Chương 97: Book 2 Chapter 49 - Reporting To The Boss

Kane tried to clear his head as he ran. He was on his way to Portish to talk to Councilwoman Elsa Undril about the attack on House Yountal's shop. He had been surprised when Shian had shown him the lapel pin a few days ago at House Goren's ball. Kane considered himself to be a sensible man. He lived by a different code than most people would find acceptable, but at least he had a code. Most people flew by the seat of their pants, basing their decisions off of who-knew-what, without any guiding principles.

Kane, on the other hand, knew what his purpose in life was which made his choices simple. He was loyal to the Silver Serpent Clan, both by choice and by soul oath. Whatever was good for the clan was right. Whatever was bad for the clan was wrong. It had been that simple for him ever since he was little, and the clan had taken him in and shown him kindness. He had never once questioned that guiding principle. So why was he feeling so conflicted now?

Why had he warned Shian of the impending turmoil in the Benson district? She intrigued him, to say the least, but that didn't excuse his actions. Knowing where the upcoming turmoil would take place was simple, as he himself had helped orchestrate it, and would make sure that it played out. It was pivotal to the current stages of his plan to help Baron Norshod regain a firm grasp of control in Easton. But why had he warned her of it? It had been an impulsive decision, something he hadn't planned on doing.

It had just slipped out, almost instinctively, after their time on the dance floor together. He analyzed his actions. Was telling Shian Yountal about the upcoming attack beneficial for the clan in some way? Probably not. Did it harm the clan in some way? Maybe, if she used that information to disrupt Kane's plans, and hindered his progress in Easton. So why had he done it? It must have been a moment of weakness. A lapse in judgement, caused by some errant hormones in his body. Unless…

Unless House Yountal was a powerful house that the Silver Serpent Clan couldn't afford to make an enemy out of. If that were the case, then warning Shian about the potential danger may have been essential to helping benefit the clan. Yes, that had to be the case. Kane needed that to be the case. The alternative was to admit that he hadn't acted in the clan's best interest, which was unacceptable.

Others might skirt around the edges of the soul oath, justifying their selfish actions in a way that prevented the oath from exacting punishment on them, but Kane would not. The clan was his life, his everything. Which is why he was now running to Portish to ask Elsa about the attack on House Yountal. If the clan dared attack House Yountal in Portish, then he shuddered to think what that might mean. Whatever the case was, he needed to find out. Plus, he needed to check in anyways.

He periodically came back to Portish to report to the councilwoman, and would take this opportunity to return her pin. She had a few like the one Shian had shown him, and would leave them as a warning sometimes after an attack, when she needed to deliver a message. The message was: don't get on the Silver Serpent Clan's bad side.

If the pin being left behind was reported to the city authorities, Elsa would simply claim she must have dropped it at some point while going about her day, and that she had no idea how it had ended up where it did. The consistency with which her pins got lost and ended up at crime scenes was telling, but it wasn't enough evidence for Count Dremond to do anything about it, plus he didn't have the guts. The Silver Serpent Clan had a strong hold in Portish, and everyone knew it.

Kane had been able to instantly tell that the pin was Elsa's when he touched it. Each pin was paired to the clan member's mana signature. It served multiple purposes, one of which was to help identify a body that was destroyed beyond recognition in any kind of fight. The pins also acted as identification, allowing the wearer to navigate the clan headquarters without setting off any of the traps or defensive wards. Elsa wore her primary pin like the rest of the clan members, it was part of the clan bylaws.

She had a few extras like this made specifically to leave as calling cards though, a way to exert her influence not so subtly in Portish. The calling-card pins wouldn't protect the wearer from the clan's traps or wards, they were just simple calling cards. Identical on the surface to the ones the clan members wore, but missing the underlying enchantments that interacted with the clan's automated defensive measures.

Kane arrived at the clan's branch headquarters in Portish, and took a few minutes to stand in a nearby alley as he recovered from the run. He allowed his breathing to slow and his heart rate to settle, steeling his mind for the upcoming interaction, He had deep respect for Elsa Undril, and she had always treated him fairly, but it was still nerve wracking to interact with a direct superior.

The clan's soul oath ensured complete obedience to a direct order given by a superior, and Kane took that limitation on his soul very seriously. Whenever he could help it, he made sure he was on top of his game before interacting with anyone over him. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. This approach had helped him immensely, which was partly why he now reported directly to Councilwoman Undril, instead of one of the many team captains underneath her.

He was a specialist, someone Elsa could rely on to work independently and effectively to get anything done that she needed. Occasionally, when his work required it, she would assign one of the teams under her to work for him, but he usually worked alone. He knew that Patriarch Onnurt was nearing the end of his life, and probably only had a decade or two left in him. Once he passed, Councilwoman Undril had a legitimate shot at becoming the clan matriarch.

If that happened, Kane was very likely to fill her place in the vacant council member chair. Even if someone else became clan patriarch, Kane would still have a shot at being appointed as a replacement council member, given his status as tier 4 and his track record of clan service. He straightened his suit, which was still pristine thanks to his mana shields. Some idiots didn't think to use mana shields when they ran fast, and ended up with bug guts splattered all over their face and clothes.

Kane despised anyone he saw like that, since there was such a simple, rudimentary solution that could be used to prevent it. He made his way to the waiting area outside Elsa's office and took a seat. She would already know he was here waiting, both because of her fine-tuned magic sense, as well as the fact that the building's wards would have alerted her the moment he entered. The wait was shorter than expected, only fifteen minutes.

Long enough to help remind him who was in charge here, not that he needed reminding, but not so long as to waste his time. Fifteen minutes was nothing. The door swung open, and she gestured for him to enter from where she sat behind her desk. As he walked in, he noticed one of the city's high ranking officials prostrate on the ground inside. Kane didn't look at him, but his magic sense was able to tell that the man wasn't moving. Elsa wasn't even allowing him to breathe.

Kane waited patiently for the lesson to end, which it did eventually. The man began gasping for air, and Elsa waved a hand, lifting the man into the air with an acute display of mana control. The man was a tier 3 mage, no slouch by any means, but Elsa was a peak tier 5 mage, and her full powered aura was too strong for him to resist, since he lacked an aura of his own. The man was completely powerless in her presence, subject to her every whim.

Kane was incredibly strong for a tier 4, and even he knew that she would squash him like a bug if they fought, even without the soul oath ensuring his direct obedience. This was one of the reasons why she would likely replace Patriarch Onnurt when he died. She was the strongest of the council members, the only tier 5 in the clan apart from Patriarch Onnurt, and she had a legitimate chance at advancing to tier 6 someday.

Elsa brought the floating city official closer to her, his feet floating just a few inches off the ground.

"Tell Count Dremond that if he wishes to discuss this matter with me personally, my door is always open. Otherwise, I expect this to be the end of it. Have I made myself clear?" The man nodded vigorously, sputtering out an apology. Elsa flicked her wrist, and the man rocketed through the open door, smashing into the wall outside. The building's wards helped prevent any damage to the building itself, but the man groaned in pain. The door swung shut, cutting off his moans. She turned her attention to Kane.

"Here to report?" He bowed low, counted to three, then straightened again.

"Yes, councilwoman," he said meekly, keeping his eyes on the ground. Submissiveness was always the best approach when dealing with a clan council member.

"Go on," she said, sounding bored.

"Yes, councilwoman. My plans are progressing as intended in Easton. I imagine within a few months we'll see a full resolution to the situation, and Baron Norshod will be completely satisfied."

"Good," she said, nodding once.

"I have to make a trip to The Capital in a few months, so I will likely be gone as you wrap everything up. Do you anticipate any needs between now and then?"

"Just one." He hesitated for a moment, then pulled the calling card pin out of his pocket and placed it on her desk. Her eyebrows shot up when she saw it.

"How did you come by this?"

"Shian Yountal delivered it to me in Easton, councilwoman."

"Ah," she said, leaning back in her chair contemplatively.

"I see. I would have thought they'd turned it over to the city officials. I'm surprised she made the connection so easily." Kane bowed his head again submissively.

"She is quite astute, councilwoman. Does the attack on House Yountal here in Portish mean that we've learned more about the house's provenance? Should I feel free to act with impunity in Easton in regards to House Yountal?" Kane didn't intend to do anything to House Yountal, necessarily, not unless the situation called for it. For whatever reason, he was still feeling a soft spot for Shian, and wanted to avoid causing her any harm if he could help it.

Having said that, it was wise to know what limits he needed to operate within, just in case. Elsa breathed deeply and sighed.

"I haven't been able to discover anything yet. Our contacts did find record of a Shian Yountal in Ventalia, but she was a nobody. No family, no connections, supposedly died in the war… at least that's what the rumors say. Either way, it's obviously not the same person, so we're still searching.

"The attack here in Portish wasn't intended to cause her house any harm. It was simply a welcome note to a new merchant house operating on my turf. A way to let them know that I'll be keeping an eye on them as they move into this area. It wasn't directly related to your mission in Easton." Kane bowed in acknowledgment.

"Understood, councilwoman."

"I'll expect another report in a couple of months, before I leave for The Capital." Kane nodded.

"Very well. Thank you for your service, Kane, you are a true asset to the Silver Serpent Clan." He beamed at the praise.

"You're dismissed," she said, waving her hand gently towards the door, causing it to re-open.