The silence in the Council Chamber was absolute.
The only sound was the strained wheezing of Gareth, the Vice-Commander of the Steel Dragons, as the titanium chain dug into his throat.
Kael stood behind him, his expression bored, as if he were holding a leash on a misbehaving pet rather than threatening one of the most powerful mages in the city.
"Mr. Kael!" The Head Councilor, an elderly man named Vorn, finally found his voice. He slammed his gavel. "Release him at once! This is a place of law!"
"Law?" Kael tilted his head, his sunglasses sliding down slightly to reveal cold eyes. "He attacked a witness with lethal magic. I merely... restrained him."
He flicked his wrist.
Whirrr-Click.
The chain retracted into his gauntlet with a sharp mechanical hiss. Gareth collapsed to his hands and knees, coughing violently, clutching his bruised neck.
"You... you filth..." Gareth rasped, his eyes bloodshot. "You dare humiliate me?"
Gareth tried to stand up, mana gathering in his palms for another strike. His pride had been shattered, and a humiliated mage was a dangerous beast.
"Enough, Gareth," Seraphina's voice cut through the air like a guillotine.
She stepped forward. She didn't look at Kael; she looked directly at the cameras broadcasting live to the entire nation.
"The evidence is on the table," she pointed to the Chimera Core. "While my Vice-Commander fled, my Aide and I killed the Boss. While he cries about procedure, we saved the city."
She looked down at Gareth, who was trembling with impotent rage.
"Gareth, for the crime of cowardice, false accusation, and attacking a subordinate..."
She ripped the "Steel Dragons" emblem off his shoulder plate.
"You are stripped of your rank. You are expelled from the Guild. And if I see your face in my city again, I will freeze you into a statue and put you in my garden."
The flashes of the cameras went wild. It was a brutal, public execution of a career.
Gareth looked around. He saw the disgust in the Councilors' eyes. He saw the mockery in the reporters' faces. He realized it was over.
He stood up, shaking, and cast one last look of pure, venomous hatred at Kael.
"This isn't over, Cleaner," Gareth whispered, his voice dripping with malice. "Watch your back."
He stormed out of the chamber, followed by the awkward silence of his downfall.
Seraphina turned to the Head Councilor. "Are we done here?"
Councilor Vorn wiped sweat from his forehead. "Yes... yes, Lady Seraphina. The charges are dismissed. The Frostfall Guild remains under your command."
"Good."
Seraphina spun on her heel. "Kael. We're leaving."
Kael grabbed the briefcase (and the Chimera Core) and followed her, his face an impassive mask. But inside?
Inside, he was grinning like a maniac.
[DING!]
[Quest Complete: "Protect the Reputation"]
[Rating: S (Complete Domination)]
[Rewards:]
[1. +500 System Points]
[2. Reputation Unlocked: "The Empress's Mad Dog"]
[3. Skill Book: "Mana Sense (Rank C)"]
The Empress's Mad Dog? Kael thought, checking the notification. Well, better than "Trash Cleaner," I suppose.
The Car Ride Home
As soon as the limousine doors closed and the privacy partition slid up, the "Ice Queen" facade shattered.
Seraphina let out a long, shaky breath and slumped against the leather seat. She brought her hands to her face.
"I can't believe we did that," she mumbled through her fingers. "I just fired my Vice-Commander on live television."
"He deserved it," Kael said, removing his sunglasses and placing them in his pocket. "He was a cancer. Now you can rebuild the guild properly."
Seraphina lowered her hands and looked at him. Her blue eyes were searching his face, trying to solve a puzzle.
"You..." she started, then shook her head. "Where did you learn to fight like that? The Shadow Step... the weapon... F-Ranks don't move like that."
Kael shrugged, leaning back. "I told you. I'm good at recycling. I recycled a few tricks."
"You put a blade to an A-Rank's throat without hesitation."
"He was trying to hurt my employer," Kael said smoothly. "Bad for business."
Seraphina bit her lip. She looked at the bruises on his knuckles—faint, but there.
Suddenly, she reached out and took his hand.
Kael stiffened. "Seraphina? Do you need a recharge? I thought we were good until tonight."
"No," she said softly.
She turned his hand over, tracing the lines of his palm with her thumb. It wasn't a sexual touch; it was... grateful.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For five years, everyone has looked at me with fear or greed. Today... you stood in front of me."
She squeezed his hand.
"You really are my Mad Dog, aren't you?"
Kael chuckled. "Woof."
Seraphina laughed, a genuine, warm sound that filled the car. She leaned her head on his shoulder, not out of pain this time, but out of comfort.
"Don't get used to it," she murmured, closing her eyes. "But... you can keep holding my hand. Just until we get home."
Kael didn't pull away.
He looked out the window at the passing city. He saw a billboard broadcasting the news. His face—wearing the sunglasses—was plastered everywhere next to the headline: WHO IS THE MYSTERY ENFORCER?
He checked his System Shop. He had points to spend.
"System," he thought. "Show me the upgrade path for the Chain-Blade."
[Upgrade Available: "Venom Coating"]
[Requires: Poison Sac of a Basilisk x1]
Kael smiled.
The game was just beginning. Gareth was gone, but his threat remained. Watch your back, he had said.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
Let him come. I'll recycle him too.
Meanwhile, in a dark alleyway...
Gareth stumbled through the rain, clutching a bottle of cheap whiskey. His armor was gone, replaced by a tattered coat.
"Bitch..." he muttered. "Filthy Cleaner..."
A shadow detached itself from the wall.
A tall figure in a hooded cloak blocked Gareth's path.
"Gareth of the Steel Dragons," the figure said. The voice sounded like grinding stones. "You look like a man who has lost everything."
"Get out of my way," Gareth snarled, summoning a weak flame in his hand.
The figure didn't move.
"We saw the broadcast. We saw your hatred. The Cult of the Abyssal Eye is always looking for... motivated individuals."
The figure held out a hand. In the palm lay a jagged, red crystal that pulsed with an evil light.
"Do you want revenge, Gareth? Do you want the power to crush the Empress and her pet?"
Gareth looked at the crystal. He knew what it was. Accepting it meant betraying humanity. It meant becoming a monster.
He thought of Kael's smirk. He thought of the chain around his neck.
Gareth grabbed the crystal.
"Yes," Gareth hissed, his eyes glowing red. "Give me the power."