A ploy begins

The sun cast a warm, golden hue over Darwood City as Seth's flying mount gracefully descended to the designated landing dock. With practiced ease, he settled the mount and disembarked, a sense of urgency propelling his steps. The city was alive with its usual bustle, but Seth's mind was solely focused on his destination—the Accuraid family mansion.

A carriage took him and the two butlers through the noble district, winding streets lined with opulent residences that bore witness to generations of affluence. As he approached the outskirts, where merchant families of sufficient wealth resided, he spotted the grandeur of his family's mansion. The head maid Mrs Milcah, her attire reflecting the family's status, greeted him at the entrance. Without delay, she led him through familiar corridors to the main bedroom, a place he hadn't visited in quite some time.

Upon opening the door, an overpowering medicinal scent wafted towards him, instantly assaulting his senses. His heart clenched as he entered the room, his eyes falling upon his father's frail form laid out on the bed. Harold Accuraid's once robust figure appeared gaunt and feeble, his complexion pallid like a fading candle's flame.

His father's voice, though weak, carried a hint of relief. "Seth, you've come."

An array of emotions surged within Seth—concern, worry, and a faint speck of dread. Silently extending his magika, he began to scan his father's body, an act considered unsightly in the mage world but necessary in this dire circumstance. However, his attempt at understanding his father's condition was abruptly interrupted as the door closed on its own, sealing the room with an array he knew off, the silencing array. Created to maintain secrecy in situations. A sense of foreboding crept over him.

Harold Accuraid stirred, his gaze meeting Seth's. The corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile, his voice which was just a moment ago a mere whisper was now back to its original strong and heavy pitch. "My son, it's good to see you."

Seth's brows furrowed as he processed his father's words. Something wasn't right. "Father, what's happening?"

Harold didn't answer immediately, but directed toward a chair next to his bed, "Have a seat, I know it's been a long journey for you."

His father unraveled a tale of turmoil that had besieged their once-thriving Chamber of Commerce. A while back, the Chamber had suffered attacks from bandits—a guise, as Harold realized, for the Green Viscount's underhanded schemes. With Seth's alchemical aid and their own capabilities they managed to bolster their forces and thwart the attacks. However, the bandits returned, stronger and better organized, using battle formations to press their advantage. The city garrison, under the command of a corrupted knight Commander, dismissed their claims, leaving them with no choice but to hire mercenaries. Yet, internal conflicts rendered the mercenary plan untenable, forcing them to halt their caravans.

"I think that was around the time I was threatened by his son, Arthur." Seth said, causing his father's eyes to widen .

"Did they do anything to you?" he asked, the worry evident in his voice. To which Seth assured his father that they didn't have the capabilities to harm him. This caused the man to ease up. He then continued, unfortunately the tide of adversity surged further as the Green Viscount merged various small-scale chambers of commerce and even some medium-scale chambers of commerce into the newly-formed Clover Chamber of Commerce. Provocatively situating their shops in the Accuraids' territory, they initiated a ruthless price war. Thugs, on the Viscount's payroll, wreaked havoc upon their stalls, shops, employees, and customers. Harold had been forced to call up a favor in the city patrol, leading to the capture of these thugs. Yet, their release, orchestrated by a powerful hand, followed a murky path of bribery and influence made his work drain down the drain. Even contact he had in the patrol abruptly distanced themselves from him.

Harold Accuraid's voice dropped to a cold tone as he recounted an attempt on his life—an assassin slipping past their defenses. His pendant artifact, the very gift Set had presented to him, had saved him, but the encounter revealed a shadowy conspiracy. The assassin, a Tier 3 Great Knight, possessed formidable strength, overpowering the combined might of two peak true Knights, his butler Norman and Borin, and causing the poisoned blade used by the assassin to strike his arm. Having completed his objective, the assassin left. Unfortunately, the inhouse medic couldn't solve the poison and even the city Great medic Samiel was defeated. The revelation threw Seth's world into disarray, prompting Harold to explain the artifact known as the Moonlight Touch.

A relic of unparalleled potency, the Moonlight Touch absorbed moonlight to produce a healing liquid of miraculous potency. Harold had kept this secret even from all but one person, his late wife, for it had helped him cheat death on numerous occasions. However, its drawback was the time it took to generate the healing substance—a single drop required half a year of moonlight absorption. Despite the limitations, this artifact had once again pulled Harold from the brink of death's grasp.

With solemn conviction, Harold Accuraid disclosed his intent—to feign illness and draw their enemies out. The scheme aimed to expose the orchestrators of their misfortune and their compatriots more so those within his payroll and shelter, offering an opportunity to crush them once and for all. Yet, he needed Seth's unwavering support to execute this intricate plan.

Seth absorbed the weight of his father's words, the magnitude of the situation bearing down on him. The complexity of their enemy's web and the direness of their predicament unfurled before him. His mind raced, parsing through the details, the risks, and the potential outcomes. He looked into his father's eyes, a blend of vulnerability and determination reflected within them.

"Father," Seth began, his voice steady despite the wicked grin gracing his face, "it's actually been somewhat boring back at the Institution, I won't mind playing this game."

Hahahaha!!! Harold burst into laughter; the absurdity of his son's words had unwittingly eased up the months pressure that he had placed on himself. He eyed his dear son once more as renewed vigor burned in him; he wouldn't let anything happen.