"I should go and buy more slaves for our estate. We might need them soon." Cladria wanted to refuse. She wanted to test more but going out would be better for her father or she would not be able to analyze things better.
"Alright, then I will wait for some good ones to serve me too." her father kissed his forehead before standing up.
"Of course sweetheart, I will bring the best ones to serve my precious daughter." For the first time in a week, Lord Velmore stepped out of his estate with a smile on his face.
He had spent the past seven days behind stone walls, feigning sickness, using the time to gather information and nurse his wounded pride. But now, with the letter clutched in his mind like a victory flag, he felt lighter and even confident. He dressed in a dark wine-colored coat lined with silver embroidery and watched himself in the mirror. He looked every bit the powerful noble the city remembered.
"Prepare the carriage," he asked the staff with a smirk. "It is time the merchants saw who still controlled this city's wealth."
Cladria had raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She could see the gleam in her father's eyes. The scent of opportunity was stronger than his paranoia now.
By the time he arrived at the Trade Guild, the sun was high and casting the tall iron-and-stone building in sharp relief. The Guild was bustling with caravans unloading crates and slave traders calling out their offers. There were merchants haggling over silk and spices.
Lord Velmore walked through the arched entrance with a measured pace with his polished cane tapping lightly against the stone floor. Many heads turned to look at him surprised. many whispers followed in his wake.
"I thought he would stay in his estate for a month at least?" said a trader who had worked with him in the past, but now sharing his deals with lord Crestford. "After losing half of his properties, he had become a laughing stock. Yet he had come here!? He sure is courageous."
Many nodded and looked at him in confusion and mockery. But no one dared to show disrespect on his face.
"He looks better than ever."
Velmore basked in the attention like a sun-hungry beast. He did not mind their doubts anymore. Soon, they all would see Elias's real face and then they would beg him to take them back. The more they insult or doubt him now, the more he would punish and torment them later then.
With a smirk he kept walking until his gaze caught a familiar figure and his eyes narrowed with a vicious gleam.
He was standing near one of the slave traders with his arms folded behind his back and inspecting a list with quiet intensity. The sunlight streamed through the open arches, illuminating the dark lines of his coat and the faint silver glint on his cuff. Velmore's lips curled into a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
He took his time approaching, the polished heel of his boots echoing sharply before he spoke.
"Well, well," he drawled, loud enough for nearby heads to turn. "Elias. I must say, you have changed. You look stronger, richer and even more arrogant than last time. I imagine you are enjoying my wealth well."
Elias turned leisurely with a smirk on his face. At first glance, his expression was polite and composed, almost amused. But there was a glint in his eyes that spoke of something deeper..
"My, my Lord Velmore," Elias greeted with an incline of his head, his lips tilting into a slow, confident smile. "It is good to see you up and about. I was beginning to think your illness would keep you in bed forever. But had it reached your head somehow? You are calling my wealth as yours!"
Velmore's nostrils flared, but his smile didn't falter. "It was not sick at all, it was just a brief rest. Even the strongest need time to recover, you know. But you seem to have a confusion here. Snatching someone's wealth will not make you owner of it. My men and my money recognize only men and I would find a way to return to me soon. you seem to be doing well, i can only pray that you will enjoy it until the time comes!"
"You can keep waiting then." Elias answered smoothly while folding the parchment in his hand. "My life's been surprisingly quiet lately. So it would take a long time for a tragedy to happen."
That last word was spoken with the faintest trace of irony, and Velmore caught it immediately. His jaw tightened.
"I imagine it takes strength to keep things so peaceful. But then again," Velmore said, lowering his voice just a touch, "when power does not belong to someone, it tends to slip away eventually and sometimes violently."
Elias chuckled in a low, soft sound that did not match the tension thickening around them. "Ah," he said, "I was beginning to miss your riddles, Lord Velmore. So cryptic yet so empty."
He took a step forward, just enough to close the space between them.
"But if you think I have borrowed my strength, perhaps you should test me again. It might surprise you how much I have grown since last time."
Velmore's eyes narrowed dangerously and his hand tightened slightly on the cane. "Don't let your confidence become your downfall, Elias. History has no shortage of fools who overestimated themselves."
"And no shortage of tyrants who underestimate others," Elias replied without blinking.
The air between them hummed. Guild members nearby pretended not to listen but leaned just a little closer when sensing the silent clash of titans.
After a beat, Elias gave a short bow. "Now if you will excuse me, I have more names to check. New hands are always useful, especially in an estate that is growing faster than expected."
He turned and walked away without waiting for a response.
Velmore stared after him with his jaw clenched. his heart pounding with a mix of fury and unease. That calm, that poise, Elias didn't fear him. He must have thought that his secret was safe! Ha! But soon he would realize his folly.
Cladria's voice echoed in his mind: "What if we are too slow?"
Velmore turned sharply and barked at his steward, "Send word to our inside men. Ask him to double the observation, I want every corner of that estate watched."
And with that, Lord Velmore walked deeper into the Guild, the smile now fully gone from his face. The game had truly begun.