"You two are siblings?" Helios asked, his jaw practically hitting the floor.
"Unfortunately," Sara sighed, reaching over to playfully but firmly pinch Nova's ear. "He's my annoying older brother."
"How old are you two exactly?"
"I'm nineteen, and this idiot is twenty-three," Sara answered.
"Leader, I see you haven't picked out your own wardrobe yet," Nova chirped, ignoring his sister's grip. "I made it just in time. I want to see you in something that actually screams 'Sovereign.'"
"Don't you have anything better to do? Like finding out which Seeker Clan I belong to?" Helios countered.
"Rio is handling the paperwork for that," Nova said with a shrug. "I'm only really useful when it comes to lifting things—or stealing them."
Sara gave his ear one last twist before letting go. "I almost forgot to tell you, Leader: your official duties begin tomorrow morning. But for now," she said, her eyes gleaming with a predatory fashion sense, "we need to find you some real clothes."
Helios was ushered into the men's section. A few minutes later, he stepped out wearing a crisp, tailored black business suit.
"Looking sharp, Leader!" Nova gave him a thumbs up.
"It's amazing, Brother!" Luna added, her eyes sparkling.
"Pack it up. All of it," Sara commanded the clerk. Helios followed up by trying on a heavy black tuxedo. "That one too," she added without even looking at the price tag.
By the time they finished, Helios and Luna were loaded into their car while Nova and Sara headed for another. "See you tomorrow, Leader!" Nova shouted, leaning halfway out the window as they drove off.
When Helios finally stepped inside his new mansion, he was stunned. The outside was impressive, but the inside is on another level. Gold patterns, white marble, and a red carpet that feels like walking on a cloud. The butler greeted them with practised grace and showed them to their respective quarters.
Helios brushed his teeth in a bathroom larger than his entire old shack and collapsed onto the massive bed. Today was actually... good. Good food, a real bed. I learned about cars—what's next, phones? I haven't seen one yet, but in this world, who knows? He drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The next morning at the base, the honeymoon phase officially ended.
"Why is this so miserable?" Helios groaned, staring at the mountain of parchment on his desk. "No one warned me about the paperwork."
A knock sounded at the door. "Come in," he called out, sounding like he'd aged ten years overnight.
Sara walked in, carrying yet another stack of documents. "Morning, Leader. How are you enjoying the throne?"
"It's horrible. Why am I being reported on every minor grievance? 'Two recruiters fought over a sandwich.' 'Riku fainted out of sheer anger because someone said he lost to me.' Why do I need to know this?"
"You can ignore those," Sara said, dropping the new pile. "Any actual progress?"
"One," Helios said, tapping a specific file. "A noble family is looking for their missing daughter. I'm thinking of sending Nova. He's bored, and it'll get him out of my hair."
Somewhere in the base, Nova let out a sudden sneeze and started trembling. Who's talking about me?
"Doesn't sound that important," Sara noted.
"It is if it buys us a favour from a Noble house," Helios countered. "Also, we need to liquidate the jewellery we've accumulated. I just don't know where to sell it without raising eyebrows."
"The Black Market," Sara suggested with a sharp smile. "The nobles there will pay triple for pieces with a bit of 'history' behind them."
"Fine. Tell the finance department to move the jewellery through the Black Market."
"I'll get on that," Sara said, but she didn't leave. She stood there, lingering with a look that Helios recognized immediately.
"You want something, Sara. Just spit it out."
"Well," she began, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "I have a mission to assassinate a noble, but I don't have a partner I trust. I was wondering if you'd come with me?"
"Sara, look at this desk," Helios said, yawning. "I'm buried."
"You forgot you promised to do one thing for me yesterday in exchange for the shopping trip," she reminded him with a smug tilt of her head.
I knew those dresses weren't free. "Fine. When do we start?"
"Tonight. At the Gate to Area 1. Don't be late, Helios... or you might find some of your new belongings missing by morning."
"Did she just threaten to rob me?" Helios muttered as she swept out of the room. He spent the rest of the day looking for the crown in his mind, but it remained silent. I'll probably need that useless thing tonight.
By nightfall, Helios arrived at the rendezvous point. He stood alone for ten minutes, checking his surroundings. Where is she? I've been scammed.
"Hello, Leader." Sara appeared silently behind him.
"You're late! You're the one who set the time!"
"Sorry," she whispered, scratching her head with a sheepish grin. "I forgot where I put my tactical gear."
"Whatever. What's the target?"
"House Targen," Sara said, her voice turning cold. "The mission is to eliminate everyone with Targen blood. It's a total wipe."
Helios felt a chill. "Who gave you this? This isn't a mission; it's a blood feud."
"It's for Lady Rose, the owner of the shop we visited. She's a close friend. House Targen killed her husband."
"Over what?"
"They claimed he was having an affair with their daughter," Sara explained. "They executed him without a trial. The truth was the daughter was obsessed with him; she lured him to a secret meeting and claimed they were 'secret lovers.' When the family found out she had lied after the execution, they did nothing to atone for it. They just moved on as if he were nothing."
Helios looked at the darkened gate to Area 1. "So tonight, we make sure they don't move on from anything ever again."
Are you ready to infiltrate the noble district, or should we prepare a plan for House Targen's elite guards?