"Mr Helt..."
Lady Z gestured for Rey to move closer to the table, and she activated a privacy ward with a subtle pulse of Ether. The air around them shimred briefly before settling into an invisible barrier that would prevent any eavesdropping—magical or mundane.
"What I’m about to offer you is both an opportunity and a burden," she began, her tone shifting from the authoritative leader of monts ago to sothing more personal, more vulnerable. "It requires soone I can trust absolutely, soone capable of operating independently, and soone who understands that failure would have catastrophic consequences for the Red House."
Rey remained silent, waiting.
He’d learned that powerful people often needed to fra their requests in ways that made them feel in control, even when they were actually desperate.
"As you’re aware, the Red House controls several stores in the physical location of the Dark Comrce District," Lady Z continued. "These aren’t the underground eting points or the discrete fronts scattered throughout legitimate districts. These are actual, physical establishnts in the market itself—the heart of Elkrim’s illegal trade."
She pulled out a small ledger, flipping through pages filled with numbers and inventory lists.
"We operate five stores in total. Three deal in restricted Artifacts and enchanted items. One specializes in alchemical materials and forbidden substances. The last handles information brokering and specialized services."
Rey’s interest sharpened, though he kept his expression neutral.
The physical Dark Comrce District was where the real power and wealth of the underground economy were concentrated. Controlling stores there ant access to everything from weapons to poisons, from stolen Noble treasures to mystical secrets worth killing for.
It was precisely where he needed to get rid of his loot.
"These stores generate forty percent of the Red House’s total revenue," Lady Z said, and Rey heard the weight of that admission. "More importantly, they’re our primary connection to the broader criminal economy. Lose control of those stores, and we lose our legitimacy as a House."
"Normally, we have a chain of command and a communication network that lets know what is going on in these places and also give my instructions, but in tis such as this, that thod may prove rather unreliable..." She closed the ledger and looked at Rey directly.
"I need soone to oversee them. Soone who can manage the rchants, ensure inventory flows properly, identify opportunities and threats, and report directly to without interdiaries."
"A-ah...?" Rey let calculated surprise show on his elderly features. "You’re offering operational control of your most valuable assets?"
"Yes."
"May I ask why?" Rey leaned back slightly, as if genuinely puzzled. "I’ve been an Advisor for less than a month. There are far more experienced candidates—Aldric has decades with the organization, Brennan already handles finances—"
"And I can’t trust either of them," Lady Z interrupted, her voice sharp with frustration. "Aldric has been eting with Yellow Lily representatives. Brennan’s financial reports are questionable at best. Vera is loyal to her enforcent division first and the Red House second. The others..." She trailed off aningfully.
"Compromised," Rey finished. "Or suspect."
"Precisely. Which leaves with very few options." Lady Z began counting on her fingers. "Elara is trustworthy, but she’s already overwheld with her auditing responsibilities. Plus, her expertise is in analyzing data, not managing active business operations. She’d be competent but not optimal."
"What about Cassius?" Rey asked, genuinely curious about her assessnt. "He seems loyal, and his diplomatic skills would be useful in negotiating with rchants."
Lady Z’s expression softened slightly—the first genuine warmth Rey had seen her show regarding any of her Advisors. "Cassius is loyal. Absolutely, unquestionably loyal. I trust him with my life."
She paused, choosing her next words carefully.
"But trust and competence aren’t the sa thing. Cassius is excellent at personal relationships, at making people feel valued and heard. He’s a good man with a good heart."
"But?" Rey prompted.
"But he lacks the strategic ruthlessness required to manage the Black Market stores effectively," Lady Z admitted. "He’s too gentle, too willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. In legitimate business, those are admirable qualities. In the Dark Comrce District, they’re liabilities."
She looked at Rey with an intensity that suggested she was evaluating him even as she explained.
"You’ve demonstrated exactly what I need—the ability to assess situations coldly, to take decisive action without hesitation, to manipulate circumstances to achieve specific outcos. The district nine situation proved that."
Rey inclined his head in acknowledgnt. "I appreciate the confidence, but there’s another factor you haven’t ntioned."
"Which is?"
"I’m now effectively a ghost," Rey said bluntly. "The Guards think I’m dead. The general public believes Modred Helt perished in that fire. Only the Red House knows otherwise, which ans I can operate in the Black Market without my movents being traced back to any legitimate identity."
Lady Z’s smile was approving.
"So you understand exactly why this arrangent is optimal. Yes, your current status makes you perfect for the role. You can move through the Dark Comrce District without leaving a trail that investigators could follow back to the Red House’s legitimate operations."
She stood, pacing to the window, though there was nothing to see but the warehouse’s interior wall. "There’s also the matter of perception. If I assign Cassius to this role, the other Advisors—especially the compromised ones—will imdiately suspect I’m consolidating control over revenue streams. They’ll see it as a power play, and it might force them to act more aggressively."
"But assigning the newest Advisor, soone who just lost everything in an attack, soone the organization needs to compensate anyway..." Rey followed the logic. "That looks like you’re simply giving a position to rebuild from, not a strategic consolidation of power."
"Exactly. It’s a reward for loyalty and a practical solution to your loss, not a threat to the established order. The corrupt Advisors won’t see you as a significant threat until you’ve already embedded yourself in the operation."
Rey pretended to consider this, letting silence stretch as if he were weighing the offer’s risks and benefits. In reality, his mind was racing with satisfaction—this was better than he’d hoped.
Direct control over the Black Market stores ant access to restricted items, the ability to skim resources without detection, and positioning at the absolute center of the Red House’s criminal operations.
’She’s handing the keys to her kingdom because she has no better options,’ Rey thought with dark amusent. ’Desperation makes people remarkably trusting.’
"I accept," Rey said finally. "On the condition that this arrangent includes clear paraters. I need to know my authority limits, my reporting requirents, and what resources I have available to address problems that arise."
Lady Z’s relief was visible, though she tried to hide it.
"Of course. You’ll have full operational authority over the stores—hiring, firing, inventory decisions, pricing strategies, all of it. Your only constraint is that major changes—opening new stores, closing existing ones, entering partnerships with other organizations—require my approval first."
"Reporting requirents?"
"Weekly reports on revenue, inventory movents, and any significant incidents. More frequently if sothing urgent develops. You’ll report directly to through encrypted communication Artifacts, bypassing the other Advisors entirely."
"And compensation?" Rey asked, keeping his tone pragmatic rather than greedy.
"I’ll compensate you for the loss of your shop and business," Lady Z said. "The total value will be assessed and paid in installnts over the next year or so—our cash reserves are tight, but I’ll ensure you’re made whole."
She paused, then continued with obvious sincerity. "Additionally, you’ll receive five percent of the profits generated by the stores you oversee. Not revenue—actual profits, after expenses. If you manage them well and increase their output, you’ll benefit directly. The percentage could also increase depending on the extent of your services."
Rey’s mind imdiately began calculating. Forty percent of the Red House’s revenue ca from these stores. Five percent of the profits from that stream would be substantial—potentially far more than he’d ever made from his legitimate rchant business.
Also, if he worked hard and exceeded expectations, this percentage could even go up.
"That’s... generous," Rey said, allowing genuine appreciation to show.
"It’s motivated," Lady Z corrected. "I need soone incentivized to maximize the stores’ performance, not just maintain the status quo. If you can increase profits by even ten percent, it would significantly ease our financial pressures."
"So..." She extended her hand. "Do we have an agreent?"
Rey shook it firmly, hiding his rather sinister grin.
"We do. When can I start?"
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