Chapter 15

  A lot had occurred in 4 weeks, Zilan Fort’s whole business was toppled and after investigating further into his matters, the Security office found that he had bribed many of his competitors to quit. If that didn’t work, he either attempted to force them or murdered them. Those who were affected were given some of his assets, including Palta Stone whose family was one of the victims of his tyrannical misdeeds.

  Palta Stone hired all the displaced embroiderers and Drakkel’s money held up her business for the week that the investigations were going on.

  Afterwards, with the help of the new embroiderers and the reparations from Zilan Fort's actions, her store soared in fame and Drakkel reaped the profits.

  Now, Drakkel stood in his room looking at the letter that had just been delivered to him. It was about the birthday party of Princess Yelisai and the Director of Merchant Affair’s son, Yesil Holt.

  After reading it, he couldn’t help but smile.

  A party held by a noble was no small thing. Many people of the noble and rich merchant classes would attend to either build new relations or maintain old ones. Because those he was after were of the latter group, at least one of them was sure to attend.

  Drakkel arrived at the manor when most people did, in a well-decorated carriage and an acceptable entourage which consisted of Drion, Fargos, Shia and four other demons.

  The manor they arrived at was large. Much larger than most noble houses. But of course, no less could be expected for it was the home of the Emperor’s eldest sister, Princess Yelisai.

  Several people had lined up to present their gifts at the gate. Drakkel himself had prepared some fabrics and money for Yesil Holt.

  After the gifts were handed off, they followed the crowd and arrived at the first venue.

  It was a garden with beautiful and exotic flowers arranged all around. With the way they were placed in perfect order and health and enclosed within expensive wooden barriers, they really couldn't have been cheap.

  Drakkel's gaze drifted around and upon first glance, it was quite clear that most everybody knew each other. It was only him who was left standing alone.

  He continued to look for a recognizable face and a few minutes later, he finally found one.

  Lior Gaunlet was speaking to Ril Lita in one of the corners. Beside them was another man.

  He stood silently, glaring at those who attempted to approach. It was as if he was keeping others from socializing with the duo. From his confident stance and sturdy demeanor, Drakkel already had a guess as to who he was.

  Smiling, he walked up to them and loudly said, “Young Lord Lita, Chief Gaunlet! It’s been too long since we last saw each other!”

  The two stopped talking and glanced his way. Meanwhile, the man to the side had narrowed his eyes, hostile intent leaking off his visage.

  Ril Lita gave Drakkel a sincere smile. “Yes. Sylas! It’s been a while! Come over, let's talk!”

  The crowd looked at Drakkel as he and his people made their way over, their curious whispers drifting into his ears.

  “That’s Sylas, right? The man who took down Zilan Fort?”

  “Yes! Actually, I did notice him before, but I was too scared to approach.”

  “Me too! I heard he’s a foreign merchant from the Kingdom of Boray. I don't know much about the citizens of that Empire so I was too embarrassed to go too! Still though, I have to commend him. To have enough money and influence to take down one of the largest enterprises just a few weeks after coming to the capital is an amazing feat!”

  “Of course! Not to mention that he has already made acquaintance with Sword Master and Chief of the Security Office Lior Gaunlet and the Young Lord of the Lita Family, Ril Lita!”

  “Who wouldn't notice him? After all, he’s very handsome! Actually, If anyone manages to befriend him, please introduce me!!”

  “Forget being handsome! He has money and skill as well! If he's as open as he appears, I’ll be the first to speak to him!”

  Drakkel finally arrived in front of the two and bowed.

  Ril Lita glanced at Drakkel’s entourage and he waved them away.

  Once they had gone, Ril Lita asked, “How have you been doing recently, Sylas?”

  “All has been well, thanks to you two.” Drakkel answered.

  Ril Lita nodded.

  Drakkel continued. “Speaking of that, I heard that the Emperor has awarded you for your merit.”

  “He has." RIl Lita answered. "But we really don't deserve it. After all, you did most of the work.”

  Drakkel waved his hand in the air. “It’s not like I got nothing out of it. Besides, I'm a foreigner who just arrived here. It makes sense that the Emperor couldn't give me anything.”

  Ril Lita's face fell.

  Not wanting to dwell on the matter, Drakkel quickly changed the subject.

  He glanced at the man who was glaring at the crowd. “The fellow next to you, may I ask who he is?”

  Ril Lita was about to speak, but Lior Gaunlet interrupted. “He’s Xilto Jervis. Since you’re new here, it would be a waste of breath to tell you more. Just know that he’s my close friend and that he doesn’t talk much.”

  Drakkel nearly laughed. What use was there keeping his identity a secret? It was common knowledge that the iron wall and a narrow death were close comrades! But then again, perhaps he didn’t want Ril Lita to speak in order to not reveal Xilto Jervis’s true purpose for showing up with them.

  Being the Emperor’s confidants, the three had to be careful who they made friends with. So at gatherings like this, it wouldn’t be odd for them to avoid contact with anyone who wasn’t clearly on the Emperor’s side. Because of this and the fact that they didn’t dare make contact with anyone else, the state of the Emperor’s court was quite clear.

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  “Nice to meet you, Xilto Jervis.” Drakkel said.

  Without looking at him, Xilto Jervis gave a nod, the corners of his lips slightly turned down.

  Everyone continued to converse until Princess Yelisai showed up.

  Although she was older, her beauty was quite ethereal. Perhaps if she were younger and practiced sword fighting, she might have been a contender for the status of immortal beauty.

  With a gentle and serene voice, she said, “Today is a celebration of my son, Yesil Holt’s birthday. It is today that he will also be coming of age. I am glad that you all have taken time out of your busy schedules to join us for this occasion. We will commence the ceremonies shortly. Afterwards, we will gather in the dining area for some food and a show!”

  Drakkel stopped speaking to Lior Gaunlet and Ril Lita and wished them well before separating. He didn’t want to stay with them and prevent those who he should meet from coming over.

  After the formalities were taken care of, everyone took turns directly giving Yesil Holt congratulations.

  Drakkel had long since rejoined with his entourage and as they made their way to the table, he continued to observe around him.

  He had already picked out most of the identities of those in attendance. Among them were officials, nobles, merchants of the Gold class, and the occasional merchant of the Silver class.

  When Drakkel finally took his seat, those who were holding back before, began to approach him.

  He made short pleasantries to those he wasn’t interested in with a few big names like Viscount Tenshil, Marquis Lushi, and Earl Bo approaching him, before sending them off. However, his attention was caught when a woman made eye contact with him. She was slender with black hair done up with several adornments and heavy makeup caked upon her face. She seemed to be in her 30’s with a not too bad figure and slim physique. But her look was too much. Even Princess Yelisai didn't dress up in such a pompous and showy fashion.

  Because no one dared to call her out on this, Drakkel knew she wielded a lot of influence. So when she arrived in front of him, he made sure to make a good impression.

  “Is this the man that I've heard so much about, Sylas?”

  Drakkel nodded. “It is. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

  “My name is Fina Ren!” She said excitedly.

  Drakkel’s eyes widened slightly along with his smile. “Mistress Fina is it? I’ve heard a lot about you as well! You have several successful businesses under you mainly focused on rogue and accessories. However, I believe you dabble a bit in wine as well!” He bowed his head. “It’s truly an honor to meet you, Mistress Fina!”

  Mistress Fina giggled. “Oh! There’s no need to be like that! Why the formalities amongst friends?”

  Drakkel nearly laughed as well. They had spoken for only a few seconds, but the woman already referred to them as friends?

  “Yes! Then I apologize if I offended you!”

  “No need!” Mistress Fina replied. “I was actually hoping we could become better acquainted.”

  She placed a hand on top of Drakkel’s. “I appreciate you for getting rid of Zilan Fort. He was beginning to overstep his territory and was even stealing customers from my business!”

  “I’m happy I could help!” Drakkel replied, faking a friendly tone.

  Mistress Fina moved her face closer to Drakkel as she lowered her voice a bit. Through the loudness of the surrounding chatter, Drakkel heard a crisp string of welcoming words. “Also, there are some friends of mine who wish to meet you too. Do you think that you can come to my manor tomorrow? We can talk about business ventures and maybe I can even offer you my assistance.”

  “And your friends are…?” Drakkel asked.

  Mistress Fina raised an eyebrow.

  Drakkel continued. “Please don’t get the wrong idea. I just wanted to know so that I can prepare. I harbor no ill will towards anyone. Besides, by meeting you I almost feel like I have met them as well! Does it truly matter if I learn their names now or later?”

  Mistress Fina weighed his response for a moment before she seemed to decide. “I suppose not…Fine, their names are Master Tifu and Master Som.”

  Drakkel nodded and Mistress Fina moved closer to him to whisper in his ear. “They like gifts as well, so please prepare something nice.”

  Drakkel smiled and wished her well before she went on her way.

  Drion, Fargos and Shia were on guard the whole time but didn’t make any movements. Since Mistress Fina didn’t seem to notice, it wasn’t likely that she had sword fighting skills either.

  Drakkel was getting tired of the useless chatting and fake compliments he received from others but his meeting with Mistress Fina had improved his mood significantly.

  He was truly too lucky. He had thought he would have to go about vetting everyone at the party until he found the three he was looking for. Who knew that they would offer themselves up on a silver platter?

  Soon after the meeting, the food was served and a dancing troupe came in. The whispers amongst the crowd spoke favorably of them. They were called the Dancing Swords dancing troupe and they were a mixed traveling troupe, consisting of both men and women. There were only five and yet, their dances were said to be so magnificent that they were entrancing to the eye and that those who saw them felt as if they were watching an immortal dance through the skies.

  Even though they said this, Drakkel didn’t expect much and so slowly sipped his tea with disinterest as he watched the people in question walk onto the stage, their figures and faces hidden behind loose clothing and veiled bamboo hats.

  After a few moments, a gentle tune sounded through the air and they began their dance.

  Drakkel wasn’t paying too much attention at first, but as he watched their movements, a sudden feeling came over him. Watching a little longer, he couldn't help but think It was familiar…

  The stances, the movements. Something tugged at his heart.

  As he observed for a few moments more, his eyes widened and his heart began to feel constricted.

  Yes! It was similar to the sword style of his sword’s clan.

  Similar, yet different.

  But it couldn't be...

  Could it?

  Drakkel’s sword energy became so unsettled that he had to close his eyes and clench his fists to bring the brawling forces under control.

  They were dead. He knew it. And yet…

  He shot up from his seat and angrily said, “Let’s go.”

  With this prompt, he quickly walked away with his entourage following him out. The people who were seated stared at him curiously for a few moments, but they couldn’t tear their eyes off the masterpiece playing out before them for long and quickly returned their attention to the performance.

  The servants at the gate offered Drakkel a thank you gift, but he refused and rushed to his carriage.

  Drakkel had the demons walk outside while he spent time alone in the carriage, recovering his composure.

  Over the past year, he had sent many demon spies out to look for signs of survivors. If there were any, they would have found them.

  With his two energies clashing within him, Drakkel closed his eyes.

  Before him was a battlefield, awash with dead bodies and buried swords. The gray clouds in the sky rotated around him as he let his demonic energy run rampant. It was too overwhelming and began to clash with his sword energy. Within this new field, he closed his eyes and let out a cough as he worked to suppress it, getting into lotus position in front of a mound of dead faceless bodies.

  When he opened his eyes, in front of him sat an oasis.

  In the middle of a desert, the blue skies extended farther than the eye could see.

  A clear lake was situated in the center, surrounded by bushes and trees. As he walked over to it and stared at his reflection, a pale skinned, demonic being with glowing vermillion red eyes stared back at him.

  His heartbeat quickened and then began to pound.

  Drakkel opened his eyes and found himself still in the carriage.

  It seemed that they had stopped.