Chapter 43. The Smell of Money (3)
Yukhar’s crib was a bit out of the way in Seor, right by the river. This spot, by the flowing waters of Seor, was a hotspot for logistics and a pleasure hangout drawing in lots of folks. And Yukhar’s place was the grandest there.
“Yukhar…runs the show around these parts. And I’ve heard he’s tight with the Seor market.”
Given that Seor was a key Golden Idol Guild trading post, the market was pretty much under their thumb. Doubts began to creep in about how separate this whole setup really was from the Golden Idol Guild.
Jacquette wasn’t exactly thrilled about Isaac’s plans. But after witnessing Isaac’s skills, it was tough to say which one of the duo she found scarier.
Ignoring Jacquette’s concerns, Isaac fixed his gaze on the front gate of Yukhar’s pad.
Even in the wee hours, the guards and soldiers patrolling Yukhar’s territory seemed extra alert. Unlike those ragtag bandits, these guards were armed to the teeth, making it a tricky spot to mess with.
What’s the play when stepping into the lair of a big-shot underworld boss running the black market?
Isaac had a few tricks up his sleeve: slip in with Jacquette’s help, go sneaky under the cover of darkness, or maybe even flip some traitors to fish him out.
Isaac didn’t hesitate for long.
That wasn’t the way of a Grail Knight.
In line with his title, Isaac kicked that front gate down.
Bang.
A thunderous crash echoed through the mansion at dawn.
“What’s the commotion?”
Even though it was a pleasure district, it was dead in the night, with folks fast asleep. Guards hurried into the courtyard, shocked to see the massive iron gate toppled down. And there was Isaac, stepping right over it.
“Intruder!”
The guards quickly armed themselves and surrounded Isaac. Not just because anyone who could knock down a gate like that had to be a force to reckon with, but also out of fear that more troublemakers might follow through the broken gate.
“What are you waiting for! Attack!”
A man, looking like a boss, barked orders. Some guards lunged at Isaac with their spears, but Isaac deflected them with ease, knocking the spears aside and bringing them down to the ground.
It was like, boom, everything changed in an instant.
“Whoa, that dude’s gotta be at least at knight level! Quick, tell the fancy guy!”
When they heard “knight level,” the soldiers kind of backed off, you know, keeping their distance but still circling around him. They knew sword skills weren’t just for knights — anyone could train in that stuff. But knights? They were on a whole other level, way above regular folks.
Isaac chilled until a bunch of soldiers had gathered in the courtyard. Fancy people dressed up for some party started peeking out, wondering what the commotion was.
Then this dude with a strong vibe and a sharp middle-aged guy showed up. Isaac could tell by how the guards made way that it was Yukhar. Being loaded, it made sense for him to have top-notch guards.
“Who in the world are you…”
“I’m Isaac, the Grail Knight.”
Isaac spoke up loud enough for all the peeps to hear him clearly. The crowd around him looked unsure, chatting among themselves in whispers.
“A Grail Knight? Are those even real?”
“But why would a Grail Knight be here…”
The title of Grail Knight was like something out of stories, so it was no wonder the guards were shook. But Isaac’s name and deeds weren’t exactly common knowledge yet.
But there was at least one person there who saw things differently.
Isaac clocked Yukhar scrunching his face. But the guard captain misunderstood his quiet vibe and went off.
“What craziness leads someone to crash a party uninvited in the dead of night? Archers!”
Archers up on the balcony got their bows ready. But Yukhar shut it down with a raised hand. While the guard captain was lost, Yukhar stepped closer.
“I’m Yukhar Leven, the big shot around here. Even if you’re a Grail Knight, you can’t just bust into someone’s pad at night, can you?”
Isaac gave a small grin.
If Yukhar was so plugged in to the shady scene, he’d already know about Isaac being a Grail Knight. But he couldn’t sic his guards on him.
‘Can’t off a knight in the city.’
Seor was all about the White Empire. So, as a bigwig, Yukhar had to play nice, whether he was all about the Codex of Light or not.
See, if a Codex of Light follower offed a Holy Grail Knight of the Light, that was a one-way trip to the underworld. So, to steer clear of that eternal dirt nap, the choices were converting or going rogue. But Yukhar and his crew had too much riding on their current setup to make that call. Even if Isaac straight-up came in announcing his identity, Yukhar was stuck.
‘If I had to move, I should’ve used a rogue, but missed my chance.’
So, Jacquette’s ambush had to be on point, with Yukhar probably pushing for it.
But hey, the one thing Isaac could count on? His own life.
Now, the real deal begins.
“I came here ’cause I know you’re hoarding some relic. Hand it over, now.”
Isaac’s been after that from the get-go.
***
Isaac rolled up to Yukhar’s crib barefoot, no bloodshed or wrestling with the guards.
The fancy mansion was buzzing with a banquet, with guests mingling and munching on food, while the drinks flowed like they were born to be there. Yukhar strolled into the banquet hall, trying to keep the vibes in check.
“Hey folks, no biggie. Looks like there was a mix-up in the orders, causing a bit of a ruckus. Let’s just go on enjoying the bash, alright?”
The finely dressed guests exchanged unsure looks, but relaxed when they saw no more drama unfolding. They shifted their attention, now more intrigued, towards the young paladin, Isaac, who strolled in with Yukhar.
In a split second, Isaac’s gaze locked onto someone in the room.
It was Caitlin, the head honcho of the Golden Idol Guild branch in Seor.
She shot Isaac a surprised look. But Isaac, putting a finger to his lips, followed Yukhar.
“Follow me.”
Yukhar guided Isaac to the reception area and quickly had the servants set up the best drinks on offer. Maybe the booze was spiked, or it could be a signal for troublemakers to storm in with swords drawn.
Yet, Isaac paid no mind to either possibility.
Yukhar took a seat across from Isaac.
“I’ve heard of your good name, Sir Knight of the Holy Grail.”
“I haven’t really done anything worth mentioning yet.”
“I heard about how you survived a wild night being hunted by Wallachian human hunters and even took down a knight from the Briant Paladin Order single-handedly.”
Yukhar had to keep it respectful towards Isaac, not because being a viscount was small potatoes, but to honor the authority vested in Isaac by his Order. In this world, the Order’s say was law.
“I didn’t come here for compliments, Yukhar.”
But Isaac kept his air of superiority. It might have been wiser to be polite, but for now, acting a bit aloof seemed to be the way to go. Folks like that could cause trouble if they thought they had the upper hand.
However, Yukhar didn’t seem fazed as Isaac expected. Isaac furrowed his brow. It was either that Yukhar had nothing to fear, or he had a backing powerful enough to put a Holy Grail Knight in their place.
Isaac decided to poke at Yukhar’s mystery.
“You’ve got it, right? The Shepherd’s Crook.”
Yukhar was a master at keeping his cards close to his chest. But Isaac’s eyes were sharp. Suddenly, his left eye transformed into the Eye of Chaos, a tinge of purple creeping in. Ethereal tendrils unfurled from the chaos, probing Yukhar’s deepest secrets.
[“How did he know?”]
“I’m not following what you’re getting at.”
Yukhar remained cool as a cucumber, surprising even Isaac. Whether it was caution towards Isaac or his mental fortifications being rock solid, Isaac couldn’t dig any deeper. The bits of info he gleaned were enough. Delving further might have him sprouting tentacles from behind his eyelids.
Isaac reined in his Eye of Chaos and spoke.
“I came to Seor looking for the Shepherd’s Crook. I was planning to sniff around for info on it, but it seems Loracus has the town in a twist.”
“…”
For the first time, a flicker of unease danced across Yukhar’s face.
“Isaac couldn’t remember all the relics in the Nameless Chaos, just the ones important for the game or super powerful. The Shepherd’s Crook wasn’t a big deal for beating the game or packing a punch, but it had its own cool trick. It could mess with the feelings of creatures with a certain level of brainpower or less.
Usually, as the name suggests, it was for controlling animals or turning mean monsters into buddies. It was like playing shepherd with a herd of sheep. But it didn’t work on smarty pants like humans.
“At first, I didn’t connect this situation with the Shepherd’s Crook. Humans can’t be controlled by it. But then… I wondered, why Loracus?”
“Why indeed?”
“Simple. Loracus lowers magic resistance.”
Magic resistance doesn’t just affect magic but divine stuff too.
Yukhar went off buying lots of Loracus at high prices, making everybody think it was a big deal. Even though he didn’t have enough cash to mess with the market by himself.
As word got out about someone hoarding Loracus, all sorts of rumors started flying. People found new uses for Loracus or it suddenly became a hot item abroad.
Smart traders jumped in, and all kinds of Loracus flooded Seor. Whether it was bulbs, blooms, dried and crushed, or made into tea, Loracus made its mark.
As the city filled with Loracus scent, magic resistance dropped naturally. Even folks who wouldn’t usually get involved started to give in a bit. And with the Shepherd’s Crook, it was easy to get everybody greedy.
But the real kicker came next.
Getting the big shots of the Golden Idol involved.
Then, a maid showed up with booze and snacks. Isaac and Yukhar ignored the spread, deep in conversation.
“Should I leave?”
“Nah, hang around.”
Isaac eyed the maid, noticing she was on high alert for anything fishy.
He nonchalantly poured wine into Yukhar’s glass.
“The party was something, huh?”
Silence filled the air.
The top-notch wine and drinks were laced with sweet Loracus. Yukhar aimed not at the crowd, but the rich and powerful. They were sipping on that magic-resistance-lowering drink, all set to be manipulated.
Yukhar was about to kickstart a trend that could sweep through Soer and beyond effortlessly.
“Now, here’s the catch.”
Isaac tapped on the table, his glass full.
“What if folks found out the Loracus craze was just a relic’s trick?”
He flicked his finger, tipping over the glass.
