章 36: Call Me Your Manager!
The young woman with rich chestnut locks strode through a dimly lit street. Her flowing black gown rustled gently in the evening breeze, while her ornate sunhat cast a shadow over her delicate features.
'A few more visits, and she will be mine.' Tia wasn't a beginner and knew that she couldn't push her potential accomplice too much. She needed to slowly prepare her and gain her trust.
From afar, the acrid scent of smoke billowed from towering chimneys. The weight of the atmosphere itself pressed the smoke downward, blanketing the surroundings in a heavy, foggy veil.
Sparse, glimmers from the street's gas lamps barely managed to break through the smoky haze, casting an ethereal glow on the cobblestones.
The once lavish homes and boutiques that graced the main avenues had vanished, giving way to colossal industrial warehouses and manufactures constructed of red brick and timber.
'Ohh, those look rough!' Tia briskly stepped toward four tall figures in the distance, their forms obscured by the haze.
A rough, manly voice bore on her: "Out for a midnight stroll, are we?"
The four burly men stepped forward and hastily surrounded Tia, blocking all paths of escape. Their smiles were sinister, stretching across their rugged faces. On their white shoulder bands, a vivid crimson emblem stood out prominently, reminiscent of a growling wolf's head.
Another chuckled darkly, "Such a pretty bird shouldn't be out past her bedtime."
Tia mentally scoffed, 'Must they always resort to the same tired clichés?' Barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
Tia's patience was wearing thin. "Bring me to your boss," she demanded, her gaze hardened with a hint of malicious glee playing in her eyes. She knew all too well that they wouldn't cooperate without a taste of pain.
"Yes, you look good enough." The smile of the largest man, whom she presumed to be their leader, expanded with lecherousness. "However, maybe we should inspect the goods first. Lift you..."
His words were cut off abruptly. Tia's irises flared, and an invisible force bore down on them. Like marionettes with their strings cut, the four men crumpled, forced into a submissive kneel.
"Boys, what..."
With a twisted smile playing on her lips, her force smashed into the four men again. This time their faces paled, and their painful shrieks cut through the night and echoed through the mostly empty streets.
"Take me to your boss."
"Wai..."
Tia stood tall, her eyes blazing with otherworldly energy, her smile a cruel curve of satisfaction as the force searing out of her body intensified.
Under the immense force, their faces flushed a deep crimson from the agonizing pain, and their eyes threatened to roll back. The eerie sound of grinding teeth echoed, a testament to their desperate attempt to withstand the pressure.
"Take me to your boss."
The most imposing of the group managed to part his lips, every word seemingly taking monumental effort. "Y-yes," he gasped.
The moment her force receded, the four men crumpled to the ground, each clutching their groin in agony.
'With those kinds of people, one must act hard, right from the beginning.'
"Get up!" She shouted at them, and all four jumped straight on their feet—their knees clasped together, trembling.
<Basic Telekinesis VI (6%)> --> 7%
They all moved, walking deeper into the dark alley, their steps slow, with painful groans accompanying each and every one of their steps. Tia walked slowly behind them, keeping enough space between them so as not to smell the stench of their unwashed bodies.
'They are just human garbage.'
As they walked deeper and deeper into the alley of warehouses, the trash lying on the streets vanished. The uneven cobblestones transitioned to a meticulously laid path that reflected the ambient light, devoid of puddles.
Emblems of the Red Wolf grew more pronounced, their imposing insignia now brandishing the facades of many buildings.
"How far?" Tia's voice was poised and assertive, acutely aware that any display of vulnerability could jeopardize her commanding position.
"Not far, Miss, Daddy Stan has his hideout nearby."
'They are calling their boss, Daddy Stan?' Tia almost burst into laughter, hardly containing her chuckle: 'It is alright to roughen some low-level henchmen, but I shouldn't make fun of their boss's name—mutual respect is the most important thing in this part of this society.'
At last, they stopped before a large warehouse with a large wooden roof above its sturdy-looking brick walls. A light glowed inside, its radiance passing through the spaces between the wooden planks.
A rusty metallic gate barred their path.
"We've arrived, miss," the lead man said, a mix of nervousness and relief in his voice.
With a graceful gesture from Tia, the formidable metal doors parted, their metallic groans echoing hauntingly in the night's stillness.
As they swung open, brilliant light poured forth, unveiling a whirlwind of activity. Scores of men hurriedly transported wooden crates. The entire storage was packed with even more of those boxes, and the mysterious herbal smell drifted through the air.
'Drugs?'
"Who is the boss here? I came here with a business!" Tia's voice rang out, authoritative and commanding. The bustling activity came to an abrupt halt as every pair of eyes turned to fixate on her.
Those numerous, intense gazes bore into her, and for a fleeting moment, she felt a twinge of vulnerability, the weight of their collective attention momentarily unnerving her.
"You?! Do you think Daddy Stan will speak with some random wench that shows up on his doorstep?!" The warehouse shook, and all the mobsters stepped aside as an elderly man in a gray tailcoat walked forward, his black, walking cane tapping on the ground.
Tia immediately sensed the energy searing out the glowing runes decorating the cane, making her smile, 'A mage... maybe I will not have to look for a bigger fish.'
She drew her wand, and the elderly mage stopped, both of their eyes shining as they ogled each other.
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