Olivia tried to look concerned for Ivan. "We’d better find a healer to take a look at you and find out if everything’s okay with you."
Ivan smiled, happy with Olivia’s concern for him. "I have been to several healers since I arrived, but nobody knows anything about it... I’m fine, I can handle the pain."
Then he made a serious expression. "Our biggest problem now is Black Hand. We have to take advantage of this power and the fact that the rcenaries don’t have Red Lady and Cornelius anymore. Now it’s ti for us, the Guild, to take absolute control of Portgreen."
Ivan thought that Olivia would be against a mass slaughter because she always wanted control over the city, not only over citizens but also the rcenaries, so he tried to persuade her.
"But we won’t be able to unite our groups if Black Hand and the rcenaries most loyal to him stay alive. So will have to die so that many live in peace."
Olivia completely agreed with Ivan’s words. Not because she believed that many needed to die, but because she knew that no one could stop Lucien from killing those who didn’t obey him.
She couldn’t help but find it ironic that the main person who would have to die before many lived in peace was Ivan. She could only nod. "Yes, I understand."
Ivan was happy that Olivia understood. Maybe he will rember this mont later... and surely he would have preferred that she didn’t agree with him...
He raised his glass of wine. "Now that you are back, Black Hand will have no chance!"
Olivia raised her glass while feeling a little bad for the poor man who didn’t see his end even when it is in front of him.
"How is your progress in finding Black Hand?" Olivia asked.
Ivan made a face. "When I arrived, he sent a group to kill , but as soon as my comrades and I defeated them easily, Black Hand was afraid and hid in the northern area of the city."
"So I have tried to avoid battles in the most populated areas, but it is difficult to avoid damaging the city while fighting within the walls..."
"If I knew exactly where Black Hand is hiding, we could start a big fight and then deal with the collateral damage after we finished."
Olivia waved. "Yes, there is no way to avoid collateral damage to the city, but it will be best for everyone. Before, we could not kill one of them because the other leaders would revolt, but now we just need to deal with Black Hand."
"But how are we going to find this snake? He hides in the northern area, which is completely controlled by rcenaries. Although I want to burn everything there, we would lose a quarter or more of the population." Ivan made a thoughtful expression.
Olivia put her hand on her chin because Ivan wouldn’t be able to see her fake thoughtful expression while wearing her mask.
"I think I know how we can find him. I have a few spies among the rcenaries. Give so ti, and I’ll try to contact them and see if I can find anything."
Ivan’s eyes lit with expectation and trust in Olivia. "I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t co back, my partner."
Olivia sighed. "So, why are you in my office?"
Ivan made an embarrassed expression. It was funny to see a big rugged brute blushing. "I... I was missing you, so I ended up using your office..."
"Okay, but now I’m back, and I need to start preparing things to contact my spies," Olivia spoke amiably without appearing intimidated by Ivan’s great current power.
Ivan hoped that Olivia would be more impressed by the news he brought, but maybe she was just tired, so he got up and prepared to leave the office.
"I’ll let you work. Well, if you need anything, send soone to call . Also, the crystals are very effective in bathwater... maybe we could..."
Before Ivan finished his suggestion, Olivia responded. "Ah, yes, I understand. I’ll call you if I have any questions."
Ivan made a disappointed expression but tried to smile as he left the office. "See you later, partner."
As soon as Ivan left the office, Olivia approached her desk and touched the wall behind it. So symbols shone where she touched the wall, and then other symbols like that appeared quickly on the other walls of the room.
It is an enchantnt to prevent sounds from leaving the room. Even Lucien, with his super-hearing, wouldn’t be able to hear anything inside the office, or so Olivia thought. Well, Ivan, sure as hell wouldn’t be able to hear them.
Astrid poured another glass of wine for her as she comnted. "I would be sick if another man besides hubby flirted with ."
Olivia took off her mask, revealing her beautiful face, with no sign of the old scars. "I feel that way too, but what could I have done? I’m doing this for Lucien."
Astrid lay on the sofa while drinking wine. "Ya, ya, whatever you’re going to do, do it fast. I don’t want to be away from hubby for a long ti."
Olivia sighed as she shook her head. Then she sat down at her desk while thinking of the best way to take Ivan and the least amount of adventurers to face Lucien.
She knew that Ivan’s most loyal adventurers would follow him, and things wouldn’t be as simple as just killing him.
While Olivia planned her next steps, Astrid drank wine and was bored. Being away from Lucien made the world seem boring, and she couldn’t wait to be back in his arms.
Half an hour later, they started to hear voices outside the office’s door, as the enchantnt prevented sound from leaving the room but not from entering it.
"Lord Larousse, wait until I let the Guild Master know of your presence." An apparently young woman spoke in a concerned tone.
"Dammit! Get out of my way, silly child. I’m going to talk to Olivia." A man with a tired and old voice spoke angrily.
Olivia could understand the situation just by hearing the voices. She put on her mask again and went to open the door.
After opening the door, Olivia saw a middle-aged man who is in his fifties but almost looked to be sixty, trying to get to her office while a young attendant stands in front of him.
"Leave him alone. I’ll talk to him," Olivia spoke in an authoritative tone.
Ivan gave orders that no one would disturb Olivia and let her rest, but the attendant would not go against the Guild Master’s orders. "Yes, Guild Master."
After the attendant left, the middle-aged man with gray hair, Lord Larousse, walked towards Olivia with a worried expression. "Tell they are alive!"
Olivia nodded. "Let’s talk in my office."
Lord Larousse was once one of the most important people in Portgreen. His father and the father of his late wife were the most loyal followers of Sage King, Cassidy’s father.
Lord Larousse and his wife were very loyal to Cassidy, but after his wife died, Lord Larousse went into depression and stopped worrying about anything but his son, Mason, and sister-in-law, Jeanne.
When rcenaries and adventurers ca to town, Red Lady threatened Mason’s life so that Lord Larousse would not help Cassidy.
Lord Larousse did not have to think much to choose between his son and the sake of a kingdom that he no longer cared about.
After Cassidy had supposedly been killed, the rcenaries and adventurers controlled the city, Lord Larousse thought of leaving Portgreen, but Mason wanted to beco an adventurer...
Not wanting to disappoint his son, Lord Larousse chose to trust Olivia and the Guild, and of course, Jeanne would always be with Mason, protecting him.
But now his son and sister-in-law were missing, making Lord Larousse furious at the Guild and Olivia. After all, they disappeared when they followed her into the forest.
Despite being a man without ambitions, Lord Larousse was still one of the most influential people in the city. Almost all of the good warriors in Portgreen that were not adventurers or rcenaries worked for him.
Olivia understood this, and now she had to find a way to deal with Lord Larousse.
He shouldn’t be a problem as he wouldn’t want to interfere in disputes between the adventurers, rcenaries, and Lucien.
But not only did Lucien throw his son into a cold dungeon at Bluewind Castle, but he made his sister-in-law his woman. That would definitely make Lord Larousse even more furious.
As soon as they entered Olivia’s office, Lord Larousse began to question her in a concerned tone. "Tell what happened in the forest? Where are Mason and Jeanne?"
"Stay calm. I’ll tell you everything." Olivia could think of ways to proceed, but she chose to contact Lucien while pouring Lord Larousse a glass of wine.
Quickly explaining everything to Lucien ntally, he understood the situation. Lucien had already discussed with Jeanne the best way to deal with Lord Larousse, so he promptly responded to Olivia to find a way to send him into the forest in the direction of Lucien’s troops camp.
Olivia thought of a plan and started telling the fake story of the cave.
As soon as she finished telling how Astrid rescued her from the forest and brought her back, Lord Larousse quickly questioned her. "Was Mason in the cave? Did you see him or Jeanne? Did you look for them?"
"How could I look for them in that situation? I was severely injured and on the run. I was lucky to knock out a guard with the rest of my energy, but I couldn’t stay there any longer." Olivia responded.
"Shit!!" Lord Larousse punched Olivia’s table. He knew she couldn’t have done anything. Still, he couldn’t help but be angry without having news of his son.
He looked at Olivia with a pleading expression. "You have to take to that cave, Olivia."
Olivia shook her head. "I have to solve the problem with the rcenaries, so I cannot leave the city right now."
Lord Larousse got up from his chair as he spoke louder. "He’s my only son!! You are going to take to that cave right now!!!"
Olivia couldn’t help but think that getting the Guild into conflict with Lord Larousse would be of benefit to Lucien as they could easily defeat his forces, although he wasn’t weak.
Still, she would not go against Lucien’s orders, especially in a situation that involved the happiness of one of his won.
"Stay calm, Lord Larousse. I can’t leave the Guild right now, but Ravenous helped in the forest, and even though she hasn’t seen the cave, she can get you very close to it, and you won’t have a hard ti finding it."
Lord Larousse looked at Astrid, lying on the sofa and, for a mont, found her familiar. He had seen her many years ago when he and his wife visited Cassidy at the castle, but he would not recognize her, especially now that he was so concerned about Mason and Jeanne.
"Ravenous, right? Mason is my only son-" Lord Larousse started to plead, but Astrid quickly responded.
"Ok, ok, I get it. Co on. I’ll take you there." Astrid got up from the sofa and gave Olivia a stern look before walking towards the door.
Olivia had asked Lucien to explain the plan to Astrid, and with their instant ntal communication, he could make everyone aware of the situation.
Lord Larousse bowed to Olivia. "Thank you for the cooperation... But if it is too late to save my son, I will use every ans possible to make your life a true hell."
Then he followed Astrid out of Olivia’s office.
Olivia shook her head as she thought to herself. ’You are just like Ivan, you think you’re so incredible, but you are just a noise dog when compared to a genuine man... My man.’
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