhaps out of anxiety or fear, but in the end, he needed some information.
That question did not surprise Aurora, and giving half a smile, she sighed.
“It’s complicated. I’ve found quite a bit of information that isn’t public, but at the same time, there’s just more uncertainty,” Aurora replied and seeing his expression, she revealed. “Anyway, tomorrow I’ll have to go to a meeting to find out a bit about it.”
“It’s best to focus on the international tournament. As for the abyssal portals, there are quite a few people keeping an eye on that topic and that includes the Falion Empire.” Cithrel added with a smile.
Greece, where the Falion Empire was located, was close to Romania and in some ways could be said to be involved in the matter.
It was clear to Andrés that they would act if necessary.
“We’ll talk some more when everyone is present, but just as Cithrel says, you guys need to focus on the tournament,” Aurora said in a clear tone.
They should focus on the tournament, but she was another matter... That was what Andrés understood, and he couldn’t help but sigh.
The difference was huge when it came to participating in these topics.
******
In an office in the palace, Victor looked at the time.
“At this hour, the students must be in meetings,” Victor muttered with a sigh.
“Yes. While some information was just released a few minutes ago to calm the masses, they also received information from us,” Ersin replied and with a serious look, she asked. “Your Majesty is not worried about causing panic?”
The information being given by the Romanian authorities and the support teams, led by the Church of Order, was inferior.
The biggest reason was that they did not discover much by outside means, even when praying to the Goddess of Order.
“Panic? Well, admittedly if one thinks about it correctly that cutting off all communication with the inside of the portal is problematic, but this is for the best,” Victor replied and when Ersin looked at him, he pointed. “I want the students attentive to the tournament.”
This tournament not only served to cover up their moves against the mobs, but it was also related to the abyssal portals.
Reducing panic with an international tournament showcasing humanity’s ability.
Such an event was perfect and was now being used as a focus to divert people’s attention.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Ignorance was sometimes bliss... In this case, it prevented panic and, in a sense, was a blessing for the rulers.
“Will this be the only portal, or will there be more? Where will they go? Why is there no connection when using high-tech and high-level magical devices? All those questions just generate panic,” Victor added, starting to walk down the halls.
To analyze the portals, technology was being used to try to decipher the portal’s destination, capacity, and danger, but the classical methods did not work.
Analyzing an abysmal portal taking into account magical energy levels like temporary dungeons was, in itself, impossible.
Unlike the temporary dungeon entrances, these portals weren’t even similar... It was on a completely different level.
A proof of this was that even when using magic level communication items, it was impossible to connect to the other side.
Even some rare abilities, like druids who could connect their vision with an animal or psionics who could extend their sense to the disembodied level, failed completely.
“I guess for you this is yet another cataclysm,” Victor said with a peculiar smile, looking at Ersin.
Ersin returned the gaze, only it would be without smiling at his joke.
“If you are joking about my age, let me tell you that is impolite, Your Majesty,” Ersin said, raising her eyebrows.
Her tone was serious and slightly cold, but her attitude of a secretary correcting her boss to make sure he didn’t cause trouble was what made Victor chuckle.
“Then, I take it back. Anyway, you look as beautiful as ever,” Victor mentioned with a flirtatious smile.
“That’s sexual harassment at work, Your Majesty. You’d better mind your manners with your female workers or you’ll get a complaint that will bring your reputation down again,” Ersin announced in a professional tone.
Victor’s flirtatious smile froze, and then he kept walking.
“Well played...”
Such words were all he could say.
At his back, Ersin gave an amused smile, and Victor simply advanced through the palace.
“Eliminating the mobs and cementing my reputation to an impressive level was a nice reward, but I don’t think I’ve gotten the full ‘juice’ out of this move yet,” Victor said, changing the subject.
A large sum of money was spent to hire the guilds and adventurers, and while he contributed quite a bit to this mission, most of the funding was done by the northern giant.
That was because they were the ones suffering from this ‘disease’, known as organized crime.
As for the southern giant, it had the leadership to unite those individuals who would take part and basically had the upper hand when it came to action.
A big part of the reason for giving him the lead was because he was the person who had the source of information and, as if that wasn’t enough, he had also provided a large amount of manpower.
“The benefits of the opportunities are limited by your vision,” Ersin stated and, with a professional expression, reported. “Our forces are hunting down all mafia groups belonging to the Queen of the North, following the information we have available. However, it is quite possible that many of them will manage to successfully retreat to the West African Republic.”
They had managed to get a lot of information out of the backup plans and, in a sense; it was brilliant how cautious the Queen of the North was.
That was because they had a backup plan in case one day they encountered a full-scale attack and even though that plan was leaked, it was very difficult to stop them because they were in retreat.
“Never mind. Later, we will send a secret team to eliminate those roots from the base. For now, let’s just focus on our biggest prize,” Victor commented, walking down a spiral-shaped staircase.
The atmosphere grew colder, and that they were in a dimension where their palace was located.
Like every palace, this place had its own dungeon.
“It was a pity that many S-Ranks of the mafia ended up dead. Those were their main pillars,” Victor muttered, giving a sigh.
Below the Queen of the North were several cartel and mob groups that had S-Rank individuals at their command.
Some were lunatics in hiding, others highly wanted criminals or even demons who were taking human form to enjoy human life.
S-Ranks were rare and many of them could be leaders of medium-sized guilds, but they could also become the pillars of mafias that ran an entire city.
And if Victor was honest, the latter sounded more interesting.
Being a ‘king’ of a hill was always more entertaining.
“We had to give several S-Ranks to be tried by President Batista, but we hit the jackpot,” Victor muttered, walking through the dungeon, whose atmosphere was cold and dark.
The classic old-style sinister dungeon one would find in a cold old palace, although such was the appearance.
The defenses and security of this place were very high... After all, they were used by a dragon to lock up those who came to raid the palace.
The South American Empire had its own prison in which they had invested a great deal of money, but they also sometimes gave their prisoners to the Church of Time and Space or the Church of Order who had their own prisons.
However, in the South American Empire, most of the time, high-level prisoners did not end up in jail or in dungeons.
Those criminals whose actions exceeded ordinary crimes ended up in a very different situation.
Entering one particular cell, Victor gave a smile at the sight of a woman tied in a chair with slight wounds on her face.
“Fucking bastard,” Eva Santos spat... The Queen of the North.
Emperor Victor gave an amused smile at hearing that curse and gave a signal to the guards to stand down.
Those guards were members of his personal secret entourage known as the ‘Shadow Guards’.
What emperor did not have his personal entourage and his ‘royal guard’?
Of course, these ‘guards’ were actually criminals or his enemies forced to serve him.
“Don’t say that, Eva... I can call you Eva, right? Well, I will, so it doesn’t matter. Just like it doesn’t matter anything about you,” Victor said with a smile and snapping his fingers, they were both taken to a luxurious room very different from the dingy cell from before, then after releasing the woman, he commented. “Those guys are too much... They didn’t even heal you, it must have been hard for you. I apologize, I was quite busy. Maybe you don’t know this, but the abyssal portals have appeared.”
At his remarks, the Queen of the North looked at him with hatred and a desire for revenge, but deep down she let on an extreme wariness.
And that wariness only increased when Ersin served her an ostentatious dinner and, at the same time, healed her with magic.
Not caring whether she ate or not, Victor began to eat, savoring the food.
“Why am I here? Won’t you turn me over to the authorities and send me to prison?” the Queen of the North asked without touching the food.
Victor signaled her to wait, and after taking a swig of beer, he enjoyed it in silence.
“You’re already with the authorities,” He said after finishing his drink.
He was the highest authority in the Empire.
The Queen of the North’s expression quivered and a hint of fear appeared in her eyes.
What was the difference between being handed over to the Churches or being under a tyrant?
It was quite simple.
The churches followed a standard when it came to treating their prisoners.
The Church of Order was said to punish criminals with the same harm they did in life, while the Church of Time and Space was to suffer in the solitude of time.
It was funny if one thought about it, the Church of Order seemed more extreme than the Church of Time and Space, but it was depending on the perspective.
In the end, regardless of punishment, in both, criminals were treated with a certain level of morality following Earthly standards of ‘human rights’.
It was on a superficial level, as the punishment was not determined by them, but was said to be affected by the power of the gods within their prisons.
However, that was better than being at the mercy of a tyrant whose past as a player was well hidden and rumors went to extremes.
“I came to you today to talk a bit about a problem I’ve been having,” Victor said and, with a serious tone, he related. “Officially, I have three SS-ranks and, according to Ersin, the public relations department, they say it would be great to have a woman among those individuals and I agree.”
The three SS-ranks known as the ‘General of the North’, ‘General of the Sea’ and ‘General of the Sky’ were all men of different ages.
Those words made the Queen of the North look at him strangely, as she understood that he was giving her an offer.
“That is why I have come with two offers for you. Of course, both are profitable for me.” Victor said with an amused laugh as he cut a piece of meat.
The Queen of the North’s gaze became more serious and solemn.
“The first is that you work for me and become my ‘General’. You can choose whatever title you want, that’s up to you,” Victor commented as if he was giving her an important benefit and with a smile, he added. “Your past won’t matter and we’ll say you want to make up for the damage you’ve done by working for me. You will have great freedom as long as your ‘loyalty’ remains with me, obviously. We’ll seal all that with a little contract.”
The Queen of the North’s expression grew hard as she heard those words.
No matter how pleasant she made it sound, it was all a well-executed trap.
Surely he wasn’t lying about forgiving her past and giving her freedom to live a great life again, but the price was loyalty... And that meant it would be extremely restricted.
As for that little ‘contract’, it was easy to understand that it wasn’t ‘little’ at all.
“I’ll have to fight for you and obey your orders? Ha, you think I’m stupid? Once I agree, I will only be your servant and I will have to obey any order, even if you order me to kill myself,” growled the Queen of the North.
Her words made sense.
Contracts could be used to keep business of all kinds... That included slavery.
Terra Nova was a world where magics were highly developed, and it was on all levels.
Magical ‘contracts’ were on the level of being able to enslave individuals of great power and keep them subservient, to the point that they would obey if asked to commit suicide.
They were completely forbidden in this world, but that didn’t mean they weren’t available.
Victor didn’t mind the answer and continued.
“The second is a bit more complex and more costly on a personal level. I will expend the same resources to force you to sign the contract, perhaps manipulating your mind after ‘weakening’ you by non-traditional means,” Victor said and without caring about the Queen of the North’s pallor, he added. “So, in the end, I will make you sign this contract in the name of a demon god... To be precise, he is a hell god. Perhaps you know him by his title, Avarice.”
Avarice, God of Hell, acknowledged Guardian of the Third Hell, also known as God of Wealth, God of Trade and Usury.
If the Goddess of Order would only accept balanced deals, Avarice would undoubtedly accept any deal that pleased him, no matter how unbalanced it was, and since he was a ‘God’ with great power it was quite possible that breaking it would be extremely difficult.
“Those deals are the same...” murmured the Queen of the North, swallowing with difficulty.
It was impossible to remain calm in the face of this situation because there was no escape.
“Yes, those deals look the same, but there is a slight peculiarity. The voluntariness.” Victor said and after eating a mouthful of meat, he explained. “To ensure your loyalty, I must have the essence of a living creature. That which the ‘liches’ protect most and those which to spirit mages harm.”
“My soul...” murmured the Queen of the North, trembling.
“Exactly,” Victor said with an amused laugh.
The reason the demon gods asked for ‘souls’ for their dealings was quite simple.
In the eyes of an ordinary person, souls had no importance and value.
They were a part they couldn’t see, couldn’t touch, and were of no use to them if they were in a death situation.
However, once people became more knowledgeable and began to have a greater understanding, they realized that the ‘soul’ was the most important thing.
If a god had someone’s ‘soul’, it was said that he could manipulate them to a level that the person themselves would not realize.
Terra nova allowed them to understand more things than they could have imagined and that extended not only to the level of magical knowledge but on issues on a spiritual level.
The Queen of the North’s expression became slightly fearful, but then a moment later she gained courage and determination.
“If you are discovered, the world will fear and hate you. You will lose allies and you will begin to lose the faith of your people and your subordinates,” said the Queen of the North, making a solemn expression trying to scare him.
Her words were not lies.
There were many forbidden subjects and ‘taboos’ in this world to the point that he was considered greater than a terrorist.
Mind control and soul slavery were two topics that were at the forefront.
Someone without limit who used the soul of another individual was certainly considered dangerous, and that danger was greater for someone like Victor.
If he did the same with an enemy, what was to stop him from doing it with an ally?
Trade allies would give in, people would turn away and doubt would arise.
The question that perhaps he did the same with those around him, subordinates, or friends would arise and it was that question that would sow the seeds of doubt.
“It would be truly frightening,” Victor said, and seeing a slight relief in the Queen of the North, he commented. “Sure, if I were discovered.”
Only if he was discovered would all that happen and if not, then the world would go on just the same.
It was naïve to think that such vile deeds did not happen, it was quite the opposite.
They did happen, and that is why countries put so much emphasis on stopping it.
The most frightening thing for any independent individual was to lose their free will and freedom.
So obviously people would try to protect it and disown those who did not respect it.
All if they found out, and it was an obvious danger, in case it wasn’t, it was always good to close their eyes.
After all, this world didn’t need another SSS-ranked lunatic to emerge.
“A few years ago, when I was a mercenary slogging through the mud of Africa, I would surely hesitate to perform these actions, but now...”
Unable to help himself, Victor let out an amused chuckle.
Before the ‘Great Cataclysm’ where countries were the only individuals capable of causing terror and where weapons of mass destruction were the only deterrent, there were countries whose tyrants could not be overthrown.
At present, the weapons of mass destruction were the few individuals of SSS rank.
In the past, it would have brought a lot of trouble for their actions to be made known, but now...
“No one will care about the mob boss. Even if I enslave her, torture her, or do worse, what if they find out about my misdeeds? I’ll just have to get my image back up again,” Victor said with a shrug.
Many compared him to Malik Zamora, who died trying to conquer the world, but to Victor, that comparison was offensive.
After all, that individual in his eyes was a lunatic playing at being a villain.
Oblivious to the Queen of the North’s pallor at his indifference, Victor gave a smirk.
“This isn’t my first time doing this,” Victor muttered and, leaning in subtly, hesitated. “You think I haven’t heard that threat before?”
The Queen of the North’s expression turned extremely pale at those words.
She had entered the tiger’s mouth and could only be chewed.