Wesley and Neal's decision to wait two months was not only intended to ascertain how the four families would react to the rise of the Black Family, it also served to give Neal enough time to strengthen his base in the seventh district as well as consolidating his network around it.

Blackreach city has existed for nearly three thousand years, and ever since its establishment, the city always had six districts; the Central District where management of the city occurred, the Main district which includes the four main roads and most of the businesses in the city, and the final four residential districts.

The central and main districts are controlled by the city. These two districts, although not big in size, serve as the heart of the city for two reasons. First, almost all the businesses in the city are in the main district, along the four main roads, meaning a lot of taxes for the city. And second, the Central District, which is the actual switchboard of the city because that’s where the management of the city takes place.

As for the four residential districts, these four districts are far larger than the central and main districts because they house the entirety of the city's population. Although these four districts don’t have many businesses in them, they do have a lot of people residing in them, which in turn leads to a lot of tax revenue.

The four districts are each ruled by a noble family. These four families are known as the four families and are the undisputed hegemons of Blackreach city. Each of the four families govern their respective districts, and they share control of the main and central districts with no single family being superior to the other.

Blackreach City has existed for countless years, and although its splendor seemed everlasting, it was only inevitable that poverty and destitution arose amongst its citizens. This inevitably led to the emergence of a Seventh district.

This seventh district was located in the fringes of the city where the Eastern and Southern city walls met, and only encompassed a fifth of the area of the other four districts. This district was instantly transformed into somewhat of a dump for the city, housing the poor, the homeless, the orphans, the incapable, and all sorts of undesirables.

Furthermore, the district was not claimed by any of the four families causing the central government to turn a blind eye to it. This made the district a hotbed for misery, crime and lawlessness. The district was governed by whomever had the power to control it, and it will often go without anyone being in charge of it.

This was the status quo for the city for almost thousand years. Blackreach City as a whole prospered, while the Seventh only grew more solemn, and everyone seemed to be fine with it because regardless of what was preferable, reality dictated that a place like the Seventh was a necessary evil, and as if saving themselves the guilt, words like lazy and incable were attached with the residents of the district. But this changed almost seven months ago.

Now, a new noble family were in charge of the seventh family. This family, unlike the previous and numerous rulers of the seventh district, are high nobility. Furthermore, under their governorship, the Seventh District was transformed from a wretched place of crime and misery, to a haven comparable to the four residential districts.

Under the Black Family, every resident of the district was given a decent home to live in and these homes, although neither luxurious nor special, are far better than homelessness. Furthermore, many more things such as schools, and orphanages were built.

It was originally unprecedented that anyone would spare any effort in building up such a rundown place, and when you add that to the fact that all this was done with the Black Family's own wealth and in short five months, then it simply becomes inconceivable. Many people couldn’t understand why the Black Family.

However, before anyone could at length discuss the reason behind the Black Family's actions, the Black Family surprised them once again. They arranged a job for every capable adult in the district. Be it in the various businesses in the district, as guards, as constructors, or as teachers, no one who was able to work was unemployed.

This mass employment, coupled with the levying of monthly taxes by the Black Family made their message abundantly clear: no free handouts, everyone gets what they work for. Their idea was not very innovative, many people believe that the difference between poor people and wealthy people is simply the opportunities they are given.

Under the governorship of the Black Family, the seventh district that was once a cesspool, was in short seven months transformed into a lively place, and its once hopeless and wretched residents became filled with liveliness and industry as if they were all given purpose and direction.

The Black Family's actions garnered them the admiration of the masses, especially those of the seventh district. They became targets for reverence and respect throughout the city and they were almost seen as saints by those of the seventh district. However, a few of their policies led to a few raised eyebrows.

For example, no one was allowed outside their homes between midnight and dawn. The seventh district was the only district with a curfew making many people surprised as to the reason behind out. When representatives of the central government inquired about the reason, all they received was a simple: So as to ensure the safety of our residents.

Another example, is that if someone who is not from the seventh tried to live in the district, they must not only buy a home, they must also find their own work and the taxes they pay would be slightly higher than the others. This caused many people in the other districts to became angry, however, the Black Family maintained that this was in accordance with the city rules.

No one could really understand the reasons behind these policies, and most people thought them to be either excessive or unfair, but the Black Family's reputation and clout was enough that no one really paid to such minor things. No one really knew the reason behind any of these policies, no one but two people.

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Wesley and Neal were currently standing in Wesley's study staring down at a map on the table. This map didn’t have any words on it, only lines numbers, numerous dots of different colors, squares, and triangles, but if one looked closely, they would immediately realize that this was a map of Blackreach City.

Using Neal's capacity as a lord, he had access to numerous maps and reports of the city. This specific map, although not an official map, was extremely detailed and had everything he and Wesley would need to move on with their plans.

Wesley and Neal both stared intently at the map, then Wesley put his finger on one of the dots on the map, a red dot, and spoke:

"We'll start here."

Neal stared at where Wesley's finger was pointing. This was not a simple matter, so he was thinking up of possible consequences so that they could correct them or choose another option.

"Are you sure. I think it would be easier if we started here."

Neal spoke as he pointed to another dot that was blue. Wesley instantly looked at where Neal's finger was at and he thought for a short while before speaking again:

"I know it will be easier if we went after the Blume Family first, but if we go after the t after the Blume Family first. But, going after the Ranes would be better in the long run."

"How do you figure so."

Neal was skeptical of Wesley's words. Going after the easier target would not only be faster but also relatively faster. Wesley only nodded his head and spoke again:

"From what you I could glimpse from your reports, the Ranes family is most likely in conflict with the Wayle Family."

"So?"

"So, If something happens to the Ranes Family, then the first suspect would not a third party, but their known adversaries."

"Hmm, I see your point. But, I don't think anyone would believe the four families would act against one another, especially the four families."

"That is true, but what if you used your networks to spread the rumor that an assassin was sent by the Wayle family."

Neal thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up as he seemed to understand what Wesley was getting at. He looked at the issue at hand with a rigid point of view making him only see the obvious road, however, Wesley's manueverings were far more intricate, he seemed to have calculated a few steps ahead.

"Then, regardless of what the four families do know, there would still be some doubts, after all, a lot of people would be talking about the assassin sent by the Wayle Family."

Wesley's face also had a smile on it, half charming and half wicked, as he saw the outline of his plan come together. He once again spoke:

"Right. And If something were to happen to the Wayle family?"

"Then it would be thought of as retaliation from the Ranes Family."

"Indeed. We would have dealt with half of the four families without us bthe four families without the rest becoming on guard from a phantom enemy."

"Then we can deal with the relatively weak Blume Family, however...."

Neal stopped his sentence midway and stared at a green dot. This dot represented the Kader Family, the strongest and oldest of the four families. Out of the four families, the Kader families were the hardest to deal with.

Wesley also looked at the green dot, and the smile on his face almost disappeared. He really couldn’t think of anyway to deal with this specific family. They not only were the strongest of the four families, they also seemed to be the most cautious and diligent. When dealing with them, there is no room for failure. Wesley only shook his head and spoke:

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. For now we'll do things step by step."

"Indeed. But are you sure you can do this."

Neal was hesitant to let Wesley get involved, after all Wesley was hardly past twelve. Wesley only looked at the smear of worry in Neal's face and he instinctively reached for his dark sword as he spoke:

"Don't worry too much, I am pretty good. And if I do fail, I can always run. Haha"

Wesley's words did indeed hold some merit. He was the best one for the job since the four families are most likely not on guard against a dark mage as they are an earth mage, he also is a prince of the Ject Kingdom, so he could always escape to the protection of his family. However, to Neal, he had some hard time accepting his words at its value.

Seeing that the look of worry on Neal's face was still there, he spoke once again:

"Tell me Neal, could you have used Earth Merge to sneak into the Shorn residence and kill them?"

Wesley knew that Neal's earth merge enabled him to go anywhere unhindered as long as the walls of that place where made from either earth or stone. Neal thought about it for a moment and them firmly shook his head as he spoke:

"Impossible. Any noble would proof their homes against earth mages lest they be assassinated. I am sure the Shorn Family did the same."

Neal's response could not be anymore true. Earth Merge is a very famous spell, so as to avoid being killed in their own homes, many nobles build their homes with steel walls.

"Then tell me Neal, how did I kill the Shorn Family?"

Neal only stared at Wesley surprised. He knew Wesley was a dark mage, and although Wesley himself never mentioned it, he knew he used some Dark Magic, only let alone Neal, it would be very hard to find someone who knows anything about Dark Magic.

Neal shook his head in resignation and spoke:

"I get it."

"Good. Now, You will only have a day between when I go to the Ranes Manor to when I visit the Wayle Family, so you need to ensure that the rumors of the Wayle Family hiring spies spread fast in this day."

"Don't worry. My agents are in every place where rumors start and spread. I will have the whole city buzzing by noon tomorrow."

"Good. Then I will make my move tomorrow night before the Ranes Family grows too guarded."

"Now..."

Neal immediately dug into a pile of paper on the table and pulled out one of them and scanned its contents. After a few moments he spoke again:

"The Ranes Family Manor would be very heavily guarded. Around a hundred soldiers living in the Manor with twenty five being on guard at any given time. Guard shifts change every five hours, and tomorrow night, the shift end would be around one in the morning. That would be your best chance to sneak in or out."

Neal's research was simply too detailed, and although he wasn’t expecting to go after the Ranes Family first, he still did his research and collected enough information. One of the reasons he wanted to avoid the Ranes Family was because his research showed how hard it will be to get past all the guards they have.

Wesley simply nodded his head as he listened. He wasn’t going to charge past the guards, but it never hurt to know what he was about to walk into it.

"Understood. You go back Neal. I want to refine for a short while."

"Understood."

Neal imedailty packed his maps and sheets of papers and used his Earth Merge to disappear from the study and to the Lord Manor. Wesley was left standing in the study with a solemn look on his face.

He immediately slumped weakly onto the chair that was behind him and started thinking. His plan for dealing with the four families was a simple divide and conquer, pitting the enemy against each other and then picking them one by one.

However, regardless of how simple the plan is, it is extremely complicated to put into action. Wesley needs to make sure that his actions are not traceable to him or the Black Family, he also needs to make sure that the actions by the four families do not throw his plans into chaos.

Doing all of this required quite a lot of focus to be accounted for, and a rigid schedule to be followed so that everything plays out as dictated. However, the plan also needs to be flexible enough to account for the enemy's actions without falling apart.

All of this combined caused Wesley no small amount of headache. Wesley thought more than once that the whole affair was too taxing. But, considering how Wesley thought of the five Black siblings as little treasures, he couldn’t help but clench his jaw and carry on.

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The sky over Blackreach City was extremely dark. It is said that the hours after midnight are the darkest, and tonight was especially so since there was no moon shining in the sky, giving the whole city a solemn feeling of emptiness.

Wesley walked out of his Manor without a slight hint of hesitation. There could be no one keeping an eye on him right now because of the curfew that was imposed in the seventh district, so Wesley could easily walk out without worry.

Wesley glanced at a small parchment in his hand. This parchment was a map given to him by Neal showing him the routes of night patrols so he can easily avoid them. Wesley who was wearing dark cloth from head to toe walked to one of the alleyways and continued walking until he reached the borders of the sixth district.

The Ranes Family are the rulers of the sixth district, which is another reason why Wesley chose to start with them. The distance between the border of the seventh district and his target was not even an entire mile, making the chances of him being discovered less.

Although it was past midnight and a lot of people are home asleep, the contrast between the curfewed seventh and the regular sixth was too clear. Wesley could see a few people walking here and there In the seventh district. Avoiding the well lit roads, Wesley stuck to the alleyways and small roads.

What should have been a ten minute walk took Wesley thirty minutes as he made sure to avoid people on the streets. Standing at the roof of a small Manor adjacent to Ranes Manor, Wesley seemed to have melded in with the dark night.

The Ranes Manor was indeed worthy of such a great family. The entire Manor had about area of ninety thousand feet. At the center stood the main house which was a five story house with each story being slightly smaller than the one below it giving it a somewhat pyramidal shape.

The front yard of the Manor had guards patrolling in groups of two. The same two-man team would reach the same spot once every fifteen minutes, and there were ten such teams zigzagging across the front and backyards. Seeing this, Wesley estimated that there is less than a minute for any given spot to be clear, and that is assuming the guards all walk in the same pace.

If someone tried to sneak in, then they would be caught before they even reached the main house. Wesley was extremely impressed at whomever came up with this patrolling pattern. Fortunately, he didn’t have to worry about that.

The distance between the roof Wesley was standing on and the main Manor was about two hundred feet. Wesley's range when using Dark Warp is five hundred feet, putting the main house well within his range.

Wesley simply stood at the roof waiting motionlessly. After almost half an hour of waiting, a soft bell rung throughout the Ranes Manor. This bell was not enough to wake anyone, and even Wesley barely heard it, but the moment it rung, the entire Manor seemed to have come to life.

Dozens of guards walked out noisily from within the main house and those that were outside started walking in. As soon as this happened, Wesley immediately invoked his Dark Warp and reappeared moments later at the roof of the Ranes main house. Wesley could have done this anytime earlier, but he wanted to see how accurate Neal's reports were, and they were on the dot.

Wesley once again used his Dark Warp to reappear inside the top floor of the house. As soon as Wesley reappeared inside the house, he noticed that this room served as a study as it was filled with papers and books. Wesley simply shook his head at his luck and walked to one of the walls of the study.

Wesley once again used his Dark Warp to move into the next room. Silently appearing in this room, Wesley noticed that this was a bedroom with a giant bed in the center of it. On this bed layed a red haired man who seemed to be in his fifties and a dark haired women.

Seeing this, a wicked smile surfaced on Wesley's face as he muttered something and invoked his Dark Domain. Only this Dark Domain was extremely small as it covered only him and the bed where the couple were sleeping.

"How Long are you going to be asleep."

A soft voice resounded throughout the room causing the red haired man to jump up hastily while the women only groaned and continued sleeping. Hearing this voice, the red haired man knew that things suddenly took a bad turn.

"Who is it. What is going on."

The red haired man twisted his neck left and right trying to see where the voice came from, but all he could see was darkness, earie, unnatural darkness that seemed to extend for countless miles. He couldn’t see a speck of light or life, only silent darkness. The red man was about to convince himself that it was just a dream but the sound came once again:

"Lower your voice. Your wife is still sleeping."

Hearing this voice, the man's heart churned. He realized this was not a dream, he knew that today was most likely going to be his last. In any other occasion, the man would have screamed his head off, but seeing how his wife wasn’t even aroused to wakefulness, he felt that was utterly pointless.

This red haired man knew that if an assassin was skilled enough to bypass his security and catch him sleeping, then there was no way he was going to make such a simple mistake as letting his target wake up when they could simply scream. But he still held on to some hope and spoke again:

"Who are you."

"You don't need to know that."

"What do you want?"

"I am sure you already know that."

The voice in the darkness was serene and sounded almost childish. Hearing this the red haired man's heart was filled with dread. He would've rather liked a loud or vicious voice come at him, because that would mean they were at least human. But this childish, unharried voice made him wonder if there really was a person around. The red haired man spoke once again:

"Do what you must fiend. You will not hear me beg today."

The entire room was plunged into silence. This silence was like daggers stabbing at the red haired man as he waited for his life to end. But while waiting, the cold voice once more reached his ears startling him.

"You will most definitely die tonight, so don't worry about that. The question is how you will die and what will happen after your death."

The red haired man has already steeled his resolve. He knew he was going to die today, but he still acted as a proper noble; full of dignity and loftiness. But when he heard the words of the faceless voice, his heart trembled slightly and he spoke again:

"What do you mean."

"Answer all my questions and you will die a quick painless death. Refuse, and your death will be anything but quick or painless. Oh, and every member of your family will most definitely die."

"YOU BAST........AHHHHHH"

The red haired man opened his mouth to shout at the figure and curse, but before he could even finish his words, a piercing pain ran through his body. His right thumb has been chopped off almost instantaneously.

"You have ten fingers, twenty if you count your toes. Or maybe it is better if I tortured your wife in front of you."

"Stop please. I'll tell you anything you want. Just stop."

"That’s better. If only you were this understanding one finger ago, you could have saved both of us some effort. Now....."

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Hey guys.

i know it has been a few day, and before you say it, i have an excuse-----> My WIFI is trash.

In other news. I think the economy is getting better. It is the best time to invest in hot place like the Seventh District. Invest today.