"Good morning, Sir Morthen." Simon, the Nyx Clan butler responsible for serving me and a few other D-rank Scions bowed. I nodded to him, and he rose.
"Have you heard any news on my graded weapon? Today is the last day of free agency, and if I don't get confirmation, I will be taking my talents elsewhere."
To show him I was being truthful, I handed him five sheets of paper. These papers were contracts given to me by Clans—Loki, Cupid, Shiva, Apollo, and Aurelius. Typically, to join a clan, a Scion would need to bear the clan's mark. However, the Death God did not have a Clan, so I was an exception to this rule.
"As you see, each clan offered me two hundred and fifty D rank cores. That's fifty more than your original offer."
He studied them intensely. Sweat beaded from his bald head to his glasses. Simon was not a mark bearer. He was just a fortunate mortal man who happened to be recruited by the Nyx clan as a butler. That's why he was nervous. If he were to mess up or insult me in some way, I would have every right to kill him. Not that I would waste the energy on a wretch, unless his mistakes became aggravating.
Simon reminded me of the outskirts—markless, powerless, surviving on the scraps of those above him. Like my mother. Like everyone who'd watched me starve and done nothing.
I had no sympathy for wretches.
He bowed again, and his purple robes draped to the floor.
"Please forgive me, sir. I have heard no news about your graded weapon. Would you like me to schedule an appointment with Sir Julius? Or perhaps one of the Elders. Sir Mason is free today."
I clenched my fist.
"Don't bother," I said, then grabbed the contracts and exited the dark main corridor of the Nyx Castle.
A short while passed. I walked through the crowded streets of Baldia until I reached the opposite end of the city, where Shiva's Castle resided. The Nine Great Clans all had castles, perfectly distanced from each other.
I sat in a waiting room, head resting in my palm. I was not serious about joining Shiva. After all, I could not be sure they were not interested in killing me. They wouldn't dare do so in the city, but they could easily dispose of me on an island and call it an accident. Little did they know I wouldn't die, but I did not wish to gain my second shackle. Not until I had to.
I was only here to show Nyx I was serious about pursuing other options. The butler, acting as a receptionist, glanced up at me.
"They're ready for you." She bowed.
I sighed, stood from my seat, and walked through a wooden door. I was met with two Elders, both old and dressed in brown robes.
"Good morning, Elder Jon and Elder Winston." I bowed, a sign of respect.
They nodded, and I took my seat at a long table. They sat across from me.
Awkward silence filled the bleak room. Then Elder Jon coughed and scratched his flowing white beard.
"I assume that your meeting with us today means you accept our offer."
I shook my head, but my tone stayed respectful. I would not upset the Elders, as they were both of B-rank and could make my life more difficult with a flick of their finger.
"I regret to say, while I respect your offer, I wish to counter."
"Insolent little brat!" Elder Winston spouted.
Though he was silenced when Elder Jon held up his hand.
"Quiet, Winston. Indeed, it is not customary for a D-rank to counter an offer made by one of the Great Clans, but this is not a normal D-rank now, is it?" He offered me a charming smile. "What is your counter?"
My expression remained unreadable.
"I think you already know." I could tell my words made Elder Winston rage internally, but he said nothing.
Jon scratched his beard again. "I have heard rumors. You're looking for a graded weapon, aren't you?"
I nodded.
Then he turned serious. His earthy eyes narrowed, penetrating my soul.
"What if I told you we'd be willing to fulfill that request?"
My heart skipped a beat. I didn't expect them to fulfill my request.
"Then I'd join you without question."
I left the meeting with a promise that Elder Jon would personally select a graded weapon with a strong, combat-oriented ability from their inventory for me. These weapons were crafted from the flesh of Monsters and their cores. However, only B-rank Monsters and above could be made into graded weapons. The lower-tier Monsters' flesh was not strong enough to hold the power.
It was getting late—three p.m. to be exact. In only two hours, I would need to sign a contract. I stood outside the Nyx Castle. The black structure was massive and eerie. A black gate surrounded the castle and the courtyard. A purple mist rolled throughout the courtyard, just touching the gate.
This mist acted as a guard. If anyone not welcome touched it, they would be poisoned. I walked through it unbothered until I reached the black metal door. It opened for me.
Inside, the main corridor was dimly lit. The Nyx mark bearers could all see in the dark. However, I could not. All I could manage to make out was a man pacing back and forth on the purple, rolled-out carpet.
Julius. He looked bothered, maybe even upset. Suddenly, he turned toward me and his face lit up.
"I've been looking everywhere for you! Simon told me you were planning on accepting another clan's offer."
I walked toward him.
"That's right. It has been a week since the trial, and I have heard nothing about my request... Shiva has promised me a graded weapon."
He gripped my shoulders, his voice rising.
"What, no! Shiva does not fit a man of your class! They are bleak and boring. You belong to the shadows; we are the only relatives to your beloved God."
He shook me like a rag doll. I rolled my eyes, annoyed, at my senior's blatant lack of respect. But that's just how Julius was. He was the strongest; who could tell him how to act? Strength was everything in this world. If the strong wanted to act as a fool, then so be it; it was his right.
I removed his hands from my shoulders and met his eyes with a serious expression.
"Then did you fulfill my request?"
He smirked confidently.
"I told you I would... Follow me."