Chapter 215: Ego
"Good morning, my dear, lovely criminals of Rujgard!"
His voice boomed over the square. His tone was an easy, melodic cadence, sounding less like a syndicate kingpin and more like a late-night talk show host. "Gentlemen, ladies, cutthroats, and poisoners alike! Hope everybody is waking up rested, hydrated, and fully enjoying their stay in the freest country on God’s green world!"
He strutted across the elevated stone with an effortless, bouncing gait, twirling the megaphone in one tattooed hand while flexing a shoulder.
"For those living under a rock to recognize my pretty face—name’s Vane. Yeah, that Vane. One of the Four Lords, your humble Lord of Death. No need for applause, don’t spit on my boots when I pass."
"Well," Eren murmured out of the corner of his mouth. "I have to admit, it’s rare to meet someone whose mouth is looser than mine."
Gold nudged Eren’s ribs sharply, hard enough to knock the breath out of him.
"Shut your mouth," she hissed under her hood, eyes locked on the stage.
Up on the dais, Vane stopped pacing, resting his elbows on an iron railing while flashing a radiant, blinding grin full of white teeth.
"Now, I know what you’re all asking yourselves," Vane continued, leaning forward with exaggerated intimacy. "’Lord Vane, what glorious tidings do you bring to our humble plaza this fine morning?’ Well, I brought the juiciest good news for you all."
He took a slow, theatrical breath, his expression shifting from sunny playfulness into a dark smirk that sent a shiver down the spines of the nearest mercenaries.
"Late last night, our lovely territory received a couple of uninvited tourists straight from the Imperial Kingdom. Little stowaways, clinging to a private package our fine establishment was supposed to receive."
He let out a low chuckle, strolling casually along the edge of the stone. "And to the little prodigies who decided to redecorate my cold-storage facility by slaughtering nine of my precious, hard-working men..."
Vane paused, tapping the megaphone against his chin. He leaned all the way over the rail, puffed out his cheeks, and shouted with full, acoustic clarity:
"LOSERS!"
Across the cobblestones, the crowd didn’t even need context. Hearing their lunatic overlord cackle, a ripple of laughter exploded through the mob, cheering and banging tankards against the stone, completely oblivious to what had actually happened.
Beside Eren, Baron Kiliyan was shivering so violently. Eren, however, remained deadpan, staring at the spiky-haired guy on the pavilion with flat, unblinking eyes.
"Did he just say we’re losers?" Eren whispered, his eye twitching slightly.
"Do you really care?" Gold muttered, her hand rigid beneath her cloak.
"That was genuinely offensive."
"Seriously though, you two little runaway rats," Vane continued, his voice dripping with condescending pity. "Did you honestly think you were clever? ’Oh, let’s sneak through the eastern docks! Let’s slip a few shiny imperial pennies to greedy pirates and sail into the sunset like a pair of romantic heroes!’ Please." He scoffed, casually waving a dismissive hand.
"You’re predictable. You’re basic. It took me three minutes to deduce your plan."
"Oh, and one more thing!" Vane called out, his voice dripping with that particular brand of theatrical cruelty that only men who’d never been punched hard enough could manage. "The pirates? They’re Mine now. Every single crew that docks in my harbor answers to me."
He spread his arms wide, embracing the crowd like a beloved messiah.
"The three gates?" he continued, counting on tattooed fingers. "They’ll allow you if you forge Rujgard IDs. Which is impossible of course." He leaned forward, his grin turning sharp as broken glass.
"So here’s my generous offer, my little stowaways. Two options. Door number one: waltz up here, hand over that fat bastard, and accept a quick, dignified death. I’ll even let you choose the wall."
"Door number two?" Vane’s eyes glittered with mad delight. "Run. Hide. Fight. Every second of every day, for however long your pathetic stamina holds out—days, months, years. My people will hunt you. You’ll never sleep, never eat, never breathe without wondering if today’s the day we finally catch you."
"Choose the easy option. For your own sake."
He cleared his throat, straightening his collar with fussy precision. "And to sweeten the pot—for my lovely, loyal citizens—one hundred thousand gold coins. Each. To whoever brings me their heads. No portraits needed. Just ask yourselves: who’s new in town? Who looks scared? Who smells like perfume and desperation?"
The plaza exploded. The entire criminal ecosystem of Rujgard woke up to the smell of money, and they were hungry.
"Shall we begin?" Vane called out, his voice rising above the roar. "The countdown starts now! Happy hunting, my dears!"
Gold’s hand gripped Eren’s arm.
"We’re locked in," she breathed, her voice barely audible over the bloodthirsty crowd.
"Now I’m going to die," Kiliyan whimpered, his face pale in terror. "They’re going to find us, they’re going to—"
"Quiet."
The word didn’t come from Gold. It came from Eren.
Gold turned and saw something that made her breath catch.
Eren stood perfectly still, his skewer halfway to his lips, his blue eyes fixed on the spiky-haired lunatic prancing on the pavilion. But his casual expression had cracked.
Click.
It was a sound only Eren could hear, the sound of a switch flipping in his soul, a door opening that should have stayed locked. His plan had never contained Rujgard. He was supposed to grab the Baron, extract the information, return to his girls with presents and apologies for the delay.
But now?
Now he looked at Vane and he thought of Aria’s hairpin tucked safely above her ear. Of Norelia’s worried pout as she fitted his earpiece. Of Violet sleeping peacefully and trusting in his arms.
’What if they’re somehow involved?’ The thought bloomed like black flowers in his chest.
"How dare he," Eren murmured, the words barely a whisper in the crowd’s roar.
Gold leaned closer. "What?"
Eren lowered his skewer. His playful smile returned.
"He gave me an offer. Two doors. Surrender and die, or run and hide." He laughed, a soft, breathy sound that belonged in a padded cell. "But he forgot door number three."
Gold’s grip tightened. "Hey—"
"I’m accepting his offer," Eren continued. "I’ll stay here. In Rujgard. For as long as it takes."
He finally turned to look at her, and Gold saw clearly the madness, the ego.
"And my stay? It will be so nice, Goldy. So wonderfully, terribly, beautifully nice that motherfucker up there should start praying to whatever god he believes in. Praying that he never, ever came across my path."
He sighed, a long, contented exhalation, and bit into his skewer.
"Let the countdown begin," he said, chewing thoughtfully.
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Sorry guys. I was just not in my right mind and this arc was intense. So I just took a leave of absence. I apologise for not releasing yesterday.
And check authors thoughts for the link to my Discord server, I will upload nsfw, news, and updates about my books.