In a small but neat and elegant room, Mako stood before a mirror, wearing his usual pearlescent blue suit.
'So many weeks in that dungeon…' he thought, touching the sleeves, comparing the fabric's feel to his old shackles.
A knock at the door interrupted him. It was Ana, looking happy but sighing with concern.
"You know, I think I'm the one who's been looking forward to this day the most," Ana confessed.
"What do you mean?"
"Training and looking after the last two members of a great House isn't easy."
Ana's voice was cheerful but tinged with melancholy.
"If I'd awakened my system sooner, maybe I wouldn't have caused you so much trouble," Mako said with regret.
For a moment, Ana looked surprised, then gave a warm smile. "Better to be grateful it finally happened."
A warm feeling filled Mako's chest, one he was thankful he hadn't forgotten.
Then, a sudden sound of flapping wings echoed through the room.
'Oh, no,' they thought in unison.
Polyphemus burst in through the window.
"Kye, heh, heh, heh."
"Already?" Mako said.
"Already?!" Polyphemus shot back. "We're late, Master Mako. As your assistant, agent, and servant, I've spread the big news to Fox."
"So soon?" Ana exclaimed, startled.
Realizing what that meant, Ana continued, "I'll get ready too! You can't go alone without an escort."
The joy on Ana's face vanished as she turned to rush off and don her armor.
Before she left, Mako said, "Don't tell Erick a word about where we're going."
◇◆◇
An odd trio gathered outside the doors of a shady casino in the most dangerous part of Galandria City: Mako, Ana, and Polyphemus.
"We shouldn't be in a place like this," Ana said, constantly glancing around.
She was restless for the most heavily armed of the three, clad in her armor with her sword still sheathed.
"Don't look at me!" Polyphemus protested immediately. "I did all I could, but you lot have trashed the Sol reputation so badly."
Mako shot him a murderous glare that silenced Polyphemus for a second.
"I'm just telling the truth!" the one-eyed demon continued. "Look, Master Mako, mastering a system isn't usually easy, and for that…"
"We need resources and information," Mako said firmly.
"Bingo bongo!" Polyphemus finished. "And though Fox is an underworld crook, he's got plenty of connections. Not sure this meeting's a great idea, though…"
Without another word, Polyphemus led the two inside the establishment.
The place was a dive, sure, but it was packed to the brim with customers.
Men and women of all sorts gathered to bet on knightly duels, upcoming royal hunts, or even who'd be the next noble stripped of their title.
The lives of nobles were the entertainment of the betting underworld.
'To think Erick's been dealing with these people all these years,' Mako thought.
They moved through the crowd into narrow hallways, a guard letting them pass upon seeing them.
Maybe it was his face, but when Mako snapped out of his thoughts, he noticed Ana's gaze.
Her smile told him everything would be okay. Mako believed her.
Finally, they entered the last room.
It reeked of cheap cologne, lit only by oil lanterns along the walls.
Their steps made the floorboards creak beneath their feet.
It felt more like the abandoned cabin of an old pirate ship than a business office.
"Well, well! Armed to the teeth, aren't we?" a raspy voice hissed from behind a desk.
Dressed in a rumpled suit and a bent top hat, there sat the businessman they were meeting.
"Willy Fox," Polyphemus sighed, disappointed. "You of all people know why we're so cautious."
"Yeah, yeah. Take a seat already. Time's money."
It was just the four of them. Mako felt a chill down his spine, completely exposed.
He couldn't help but think of Erick. He knew full well that, ever since awakening his system, Erick was the only one capable of handling meetings like this.
Mako glanced at his fist, still feeling the uppercut he'd landed on his brother yesterday.
"The House of the Sun has always been a safe bet," Fox boasted. "That's why my humble betting parlor stuck with you in your darkest times."
Fox laughed.
Ana gritted her teeth in frustration. She hated being in this place.
"Still, I was surprised to hear from my old pal Polyphemus again," the betting magnate continued. "You used to run around with Erick, but now I see a new face handling the paperwork."
"I taught Erick everything I could back then," Polyphemus replied.
Mako stayed silent.
Though the rumors surrounding this peculiar character disgusted him, he couldn't deny one thing.
"You're right," Mako said. "You're one of the few investors left after the death of the House of the Sun's former lords."
'My parents,' Mako thought bitterly.
Fox burst into laughter.
Surprised, Mako stared at him, clenching his right hand in anger.
"Kid," the old swindler said, slowly lighting his pipe, "I'm the only investor you've got left. Don't try bluffing the king of poker."
Not only was this Mako's first time facing the diplomatic and corporate world of his House, but he had to deal with an underworld magnate to boot.
Mako was on the verge of lunging at him, consumed by rage. Sensing this, Ana placed a hand on his shoulder.
He calmed down, for now.
"He's awakened his system," Polyphemus interjected.
"Not enough," Fox shot back, blowing smoke in their faces.
Sadly, everything he said was true.
Polyphemus understood.
Mako… not so much.
The cheap cologne was gone, replaced by the strange smoke.
"Look, I see Erick was the only one who knew how to handle things around here, so let me give you a master class." Fox's voice had never sounded so treacherous. "First, your greatest value was your reliability. They said your parents had a system second only to the king's."
Fox rose grandly from his seat as he spoke, as if he'd rehearsed it all before. He continued, "I don't care about verifying rumors. But when they died, you lost your greatest asset. Even now, Don Mako, every expert in this cutthroat market is counting the days until your House…"
Without thinking, Mako shot up from his chair, ready to confront him, but Polyphemus shouted for him to sit.
Mako hesitated for a second, torn between punching Fox for his insults or not.
Fox just laughed, smirking at the tantrum. He began pacing around the three of them, his steps making the wooden floorboards creak even louder.
"Is this how your House does business?" Fox mocked. "I know your greatest asset was always brute strength, but this is ridiculous."
"We're more than just brute strength," Mako corrected proudly. "We're the greatest House in Galandria."
The room smelled more and more of Fox's smoke.
Ana's hand rested on her sword's hilt, ready to leap if needed.
Polyphemus felt like his scaly skin was about to sweat cold.
"The greatest House in all Galandria, you say?" Fox said, holding his pipe elegantly between two fingers. "Pfft! Maybe now you're just a circus act."
Polyphemus sidled up to Mako, who looked ready to explode with rage.
"Master Mako," Polyphemus whispered, "I warned you this guy tries to get under people's skin. Don't fall for his game."
Mako glanced at Polyphemus, his scowl slowly easing.
Then he looked at Ana. Mako raised his eyebrows, realizing he was being too emotional.
"If you think so little of us, why invest in us?" Mako asked, calming his voice.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, Don Mako," Fox continued with his sharp words. "You're still my favorite bet, it's just…"
At that moment, the sound of Ana's sword clattering to the floor echoed in the room.
Turning, Mako saw Ana collapse, paralyzed, just like Polyphemus.
"You're no longer the horse we want to win this race," Fox concluded with a wide grin.