The Creeping Darkness

"You may come in."

The moment this deep voice echoed within the very dark room, and beyond, a door slowly creaked open.

The intruder was a man with slick brown hair, with bright green eyes, and a very classy outfit—a black waistcoat on top of a formal shirt, black trousers, and a neat tie.

All in all, this man in his early thirties was very handsome in every sense of the word.

He was Aldred Winsley—Broker for the KariBlanc Group.

At least, that was what his identity demanded.

"Greetings, father." He bowed his head the moment he came in and closed the door within the dark office.

"Sit."

Aldred obeyed instantly, moving past the comfortable couches that stood at the center of the room, but moved towards the chair in front of the man's desk.

The man he called father—Lord Blanc of the Obsidian Council—sat calmly behind his desk

His bright green gaze could pierce the eyes of anyone, and even though the office was dark, they glowed intensely.

Aldred was used to this gaze, but even he still felt like prey being constantly watched by a predator.

He sat in front of his father, separated only by the desk that stood between them.

For a few seconds, no one spoke.

Then—

"They're acting much faster than I expected. Things are getting really unstable right now…"

—Lord Blanc spoke.

He didn't have his usual confident and imposing tone.

Instead, a sort of worrying vibe took over his voice, as well as his countenance.

It was easy to see that he was shaken by the current situation.

"How bad is it, Father?"

"Very bad. We can't contact our prime buyer due to some kind of interference through our main channel. We've also lost contact with the merchandise we kept in the warehouse in the East."

Their prime buyer resided far from the Capital, so the KariBlanc had gotten a vast patch of land where they constructed a massive warehouse to store the goods they would sell prior to the final sales.

It was also a major part of their 'Expansion' plan.

And now… it was in shambles.

"We are in a precarious state right now. If we do not complete that sale, then we'll encounter a devastating loss. Plus, the fact that we've lost contact with the warehouse and the merchandise… it worries me."

Lord Blanc didn't want to admit it directly, but Aldred understood what all of this meant.

The KariBlanc Group was desperate.

They needed help.

"Have you tried seeking assistance from the rest of your colleagues? You know… the ones that aren't on 'their' side?"

As Aldred asked this question, Lord Blanc grunted and shrugged slightly.

"They're also like me—too busy protecting their interests to spare time for another."

As Aldred heard this, he understood.

No wise drowning man would try to save another drowning man if he didn't have some kind of life raft first.

Lord Blanc had powerful connections, but since they were experiencing the same challenges as he was, they could not render their aid.

"Is this what 'they' wanted all along, or…?" As Aldred whispered this, sensing his Father's increasing frustration, he racked his brain to think of a solution.

In the end, he could only imagine one.

"Sir Ralyks… we could enlist the help of Sir Ralyks."

The Dark Adventurer who was shrouded in mystery and power; the same one who had reached the realm of 'Absolute', and possessed a wealth of resources that would make the KariBlanc Group richer than ever before.

He was immensely resourceful, intelligent, and most of all… overwhelmingly strong.

There was none within the four walls of KariBlanc that didn't know who this esteemed man was.

"Sir Ralyks? Hmm…"

Despite all of these qualities, Lord Blanc didn't seem to jump at the idea.

He maintained a critical air around him as he narrowed his eyes in hesitation.

"He had all the qualities we need, right? Besides, to turn the tables, we need as many powerful allies as we can."

Aldred continued speaking, a slight passion in his voice.

"I have seen Sir Ralyks' capabilities. He is a far better fighter than Yuri and a much better Mage than I am. The fact that he was able to deliver so many Monster Cores also means he is still hiding much of his strength."

It was difficult—if not downright impossible—to find even a single flaw in the man.

"I already know these things. I never doubted his capabilities in the slightest." Lord Blanc sighed.

Once Aldred heard this, his face became twisted in confusion. If his father didn't doubt Sir Ralyks' capabilities, why did he show such hesitation?

"Then—!"

"I'm just unsure of whether he'd choose to ally with us. Someone as powerful and intelligent as him will not be fooled by tricks. I find it doubtful that we have enough to thoroughly convince him to take our side, given the current precarious situation we are in."

Once Lord Blanc said this, Aldred finally understood his father's concerns.

Sir Ralyks was too powerful to concern himself with a losing party's issues.

The only reason they had maintained a somewhat mutual understanding was because the KariBlanc Group could pull their own weight.

Even then, they knew he couldn't be stopped even if he chose to break their promise.

However, now that they were sinking… why would he choose to help?

"I… I believe he may come to our assistance." Aldred swallowed his saliva as he spoke.

"We just have to be convincing enough."

As Lord Blanc heard this, he narrowed his gaze on his son and told him to proceed.

"He left his lover in our care, and we've taken proper care of her in his absence. I believe it takes some measure of trust in us for him to have done such a thing."

"H-he did that…?" Lord Blanc's eyes were wide open in surprise.

Aldred was meant to inform him of every update about the man named Ralyks, but he could understand why this was never mentioned.

It must have occurred during the period when the Dragon Incident occurred, and the capital began to tremble.

In that case, there wouldn't be enough time or a stable opportunity to tell him.

After all, after that entire incident, their enemies sporadically began to make their move.

"Lord Ralyks trusts us to an extent, Father. Besides, he is not an unreasonable man. He has listened to my selfish requests a lot of times, and if we can make it worth his while, I'm sure he would hear us out at the very least."

Upon hearing this, Lord Blanc sighed a little and maintained a few seconds of silence.

Aldred held his breath as he watched his father for the decision he would make concerning the issue.

"I understand. Please arrange a meeting between me and Ralyks as soon as you can." He said, his bright eyes glinting with resolve.

It is rumored that once Lord Blanc makes a decision, he sticks to it until the very end. The very expression that his father was making gave credence to those rumors.

"I shall inform you when next he comes to our establishment."

"Yes, Father." Aldred bowed his head and smiled.

The truth is, he wasn't very certain if Ralyks' would actually help them—though he desperately hoped that was the case..

There were some within the KariBlanc Group who suspected that he was the one who defeated the Dragon that appeared in the Capital.

Aldred was one of them.

He truly believed that if anyone in the capital could achieve such a feat, it would be him.

He just didn't know how and why—pretty much the circumstances surrounding the strange and mysterious event.

"You may leave now."

Aldred obeyed his Father's words and rose to his feet the instant he was told to depart.

He took his bow once he reached the door, and finally… he Lord Blanc all alone in the room.

"Haaa…" The Obsidian Councilor heaved a heavy sigh and closed his eyes in the dark.

"I hope this all ends well."

It would seem that the fate of the entire KariBlanc Group, as well as that of the entire Criminal Underworld, rested on the choice of a single man.

'Sir Ralyks… please favor us.'