Vinicuis is Caelum's highly competent assistant manager, the only reason the Valeborne enterprise hasn't completely collapsed under its financial burden.
Caelum decides to head down to the lobby where Vinicuis is already waiting, accompanied by Anna.
Ding!
The elevator doors slide open with a soft mechanical hiss, revealing a long, polished marble walkway stretching out toward the central lobby. This is the heart of the Valeborne enterprise—a luxurious space where elite clients come to buy, sell, and trade high-end magical goods. Across from the elevator stood Anna and Vinicuis, poised and professional, their gazes snapping to Caelum the moment he emerged.
Vinicuis greeted him with a nod, and the trio began their walk toward Caelum's office.
The Valeborne Family's final lifeline, Valeborne GeneX (Bio-Alchemy & Enhancement Corporation), specialized in cutting-edge magical clothing, enchanted tools, high-tier weapons, and rare artifacts. Once a symbol of power, the company was now barely afloat. The family, unable to afford any other property, resided on the uppermost levels of this very building—a 50-story skyscraper that now stood as both their home and their last hope.
"Tell me our company's current market situation," Caelum said as they walked, forcing the gravest tone he could muster. He was trying hard to look composed, drawing heavily from the flood of memories he had recently recovered. At the moment, that was all he had to rely on.
Vinicuis inhaled deeply, his jaw tightening. "The company's stock is currently holding at one thousand two hundred pounds. If it drops below a thousand…" he paused, eyes darkening, "those damn Ashwing disciples will pounce. They've been circling like vultures."
Sigh. The business world really is cruel.
They stepped into the central lobby—a breathtaking expanse filled with opulence and urgency. Hundreds of nobles moved about, examining and trading rare goods. Grand chandeliers sparkled above, casting golden light onto elegant displays of magical weapons, armor, and enchanted attire showcased in glass casings reinforced by alchemy.
Several nobles noticed Caelum and gave respectful nods, acknowledging him as the head of the company. After offering brief, polite greetings, the group made their way toward a corridor at the far end of the lobby.
That's when Caelum's attention was yanked toward the entrance by the blaring sound of expensive engines.
Two sleek Rolls-Royce vehicles screeched to a halt outside the building. Servants rushed to open the doors, revealing two young men strutting out in flashy, modern streetwear straight from the 21st century—chain-draped hoodies, designer sneakers, and sunglasses despite the dim indoor lighting.
They walked in like they owned the entire building.
Caelum watched in silence. They didn't even acknowledge the secretary at the front desk. Instead, they stepped directly into an elevator and hit the button for the top floor with a smug air of entitlement, brushing past nobles like they were beneath them.
Caelum didn't need to ask who they were. He remembered them vividly.
Bari and Baro Mulcaster. High-ranking Ashwing disciples and the designated successors of the Valeborne company—should it fall beneath the critical stock threshold. If the value dipped even a bit more, they would take over.
And just to be clear, the top floor—that was sacred ground. It belonged to Lord Alaric and Seraphina Valeborne, the heads of the family. No outsider would dare step foot up there without passing through the secretary first… unless they were either suicidal or dangerously confident.
Seeing the twins flaunt their status so boldly, Caelum simply shook his head and moved on. He entered his office, sank into the velvet chair behind his massive obsidian desk, and began strategizing his family's return to power. Vinicuis quietly excused himself, leaving only Anna behind, watching over Caelum with careful eyes.
Meanwhile…
On the top floor of the skyscraper, the Mulcaster twins strutted down the corridor leading directly to Lord Alaric Valeborne's office. Along the walls, framed portraits immortalized Lord Alaric's stories as he rose to power. One image depicted him mid-duel against a foreign king; another showed him seated beside world leaders at a treaty signing.
But Baro, the younger twin and the more volatile one, sneered at the sight of them.
Annoyed, he drew a jagged, rune-inscribed knife from his coat—a blade enchanted to slice through solid steel like paper. With one vicious swipe, he tore one of the portraits from the wall, sparks flying as the knife screeched against the marble behind it.
The sound echoed ominously.
They reached the door. It was huge, ominous, and crafted from dark soulwood, etched with arcane sigils and protective wards. Before they could knock, it swung open.
Standing there was Veron Knightingale, Lord Alaric's butler.
His smile was courteous, but his eyes were colder than ice. He stepped aside wordlessly, and the twins strutted in like they owned the place, plopping themselves down across from Lord Alaric's desk.
"Mr. Alaric Valeborne," Baro began, his tone deliberately disrespectful.
A dangerous silence followed.
"So… I've been reduced to Mister now?" Alaric chuckled lowly, his eyes narrowing with quiet wrath. "Because of my financial state, I've lost even my title, have I?"
With those words, the air thickened.
Baro suddenly found himself gasping for air—his throat constricting as if invisible hands were wrapped around it. Panic filled his eyes.
Bari, the elder and more composed twin, quickly intervened. He pulled a file from his coat and slid it across the desk toward Lord Alaric.
"I-it's the contract," Baro croaked, still struggling to breathe. "To hand over the company. You're about to hit the collapse threshold…"
"Shut up," Bari said coldly, side-eyeing his brother. "Let me handle this."
Baro finally went silent, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "Tsk."
Lord Alaric's fingers tapped rhythmically against the desk. His gaze was fixed on the contract, but his mind was elsewhere.
So Baro is too arrogant to even call me 'Lord'... and Bari? Too prideful to say my name at all. Not Mister. Not Lord. Nothing.
He mused, amusement flickering behind his gaze.
Which twin is worse, I wonder?
"Veron," he called softly.
The butler stepped forward.
In one fluid motion, a blade materialized in Veron's hand, a blur of steel and air. With a single flick of his wrist the contract was shredded into ribbons before it even hit the ground.
The twins flinched.
Then, without a word, Veron gently placed a very familiar jagged knife on the desk—the exact same one Baro had used to deface the portraits in the walkway moments ago.
"Oops," Veron said with a warm, almost grandfatherly smile. "You must've dropped this."
The sight of their own weapon being returned to them–by a man who had moved faster than their eyes could follow, sent shivers down their spines.
They had clearly forgotten.
Veron Knightingale was not just a butler.
He was one of Europe's deadliest assassins, a living shadow who had served Lord Alaric since the earliest days. He wore his age like a camouflage, just as every maid and butler in the Valeborne family did.
Lord Alaric's voice came down like a guillotine.
"Don't ever visit me again… unless the stock drops below the agreed amount."
Bari snarled but rose, grabbing the knife off the table. He paused, casting one final look back at Lord Alaric and Veron. A daring smirk danced on his lips, but his footsteps were heavy with retreat alongside his brother.
Back downstairs…
Caelum sat at his desk, rifling through a series of confidential company files. He was searching for something-anything-that could lead to a breakthrough.
Years ago, when Caelum first acquired the Valeborne GeneX business, they had numerous trade routes that supplied their products directly to wealthy client's across the globe. But that all changed.
The Phoenix Monarch had shut them down—one by one.
It was a calculated move to cripple them, forcing the Valeborne family to bend the knee and become his disciples. But Alaric Valeborne had refused. Stubborn to the end, he watched his empire collapse rather than submit.
Now, this enterprise was the last ember of the Valeborne Family flame.
As Caelum's mind churned with possibilities, a thought struck him. The Mulcaster twins. They weren't just trying to replace the Valebornes—they were climbing through the ranks of Ashwing disciples. Their success depended on this company's failure.
Which meant… they were likely the ones who orchestrated the trade route blocks in the first place.
Perfect.
Caelum grinned.
If he could twist their plan against them–use them to reopen the trade routes, then the business would surge again.
"Yes… I've finally figured out where to begin raising this family from the mud!" Caelum said aloud, his voice louder than intended.
Anna, startled, blinked at him in surprise. The Caelum she knew was quiet, always calculating from the shadows. But now…
"Well," she murmured to herself, smiling softly, "it's good to see the young master fired up for once."
Caelum rose from his chair.
"Time to raise the Valeborne family from the mud," he declared again.
This is going to be thrilling.