The sound of a pen scratching against paper echoed in a dimly lit room while a fire burned quietly in the hearth.

Knock knock.

Moonlight cascaded through the large window mixing with the fire's light to give the room a warm feeling. An older man sat at the desk writing as a knock was heard at his door. The man looked up towards the door, a smile crept up his old face. The man had eyes like a crow, smart and devious. He had silver hair, likely not natural, but more from age revealed in the shadowed wrinkles across his face.

"Come in." He called out, stacking the papers and moving them to the side of his desk as he stood up. It's not like their was anything to hide, no it was probably a nervous tendency for him.

Screech.

The sound of a chair cut through the night. A Chill seemed to sweep the room as the door opened to reveal a young man with a mischievous smile. The fire trembled, pushing back the shadows slightly to reveal the man. He wore a black trench coat, the hem of the coat split into two points, reminiscent of a butler's tailcoat. Beneath his coat he wore a black buttoned vest over a fancy white shirt with a ruffled front erupting from the V-neck of the vest. He realigned his collar casually as his eyes narrowed on the old man approaching him.

His black slacks caused him to seemingly fade as if he was a floating torso with slicked back black hair that complimented his red eyes. He also wore shiny black shoes reflecting a mix of the golden fire light and the moon as it seemed to glare at the new guest through the window. A pocket watch hung from his pocket on a chain. This particular pocket watch was black and red metallic, the clock face ticked away against a blood red magic circle that glowed. Lastly a pendant hung from his neck, He brushed his fingers against it when straightening his collar. The pendant was a snake wrapped around a dagger. This man's presence evoked a sense of danger and darkness that would cause most to sweat just by being near him. The old man was thankful for the lighting which gave him shadows to hide his emotions that threatened to slip out, he was afraid as much as he was excited.

"Ah, welcome Mr. Maxwell, we have much to discuss." The old man reached his hand out towards his guest, his blue eyes filled with purpose and expectation. However, contrary to this expectation Maxwell stood at the door with his hands in the pockets of his coat and his elbows pointed back in a very relaxed, but arrogant posture. He made no move to accept the friendly gesture. This should have annoyed the man who was a Noble, a Baron. This was a blatant act of disrespect towards him especially from Maxwell who wasn't just a commoner but a Black Market dealer of illegal status. On the contrary though, Seraph did nothing, what this man could give was more valuable.

"Ah, yes. How's your daughter?" Maxwell asked, avoiding the handshake as he slipped into the room walking calmly towards the fireplace. This question introduced an odd emotion into the surrounding air, a sense of constriction almost like a threat had been issued. However the older man was fully aware that this was no threat more a checkup on the current state of his own affairs. The older fella let that hand fall as a sense of frustration and a little worry came about from the interaction.

"Umm, Maria, yes, well. . . She's still going against everything, her mother instilled values I can't seem to crush." He spoke hesitantly as his thoughts briefly lingered on his late wife, the most unusual death left a bitter taste in his mouth. It probably could have been done cleaner but to this day it had yet to come back to bite him.

"Yes I'm aware, but your other daughter? Sarah is who I am interested in." Maxwell settled into a large chair in front of the fire, the flickering light creating an atmosphere that fit him scarily well, his eyes drifted to the swords crossed and sheathed into a shield above the mantle of the hearth. The fire's light reflected off of them giving them an almost golden hue. This was definitely not an omen, for these swords to Maxwell at least represented a decline rather than a rise. He seemed to be remembering something or maybe seeing a perceived future. He always seemed particularly distant during these interactions almost as if he wasn't all there. Whether that be because he wasn't truly interested in most of what was going on or because he wasn't all right in the head wasn't a question the older man dared to ask.

"Oh, yeah, she's doing well. She just turned four, I'm keeping Maria away from her so she will be a far better replacement." The old man was nervous as he moved to sit opposite his guest, he couldn't help but be fully aware of the sweat growing on his hands and back almost as if the presence of this unworldly man was giving a physical reaction as well as a mental one. Maxwell was always like this. Even as the guest, he controlled the situation without effort.

"So, have those swords had any use since your days in the war old man?" Maxwell inquired almost mockingly, tilting his head to look at the old man who was wringing his hands as he responded.

"Not really sir, do you wanna see them?" He asked, but Maxwell shook his head. No this was not a matter that he truly cared about simply a warning, his next words left his lips not as a seeming threat but almost definitely a warning towards a future that he seemed almost certain to come true.

"No I was just reminiscing a man killed by his very own creation, using his own arrogance as the tool. I was hoping the same wouldn't happen to you. Our partnership seems fruitful Afterall, so Maria is our obstacle." He paused as he gazed into the fire for a moment, those flames seemed to fear him just as the old man did. They seem to almost lean back in the fireplace like they were afraid just his gaze would snuff them out.

"Have you heard, The church summoned a hero, he's been stirring the pot in the capitol with his preaching about equality." Maxwell began, a heavy sigh slipped out during the pause, it was clear he wasn't fond of the new flagship member of the church. The Church of Gia, it was the main religion of the Kozak Empire. The church often preached it's beliefs on the 'True' humans and their fight against the scourge known as 'The Races of Loki'. There was a story, a very old one, it's not short so I'll summarize. The world was created by two gods, those gods came from a different world. The two gods specialized in opposite ideals, Gia was of life while Loki was of lies and deceit. They believed they could do more and became two sides of a coin. Gia focused on life, light, and truth while Loki focused on death, shadows, and deceit. The story says that Loki delved deep into his trials and research and became a corrupted dark god. A war started between the two and Loki was sealed, this is the story propagated by the church. "The world has moved towards equality, treating all intelligent races with mostly fair laws and rules, Kozak has dawdled behind due to it's ties to the church. The world has exiled slavery and racist treatment of any race deemed intelligent enough to be considered a part of society. That rule applies for the most part even here, however the church and a lot of high members of the Kozak nobility are racist and allow people like me to partake in illegal capture and selling of slaves." Maxwell paused his history lesson for a moment to lock eyes. "The hero is the beginning to the end of many people's way of life. If he is left alone he will finish the total removal of slavery and give the races you and other nobles deem beneath you, equality to you and the other races that the church deems human."

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"Are you asking me to do something sir?" Seraph asked in slight confusion, he was well aware of the danger that Cody represented. That young boy just showed up and was given a mass amount of societal power.

"Not much, just that I need your help in a few areas. Besides, there are many things that will set into motion in around five years time." Maxwell smiled softly, though on his face it gave onlookers quite the chill. "I need you to clear out several buildings and prepare spots to setup specific ritual sites. I predict a future event that I must be prepared for, I can also promise to remove the Hero from Kozak with this plan." Maxwell reached into his coat as he spoke and produced a map of Aguris with specific areas marked.

"You can get rid of him? That's wonderful!" Seraph exclaimed excitedly but Maxwell's hand rose to stop him before he handed the map over. Seraph recoiled at that like he'd been hit, shutting his mouth and taking the paper. He glanced at it, he could faintly see that the sites were set up in a sort of pattern that made him imagine they'd be connected to a spell encompassing the whole city.

"I will definitely remove him for you, the other nobles I'm contracted to, and my own business. I must do that much at least don't you think?" Maxwell asked mischievously, Seraph nodded eagerly. "Now, another thing. My business has great interest in the young Lithian known as Skarlet. She's a rare breed worth a lot, can you do me a favor and deepen the rumors surrounding her. I want the entire city to fear, hate, or ostracize her."

"Ah, yes of course." The old man wrung his hands once again becoming overly conscious of the sweat, "I shall get my men on clearing out these areas and help yours move under the radar to set it up, that list you gave me before has already been worked into the system. They'll be flagged at the gate and allowed in through the private entrance without any checks, as requested." Seraph had been in touch with the underworld for a long time, mostly through intermediaries, however he soon had done it, gotten a face to face with Maxwell himself.

"Wonderful, I'll bring some people over in the future to install the needed facilities. And of course you'll get your cut for helping the black market move under the radar." Maxwell seemed delighted, though that mostly just meant he smiled.

"Also, I'm lending you a companion of mine." Maxwell spoke, as he did another figure was suddenly revealed by the firelight, "You may call her Illia." The girl turned her golden eyes towards him, she was wearing a leotard style outfit with a metal chest plate and knee plates with black boots and socks. She had red leather belts around each thigh holding the knee plates up, they were separated into two pieces at the knee almost connecting to her Boots. She also wore a thick red leather collar and her hood had a white snake like design, a strand of reddish orange hair peeked out from beneath it. Her cloak came down to her thighs, while being ripped and frayed at the edges. The cloak itself seemed to be made of a Scaly leather from some reptile. Her face was shadowed due to the hood, but her eyes were clear and reflected the fire's light. Though in contrast to Maxwell the fire seem too eager almost as if it reacted to her presence in a positive light.

"Um. . . sir, mind my rudeness, but what for?" Seraph asked, he was confused, not sure of the girls profession. She seems small and fragile. And something about her stature he could almost believe if he was told that she was a child, he couldn't possibly imagine that she could accomplish anything as a servant to him aside from something in the bedroom. though she seemed to hear his thoughts as those eyes looked at him with an annoyed glare.

"Illia is a Thief and an Assassin, use her to deal with any problems you see fit." Maxwell explained tiredly, he gestured towards the old man "I am giving command over to Seraph Macuroll, Serve him well my Shadow." The girl nodded before walking over to stand beside Seraph. He felt no fear from this child, there was no coldness or dangerous presence like what radiated from his darker guest. This brought complacency as he gave in to his belief that she was nothing more than a street urchin with a little ability to kill in the shadows and steal from the common.

"I understand sir." Seraph stood up and bowed, afterwards Maxwell stood up and headed for the door, though he seemed to fade away before he even reached it. The door never opened, but the room was silent, the Aura of darkness dissipated and Seraph realized that he could breathe again. When Seraph turned around a drawstring pouch was sitting on the old man's desk, gold coins glittered inside. A sense of joy and desire rose inside him as he realized that he had full support to enact the twisted need to make that black cat his own. He did not care about the lingering thought, the possibility that he was being used for some grander scheme. It didn't matter as long as he could get his hands on her. Even without Maxwell's urging he already had plans to make her life hell in order to repay her parents for what they did. The audacity of a B ranked adventurer, especially a beast like them. He smiled as he though of making the daughter of those insolent creatures his slave.

The man headed back to his desk, plopping down, a smile etched into his old weathered face. He lifted the pouch and began bouncing it in his hand while thinking. An image surfaced in his mind of two people, both had black hair and red eyes. Cat ears and tails, they were Lithians, a subspecies of the beastfolk. There were a few rumors as to how they came to be, some say the gods blessed a beast and a human, gifted them a child with the best traits of both. However, the old man, he liked a different rumor, a darker one.

It spoke of the beast slavery of old, it says, a man with beast and human slaves had a sick hobby, he liked watching them breed. One day, one of his sessions produced a Curious new creature. You see, back then beasts were only work slaves it was considered crazy and taboo to rape a beast. However, this new creature was mostly human with those traits humans liked from the beasts. Fluffy tails and ears. An immediate success in the slavery and nightlife industries, these new creatures had no rights and anything went.

Though as time went on, society progressed and soon foolish people determined that slavery was wrong. One by one the countries of the world liberated the enslaved and abolished the ideals they used to hold.

Today, the only place where slavery could still be found was the Kozak empire, but even there it was only criminal slavery.

But criminal slavery creates loop holes for those in the underground, as the black market moves, it fabricates crimes to drop those unfortunate enough into slavery.

His thoughts moved back to the black cat couple, adventures, the guild master protected them due to their strength and relationship, however tragedy heeds no mortal protection. They fell in a sudden dungeon mutation leaving their daughter alone.

His mind moved to the hero, ever since he was summoned, the black market and conspirators like him were getting inconvenienced. He was summoned along with a message from the goddess claiming a great catastrophe was coming. That's why the hero will be coming to check the ritual sites, it's believed they have something to do with the event to come. However until such a tragedy takes place he's simply a nuisance to me and others like me.

I'll need to quietly get things set up for when Maria comes home. If the hero catches wind of it, he won't sit still and I've heard not even money can buy him. It's likely things will fall apart here in Aguris if he decides to make Maria's disappearance his problem. I'll see to it that he is unaware, everything is necessary towards my greater happiness.

He then looked towards Illia, a crooked smile appeared on his face as he reached for her. "Why don't we have some fun?" A flash of metal whipped through his vision as a knife suddenly stabbed into the table inches from his hand.

"Ha, sir I mean no disrespect, but I doubt you've had 'fun' in decades. I'll excuse myself for now. Call if you need me to remove any useless body parts." Illia finally spoke, a cold voice, but somehow reminded him of his daughter Maria, the way it was young, but also cold and stern. He felt experience, and seriousness in that tone, but the pitch was still rather high. Interesting. . .