Bab 16: Ch 16: Dealing with the Duke
After they obtained the letter of intent, the two made their way back into their carriage. Sitting on one of the seats was a file.
Volundr looked through the file and smiled before passing it over to Echdonn.
"Damn. It looks like this may be easier than I thought." Echdonn was disappointed, he hadn't had enough entertainment.
The file had been left by the branch's spy master and contained information about Pantel and Vivek. Along with a few extras.
While Volundr could show up unannounced to the Explorers Union, he wouldn't have the same reception at the Duke's Pillar. But he waited until they left the Union before sending a messenger to the Duke.
When the carriage arrived in front of the Pillar there were a number of servants waiting for him, including the head butler.
"Welcome sirs. My master is waiting for you." The butler said.
Volundr and Echdonn followed him into a luxurious meeting room.
It was over 30 minutes before Duke Nievok and another older man entered the room.
Volundr outwardly smiled. He was an experienced merchant and had used the waiting tactic to wear down his opponents.
Echdonn smiled internally. He had expected Rakash Nievok to join them.
Rakash had been sent with the Duke's father when the district was established about a century ago. Just like Echdonn, he was a hidden monster.
As the great great uncle of the Duke he made sure that no one used force against his family.
It was very rare that these hidden monsters would meet up. Especially since there were only four of them in this district.
Along with being the newest district, it also showed the least potential. The gates that were currently revealed were only mid and low tier worlds. There are currently no high or supreme tier gates.
That meant very few city powers wanted to send their trump cards to this district.
The other two were a part of another merchant house and strangely enough a research academy.
The two hidden monsters in the room had their full senses on each other.
People on their levels couldn't just fight it out for no reason. So they often played their own games, keeping score in their own unique way.
Rakash tried to use his presence to intimidate Echdonn to get a physical reaction while his opponent was looking to subtle internal changes to score points.
Volundr thought the whole thing was ridiculous since they both were scoring in different ways.
"What can I do for you Volundr? You seem to be busy today with sudden meetings all over." Duke Nievok was hinting that he knew that Volundr had already visited Hogarth. While he didn't know the exact nature of their discussion, he could tell when someone was making big moves.
"I recently decided to purchase a contract from the Explorers Union. Unfortunately, the person I want to acquire is currently being detained. I'm going to need your help in freeing him." Volundr said.
"I'm not really sure I would be able to help. The only people being detained that I could help free are criminals and I am a man of the law." The Duke said.
"I think you might find that you are in a unique position to help in this situation." Volundr handed over the folder that he had.
After looking through the first few pages, the Duke frowned internally. He had told that brat to leave the Aslanbeks alone. Now he was seeing evidence that the fool had kidnapped Vivek.
His biggest confusion was why Volundr was here about this and not Hogarth. He already had two separate discussions with Hogarth about this.
When he looked at the last few pages he frowned externally. They contained information about his son's dealings with the black market. If these got out it would be an embarrassment.
"Brevik." The Duke said.
"Yes master." A man formed out of the shadows in the room.
"Bring Vivek Aslanbek here. And if my son is there, tell him I'll need to see him as well." The Duke handed over the paper that showed where Vivek was being held.
"I thank you for your help in this matter." Volundr said.
"It's nothing big. How about we discuss some other matters before your man arrives?" The Duke said.
"I'm not opposed to that." Volundr said.
The Duke had a good idea about what state Vivek was going to be in and wanted to get Volundr to agree to some beneficial deals before he showed up.
Unfortunately, Volundr wasn't willing to agree to anything specifics about their discussions.
A half an hour later, the Duke's people brought Vivek in.
The man looked awful. It was clear that he had been tortured in various ways in the few days he had been in Pantel's hands.
Echdonn, while showing no outward signs, let his aura leak to show his displeasure. Everyone other than Volundr and Rakash began to tremble.
"Knock it off. This isn't your house." Rakash said and released his own aura.
"Hmph." Echdonn retracted his aura. His goal was to let the Duke know that their trade company valued this man's safety. He hoped this would be a deterrent in the future.
"Here's your man. I believe our business here is concluded." The Duke knew their two powers weren't going to be on the best of terms for a little while.
"That it is." Volundr stood and helped Vivek outside and into his carriage.
"I'm a little surprised to see you here. What about my family?" Vivek said once they were in the safety of the carriage.
"I have my people watching over them. And I'm here because of this." Volundr handed over the letter of intent to sell his contract.
Vivek was barely able to hold onto the document.
"Did that bastard really abandon me?" Vivek had already guessed that the only reason Hogarth wasn't there was because the man had given up on him.
He had started to see his former boss was losing faith in him as he spent more time with his family and Pantel had taunted him about Hogarth giving up on him.
"He did. Luckily you have a very special son." Volundr handed over the simple contract that he and Baldeur had signed.
"I'd say I'd have to punish him for doing something this reckless but I'm sure his mother will have already handled that." Vivek leaned back and closed his eyes.
Volundr had already begun to stitch elemental threads of light through his new employee's body in order to heal what he could. Unfortunately, he could tell that Pantel had destroyed the man's dantain, meaning he wouldn't be able to use Qi for years to come if he could ever use his Source again.
Back in the Pillar the Duke was seething. His son had disobeyed him. A rival had humiliated him with evidence of his son's dealing, dealings that his people hadn't told him about. He also suspected that Volundr knew of a hidden prize. It was the only reason the man would go out of his way for someone he shouldn't have a connection to.
"I don't understand why you put up with people like that. We are nobles that own this district. They should be bowing to our every whim." Pantel had entered the room after the others had left.
"You are an idiot and a disgrace." The Duke let out an overwhelming aura of Pride that forced his son to the ground and made him cough up some blood.
"Of course we should completely dominate this district. But ambition and reality aren't always the same thing." The Duke yelled.
He and his second son had the same ideals when it came to how they should be able to rule. But he knew that those ideals were a generation off from being realized.
Right now he was displaying one of the secrets of the Nievok family to punish his son. Their family had a long history of producing powerful mages. Rakash was an eighth circle mage bordering on ninth, while the Duke was a seventh circle mage bordering on eighth.
What the public and most major powers didn't know, was that their family produced a number of people with two Sources. Often Mana and Infernius.
Fortunately Pantel only had Mana as a Source. The fates only knew what trouble his son would cause if he had two Sources.
"Rakash, take his waste and teach him proper control." The Duke said.
"Father. No, I'll be good, I won't cause you anymore trouble." Pantel pleaded.
He had already experienced his great great uncles teaching a decade ago, after he forced himself on a Duchess' daughter.
His youngest son cried as the hidden monster dragged him away.
"Perhaps you should stop babying him until it gets serious?" Timucin Nievok said from the doorway.
The older of the Nievok children had felt his father's anger and came to find out what had happened.
"Like I have time to care about trash. How's my granddaughter coming along?" The Duke said.
The truth was he was an absentee father to both of his sons since they both disappointed him in different ways. Pantel with his lack of control and Timucin for what he saw as a lack of ambition.
Timucin had the same two Sources as his father but he had what the Duke detested. A moral compass.
The Duke was hoping that his granddaughter who shared their Sources would actually be a good heir.
Timucin scowled. "From what I've been told she's doing well."
"Good. Don't worry about your brother and just focus on my district's expansion." The Duke left his elder son and headed back to his office.
Timucin didn't hold back his disdain for his father. The man had sent his children away right after they were born so as not to be tainted by their father's morals.
While he didn't believe in cold blooded murder, for his father he was planning to make an exception. He just had to wait till he could save his children.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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