Lucian stopped the verbal fight by rising from his seat, "As you can see, we are a bunch of clowns with no talent. You will fit right in."
"..." The Vices' laughter stopped, and they stared at Lucian with disbelief. They all made a similar expression, like he had betrayed them. In front of the newcomers no less. Of course they would be more affected by Lucian's words than anyone else's.
"They have passed the test," Lucian said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
'HOW?!' one stare.
'WHEN?!' second stare.
'WHAT TEST?!' third stare.
They looked at each other, not remembering any test, not even a background check.
Lucian rested his hands on the table, leaning forward, "Anyone can pretend to be strong, but not everyone can admit their weakness. I ordered them to call you weak, and make it believable. Good merchants know how to sell their words."
Wolk and Slin rubbed the back of their necks, a bit shaken by the reactions they received. No Vice asked Lucian to reject them (Wolk and Slin) for the insult. More like the Vice were ready to protect themselves in case Lucian decided to hire them (Wolk and Slin) anyway.
"Well," Leaf clapped his hands, "I hope these ones will last longer than the last candidates."
The room quieted down at the mention of the failed Vice candidates. They lacked the skill to handle the job, and were demoted back to managers.
It became even quieter when Ash walked in with his black coat over his head, barely showing his face, and sat next to Penny, his head hung low.
Lord Ashtor burned with hatred for Ash and Penny, but kept his mouth shut out of respect for Lucian. The rest of Vices still haven't gotten over Ash's betrayal, and the cold treatment was showing. They observed him like a bug under a magnifying glass. Everyone knew he betrayed Lucian, and only his usefulness kept him alive.
Ash didn't seem to mind, and kept his head down most of the time.
Killing each other's father figures didn't make for a good friendship starter. Both sides did what was necessary for their survival, and that was that.
One could as well say that Lord A's father wouldn't be pushed into that situation if not for Lucian's interference. The same went for the Woodhearts. He wouldn't have targeted them if they had no connection with Lord A's father.
It was a never ending cycle of cause and effect, and the one who came on top was the one who knew how to play it best.
Who could ever say they attacked a pirate ship and had its crew working for them after? Enemies to allies, not a bad trade, if you asked Lucian.
Simply because he made them understand his viewpoint, and made them adapt to his way of thinking. He forgave their betrayal, and they now thought of him as a man of reason. The voice of wisdom even.
Lucian's eyes moved to Jax, "Did the investigation turn up anything useful?"
"No, Boss," Jax shook his head, showing off the professional side of him, "But news of Lady Rochefort killing one of our men has reached us. It says she caught him spying on her, and executed him on the spot."
The Vices began to murmur among themselves, discussing the news.
"Could the ambush be her doing as well?" Cansan asked, grim circles under his eyes at the mention of the lost lives. He hadn't slept, blaming himself for the accident. Those people worked directly under him after all, "The Rocheforts were the closest to the scene."
Lucian was in a trance, staring at the wooden table's surface, "Who? Who did she kill?"
"Lucian Arclight, a garden keeper, blond hair, male, 20 years old." Jax listed the information he had gathered, "The execution was done in public."
"Are you sure it was her? Did anyone confirm it with their own eyes?" Lucian asked, his eyes meeting Jax's, "And what happened to the body?"
"Should we send someone to retrieve it? Implicating the Rocheforts would not be wise, but do we want her to get away with it?" Cansan's anger was barely controlled, his voice low, "The people are scared to work there now."
Jax looked at Lucian, waiting for his orders.
"Retrieve the body ," Lucian said, "As for the Rocheforts. What birthday gift for the Duke's daughter would be best to remind her of Glory's generosity?"
"Huh?" The Vices blinked in confusion, "A gift?"
"What did I say about revenge that would not bring us any benefits? If she thinks he was a spy, then he had to be. Make sure the facts support it, and make it public." Lucian looked at his hands.
'This is not time to be reckless, Celine. The church is after your head, and you just made it easier for them.'
"Boss, what are we going to do to her?" Jax asked, mirroring the others' confusion.
They had no idea that he was actually protecting her from the outside threats, not planning her demise.
"What do you think?" Lucian replied, keeping his thoughts to himself.
"Show her what happens when she crosses Glory?"
"Make her beg for mercy?"
"Let the people see her fall?"
"Make her a public example?"
His wife was truly hated by many.
"So, what gift should I get for someone who has everything?" Lucian asked, as if he didn't hear the answers. "Krystal, do you have any suggestions? A Varia item perhaps?"
Krystal turned her head towards him. The blank gaze from before had shifted, her eyes clearer. As if speaking required her to return to the land of the living, "The Queen's tears."
It made everyone jump in surprise at her sudden voice. Deep, androgynous, making it impossible to tell if she was male or female.
"What's that?" Lucian asked, while others were still recovering from the shock.
"The only item in the world that contains its own astral energy. It's a living substance capable of producing light and heat."
"How can I obtain it?" he asked.
"The tree of life has been cut down, but the seed is still alive," Krystal said, her eyes going blank again, "Where the tree fell, the sky cried tears of fire. They still burn to this day, creating the light you see at night. No Varia has ever been able to approach them without getting burned. It's the Queen's wrath that protects the seed."
"Well, she's not even your lover," Jax immediately tried to stop the dangerous idea from sprouting any further, "You don't need to impress her with a suicide gift."
'Exactly. She is not my lover, she's my wife.' Lucian was set on going there.
Queen's wrath sounded like a fitting gift for Celine, it would either impress her or enrage her more. He could work with both.
Groans and complaints filled the room when they saw Lucian's determined face.
"What if it's just a made up story to make you jump into a volcano? What proof do we have that it's real?" Cansan asked.
"Do you remember what happened during the Spiritual Rot age?" Goblin interrupted, "The invaders must have destroyed the tree of life."
That's exactly what Lucian thought as well. Things were adding up, and the pieces were falling into place. They were getting closer to the truth behind the shackleds and the prophecy.