Gordon sat behind his desk, he was reading a report. This was what he did everyday, reading report that has been made by Arden. Yeah, he no longer wants to be called Mr. Sully by Gordon. He didn’t want to go into detail about the reasons for his reluctance but only said that it made him feel uncomfortable. Gordon didn’t mind that and chose to do what he wanted and called him Arden.

Gordon was reading a report about Jonathan Frost. That bastard turned out to be a very wealthy man, his jewelry business made a lot of money and a fact that irritated him the most was that according to this report he was even richer than Viscount Brook. Yet, that bastard had no shame in coming to his office and asking for tax breaks, unbelievable.

He wonders if most of the noble are this way, shameless. He could still understand if these nobles were pretentious and cruel but shameless? Came to meet him in tears just to get a tax break which he was sure was worth nothing against all the wealth he had.

Gordon Sighed, for some reason he suddenly felt very tired. He put the report in his hand on the table.

“It seems you are very interested in this man.” Arden picked up the report that Gordon had just put on the table.

“Jonathan Frost.” He read the name on the top of the report.

“I know this man, he once come to our village with viscount brook’s secretary to buy all the land in our village for a high price.”

“Really? Are you sure it was him? And why would he do that?”

“Yes, I am quite sure it was him because at that time Rubben was keep glaring at his own feet when we accompanied him around the village.” Arden said then he laughed out loud.

Gordon frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“I have known Rubben for a long time, he is a man who like to have control over everything, not in controlling other people. He just doesn’t like it when things happen that are outside his calculations. And it feels funny now that I remember it, he glared at his own feet for hours looked stumped and angry like a little kid.”

“I see, so what happened next?”

“I am not sure, they just come, we go around then they leave, not even bothered to explain their reason for coming to our village and there was nothing that we could do to force the information out of them so we let it go.”

“Didn’t he come to buy our land, you said it yourself.”

“Yes I did, but I didn’t buy it, I am sure there must be another reason why they come.”

“Why did you have such thoughts about him?”

“Because he is known for his cunning and he is good at lying.”

“I was wondering why Viscount Brook didn't get rid of him.”

“Because the man knows how to survive in the nest of the noble and you too has to learn to do it.”

Gordon never thought that Frost had ever come to his village, he wondered why that man want to bought all land on his village. Maybe Frost just a little bit crazy though he wasn’t sure or maybe there were something that very valuable in his village, something that made him interested to bought the entire village. Did he even have that much money to begin with?

“Did you know why Frost wants to bought our village?”

“Not exactly our village, just its land.”

“Yeah sure….all our village’s land, it is the same as him buying our village.”

“Hmmmm…….yes I think you are right though I had told you that I am sure that wasn’t his true reason” Arden said while arranging the collection of reports scattered on the desk.

“Give me back the Frost’s report.” Gordon said as he stretched out his right hand towards Arden.

Arden gave the report back then said. “Believe me or not but i think he did it just to show off, he is a merchant that is what they used to do.”

What Arden said might be true, but for some reason he was not sure that Frost came to his village just to boast. Frost was a merchant, his main goal was definitely to get a much profit as possible. Gordon was sure that Frost came to his village because he feels he can get a lot of profit if he owned all the land in the village.

Gordon flipped through the pages of the report in his hands, trying to find something he could use to teach Frost a lesson. The bastard had insulted him, no matter how he had to be taught a lesson, preferably a very painful one.

According to reports in his hands, Frost has four children, three sons and one daughter. The oldest is married while the others are single. Gordon smiled wickedly after knowing that Frost had a daughter. He imagined what it would like to fuck her, to rape her for days. Wasn’t a good name and honor was very important for nobles? If his only daughter was pregnant because she was raped it would be sure that Frost would feel very ashamed and him, feeling satisfied.

A very satisfied revenge which i would enjoy.

“I don't know what you are thinking, but please stop doing that, it is creepy.”

Arden’s voice brings Gordon out of his creepy fantasy. He realized that he was thinking more and more often unlike himself. He was sure wants to fuck a beautiful girl to his heart content but of course with her consent. In his entire life this was the first time he thought about raped a girl, and what chilled his bone was that he wasn’t entirely against the idea.

Shit.

The effect should be slow, it wasn’t even half a year yet he already had a lot of thought that he was sure wasn’t his. If these keep going he was sure that at the end of this year his late mother wouldn’t even recognized him anymore if she meet him.

But he really didn't know what to do. He needs someone he can talk to, someone he can trust. His eyes were fixed on Arden who was reading the report in front of him. He wondered if he could trust Arden with his secret. It would be great to have someone to share his burden but tried as he might to trust him, he couldn’t. Because even though he has known about Arden for a long time, they just got to know each other after he made it back from the forest. It was at times like these that he wished his mother was still by his side.

“Frost came here a few days ago, he asked me to give him a tax break.”

Arden did not immediately respond to Gordon's words. He took a deep breath first then said. “Then what is your decision?”

“I told him that I need to consult my assistant, you first, before making a decision.”

“Good, and with that you have proved to yourself that you have a sharp mind.” Arden looked at Gordon proudly while nodding.

“Yeah, even though he cried when telling his problem.”

Arden looked surprised. “Really?”

“Why do you look so surprised that he cried? He is a crazy merchant I wouldn’t even surprise if he offering me his only daughter if I give him free taxes for ten years.”

“That is what I call a crazy assumption, sure he is a profit oriented but there is no way he would do that. Despite his reputation he really cares about his family.”

A spark of killing intent rose within Gordon’s heart, demanded blood to be spilled for this insolence. He clenched his fist trying to suppress it. Arden was his friend, he wouldn’t killed him just because he disagree with him.

“Of course, so why do you think he did that?” He said to Arden while gritting his teeth to hold back the wrath in his heart.

“I don't know, but it's possible that he was trying to trick you after finding out that you didn't have any experience in this matter.”

Luckily Arden was reading the report in his hand so he didn't see the expression on Gordon's face.

“Really, so that is your conclusion.”

“Yes, and you should know that this kind of thing is common among nobles. They like to do this to assess the strength of those around them then made a plan whether to make him or her their allies or whether their opponent was weak enough that getting rid of them wouldn't give them any trouble.”

“So you don't think I should punish him for insulting me?”

“Not repaying his insults can indeed be interpreted as proof that you are weak but you have no other choice but to allow this insult because you are still not strong enough.”

“Maybe you forgot that I killed Yurik, an archmage who was also a war hero who has succeeded in killing a dragon knight. By logic I should be stronger than a dragon knight. Who can stop me if I go to his house now then cut off his head?”

Arden tried to calm Gordon. “If you do it fast, I don't think anyone will be able to get in your way, but I beg you to think carefully before doing it because it would be one way ticket, you would throw away all your future because you want your revenge.”

Gordon takes a deep breath to calm himself after hearing Arden's words.

“What do you mean?”

“Become a noble is not just about personal power, they did hate each other, but they will protect each other when they see someone who harm their interests. These nobles, they trade favor and create a strategy that ties their business together that makes their opponents reluctant to get rid of them as it will adversely affect their business. I'm sure Jonathan Frost did this too, there must be important people who have power and money that will take offence if you killed him. Yurik isn’t the only archmage in this Kingdom, these powerful people could hired an archmage to kill you, maybe not even one but two or three. Tell me, could you fight three of them who have the same strength with Yurik?”

Gordon shook his head.

“You have to understand that even if you are strong, you cannot act casually. So I beg you to let go this insult, at least until you have enough allies.”

Gordon sighed. "Okay.”

“Thank you.”

Of course he cannot possibly let this insult go. He won’t attack head-on but he will definitely teach him a lesson. First of all he needed information so he reread the report on Frost but this time he read every word and memorized it carefully.

Meanwhile in his manor, Jonathan Frost read his daily report. It was about his profit and loss and occasionally about the new product that he could sell. The young girls he could sell for a high price if he could make a good deal. Selling young girls was the most profitable and easy business. As long as they are beautiful and have smooth skin Jonathan can sell them for a high price and more if they are still virgins.

Jonathan let out a sigh, unlike his business counterparts. He was actually not very passionate about running this slave business. The money he earned was indeed a lot but he couldn't stop thinking about the expressions of despair, fear and hopelessness on their face when he displayed them on stage naked. He always remembered it when he saw his daughter's face.

Most of his business partners didn't know that he didn't really like this slave business, they thought he was an ambitious and greedy man who would do anything for money. Sure, maybe he was like that back then, when he was still not married. But now, he just wants to get on with his jewelry business and see his children happy.

He started in the slave business when his jewelry business was nearly bankrupt. Purchase slave contract of people who could not pay its debts and lease slaves as workers to the various people who need workers. Slowly but surely he began to rise from his slump. He also used his slaves as laborers in his jewelry business, including having them dig in the mines. Until one day, one of his business partners offered him a young slave girl for a cheap price because he was in need of money.

His lust stirred when he saw the girl's beauty and naked body. And from then on he couldn't stop buying and selling young girls. Besides getting a lot of money he can also indulge his lust on them to the fullest until when her daughter grew up. Every time he sold a girl he felt he had sold his own daughter and no matter what he did, he couldn’t shook off the feeling of guilt that eating him from the inside.

He had wanted to get out of the business for a long time but he was afraid of attacks from his co-workers. You can't just go out of this kind of business easily. It was not impossible that his coworkers will kill him and his entire family if he insists on quitting. Of course he had the necessary preparations for him to get out safely. He just hopes the preparation was good enough.

At first he thought to give them an oath that he would never indulge their information. But after some thought drop it because he would had to give them a magical oath for them to believe him and he deemed it too dangerous. You never know what the meaning behind each word, they could screw him and he just smiled because he knows nothing of it then he would be the dumbest man ever life.

When he was a young man, Jonathan just wanted to get married and have a happy family. At that time he was working in a small jewelry shop, collecting money little by little to propose to his lover, a girl who was his childhood friend. She was the most beautiful girl Jonathan has ever met. Every day they would meet by the fountain after he came home from work and it was the happiest moment for him, because every time he came there she would have been by the fountain, waiting for him with a smile that soothed his heart. After that they will walk around town enjoying their evening while making plans after they get married.

Jonathan sighed, his heart ache when he remembers her. So much love, so much hope yet just gone because some fancy nobles see her and wanted her. He had rage, he had despair, and he had done anything that a man can do to protect the woman he loved. But in the end he loses her, because he was nothing but a poor young man that have nothing to his name. It hurt so much that he had tried many times to end his own life but never succeeded instead he get an inspiration from this tragedy and use all his hate and rage to raise his own business empire. He has sworn that no one would ever take anything from him again and when he thought of it sometime he felt that it kind of irony that now he was the one who often take something from another man.

He sighed again, tried to banish the memory of her. It would do him nothing good to keep remembering her. Yet he never succeeded because her face keeps surfacing in his mind when he was alone like this and that made him always wondering what life he would live right now if she wasn’t taken from him. He would never know but he was sure that he would a very different man than he was now.

He often felt that now he had become the person he hated so much, a noble who took his beloved woman many years ago and if you count how many life that he had screwed since that time it would without doubt that he was even worse than that man. It funny how he had become like this while what he wanted in the beginning was just a happy family and now, he had another plan to screw another life. A young man that even younger than his youngest son was in his way to achieve his goal, he had thought that his plans would fall apart when he heard that a new baronies had emerged but now he could see that this new baronies in fact would become a stepping stone that will help him reach his goals more quickly.

Knock…Knock….Knock

“Come in”

A man about thirty years opened the door to Jonathan's office. He sat in a chair in front of Jonathan's desk and smiled.

“How is your day son?”

“I am good.”

“What about your mission?”

The man grinned and after a while Jonathan grinned too.