Quite a few thoughts of wanting to kill Ethan crossed my mind. I figured it was first best to find out more about him before escalating to that step. As far as I knew his political reach was all-encompassing and killing him would cause more trouble than remedy. It didn’t help that I also knew nothing when it came to his field of magic. The position of Official is given directly by a noble and it only made sense that they were powerful enough to be given the title.

The thirty days until Vera’s court date turned into an urgent deadline for spreading my reach within Avalon. Now was the time to actively put in effort into searching for my uncle. At the very least he would be able to train my slaves how to fight, better than I ever could.

Sitting at my desk and mulling over the best approach to take was when I remembered the stack of papers that Marcus handed over to Jade. All of the blackmail and information on clientele that they had acquired over the years. He mentioned that Selka was the main contributing factor to most of the information.

I called both of them over to my office to discuss the plan. Selka entered first, rather quickly upon calling her. Seemed she was already nearby and finished with her morning training and shower. She arrived wearing casual shorts and a light t-shirt. The very opposite of her full cover training wear. I figured it was a means to stay cool and avoid sweating even if it meant getting a little cold in the process.

“What can I help you with?” She remained standing near the door.

“You’re going to have to tell me about your previous so-called masters. I need a better understanding of all the shady stuff that goes on in Avalon.” I stood up and motioned her to join me on the couch and seating arrangement around the coffee table.

“Many of them frequented the black markets and gambling ring that stretches below Avalon. The entire area is devoid of military enforcement and is instead controlled by the ruling syndicate.” Selka went on about the opposite nightlife that occurred underground at all times.

“I’ve made a couple of acquaintances there that we can start with if you wish.” Dipping my toes into the underworld may not be a bad idea even if it was dangerous. It sounded like a necessary part of wanting to spread my influence throughout the city. I needed to turn Ethan’s greatest power, his control on Avalon against him if I wanted to stand a chance at surviving.

“Is there something special we have to do to enter, or do we just walk up to one of the entrances and go in?” I was completely clueless about the way things worked. If it wasn’t for the seal and Selka’s inability to lie, it almost felt like she was trolling me big time. The way she explained it, there was an entire underground infrastructure as big as Avalon’s topside.

“As long as you have one of these, it will guide you to the entrance.” Selka opened up her closed palm to show me a black token. The insignia had a polished exterior with a burning flame design etched into it.

“Were you holding onto that the entire time?” She extended her hand to offer the token.

“Yup, when you mentioned blackmail I figured it, a good idea to bring with and show you.” The physical features of the token were the same weight and size as a gold coin.

“What did you mean by guide you to the entrance?” The way she phrased it caught my attention.

“Once you activate it with mana, it will lead you to the nearest entrance. It changes every now and then. I’m not sure if it is based on time or the number of people allowed in.” An ever-changing entrance to the underground sounded like a good deterrent for unwanted and repeat visitors without a token on hand.

“How did you obtain your token?” I handed it back to her.

“I took it from someone that won’t be using it anymore. Normally you receive one through invite only but I’m not sure of the proper procedures. ” Her first sentence was fishy especially with the momentary disgust she expressed as if remembering a bad encounter. I left it at a guess that someone died and didn’t press the matter. She also happened to answer my follow-up question on her own.

“Is it safe to use the token..., if you didn’t get it through proper channels?” At this point, I saw Jade appear in the corner of my eye. She bowed and remained silent, moving closer not wanting to interrupt the conversation.

“That’s a good question, I haven't tried using it yet. I'm usually with someone that has one.” I told Jade to sit while also paying attention to Selka. As long as the token granted us access then we could take things as they occurred from there. Worst-case scenario we end up causing a scene. It’s not like adding to our ever-growing list of threats is going to have much effect. The only thing worse than reforcers and officials were nobles that commanded them.

“Master, you don’t have to worry about that. The token will not cause any issues, even if it is stolen.” Jade politely interjected into the conversation.

“Tell me what you know.” I shifted my body towards her seat. She wore a stylish white dress that ended at her thighs with black leggings underneath. The highlights of her jade green hair matched the leggings perfectly. I found it odd that she wore them together with the dress but made sense as I thought about her flight magic.

“The documents Marcus gave us have a lot of dealings with the syndicate, and their human trafficking. Because of his job, he’s had to interact with them on several occasions.” I couldn’t help but notice her elegant posture and the way she crossed her leg over the other. I almost wanted to ask if she was comfy sitting like that since it looked tiring.

“Looks like we'll be heading there soon, will both of you accompany me?” They both nodded and agreed without any hesitation. I informed them to get ready and that I wanted to speak with Eris before we left.