Oros Ometra was having a good day, all things considered. His win the day before had added a lot to his wealth and raised the standing of his clan even more in the Crumbs.

But it all paled in comparison to what he could—would—have if his plan fell according to his wishes. Oros frowned as he adjusted himself. He was in a large room that was more of a workshop than anything else.

It wasn’t all his plan. In fact, Orso was nothing more than a parasite clinging to someone else’s rise to power. But that was fine by him too. As long as he rose to dominate the Crumbs. It was a long-held ambition of his, to do away with the delicate balance of the eight Crime Lords.

There was a lot of money to be made in the Crumbs. The coins here were mostly fueled by activities that wouldn’t see the light of day, but that’s fine. The gold coins would shine through.

The door opened and Orso stiffened slightly as his partner entered. Not partner, he reminded himself firmly. Oros was being used, but he didn’t mind because being a pawn was also beneficial in its own way.

He stood and swept into a bow. "It has been a while. I didn’t know you would call me this soon."

His partner grunted in reply. The man was tall, taller than Oros, which was strange because he didn’t have the body mass that Orso had. He was as thin as a bamboo stick, and the constant black robe and cloak didn’t help. "You are here at last."

As usual, Orso felt no aura from him, but his senses warned him that this man was several tiers above him. Danger clung to him, or it might also be because of his clan. "Of course... Iridessa."

The man grunted again and sat on the chair opposite him.

Oros sat too. He still couldn’t believe it. That he was talking to an Iridessa. Even a rogue one. Even though they were not a Great Clan and were part of the God Emperor’s clan, they had influence on par with any Great Clan.

They were the enchanters and one of the greatest assets of the God Emperor. They were under his protection. Which was why Oros was surprised to learn that one was here in the Crumbs.

"You win your fights, I hear," the Iridessa said.

Oros had never seen his face, but his eyes always glowed both gold and silver at the same time. All four of his eyes. The others were set below the normal ones. "Yes. I can now participate in the fight that will take place in the palace."

Oros didn’t know what was going on. He had been kept in the dark like any proper pawn. But he could think on his own. Something was going to go down in the palace, and Oros wanted no part of it.

What he was after was the gold promised to him afterward.

What he had been doing for the Iridessa since he came to the Crumbs two years ago. At least, it was two years ago that Oros learned there was an Iridessa here. What he was doing for him was suppressing any news about him.

Oros was one of the biggest information traders in the Crumbs. It was easy to manage information and ’kill’ information too. Like the Scuridae Clan.

"That’s good, Oros. Your part here is coming to an end. Be glad because you will see new glory in your city. Of old things, we shall dispose."

Oros shifted uneasily in his seat. He had been trying his best not to actively take part in whatever was going on in the palace. It was better for him that way. He knew the Iridessa had a contact in the palace, and a very high one at that, because he had seen the way the blue shield behaved in the Crumbs that day.

Whatever plot Oros was entangled in, it smelled like treason. But most importantly, it smelled of gold. A lot of it. And Orso liked the smell of gold. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

In the Crumbs, that would go a long way in cementing his power permanently. Add that to winning the tournament. Thankfully, Reaper Blood was living up to his promise.

Golden eyes watched him, too much for his comfort. "Is there anything more, Iridessa?"

The Iridessa snapped his fingers. "I am looking for someone in the Crumbs. Young, of slender build, purple eyes, and hair. I was told the hair was very long. Any idea?"

Oros didn’t blink. That was almost as if he were describing Reaper Blood, only he had black eyes and hair. "I’ve seen no such person."

The Iridessa nodded as if he were expecting such an answer. "A shame that he died," he said, shaking his head and muttering. "He would have been perfect for me to do some experiments on."

Then a gloved hand came from under his cloak, holding a small sack that clicked. He threw it, and Oros caught it, loving the weight of the coins.

"Prepare yourself. We shall meet on the day."

Oros stood and bowed. "Of course, Iridessa." He turned and went through the door. The gold was the only thing on his mind. He had forgotten to talk about the dark mirror. Or that the Iridessa didn’t ask him about it.

****

The Iridessa watched him go. "Kill him once he’s served his use. Kill all his clan, but leave his slaves to me. Bring them here. Especially those two."

A man appeared behind the Iridessa as if he had been there all the while. He was cloaked like the Iridessa. "Of course. Did you mean those two? You don’t even grill him for the mirror."

A grunt. "Why should I? It’s pointless, and it’s not the real thing anyway. I am more concerned about the results of the mirror. Once we cleanse this place of that bitch, then we can deal with that."