Tap tap tap…
In the study room of Sedona Castle, Lucas stood by the window, his fingers rhythmically drumming against the wooden sill. His dark eyes gazed out into the night, fixed on the scattered flickers of torchlight dotting the cityscape of Sedona. Those faint glimmers marked the locations where Mina and her team were executing their mission, moving like shadows through the streets to dismantle the slave traders' network. The cold glass beneath his fingertips felt like a barrier between him and the chaos unfolding below, a reminder of the delicate balance he sought to maintain.
He stood in silence, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the city cloaked in darkness. In this world, light and shadow coexisted—there could never be only purity, only goodness. But Lucas was determined to tip the scales, to let the light of justice shine brighter, to keep the darkness at bay, even if it could never be fully eradicated. His resolve was a quiet fire, burning steadily within him as he contemplated the challenges ahead.
"Master, Ayesha will be fine. She's got Freya and the War Wolf squad with her," Annie's crisp voice broke the silence, her fox tail swishing playfully behind her. Her tone was light, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of concern, her ears twitching as she glanced toward the door.
"Indeed, my lord's plan is flawless," Helen chimed in, nodding in agreement. Her rabbit ears, however, remained tilted toward the study door, alert to any sound from the corridor beyond. The faint sound of the castle's floor seemed to carry the weight of the night's tension.
"If everything goes smoothly, they should be back soon," Nicole said softly, her delicate hands pouring a steaming cup of tea from a polished silver teapot. She approached Lucas, offering the cup with a gentle smile, the warmth of the tea rising in faint wisps of steam that curled in the cool air.
Lucas's lips curved into a faint smile as he accepted the cup, the warmth seeping into his hands. "Ayesha might take a bit longer," He said, his voice calm but thoughtful. "I'm not worried about Mina's mission. What concerns me is how to prevent incidents like this in the future."
Annie's fox ears perked up, her eyes wide with suggestion. "Master, if we could just remove the slave brands, that would solve everything!"
Lucas shook his head, his expression somber. "Erasing the slave brands entirely is impossible for now." His gaze drifted to Amelia, who sat quietly in a corner, her green eyes downcast. Before the operation began, the young girl had tried to sneak after Freya, only to be caught and dragged back by the wolf-eared woman. Her disappointment hung in the air like a tangible weight.
"What? Then what do we do?" Annie's mouth fell open, her tail freezing mid-swish. The slave brand was a cruel reminder, a thorn in Ayesha's heart that couldn't be ignored.
"Removing them may be impossible, but altering their appearance is within our reach," Lucas said, a sly smile tugging at his lips. "We can transform the brand into something else entirely."
Annie's eyes widened in astonishment. "Wait, that's possible? Changing the brand's appearance… that would mean it's no longer a slave mark!" Her voice rose with excitement, her tail swishing furiously as the idea sank in.
Thud thud thud…
Heavy footsteps echoed from the corridor, followed by a familiar voice calling out, "Master, we've brought the prisoner."
"Come in," Lucas called, turning from the window and striding to his chair. He settled into it with an air of authority, his dark eyes fixed on the study door, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows across the room.
Creak!
The door swung open, and Mina entered, gripping a heavy iron chain. Behind her stumbled a figure with a black cloth bag over their head, followed by Elisa, clad in sleek leather armor that gleamed faintly in the dim light.
"Kneel," Mina commanded, yanking the chain. With a swift kick to the back of the prisoner's legs, she forced Hank to his knees.
Thud!
The impact of his knees hitting the floor sent a dull thud through the room, his face contorting in pain. A wooden gag stuffed in his mouth stretched his jaw to its limit, preventing any speech, his muffled groans barely audible.
Mina reached forward and ripped off the black hood, revealing Hank's plump, sweat-slicked face. With a sharp slap to the back of his head, she dislodged the wooden gag, sending it flying across the room.
"Aaahhh…" Hank let out a dry, pained howl, struggling to close his mouth. He used his arm to push his dislocated jaw back into place, wincing as it clicked painfully into alignment.
"What's your role in the Black Iris organization?" Lucas asked, leaning back in his chair, his voice calm but laced with an icy edge. "Who devised this plan?"
Hank's eyes darted nervously, but he forced a shaky smile. "Lord City, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just a simple linen merchant visiting Sedona City for business."
He clung to his lie, knowing that admitting the truth would mean certain death. Denying it might buy him time, a slim chance at survival. Besides, betraying the Black Iris organization would make him a marked man—his leader's wrath was a fate worse than death.
"A linen merchant?" Lucas's eyes narrowed, his voice dripping with disdain. "From what I know, you've been in Sedona City for eight days. On the first day, you bought a few bolts of linen. For the next seven, you haven't set foot in a linen shop. You've been holed up in your inn or wasting time at the shadow puppet theater. Tell me, how does that make you a linen merchant?"
Hank's pupils shrank, his face paling as the realization hit him. His every move in Sedona City had been watched, down to his single visit to the linen shop. The city's surveillance was far more extensive than he'd imagined.
"What? Nothing to say?" Lucas crossed his arms, his gaze cold and unrelenting. "Or are you still hoping your men outside the city will come to your rescue?"
Hank's expression hardened, his pretense crumbling. "Hmph! I didn't expect you to have so many eyes in Sedona City, Lord Lucas," He said, his voice low and bitter. There was no point in playing dumb anymore—not when even his knights outside the city had likely been dealt with.
"You're not the only ones with tricks," Lucas replied, his dark eyes glinting with a chilling intensity. "Planting over a hundred rats in my city? Your Black Iris organization is bolder than I gave you credit for."
Hank's eyes trembled, his confidence shattered. Never before had their movements been so thoroughly exposed. The Black Iris had always operated in the shadows, unseen and untouchable—until now.
"Even if you've caught us all, so what?" Hank sneered, his voice tinged with desperation. "Your city will fall to the Black Iris eventually. It's only a matter of time."
"Fall?" Lucas's lips curled into a mocking smile. "You really think you can tear my city apart with something as simple as the slave brand issue?"
Hank froze, then laughed coldly. "You're not as clever as you think. Slaves will always be slaves. You can dress them up, but you're just pretending to be righteous."
"Who said anything about turning them back into slaves?" Lucas sipped his tea, his tone icy. "The slave brand issue? I've already solved it."
"Impossible!" Hank surged forward, only to be knocked back to the floor by Mina's swift kick. He scrambled, shouting, "There's no way! The only way to remove a slave brand is to cut away their flesh!"
"Nothing's impossible," Lucas said calmly, his voice cutting through Hank's protests. "A permanent dye, applied over the brand to create a new design—that's all it takes to erase the stigma of the slave mark." His words were deliberate, aimed at dismantling Hank's resolve, striking at the heart of his confidence.
"Permanent dye? You're lying!" Hank roared, his eyes bloodshot with desperation. If Lucas was telling the truth, everything he'd worked for—every scheme, every risk—had been for nothing. He'd come to Sedona City to die in vain.
"A frog at the bottom of a well can't fathom the world beyond," Lucas scoffed, his gaze cold and unyielding as he stared down at Hank.
"No! The leader is never wrong! Never!" Hank shouted, his neck straining as he lunged forward, attempting to bite his tongue in a desperate bid for suicide. Before he could, Mina's boot connected with his cheek, sending him reeling, his head spinning from the impact.
Thud!
"Trying to bite your tongue?" Lucas raised an eyebrow, his voice calm but mocking. "Didn't anyone tell you? Biting your tongue won't kill you—not if the bleeding is stopped."
"No…" Hank shook his head weakly, struggling to rise, only to be knocked down again by another of Mina's precise kicks.
"Take him away," Lucas said, waving a hand dismissively. "Let the War Wolf squad handle him. I want every scrap of information about the Black Iris organization."
"Yes, lord," Mina replied, delivering a deft kick to the back of Hank's neck, knocking him out cold. She grabbed the chain and dragged him out of the room, her movements swift and efficient.
Amelia watched Mina's retreating figure, her green eyes wide with awe. The cat-eared woman's clean, decisive actions left an impression, her fluid precision sparking a glint of admiration in the young girl's gaze.
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