Lord of Mysteries: The Assassin's Dark Path

To be honest, when Varina first saw Quade, he felt a pang of unease and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. However, he quickly disguised the motion by adjusting his posture.

He observed cautiously but realized no one seemed to notice his actions—not even Quade, who had just entered the room.

"Phew, that was close. Is this what they call a guilty conscience?"

Quade strode in and went straight to Susan, getting straight to the point:

"The boss sent me to meet York Luca. I need to ask him a few important questions."

Susan frowned at Quade's bluntness but refrained from rebuking him, knowing his gang background. Instead, she asked calmly:

"So, you need me to help you arrange a meeting with Mr. Luca?"

"Yes," Quade nodded. "I don't know him, and I can't just walk into his office."

Susan glanced at Varina and John, who were both pretending to be deeply engrossed in their work, clearly enjoying the drama. Shooting them a glare, she turned back to Quade and asked:

"Are these questions numerous? Could you tell me what they are so I can ask him on your behalf?"

Quade considered her suggestion briefly but realized that divulging the questions might harm the gang's reputation. He shook his head firmly.

"No."

"I can try to inform Mr. Luca and see if he's willing to meet you," Susan replied. "But he's busy, and I can't guarantee he'll agree. Also, I'm only helping you this once."

"Alright." Quade agreed but thought to himself, If this doesn't work, I won't bother with the rules anymore.

He wasn't the type to follow the rules, after all. The only reason he hadn't already caused a scene was because Red-haired Kirk had warned him before he came.

As Susan left, Quade glanced around. He saw Varina and John scribbling away, looking like they were utterly engrossed in work. Scoffing audibly, he muttered, "Hmph."

To Quade, this kind of desk job was pure torture—he'd rather get into a fight and take a beating than endure such drudgery.

This awkward standoff lasted a short while until Susan returned with York Luca in tow.

York Luca had agreed to meet the gangster out of respect for the association's president, but he was clearly pressed for time. He dispensed with pleasantries the moment he arrived:

"What questions does your boss have?"

Quade didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pointed at the door.

"You three, out."

The three—Varina, John, and Susan—looked toward York Luca, who frowned even deeper, his already stern expression becoming darker.

"Five minutes. You have five minutes."

He spat out the words, and the trio immediately understood, exiting the small office.

Outside, the three gathered a short distance away, chatting idly and speculating about Quade's purpose.

Five minutes passed quickly, yet York Luca still hadn't emerged.

They waited a while longer before Quade and Luca finally exited the room, each heading in opposite directions.

The trio, their curiosity left unsatisfied, returned to their desks to continue their work—though Varina, being the root of the day's chaos, was only pretending to be busy.

---

That afternoon, around 2:30 p.m.

In the luxurious estate of Earl Hall in the Queen's District, the middle-aged, slightly overweight earl had just returned home. His first question to the staff was about his beloved daughter's whereabouts.

"Miss Audrey is in the small study, sir."

The earl nodded slightly but paused after taking a few steps.

"Fetch the butler and have him select a suitable gift from the treasury for Miss Audrey."

"Deliver it to the lounge—and make it quick."

A male servant bowed and hurried off to carry out the task.

The earl resumed his walk toward the lounge, giving another order along the way:

"Prepare afternoon tea ahead of schedule and bring it to the lounge."

As he spoke, he began unbuttoning his coat to make himself more comfortable.

The valet following closely behind signaled to a nearby maid to inform the kitchen, then stepped forward to assist the earl in removing his coat. Once the coat was off, the valet folded it neatly over his arm.

---

In the lounge, Earl Hall had just settled into his seat when a maid arrived promptly with tea and pastries.

The earl sipped tea and casually flipped through that day's Backlund Morning Post.

A short while later, the butler entered, moving briskly. He placed an exquisitely crafted gift box on the table before the earl.

"Sir, the gift has been selected—a golden armband from the Ancient Balam Empire," the butler explained. "However, it's merely a piece of common men's jewelry. You might want to create a mysterious backstory for it."

The earl chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Excellent work."

"Now, do you have any suggestions for this 'mysterious backstory'?"

The butler had clearly anticipated this question.

"According to folklore, the Ancient Balam Empire worshipped a death god whose child was known as the 'Overseer of Mortality.'"

"Perfect."

The earl set the newspaper aside and confirmed, "Audrey is still in the study, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Nodding, the earl stood up and made his way toward the study, with the valet carrying the gift box in tow.

---

In the small study—Audrey Hall's personal space—the shelves were lined with books tenuously related to mysticism, though they paled in comparison to genuine tomes on the subject.

Sixteen-year-old Audrey was seated at her desk, engrossed in reading a recently acquired "mysticism" book.

Her personal maid, Annie, stood by the door, with a golden retriever lying lazily at her feet.

When Annie spotted the earl approaching with his valet, she quickly opened the door and announced, "Miss, the earl is here."

Audrey looked up from her book just in time to see her father enter. She greeted him with a sweet smile.

"Father, is there something you need from me?"

"Can't I come visit my darling daughter without a reason?" The earl's tone was warm. "Or am I disturbing you?"

"Of course not!"

Audrey stepped forward and took his arm, guiding him to a seat near her desk. With a playful pout, she teased,

"You're always so busy, Father. It's rare for you to visit me in the afternoon."

The earl patted her fair arm affectionately.

"I came to bring you a gift. Look—a mysterious treasure from the Ancient Balam Empire, said to belong to the child of a death god."

The valet handed the gift box to Annie, who presented it to Audrey.

With a delighted squeal, Audrey tugged at the ribbon and opened the box on the spot.

"A… men's armband?"

Her voice carried a trace of disdain.

"Father, are you sure this is truly a mystical artifact? It doesn't look the part at all."

"Perhaps it requires a special ritual to reveal its extraordinary nature," the earl replied smoothly, his tone slightly conspiratorial.

"My clever daughter, I'm sure you'll uncover its secrets."

"Fine, another sealed artifact," Audrey huffed, puffing her cheeks adorably.

At that moment, the earl seized the opportunity.

"Audrey, today I'd like to ask for a gift from you. Would that be alright?"

************************************

patreon(.)com/GodDragcell