Shuffled Occurrences

"Once again, welcome. Aside from Krave, General, and the Innkeeper, everyone is here." 

Almost all of the officials are inside the assembly meeting room. They came from their finished missions and related business they had to attend, canceling everything they were doing just for their plan, which has become their main goal.

Taking the Underworld.

Duke who already said enough words to welcome the homecoming of his men, proceeded to look at Maria and ended his part of the speech with one last statement.

"Maria will handle the rest."

Duke seated down on his seat as Maria stood up, and moved towards the edge of the room to grab the blackboard, dragging it to the side where everyone could see.

"There will be slight changes between our attacks of the low organizations and mid organizations. As for the high, we'll start operating at one particular organization. Destroy it and leave a mark for the world to see."

Maria pointed her hands at one particular image, "The half a thousand remaining low to mid-level organizations have an overlord organization backing on their own. We're not very sure but at least most of the mentioned half a thousand was part of them."

She paused, "Now, our attacks will be in pairs with double the men on each operation."

Maria started explaining the background of their enemies, and how their offenses were going to work as she handled different kinds of brochures to the ground.

The pairing wasn't really fixed since they also had to do missions that came from their real business. The only exception from doing these dangerous missions was Duke since he's the boss.

Even so, he gets twice as much money he got from his dealings as the rest. The commission, the needs of their base, and the percentage of the money taken from their missions were great, but it didn't matter since they got to access a lot of things.

Still, that doesn't mean the money they received is low by any means. Their illegal business just brings them more money than anything.

'And now this had to change since I can't just idle around. I have to be more proactive about finding ways to get back.' Duke mused, 'I can't just stay here, wait for the blessings to come. I can't depend on it. My luck has been bad in so many ways that I'm starting to believe I've been abandoned by the goddess of luck.'

He decided to join as well. He can make the dealings and, at the same time, join to do their illegitimate business.

"So, uhm, like you've heard from me before this meeting commenced. Boss decided to join to taking missions himself which I wanted to disagree strongly. Even though we couldn't do anything, I want to see some hands who are with me on this."

There wasn't even a moment of pause as everyone raised a hand with a serious expression. 

He wasn't the boss for no reason. Their job is to only give orders and do what they want, and the group had absolutely no disagreements since Duke was the one who sheltered them when they had nothing.

No man would want to have their owner face danger, for whatever reason.

"Even without the absence of the three, I'm sure they have the same opinion as ours." Maria looked at Duke, "I hope we have somehow convinced you to remove the idea completely."

"No, there's a reason I have to do it. Go on, discuss the other more important things."

'Your health is much more important than this…' Maria regrettably thought inwardly as the others were having the same opinion as her.

In the end, Duke was the boss and they couldn't do anything about it.

With a sigh, Maria expressed weakly, "Then, please look at the papers on your table as we venture onto the next plan. In the image taken by one of our men, you'll see the organization's main headquarters called Rez In Pez. This group, though, is under the surveillance of the Overlord of the East.

"Reason for attacking this organization? One of the main members of royal conglomerates is receiving protection from them. This will be the organization that we'll destroy once we're ready.

"Of course, what we're about to do with them will surely put their organization to a bad state, but who would care? It's not like everything will be exposed." 

…

For around two and a half hours, different kinds of strategies and approaches for their future movements were discussed.

And I left the organization at that moment since it was something I'd already learned beforehand. The only reason I stayed in those times was because I was checking available tasks I could handle for myself for this group's real business, while also thinking about my future movements.

I've also started making moves on these overlords and soon enough, all were going to be mixing all around the place. The whole continent will be engulfed within it and even the ones living in peace after the war will soon taste the same thing once again.

'Everything's jumbling that I don't even know where to start.'

There's the incoming election which is the next arc too… with two possible outcomes once everything is over.

Will there be a war or not?

And honestly, I don't know what to choose.

"…"

Quietly reading the newspaper in my hand which has all related underworld for a few minutes now, the table right behind me was occupied by a man, wearing the same attenuated-skinned man as I am.

"The house is checked. Completely clean. No traps have been infused nor devices installed."

"Thoroughly?"

"Yes."

Glancing slightly on my back, I picked a piece of paper that wrapped around with a magical plastic of some sort and pressed it on the newspaper, before closing it. 

It was a propriety of land.

Standing up from my place, I placed the newspaper on the round table before leaving. A few meters away from the pub, I looked towards my previous table and saw the man gone, also the newspaper on my table.

They were hired workers from another organization but were never mine. Our men were carefully selected and we just happened to be their clients. They are the workers just like how everything works.

'Now then...'

After minutes of walking vigilantly that didn't appear on my outside posture, I arrived at the certain warehouse. In this warehouse was where the location of the dealing was done.

An army official, that goes by the name of Mr. Smith must've already taken his ten-packed of silver chests just earlier.

I've got a duplicate key in my hand while watching the warehouse with a suspicious gaze. Going behind, right in the back alley of this street, I summoned the black snake that guarded Cayenne's younger sibling, Kiella.

"Check inside."

Even though the company I hired had already looked inside the warehouse and were professionals in their work, there are still doubts lingering on them.

It's better to be safe than sorry.

Silently leaning back in the dark, alley wall, the snake came back and shook its head, informing me that there wasn't dangerous about it.

"Are you sure?"

The shake shook its head with affirmation which I immediately brought him back after the answer, and moved inside the warehouse.

Inside were stacks of boxes, topping on each other while being supported with steel cabinets that towered the whole area. Obviously, inside these boxes are fake goods, filled with only stone and bricks to make it look like there's something.

Silently moving around the place, I proceeded to walk towards the changing rooms where the exchange should've happened.

Using the duplicate key in my hand, I used it to twist the knob of the room. Right inside, wooden, destroyed cupboards were neatly arranged on the side. 

And in the middle of the room was one large wooden chest.

"I will not fall for it."

Picking up a chunk of wood that probably came from one of the cupboards or just really the warehouse, I throw the object with utmost precision at the chest.

I waited for a few seconds which turned into a minute, adding three more minutes just to make sure, nothing happened to the large chest.

"…"

Stepping my foot inside the warehouse's changing room, traces of exactly ten much smaller chests were imprinted on the ground which symbolizes that they weren't taken not too long ago.

Right in front of the chest, I bent down and opened it. Inside were the payments through items such as gold and jewelry. There were also maps and documents which produced a faint smile on my face.

Of course, there are also necessary items there such as grade items but these maps were important, which made these documents more deadlier if came from the wrong hands.

'Of course, his guards would be angry at me since these documents have high confidentiality. Even General couldn't get it without exposing himself.'

Which leads to another point.

'This could only mean a much higher-ranking officer has given the orders, only using Mr. Smith as the middleman. If somehow the deal exposed Mr. Smith, the person behind the scenes can blame the guy.'

And Mr. Smith isn't the guy who is giving me a naivety vibe. Honestly, all the people I've dealt with were nothing immature and chastely, all except for others obviously.

Still, do I intend to know more?

Of course, not!

As long as I have the general idea, I will not do anything more necessary that didn't have anything to do with me.

Just like any other dealings Duke and I had done; business will always remain business. 

Clang—!

Wrapping the chain that is inside the chest, which is a part of the deal with the army officer, I leisurely grabbed the chest with my hand, using the chain that became a handle after knotting the whole thing up.

Once done, I walked outside the changing room while touching the warehouse's walls.

"Burn."

Using a little enchantment that some mages used, the same walls my hand had touched started igniting as it commenced burning up.

Walking with a chest on my back, I left the burning warehouse with ease. 

Just like what the contract is all about, the warehouse was burning to leave no trace of dealings being done.