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After handing the new pet to Freya and instructing her to take care of him, Kiyotaka made a mental list of things to do. He was going to stay busy the whole day while also distributing some bottles of rejuvenation medicines that were made by Freya to hasten her digestion process.
He wished for Freya to ascend to Sequence 8: Beast Tamer as soon as possible so he could have a bestial Beyonder companion.
With that matter settled, Kiyotaka left and made his way towards Bravehearts Bar.
The first thing he did upon arriving was inspect the tavern as it had become something of a habit by now. He checked the state of the establishment, went through the day's earnings, and counted the money remaining in the cash register.
After setting aside the amount required to cover the tavern's usual expenses, he took the remaining profit and stuffed the notes into his pocket, boosting his wealth to £6.100
The £6.000 came from the initial deposit given by Maury Macht on behalf of the military.
Once he had finished, Kiyotaka headed towards the billiards room. He opened the door and found that someone was already waiting for him.
It was a woman dressed in a regal black dress who sat, or well, floated, above one of the chairs. Her small top hat was resting neatly upon her silky blonde hair, while her expressions remained as neutral as ever.
She had chosen a seat partially concealed by the shadows, making her presence somewhat difficult to notice at first glance.
Not that Kiyotaka had any trouble noticing her... Or rather, it was almost impossible to miss someone as beautiful as her, no matter how much receded into the shadows she was.
Kiyotaka closed the door behind himself and slowly removed his hat before taking the chair opposite her and sitting in silence.
A moment later, a rough-looking man with a messy moustache entered the room and stopped as Kiyotaka glanced at him.
"What can I help you with?"
"A coffee, please." His gaze shifted towards Miss Sharron. "Would you like anything?"
Sharron gave a small shake of her head causing Kiyotaka to look back at the man. "One coffee it is."
"Coming right up." The man spoke in a subdued manner before turning around and leaving the room. Kiyotaka waited until the door had closed behind him before shifting slightly in his seat.
For a brief moment, neither Miss Sharron nor Kiyotaka spoke. Then, surprisingly, Miss Sharron was the one who broke the silence. "Good afternoon."
Kiyotaka nodded his head slightly. "Good afternoon. I received your letter a few days ago. Apologies for being so late. I had a few things to tend to."
Sharron shook her head slightly and pursed her lips. "There is no need to apologize."
Her lips moved softly and words came out effortlessly. Crossing her arms, she leaned back into the seat while looking outside at the smog that had thickened even more, causing her own reflection to stare back at her.
Then, she disappeared and re-appeared a few moments later. In her hands was a scarf like fabric, however, it had an eerie look to it. It looked a little stiff compared to materials used in scarfs and had strange patterns woven into it.
Sharron placed the scarf on the table that seemed to have been submerged into blood.
Kiyotaka's eyes flicked from her beautiful, doll-like face towards the scarf and then back towards her face.
"Your commission is ready. The Artisan we were in contact with is moving a lot these days due to surveillance from the churches, and hence it took quite a lot of time. He wished to relay his apologies in this regard."
"There is no need to apologize." Kiyotaka mirrored what Sharron had said a few moments ago, causing her to stare at him for a long while before looking back down at the blood-drenched scarf.
"It was able to retain five abilities such as Anti Divination, Body Augmentation, Wither Explosion, Contact Freeze and Ice Stun. As for the negative side-effects, if it is used for more than fifteen minutes, it will cause your blood to freeze and your skin to rot away at the same time. After the twenty minute mark, you will fully turn into a mindless zombie.
You can seal it by freezing it inside a 70-30 mixture of fresh water and fresh blood. If you do not seal it, it will infect nearby objects with Wither, Decay and Rot."
Sharron explained and then looked at Ember on Kiyotaka's wrist. A moment later she removed her eyes from it and looked back up to him who picked the scarf.
It was cold to touch and felt slightly corrosive.
"Thank you." Kiyotaka replied and then wrapped it around his neck. However, he did not activate it and just took its feel around his warm neck before taking it off. "Do I owe you anything?"
"No." Sharron replied simply and bluntly. Then, her mind went to something else as she changed the subject. "There are talks of an attack on the Feysac Empire's Gargas Archipelago."
Kiyotaka was not surprised. After all, the actions of Astrid were bound to have ramifications. However, what was surprising was the communication between Loen Kingdom and Feysac Empire, or well, the lack of it.
Normally the war and fighting between two nations is a product of agreements between the two sides for their own benefits. And while the two were not exactly democracies in the strictest sense, there was still quite a lot of diplomacy involved.
Which begs the question... Why is the Loen Kingdom so hasty in taking revenge? That too at a key point like Gargas Archipelago.
This also posed quite a large amount of problems for Kiyotaka. If an all out war broke out between the two empires, the current king was definitely going to use it as the opportunity for his own Apotheosis. Which meant that Kiyotaka would be unable to escape the vices of the entity that is subtly influencing his life.
It was quite troublesome.
"I see. Is there any additional intelligence on the matter?"
"No. Some of our acquaintances managed to overhear a group of soldiers. The news is not exactly confirmed either." Sharron explained in her usual cold and distant manner.
"It could be a tactic to instill fear or paranoia in Feysac, yes." He paused and then looked outside. It was becoming exceedingly impossible to see outside. However, what was stranger was the fact that his Spiritual Intuition from Ember was somewhat alerting him. "The weather is quite miserable these days."
Sharron looked outside as well and then pursed her glossy lips. "It is."
Kiyotaka observed the blonde woman's face and then cleared his throat. "Is it possible to employ your help in the near future?"
"Yes. It will cost you £5.000"
"That is too much."
Sharron looked at his face in her usual manner and a somewhat deadpan look appeared on it. "The rate is dictated by your ability to earn. You can earn quite a lot, so that is the final rate."
'Well, I don't really need her help, but it's better to have some kind of back-up. That said, five thousand pounds are too much. Even if I had twenty thousand pounds, I wouldn't agree to this price. While having a Sequence 5 by my side is quite beneficial, the ROI is unfavorable.'
"I keep almost nothing of what I earn." Kiyotaka shrugged and then placed his hand on his sword-cane, putting a little bit of his weight on it, as if ready to stand up. "Unfortunately that is how businesses are. So unless we can agree on a thousand pounds, I fear we may not have a deal."
Sharron looked at him and then floated up until her face was in front of his. Kiyotaka's features reflected in her crystal blue eyes as she gave a taciturn nod. "One thousand and five hundred."
Kiyotaka brought his hand forward. "Deal."
Sharron stared at his hand for a good few seconds, enough to make Kiyotaka almost pull his hand back before gently slipping her small hand into his and then pulling it back away almost immediately. "Ok."
With that said, the doll-like woman disappeared.
Kiyotaka looked down at the scarf and hummed.
'What to name it... Hmm. Since it has Decay, Rot and Wither properties, let's just call it Rime. That said, why does this particular one need to have a sealing method? It can't be the Sequence level. Gloom is made from a Sequence 6 as well. Is it because of Jason's psyche's imprint being much stronger than the devil dog's? This is a topic worth considering. I should probably look into it some time later.'
With that out of the way, Kiyotaka ticked off one of the to-do things from his checklist.
Once that was done, he made his way through the thick smog towards a rather discreet but expensive hotel.
As he entered, his bones were greeted by the warmth. Ruffling his black hair, his pale and mad green eyes landed on a butler who took quick strides and arrived beside him, greeting him in a hospitable manner. "Good afternoon, sir! How can I help you today, sir?"
"I have a room reserved here. Under the name of Hyde."
"Please accompany me to the reception, sir! I shall have everything confirmed for you immediately!" His tone was overly cheerful and high-pitched.
The hotel was quite posh, even compared to the other expensive hotels Kiyotaka had lodged in after his first rented house was blown to bits during his fight with Giant — The Rose Bishop. It was quite ironic, in a way, that Aurora Order who had their mid-Sequence Beyonder killed by him are not looking for his co-operation.
Of course, the Aurora Order's members were lunatics and the death of one of many disposable members meant nothing to them. There was also the possibility that they didn't even know that it was Williams who killed Giant.
As he walked, the thick carpets swallowed the sound of his footsteps, while the brass fixtures and dark wooden furnishings made him turn every now and then.
As they reached the reception desk, the butler leaned towards the clerk and exchanged a few quiet words. Then the clerk glanced at Kiyotaka before opening the guest register. "Mr. Hyde, I presume?"
"Yes."
"Excellent, sir." The clerk ran his finger down the page before producing a small brass key attached to a wooden tag. "Your room has been prepared. Everything is in order."
Kiyotaka accepted the key but did not immediately leave as he turned to look at the clerk. "Has anyone arrived before me?"
The clerk hesitated and then cleared his throat. "Yes, sir. Your guest arrived some time ago, sir. She was informed that you would be joining her shortly."
"I see."
The butler gave him an understanding smile, as though he had encountered such arrangements countless times before and said effortlessly. "Everything has been handled discreetly, sir. You have my word."
"Good."
The butler's smile became a little more pronounced as he began to guide Kiyotaka. "If there is anything else you require during your stay, please do not hesitate to summon me. A late supper, additional refreshments, perhaps a bottle of wine, or anything else that would make your stay more comfortable... And enjoyable"
His tone was perfectly professional.
Kiyotaka glanced at the man's expectant expression before reaching into his pocket and producing a small coin, causing the butler's eyes to immediately drop towards it. His hand moved forward effortlessly as his smile stretched from ear-to-ear.
Kiyotaka placed it in his palm. "Thank you. I need some private time so you can excuse yourself from the duties of room service."
The man's expression brightened considerably as he nodded and then bowed his head.
"My pleasure, sir. Allow me to show you to your room."
"You don't need to."
Kiyotaka turned towards the staircase, causing the butler to freeze. However, the same practiced and amicable smile appeared back on his face. "Of course, sir."
Kiyotaka took two steps before stopping. "Actually."
"Yes, sir?" The butler's head lifted from the £1 coin.
"How thick are the walls?"
"The... walls, sir?"
"Between the rooms."
The butler blinked and then his lips shuddered, as if repressing a smile. "They are constructed rather solidly, sir. This establishment prides itself on its privacy. You should find the rooms quite peaceful."
"Good." With that, Kiyotaka left.
Behind him, the butler remained standing for a moment, staring at his back with an expression that suggested he had just encountered a particularly unusual guest.
The hotel became noticeably quieter as Kiyotaka ascended up the stairs.
The upper floors seemed to have an entirely different vibe to them. The carpets were thicker and the lighting dimmer.
Gas lamps had been placed at considerable intervals along the walls, leaving portions of the corridor comfortably concealed in shadows while the heavy wooden doors were spaced farther apart than those in ordinary hotels, and most lacked the sort of elaborate numbering that would have made them easy to locate.
Each door was of a different color and bore small brass plates that had rooms in odd numbers.
Kiyotaka reached the second floor and continued upwards again.
As he passed one of the landings, a maid emerged from a corridor while carrying an empty silver tray. She immediately lowered her gaze and stepped aside without saying a word, as if even looking at Kiyotaka was a crime.
Meanwhile, he continued without paying her much attention.
However, soon enough, he noticed a couple standing near the far end of the corridor.
A middle-aged man who was dressed in an immaculate evening coat was standing with his back towards the staircase. Beside him was a young woman wearing a fashionable dress and a wide-brimmed hat and a veil over her face.
There seemed to be zero familiarity between them that suggested they were a married couple, nor did they carry any luggage. The middle-aged man glanced around before quietly opening the door, allowing the young woman to enter first.
Looking at the scene with amusement, Kiyotaka continued climbing.
'This is basically a glorified brothel. I wonder why Mal chose this place.'
Eventually, he reached the third floor where the corridors were even quieter.
The walls were thick enough that the sounds from the neighboring rooms were non-existent. There were no windows overlooking the street either, only a series of heavy curtains covering narrow panes of frosted glass.
Kiyotaka walked down the eastern corridor, counting the doors until he found his room.
When he did, he inserted the key into the lock. The door opened with a click and he pushed it open.
The room was much, much larger than he had expected. It was more than twice the size of his master bedroom in Sørlund Street.
A sitting area occupied one side that was furnished with a pair of upholstered chairs and a small table while a fireplace had been built into the wall opposite to the entrance, though it was currently unlit.
Heavy curtains covered the windows, blocking out most of Backlund's miserable sight that was choked to the brim with lung burning smog.
The bedchamber was separated from the sitting area by another door.
Seeing as how the entire place was empty, he walked over to the bedchambers. There, on the bed, was a handsome woman. Not pretty... but handsome. Of course, she did look feminine given how well-endowed she was around her chest and buttocks, but there was something about her which made her look more handsome than pretty.
Her long and matted auburn-red hair seemed to be washed as they reached her shoulders and curled upwards in messy tangles. Her red eyes were sharp and focused.
She was wearing a typical Loenese dress consisting of a buttoned shirt tucked tightly into a long skirt and a belt cinched around her waist. Her arms and legs were bound loosely to the bed.
There was a bored expression on her face as she looked around the room. Suddenly, her sharp eyes landed on Kiyotaka and she scoffed.
"Welcome home, darling. I tied myself up for you~" She said in a soft manner.
"Thank you." Kiyotaka replied as he walked over to her. Then, he pulled a sofa beside the bed and sat on it. "You seem to be doing quite well, compared to before."
"Your doggy has been quite lenient after you put him on a leash." Astrid replied in her usual haughty manner.
"I see. Well, I am here because I was told you wished to talk to me. So whatever it is, you can say it now. That said, I want you to be transparent. Of course, if you try to make a Conspiracy, I have a way of knowing that as well." Kiyotaka bluffed.
"I know that much." Astrid rolled her eyes. "You don't need to sing ballads in your favor."
Kiyotaka felt his brow twitch involuntarily.
"Nå men, what I was telling your dog, which he refused to listen to and insisted you tell me yourself, was that I do not want to go back to Feysac and certainly do not want to die. As you know, I am from a branch family who are merely wardens. They are going to be stripped of their titles very soon and probably executed as well due to their actions."
"Your actions."
Astrid laughed and flicked her short hair. "Same thing. Even if the Albrecht family does not face the wrath, I am certainly doomed to die. So, I have decided to become yours."
"I do not feel like you have the luxury of choosing." Kiyotaka replied and then gently revealed Ember before running his finger over it. "I have been getting a little tired of this. It was made out of a Pyromaniac that I killed myself. That said, I feel like your abilities are well suited and quite desirable. If I want someone like you, why not turn your specialness into an item and then use it myself?"
Astrid suddenly bristled but then calmed down as she smirked. "Well, can that puny bracelet satisfy your manly desires? Or do you shove your cock down the bracelet? Hah! You do give off vibes of a deviant. Well? It can't do that, right? I can help you with a lot of other things too."
"That would depend on the value of information you are willing to provide." Kiyotaka leaned back. "I doubt a harlot would have a fixed object of loyalty."
Astrid smirked once more, causing her silky and curly hair to bounce around. "Dirty talk already?" She bit her lip and then laughed before shaking her head. "Well, I like you, you know. Even compared to the main family, I am quite talented. But I want to be of help to you."
"Why?"
The smirk on Astrid's face suddenly vanished. Her eyes became vacant for a fleeting moment, as if her brain had forgotten its function and then the light returned back to her eyes. Kiyotaka caught this, however, he then leaned back, doing and thinking nothing.
"No reason. I just want to. As I said, I have come to like you. Believe it or not, I am the best Conspirer you are going to find in the entirety of the Feysac Empire." She spoke in her usual manner. "Or anywhere else. I have no interest in siding with others due to my origins. And from a preliminary judgement I know how you function. You need someone to do your dirty work for you while you stay clean."
She inhaled and smiled deviously. "You are from Lawyer Pathway, right? Sequence 7. Quite impressive you were able to see through my conspiracy. It's Sequence 6 and 5 are called Baron of Corruption and Mentor of Disorder. Do you know the ritual for Sequence 5?"
Kiyotaka shook his head.
"Well, you are in luck then! We had a prisoner from Loen once. And we were able to extract Sequence 9 to 5 formulas from him. I can give you that as well. If you are worried about me backstabbing you... Well you are quite smart for thinking that.
Astrid's smile widened.
"But I know quite a lot about the Feysac Empire. The military, the nobles, the Beyonder families, and some of the organizations. Even if you have no intention of going there yourself, information about Feysac can still be useful to you."
She paused for a moment, her red eyes studying Kiyotaka who sat entirely motionless. His expressions were blank and she was unable to parse his intentions. Hence, she continued. "I can also tell you which people are worth avoiding."
"That sounds rather vague."
"Because I am not going to give away everything for free." Astrid laughed softly. "You have already threatened to turn me into a glory bracelet. I think I have earned the right to negotiate a little."
Kiyotaka remained silent as Astrid continued. "The Albrecht family has quite a few things that would interest you as well. There is a Sealed Artifact here in Loen as well... Well, I lost that one, but I can give you methods to retrieve it. It's chained to me, and hence I can recall it."
She leaned back against the headboard and gave Kiyotaka a seductive look. "And then there are my own abilities."
"Your abilities?"
"My ability to make problems disappear. You are powerful, resourceful, smart and cunning, I know that much, but from what I have seen so far, you solve problems yourself. Even if that hideous man is quite loyal to you, a normal human is nothing in comparison to someone like me."
She gave her hair a flick as a few strands covered half of her face, making her look dreamy and seductive.
"You investigate, improvise, fight and then you clean up the mess afterward. That's inefficient for someone like you. I can take care of all that. I have various means to arrange coincidences, spread rumors, create conflicts and manipulate people into reaching conclusions that will benefit you." She shrugged. "That is what I am good at."
Kiyotaka looked at her quietly while Astrid met his gaze without hesitation. Their eyes reflected each other as Astrid swallowed. Her eyes glossed over for another while as she spoke in a somewhat desperate manner. "If you want to stay clean while other people do the dirty work. I can be that person."
The desperateness in her voice vanished suddenly and she shook her head. A moment or so of thought later, Astrid smiled again. "So, you see? You only need to decide whether I am more useful alive than dead."
"And if I decide you are?"
"Then you have yourself a very talented subordinate. Or mistress. Depending on what you want from me." Astrid's smile returned. "You'd never have to sleep around."
"I do not indulge needlessly anyways." Kiyotaka waved and took out a cigarette from his pocket. Seeing this, Astrid licked her lips as he looked up at her and then at the cigarette. "Quite an addict."
"Well, what can I say? All we did was smoke, drink, eat and sleep around. It's quite a nice life, unless you are someone special." Astrid replied. "So? What are you going to do?"
Kiyotaka stared at her and took in her entire frame before standing up. He walked over and slowly undid the cuffs that bound her.
Astrid rubbed her wrists and then sat up on her knees, spreading her knees while also arching her back to thrust her chest out towards him. She tilted her head to the side and smiled. "Thank you."
"Mhm." Kiyotaka hummed and walked over to the window. Removing the curtain to the side, he saw the thick fog and cleared his throat. Meanwhile, behind him, Astrid picked up the cigarette he had placed and alighted it before pressing it between her lips.
"Is that all?" He continued while looking outside.
"Yeah. What else can I ask for?" Astrid gave a small laugh. "I have already lost everything. So this is all."
Nodding his head, he moved towards the dressing table and wrote something on a piece of paper before leaving it there. "The room is paid for until tomorrow. I want you to go to this address first thing in the morning and complete the task. Mal will accompany you."
"Oh darling~ You can trust me. I don't need that hideous guy following me around."
Kiyotaka turned to look at her, causing her to snicker. "Just joking. Anyhow, now that we work together, what should I call you? Hyde? Well I have to say, that's an atrocious fake name. You couldn't be more obvious, haha!"
"You can call me whatever you want."
"Well then, I will call you sexy. Does that work?"
"No."
Laying back into the bed, Astrid crossed her legs, causing her skirt to skid down to her waist. "You're no fun. Oh well, anyways, I will do it. That said, I am not very good with the addresses. So it might take some time." She paused and thought about something. "What about my salary? If you are not going to pay me, I can settle for being your mistress. Are you married?"
"No. No. And no." Kiyotaka moved towards the door and opened it. "Get it done. I will send Mal in a moment."
"Whaaaaat? Are you going to deny the offer of such a seductive lady? Or are you interested in men? Don't call me a harlot again, that can't be the reason why you are abstaining from sleeping with me."
Kiyotaka stared at the strange woman for a few seconds as she stuck her tongue out. "Just kidding, just kidding."
Kiyotaka closed the door, however, as he did, his mind suddenly went to a strange thought. However, he could not place his finger on it.
'Something is wrong...' He thought, but then shook his head and kept walking straight.
Evening would soon arrive and he wished to get out with Freya, Daisy and Liv to get some sunlight. It had been too gloomy in Backlund recently.
On his way out, he handed a few bottles of rejuvenation bottles to the butlers who kept running here and there to tend to customers. He did the same for various laborers who were on lunch break at this hour.
He intended to attend Mr. A's Beyonder Meeting today as well, but for some odd reason, it was cancelled on an urgent notice.
Kiyotaka took a mental note of it and returned back home.