Tales of secrets and lies.

Mirt was sitting in his office, his pen diligently writing on the pending paperwork.

Three days had passed since he hired Spines of Desire. The gang deserved its reputation; their men were effective in terms of protection.

Completely silent and serious, they stayed close to their client. They deployed hidden guards in the convoys, near the sales stalls, and at the main headquarters.

As far as he knew, the gang had one hundred and fifty men, of which one hundred and twenty were distributed among the four companies. The other thirty were sent to attack Magenta Seraph, among them was the Battle Wanderer.

It was no joke to say that the men had saved his finances. Twice, that was how many times they found bomb packages amidst the merchandise coming in.

When they interrogated the supervisors, they realized that Magenta Seraph had managed to sneak the bombs without being discovered. They didn't need any infiltrators. In the middle of the journey, the packages appeared in the convoy.

Thinking about this made him tremble. The stealth they operated with was terrifying. At that moment it was night, perfect for those shadows to move unseen.

—You have nothing to worry about. —Someone spoke slowly.

When he turned around, he saw a tall, pale man. His slender body was concerning; it almost seemed that the slightest breeze could knock him down.

—Magenta Seraph is good for surprise attacks, but in face-to-face fights they are weaker. They lack firepower. —A dark smile formed on his cracked lips—. The cowards haven't dared to come themselves.

You haven't even found them! He wished to respond with fury, but the tingling sensation in his ear—half an ear, actually—stopped him.

—Mr. Ferei, I ask you not to be overconfident. They have a Wanderer.

—Again, you have nothing to worry about. —He shrugged indifferently—. I've met their Wanderer; he's just a drunkard.

Silence fell; Mirt awaited a response, but a good while passed without anything.

....? And what does that have to do with anything? When he gave an inquisitive look, Ferei spoke again.

—Ah, he also has a weak Wanderer's Law. My Wanderer's Law makes it into puree.

—Wait a moment, are you telling me you are a Wanderer? —Surprise drew across his face.

Ferei put on a mocking smile. He pulled out a shiny pocket watch and opened it with a "click."

—What? Don't I look like one?

—¡O-oh! Well.... I didn't mean that; I mean... Wanderers are strange! Especially in the slums! —He corrected his words; he least wanted to earn the ire of the man protecting him.

You should have mentioned it from the beginning, idiot! But his worries were unnecessary as Ferei remained calm; his gaze moved between the watch hands and Mirt's distressed face.

—Relax fighter; I'm just messing with you. There are Wanderers who prefer to go unnoticed.

The merchant didn't bother hiding his relief; the tingling in his half ear reminded him to stay cautious.

—So if I may ask... What is your Wanderer's Law focused on?

—Hm, it's nothing special. It's focused on perception. —He turned his head; his gaze still fixed on the watch—. Just so you know, the enemy's Wanderer's Law is focused on stealth.

—in that case... it's a relief having you around. —Mirt felt like the luckiest man; in some way, he had hit the jackpot.

—You don't doubt it; I don't understand why they assigned me to you —The mocking smile on his face firmed up—. Maybe the leader wants to apologize for your ear?

His question was accompanied by laughter along with Mirt's awkward chuckle. What a shitty joke, stupid skeleton.

The laughter lasted a few seconds; Ferei remained focused on his watch. Mirt looked at him for a moment and returned to his paperwork. There was an awkward silence only interrupted by the ticks of the clock and the pen against paper.

—Can I ask why you keep looking at your watch?

Ferei looked at him again but moments later returned to looking at his watch.

—I'm waiting for midnight bells.

—is... is that so?

—Calm down; it's nothing. Whenever I stay up late I hear them; they bring me old memories.

—I see...

Damn it, how long am I going to last with this gloomy guy? Only three days had passed but Mirt was already overwhelmed. Not only was Magenta Seraph tormenting him but Ferei also gave him bad vibes. Before he could continue feeling sorry for himself, he was interrupted by a noise in the distance.

Dong, Dong. The church bells indicated midnight. The moonlight filtered through the glass reflecting on Ferei's expressionless face.

His gaze had remained fixed on the clock, but suddenly, he put it away. He had lost interest in time. Instead, he was focused on the streets visible through the window.

—H-hey... Did something happen? What's outside?

He asked, but there was no response. The only thing that followed his question was the constant Dong, Dong of the bells. They sounded distant, but on that cold night, Mirt felt the bells were right beside him.

—Hey! What's wrong with you all of a sudden!? Answer!

The merchant jumped up. He feared that Ferei might have fallen under the influence of a Wanderer.

And to increase Mirt's nerves, sudden footsteps were heard through the door.

Many footsteps.

He didn't think twice and shook Ferei; if he was lucky, maybe he could wake him up. But that didn't happen; instead, he saw something terrifying.

Ferei's completely calm gaze met his. For a moment, everything fell silent. Then, he processed the terrible truth.

Gurad had betrayed them.

The sound of the door breaking became evident. A burly man had kicked it down. Behind him were three more people. Their faces were hidden beneath hoods adorned with a magenta triangle.

—Bastard! —Without thinking twice, he pulled out his revolver to blow the pale man's head off. However, he was stopped halfway by Ferei, who squeezed his palm in a strange way, causing him sharp pain.

—Ahhgg! —Unintentionally, he dropped the revolver; his hand was completely incapacitated.

Damn! Mirt crouched to grab his weapon, but Ferei kicked it away. The merchant could only watch as it slid towards the men.

His face went pale when he saw the large man walk toward him. The guy didn't run; there was no need.

—W-wait! Stop! —He awkwardly backed away; his back hit the window, opening it and exposing his back to the void.

—I'll give you whatever you want! Double what they pay you!

The man kept walking.

—Damn it! Make it triple! Just stop and listen to me!

But he never stopped; by the time he realized it, he was already in front of him.

—Ah...!

Mirt lifted his head to look at his face. He truly was large, measuring two meters.

A face peeked out from beneath the hood; the scar on his left cheek accentuated his harsh features.

When their gazes crossed, he saw a fierce beast in his eyes. Mirt trembled at that look.

A powerful kick pulled him out of his reverie. Then, the sensation of weightlessness enveloped him. Seconds later, his body fell headfirst to the floor.

The sound of his body crashing against the floor was all that remained.

***

Similar scenes were repeating at other locations. The blood of their owners spilled along with their lives, horrified by betrayal.

All except one, of course.

At Gaustin's location, Hall was on his sofa while receiving a report on the operation. Behind him stood Gurad with a sleepy expression on his face. The room had a solemn atmosphere heightened by slight darkness, only eclipsed by moonlight and candles.

—So everyone is... dead... —Damino couldn't believe what came out of his mouth.

—Welcome to the world of business. —Gurad spoke mockingly.

Damino trembled on the sofa. He wasn't going to wash his hands; he was aware of the plan. However, knowing that indirectly caused three people's deaths made him feel sick.

—Do you see it now, son? The evil exercised by the man you admire?

Damino said nothing; he could only bite his lips in frustration. Is this how it is? Is this business? Has Basil always been like this?

—Basil... he can't...

—For Celei's sake, we are talking about the leader of Serafín Magenta, the most influential man in the slums of this city. —His voice rose in frustration—. Did you think he was a good guy? That he understood you? Of course, he did! He has grown up understanding each person's weakness!

»If he was influential before, now he's even more so. Whether you like it or not, his control over the company has increased—all because you didn't put a stop to him!

Hall had a dangerous look when saying that. At some point, Basil managed to raise his threat level by thinking of something so evil. If he didn't put a halt to it, Gaustin's businesses would be next to be exterminated.

But your moment of glory will end soon, Basil. The deal with Gerad has become reality. I will take your limbs and cut them off! Then once you're weak, you will just be another puppet.

—Are they talking about me? —A bell-like voice pronounced through the door.

Then it slowly opened. A young man with gray hair entered the room.

A spark of fun ran through his golden irises, contrasting with the horrible burn on half of his face. Then, he looked at everyone present who stared at him in surprise.

—I'm sorry for being late, I was taking care of some matters.—An arrogant smile spread across his face.