The Strongest Curse Master

"Where are you guys headed?" I asked, entering the curse array formation covering the Lander estate to find Delores and Evil Eyes, about to head out with Matthews and Agent Sugarmite forming a party.

"She hired us to help with prisoner transfer. Don't worry it won't take long. I will be right back," Delores said, feeling guilty as she was supposed to guard the Lander Estate. Instead, she was running around helping Matthews.

Delores wouldn't leave the Lander Estate unattended if it were up to her, but she did not have a choice. The C.I.B had called on the McSuile for help, they had to answer the call. Especially in emergencies like this one, the government's call took priority, and whatever other personal commitments they had came secondary.

I nodded in understanding and offered my help, "Don't worry, I understand. Is there something you need my help with?"

I planned to tag along with the group and slowly enquire about the curse caster and his innate curse tool. I had no idea what I would have to do to get my hands on it, so I did not want to be too obvious about my intentions to the group lest it came back to bite me later.

After all, it did not take a genius to know that flaunting a curse caster's innate curse tool was not the same as flaunting billions of dollars. Actually, the former was deadlier than the latter as just too many powerful entities were interested in the mysteries of the world but weren't born with the gift to peep into it.

I wanted to get my hands on the curse caster's innate curse tool and turn them into one of my toy summons before higher-ups of the C.I.B. and others become aware of its existence. Hence, my sense of urgency and caution when enquiring about the curse caster's innate curse tool.

"No, we got this covered," Delores rejected my help, informing that she and the team had things under control.

"Ace, you are a person of interest in this whole incident. Normally, I would imprison you with the terrorists and interrogate you till we figure out what exactly all this was about before deciding what to do with you. However, the McSuile family vouched for you, and I kinda know why they were after you. Therefore, I'm going to do both of us a favor, skip those tedious steps and exonerate you," Matthews informed me with a stern tone.

"Thank you, but you guys sure just the four of you are enough? I can help—" I thanked Matthews for her understanding and favor while trying to offer my help to them again but Matthews cut in, interrupting me, "Just go home, young man. Your parents weren't thrilled to learn that you raided Janice's wine cellar when I wasn't looking and are now hugging the toilet seat. If you don't like my cover story, next time just return when I ask you to. Instead of roaming the woods with my daughter."

"Nothing happened between us and nothing will ever happen, I promise you that, if that is what you are worried about," I hurriedly clarified, not wanting Matthews to misinterpret my relationship with her daughter. We were acquaintances at best and nothing more.

"I know. I raised my daughter better," Matthews remarked, to which I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her feeling she was seriously out of touch about her daughter's character or just in denial. Because, had I cooperated with Ava a little when we were on the search together, she would have willingly performed acts with me that might have promoted Matthews to grandma.

"You sure did," I sarcastically muttered under my breath before immediately asking, "Before you leave, can you tell me what will happen to the innate curse tool of the curse charmer I killed? I know all the loot belongs to the C.I.B. But will the C.I.B. auction it? If not, how can I buy it? I am willing to pay twice the market price."

Hearing me offer twice the market price for the innate curse tool of the curse charmer, everyone present stared at me with hard gazes. Something told me that they all knew the source of my massive wealth. Shamelessly ignoring their stares, I repeated myself, "Is the curse charmer's innate curse tool up for sale?"

"The curse charmer's innate curse tool isn't the C.I.B.'s loot or any loot we gained during the rescue operation for that matter—" Matthews pensively began to explain that in the case of an emergency rescue op, by the powers granted to her by the president, she could make the executive decision to use the loot from the rescue op as payment for the personnel gathered or hired for the op on short notice. However, before she could finish, I eagerly cut in saying, "So, the curse charmer's innate curse tool belongs to me since I killed him…"

My words trailed as I felt the gaze on me become harder, as if holding me accountable for what I just said. Soon, Agent Sugermite uttered, "You are kidding, right? Killing the curse charmer is only half the job. Dealing with the rampant curselings from his death is the other half of the job. So, his innate curse tool belongs to all of us."

"Then what about the curse cores of the curselings that were killed, do they also belong to all of us?" I asked, getting a feeling that these guys were trying to pull a fast one on me. The fact that they knew the source of my income was unethical didn't help. It was enough for them to take the moral high ground.

Listening to me, Matthew, Delores, Evil Eyes, and Sugermite exchanged a look. Catching it, the first thought in my mind was that they were trying to figure out a way to split the loot such that they get to keep the curse cores of the curselings they killed and also have a significant stake in the innate curse tool of the curse charmer that I killed.

Observing the greed oozing out of their eyes, I patiently waited, wanting to hear the stupid reason these guys could come up with as to why they should get a share in the innate curse tool of the curse charmer that I killed.

However, to my surprise, Janice stepped in and explained with a neutral tone, "Ace, technically the curse charmer's innate curse tool is not your loot since the curse charmer, though dead wasn't completely dead until all of his curselings were dead. Think of the curse charmer as a boss monster with two forms. You only killed his first form, human form, while these guys killed his second form, curseling horde form. Hence, all five of you have a share in the innate curse tool of the curse charmer.

When it comes to curse charmers, the standard loot distribution rules dictate that the cores of the curse charmer's curselings belong to those who killed them, and their innate curse tool belongs to everyone that contributed in killing the curse charmer and their curselings. You can verify this with one quick curse web search."

Listening to Janice explain, I understood that Delores and the rest didn't exchange a look of greed but a look of helplessness. They weren't trying to come up with a reason to claim my loot as theirs but to come up with a way to explain the standard loot distribution rules without giving me the feeling that they were tricking me.

I don't blame them. Because, had they said what Janice said, I wouldn't trust them and have thought they were trying to pull a fast one over me. However, it was different coming from an uninvolved third party. Especially when it's someone I trust.

Well, if Dame Wasp were here with me, I could have avoided most of this nonsense as she would have explained to me about standard loot distribution rules before I even had to. She not only made my life easy but efficient. She was the best secretary one could ever ask for. Honestly, without her, I don't think I could have survived until now. It was becoming painfully obvious the longer we were separated.

"Fine. But I want the innate curse tool of the curse charmer and the curse cores of his curselings. Name your prices," I announced.