Elias was silent for a long moment, his gaze dim as he stared off into the distance—like he hadn't dredged that name up from memory in years. With a heavy sigh, he spoke in a low, conflicted voice:
"…Yes. I think I know who he is now."
He paused, then pulled a thin piece of paper from his sleeve. The handwriting was familiar—clean, sharp, and unadorned. It was unmistakably Emma's. She had left him a letter as well.
He unfolded it and showed Livia a few lines before speaking softly:
"Maybe Emma figured I've spent years dealing with people from all walks of life—thieves, spies, mercenaries—so she left me a separate note. She didn't say much, but… it was enough for me to understand her intent."
He looked up, his eyes heavy with realization.
"She mentioned Jim… and a few of his aliases. Names I've heard before—only now do I realize they were all him."
He folded the letter back up and tucked it inside his coat. His voice was low and steady, like still water:
"He's a legend, Livia. In the underworld, among those who truly stand at the top—master thieves, assassins, dealers of information—many of them were once his disciples. His movements are shrouded in secrecy. Few have ever seen his true face. Some say he's not even a person, but the name of a shadowy organization. Others claim he's already dead. But more believe he's still alive, hiding in the deepest, darkest places."
Elias paused again, voice growing darker.
"But one thing everyone agrees on—he is ruthless. He doesn't tolerate betrayal. In that world, he is the law. A king unto himself, and one who bows to no one."
Livia listened, a chill creeping up her spine.
She knew what kind of monster Jim was. That knowledge was carved into her bones—sharpened and reshaped by years of merciless training. But even so, she hadn't expected Elias—who had seen the worst the world had to offer—to speak of Jim with such fear.
Jim wasn't just her former master.
He was the king of the entire underworld.
Her heart clenched at the thought, but she nodded slightly. At least now, Elias understood the truth of who Jim was—and just how terrifying this third force in the shadows truly was.
This was what she had wanted him to grasp.
"If you understand how dangerous he is," Livia said softly, "then you know he's not the kind of enemy we can manipulate or confront directly. This… isn't just about Eryx anymore."
Elias nodded, his expression darkening.
"I get it. This power… we can't afford to underestimate it. Maybe Emma made the right call leaving. But we need to start planning now—while we still have the chance."
Livia gently tightened her grip on the letter in her hand. A sour ache welled up in her chest—but beneath it, her resolve only hardened.
She murmured, "Precisely because our enemy is too strong… we can't afford to let down our guard. Not even once."
Seeing Livia's lashes lowered and her expression solemn, her fingertips lightly rubbing the hem of her sleeve as if lost in thought, Elias couldn't help but assume she was overwhelmed by everything they had just discussed.
A flicker of concern crossed his face, and he softened his tone, trying to ease the heaviness in the air:
"No need to get too anxious." He offered a faint smile. "No matter how mysterious or elusive he is, at the end of the day, he's still just part of the 'underworld.' And when it comes down to a real war… no shadow power can stand against a trained army or the full force of a nation."
He paused, stepped closer, and added, watching her profile:
"Besides, there's no guarantee his people follow him blindly. Think about it—someone that ruthless and controlling? His disciples are probably just biding their time to turn on him. I've heard of a few already—some betrayed him. Some are even hiding under official protection now."
Livia lifted her head slightly, but her eyes remained guarded. She knew Elias meant to comfort her—and some of what he said wasn't wrong. Jim couldn't control every disciple. There were indeed those who had turned their backs on him.
But that didn't make him any easier to deal with.
To someone like Jim, she and Emma… might not even be worth hating.
They were just… disposable.