49 Awakening Time 1

As they settled themselves in Aaron's living room, Vicente and Rory took a moment to observe the space's decor.

There were numerous medals and first-place awards from various competitions adorned on the shelf behind the place where Aaron sat a few moments after receiving them.

The decoration of this office exuded a vintage atmosphere with various leather furnishings, a mounted moose head, and an array of daggers that were displayed as if giving the impression of being trophies as well.

From the looks of the place, it wasn't hard to judge that Aaron was a hunter.

Although Vicente found this somewhat unusual, and his eyes squinted for a moment, he said nothing.

Aaron silently gazed at Rory for a brief moment before breaking the silence and initiating a conversation, "So, Rory, what exactly do you want with me? Sweet Cheeks sent you here for exactly what?"

Rory exchanged glances with Vicente and then turned to that man, "I would like to make something clear, senior Aaron. Vice and I did not come here on her behalf. She made it clear to us that we should inform you that this has no relation to her.

She merely guided us, and your help will pay the debt that the senior owes to her. So we are here for ourselves and not for her."

Aaron nodded affirmatively. "Of course, she left this world and didn't want to return. I understand it. But why would she direct you to me? Not that I don't want to repay my debt to her, but I find it a bit strange."

Vice chimed in, "She knows she can't stop Rory and me from pursuing our paths, so she suggested you because she believed you can help us mitigate certain risks."

Aaron's curiosity piqued, "Risks about what?" He scrutinized Vicente while narrowing his eyes.

This black-haired young man got straight to the point. "Risks from the underworld, targeted at us."

After hearing this, Aaron's eyes opened wider, and he leaned his back against his armchair. "So, that's it..."

Rory explained further, "We have a business we aim to establish in this city, but we're still uncertain about how the local powers are subdivided. Surely someone within your connections can help us in that regard."

"But why would you guys want to get involved with the underworld?" Aaron questioned. "You can certainly thrive by acting in the light of day."

While he could introduce these young people to the local underworld and repay his debts by helping these two with the basics, Aaron understood the underworld was complicated.

Every action carried implications, and he preferred to get entangled in something that could potentially hit him in the future without even fully comprehending the motivations of the people he was going to get associated with.

Vicente responded, "We believe there is more opportunity in the underworld. We acknowledge the risks and are willing to accept them, given the opportunities that exist in the shadows of the night. We have some ideas for products and services that we believe are in short supply in Millfall. However, they stand a better chance of success if we use alternative avenues to introduce them to society."

Vicente's demeanor was uncharacteristic for a 14-year-old, which was evident to Aaron as he saw both young men. He realized they were unusually astute and well-prepared for their endeavor.

Gazing into this boy's black eyes, Aaron considered the matter for a moment. 'This young man knows what he is getting into... He does not speak like a reckless fool who is about to make the mistake of his life.'

Thinking about it, Aaron turned his attention back to Rory, noting that while this young man had potential, he was nothing closer when compared to Vicente. Heidi's son was certainly not the leader there. He held the number two position at most.

The hierarchy between the two was evident, which immediately pleased Aaron.

In the underworld, more than anywhere else, hierarchy was crucial. Without a clear distinction between the possibilities of each person involved, a project would hardly work out.

Aaron then said, "Alright, what do you need? I will help you, but don't get me into trouble. If you get involved in something that you shouldn't, I won't hesitate to pretend as if I don't know you."

Upon hearing this, Rory smiled at Vice while the young man grinned quietly.

"We have some plans, but we need some information to make a few adjustments," Vicente said, with no intention of revealing what he precisely intended to do. "First of all, we need to know the composition of the relevant powers in the light of day and in the darkness of the night.

Nobles, wealthy individuals, merchants, and criminal groups. We need to know at least the basics about each of them, their locations, places where they operate, what they are involved in."

That was the kind of foundational information that was necessary for someone who was entering the underworld so that they would be able to avoid stepping into places where they shouldn't.

Any fool with a few gold coins and a modicum of patience could discover these things through personal investigation.

Talking about these details was not a problem for Aaron.

"What else?"

"Second, we need help in establishing contacts with some of these powers."

"Who exactly?" Aaron inquired, looking seriously into Vicente's eyes.

Vicente responded, "I don't know yet. That depends on the first thing I asked you for. Without that information, I cannot tell you whom I want to contact."

"I see."

"Third, I want to know about reliable suppliers of minerals and also blacksmiths."

"Blacksmiths? Do you intend on producing something for sale?"

"Sort of," Rory replied.

With that, their conversation continued for a few moments, with Vicente and Rory clarifying what they needed, which didn't seem excessive to Aaron.

After they were done talking, Aaron promised to provide them with information about the local power game within a few days.

Unfortunately for the two of them, he had an appointment in a few minutes and would be out of Millfall for the next week.

In the meantime, one of his subordinates would contact them in the following days to deliver them a document outlining Millfall's invisible division.

This document would have its own map detailing the areas of influence of the different faction groups in the city, which would be essential for someone like Vicente or Rory to watch out for.

To ensure the agreement, they signed a Magic Agreement with Aaron, thereby guaranteeing this man no longer owed Heidi anything, and their agreement would get terminated once they received all the information and assistance they had agreed upon that day.

"Alright, boys, good luck with your future endeavors," Aaron said as he stood up, pointing the exit to Vice and Rory. "If your business is promising, feel free to contact me. I'll be interested in doing business with you."

"But if not, let's keep our distance," Rory added with a smile on his face.

"Exactly!"

After shaking hands with the two young men, Aaron watched them leave, soon setting off on his own way.

...

After their meeting with Aaron, Vicente, and Rory spent the next two days preparing for their upcoming activities in this city. That included fighting daily and training their combat skills.

The men in their group continued their training whenever they had the chance, sometimes even receiving valuable tips from Vice and Rory.

As much as Rory didn't have Vicente's extensive experience, Vice had been instructing him since childhood, making him highly proficient in various skills compared to these men.

And so, before they received contact from one of Aaron's men, it was finally time for Rory's Awakening!

Rory was slightly older than Vicente by a few weeks, so he would undergo the Awakening Ceremony the following day!