Kamber was rather surprised, no not surprised that would be an understatement. No, he was amazed at how Arkhan had had a little chat with Morice and suddenly the two were speaking animatedly to one another. As if they had been fast friends for years. He’d never seen Morice so out of his shell without some heavy drink, of which typically for a human Morice was a lightweight. And the most amazing thing to Kamber, it had all started with a simple question.

“So are you a necromancer or a death knight?” That simple question from Arkhan had sparked the conversation they were now having. Something about martial skills, how to use skills creatively or some such. The two had gone into a heated debate and through it, Kamber had found out that Morice was not only a necromancer, though only level 3, but also a warrior of level ten.

It was something he hadn’t known despite having been around the kid for a while and judging by how excited Arkhan was while they talked. He might be looking at Morice as an apprentice in the future?

Once they had finished their talk and the trading had been finished, along with a promise to talk once the auction was over, Arkhan and Kamber moved on. “Interesting kid, that Morice.” Arkhan said almost wistfully as he looked over his shoulder to glance at the smiling kid at the stall.

“Is that so?” Kamber said as he glanced as well. “I wouldn’t know, he isn’t exactly what my people would enjoy being around.” Kamber said as he felt he could be comfortable with Arkhan given how surprisingly easy-going the necromancer was.

“Oh? Your people you say? And why is that?” Arkhan asked in a friendly tone but something about it made Kamber’s instincts go on high alert. As if Arkhans tone had a threat underneath the friendly surface.

“W-well you see Lylathas, where I am from, is an elven supremacy nation. Those that either have partial or no elven blood within them are either slaves or second class citizens. Of course we do not abuse them but they also know that we are simply the products of our history. Morice isn’t a human but he is only half-elven that is why I said that.” Kamber said as he glanced at Arkhan warily.

“After the elven “purge” as they called it, when the humans invaded and created the two kingdoms now called Khuivia and Neogubia. That entire swath of land was were the Dökk Alfar, Ljós Alfar and the two lost tribes of Skóg Alfar and Snó Alfar lived as well. I’m surprised you don’t know this as it was only three centuries ago, You must be at least two or three millennia-old given how… uh young you look.” He said with an almost clumsy smile.

Arkhan stared at Kamber for a while before chuckling lightly but there was a deep something to it that Kamber couldn’t put his finger on. “Once more humans are such assholes, aren’t they? No matter the time or world.” He then muttered bitterly to himself.

“B-beg your pardon?” Kamber replied with bewilderment.

“Oh nothing, nothing you’d need to concern yourself with. I’ve been deep in the deep woods for almost a millennia so I’m rather out of touch.” Arkhan said with a mirthless tone as he looked around himself eyeing a few of the stalls that had books, armours, weapons and trinkets of some power or other.

Kamber looked at Arkhan with curiosity, this man seemed all the more stranger by the minute. The fact he had managed to stay alone for such a long time in the deep woods showed he was strong.

“Ah! I don’t suppose you know what this is?” Arkhan suddenly pipped up as they continued towards the slave markets. He had taken an amulet in the shape of a shield. Kamber was certain his analysis skill was as strong as they came, as it was a high analysis cultivated for a few years.

Peering over the amulet he had to let out a slight hum. “This seems to be an armour amulet. They are rather rare and hard to make if I remember correctly. This one, however… ah, that’s the problem. If you want to activate this amulet then you’ll have to feed it two ingots of metal you wish the armour to be made of. A superior version of this would be able to take three or four even. Many try to blend metals with these but usually, the best results come in already established blends or two ingots of the same metal.” He said as he took on the air of a teacher, which seemed to amuse Arkhan given the almost glint one gets when smiling that had come to his eyes.

“Hmm well that is interesting. Would you mind analysing my knight?” Arkhan then asked as he pointed to his armoured death knight. “During his creation the corpse was wearing something like this amulet and seemed to blend together into his very being. I’m curious as to the metals used and if possible to add in more.” He said and the knight took the three steps he needed to stand next to the two men.

Kamber gulped and then used his skill on the knight, finding it hard to pierce the passive protections this knight had. ‘Does he have some sort of anti or resistance skill against magic?’ He thought before pouring his mind into the skill and broke through with ease once he had focused on it properly. “Hmm this is a rather superior craft, deep steel and mithril blend.” He began as he leaned just a little closer to the knights chest where the stylized amulet was located.

“It’s got… two slots open for additional metal ingots to be blended into it.” He said and then whistled in awe, this amulet was easily master crafted and it even had some function his analysis didn’t even manage to get through.

Could it be this needed a superior or even distinguished rank analysis to properly read? He looked from the knight to Arkhan and felt a fearful respect for the man grow.

Whatever warrior had worn this before being turned to an undead must have been a hell of a fight for the old man. Yet he didn’t seem all that wounded from battle at all. Perhaps the battle was from his younger day’s?

“Interesting.” Arkhan said with a tone that seemed wistful yet cunning as if a devious idea had come to his mind. “I don’t suppose this could be reverse engineered?” He asked then and Kamber was floored by the man’s thought process.

“Ah.. well I’d say you’d need a master or even pinnacle ranked engineer, artificer and enchanter to manage that. It’s not something that can be done easily.” Kamber answered and saw that his answer seemed to make Arkhan a little gloomy. Had the man wanted to create more of these nightmarish knights?!

That thought send a shiver of fear and excitement down Kambers spine. He wanted to see such a unit of knights yet wouldn’t ever wish to face them. Hell, he’d wish anyone facing just this one knight all the luck in the world. The undead was just that impressive.

It was then that his analysis suddenly pipped up in his mind. ‘A level 10 death squire and level 4 apprentice Warden?! What is this?!’ He thought as he looked from the knight to the classes the undead had before he turned to look at Arkhan and froze.

The old necromancer stared at Kamber with a hard gaze, as if he was debating killing the man right then and there. “I suggest you keep that to yourself and keep your analysis to items.” He said calmly yet so coldly Kamber felt as if hands of pure ice had wrapped around his throat.

“Y-yes.” Kamber answered through the terror gripping his throat. He had insulted the necromancer and he wished to all the elven gods that he could make it right somehow. “I-I’m sorry.” He said swallowing down a lump that felt like it was orange-sized. Arkahn nodded slowly and then looked towards the slave markets.

“I suggest you leave me now. I feel you won’t be of much help to me any more.” Arkhan then said coldly, his jovial tone gone. Kamber realized he had broken what little trust he had managed to build up with the necromancer. He just hopped Arkhan wouldn’t decide to take his ire out on the entire market as a result.

“I’m sorry, I’ll compensate you with this.” Kamber said and handed over a pouch with a hundred gold coins, all he had on him at the moment. Arkhan looked at the pouch and then at Kamber, he seemed to have grown wary of Kamber, as if to try to suss out an ulterior motive before he snatched the pouch from his hands. “Once more I do hope you have a good time shopping here at my market.” He said before bowing and then calmly walked away from Arkhan, feeling the necromancer’s eyes on his back the entire time.

‘Oh you’ve stepped in it now Kamber.’ He thought as he began to chew a little on the left side of his lower lip. A nervous tick of his he couldn’t quite shake, it made it hard for him to gamble though it also seemed to give him a better mercantile savvy somehow.

He hurried over to Morice’s stall and looked at the lanky youth, who almost shrunk back from his frantic gaze.

“Morice I need you!” Kamber said frantically, half whispering half yelling at the lad. Morice stiffened as if caught by surprise by Kamber’s words. “The necromancer you just met. What did he buy from you?” He asked hurriedly as he gripped the boy’s shoulders and almost shook him.

“U-uh… M-Mister Kamber weren’t you here when h-he bought from m-me?” Morice asked with a fearful expression. Kamber thought he’d be shaking his head rather quickly if he wasn’t so shaken by Kamber’s actions. A glare from Kamber made the boy comply with his request.

“H-he d-didn't much buy but r-rather reserved all the elven skeletons, f-four in total, s-six human skeletons, b-both of my Wyvern skeletons a-as well as four A-Anubian skeletons. H-he bought tw-two of the Nathramir skeletons too.” Morice began before swallowing so hard and so loud Kamber thought he himself had swallowed for a second.

“Anything else?!” Kamber demanded of the boy half shaking him now. He needed to get to the bottom of what the Necromancer was after. If he could do that he might be able to take something aside from the auction and sell it at the minimum amount to Arkhan to try and regain some goodwill back.

“H-He wanted any extra claws, skulls and bones I had left!” Morice answered panic-stricken now. “I had the upper bodies of two dwarf’s but not their skulls as well as the claws and skulls of four griffons. T-three soul stones, m-my two death squire class tomes and my r-remaining necromancer tome.” Morice answered and looked as if he was about to cry from the frantic attention from Kamber.

“Nothing else?!” Kamber demanded once more and shook Morice this time, much to the boy’s obvious dismay.

“H-He asked me to f-find any en-engineer, artificer, en-enchanter, w-warrior, r-rouge and-and wizard c-class tomes I c-could get my hands on.” Morice answered and the boy was now almost crying. Sniffling he finished. “H-he also asked me to p-point him to spatial storage sellers and to h-have everything in a single one if-if I could.” Morice finished and a few tears leaked down his cheeks.

Kamber almost spat as he let Morice go. Was this necromancer building a lair or an army?! What was the end game here? ‘Wait! Wasn’t he talking about something for or to do with the north?’ Kamber thought and he turned towards the slave quarter, in time to see Arkhan duck into the short hallway leading to the chamber.

He had to think quickly. With no regards for Morice he sprinted towards his office to look at the auction ledger. Leaving Morice half sagging against his own stall, looking as if he had been beaten and robbed.

Once inside his office, he began to go over ledger after ledger. Kamber was frantic enough that even Nazim who was coming from his shift on guard duty was startled by his bosses franticness. He flipped pages back and forth and even enlisted Nazim to help him against the man’s will. He was one of the few who could read among his staff and he’d damn well do as he was told.

Kamber stopped at two items. A rare dungeon crystal and a not as rare but still rare prospectors diviner.

The first was a sort of rhombus-shaped crystal of jagged edges and the like. These are usually infused with some type of mana and then they’d corrupt an area. Dragging in elements to fit their mana types and the creatures they spawn usually create the dungeon itself. Since the crystal imbues them with the desire to protect it at all costs. These were the result of mad enchanters and wizards usually or mana storms of particular strength and ferocity.

The second was a crystal one buries in the ground and waits for around a week to get an accurate map with all veins of valuable or useful metals and stone in an area of a radius of around 10 kilometres. It would be rather useful for Arkhan if he wished to put down roots in the north. Especially since it could take in a number of charges based on the users magical power and even increase the range sometimes before the crystal would turn to crystalline dust.

It would be a good thing to give him. He’d have to hope this… well bribe is the only word Kamber could use for what he was about to do. He only hoped it would smooth things over with Arkhan before the necromancer decided to test his minions on his market. The last thing he needed was an army of the undead that was actually coordinated by an intelligent leader.

The ghouls and free-range undead within the catacombs were enough of the undead variety to threaten his market. Now he’d just have to find some way to get the city guards to help out with the security and to lead the crown’s investigators astray as well and he’d be golden.

Arkhan was a variable in the safety of his market that he couldn’t have tilt against him. Heck he could even reward him with the crystals if the man would be willing to get a few of the ghouls and undead in the area away. The man might even think of it as a fun little diversion if everything worked out well enough!

Kamber put his head into his hands and sighed heavily as the weight of his responsibilities hung on his shoulders.

“Um if you don’t mind we do have some items we were intending to give away to the ones at the stalls. Maybe we could use some of those to pacify this necromancer?” Nazim said suddenly as he showed the “throw away ledger” in his hands to Kamber.

Kamber looked up a glimmer of hope in his eyes as he took the ledger and began to read through it.

“Do you think this Arkhan could use craftsmen type class tomes and skill scrolls?” Kamber asked as he went over the easiest to get and even become class tomes that some fool wizard had decided to make tomes for. Such useless tomes might be something that the necromancer could use for his minions perhaps.

“I’m sure this necromancer would require labourers so why not use his minions for it? He’s an old man after all and you said he seems to intend to build his lair or whatever in the northern lands.” Nazim replied and shrugged his shoulders. “Might as well get rid of two things at once, right? We could allow him to take his pick of the list if he gets rid of our ghoul and undead problems so why not?” He said and then wilted a little from the glare Kamber gave him.

Kamber’s glare softened however when he thought Nazim’s words through. “You might be on to something. I can bribe him with the dungeon crystal and have the... uh “junk” and prospectors crystal as a reward if he could do us the favour of getting rid of our pests.” Kamber said looking from the list to Nazim and back again.

“Your rather smart for a human, Nazim.” He then said with a smile. A smile Nazim returned, though rather awkwardly.

“All right! We shall prepare everything and get the auction ready as well. I want Arkhan in one of our private setups as well as you.” Kambar declared to the horror of Nazim. “You will relay our apologies to the man as well as offer him our bribe along with the request we wish to make of him. Show him the offered rewards and even offer half upfront but don’t give him the crystal until the job is done understood?” Kamber then commanded in an imperious tone and posture.

“Yeah… sure I get it.” Grumbled Nazim in return as he began to gather everything and compiling a list for Arkhan’s viewing pleasure. All the while Kamber began to get ready as well before he half jogged to the auction hall to get the set up there ready. Leaving behind a silently grumbling and swearing Nazim in his office.

Once on his way he grabbed one of the orphans they had taken in to run errands and messages for the black market. “You! I want you to go and follow the necromancer with a large knight following him. He has two bone ravens and a bone wolf as well so you can’t miss him. I want you to check with each stall or seller he comes into contact with and find out everything he asks about and purchases understood?” He asked a little hastily which caused the kid to almost flinch back from Kamber.

“Yes sir, I’ll go right now!” The kid said before running over behind the stalls so he could sprint to the end of the hallway and into the slave market section. Kamber watched the kid run and decided to let him eat a bit more today as a reward. With all of that done he moved over into the auction hall to get everything ready.

Nazim sighed heavily as he finished taking everything together and putting it into his storage pouch. “Oh this will be good.” He mumbled sarcastically to himself as he left the office. Kamber really knew how to stick in his craw at times. “You're smart for a human.” He mock impersonated Kamber and wobbled his head as he mumbled to himself, cursing his boss all the while.

Once he had made it into the market proper he ran his hand over and through his black hair before heading towards his friend's stall. Morice looked a little shaken when Nazim made it to him and Nazim looked at him worriedly as he approached the stall.

“Oh Nazim, It’s good to see you.” Morice said with a weak smile as he went over some papers at his stall. “You’re not going to believe me but I met a rather friendly necromancer.” He said while his smile grew a little, almost to the point of a child with mild amazement and joy.

“You did?” Nazim asked with a raised eyebrow, then a creeping suspicion began to grow in his mind. “I don’t suppose his name was Arkhan would it?” He asked with trepidation rising, and then sighing when Morice nodded eagerly.

“Yeah! He’s got some interesting theories and different way’s to use skills and the like! He’s like a really accomplished necromancer or something!” Morice said looking almost like a giddy child about to receive a present from its parents.

“Why are you so happy?” Nazim asked with strange look on his face, he’d never seen the usually shy and reserved Morice before.

“I’m hoping to ask him to become his apprentice.” Morice said excitedly as he went over his stock with surprising gusto.

“And what makes you think he’ll accept you as his apprentice?” Nazim asked and Morice stopped mid-action and looked up at Nazim.

“Uh… w-well since I’ve been collecting materials and the like while working as a low levelled warrior I hoped those might be a good incentive to be accepted?” Morice said and he seemed almost glum now.

‘Oh, mercy give me strength.’ Nazim thought as he saw his friend's sudden turn of mood. “I don’t think he’ll be mean to you and just outright say no but you should be prepared for it Morice.” Nazim said with a kind tone and smile as he placed his hand on his shoulder to reassure the lad.

He hoped for Morice’s sake that Arkhan would accept him and treat him well as his master, the boy certainly deserved it in Nazim’s opinion.

“Do you know where he went?” He then asked once Morice had cheered up a little.

“Hmm I think I saw him head to the slave market after Kamber ran from him. You should have seen it.” Morice said with a smirk as he rolled up a scroll and put it into his spatial scroll case. “Why are you looking for him?” He asked curiously.

“Well Kamber thinks he’s insulted him and his hoping to bribe him to get back on his good side. Or get on a better side than he is now.” Nazim chuckled. “He’s also hoping he might help out with our ghoul and undead problems.” Nazim finished as he shrugged.

“Hmm I think he’d most likely accept that, if only to let his wolf grow I’d say.” Morice said as he looked at one of the griffon skulls hanging on the post of his stall. “He seemed to be able to create strange undead compared to normal too. Do you think he might be one of the ancient necromancer kings?” Morice then asked which made Nazim halt in his step.

“No… He couldn’t be… weren’t they all killed?” Nazim asked as he looked at Morice with a worried look on his face.

“Well maybe yeah… but he does look old enough though I never heard of one of them being a Dökk Alfar. Could he have been an apprentice to one?” Morice then asked and seemed to be getting a little excited at the thought of apprenticing to such an esteemed master.

“No I don’t think so. Hell I hope not, cause if that’s the case then Kamber just screwed us all by pissing him off.” Nazim said and the two men shared a worried silence for a few long moments before Nazim took off towards the slave markets.

Nazim ran as fast as he could until he came upon a sight he had dreaded. Orglan the Troll-kin slaver lay dead at the feet of Arkhan, the man's heart in his hands as he squeezed it to a pulp. The cold eyes of Arkhan as he looked down upon the corpse of Orglan made shivers run down Nazim’s spine. They weren’t the eyes of someone who had just killed another man, no those were the eyes of someone who had just done an experiment, cold and calculating.

“Wh-what happened?” Nazim asked as he looked to one of the guards standing next to him. The guard pale as a sheet and almost trembling.

“O-Orglan s-struck one of the servant boy’s of the market.” The guard said and Nazim looked at him confused, Orglan was always an ornery bastard to the children Kamber took in. Heck, the man whipped his own slaves almost to death at times when the mood struck him but his slaves were the best behaved so he was allowed to stay. Despite the many warnings from all of the guards not to hit the children working for the market.

“T-that was it?” Nazim asked the guard before Arkhan began to speak and Nazim along with almost everyone around him stiffened.

“A man who strikes children isn’t a man at all.” Arkhan began his voice like the icy grip of death itself. “But a man who abuses and even kills a child deserves worse.” He finished as he let go of the half-crushed heart and stretched his hand towards Orglan’s corpse.

Nazim noticed the little girl lying motionless behind Arkhan and one of the servant boy’s holding onto a stump where his left arm used to be, crying silently and shaking in fear of Arkhan.

A thin grey blueish mist began to grow out of Orglan’s body, moving up and swirling in strange patterns before coalescing into a ball that hovered over Arkhans fingertips. Then as if lazily swiping away a fly he brushed his hand through the ball and an ungodly shriek blasted out of the ball before the smoky mist dissipated entirely.

“W-what did you just do?” Nazim asked, his knees shaking as he looked at Arkhan. He flinched when the man looked him dead in the eye with those expressionless eyes of his. He felt like he was being examined for parts by a dispassionate craftsman or something.

“I scattered his soul.” Arkhan said in an almost bored tone. He then reached out towards the corpse and it began to jerk and writhe before the skin began to bubble. Slowly as if the flesh had turned to a liquid Orglan’s skeleton rose up out of it but it wasn’t quite right.

Shadowy smoke came off the blackened bones and the skeleton stood in a feral like manner looking wildly around itself. With a snap of his fingers, Arkhan commanded his knight. The knight didn’t even draw a weapon instead sent a downwards punch straight into the top of the man’s skull which shattered not only it but also many of the bones, sending them clattering across the floor like thrown-away toys. Arkhan nodded and petted his bone wolf before he turned to look at the boy and gently knelt next to him.

He began to speak softly to the boy while Nazim felt as if his heart had stopped. Then it began to thunder in his chest with gusto and he realized he had stopped breathing altogether. That had been a clear demonstration of Arkhans power, the man wasn’t to be trifled with and anything he perceived as wrong he’d punish swiftly and so harshly that it brooked no argument. Nazim was glad that Arkhan seemed to have soft spot for children, that at least could be used to curry favour with him.

Nazim walked slowly towards Arkhan, who seemed busy with consoling the boy. He took out one of his minor healing potions before stopping as he felt the crunch of splintered bone beneath his feet. He stiffened and swallowed hard as Arkhan turned his head to look at him, the kindness in his eyes that he had shown the boy chilling to an almost dead gaze once it settled on Nazim. “What?” He asked coldly before he looked down and noticed the health potion. “Come here.” He then commanded and waved Nazim forwards who swallowed again and walked to the man and handed the potion over.

To his surprise Arkhan didn’t accept it, instead, he picked the boy up with surprising ease, his knight placing his hands on his shoulders to keep him from swaying or falling over. He said something in a language Nazim felt as if was a spell to the boy before he gently handed the boy over to Nazim. “Heal the boy and give the girl a proper burial.” Arkhan then said gently and Nazim could have sworn there was something akin to sorrow in the old necromancer's eyes.

He no longer seemed like the terrifying necromancer of deep power but instead looked like an old man. An old man who had seen too much of the worst in people and felt tired of it all, exhausted even.

With a weary sigh the man walked away, staff in hand and undead around him. “I’m going to go rest.” He said wearily yet also seemed like he was grumbling to himself in that strange language.

Nazim felt both new respect and fear of the man within his mind. If a necromancer of all things could show such kindness to a child then he shouldn’t be all that bad, yet he was still a necromancer and had just given a rather brutal demonstration of his power. Perhaps he lived by his own code and wouldn’t break it easily, if at all.

Nazim took the boy to a side chamber and gave him the healing potion and comforted the boy as best he could. Both out of obligation towards Arkhan’s orders and also because he was one of the few that actually liked the children running around and laughing. He hated to see what Orglan had done to the boy and cursed both himself and Kamber for not dealing with the man earlier.

A small part of him hoped that Arkhan’s rage was abated after focusing it on Orglan and he still might be bribed or at least have his favour bought if only by a little.

For Nazim suspected that Arkhan was planning something big and he for one didn’t want to be anywhere near even the vicinity of where Arkhan’s power would be focused towards.

After half an hour Nazim had managed to calm the boy down enough that the potions sleeping effect took its hold of him. Putting a guard on getting the boy to his quarters, Nazim moved back to find Arkhan wherever he had gone.

For almost ten minutes Nazim searched the black market almost frantically only to find the man with a small elven child on his knee sharing some of the food some of the vendors sold.

He almost ran up to the man but noticed the iron collar around the child's neck. So he had bought a slave? Looking better at the child he noticed it was a young Dökk Alfar child though the white hair she had made him a little suspicions of if the child was purely a Dökk Alfar. She was certainly an elf and even had the same strange ears as Dökk Alfar had thought they seemed just a tad slimmer and her eyes were a vivid blue. The last part he noticed when he slowly walked up to Arkhan and bowed a little to him.

“I’m deeply sorry you had to get your hands dirty earlier. I assure you I’ll make sure no one like Orglan will work anywhere near our Market in the future.” Nazim said bowing deeply to Arkhan.

Arkhan seemed to just chuckle at this. “This is a market for the criminal element correct?” He asked with light mirth to his voice. “Just try to hold up a modicum of civility and I’m certain barbarians like this… Orglan was it? Won’t show up once more. You are criminals but that doesn't mean you can’t at least show some manners to one another.” Arkhan said with an almost kindly voice.

Nazim felt a little like he was being gently scolded by his own grandfather for some reason. It made him feel like he was a child once more, he had to shake his head to get rid of the feeling before he looked at the girl on Arkhan’s knee. “Did you purchase her? What are you going to do with her?” Nazim asked as tactfully as he could as he gestured to the girl who seemed to have decided to hide in Arkhan’s white beard.

He chuckled heartily at that and patted her back. “I think I’ll adopt her. Garmur here.” He said with mirth as he petted his bone wolf. “Took a liking to her, he doesn’t usually do that but two in one day! Hahaha, this has certainly been an interesting trip that’s for sure.” He said with such a pure type of happiness in his tone that Nazim wondered if this was the same man that had murdered Orglan so brutally just half an hour ago.

Was the man suffering from some peculiar madness or something? Then he realized what Arkhan had said and smiled a little.

“You mean Morice right? He seemed rather excited to meet you.” He said with a smile as Arkhan nodded at the name. “You know he’s going to ask you to take him on as his apprentice right?” He said with a genuine smile to the strange necromancer.

“Oh is he now?” Arkhan said with an almost mischievous tone as he ran his fingers through his beard and his other hand gently stroking the girls back. “Well, he certainly seems eager to learn that’s for sure. I just don’t know if I’ll be a good enough master for the lad. I barely know any spells.” He said before laughing heartily leaving Nazim to just look at the man with visible confusion and dumbfounded expression upon his face.

Is… Is this old man senile after all or something?! He thought as he took a seat next to him and decided to take out the paper with the list on it. ‘Might as well try my luck in trying to get on his good side now and ask for his help. What could be the harm?’ He thought as he handed the paper over and began to speak.