{A few Hours later}
Count Edric was in his office, tearing the room apart in a fit of rage. Books, ledgers, and shattered ornaments littered the floor as he overturned furniture and hurled anything within reach. In the far corner, Alistair stood silently, his expression unreadable, watching the chaos unfold.
Edric's fury was beyond containment. The anger roiled inside him like a storm with no end.
"I planned everything. Everything should have gone as intended… but even in death, she still manages to ruin me."
The moment Liora had died, Edric moved swiftly to seize control of the Vaelstrom Merchant Group. His first strategy was simple: infiltrate the organization by inserting his own loyal men and have them climb the ranks from within. But it hadn't taken long for him to realize just how naïve that plan was.
Merchant groups, by nature were mostly made of mobile units. Unless one held a title like manager, elder, or elite member, most personnel spent their time on the road with caravans.
Advancement depended on results... successful trade deals, no matter how minor. So his infiltrators were quickly scattered, sent off on long journeys that left them effectively useless.
Worse still, the loss of Balmore's fertile and productive lands meant the region was now starved of talent. Finding capable individuals had become increasingly difficult so he couldn't put elite members in so Edric shifted tactics.
He approached one of the elders personally, flattering him, appealing to their greed.
To his surprise, it worked. Encouraged, he repeated the approach with others he believed susceptible to influence of gold. That, too, succeeded. Soon, he had abandoned his initial infiltration strategy altogether.
Through these elders, he received favourable trade deals and consistent reports... at least the ones not marked confidential. He even managed to co-opt the Vaelstrom guards, using them to push his personal agenda. They never resisted. They followed orders. That obedience had convinced him he was in control.
But the recent meeting shattered that illusion.
Lucien's announcement had made one thing painfully clear: all the benefits he had enjoyed... resources, reports, information, obedience... had been due to his role as Lucien's representative. Not out of loyalty. Not out of greed. Simply contractual obligation.
And now, it was over.
The more Edric thought about it, the more destructive his rage became. With a roar, he sent another chair crashing into the wall. The office around him looked like a war zone... but even that wasn't enough to quiet the fury burning in his chest.
Those damned Vaelstrom elders had taken his coin. He paid for something that was already his the entire time.
He had been nothing more than a fool with a wallet.
Suddenly a sharp knock echoed through the wreckage of Count Edric's office. Alistair, ever composed despite the chaos around him, stepped forward and cracked open the heavy oak door just enough to peer out. He turned back, voice crisp.
"Master, it is Elder Brown. You summoned him."
Edric glanced around at the ruined furniture and splintered wood, jaw clenched. He grunted, voice low and tense. "Take him to the private lounge."
"Yes, my Lord."
Alistair stepped out, careful to maintain a quick but dignified pace in order to mask the destruction within. But it was pointless... he could tell Elder Brown had already caught a glimpse.
Still, neither of them said a word as Alistair led Elder Brown next door. Once inside the more presentable lounge, Alistair gestured to a seat and ordered a maid to bring refreshments.
Meanwhile, Edric remained behind, breathing heavily in the silence. He straightened his clothes, smoothened his hair, and spent a few minutes composing himself. When he finally emerged, the count had returned to his usual composed state... outwardly, at least.
He entered the lounge, dismissed the servants with a glance, and sat across from Elder Brown. Alistair took his place behind him, silent and watchful.
Edric wasted no time.
"What happened today?" he asked calmly, though his tone carried an edge sharp enough to cut.
Elder Brown leaned back, unfazed. "Young Master Lucien changed his representative. From you… to his maid."
The count's fingers twitched, ready to slam the table but he restrained himself. Instead, he asked, "Was that even possible? Can he really do that?"
"Ah," Brown nodded slowly. "I understand the confusion. Yes, he can. Technically, he always could. After Lady Liora's death, Lucien inherited the right to appoint his representative however he was too young then, so by default, that role passed to you, as his father. But the moment he turned sixteen, he was officially notified. He simply chose not to act… until today."
"Why was I never told?" Edric asked, voice tight.
"You never asked," came the calm reply from Elder Brown.
Edric slammed his palm against the table. The wood groaned under the blow, but he didn't follow through with another. He couldn't afford to lose control, not over this. Not when his territory's lifeblood depended on it.
He took a slow breath. "Is there any way to reverse it?"
Elder Brown gave a regretful shrug. "I'd love to help. You've always been generous with your gifts. But I can't."
"Why not?"
"My position requires strict oaths and contracts. They're ironclad. I've tried, believe me. Ten years and I haven't found a way to break it."
"There are oath-breaking treasures. We could search for them. Pay whatever price."
"I've signed more than ten contracts... and if I want to rise further, I'll need to sign more and to be honest with you, it is not really in my best interest to break them especially since I am so close to becoming a Grand Elder myself. Besides…" He lowered his voice slightly. "You're forgetting Grand Elder Hudson. Crossing him would be suicide."
Edric exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the armrest. "I see."
Silence settled on him. The reality was undeniable.
He had miscalculated and it changed everything.
He had underestimated them. Again. He had mistaken their greed for weakness. He thought he'd been pulling strings, but they had only allowed him to believe that since it benefited them. Not only did they receive a lot of benefits, but he had also paid them for services they were obligated to perform.
He had picked that up from when Elder Brown mention of 'Gifts'.
Now the veil had been lifted, he could finally see so much of the things he ignored.
There was a reason the Vaelstrom family retained absolute control over the merchant group, despite their small numbers.
These weren't ordinary traders.
They were merchants in name, but swindlers by nature... dealing with them was like signing a pact with the devil. Every word mattered. Every omission was intentional.
Count Edric sank into his chair, thoughts swirling with bitter clarity.
He'd been played. And worse he'd allowed it.
His first mistake had been accepting the merchant deal without thorough scrutiny. But in truth, even if he had pushed for more answers, they likely would've told him it was confidential.
And it wasn't like he hadn't done any digging.
He had.
He'd learned that the Vaelstrom family didn't micromanage their branches. Authority was left to local elders, with only the most critical decisions passed up the chain. He'd also discovered that Lucien's uncle... Liora's brother, Oliver... was the overall heir of the group. That had been enough to dismiss the idea that Lucien would inherit anything significant apart from his mother's personal wealth. Or so he'd thought.
But now, staring at the shattered illusion, Edric realized how much his wife had kept from him.
He had known Liora was wealthy, that she'd set aside an inheritance for Lucien. But the extent of it, her control over the entire merchant branch, the investments, the assets, that had been carefully hidden.
She'd shielded her son even from his own father.
A deep scowl crossed Edric's face.
He shouldn't have asked, but the thought clawed at him.
"…I could've accessed the inheritance too, couldn't I?" he asked, barely hiding the resentment in his voice.
Elder Brown shook his head. "Ah, no. Not even Young Master Lucien can... unless he turns 25 or inherits the title of Count."
There was a pause.
The next question came, though Edric already sensed the answer.
"What if he needed money before then?"
"He could've taken a loan," Brown answered, "At a one-percent interest rate. Exclusive to Vaelstrom heirs."
Edric nearly snapped again, knuckles white against the armrest but he held it in.
"And how much is this 'inheritance' of his?"
Brown's tone turned cautious. "I don't know everything. But from what I've heard…"
He paused.
"…Lucien holds 50% of this branch's after-tax profits for the past ten years. Plus all the wealth Lady Liora accumulated before her death rumoured to be in millions of gold. He also owns the Golden Circle Restaurant in the capital, and half of its profits since her passing. Shares in the Coin Collectors Guild. A small mining company she started. And stakes in a number of investments across various cities and towns."
At that, Alistair standing nearby couldn't stop the twitch at the corner of his mouth. The scale was absurd.
"And who," Edric asked slowly, "has been overseeing all of this?"
Brown didn't hesitate. "Grand Elder Hudson, of course."
Edric's jaw clenched.
'So that's why the old bastard's always vanishing on so many 'official trips.''
He'd been surrounded by smiling wolves and never once realized how thoroughly he'd been deceived.
"I'll be on my way, Count Edric," Elder Brown said as he rose from his chair.
"You may go," Edric replied with a dismissive wave.
Brown paused at the doorway. "Ah, I almost forgot, Grand Elder Hudson mentioned he'll be taking Lady Elena with him today."
The moment the door shut behind him, Edric seized the nearest vase and hurled it against it with a crash.