Feeling suspicious, the spies jumped on the nearest rooftop to observe when suddenly the old man turned into a young one with the clothes of a high-class Butler.
'Something is off'
They thought the same thing and nodded to each other when their eyes met, they agreed to show themselves.
Swoosh...
Flop!
Like the light wind, they descend in front of the Butler and confused manager, it obvious that they are Rogue Class awakeners looking at how swift their silence movements.
"Who are you?"
One of the spies asked in a menacing tone pointing out his daggers to the Butler instead of protecting the young man, their duty given by the merciless Baron is not to protect the manager but to kill him if he intends to betray the Goldway, they are not here for his safety reasons.
"Where is the real Fortuna's man?"
It seems like they thought the Butler is a third party who abducted the real representative to interfere with the agreement between the two merchants, it's normal since no one knows that Fortuna is a part of the secret organization named Tartarus.
"Why don't you ans-"
"You ask too much"
The Butler cuts his words coldly when suddenly a huge shield appears and rushed towards the annoying spy.
Swoosh...
Bam!
Crack!
The spy got pushed by the sturdy shield before being sandwiched to the wall causing a huge crack on it.
Cough!
"Urgh..."
His cough spits quite a lot of blood because his internal organs are being smashed by that shield-like bulldozer, the painful groans that were echoed through the alley get completely silent as the spy collapse, almost dead.
"Shit, it's a blessing"
The other spy jumps backward to create a distance from the Butler, normally as an awakener, they could feel the presence of mana before magic or skill is being activated and put on a defense or dodge, but it will be on a different story if it was a blessing since a blessing didn't require any mana to be activated and is impossible to sense.
This time they let their guard down and didn't think the possibility of a blessing to appear, it's a legendary item after all, who would've thought they could witness the power of a national treasure in this narrow dark alley, it's either this Butler is extremely lucky to have it or...
A powerful existence is behind his back.
'I need to report it to Master'
He thought inwardly as he jumps upward trying to reach the roof of the nearest building and escape from the Butler, but...
Bam!
His body lightly bumps into something invisible yet so sturdy that it started to get a little hurt, he extended his hand to once again reach this invisible thing in the air to make sure what it is.
"A barrier?"
"!"
The spy jolted as he comes into realization that the Butler's blessing is not a sheer moving shield, it's a huge barrier, the Butler just changes the shape of his barrier into a shield, and the one that smashed his comrade a while ago may not be the biggest one he could make from his barrier.
'How big of the barrier he can make?'
The thought of him being caged by an invisible huge barrier makes him panic.
Swoosh...
He uses his speed and agility to jump in every direction trying to find the way to escape but his attempt was to no avail as he keeps bumping into the sturdy barrier anywhere he jumped.
"Are you done?"
Levi asked at the panting spy who seems to be out of breath trying to flee from his doom, looking down at him, the Butler speaks once again.
"It was quite a sight..."
"Seeing an insect struggling to survive"
Gulped.
Both the young manager and the spy couldn't help but swallow their saliva in silence, the cold man somehow has a twisted smirk on the tip of his lips as if enjoying the scene of the spy jumping like an insect here and there trying to escape the death.
He's terrifying.
Even the young manager who is not an enemy of the Butler, feeling a chill creeps down to his spine, not to mention the trembling spy.
"Ahem..."
The three of them are startled by a faint cough of a little girl that comes from the Butler's earring breaking the tension in the atmosphere.
"M-my Lord?"
Levi replied in a stuttering voice like a child caught doing something bad by his mother, since Grizel could hear everything through the earring regardless of the owner's willingness, she can somehow imagine what is happening right now.
Her once innocent baby boy who was cowering in at the slum 2 years ago is now becoming a splendid man, though with a twisted personality due to the influence of a certain someone.
No, it's not her, really, she might be the one who raised him, but she never taught him unnecessary things like that, the problem lies in someone else.
Sigh...
She sighed, it's not like she is against Levi's new hobby or anything as she herself is not a decent one, but she needs those spies alive, though, one of them seems to almost cross the river of Styx already.
"I'll make sure to tell your sister to not teach you weird stuff again"
She's referring to none other than his troublesome eldest sibling, the crazy maid who loves to see bloodshed and takes pleasure in torture, Lucy.
"I..."
"I am sorry, My Lord..."
The spy and the young manager who just witness his vicious remark a while ago furrowed their eyebrows in unison at the sudden changes of the horned devil to a saddened puppy.
There is only one thing in their minds, they can't help but wondering the identity of the little girl that can affect the sadistic Butler only by sheer words.
"Bring them back alive, you can play with the others"
"No, my Lord, it was a mista-"
Levi intends to refuse but then suddenly remembers the new extraordinary guest they have.
"Hhmm, Can I play with Mr. Counselor a little bit? Because that Prince wouldn't let him go"
Hearing the word of counselor, the smart young manager flinched as he gets a bad hunch about it, a very bad one at that when he recalls the news of the missing Grand Counselor this morning.
'Hahaha, there is no way, right?'
Counselor and Prince might be just the other code names they used like the way they called him a trapped mouse, and tails for the spies.
He brushed off the absurd thoughts and the bad hunch with something that a normal citizen shall have called common sense.
'Yup, they are merchant'
'Just slightly powerful from other merchants'
'.........Though powerful enough to possess a national-level of treasure'
The young man keeps reassuring himself inwardly to stay calm, he doesn't know why such a powerful figure is inviting him, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fulfill his ambition, and he doesn't want to ruin this beautiful dream just because of a mere ominous feeling.
"Do as you wish, just make sure his limbs are in the right place until the time comes"
"Thank you, My Lord"
The little girl's voice could be heard once again as the obedient dog who is wailing his tail in excitement replied to his owner ending the weird conversation through the earring.
"You"
Levi called the dumbfounded spy, back to his cold behavior.
"?"
"The order is to bring you alive..."
"Do you want to keep struggling like an insect or take that fainting comrade of yours and come with me?"
"...What do you want?"
The spy finally opened his mouth, he doesn't have another choice but to follow because he can't escape, yet still needs to confirm his fate.
"Hhmm, knowing my Lord, she may have the thought of using you and your comrades as the scapegoats by manipulating your memories and create the fake death for both of me and this brother to erase the suspicion of our sudden disappearance"
Levi explained nonchalantly by pointing himself and the young manager, perfectly deciphering his master's plan, if the two representatives disappeared suddenly, of course, it would draw suspicion, but...
What if the ones who admitted that have killed both representatives are the men of the Baron?
The Baron can not put the blame on anyone but himself, he will lose his talented manager and the relation to the Fortuna merchant will be ruined beyond repair.
"To put it simply, you just have to go to your master and tell him that you killed us"
"YOU!!!"
The spy shouted in anger even if he is afraid of the Butler, it's normal as no one in their right mind would be happy to become a scapegoat.
"Is this command sounds like a suggestion to you?"
Levi asked in a menacing tone, he explained his master's plan to the spy as a form of kindness but he seems to misunderstand his goodwill and forget his position as a trapped insect that has no choice but to follow the predator if he doesn't want to be eaten alive.
Tap!
The young manager tapped the threatening Butler's shoulder.
"May I speak to him, Sir?"
"Of course, and you don't have to be polite with me, Brother, as I am the youngest"
Levi said with a smile, it's clear enough he is treating the manager and the spies differently even though they are serving the same Baron, and that weird way of refusing his politeness, it's as if the young manager will soon become part of his family.
The manager doesn't want to think about it too deeply for now, it might be just a problem with his personality that changes like a puberty girl's mood swings.
"Listen, I think it's a win-win situation for us"
The young manager who is an expert in negotiations and persuasion started to speak to the frowning spy trying to calm him down.
"Don't you remember what is your main mission given by the Baron?"
"To kill those who betrayed the Goldway merchant"
"Right, all you need to do is saying that I tried to sell the Goldway information and start to reveal the Baron's illegal businesses to the representative of the Fortuna merchant and that you have no choice but to kill both of us"
He tried to persuade the spy, anyway it's the best time for him to get away from that greedy pig as well.
"As Mister Butler said, your memory might be manipulated a little but you and your comrades will certainly be released as the ones who will relay the false news of my death"
The young manager leans close to the spy to whisper his last and most important fact of his persuasive line.
"You live, I live, the only one who suffers the loss is the Baron without him knowing..."
He stopped for a moment before saying the last one blow and convince the almost-tempted spy.
"Is it worth to give away your life as a loyalty to him?"
For a moment, silence filled the air of the narrow alley, 2 of the 3 men are standing there like a statue waiting for the spy to make a decision either to follow them peacefully or roughly, but regardless of the method, he will be dragged to the demon lord.
"I'll come"
He finally decided to be manipulated by the enemy and choose to live, this decision is the best he can think of because there will be no casualties and the Baron will only lose a few of his fortune including the talented manager and the agreement with the Fortuna Merchant.
The most important thing is that no one needs to die.
"Take your friend and follow me"
"Be careful, I think I smashed him too hard that I crushed his internal organs"
Levi said shamelessly not showing even a little bit of guilt for overdoing it, that spy will be certainly dead if he wasn't an awakener.
Hearing Levi's shameless remark, the other spy scoffed inwardly, if he can, he wants to slap that 'be careful' word to his cold face, the one who needs to be careful is not him but this terrifying Butler instead, just because his comrade is indeed annoying, still, there's no need to crash him to this extent, now even the high priest at the Palace won't be able to heal him completely, it mostly he wouldn't be able to be a spy any longer even if he is alive.
The young manager helps the spy to carry his comrade and follow behind the Butler silently, they are heading to the familiar place to all of them, a similar place where they spend their childhood...
The slum.
"We arrived"
Levi said shortly as he opened the door of an old shack that looks as shabby as the other buildings around the area.
"Pfft"
The spy couldn't hold his snicker as he saw how poor the Fortuna merchant is to have this building as their base, but unlike him, the young manager remains silent because he is aware of the fact that this Fortuna merchant somehow related to the Emperor, there's no way they would have this shabby shack as their base, it means only one thing, they are hiding something bigger than a revolutionary pendant.
The greed that lies within his heart is screaming, he can smell the money inside this ramshackle building is far surpassing the Goldway's, now he is sure that they are not mere merchants, because, besides the money, there is also a smell of power, authorities, and...
blood.
He knows the Baron's illegal business and his shady doing but this one is on a whole different level as it smells thicker and more dangerous.
Gulped.
This choice may cost him his life, but...
High risk, high return.
His greed won't be satisfied with the play of a safe game.
"Welcome to Fortuna, no..."
"Tartarus Organization"
Levi welcomed the young manager and smiled at him meaningfully as they stepped inside, the spy and the manager observe the surrounding with confusion because there is nothing, it's empty.
Swoosh...
As if answering the question, a gate-like black hole appears in the middle of the empty room, the unnerving gate looks like it is connected to the demon world that no one would want to step into that fearsome thing.
"Should we go in that thing?"
He asked the Butler to confirm, hoping for a No for an answer but Levi just gives him a small laugh and replied.
"Behind it is our family"
This is the teleportation gate build as Grizel's order when they held a meeting before the engagement party, the one that uses the knowledge of the ancient script of the Elven race to connect 2 coordinates temporarily, and as the order of his Lord, Levi builds it to connect a shabby shack at the slum and...
The Northeast coastline at the forest of Demise, where most of Tartarus members build a temporary base to create a magic submarine, and the territory of the most dangerous monsters.
To be continued...