We left early in the morning. I was wearing a black suit and a tie to complete the businessman look. On my face, I wore a bored expression, but that was just a facade. Because on the inside, I was fuming. When Elijah had arranged the meeting with my family business, the sheer audacity of my CEO was infuriating. He kept insisting that they did not have the time to meet me, so I decided to go there in person, where they could not ignore me. They thought me an arrogant youth who foolishly thinks that he can strong-arm his way to success. They were right about me being arrogant, but these bastards know nothing of true elite intrigue. Today, I will be giving them a personal lecture on what it means to be a noble elite.
Elijah opened my door so that I could step out. Thanking him, I walked towards Imperial Metal and Resources. The company that belonged to my family specializes in the import and export of any materials found within the rifts. Ugh, that name was terrible. I will need to change that. Anyway, the business was once the main distributor of otherworldly materials in the nation, but after the death of my parents, corruption had taken root in the business, destroying it from within. I was completely aware of this fact, but I was underage at the time and had no power over the company. And by the time I was old enough, I was too busy with my duties as a member of the student council, so I never got to it. Until now, of course, a sly smile wormed its way onto my lips at the devastation I was about to cause. We walked into the three-story building, and Elijah opened the glass double doors for me as I walked further inside towards the front desk.
There was a young woman behind the desk typing away at her computer, not even noticing my approach until I stood right in front of her. My form casting a shadow over her, my dreadlocks were tied into a neat ponytail behind my head. My angular face was a picture of no-nonsense as he stood in front of her, coughing to gain her attention. She looked up from her computer, the glasses on her face reflecting an image of me. Her face went through a transformation from mild annoyance to being flustered when she saw the coat of arms on my breast pocket. The emblem of a dragon roaring in front of a black sun, the house insignia of the Whither family. The dragon was a symbol of our great historical heritage in the world; few families globally have received such an honor.
"Yo..Young master, what a pleasant surprise." She spoke with a strained smile. "What can I help you with today?" She regained her composure near the end.
"Call the director and tell him that I am here to speak with him." He spoke in a bored tone, playing into the arrogant young master trope they clearly saw him as.
"I am sorry, but the director is currently in a meeting. We could reschedule this for another time." I can see her hesitation, the slight tremble in her voice. How she tightened her grip on the hem of her shirt was a clear sign that she was lying to me.
"No, I think I am going to see him now." I just turned away from her and continued walking. That was all I needed to know.
I headed directly to the elevator, Elijah following closely behind me as we went to the top floor. When we arrived, we walked directly towards his office without wasting a single second. When I got close, I heard the distinct sound of a woman's chuckle from the inside and heard the director's voice.
"No, stop it. We are at work." I heard the secretary say with a playful laugh.
"As if that has ever stopped us before." The director replied.
I had heard enough as I opened the door to his office, sitting on his chair behind his desk was the director with his secretary on his lap. She wore a far too short pencil skirt with a blouse that had one too many loose buttons. My annoyance flared at the sight.
"So this is what you have been wasting My Money on, Director." My voice was loud and direct, not wasting energy on any niceties. This was just inexcusable. I saw the wedding ring on his finger, and a smile formed on my lips. "I wonder how your wife would react when she hears the news," I spoke as if thinking out loud, watching as the director's horror grew.
The secretary looked ashamed as she quickly stood up from his lap, adjusting her skirt to try and look presentable. I watched as the fat man's face shifted from horror to anger, his blood pressure rising at my comment.
"I thought I told that bitch that I would not be receiving any visitors." The director thought out loud. "And you, are you trying to blackmail me in my own damn company!?" He screamed the last part, spittle flying across his desk while his face reddened.
His words made my whole bored noble facade break, transforming into a cold, almost inhuman fury as a little of my aura leaked out. His face paled when he felt it, but his pride would not allow him to back down. The air grew heavy as the lights began to flicker. Chi and technology never really worked well together. The secretary gasped at the sudden explosion of my aura. "What do you mean by your company. Have you already forgotten whose insignia is on the outside of the building? Have you already forgotten who is really in charge?" With every sentence, the ice in my veins grew as I narrowed my eyes at the director. "It seems you have forgotten your place, Friedrich. It is a good thing I am here to remind you."
"Your family is dead!" He shouted. "While you wallowed in your own self-pity for the better part of seven years, I have held this company together. So no, it is you who forgets himself. So get out of my damn office and do the world a favor, join the rest of your ilk in the fucking ground!" It seems I have struck a nerve; my smile returned.
"Threatening a noble is a punishable offense, you know." I caught him in my brilliant little trap, and he fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Taking out my phone, I paused the recording and looked back towards him as he was sweating his balls off. Finally realizing what had just happened, my provocation was planned after all. I smiled at my own brilliance before looking back at the fool. "By law, I can do whatever I want with you know." My words made him freeze in place, while the secretary just became more and more nervous as the situation continued. "I think a death sentence should do," I said, pretending to be thinking out loud.
The bastard started begging for mercy. "Please, I have a family!" he tried to plead.
Looking towards the secretary, I replied. "You clearly do not care much for your family, so why should I care about you?"
"I…I have money, please! I can give you anything you want. I can give you girls, or even men." Seeing that I did not reply, he tried something else. "Or is it kids you want? I can get it for you. Please just spare me." That was the final straw. I looked towards Elijah and gave him a subtle nod.
He continued to plead, but it was already too late. Elijah took out his pistol and shot him dead center, right between the eyes. Although I would have loved to do it myself, there was no need to dirty my hands with such filth. His fat body slumped back into his chair as blood began pooling on the documents in front of him. Turning towards the trembling secretary, I gave her a simple command. "Gather some guards to clean up this mess, oh, and bring me someone who can explain to me exactly why this company has been failing. And its current business affairs." I spoke offhandedly. "Oh, and due make it quick. I'd rather not wait too long."
Even after I withdrew my aura, she still trembled as though the weight of it lingered in her bones. She practically jumped at my words, rushing off to do my command, taking a seat on the sofa nearby. I started rifling through different documents on his desk. One immediately caught my attention because it had the seal of none other than Baron Liam Xu. Apparently, they had been in cahoots for quite a while now, slowly dismantling my business from the inside. Going through the various documents, I found the names of all the insiders within my company. The director was a smart man, keeping records of everything in case things turned sour. Too bad for him, he was not smart enough, I thought with a laugh. "So, Baron Xu thinks himself clever," I murmured, thumbing through the papers. "He'll soon learn the difference between clever… and true intelligence."
Taking out my phone, I dial 10111, calling the police to inform them about what happened. They asked a few questions, but after I sent the recording to them, they just stopped caring completely. I had roughly six months before my mandatory military service, which was more than enough time to deal with a few pests.
—
I was very disappointed when I did not see Zeon that day. I had hoped for a budding rivalry to push us both beyond our own limits, yet today he was absent. Asking the teachers where he was, I learned the news that he had left the school. Did I take it too far yesterday? Was his ego really that fragile? No, that was not the case; I could feel it in my bones. If he were anything like his brother, then things could get very interesting. While I was walking to my next class, I heard a commotion in a bathroom nearby. Walking inside, I saw some ruffians surrounding a scrawny kid with glasses, and my anger flared at the sight.
"What do you think you are doing?" I asked. The ruffians turned to look at me, but were clearly dismissive of my presence.
"I suggest you mind your own business if you know what's good for ya." The lanky one in the group spoke.
His provocation was all I needed to take action. One second, I was standing by the door, and in the next, the ruffians were groaning on the ground at my feet. Reaching out my hand to the scrawny boy who had been bullied, I helped him up. I could not stand for such injustice.
—
The secretary returned with two guards and a scrawny young man with large glasses on his face, carrying a clipboard. Their eyes darted between the body of Friedrich and me sitting comfortably on a couch, drinking tea while leafing through documents. The guards moved quickly, disposing of the body, while the bespectacled young man approached nervously.
"You… You called me, sir?" The man spoke with a gulp, trying to contain his nerves. Looking at him, he did not seem very impressive, but he would have to do.
"Yes, yes, I did. And your name would be?" The question hung in the air as I waited for him to answer, taking a sip of my sweet Rooibos tea.
"The name is Xander, sir. How can I be of service today?" He clearly did not want to be here, but he had no choice. Seeing this, I smiled at him, my angular face adding to my mystique.
"Well, I would like to know why exactly my business has been failing." My eyes narrowed as I spoke in a heavy tone, portraying my seriousness.
"There is no easy answer to that question." He replied, his nervousness growing.
"Good thing I did not ask for an easy answer." His avoidance of the topic was starting to annoy me, so I spoke in a harsher tone than was strictly necessary.
"No, sir, you did not." He scrunched his brow as he thought of an adequate reply. "There are a multitude of factors that contributed to the decline of business, but I would have to say that the main reason was the loss of support from the guilds who brought in the materials from the rift." He said while adjusting his glasses.
"Hmmn, and what was the reason they gave for such disloyalty?" He shifted uncomfortably on his feet before answering.
"They have signed a deal with Baron Liam Qi, if I am not mistaken." He said while double-checking the documents on the clipboard.
"So the frog has gotten a taste for swan meat, it seems. No matter, I will resolve this issue personally." I said before getting up, finishing the last of my tea. "Oh, and before I forget, congratulations on becoming the new director. I hope you do not disappoint me, Xander. We do not need a repeat of history now, do we?" I said before, looking towards the now bloody desk, making my exit. Xander stood there for a while nervously as I left the building,
Elijah was already waiting for me by the car when I arrived and immediately asked me, "Where to next, young master?"
"I think it is time that I finally take my gift seriously. We are going to go visit my uncle dearest." Elijah just nodded as he began to drive.
My thoughts wandered back towards the conversation I had earlier, thinking of many possible solutions to the problems I was facing. Regarding the guild problem, I was very averse to including another third-party factor into the rebuilding of the business. There were just too many risks involved; the only solution I could come up with was to form my own guild. The problem was that it required a lot of money to fund, and I had about two million in my personal account, which was only barely enough. Not to mention the fact that I would require trustworthy guild members to join. A headache was already forming as we left the city limits of Pretoria and entered the more rural area surrounding it. We left the highway, turning down a dirt road as we approached a village with fortified walls, guards standing at the ready by the only entrance.
We had arrived at the home of the Zulu tribe, where my uncle was the king. Mandla Oshizulu was the firstborn son of the late king Shaka, named after their great ancestor. Directly translating the name Mandla from Zulu, it means strength, a perfect description of my uncle. He was regarded as one of the most powerful shamans and gifted in South Africa. Stepping out of the car, I motioned towards the guards, who were surprised to see me as it had been more than six years since my last visit.
"Omntwana, is that you? What brings you so far from the big city?" A young Zulu man asked. He looked to be about twenty, with strong muscular arms, and was clutching the spear by his side. His ebony skin glistened in the sunlight as the fur headband on his head blocked sweat from dripping in his eyes. He had a strong, wiry frame, his muscles bulging under the light shirt he wore.
"Come now, cousin, am I not allowed to visit family?" I asked with a subtle smirk. Some things never change. And Sipho was one of them, the eldest son of Mandla Oshizulu, my eldest cousin, who looked at me strangely. He signaled for them to open the gates, allowing us through. The large concrete wall that protected the tribe from the roaming monsters had a large wooden gate that opened for them. Getting back into the car, I waited as Elijah drove us in. The tribe had grown since the last time I had visited; circular stone houses were placed in a spiral formation within the large walls. I saw many people walking the streets, going about their daily lives. The women wove baskets and skinned monsters for hides. Children running in the streets playing various games. The sight brought a smile to my lips. I had always loved our visits when I was young, but after the death of my parents, I could not bring myself to return. It reminded me too much of my mother, the only person in my family who ever showed me compassion.
We drove through the village until we reached the center, where a large house stood, and warriors were practicing their sword and spear play in the courtyard. My eyes showed me how they channeled their souls with every strike. This was the main reason I had returned; my gift was closer to that of my mother's line compared to my father's. The main reason I was seen as a disappointment was my lack of the family gift for the eternal black flame, the reason my family was renowned as the black dragons of Africa. Elijah parked in front of the building slightly to the side of the training warriors as I got out. Surveying the area, I turned towards my cousin Sipho, who approached from behind.
"Are you even allowed to leave your post?" My brow rose in question as I looked towards him.
"I am the son of the king, and heir to the mantle. Who would tell me otherwise?" Sipho replied with a smirk. "Now tell me the real reason you have returned after so long. I doubt it was because you missed me." The smile never left his lips as he hugged me, squeezing a bit too tightly. He let me go a short while later, but still had the question in his gaze.
"It was time I finally embraced who I really am." I shrugged at his question, just turning as I walked towards the mansion. Sipho followed close behind. I already knew my way around. As I walked towards my uncle's office, I saw some of his wives caring for the younger children, working together to preserve the peace. I knocked on the door before entering, seeing my uncle working on some documents at his desk. He wore his leopard skin umphele on his head, a mark of his status as king; his large and strong frame was barely contained by the simple clothing he wore. His brow was scrunched in focus as he worked; his eyes shifted to me as I entered. Surprise flashed on his face before it split in a wide grin.
"Do my eyes deceive me? Nephew, is that you? Have you finally decided to grace us with your presence?" His voice, deep as a war drum, filled the room. The weight of his aura pressed against me; this was no mere man but a king, a warrior whose very spirit demanded respect
My throat tightened, seeing in his face the reflection of my mother. Pain and warmth tangled in my chest. "No, uncle. Your eyes do not deceive you. I am here."
"Look at how much you have grown." He said while standing up, coming closer to inspect me. "The last time I saw you, you were but a little cub. But now I see the young lion you have become. It gladdens my heart to see that our bloodline remains strong." The smile on his face never left as he spoke.
I hesitated for a second before stating the reason for my visit. "Uncle, I have grieved for long enough. It is time." I did not go into detail, as he already knew what I meant. He was the one who offered to teach me many moons ago.