章節 13: Ch 13: The Explores Union

Levanya rushed over to the Explorers Union hoping that Hogarth hadn't left for the night.

Lucky he was still in.

"Levanya, what can I do for you?" Hogarth asked. Directing her to take the seat opposite of him.

"I'm sorry to bother you but it's about Vivik." Levanya said.

"Were you able to find out anything about what happened? I'm sorry that we haven't been able to be of more help here. Everyone that could be of use are on the other side of the gates at the moment." Hogarth said.

As Baldeur was listening he felt something was off about Hogarth tone and inflection. It was difficult to fully tell over the transmission spell but he was trying too hard to justify his actions or lack thereof.

If he was in the room Baldeur would be able to gain a sense of his emotions.

"Pantel came to pay me a visit today. He all but admitted he kidnapped Vivek. I need your help in pressuring him to release Vivek." Levanya said.

Hogarth was silent for a moment which made Levanya worry. As far as she knew, her family always had a good relationship with Hogarth and the Explorers Union.

"What did he ask for in exchange for your husband?" Hogarth asked.

"What does that matter? I'm not giving that bastard anything." Levanya replied.

"If he has been this persistent over the years maybe appeasement is the best course of action?" Hogarth said.

Back at the townhouse, Jaya looked in the direction of Baldeur's room as she left a dark energy for a brief moment coming from that direction.

Killing intent had leaked from Baldeur as he heard what Hogarth said. He highly suspected that the leader of the Explorers Union had gone the way of Doctor Azarias. Whether it was a bribe of blackmail, Pantel seemed to have him in his pocket.

"I will not give in to what that lecherous creep wants." Levanya said. "If you don't help, I'm not sure Vivek will be returned safely. He's been very loyal to the Explorers Union and has brought you great benefits."

"His work has been very beneficial to the Union. Unfortunately I have to stress the past tense there. He hasn't been on any important missions and has only been going through more established gates recently. We're the Explorers Union. We need people that explore new regions so that we can sell the information gathered." Hogarth said.

Levanya couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had thought better of Hogarth, but in the end, he was like so many that she had grown up around. If someone was not of immediate value they were tossed aside.

"If Vivek isn't returned safely, our family's relationship with the Explorers Union will be over. Three of our children have two Sources. Are you truly willing to throw away the chance of them joining you in the future?" Levanya said.

"I can't risk the Duke's irritation for a possible benefit in the distant future. I'm sorry Levanya but there isn't anything that I can do at the moment. If the situation changes I might be able to help, but my hands are tied right now." Hogarth said.

Levanya came to the realization that he never had any intention of helping.

"It is very convenient that anyone that would help us in the Union, is not around." Levanya said.

Hogarth's face tightened at the accurate accusation.

Levanya walked to the door before turning around. "I hope whatever deal you made is worth it. Because if you think Leonid, Torben, Sahrazad, or Agaue are going to be happy with how you abandoned their friend, you're a bigger fool than I think you are."

A few minutes after she left, Hogarth let out a sigh.

"Your boss better come through on his end. Like she said, most of my experts aren't going to be happy with how this is going down." He said.

"There's no need to worry. Everyone will get what they want in the end." A voice from the corner of the room said.

The door to Hogarth's office opened and closed without showing who left.

He scowled once he was alone. If only he hadn't been caught smuggling contraband through the Union. Little did he know Pantel was deeply involved with the blackmarket in the district.

Levanya quickly made her way home not knowing that she was being followed by someone that had been watching her family from the shadows for a while now.

Back home Levanya found her family was still safe and sound. She feared that Pantel would make a move on her children when she was away.

She explained the situation to Jaya and Sofia who chose to stay the night with her to provide emotional support and just in case something happened.

Baldeur had stayed in his room going over his options.

He thought about revealing that he had at least three Sources to Hogarth, hoping that his greed to attain someone with his potential might sway him to their side.

But if he was willing to lose the Aslanbek family and a few of his top experts in order to help Pantel, it was unlikely revealing anything to him would change the outcome.

Baldeur cursed the fact that he was still a child. Once he was older and had a handle on all seven Sources, he'd be able to stroll into the district's pillar and beat that lecherous bastard to death for even thinking of harming his family.

But his experience of sneaking into Doctor Azarias' house two years ago showed him how weak he currently was. He might have improved a lot in these two years but not enough to openly or secretly go against someone with the resources that his current enemy had.

He needed aid from someone that had enough power behind them that Pantel couldn't touch his family for years to come.

After going over all of the powers he knew of in the district, Baldeur made a decision on who to approach first. It would mean that he'd lose some freedoms and would be attached to them for the foreseeable future, but he didn't feel like he had much of a choice.

Well, he could always give up on his father and mother from this life and just think of his own gains and glory. But he was never the type of person that could abandon people that he cared for.

Elsewhere in the townhouse, Levanya was making a similar decision as her son. There was a power in the city that she could reach out to but the cost would be nearly as high as just submitting to Pantel.

But it was a cost that she hoped that she would live with.

Her quill wrote out her request for aid to someone that she swore she'd never contact.