Karte had never felt this important in his entire life.
The weight of the packages in his arms did not burden him. On the contrary, they elevated him.
The fragrant steam that was escaping from the carefully wrapped food boxes, the polished bottle of imported drink that was tucked securely under his arm, and the wrapped desserts tied with silk ribbon felt heavy and precious.
Each item whispered the same message to anyone who stared at him.
He had a backing and the townsfolk noticed immediately.
Karte was not someone who could afford the abundance. Everyone knew that since he was a familiar face in the district which should be modest, diligent, and forgettable.
After all, he was only a servant. The kind of man who counted coins carefully before buying even a loaf of bread.
So, when he appeared with several delicacies that were usually reserved for celebrations, many eyes followed him.
At first, there was a curiosity before it came into understanding.
They didn't believe that he suddenly became wealthy. No sensible man would waste an entire month's wage on a single afternoon of indulgence, especially not in this town. The survival here was measured in caution and not extravagance.
There was no way he bought it with his own money. Eventually, the conclusion was simple because his lord had ordered it.
The thought spread silently from a quiet shift in posture and a subtle straightening of backs when he passed. Some even smiled warmly.
"Ah, Karte! It seems your master treats you well."
"Congratulations… Looks like the fortune finally turned toward you."
He bowed slightly, trying to suppress the grin which was threatening to expose his excitement. He didn't confirm and he didn't deny. He simply allowed their assumptions to grow roots.
The temptation flickered in some of their gazes since they wanted to ask.
Who was the name of the lord?
Was the person a merchant or a noble?
Was the person a newly transferred academy student?
Still, it was only the few first errands. There would be more opportunities to observe.
For now, they let him pass yet not all eyes carried the same goodwill.
From across the street and beneath the shadow of a tilted wooden awning, a group of men watched in silence.
They did not congratulate since they only calculated.
The alley beside them was narrow, damp, and sour with the smell of old ale and stagnant water. The life inside that darkness followed a different rhythm from the lively streets beyond it.
The laughter there was sharp and the smiles were transactional.
Every town had them which was the men who did not obey the usual arrangement.
After all, the guards preferred well-lit plazas and crowded markets. The merchant association received frequent rounds and the academy gates were secured by magical barriers.
But beyond that radius, the security thinned. At there, the costs dropped and the respect disappeared.
Karte walked farther from the center and he was unaware who were behind him.
*****
He was careful toward the food and the drink.
He adjusted his grip to avoid dropping anything. He checked the drink bottle twice and he pondered about the polite words in his mind for Baston.
He wanted everything to be perfect.
That was why he failed to notice the distance between himself and the bustling district that had grown too wide.
The street ahead emptied and the sound of footsteps behind him blended too smoothly with his own.
By the time his realization dawned, it was already too late.
Three men stepped from the front and two from behind. The alley swallowed the remaining sunlight and Karte froze upon knowing what happened.
"What are you doing?" he demanded even though his voice trembled, "You dare blocking someone in broad daylight? The watchmen will not ignore this!"
The laughter answered him since the words were just empty threat.
"Watchmen?" one man spat to the side, "You're far from their concern."
Another leaned against the wall while grinning, "Hand over everything. Your money first and we'll decide about the rest."
Karte's heartbeat pounded in his ears.
"If you dare to touch me…" he said through clenched teeth, "My young noble will not forgive you. He will make you suffer."
The words surprised even him since he started to believe Baston more through their limited interaction.
He finally used the term of young noble without hesitation. In truth, Baston was not yet a noble but he would be. Karte believed that with absolute certainty.
Hearing the words of noble, the men paused.
After all, the noble meant the retaliation and also protection. The noble meant the consequences that extended beyond this alley.
Some of the smaller thugs exchanged uncertain glances, but then, a larger figure stepped forward. He moved without hurry and without doubt. He took his dagger that was glinted in the hand.
"Who in their right mind lives here?" the big man said calmly, "The nobles surely despise the districts like this. If your master exists, he's no better than a merchant."
He leaned closer before sprouting the threat, "Such merchants bleed the same."
Slowly, the confidence returned to the group and Karte's options vanished. Running meant dropping everything while fighting meant certain defeat.
He swallowed before the dagger suddenly lifted toward him. He thought it would be the end, but then, a sharp crack split the atmosphere.
Ice magic quickly formed midair, freezing their movement that was deemed as the threat. A jagged shard manifested inches from the big man's face.
The man stumbled back instinctively and the silence soon fell before another ripple of frost was manifested. Behind Karte, the footsteps approached.
"Are you alright?"
The voice was calm and it almost felt bored. Karte turned and the relief soon washed over him so violently that his knees nearly buckled.
"I'm fine, young noble," he said, smiling brightly despite the danger, "I apologize for the delay."
Baston stood there with his unreadable expression.
The thugs stared at the boy and the ice in front of them. It was magic and not a cheap trick. It was not illusions but an elemental magic.
The cold sensation crept along the ground like a living thing. They stepped back slowly but it was too late.
The ice quickly seized their ankles. It quickly climbed upward, slowly making them into the frozen statue. They were locked in place up to their knees and soon, their panic erupted.
"Young master! Please, forgive us!"
"We didn't know that he's one of your people!"
"I have children to feed—!"
Baston watched them and it was quite strange currently.
He would have released them easily once since he tended to avoid the complications and fear the retaliation.
He was not strong enough to challenge the organized groups openly but something had shifted inside his heart.
Since the event of the little girl, the town, and the dark wizard, he had learned what happened when people pretended not to see.
The world did not reward hesitation since there was always the price to pay. He exhaled slowly to clear his mind.
"Report them…" he told Karte, "Let the watchmen handle it."
Karte hesitated before he whispered something important behind such force.
"There is a problem," he admitted carefully, "These men are not alone since their boss surely has an influence. They may be imprisoned briefly but they will return someday."
"Did the kingdom care about their own citizen?"
"They have larger concerns. Usually, the local guards will manage this district but some are already bribed to neglect it."
Baston fell silent because the power was operated in layers at present. Many petty criminals were visible while their master was not. He then suddenly felt the faint tremor inside his robe. The old book seemingly reminded him of something.
He stepped aside to open it, and soon, the page shimmered with new quest.
"Kill the boss behind the thugs…"
Below it, another additional information was also written.
"He's the exclusive supplier for the academy…"
Baston's jaw tightened. The new information made a sense since the man had a clean surface yet he was rotten underneath. Using the money he earned, he built his own underground henchmen.
After pondering, he returned to Karte and asked about someone that was deemed as the perpetrator by the old book.
"You want to know about the exclusive supplier of Prius Academy?" Karte wondered quietly, "You come to the right person, young noble. I know much about him since I work inside."
The name of Levan soon was revealed while the servant blabbered anything that he had known.
"He's a simple man, humble, and donates much to the orphanages. Not only that, he often attends several charity banquets and supplies some refined materials to the academy. Many believe he deserves nobility."
The smiling merchant was indeed more dangerous than the loud criminal. A public enemy like the dark wizard invited unity yet a respected merchant invited protection.
"He builds reputation carefully," Karte added, "Even when he is denied of nobility repeatedly, he never complains."
The merchant never complained, never overreached, and never exposed his ambition. The man seemingly was very calculated and patient.
*****
When Karte left to put the food first after finishing the story, Baston remained. The frozen men only glared at him hatefully.
"Release us now!" the big one demanded.
Baston tilted his head, "I heard you earlier and you were begging ridiculously…"
The man's lips curled, "You can't touch my people. You don't know who stands behind us."
The ice tightened slightly as the answer, making the man winced but he did not scream.
It was quite interesting since the fear was present but it was not absolute which meant Levan had constructed something deeper than simple intimidation.
"Tell me…" Baston said quietly, "Does your boss know you operate around here?"
The thug smirked, "Everything here operates because he allows it."
"Oh…"
His operation was not hidden then but managed skillfully. The money were surely disguised as protection and petty theft was sanctioned as intimidation. After all, the money flowed upward and respect flowed downward.
To kill Levan openly would turn the public opinion against him. To expose him required the proof but the quest demanded death.
The old book never cared about political nuance since it judged the results.
He felt the familiar cold of inevitability.
He then released his ice magic and the men soon collapsed by frozen cold. They were startled and confused.
"Run…" Baston said.
They didn't hesitate and within seconds, the path was emptied. He allowed them to carry the message back.
He wanted to observe first before someone reacted. Such reactions might reveal the vulnerabilities.
For a brief moment, Baston considered returning directly to the academy.
The academy dormitory was far safer with magical barriers, the patrolling instructors, and the strict entry. Compared to this place, it was like the difference between iron walls and thin paper.
However, he finally made his own choice.
"Let's go back first…" Baston said.
*****
When they returned to the house, Baston did not leave immediately. Instead, he stepped into Karte's room which was a small private space that was barely large enough for a bed, a narrow table, and a wooden cabinet.
Karte froze, "Young noble… This place is too simple for your staying."
"I'm aware…"
Baston walked to the window and examined the alley outside. It was dark, narrow, and easy to approach unnoticed.
Without another word, he released a faint trace of frost along the window frame and beneath the door. It was not visible and not obvious but sensitive to the surrounding. If someone touched it, he would know then.
"I'll stay here tonight," Baston said calmly.
Karte was stunned, "But the academy…"
"I don't like the unfinished matters," Baston replied.
He did not elaborate and he simply leaned against the wall with his half-closed eyes but fully awake mind.
For the first time since the ambush, Karte felt the fear in his chest loosen.
At the outside, the town remained quiet. And somewhere in that silence, the news of the frozen thugs was already spreading.
*****
In the night, Baston sat by the window and pondered about his new target.
Levan was a respected merchant, charitable, patient, and ambitious. However, he was always denied nobility repeatedly and that last detail lingered in his mind.
Why the man was always denied?
If his reputation was flawless, why he kept stalled?
Perhaps, someone suspected him or perhaps, Levan lacked one final piece.
Baston tapped the old book. It did not elaborate and it truly never did. The quest was simple which was to kill him.
However, killing blindly would fail him quickly.
Levan did not become the exclusive supplier by accident. He likely had guards and not visible ones. Not only that, he must have contracts, debt leverage, political alliances, and possibly someone higher as his backing.
The thugs' leader had not sounded like a man that was relying solely on a simple merchant.
He had sounded certain, enough to provoke a magic user which meant Levan had survived similar challenges before.
Baston stared into the darkness beyond the window.
In the academy, Levan would be welcomed warmly. He would always have smiles, polite bows, and gratitude for his consistency.
Behind that smile, the blood money flowed.
Levan did not only rely on fear. He relied on the admiration which was far more difficult to dismantle.
Perhaps, killing him was not the hardest part. Proving why he deserved death, that was the real challenge.
The old book judged his performance.
If he merely assassinated Levan without unraveling his structure, the consequences might ripple unpredictably.
He needed to know everything about the man first before he could act. He must know the consequence before killing his target.
At the outside, somewhere in the town, a man named Levan likely had received a word.
An academy student had interfered with the operation. He was young and wielded ice magic with unknown background. Surely, someone must be curious over him.
Baston closed his eyes since the game had begun.
The current opponent was harder than before since he looked very kind. This man surely radiated his kindness with smile.
Somehow, the smiles were often the sharpest blades and Baston intended to find the hand that was holding it.