Excited shouts and screams could be heard the moment they stepped through the door, which was swiftly closed behind them. A few dozen men and women of all ages sat in seats surrounding a fenced-in arena of sorts. In the center, two bloody men with torn-up clothing circled each other. One of them suddenly lunged at the other and managed to pull him to the ground. What followed was a grisly scene. Joints crushed, eyeballs gouged, it was as if it were not a fight of men but beasts. Only some time after the convulsions of the downed man ended did the other stand and roar.
A mingle of victorious yells and frustrated groans rang throughout the stands. Eitan found a seat, and Farrel stood resolutely behind him. A man with a green fox mask soon came around, passing out varying amounts of gold coins. That's right, this was an underground betting arena. Not with animals as was customary, but with humans. Such a thing had long been outlawed by the kingdom, which was why Eitan didn't want himself tied to such a thing in any way.
The corpse was dragged out of the arena while the winner exited on the other side, presumably going to receive medical attention before fighting again. Soon, another two people entered the field. This time, it was a man and a woman. Eitan didn't pay any attention to the announcer and just scrutinized the two. He then lifted his hand, and a man with an identical mask to the one before approached him, except this one was purple. "This is on the girl."
Farrel then emptied a pouch onto the man's tray, some of the gold coins rolling around before settling. A face of surprise was visible under the mask, but he remained professional, merely bowing his head in acknowledgment before continuing his work.
Eitan observed carefully, and it seemed that the majority of the participants bet on the man. He leaned back in his seat contentedly, not anxious at all about the results. It was a touch-and-go battle, but to the chagrin of many, the woman eventually came out on top.
Eitan received his dues from the bet and instantly returned them all for the ante on the next match. He needed to make a lot of money fast for what he wanted, and was absolutely confident in his choices. If he couldn't evaluate the battle prowess of such simple people, then all his years as a mercenary would have been in vain.
He repeated this all-in tactic a few times until he had amassed a sizable sum. He was about to go again when a woman in a golden fox mask approached him. "Honored guest, there is someone who would like to meet with you."
The fish finally took the bait. Eitan twisted a gold coin in his fingers and said arrogantly, "If someone wants to see me, they should come to me. Do you think I'm like a dog that comes when called?" He flipped the coin up and caught it in one smooth motion.
The corners of the woman's mouth turned down slightly but quickly recovered to an attentive smile. "The identity of the sir I serve is somewhat sensitive, which is why he didn't come himself. So, please forgive the discourtesy. I can assure you it won't be a waste of time. May you follow me to meet him?" She phrased it as a courteous request this time.
"Tch, fine. But this better be worth my while." Eitan grabbed his cane and stood up with a clack. "Hey, grab my money and let's go."
Farrel organized the coins and rose to follow Eitan, but the woman gently put out one arm. "My apologies, but only the presence of the honored guest was requested."
Farrel glared at the woman murderously, and her shoulders flinched, but she didn't back down. Eitan scoffed and made a show of going back to his chair. "Tch, if you expect me to go without a servant, forget about it."
Servant? The woman's eyebrows raised as she surveyed Farrel's neat attire and strong appearance. "Forgive me, I didn't realize such was the case. The honored sir is naturally not forbidden from having an entourage."
Eitan didn't sit back down, acting as if he was satisfied with her words. "Bring me over then."
The woman bowed partially before turning and leading them away. Eitan followed her without any more fuss, with Farrel close behind. They left the arena area and went up a few stairs before coming to a door where a man with a silver fox mask stood in front. He only glanced over the group and, upon seeing the woman, respectfully stepped aside. The woman knocked on the door in a strange pattern, and a voice came from inside.
"Enter."
The door was pushed open to reveal an office-like space with a desk and bookshelves, along with a couch and table in the center. A man with a fox mask similar to those of the attendants sat behind the desk. However, the ears of his mask were taller, and it was black with accents of silver and gold rather than a solid color. Keen violet eyes were visible through the holes, and his long, wheat blond hair was tied back into an elegant bun.
As Eitan entered, the man stood up with an affable smile. "It is a great honor to meet the lucky star of tonight."
Eitan dropped onto the couch with a scoff. "What luck, it's all skill." He laid his cane across his lap, gripping the top as Farrel stood close behind him.
The man's eyes turned up into slits, giving him a fox-like appearance even aside from the mask. "Naturally, naturally. May I inquire as to the name of our skilled sir?"
"Isn't the point of these to hide such things?" Eitan pointed to his mask and showed his teeth in a smile.
The man laughed and strode from behind the desk to sit in front of Eitan. "That's right. However, I truly wish to befriend the young noble, so I couldn't help but ask." The woman stood behind him, hands poised behind her back like a guard.
"If you want to make friends, shouldn't you reveal your own identity first?" Eitan snorted and tilted up his chin.
The man's smile didn't falter for even a moment as he snapped his fingers. Shortly, the silver masked man entered and set tea on the table before departing deftly. "Please call me Lox, and pardon me for not taking off my mask. My appearance underneath is not a pretty sight, I'm afraid."
Bullshit. Eitan's lips curled upward. "Then I'll keep my mask on too. Address me as Elron."
Lox, as he called himself, picked up a cup of tea and took a sip. "Young Lord Elron, then. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"A pleasure indeed." Eitan picked up a cup as well and casually took a sip. As I thought, it's poisoned. He didn't show that he had picked up on anything wrong. It was not some fatal poison, but a bewitching drug. After taking the poison for his aura, his body gained a strong immunity, so he was not concerned about being affected. "Good tea," he complimented as he took another sip, internally calculating when it should take effect. He needed to keep up the act for a bit longer, after all. Only after the guard of the man opposing him was completely lowered would he take action.
"It's rare leaves, reserved for esteemed guests such as yourself." Lox flattered before taking to small talk.
Eitan actively engaged, and his eyes slowly glossed over as they spoke. However, there was nothing overtly off with his appearance, so Lox wasn't concerned about Farrel being alerted. "So, where did you say you're from?" Lox threw out casually. At this question, the woman with the golden mask silently went and stood in front of the door, just behind Farrel.
"Rein— I'm from the Rein Barony. We may be small, but we're really rich, you know." Eitan shamelessly ripped off Reina's name, which, in his mind, was synonymous with lots of money.
"Young lord-" Farrel seemed to want to interject, but Lox interrupted him.
"Us friends are talking, so servants shouldn't intervene." He waved his hand and gave Farrel a sideways glance.
"That's right, just leave if you're going to make a fuss." Eitan tilted his head back at Farrel with a huff.
Farrel's lips pursed, and he bowed. "I shall wait outside." He responded as if he were afraid of displeasing Eitan before stepping out of the room. The masked woman actively opened the door to see him out.
The smile on Lox's face widened. "Let us continue to chat."
Eitan answered a few more questions and made it seem he was just a sheltered countryside noble boy who sought some big excitement, coming across this place through a friend of a friend. Lox was quite thorough, making full use of Eitan's drugged state to completely confirm his background and purpose. He even asked some questions Eitan hadn't even dreamed of preparing for, so he had to come up with plenty of things on the spot. After quite some time, the man in the silver fox mask came and whispered something in Lox's ear before disappearing again. Lox interlocked his fingers in a composed maneuver and leaned his head down. "You won quite a lot of money from us tonight." His shoulders were low, so he gave off a relaxed air, but Eitan caught the sharpness in his eyes.
"I have a great eye." Eitan laughed and began playing with his cane. He tapped the floor rather hard before spinning it up. The new game had begun.
Lox gazed at Eitan with a genial smile. "How would you like to work for me here? You'll make quite a bit of money, and you'll see exciting scenes every night."
Eitan tapped the floor one more time before grasping the top of his cane. "I don't work for anyone." The drug was supposed to make Eitan more honest and agreeable, but it wasn't so powerful as to make him do things against his nature. That was why Lox didn't become suspicious due to his words.
"What a pity, I did quite like you." Lox sighed as if he was upset with the refusal. He slowly lifted one hand and rubbed his neck.
The cane in Eitan's hand whipped up, and the bottom suddenly pointed at the figure approaching from behind. The woman froze as a blade nicked the skin of her throat, the dagger in her hand just inches from Eitan's own neck.
"You-!?" Lox's face behind the mask contorted. Even an intelligent man like him was dumbstruck at the sudden turn of events.
Eitan grinned viciously, and his eyes sparkled. "Rather than working for a fox, isn't it much better to catch one?" He tilted his head back and emitted a bit of bloodlust. "If that dagger is not gone by the time I count to three, it will be your head that is removed. One… two…"
The woman trembled but hesitantly glanced at Lox, and he gave a permissive nod. She dropped the dagger and stood with her fists clenched by her sides. He didn't lower his blade but turned back to Lox. He waited for the opposing man to regain his wits and speak first.
"Who are you, really?"
Eitan tapped his mask. "You know that isn't the question you should be asking right now."
Lox raised his hands in a wide, open gesture. "Fine. How much do you want?"
Eitan caught sight of the man's leg shifting and flipped the cane, stabbing it into the table with a loud bang. "If you call for your lackeys, there won't be a pretty sight."
Lox smiled passively, not flustered at all at the fact that he'd been exposed. "My subordinate outside has probably already heard the commotion, though. So it won't matter if I act or not." A thinly veiled threat lay underneath his words.
Eitan chuckled at this as he recalled the blade. "No need to worry about that." He hit the cane on the ground, and a moment later, the door opened to reveal Farrel dragging an unconscious man, a silver fox mask half hanging on his face.
"Stand guard outside. If anyone tries to enter, deal with them." Eitan ordered Farrel coolly, who bowed before dropping the man and going back out.
Lox's mouth twitched slightly, and he held up his palms in surrender. "Alright, let's talk this out. Just name a price. I swear I will provide anything within my means." He was currently under the reasonable assumption that Eitan wished to extort him after finding out about the arena's activities. However, he was wrong.
"It is not money I want, but you, Beren Simal."
Lox's, no, Beren's, entire demeanor changed in that moment. His hands went down and his entire body became rigid, entirely in contrast to his previous assured bearing, which seemed would not falter even if the sky fell in front of him. "Who are you?" He repeated his earlier question, but this time in an entirely different tone. It was as if his entire being had been coated in a layer of ice.
"Just a passing fox hunter." Eitan would, of course, not reveal his identity so easily to this fox.
Beren stared at Eitan coldly for a few moments before letting out a long sigh. His frostiness dissipated, and he removed his mask.