The Merchant stood on the balcony of her luxurious suite, gazing out at the endless expanse of ocean. Her long, raven-black hair danced in the gentle breeze, and her formerly cool gaze now sparkled with anticipation. That very night was the night of the auction, the secretive one that was only open to a select few even amongst the upper echelon both within and outside the empire and she was more than ready for her favorite occasion.She turned to face her subordinates, a group of skilled, cold and highly efficient individuals who had been handpicked by her for their expertise. For her event to function properly, there were a vast amount of roles to be covered and for that she needed highly optimal workers."Gentlemen, the time has come. Tonight is the special night and we will showcase the finest merchandise the world has to offer. Rare artifacts, exotic treasures, and...other items of interest."Her eyes scanned the room, lingering on each face. "I expect everything to go as smoothl
Just before they left, Arthur decided to do one last routine check, an act that had become a habit for him ever since the war.But unlike back then, his purposes for doing so were different, although a few were still the same. During the war he inspected his vehicle to note any faults or to spot any opportunities for the enemy to take advantage of and place the lives of his comrades in danger.Now, however, was a bit different because while he did inspect for faults to prevent any hindrance as they prepared to reach their destination, his main focus this time was the small luggage that both he and Henri Lefevre, who was playing the role of his client, had carried.After doing so and noting everything was all good and fine, he notified Henri and prepared to leave, pausing momentarily as all the Lefevre staff present in the mansion as well as Henri's children gathered in front of the manor.Glancing from them to his client who seemed too busy to notice their sudden appearance, Arthur wa
The enemy squads residing in the town gave their all and used every strategy they could think of once they had learned that the war god, the man revered as an unstoppable force and a hero, was leading a squad to eliminate them.But as anyone who had witnessed just what Arthur Rhyfel was capable of or had even heard it from those who had seen it firsthand, would expect, the efforts of the enemy squads were utterly useless.In order to eliminate any opportunity for the soldiers to cause any harm to the civilians within the town that they held hostage, Arthur ordered his men to observe, noting the behavior and patterns of his enemies.And then when they had let down their guard, in the dead of night, Arthur struck, his men following right after him and carrying out his orders without any hesitation.The plan that the commanders of the enemy squads had thought to be solid and fool proof, crumbled before their very eyes. They believed that even if the war god was to attack, the main force
Arthur shook his head with a small smile, ridding himself of some of the few fond memories he had during the war. He stole a glance through the side mirror at the silent Henri who appeared to be looking through a few documents.“Being tense will do you no good, Henri. Relax and look at this like a vacation.” Arthur said calmly, his tone and message hinting at his attempt at reassurance.Henri looked up, shaking his head with a nervous chuckle. “I'm afraid that will be difficult, Mr Smith. We are walking into the lion's den after all.”While he tried to appear fine on the outside with his smile that through years of practice, appeared genuine although Arthur saw through the façade easily, his hands shook nervously and almost immediately, Henri clasped them together, attempting and failing to hide the nervousness or rather fear he felt.“Know this, as long as I am around, there is no greater reassurance than that,” Arthur's voice took a more grave undertone but even at that, Henri could
Arthur's eyes locked onto Viktor's, but Henri nodded, and together they donned the hoods.The van doors slid shut, and the vehicle pulled away from the curb, heading towards the cruise ship.As they drove, Arthur's mind raced with possibilities. He knew the Merchant's security would be tight, but he had a plan. And with Henri by his side, he knew he could pull it off.The van pulled up to the dock, and the doors slid open. Viktor and the woman gestured for Arthur and Henri to exit.As they stepped out onto the dock, Arthur caught a glimpse of the cruise ship, its decks gleaming in the fading light.Just as Arthur and Henri were about to head in, Viktor called out to them.The two men turned to him, with Henri being the only one out of the duo to visibly show his confusion, whereas Arthur who posed as his bodyguard had his expression remain as stoic as it had been from the start.“Sirs! You can't go in just yet, after all there's one last requirement before we let you enjoy your stay.”
The Blue Horizon, that was a name Arthur had come across more times than he had preferred to, but there wasn't much that could've been done to change that.After all, it was the name of the cruise ship that he was currently on, the same ship that was his target location for one main reason, the masked woman who stood before him flanked by guards in well tailored suits.She didn't make any direct introductions, but that was unnecessary, Arthur was already very familiar with who she was. Even if one were to ignore the somewhat obvious signs present at that moment that showed her true identity, he had memorized everything Charles had on her and her physical appearance was a part of the details, as one would expect.So an extravagant dress and well decorated mask were far from sufficient in deceiving the war god of all people and if that wasn't enough to prove his point, the exact same tone that had rang out from the speakers during the announcement was the very same one that he heard fro
The Merchant had decided to postpone her conversation with the masked Arthur and Henri as she was notified about what seemed to be an issue of far higher priority than satisfying her curiosity.And so with a wave and her lingering predatory gaze that seemed a bit long at least to Henri, she left the room, her long black dress flowing after her before her guards trailed her.Arthur watched one of the bigger bodyguards who followed his target for a brief moment before he moved to shut the door.“I can't believe-” Henri's remark was cut short by Arthur's shushing response, his index finger over the position where his lips would be if he was unmasked.The head of the Lefevre household watched his apparent bodyguard bring out a small piece of candy and unwrap it, popping the candy into his mouth before he began to move around the room, rubbing the wrapper together to let out a small squeaking noise.Afterwards, he went to the window and shut it before switching off the lights in the room.
“I'll be back.” Arthur said, rising quickly. “I have something I need to check.”And so he exited the room without explaining further, wearing his mask on the way out.Arthur stepped out into the hallway, scanning his surroundings just as he had done when they had first boarded the ship and Henri was doing his usual businessman interactions and greetings with the other attendees of the event.Just as his research had shown, the guests on the cruise ship or rather the Blue Horizon were a great number and they were immensely diverse.Both people who appeared and interacted like citizens of the empire and those who were obviously foreigners, and under close observation, one would note that they were from a great number of other countries and regions.It just emphasized how reputable the Merchant's event was as well as how much hold the Hughes family had on the upper brass in so many regions of the world and not just within the empire.When considering those among upper echelon that were
Leonard Hughes sat behind his large desk in his study, a chilled glass of whiskey in his frail hands.If he had been told this would be how the great Hughes family that had survived and prevailed for centuries would fall, he would not believe.But that was the cold harsh reality.It was ironic and somewhat of a sick joke that it all ended on the same day that it started.Like someone had chosen it particularly because of its significance. Perhaps they had.On that very day fifteen years ago, The Hughes family, Burton family and Williams family, three of the seven great had joined hands together to bring the downfall of the Rhyfel family.Their actions against them had long begun, but that day marked the finale, the end of it all.They had pooled their resources together and attacked the Rhyfel family estate with the intention to spare not a single soul.And surely they would have succeeded at that, if not for the bravery of the young flower of the Rhyfel family, Luna Rhyfel.Pushing a
His eyes widened as he took in the information: financial records, names, operations, evidence that implicated the Hughes family in countless crimes. It was the breakthrough he had been waiting for, but even more comprehensive than he had hoped."This is… beyond what I expected," he murmured, still processing the weight of what he held. Then, snapping into action, he pressed a button on his desk intercom. "Bring in Agent Marlowe and Special Operative Ryder."Within moments, the door opened, and two figures entered. Agent Marlowe, a sharp-eyed woman with an air of calm authority, and Special Operative Ryder, a tall, muscular man with a cold, calculating demeanor. They had been sent from the capital, handpicked by the emperor to assist in cleaning up the city, a task that had proven more daunting than either had anticipated."Commissioner," Marlowe greeted, nodding as her eyes flicked over to Isabella, recognizing the family resemblance.The commissioner wasted no time. "We’ve just rec
His voice, though weakened, was laced with bitterness. “Saul... if only you had been more competent. We wouldn’t be facing this now.”With a final, pained sigh, Leonard collected himself, his expression hardening into a grim resolve. “Summon all the Hands back to the estate immediately. We cannot let Rhyfel breach our defenses.”Ian nodded sharply, understanding the gravity of the command. “Yes, Father. I’ll see to it.”As Ian departed to carry out his father’s orders, Leonard muttered under his breath, his words dripping with venom. “Uther Rhyfel… you’ve always been a thorn in my side. Even from beyond the grave, your son continues to cause me trouble.”Meanwhile, Arthur Rhyfel was making his way through the bustling city streets with a purposeful stride. The same city that had seen his return for the first time was once again unaware of the storm that was brewing beneath.He approached a sleek black vehicle, where Elias, his driver, waited at the wheel. Arthur’s destination was Is
As he rounded a corner, he saw her, Luna, his older cousin, the only living family he had left and his only true reason for engaging in such a war. Yes, he wished to avenge his deceased family, yet if she had not saved him on that day, fifteen years ago, he would not have been alive to do so.She was his sole purpose for being alive and the one dearest to him. The one he had to protect at all costs.Many would claim that the war god had no weaknesses, and that was in fact true. Luna Rhyfel was not his weakness but his strength and while she might be the weaker of the two, should anything befall her it will not break the war god, no.It would simply unleash the demise of the ones foolish enough to commit such an act.The earth itself would not hide them from his fury if they were to do something as hopelessly stupid as even attempting to bring about the demise of the flower of the Rhyfel family.She was standing by the large windows that overlooked the estate’s gardens, her gaze dist
But what he did not expect was that his former mission would be erased and replaced with a new one. This had never happened since he had first got the system and the message alongside it hinted that he was in the endgame now.[New Mission: Destroy the final family involved in the downfall of the User's family, the Hughes family.][Rewards: The avenger, Acquisitions of the Hughes family possessions and the revelation of the origin of the {System}.]He leaned back in his seat, holding his chin in thought. There was no time to waste and failure was not an option.It never was.A rapid knock alerted him as the door opened and the three he had called in, walked inside, prepared for their new tasks.“Take a seat, all three of you.” He ordered, his tone cold and reserved.The three picked up on it, doing as they were told immediately. While one would have assumed that Leon would be the first to pick up on the graveness of the situation from his tone, it was actually Briar.Due to her previou
Ian took a deep breath, knowing the next part would be the hardest to convey. “To gain more information about him, we need to surrender information on the Hands of the Hughes family.”Leonard’s eyes sharpened, a dangerous glint appearing in his gaze. The Hands of the Hughes family were their most protected assets, their identities known only to the inner circle. To give up that information was to expose the family’s very core, to lay bare their most guarded secrets.He leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment as he considered the implications. Ian waited, his breath almost held as he watched his father’s face for any sign of what he might decide.Outside the warehouse that served as Charles’ base, Laura sat in the backseat of the car, her fingers tapping against the leather seat in a rare display of impatience. The weight of the conversation with Ian earlier still hung over her, the gravity of what was at stake gnawing at her composure. She glanced at the warehouse, its weathered
So while she was not one to so readily show emotions outwardly unless she deemed it necessary. Her experience growing up as the daughter of the patriarch in the Hughes family had made her this way.It was necessary for her survival, so her visible nervousness had hinted to her bodyguard and driver who watched her from the side, on how drastic the situation was.Her mind drifted to the response of her father should the news be delivered. She wondered if he would side with her uncle, his brother who had blamed the fall of two of the Hands on her “bad management.”As if that wasn't enough, more stray thoughts seemed to emerge, only further worsening her nervous state.What would the patriarch say? How would he react to the news of the war god’s return? And more importantly, what would he decide about the information Charles held?Taking a deep breath, Laura pushed those thoughts aside and steeled herself. She had a role to play, and she would do it to the best of her ability. The Hughes
Laura stepped out of the study, her heels once again clicking against the marble floor as she moved briskly through the corridor. The conversation with Ian and their uncle still echoed in her mind, but she couldn’t afford to dwell on it now. There were more pressing matters to attend to.As she stood by the car that had brought her, she began to consider her next course of action. While she was granted authority over the Hands of the Hughes family due to her father, the patriarch's current state as well as her older brother, the heir apparent’s view on handling things, her authority was limited.Something as drastic as handing over information on the group whose identities were the most secured amongst all of the seven great families was not something she had the clearance to do, so in that case, she needed to seek who could.This was a one in a million opportunity and she was sure no one else but Charles could grant her the information that would help both her and the rest of the Hug
It was what the likes of a treacherous family like them deserved.The Hughes family would get no mercy from the war god, just the pain, suffering and tears they had brought upon the Rhyfel family.Their actions had birthed the unstoppable existence that was the war god, and that very same existence that their actions had created would now be what would bring about their demise.Truly ironic if one were to consider it.And so following his order while having an idea of Arthur's intentions, the prominent information broker returned to his seat, eyeing the bodyguard as he prepared to carry out his plans.“So, are you done compiling the necessary information?” She questioned, her tone hinting at the sense of urgency she felt, although she tried to hide it.“Well, I am now, lady Laura.” he replied, adjusting his posture on his chair.“Then why the delay? Is he that important of a person that revealing his identity is problematic?” Her question did little to hide not just the sense of urgen