Chapter 165

Feb 03, 2024

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“Greetings, Red Master.”

“I see you arrived ahead of our scheduled meeting time.”

Jeremy rose from his seat to greet Badrisha and Luzark as they stepped through the door. He sat down again only after the two Castros had taken their own seats.

Of course, he was noticeably really only paying attention to Badrisha’s actions and paid little to no mind of her son. A servant had already poured out three cups of steaming hot tea and positioned them on the table in front of each member’s seat. The Agrece was the only one who seemed willing to place his lips on his teacup.

“Do you both not like tea? It’s quite fragrant.” Both mother and son remained frozen even after his comment. The young clan leader tilted his head slightly as the two continued to stare at him silently. “My clan may have provided the tea for today, but I can assure you that it really is only tea.”

Luzark bit his lip at the implication of the younger man’s words. Badrisha also remained silent as her cold, glass-stained, purple eyes pointed directly at the young clan master. Only one thought managed to come to her, which she decided to voice aloud. “How shrewd of you.”

“I simply meant to assure you both of no foul play. After all, it’s perfectly understandable for you to be... on your guard.” His blue eyes became overcast by his crescent-shaped eyelids as he smiled faintly and set down his cup. The Red Master shuddered as she realized just why he appeared to be so at ease. Just as he had when they last met, Jeremy was once again provoking her with subtle actions and comments. “In case you are unaware of this fact, I do not appreciate those who beat around the bush.”

A shallow voice swept over the table. “I also detest anyone who would waste my time. So why then do you think we engaged in such circumlocution when we last spoke?”

Jeremy thought for a moment before responding stoically. “Was it that you wished to see how I would react?”

“Precisely. Of course, that was simply one reason.” She continued with a fairly weak smile of her own. “But I also simply wished to make a show of strength.”

Luzark flinched at the bitterness in his mother’s tone. Her brazen honesty left him feeling like the only one who had truly lost something in this candid exchange. His purple gaze began to quiver, while his hands seemed to be squirming uncontrollably atop his knees. He tried his best to refocus all of his attention on steadying them in order to assuage his tumultuous emotions.

Although she could see that he was struggling, the Red Master did not offer him any comfort since it was his decision to accompany her to the meeting. Thus, it was his sole responsibility to endure each and every conversation that would float across that table as well.

“But our last chat did leave me keenly aware that it was our clan, not yours that suffered the greater loss.”

In making that admission, Badrisha was confirming her intention to only focus on the negotiations with Jeremy rather than what her son might think of them. But Luzark began to wonder if the two leaders were truly engaged in negotiation talks at all. From the beginning, the scale had already been tipped far too much to one side.

“Therefore, I will get straight to the point. If you have even a shred of respect for Castro, I suggest you do not behave as you did during our last meeting.”

“Well, of course I respect the Red clan, Red Master. I always have.”

The polite manner in which Jeremy chose to speak was infallible. However, even such complimentary words could be mistaken as yet another way to mock them. Even so, Badrisha abandoned all formality and proceeded to question him outright.

“So how long have you known?”

“I had my first suspicions last winter.”

“Then what is the extent of your knowledge now?”

“Well, it seems your clan purchased a large quantity of the more highly addictive drugs we produce.” Jeremy might have spoken slowly and calmly, but once he finished his sentence, silence fell like a heavy fog over the room.

It was indeed the most bitter and wretched mistake Badrisha had made in her entire life. No... In the entire history of the Red Castro. Luzark clenched his jaw even more tightly as all of their clan’s dirty secrets were beginning to creep up to the surface.

Jeremy glanced at the Red Heir before returning his own focus to his mother.

“My siblings were in charge of that deal. I was surprised how adept your clan’s use of pseudonyms and employment of an agent were.”

The Castro’s violet eyes narrowed. “Did your father know then?”

“No, he was completely unaware.” Jeremy shook his head for emphasis. “My older half-brother was the one to make the contract directly with the Castro agent, and the man happened to be someone he had met at a casino here in Yggdrasil in the past. He was unaware that the agent was working on behalf of the Red clan either.”

The deal had indeed taken place that past winter just before the annual gathering. It was the large drug deal Fontaine had just returned from completing. Since Lante had deemed him worthy when it came to such negotiations, he had readily entrusted his eldest son with the mission but did insist that Deon accompany him for that particular transaction.

“Well, I suppose that if Lante had known about us, he wouldn’t have just sat back and not put that information to use.” Badrisha’s tone was cold but matter-of-fact. Lante Agrece was well known for never missing an opportunity to curb the throats of his opponents, and the Red Castro clan was no exception. The Black clan had invested a significant amount of effort and manpower into their drug trade for generations. As it were, the drugs they had been selling to the Castros had been altered to be far more potent compared to their other narcotics. Above all, the fact that the drugs in question were Agrece products made them that much more damning. “So how did you find out about all of this?”

“Well, in truth, your men conducted themselves with such extreme caution that it was rather difficult to even trace the trade agreements back to your clan.” What they hadn’t counted on was Roxana’s ability to find and exploit even the slightest human error. “However, when the representatives from our clans made contact last winter, a group of smugglers attempted to make away with those drugs. At the time, we simply thought they were just a band of foolish junkies, but...”

It was because of the quick work Deon had made of the presumed junkies that Lante had praised him for preventing the Black clan a major loss and essentially dismissed Fontaine’s part in overseeing the exchange in the first place. That had of course led the eldest to direct his bitterness at his younger, more skilled brother for stealing what he perceived to be his glory and acknowledgment. Meanwhile, the crimson-eyed brother had felt something off about the entire affair, which was a feeling his sister appeared to share as her crimson gaze appeared unsteady while listening to his retelling of the incident.

“...it seemed those would-be thieves were more intent on destroying something in the midst of the chaos rather than stealing the drugs there on the spot.” Throughout his explanation, Jeremy kept his blue gaze on Badrisha’s face in order to spot even the slightest change. “I suppose they were your men as well, were they not?”

The Castro leader made no sign that she would speak. Even so, Jeremy was resolved to push the limits of the conversation.

“Allow me to offer you my humble theory as to what happened during that incident, Red Master... I am of the mind that there were two groups of Castros, one of which was eager to complete the transaction. Meanwhile, the other group was intent on putting an end to those dealings altogether.”

The proposition was an indirect suggestion that Badrisha Castro was likely a member of the group that sought to prevent the drugs from entering Castro as even the young Black Master was well aware of the older leader’s exceptional moral fiber.

Meanwhile, Luzark had behaved rather pretentiously during the last gathering. He gave many the impression that he was both physically and mentally incompatible with Castro’s uniquely chivalrous mannerisms. The Red clan were a fundamentally moral people, but none compared to their current master Badrisha. Her sound character was second only to that of Roussel Pedelian’s. Thus, for someone like her to have any ties to drug smuggling was beyond both Jeremy's and his sister’s imaginations.

“Anyhow, you must be deeply concerned considering the sheer amount of drugs that were purchased. From our perspective, such a large order suggests the potential number of people they were eventually distributed to was unprecedented.”

“I believe you’re mistaken, Black Master.” Luzark had been listening to the conversation in silence but finally felt compelled to speak up.