Lucian hopped toward Karoline in a mischievous manner, his hands behind his back, and a big smile on his face.
"How is the baby? I can't believe it's already been a year since we last met," he exclaimed, "I can't wait to meet the little guy!"
Karoline got on her knees, ignoring her bruises, and bowed her head to him. Her forehead touched the ground, "Thank you, thank you!" she sobbed, "You saved us! I-I'll never forget this!"
"It's alright," Lucian smiled, helping her up, "I couldn't leave a woman in trouble, and a pregnant one at that."
The men stopped fighting, the battle coming to an end as the two leaders stared at him.
"Come now, let's get you two to a safe place where you can rest," Lucian helped her walk.
The group parted, making a path for them cautiously as if Lucian had just parted a curtain instead of a group of thugs.
Lucian gave Savage a side eye as if saying that he was disappointed in him for not stepping up still.
Savage quickly wiped the blood off his nose and ran to her, "Honey, are you alright? Did they hurt you? Is the baby okay?"
Karolaina slapped him, her eyes wide, "They hurt me!" she screamed, "They hurt me! You let them! You let them!"
Savage flared his nose in anger, but Lucian's stinky side eye stopped him from lashing back. "I'm sorry, but if he knew how much I cared for you and our child, he would have used you against me..."
Savage explained, "He would have threatened to harm you...I had to pretend to not care..."
Karoilaina screamed and cried, hitting him in the chest as hard as she could.
Lucian listened to Savage's argument in satisfaction and nodded along.
Scythe scoffed at the sight, approaching the young man, "Who are you?"
Lucian turned around and smiled, "Lucian Arclight, at your service. The best landscape contractor in the Diamante Kingdom."
He continued with a flourish, "I travel lands in search of exotic plants, the rarest seeds, and unique saplings. If you ever want a garden to rival a king's, you know who to call. I'm your guy."
Then he finished with a hushed tone, "And I also dabble in the trading business to interested parties. Traveling gives me many opportunities to get my hands on rare items that are in high demand in certain regions."
The man frowned, looking at the remains of the shackled, asking how Lucian had dealt with it. Lucian said shackleds released a certain scent that allowed him to detect their power up before they attacked, giving him the advantage to strike first.
"My nose is my best weapon," Lucian joked, then added, "I wouldn't have produced the best scent sachets if it wasn't for it. Fragrant and strong, long-lasting, and yet not overwhelming."
"You could smell it from such a distance?" Scythe frowned suspiciously as Lucian handed him a small sample from his shoulder bag.
"If murderous auras could be felt from a distance, then why not smells? Do you doubt the power of smell? What about your instincts? Or your gut feelings? How do you explain them?" Lucian asked, "My talent is at least tangible, which makes it more reliable than any other."
"You don't seem to be lying, but I still can't believe it," Scythe continued, sniffing at the sachet, surprised at how good it smelled.
Then he sniffed a few more times, finding it quite calming and soothing for his aching head, "I'm Scythe, leader of the Night Blades."
"It's an honor to meet you," Lucian said politely, "If possible can you spare my business partner's wife and unborn child? I don't wish to visit this place one day and find their tombstones. I will be devastated. I will feel like I should've done something to save their lives...or at least tried to...ave─"
Scythe raised his palm, "Alright, alright. I get it. You are a real chatterbox, aren't you?" he grumbled, "I'll spare the wench, but in return, you have to give me an advantage over Savage."
Savage tried to interfere, but Lucian kept giving him a stinky eye to keep him quiet.
"You have to understand that it is a lot to ask for from a humble land contractor," Lucian said, "I don't have enough manpower to supply both of your factions."
Scythe frowned.
"But..."
Scythe leaned in.
"If you two will be able to get hands on a few slaves without the issue of getting tracked, I could consider it," Lucian said, "It will help me increase my productivity, and you will gain a valuable ally that will bring you profits."
"Is that so?" Scythe said, stroking his chin as he glanced at Savage from the corner of his eye. "This needs to be discussed in private."
"Of course," Lucian yawned into his palm. "It's getting late, and I need to get some rest. You two talk amongst yourselves, and I will be back in the morning to hear the final decision. This is just a side hustle of mine, I have a lot more business partners in the southern lands, but none of them is as powerful and resourceful as you two...combined."
Lucian didn't wait for the two to react and went to find a place to rest, a wall to lean agaist. Draping the hood over his head, he showed that he was open to the idea of working with them.
They could become rivaling giants and obliterate the smaller factions…
...Or they could kill the chance, by getting rid of Lucian and his business to make sure he didn't sell his goods to their competition.
Who would try to attack him after that stunt? A treasure chest that could bite?
Lucian never planned to take sides.
They either took his deal, or they didn't.
Simple.
Saving Karolaina's life made him look good, and he might even get a loyal employee out of it. In case Savage and Scythe rejected his offer, she would become an excellent spy.
Lucian wished his future wife goodnight and closed his eyes, 'Wake me up if they try to kill me, Voice.'
'I'm not your watch dog,' the voice said.
'Then you will be responsible if they kill me,' Lucian said.
'...Go to sleep already,' the voice relented.
It was hard to fall asleep at first, but Lucian soon drifted away to his dreams, with the sounds of Savage's and Scythe's argument in the background.
Scythe burned down Savage's house after all. Maybe they would clash again, but Lucian didn't really care.
What mattered was that he got away with a new opportunity in his pocket.