The Ruined Death Knight

Upon seeing Danzel\'s hand, they couldn\'t help but get an eerie feeling from it.

If Anna and Kayn had to describe it, it would have been like the devil offerings his hand.

\'He couldn\'t be trusted!\' Both of them though at the same time.

Although they could understand this reasoning for wanting them to work for him if they consider he was similar to those mages.

They felt like there was more to the deal than they could see.

Those two couldn\'t help but doubt Danzel.

And for good reason at that.

Not only did he treat them multiple times, but he was also capable of something that they hated to their core.

Magic.

Though they didn\'t know much of him, they knew he was capable to raise the ground and create some kind of paper that would burn once you lied.

\'But the amount of gold coins is...\' Gazing the other kids that both Kayn and Anna considered as their family touching their bellies in hunger, they felt depressed.

Watching from the side, Marcus who just caught up with the conversation had suddenly a great idea.

"Hey, if that bag full of gold coins is like nothing to you, then why don\'t you share some with us? It\'s not like you are using it down in that basement."

Freezing for a second, Danzel stared blankly at Marcus.

\'Did the magic experiments also affect his brain?\' Danzel though honestly.

He looked at Marcus as if he was looking at a dumpa*s.

"Kid, supply and demand. Nothing is free out there. I am offering you guys gold that many people would bend their knees to have and that for a job that everyone could do."

Shaking his head, Danzel picked the bag out of Kayns hands and walked towards the trap door.

"Forget it, it\'s not like I am begging you guys. Though more annoying, finding someone else wouldn\'t take that long."

"!!!"

"!!!"

Panic flashed through Kayns and Annas\' faces.

The solution to many of their problems was walking away right in front of their eyes.

The internal conflict of accepting or not accepting made them feel stressed out.

Humans being under the influence of stress, would do things that later would find to regret.

"W-Wait!"

As Danzel opened the trap door and was about to go in, a loud call came from Kayn.

Turning slightly, he glanced at Kayn in silence.

"We..!" He briefly glanced at Anna who had a worried expression and then at the others.

\'As long as it is for them...\'

"We accept! That job that you got, we will do it!"

"..."

After an awkward silence between those two, Danzel threw the same bag from before at him.

"Alright, your first job is next week. I will tell the details then..."

"Ah..."

Feeling the heavy bag in his hands, all the previous tension vanished.

"Guys! Look at those! We can finally have a warm meal again!" Kayn said excitedly to others like a kid would do when they received a new toy.

He left all his worries of now to be forgotten and embraced this moment.

Unknowingly that Danzel had the biggest grin of them all.

****

Later that night in Nercana.

Walking the road, a man with a big belly and mustang stopped in front of a beautiful huge building with the words Union at the top.

"To think that I would waste this thing like this..." Honor grumbled to himself as he looked at the gold coin in his hand.

Compared to other gold coins, this one had a one-eyed mask with blue crystal serving as the eye on both sides of the coin.

"Sigh, that damn Merrick, I should even just give him something instead of promising a favor to him." Grumbling to himself, he forced himself to walk into the building.

Upon entering the building, what greeted him were people who talked to each other left and right.

"This place never chance..." Honor whispered to himself.

Although it was already night where everyone would usually go to sleep, in here they were still people talking about businesses.

The business of course being those that were usually not all that honest.

They were at least 18 people talking to either the staff or to themselves.

Compared to the number that this huge hall could fit, 18 was a mere amount.

The people glanced at the newcomer briefly, that being Honor, before going back to talking with their partner.

Without thinking much of it, Honor walked towards one of the many reception tables.

"Oh, Mr. Honor. What bring she here at such a beautiful night?" A young maiden with a staff uniform asked Honor.

"Hello Amatha, nothing important, I just have..."

Sliding careful the masked coin to the table so that others can\'t see, he said.

"...Business to talk about," Honor said with a smile as he opened a small gap, revealing the masked coin to Amatha.

"!!!"

Seeing the coin, Amatha\'s eyes widen up for a second before turning back a moment later.

Taking the coin, she showed a gorgeous smile.

"Ah, yes Mr.Honor, could she please tell me with whom he has the reservation again?"

"Of course, it should be with... Mr.Hannes."

"Of course...now I remember. Could she please follow me?" She said smile.

Although Honor knew that she was showing him a fake smile, he nodded at the girl\'s wits.

As just mentioning this man\'s face would bring either trouble or unnecessary curiosity to him.

The man inside the hall watched that interaction, before shrugging it off as nothing worth their time (was too far from them to hear).

Walking upstairs, Amatha and opened a door of a luxurious room.

"Please make yourself compensable inside this room Mr.Hannes will soon come." Bowing slightly her head, she closed the door.

Pulling out the \'item\' he was supposed to sell, he couldn\'t help but scratch this head.

"How should I even explain this thing?"

Sitting on the couch, he let himself get lost on how much this room would cost.

...

30 minutes later.

Sounds of footsteps could be heard outside the room.

"He is here..." Straight his back, Honor looked at the door.

"Forgive me for being late, Mr.Honor. I had some work that couldn\'t be left undone." A man with black clothing that matched the pitch-black gauntlets in his hand stepped inside the room.

"It\'s nothing to be apologizing for Mr.Hannes. In fact, I should be the one for coming unannounced at such hour of the day." 

With Hannes being 1.94 tall with his muscular body and black hair that was pushed back, together with the sharp gauntlets he looked extremely intimidating for some of Honor\'s size.

Bring some glasses together with a bottle of some fine wine, Hannes sat opposite Honor.

Filling for each drink, he took a slip before looking at Honor.

"It seems like you finally used the coin that I had given you years ago. Tell me, who was it? Did someone threaten you or do you have a request for the union?" Hannes said with a blank look.

"Ah, it´s nothing of such sort Mr.Hannes, in fact, I came to make a deal for the union." Honor replied.

"Hmm, a deal you say? Couldn´t you just do that by speaking with the staff?" Hannes said looking a little disappointed.

"Sadly, Mr.Hannes, the thing that I want to sell to the union isn´t something that..." Honor said with a meaningful tone.

Frowning his eyes browns, Hannes put the glass of wine on the table.

"Are you implying that the item you are referring to is a forbidden one?" Hannes said.

Shaking his head, Honor replied with a serious tone.

"No, much worse."

"Hoh? And what could such an item be? Would it be possible for me to take a look at it?" Hannes said slightly more interested.

"Of course she can, after all, I came here to start selling it." Taking from this staff three rolled-up paper, he placed them in front of Hannes.

"A contract?" Hannes asked while blankly staring at the contracts placed in front of him.

"Not, just simple contracts Mr.Hannes, but a contract with a runed placed in."

"Huh?" It took several seconds for Hannes to realize what Honor just said, but when he did he jumped up from his seat.

"Runes!?" Hannes said in surprise while looking at Honor to see if he was lying or not.

Seeing no response, he seated back on the couch and took a sip from his wine.

"You better are telling the truth Honor, I don´t like being made a fool of." He said with a harsh tone.

" I would never dare..." 

"Good, now tell me what does it."

Nodding his head, Honor pushed a contract in closer to him.

"Could she please input your mana over there Mr.Hannes?"

"What for?"

"You see, the one who places mana in the rune would be the contractor while the one who drops..." Dropping a few drops of blood of the blood he prepared beforehand he continued.

"Will be the one following the contract. And if I were to break the contract, the contract itself will burn."

Hearing that explanation, Hannes with some doubt input some of his mana and waited for the contract.

With the contract being `If the one signed this contracts lies, the contract is broken´ Honor said.

"This contract isn´t made out of runes."

A moment later, the contract signed with green flames!

"What!?"