"How? You cannot ransom me."
"No, but you know your family well. Better than I. That information is valuable to me. As long as the other Crime Lords get their hands on you, I have the upper hand."
"So you'll kill me after I tell you about my family."
"Wrong. You're still useful, even without the information.You can get the full power of a Sin, after all."
He looked around the room, at Harrow and the servants.
"As long as we keep your family ties a secret. From now onward, refer to yourself as Regis and not Regis Meadows, if you would."
***
After being shown my room and falling asleep immediately, as it was past midnight, I awoke. Questions still wrapped through my head. Why was my sister trying to kill me? What power can you gain from the Deadly Sins? Earlier questions resurfaced. Who is Mesa, and why did she try to trap Midas. I suspect that she is one of the Crime Lords, but have no proof. Was staying here with Midas a good idea? He made it sound like he won't kill me, but he might change his mind, if I don't get power from a Sin. And who was Bacchus? He wanted to meet with Midas about something.
Before I could ponder further, a young servant opened the door.
"Midas wishes to see you in his office. Please follow me."
She walked down the hall, with me in tow. After a minute, we arrived at the door, with a placard reading Midas's Office. The servant left as I opened the door.
Inside, a desk made of gold stood at the center of the room, with bookshelves behind it. Midas was reading a book when I came in. He looked up and smiled. I noticed Harrow sitting on a chair off to the side, shifting through papers.
"Hello Regis. Did you sleep well? Please, have a seat."
I took a seat and nodded.
"Do you have any remaining questions? So you can trust me?"
"Who is Mesa?"
"She is one of the Crime Lords. She may look young, but she is cruel and violent. I only met her once, so I know little else. Out of all the Crime Lords, she may be the weakest, but definitely not the least dangerous. Her sister is a Crime Lord as well, Asa. But she is lazy and has yet to do anything, and Mesa thinks on a small scale. I consider the two not threatening to me, but you should stay clear of them. Just because I think they are not threats does not mean they cannot kill you."
"Who is Bacchus?"
"Bacchus is another Crime Lord, who I sent a proposition to, and it looked like he'll meet with me to discuss it, so we might have him as an ally."
"How do you get power from the Deadly Sins? I heard of no such thing till coming here."
"Only the Crime Lords can give you power. The God-force doesn't like to advertise this, so it's a well kept secret.
"So you can grant people power?"
"Yes, although I don't do it often. Don't want people running around with power untamed and unaffiliated. And it's not worth granting people power if they can't gain the full potential. If you trust me, I will grant you some power, as you can get the full potential."
"What judges how much power you get?"
"The amount of sins you have committed. It normally counts those committed before Judging as more than after."
"Does Harrow work for you?"
"No, he works with me. It's a symbiotic relationship. I give him funds and materials, and he kills people for me. It's simple, really."
I thought for a moment, wondering what else I could ask to make myself trust Midas.
"Will you kill me randomly?"
"You're much more useful alive, so probably not. At least, not without reason."
"Who did you turn to gold to make your statues?"
"Thieves, scammers, people who have tried to take what I have rightfully earned. Or stolen."
"Okay, I'm ready to accept the power, but will it hurt?"
"Might sting a little."
His hand reached out and touched mine, and I felt a jolt ricochet through my body.
[Accept the Burden of a Deadly Sin : Random?]
[YES] [NO]
I blinked, and thought yes.
"Oh, and you might pass out."
As Midas said that, darkness creeped around, and then everything went black.