Outside the grand doors of the Patriarch's study, Vos Kaelas adjusted the lapels of his tailored coat before stepping inside.
Seated at the massive obsidian desk, Darius Kaelas, the Patriarch of the Kaelas family, did not so much as glance up. His attention remained fixed on the cascading streams of data flowing across the holographic slates before him.
Vos moved silently to a nearby seat, activating his own holotab. As he pretended to busy himself, his gaze occasionally flickered toward his elder brother.
From childhood, Vos had admired Darius—admired and feared him in equal measure. Even as a youth, Darius carried himself with the poise and gravity befitting a future Patriarch. When their father had abdicated, passing the mantle to Darius, he had consolidated power with ruthless precision. In those early years, he had delivered a crushing blow to their long-standing rivals, the Caldross Family, dismantling their influence piece by piece.
Vos still remembered the whispered stories—how Darius's methods were so thorough and cold that even those within their own bloodline who had dared whisper of a coup had disappeared without a trace, their names erased from the family records.
After several minutes of silence, Darius finally set one slate aside and glanced up.
"So," he said in a low, steady voice, "what happened?"
Vos deactivated his holotab and met his brother's gaze.
"They found nothing," he admitted. "The entire surveillance sweep came up clean. Our people believe the assassins used a Quantum Phase Disruption Field—the same type that can blind both thermal and optical satellite sensors, and even feed falsified data back into the stream. The Federation's own investigators confirmed there were no traces left at the scene. Whoever did this… knew exactly what they were doing."
Darius returned his attention to the floating screens, his expression unreadable.
"You handled it well. There's no need to deploy our own people over an insignificant, unranked family." He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "Also, You've made certain this wasn't the work of the Caldross family?"
Vos shook his head. "No. It doesn't fit. Why would they move against an unranked family just to provoke us? This was… something else."
Darius gave a small, dismissive nod. "Then there's no reason to waste manpower. If the Velthorn are gone, they're gone. Less trash cluttering the outer city."
Vos hesitated before adding, "Also, After the assassination, the Ren family moved quickly. They've already bought up most of Velthorn's assets. Should we put them on the suspect list?"
Darius's lips curved in a faint, cold smile. "No. The feud between those two has been festering for years. If not for the Federation's eyes on them, the Velthorn might have struck first. Let it be. A rat pile was swallowed by another rat. The streets are cleaner now."
He swiveled his chair slightly, looking out over the cityscape beyond the study's panoramic window.
"Still… pass the word. If anyone dares stretch their claws again, they'll face the Kaelas family's wrath. That should be enough to keep these pests from getting bold."
Turning back to his desk, Darius added almost as an afterthought, "As for Glory, I've heard Kevin speaking highly of it. He claims it's worth our focus. Go into the game yourself. See if his assessment is correct, and report back. If it's truly as profitable as he says, the Kaelas family will make its move."
Vos nodded then he leaned forward slightly, his tone more relaxed now. "Also, about the other matter you mentioned… I've already gone through the consignment details between our Kaelas family and the Dravencourt family."
At the name, Darius finally raised an eyebrow. The Dravencourts were another Silver-grade family with a reputation for calculated ambition.
Vos continued, "They've sent word that they want to strengthen ties with us. The reason is simple — they've discovered a new Obsidian mine in their territory. Not just any deposit either — Class-A grade ore. It's rare, high-purity material, perfect for top-tier weapons and armor. But…" He paused briefly, "…they're worried about rivals. If we ally with them and help protect the site, they're willing to give us a cut of the ore. In return, they'll supply us directly with refined, high-grade Obsidian."
Darius leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping on the armrest as he processed the offer. "And I assume they're suggesting more than just a business deal?"
Vos nodded. "Yes. They're talking about sealing it with marriage. They want Kevin to marry the Dravencourt family head's daughter. That way, we'd secure a lasting alliance and have a legitimate reason to guard the mine. With our backing, they can keep the mine under their sole control without interference from other families."
For a long moment, Darius stayed silent. His gaze turned to the side, and when he spoke again, there was a faint smirk. "It's not a bad deal… but Kevin…"
He trailed off, shaking his head. That name alone was enough to bring a headache. "That boy can't sit still to save his life. He's got all the traits of a spoiled second-generation idiot. One day, he's picking fights in clubs. The next, he's killing some young woman out of lust or forcing himself on another. I've had to clean up his messes more times than I can count — bribing witnesses, silencing troublemakers, even paying off city enforcers. If he wasn't my son… if I didn't need an heir… I'd have strangled him myself years ago just to save myself the trouble."
Vos stayed quiet, knowing this was more venting than anything else.
"No matter how many times I warn him, he behaves for a week or two, then it's back to the same nonsense," Darius went on, his voice colder now. "A marriage like this could go either way. It might stabilize him if the Dravencourt girl's smart… or it might blow up in our faces if she's not. And if he humiliates the Dravencourts, the alliance will crumble, and we'll lose both an ally and the supply of ore."
He exhaled slowly, then tapped the desk again. "Still, the potential gain is too big to ignore. Class-A Obsidian doesn't just drop into your lap. We'll take it slow. Finalize this consignment, keep the partnership running, and watch how the Dravencourts handle business. If they prove reliable, we'll move forward with the marriage. Until then, Kalian stays on a short leash."
Vos gave a small smile. "Understood. I'll keep the talks going and make sure nothing looks rushed. The Dravencourts also mentioned they'd rather keep this between us for now. Too many ears, and that mine will have half the families sniffing around."
Darius's expression darkened further. "Good, Also For now that brat has buried himself in that game, Glory, he's been quiet. No scandals, no fights — nothing. But I don't know how long that will last. Tell Kevin this: if he plays his cards right, I'll give him everything he needs for Glory — manpower, resources, full backing. But if he screws this, I won't hesitate to take in another wife and make sure he's not the heir anymore." His tone was cold and final, leaving no room for argument.
"Frankly, Glory is the best distraction he's had in years. If it keeps him from making trouble, it's worth the investment."
Vos didn't disagree. He knew his eldest brother well enough to understand that if he truly lost patience, he would follow through on that threat without a second thought.
Then Vos inclined his head in acknowledgment and departed without another word.
Left alone in the study, Darius returned to the slate in front of him. His eyes scanned a series of financial reports—stock holdings in companies Sol-Tek, LumeCore and Cryonix Constructs. He noted the sudden spikes in value following the launch of Glory and narrowed his gaze.
The game's debut had already shattered projections. Darius had intended for the Kaelas family to take a substantial share of the profits like the other families, but before the great families could even mobilize, someone had already claimed a sizable portion of the pie. His fingers tapped lightly against the desk.
Even he had to leave it at that. If even the Gold-rank families had failed to uncover the culprits, there was little point in pressing further. They didn't know how many stock accounts had been used to cycle the earnings through the market before the funds were finally withdrawn, but no one could trace where the money had ultimately gone.
What Darius could not know was that this obfuscation was the work of Kia, who had deliberately buried the trail in layer upon layer of anonymous transfers, ensuring Kaito's identity and involvement remained invisible.
After one last glance at the fluctuating stock charts, Darius shut the display and leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the sprawling cityscape beyond the window. With a faint exhale, he dismissed the tab entirely.