Elara's stride never slowed, but she adjusted course instantly, intercepting the visitor near a half-secluded alcove. Keane, reading the scene, glided along the edge of the room, finding a vantage by a pillar where he could watch without being obvious.
The cloaked visitor's voice was low, but Keane's enhanced perception picked up everything from where he had positioned himself, promptly noting the undercurrent of contempt.
"You were warned, Lady Vane. The instability in Valewind is unacceptable. 'We' are displeased with your handling of the situation."
The word 'We' landed heavy as Keane listened, a statement that linked to something more, an organization's signature, not a single voice. Keane watched as the visitor's gloved hand repeatedly touched the left breast of the cloak, fingers brushing a barely-visible sigil embroidered in black-on-black, a stylized eye, open and unblinking.
To his words, Elara's answer was a blade wrapped in silk. "My interests here are stable. My people, my business, they are untouched, as is our agreement. Whatever the rabble in the gutters does is not my concern, nor should it be yours."
The visitor leaned in, voice dropping to a hiss. "The King grows suspicious, and remember, We do not tolerate... disappointment."
Keane could see the flicker in Elara's eyes, the calculation behind the anger. She wasn't just a merchant, that much was clear now. She was a player in something bigger, maybe even a pawn… no, not a pawn, a knight, perhaps a queen... As for the visitor, he was the hand of a shadow king, or worse.
Their exchange escalated, though their voices remained low enough that no one else could overhear.
"You threaten me in my own house?" Elara said, her voice a low fury. "I've maintained our interests for years without your interference. The baronial schemes are not my concern. If the King moves, I move with him. Until then, get out of my way."
The visitor snorted. "You always were arrogant… But even you can be replaced. Remember that, Lady Vane."
They held each other's gaze for three hard heartbeats, then the visitor turned, cloak swirling, and strode out. The door slammed shut behind him, and only then did the air in the room start to move again.
Elara stood perfectly still for a moment, then turned and walked to the bar. Her shoulders were rigid, but her hands no longer trembled. Keane watched as she gestured for a drink, downed it in one practiced motion, and set the cup aside with a click that echoed across the stone platform.
Keane waited, letting the tension bleed out of the room. The merchants went back to their low mutters, but their eyes kept darting to Elara, then to the door, then back to their hands. The guards whispered among themselves, clearly unsettled.
He replayed the exchange in his mind, analyzing the implications. The visitor's use of "We," the sigil, the threats… these were all signs of a shadow organization, just like in all fantasy stories, one that saw itself above the nobles and maybe even above the King.
As for Elara, she was entangled deep, but perhaps not by choice? The bitterness in her words had been genuine, the rage controlled but barely.
For Keane, it was confirmation.
There were powers here he hadn't even guessed at, and the opportunity was greater than he'd hoped, more like the adventure. If he wanted to play this game, he'd have to do more than muscle through a few monsters or sweet-talk a handful of pretty faces.
He'd have to become indispensable to Elara, to the city, to whoever pulled the strings in the darkness… either that or just pursue power and personal growth at all cost if he wished to rely on no one by by serving. With power, authority was easy to cultivate and command after all.
As he lingered by the pillar, Keane caught the eye of a serving girl who'd been eavesdropping from behind a tray of mugs. She gave him a quick, nervous glance, then hurried off, but not before he saw the flash of recognition as she must have seen him with Elara, maybe with Sylvi, maybe both.
For the moment however, He filed it away.
Elara finished her drink and straightened, her eyes searching the room until they found him. For a second, Keane saw gratitude there, and something else, relief, maybe, or the recognition of a fellow wolf.
She nodded, almost imperceptibly, then turned back to her business, the mask she wore firmly in place as she made her way out of the building again.
Watching her leave, Keane summoned his system, more out of a new habit than necessity.
The familiar blue interface blinked into view, sharp and crisp.
…
[SYSTEM]
Name: Keane
Level: 2
Class: None
EXP: [██████████]
[STATS]
Strength (STR): 99
Dexterity (DEX): 99
Constitution (CON): 99
Intelligence (INT): 99
Wisdom (WIS): 99
Charisma (CHA): 99
HP: [9902 / 9902]
MP: [9902 / 9902]
Resistances: []
[Skills]
None
[Sub Skills]
Charm (Level 10)
Seduction (Level 10)
Stealth (Level 0)
[Distributable Points]
Stat Points: 10
Skill Points: 10
Mastery Points: 10
…
To his surprise, nestled among the sub-skills was a new skill, "Stealth," a brand-new addition.
Keane grinned, feeling the subtle thrum of satisfaction that came from knowing the rules of a system, especially one as generous as his. Without a moment's hesitation, he dumped a full ten mastery points into Stealth, watching the numbers tick upward with a gambler's glee.
[Sub-Skill: Stealth (Level 10) — MAXED]
'Perfect,' he thought. 'No more running blind.'
Keane straightened, adjusting his vest as he closed the system before heading down to get something to eat.