“So where we goin'?”

I got my first job as apart of the cult. I’m mildly looking forward to what we’re doing, as I’ve basically done nothing for the past few days.

And y’know, for an honest working man such as myself, just sitting around doesn’t feel right. I just feel all empty inside, like I’m wasting my days away. Becoming a little good for nothing.

Am I a workaholic?

Yesn’t. I am just an upright, principled citizen of the kingdom.

Actually, maybe not citizen, but an upright individual at the very least.

“We go make transaction, quick in and out,”

It’s just me, Lily, Lazari and of course Lacer. Lazari insisted that she come along seeing me leave. And well, I wouldn’t be leaving her behind with those sly scum.

“Be ready, comrade Jeffrey, things will most likely get messy,”

Ooh, I’m guessing that the people we’ll be dealing with are of the unreputable kind, meaning target practice. I’ve learnt a couple tricks so if things do get messy, I’d have live subjects to test it out on.

*Step*

From the paved city streets to the compacted dirt of the slums. It looks like the people we’re dealing with are more unreputable than I thought. Walking past numerous shacks and makeshift housing, a stench assaults my nose.

Damn! Not even the slums in Sharne were this bad.

Though I guess the security here just simply doesn’t compare to the one back in Joost. After all, I would’ve already been arrested had this been Sharne. But then again, Joost was also much larger than Sharne, which meant that there were a lot more places to hide.

I follow Lacer through the grubby slums as we pass into another cobbled section of the city. We cut through the slums to enter another district which is surprisingly lit despite the time of night, and most businesses here seem to be of the same type.

Interesting. Though we weren’t dealing with someone from the slums?

“Shortcut,” Is all Lacer says.

Fair point.

Nonetheless, before long we enter an institution of some sort. It’s brightly lit like the rest of the buildings here, yet this one seems to stand out from the rest. Whether it be it’s decorations or how imposing the building is, it just exudes an aura of wealth that others cannot compare to.

Many people crowd about, but Lacer just shoves his way through. I follow his lead.

Entering we pass through a couple armoured mercenaries, of which, I’m assuming, are the guards here.

A strange scent of narcotics impacts me. Or are they aphrodisiacs? I can't tell.

"Oh my~ Are you perhaps looking for a good time~~" A woman whispers to me as I pass through the entrance. She doesn’t look half bad herself, though I would flag her for public indecency with her skimpy outfit.

Hmm, I'm getting a strange intuition that children shouldn't be here.

"Do not get distracted, they are all chock full of venereal crap, be chaste, do not stick it where it does not belong," Lacer huffs, looking at the women around us in disdain.

I don't know what he's talking about, nor would I want to stick anything anywhere.

"Good comrade,"

Notifying what appears to be a servant of some sort, we are quickly led through this hotel like building.

Swiftly moving forward, he leads the way to a private reception room near the back of the building, again passing by another set of guards. The room, despite its arrangements of top quality items and furnishings, is dirty with the fetid smell of bodily fluids quickly making itself known.

Are there animals in here? On second thought, it smells human…

Tsk, disgusting. But not as disgusting as that midget den. Don’t think anything could possibly top that place.

Seated on a couch is a rather plump man. And I'm being extremely generous when I say plump. He reclines back with his arms around women on either side of him.

"What d'ya need from me this time," he snarls, his yellowed teeth on full display.

"Nothing much, nothing much," Lacer waves his hands as he approaches the man and stands in front of a couch opposite.

I'm not too sure what's happening here, so I just stand beside the door, trying to minimise my presence. However, as soon as Lazari enters the room, a glint flashes through the man’s eyes. I’m unsure of his name, but he’ll be Fat Cunt for the time being.

Fat cunt, as per this current moment in time was really rubbing me the wrong way.

"You bringin' me some stock?"

Stock? Oho, is this fella lookin’ for the smoke? Hm?! If you want the smoke then I'll give it to ya'!

I glare daggers at Fat Cunt, ready to roll up my sleeves, but heedless of me Lacer continues the conversation,

"I'm afraid not, let us speak about our agreement first,"

“Hm, ah, yes… that,” Snapping his fingers, he has another skimpily dressed woman bring him a sack covered pot.

“This is what you asked for,” Tearing off the sack, it reveals a small flower, “The executioner’s rose,”

It’s a metallic looking flower with a lavender sheen. It only has a single stalk, but it’s decorated with numerous barbs and thorns with purple petals comparable to that of a fine blade.

“I had to pull a lot of strings to get this, and it still cost me quite a hefty sum,”

Lacer inspects the rose for a moment.

“Good,” Seemingly satisfied, he places a small crystal on a low table between them. The crystal is pure white and gives a soft, tender glow. Just its presence alone seems to make the atmosphere livelier.

Is that a life crystal? Damn. Is a flower really worth a life crystal? That’s insane. Even from my distance over here, I can feel its lovely radiance. Like being in a loving mother’s embrace. Not that I’ve ever experienced such a thing…

However, as Lacer moves to collect his end of the transaction, he’s quickly blocked by an armoured guard.

“Hey now, no need to be so hasty, sit down, have a sip of tea,” Fat Cunt says with a mocking tone, “After all, you never know when you will get to enjoy such pleasures again,”

I don’t quite understand what he says, but Lacer does,

“Enough horse shite, what do you want?”

“Well, let’s just say, I’ve done a bit of research, because well, I was wondering what someone from the empire was doing here. And well, you aren’t exactly clean now are you?”

“Nobody in this realm is truly clean,”

“Hah, true, but what would happen if the city knew about you, huh?” He cocks his head to the side, a shite eating grin sprouting across his chubby face.

“Well, let’s say that after all I went through to get this rose and I’m feeling that a life crystal may not cut it anymore…”

He goes on to say some other jargon, but from what I understand…

Is this guy trying to blackmail us?

I always hated rich bastards like this Fat Cunt, but this is going to an extreme. I can already guess what his demands are going to be, judging by his wanton gaze.

Sigh, however, no matter how much I want to bash his head in, this isn’t my place to make a move, after all, it was Lacer’s transaction. Unless of course, he intrudes on my bounds.

It was at this moment that Lacer inquired of me.

Though, I could swear he said something strange.

"Comrade Jeffrey, would you like to do the honours?" He gestures toward me.

Honours? If he thinks I'm selling Lazari or serving this guy then that's a big no. As if already detecting my misconstruction, he quickly adds on.

"Killing him I mean,"

At the echo of these words, the two women beside Fat Cunt burst forward pulling out straight daggers from who knows where and shielding Fat Cunt. It was quick, very telling of their skill. Glazing us over, Fat Cunt seems oddly composed as he smirks at us in contempt. He's clearly underestimating us.

"Hmm, did you think you could just waltz into my territory and call the shots 'round here?" Fat Cunt's stomach jiggles as he makes a feeble attempt at standing up. "Do you take me for any wayside trash to kick!?"

"Well yes," Lacer snaps his fingers as he subtly gestures for me to do something. Well, here I go killing again.

One of the women tries to intercept me, but although she does look to have some skill, it looks more to be self taught street know how rather than actual training. As a testament to her street style techniques, she lines up a kick straight for my groin. It was predictable, a trick I’ve seen many a time but not only that, it was slow as well. Backhanding the kick, I follow through with a headlock. Though it’s just an ordinary headlock, using it in conjunction with the dark art life siphon, I quickly drain her life essence. Her strength fading with each passing second.

She starts screaming in agony, which attracts the horrified gaze of her comrade. Grinning, Lacer takes her distraction to land a heavy push kick, slamming her through a wall most likely rupturing her internal organs. Before turning and catching a nearby sword strike. Yes, he caught the sword. Grasping it on the blade no less. And it wasn’t like the sword was of flimsy make, it was just that it wasn’t at a level that could cut Lacer.

What a monster.

Lazari goes and rams her knife through his side, turning him into a bleeding mess and Lily… the lazy bird was perching herself across the room.

"Godsdamnit! Useless! You're all useless!"

Fat Cunt starts yelling… at the dead people? I mean, those people were trying their goshdarn best, but I'm not going to question it. Though we should probably finish up as we've made quite a bit of noise.

Kicking his shins, he topples onto the ground, in a heap. And just to make my day, he starts wailing and whining, like the cunt that he is.

“StaHP! Ple-please! I’ll give you anything! Anything!”

What was with this pathetic willpower? This feels too easy. His incessant whining makes me want to dish in a couple more kicks, but I restrain myself. Although I'm an expert at the art of kicking people whilst they're down, this wasn't the right time.

“I’ll stop resisting, just take it! I won’t do anything ever again!”

“In the fatherland, it is not ‘I’ll stop resisting’ it is ‘I’ll stop existing’,”

His eyes widen as Lacer stamps his neck and slowly kills him. Withering his life away, even to the point that his bones turn to dust.

Rather overkill, but I felt like he deserved it. I didn't like the look he gave my girl.

So, what was the point of that senseless killing? I mean yes, I wanted to kill the guy but why did we even come here in the first place?

"Get the plant and let us go,"

Oh yeah! The flower! That completely flew over my head as soon as Lacer whipped out that life crystal. But I guess the plant was the main purpose of this whole escapade. I can't beleive I'm taking part is a star struck black market flower dealing of all things… Just where did it all go wrong?

I pick up the pot, catching a glimpse of Lacer pocketing the crystal before we all bolt out of the building.

My hands are full, but with Lacer clearing the way, the guards don’t stand much chance against, an elder cultist — at least, I guess he’d be called that —.

Though we leave through the front entrance, none block our path after the display back there, simply giving us way as they backed off.

Self preservation instincts actually helping out for once! Usually, it makes everything a pain…