The carriage rolled smoothly through the capital, the gilded Aurelion crest on the door gleaming under the afternoon sun. Out the window, the city my father protected looked like a paradise. Peaceful, vibrant, and blissfully unaware of the rot that would one day consume it. As people recognized the carriage, they stopped to wave at the "Young Master." I waved back, their genuine smiles momentarily soothing the hollow ache in my chest.
They saw a wealthy heir; I saw a city I had once watched burn.
The carriage eventually lurched to a halt in front of a grimy, low-slung tavern on the edge of the slums. It was a den of shadowed corners and stale air—no place for a young lady, let alone a high-ranking noble.
"Ezekiel, let's go," I said, stepping down into the mud.
We entered the dim interior, the smell of cheap ale and unwashed bodies hitting us like a wall. I took a seat and ordered a beer for myself, though I made sure the barman only brought Ezekiel a hearty plate of food. He was still a growing boy; I wasn't about to stunt the growth of my future vanguard with tavern swill.
As I took a slow sip of the bitter brew, my eyes locked onto a flash of crimson in the corner. There she was. Even under the layers of soot and the oversized, tattered tunic, her red hair burned with an intensity that hinted at the fire she would one day rain down upon the nation. Olivia.
"Ezekiel," I flicked my chin toward her. "Go and ask that girl to join us."
Ezekiel paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. He shot me a deeply suspicious gaze. "But Young Master... she's just a kid. You aren't...?"
"What! You brat!" I hissed, reaching over to swat the back of his head. "I'm looking for a disciple to sponsor, not a date! What kind of person do you think I am?"
My hand stung, his head was like hitting a solid block of granite. Note to self: Do not attempt physical discipline on a Warrior class with 150 Strength.
Ezekiel grumbled and approached her, but to my surprise, the girl shook her head fiercely, shrinking back into the shadows. I couldn't sit still any longer. I stood up and walked over.
"What's the problem?" I asked Ezekiel.
"She won't come, sir," he said, looking bewildered. "She looks terrified."
I looked at Olivia. Her eyes were wide, darting between my expensive silk clothes and the looming muscular frame of Ezekiel. I realized my mistake instantly. In my rush to collect my "pieces," I had forgotten to be human. To her, we weren't saviors; we were predators or debt collectors.
Just as I was calculating how to soften my approach, a golden ripple fractured the air in front of my eyes.
[QUEST TRIGGERED]
Task: Recruit Olivia into the Aurelion Fold.
Reward: 100 Talent Points.
Failure: Olivia's Magic overflows, causing a localized explosion.
The stakes just got higher. I didn't just need her on my team; I needed to stop her from accidentally leveling this tavern. I took a deep breath, dropped to one knee to match her height, and tried to fix my "terrifying" smile into something resembling kindness.
"Olivia," I said softly, using her name for the first time.
She froze. "How... how do you know my name?"
"Someone very special told me about you," I said, reaching out to gently pat her tangled red hair. A little white lie was a small price to pay for a future Archmage's soul.
"Really? Did my dad tell you about me?" she asked, her eyes widening with a heartbreakingly naive hope. Before I could answer, she squinted at me. "But can you stop smiling, mister? You look... horrible."
I let out a genuine, dry bark of a laugh. "Fair enough, Olivia. Fair enough."
Despite the breakthrough, the golden window stayed hovering in my peripheral vision. The quest wasn't complete. I was missing a trigger.
Suddenly, the air behind me whistled. A jagged blade sliced toward my neck—fast, but not fast enough for a future War Hero.
Clang!
Ezekiel didn't even stand up. He simply caught the blade between two fingers, his bored expression contrasting with the lethal tension in his arm.
"Huh. A typical villain," I muttered, turning to see a man with a jagged scar running through his right eye. He smelled of cheap grog and malice.
"What? You think you can just walk out with the girl?" the man roared, spit flying. "Her parents died owing me a debt! She belongs to the house until every copper is paid!"
"A debt? Of course. I wouldn't dream of being a thief," I said, my voice smooth as silk. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a heavy leather pouch, the weight of it clinking satisfyingly. "Here. Twenty gold pieces. Keep the change."
The man's eyes turned into saucers. He snatched the bag, weighing it in his palm with a predatory grin. "Smart boy. Get lost before I change my mind."
"Let's go, Ezekiel. Olivia," I said, grabbing both of their hands. I felt like a father taking his kids on a very dangerous field trip, but I didn't care. We moved fast, weaving through the crowded tavern and bursting into the cool evening air.
"To the carriage! Quickly!" I urged, practically tossing them into the plush interior.
As the horses began to gallop away, I looked back at the tavern and let out a sharp, mocking grin. That man wasn't holding gold. Thanks to a quick-fingered illusion and my 120 Luck, those were just smooth river stones I'd picked up near the estate. By the time he realized he'd been played, we'd be miles away behind the Aurelion gates.
How dare a cockroach like that try to sell a child's life for a few coins? He didn't deserve my gold, he deserved the confusion he was about to face.
[QUEST COMPLETE]
Reward: 100 Talent Points.
Current Balance: 100 TP.
"Mister," Olivia whispered, clutching her tattered sleeves. "Are we going to see my dad?"
The question hit me harder than any physical blow. I looked at her, then at Ezekiel, and for the first time, the "Mastermind" felt a flicker of genuine weight.
"We're going to find a lot of things, Olivia," I said softly. "But first, let's get you some real food."The carriage pulled up to the grand archway of the Aurelion estate. I reached down and lifted Olivia, her small frame surprisingly light, as we stepped onto the manicured gravel.
"This will be your new home," I said, looking at both her and Ezekiel. "We'll be eating lunch with my father. I'm going to introduce you properly."
I signaled the butler immediately. "Take them. Get them cleaned up, dressed in the finest clothes we have, and make them presentable for the General's table."
As they were whisked away, I made my way toward the dining hall. I caught sight of my father standing alone in the gallery, his back to me, staring intently at the large family portrait that dominated the wall.
"Father," I whispered.
He didn't turn immediately. When he finally did, I saw it. The faint, telltale redness around his golden eyes. The strongest man in the nation was bleeding internally, fighting the urge to look weak in front of his only remaining son.
"Son," he said, his voice a bit raspier than usual. "Were you able to do the things you needed to resolve?"
"Yes. I've brought them here. I'll introduce them to you shortly."
We walked to the dining hall in a silence so heavy it felt like it was pressing against the walls. The hall was massive, designed to host dozens of laughing relatives and prestigious guests. Now, the clack of our boots on the marble was the only sound. It looked hauntingly empty.
"Son, what are you waiting for? Sit," he gestured to the chair beside him, his usual spot for me.
"Yes, Father." I sat, feeling the weight of the history in this room.
"Erik, I—" My father started to speak, perhaps to apologize or to ask about the "trauma" he thought I was suffering, but the heavy oak doors creaked open.
There they stood. Ezekiel was dressed in a sharp, dark tunic that hinted at his future martial prowess, and Olivia was in a dress of soft white and gold that made her crimson hair pop like a flame. They looked like young royals, though their nervous trembling gave them away.
"Come," I beckoned.
They walked shyly toward the table, their eyes wide as they took in the sheer scale of the room and the intimidating presence of the Golden-Eyed General. They took their seats, frozen with theater-fright.
Then, Olivia broke the ice in a way only a child could. She tilted her head, staring directly into my father's glowing irises. "Sir... your eyes look really pretty."
My father froze. The air in the room seemed to stop moving. For a second, I feared he might take offense, but then his expression shattered. My youngest sister used to say that to him every single morning.
A smile broke across his face, not the stiff, formal mask he wore for the public, but a smile as bright as the sun.
"Do they?" he asked, his voice softening to a level I hadn't heard in years.
Ezekiel, seeing the tension break, nodded vigorously in agreement. My father threw his head back and laughed. It was a deep, booming sound that filled the empty corners of the hall, chasing away the ghosts of the past hour.
I sat back and watched them, a small, satisfied smirk on my face.
[HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: THAWING THE GOLDEN LION]
Reward: +50 Loyalty from Father, +20 Influence within the Estate.
My father was laughing, my vanguard was fed, and my mage was safe. For the first time since my return, the Aurelion house felt alive.
"So," my father said, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye as he looked at me. "Tell me, Erik. Where exactly did you find such honest children?"
"I—" I stammered, my 100 Intelligence momentarily short-circuiting at the simple question. "I found them through a friend. A very... well-informed friend."
My father arched a golden eyebrow. "A friend, huh? Well, they have good eyes. Children, do not be nervous. Eat." He began personally handing them plates of food, his movements surprisingly gentle for a man who could crush boulders with his bare hands.
"Yes, Master," they chirped in unison.
"No, no. No need for 'Master' in this house," he said, glancing at me with a mischievous glint I hadn't seen in decades. "You can just call me Grandpa."
"Father, don't start," I groaned, half-joking. "I'm not that old yet."
"You're old enough. Perhaps I should start looking for a partner for you," he countered.
"I shall refuse, Father! When the time is right, I'll handle my own affairs." I felt a cold sweat prickle my neck. Romance? In this timeline? Absolutely not. Love was a luxury the Mastermind couldn't afford—it was a vulnerability I wasn't ready to manage. "I don't want to complicate things."
"I suppose," he said, turning back to the kids. "It is your life, after all."
The rest of the meal passed in a blur of clinking silverware and genuine laughter. For a moment, the empty seats in the hall didn't feel quite so haunting. Once we were all full, I stood up. "Father, we'll head out now. I'm going to show the kids their new quarters."
"Sure. Have fun, kids," he said, surprisingly reaching into his pocket to hand a piece of candy to each of them. The "Golden Lion" was turning into a softie.
I led them to the west wing, right near my own suite. I had moved Ezekiel's temporary room much closer to mine; I needed my vanguard within arm's reach. Olivia's room was directly on the other side.
"Here we are. This is your room, Ezekiel." I opened the heavy doors to a suite fit for a future war god. It was decorated in deep blues and charcoal grays, perfectly balanced. "I also brought you a gift. It's a practice sword from your 'Grandpa's' private treasure room. And that door there leads to your personal training hall."
Ezekiel stepped inside, his jaw dropping. "Really? Is this... all mine? Am I allowed to have this?"
"It's yours. Don't be shy, go explore," I said with a nod.
Next, I led Olivia to the door beside mine. Her room was a magician's paradise—shelves lined with rare grimoires, blank scrolls for spell-crafting, and a desk made of mana-conductive wood.
"Wow..." she whispered, her voice tiny as she took in the library of knowledge I'd curated for her.
"Explore to your heart's content, Olivia. If you need anything, I'm right next door."
I bid them both farewell and finally retreated into my own room, shutting the door with a heavy sigh. My body felt like lead. 0 Strength really made a long day of "Masterminding" feel like a marathon. I collapsed onto my bed, but as I closed my eyes, my phone vibrated in my Inventory.
A new notification was glowing on the screen:
[ALERT: NEW DATA RETRIEVED]
Target: Liam Smith.
Location: The Underworld Auction House.
Status: Sold as a "Cursed Slave" in 48 hours.
The peace was short-lived. I had two days to save the third member of my team, or the man who was supposed to be my strategist's shield would become my greatest enemy.