The breakfast area was essentially the usual place for eating and drinking, although now it had a buffet set up on the bar for self-service. It wasn't the most extensive selection Lando had ever seen, but it wasn't the worst either. He grabbed some scrambled eggs and slices of bread, along with a jug of water.
Since it was already 10 am, there weren't many people having their breakfast. Lando sat in a quiet corner, relishing the peaceful atmosphere that was rare to find.
As he enjoyed his meal, his thoughts turned to his own journey of becoming stronger. What did he need to do to achieve his goals, and how far was he willing to go? These were challenging questions to answer.
His mind drifted back to the stories his mother had told him about the empire in the far north. Her family had engaged in various power-seeking actions, such as slave trading, blackmail, and eliminating enemies through assassination or political schemes.
Suddenly, flashbacks of the guards he had killed in the prison rushed into his mind. While some of them were clearly disreputable, what about the others? He had overheard a conversation from one of his victims, who seemed to be just doing his job out of necessity. Was it right for Lando to selfishly take his life, even if it was to save his mother?
But soon, his focus shifted back to his current goals. He realized that if he wanted to thrive in this harsh world and achieve his objectives, whether it be saving his mother or advancing as a magician, he couldn't let doubts like this hold him back. In this world, those in power showed mercy only if it served their own interests. His mother told him, that practically all people in power did what they had to do, to gain even the slightest advantage. Assassinations, raids, murder, kidnapping, they stopped nowhere to strengthen their seats of power. Lando couldn't afford to cling to his own moral code, if nobody else was doing the same.
As Lando contemplated abandoning the moral teachings instilled in him by his parents since childhood, he noticed a familiar face enter the breakfast area. It was Anthony, the guy he had freed the day before, who strolled in with a carefree attitude and was flirting with a woman by his side, complimenting her emerald-green eyes.
Unaware of Lando's presence, they went to the counter to get their food. When they turned around, Anthony was taken aback and nearly dropped his plate as his ocean-blue eyes locked with Lando's purple ones.
The woman dressed like a hunter next to Anthony noticed her friend's unease and looked at Lando. Before she could prepare for a potential conflict, Anthony calmly walked toward Lando with a smile on his face, as if he were spotting his best friend in a school cafeteria.
He sat down at Lando's table without asking for permission, leaving his slightly stunned companion behind.
"Hey there, buddy. Mind if we join you for a bit?" he asked casually, as if he hadn't already taken a seat. Lando looked around the room, clearly indicating the availability of free tables with his eyes. But before he could say anything, Anthony replied, "Thanks, mate. Your face looks much better now."
Lando cautiously touched his face, realizing that his burns had already healed, likely due to his parents administering an expensive healing potion.
As Anthony's companion arrived at the table, he introduced her. "This beautiful maiden here is named Victoria, but her friends call her Vic."
Lando paused for a moment before responding, "Nice to meet you, Victoria. My name's Cipher," choosing not to reveal his real name.
Anthony looked at Lando with playful suspicion. "Alright, Cipher, it's quite the coincidence that we've met here. But since fortune seems to be on our side, are you interested in a job? I mean not really as my employee, but a one-time kinda thing. It shouldn't be too difficult for someone with your abilities. If you're interested, just come and knock on my door anytime. It's number 8. We'll be here for a few days, so take your time to think about it."
Lando raised an eyebrow at the offer, as did Victoria. Initially, he was inclined to decline since he had no pressing need for money at the moment. However, he reconsidered as he thought about his current situation. He knew basically nobody, had no connections to anyone and if he would need anything, even simple things, he would not know where to search for it like space and time cores for example. This guy, with his talkative nature, probably had contacts in various regards.
Having already finished his breakfast, Lando agreed to the proposition before standing up and making his way back to his room.
***
As Lando left the table, Victoria couldn't help but ask her friend, "Who's this guy, Anthony?"
Anthony responded, "He's the guy I told you about yesterday."
Stunned by the chance encounter and the man's youthful appearance, knowing that he was supposedly responsible for their prison escape just a day ago, Victoria couldn't help but express her curiosity. "Really? He doesn't look older than 20. How strong do you think he is? Did you see him fight the guards?"
Anthony pondered the questions for a moment before letting out a short sigh and answering, "Honestly? I don't know much about that guy, except that he's searching for his mother. But if you ask me, his chances of finding her are slim to none. Nevertheless, he's the reason we're sitting here, and he managed to accomplish it on his own, as far as I know. So, he must possess some kind of strength. I don't know what element he uses, but if I had to guess, it would be the..." Anthony leaned closer to Victoria's ear and whispered, "Space element."
Victoria was momentarily taken aback but quickly adopted a serious expression. She continued to inquire, "So he's part of the council?"
Anthony grinned at the question, raising his index finger and waving it in a dramatic fashion. "That's the exciting part. He's 99% not a member of the council. I don't know which faction he's from. He's not one to say many words, so there are definitely some secrets to uncover. But just the possibility of having a space magician as an ally is exhilarating, don't you think?"
Their group primarily engaged in assassinations and robberies. With a space magician of considerable strength, they would be able to take on riskier and more exotic jobs than before. For Anthony, having a space mage as their perfect ally seemed like a destined opportunity.
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Victoria soon realized the potential this alliance would bring and spoke with both excitement and caution, "Alright, you've convinced me. But we still need to be careful. We should treat him well. Strong space magicians who aren't part of the council usually have powerful backers, and they are few and far between."
Anthony agreed as their conversation continued.
***
Lando played around with his new storage item as he decided to inquire about the offer, he had received a few hours ago. He made his way to the room with the number 8 on the door and knocked.
Not long after, Anthony opened the door and announced Lando's arrival, welcoming him into the room. "Hello and welcome. This is our special guest, Cipher. You already know Vic, but to start off, she commands the wind element and serves as our ranger and scout. And this is the rest of our modest group." making a hand gesture to the rest of the people inside the room.
Anthony introduced each team member, starting with a man wearing a complete black outfit who leaned against the wall in a lazy manner, toying with a dagger. "This is George, our dark mage. He specializes in illusions. Keep that in mind if suddenly a hot chick is hitting on you out of nowhere." He continued with a woman sitting on the sofa with crossed legs, showcasing a daring outfit that matched her smooth black hair. "This is Lola, our fire mage. It suits her quite well, if you know what I mean," Anthony said, winking in Lando's direction. He then moved on to a man standing near the window, arms crossed, wearing white robes with two blue stripes running parallel from his shoulders to his waist. "This serious-looking guy is Nathan. He specializes in water magic and is our healer, doing his best to keep us in good health." Anthony turned his gaze to the last member, a bulky-looking man with tanned skin and a white shirt with ripped-off sleeves that showcased his muscular upper arms. "Finally, we have Luke, our guy for the rougher tasks. His element is earth, and he's a great sparring partner if you're interested."
Lando greeted each member and, upon closer observation, noticed that their group seemed very balanced, having a magician representing almost every element, with the exceptions of metal and light, if he were to join them for the job.
Nevertheless, Lando wanted more information before he could fully agree. "Nice to meet all of you, but you'll have to provide me with more details about this job you mentioned."
Anthony smiled at Lando and began explaining, "We are a group of professional thieves and, on occasion, assassins." He paused briefly, hoping to gauge Lando's reaction, but received only a short "Oh" in response. Anthony continued, "We have reliable information that the revolution army is preparing to make a move. They're waiting for reinforcements from the new republic, and once they recive them, they plan to overthrow the duke. While we have no affiliation with the revolutionaries, this presents a prime opportunity for us to empty the vaults of some unsuspecting nobles. I'm well-informed about the nobles and can assure you that our intended targets are not part of the revolution. This means we can steal their belongings while they're preoccupied with the revolution army. And once the duke falls, which he inevitably will, I doubt anyone will care much about the belongings of former nobles."
Lando thought the plan didn't sound too risky. Depending on the target, he believed he might even be able to handle the job alone, considering the low security during that time due to the engagement with the revolution army. However, he wanted to know who the specific target was first. He had no desire to run into a powerful opponent like a high mage and be killed due to his own carelessness. "The plan seems reasonable so far, but it all depends on who our target will be. If they're too strong, count me out. I don't want to gain formidable enemies, to be honest," he said, seeking reassurance.
"We have three targets in total. We'll deal with them one by one, depending on the circumstances and how long they're away from their homes. Our targets are Marques Blackwell, Count Miles, and Count Maxwell, in that order of priority. We'll start with the Marques, as he's the wealthiest of them all and poses the highest risk. We'll wait until he sets off for the battle, hopefully taking a majority of his personal guards with him. However, if for any unforeseen reason Marques Blackwell doesn't leave his mansion, we'll immediately abandon the plan and leave a scout to keep watch. He's a high mage with the earth element, and we definitely don't want to engage him with all of his guards as reinforcements. I'm pretty sure he could single-handedly eliminate our entire group if he truly wanted to," Anthony explained.
Lando's ears perked up at the mention of a high mage with the earth element. 'Could it be him?' he wondered. 'There can't be that many high mages with the earth element in Goldton.' He thought about the man who had killed his father and captured his mother. This revelation fueled Lando's desire for revenge. While killing the man would be his preference, he was willing to take any opportunity he could get. A dark smile formed on Lando's face as he listened to Anthony talk about the next targets. "The Counts Miles and Blackwell are our fallback options if we have to abandon our primary target. The strongest fighters they have are just mages in the solid stage. If necessary, we could forcefully escape if we were to get detected. The risks are lower, as well as the potential rewards."
Lando continued to listen intently as Anthony explained the plan. Curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "And what role do I play in all of this? Why did you ask for me in the first place?"
Anticipating the question, Anthony replied, "Your specific role would depend on your elemental affinity, but I already have a good guess about that. Considering your element is likely space, your job would be to ensure that we remain undetected and create opportunities for a quiet entry. All three mansions are protected by defensive enchantments, which can be challenging for magicians with common elements. However, your space element would give us an advantage." Anthony's look indicated that he was aware of Lando's unique abilities.
Since the Underwood Empire was not aligned with the Space-Time Council, enchantments designed to counter space magicians were rare and expensive. Even the few space magicians employed by other factions were not typically skilled in enchanting, as the council closely guarded their knowledge. This limited the development of advanced enchantments and discouraged individuals from pioneering the craft themselves due to the council's disapproval of unauthorized intrusions on their business.
Lando, not too surprised by Anthony's guess about his elemental affinity, responded, "So, basically, I'll do all the work, and you'll just come in afterward to collect the treasure?"
Anthony chuckled at Lando's remark and replied, "No, not at all. You will infiltrate the mansions and do what you can to clear a way for us. If you encounter an obstacle that's too strong for you, just inform us, and we'll handle it while you continue on. If you're forced into battle, we'll engage as well and assist you, of course."
Although the division of labor didn't change much, Lando let it slide, as he knew he needed some training and a chance to test his powers. Since becoming a mage, he hadn't had a real opportunity to do so. He had fought in the prison, but there was no room for mistakes there, so he stuck to his old practices. This time, with a whole team to back him up, he would have more leeway if something went wrong.
While Lando was financially well off and didn't necessarily need the money, he asked, "How will we distribute the loot afterward? What if I go in, take all the treasure, and come out without needing any backup?"
Anthony's smile faltered slightly as he responded, "If the plan goes according to our predictions and you require our assistance, we'll split the loot 30/70, with you receiving 30 percent, as you're taking the biggest risk here. However, if you manage the entire heist on your own, we'll switch, and you'll receive 70 percent. The thirty percent we would receive is to cover our assurance and planning."
After considering the offer, Lando concluded that it was a fair deal. He would still be receiving the majority of the loot, even with just 30 percent, as they would have to divide their share among six people.
Lando declared his participation, saying, "Alright, works for me. Let's rob some nobles." He then shook Anthony's hand firmly, sealing their agreement.