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Chapter 153 - Vol. 3 - Chapter 18

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[Irenaeus Notebook]

Day 1: After many of my friends of suffering have suggested me a lot times, I decided to write these notes of my thoughts and my daily activities. I am still trying to sort out my thoughts, but I think it will be easier the next few days.

Day 6: The business is going without breaking, there are some areas I want to experiment and enter but it will be hard to get past the other Syndics and Guilds. Everyone has their eyes on someone in this circle, regardless of how we would love to say no.

Day 24: That Damned Clark and Crow, I didn't expect to receive such an answer when I even offered them a decent price for allowing me to take over the gambling casinos.

How can that Crow be allied with Clark??? I thought he was a lone wolf, not interfering with the Syndicates.

To hell with them, I even spent money on buying those idiots, now I got to retake my money.

Day 54: Since the last incident I kept to my business, however a mysterious man with a slim figure as if he was sick approached me directly, even knowing my identity, offering me something my heart desires.

Metaphorically speaking, but I understood his meanings and agreed after hearing his conditions and what he had to offer, using my influence and people to disturb the activities of the rest of the syndicates with the guarantee I can enter the gambling business without suffering repercussions, having the support of some big person.

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Day 63: I have done as it was asked of me, and since then from the day I bought an mansion of a bankrupted noble that I converted into a casino, no Imperial Knight or Red Knight came knocking on my doors to check on my legal documents of having such activities, even if they are underground.

The red dogs can smell sometimes even your dead mom you hold underneath your bed.

Anyway, I hold no regret over this partnership, even though I wish I could meet that slim person Faust again.

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Day 114: Faust returned again, asking me to kill some lower nobles which came as a first shock as to why he would want me to get entangled with the nobles? Thus far my relation with the nobles, especially the middle-ranked ones, was of good cooperation.

I question if I should do it or not? But the benefits I would gain from cooperating and keeping this relation far outweighs the risks.

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Day 156: It took me some time to track my targets but the job had been done without leaving any marks of the crime. The Silverpine Forest is the best location to stomp of stupid peoples head, as they will never expected.

So close to the main road? Yet what they don't know is that the Imperial Guards, Black Knights and Red Knights patrol the roads on specific intervals that I am aware, thanks to Faust.

Most likely he has an insider that holds the title of Red Knight.

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Day: 268: After many other dealings, that made me question my initial decision, I got contacted by Faust again, telling dispose of a couple that will enter the Alley of the Empty, a beautiful blonde woman that would smithe any weak man, along with a decently looking young man with long, tied hair.

Hah, I dropped low to kill myself some citizens, but hey if that woman is as Faust transmitted I might take her to bed before I cut her throat.

Still, I found it weird as those orders seem out of touch, as if it follows someone's agenda, and it is clearly not Faust's as I've met him. A lot of nobles died, and now this couple, probably because of the woman?

Most likely, I will leave this story for the next day after I fuck that blonde whore until she forgets who she is.

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Mathias turned the page, but found it blank as if the continuation of Irenaeus story ended at that point, and assimilating the information,.while deleting the useless information, it made him chuckle softly as to not wake his younger brother who went to sleep.

'You had big dreams. Casinos, a lot of money, even fucking the Duchess after buying an noble status. Bad luck, it seems that was the day you idiots stumbled upon me and Jeanne.'

'Also, the information you have here for me holds quite the value, I might even be able to take over your business easily when I kill you.'

'Haha, easy money right old friend? Weren't you the one who scoffed at the dead nobles you cut their throats before digging them in the forest, well, now it will feel far better.'

'What's more there is this Faust person, the way Irenaeus describes him seems slightly familiar to me but I don't seem to remember who this person is.'

'Regardless, he too is a pawn in this scheme acting upon the orders of someone far important, who has an agenda with nobles. I'll have to look into this, I might get some progress done.'

Checking the clock on his laptop he found it was already 3 AM and with his mind slightly tired from all the details searching he commenced, he closed his laptop and went to bed.

.

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His following days started casually with him spending time with the family, eating together in the whole formula which visible made Cristina happy to see her boys eating, and after Chris and Alex took off, leaving only Mathias and his father, Cristina reminded him.

"Tomorrow we will visit, grandfather, make sure to wake up early. He even specifically told me to get you. From how he sounded he had something he wanted to show you, and boost around."

"Dear it feels like father is mostly worried about little Mathias."

"Haha, maybe you are right. Besides from hke he sounded at the phone he is excited for something he didn't want to mention to me."

"Don't worry mom."

Having some talk about random things, about recent events that took place in the city and even at the Capital, about the Christmas festivals, and other activities.

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Keeping his daily activities on this day simple, with only a jog to keep his heart rate high, at least trying to burn some calories, he then returned back home, yet on his way he received a phone call from one of his colleagues he kept in touch to an amicable level.

"Hey, Matei, are you in town by chance? We gather around some of us before the News Eve's party, are you interested?"

"Yea, I am in town. Who will come, Valentin?" asked Mathias who stopped from his jog, starting walking in the process.

"You, me, Abe and Beard."

"Yea sure, no problem. Where's the meet up place?"

Listening to his former highschool classmate finding the place they wanted to meet up at a Pub rather close to his home in the central boulevard of the city, with plenty of time to prepare.

Arriving home, he looked at Chris and asked him in a joking tone.

"How is it Chris, do you want to go drink a beer at a pub? My former highschool colleagues are doing some meetup, but I guess I can bring you to since we are from the same highschool. It will also get your ass from your chair."

"I guess, why not. But you pay for it."

"I'll pay for it, when have I not paid?"

Said and done, after showering himself and changing himself, while also waiting for Chris to get ready, in the meantime he told Cristina about the meet up, where she only told her to take it easy with the drinking.

"Mom, I am an athlete in the making. Alcohol is relatively bad for the body, well … I will only drink a bit. I'll go for some boiled wine, spiced up."

"That is far better than cold beer. Also, take care of your brother."

Nodding his head, he went to check on Alex who seemed to be upset with him, which made him inquire what was wrong with him.

"I also want to come."

"Hahaha, fine. Go wash and change your clothes." laughed Mathias ruffling Alex's hair, where the boy's mood instantly shifted for the better, getting done faster then he even expected.

With the time for departure being on their toes, he took the boys with him, walking on the snow covered streets, and in about 10 minutes he arrived at the pub in question, where he immediately noticed his classmates gathered at one table.

"Is that Matei? He seems to have changed a bit, growing his hair, and even losing weight." mentioned a guy that was slightly fatter than the others.

"It should be him, right, it is him, I remember his little brothers." remarked another guy with a long beard, clearly the reason why he was called "Beard" in between the group.

"It seems that he moved past that failed relationship quite well." mentioned the one who called Mathias, his closer classmate that he shared the bench with for 4 years, Valentin.

Mathias could see that they were whispering something to each other and while observing them, he didn't see any change since 3 years ago when he graduated the highschool curriculum, however still couldn't resist the chance of making fun of a certain someone.

"Beard, have you managed to achieve your goal? Using your beard as a third arm."

"Fuck I thought people forgot about the stupid things I said in the past. I didn't even have a large beard back then."

The other two beside him laughed making fun of the one they called "Beard" and moved to handshake Mathias hand, along with his two brothers that tagged along.

"You guys didn't change one bit."

"No this is where you are wrong, our faces have matured a bit since highschool."

While taking a seat as he heard that remark from Valentin, he gave him a condemning look observing their faces, and he shook disapprovingly with such a notion.

"Probably not. Only Jon looks like a weird middle-aged man with that wacky beard of his. Chris, Alex, if I ever see you attempt growing such a beard, I will shame you for life."

Chris and Alex looked at the guy with his beard braided, making it a long goatee, and immediately shook their heads.

"Well, it doesn't matter too much to me. How have you guys been doing?"

"We are on vacation, the Christmas one."

"You attend a University?"

"Obviously, why? Didn't you go to Bucharest to enroll in one of those prestigious Universities?"

"Pff, "prestigious", don't get me started. I went there to give myself a revamp. Start anew, and learn what's life."

"Damn, we all thought you went to one of those good Universities. Well, knowing you, it really doesn't matter what we think. Apart from this, how have been? You lost weight, and even grew your hair."

"Working, exercising, and sleeping. Repeat this again, and you got my schedule."

"Man, you should take it slowly, you'll burn out once you reach your 30s."

"Yea, I know, but I will see what happens at that point. I have no reason to worry about it now."

Like this, the group began talking about all sort of things, from checking on Mathias and how his life in Bucharest has been so far, becoming a back and fourth, where even his little brothers were included in the mix, who got asked about some of the old teachers of their highschool, stuff that alumniss would ask the younger generations.

Badmouthing some of the teachers that made it hard for them, and specifically with Valentin who praised Mathias, thanking him in a comical way.

"Guys, you should know how thankful I am for your brother, who picked me up on his back after four years of highschool. If it wasn't for him helping me on the tests, I would probably be your classmate by now."

"Okay, okay, stop saying those cringe things. It just makes you look bad. I only passed you the models to resolve your problems, since we were always different subject numbers."

"Well, that's true, but we also got the same subjects at times, and it was like a godsend for me, sitting with you. Nonetheless, Abe you had it the best, you lazy ass."

"Don't assume me of anything, I am innocent."

"What innocent? You sat at Matei's back for four years goddamn it, and he wasn't even stingy helping you with his tests and you cheated like a shameless pig."

Mathias looked at his colleagues and remembered some of the moments of his highschool days, where it was exactly those three that he stood for, defending them from the "badass" bully kids of his classroom, where they formed something of a small group, a little church, with them relying on him to pass their tests, annoying him to oblivion in the process.

Nonetheless as he stood listening to their bickering, he started reminiscienting about the past, and their stupid misdeminours where he had to disuade their teacher from penalizing them for either not knowing some poem verses, mathematical questions, or other complicated subjects on the curriculum.

He felt relaxing, and recharging his energy, while at the same time reconnecting with people that had their influences on him.

By the time they returned home, it was night, and getting to eat something they went to spend the rest of their night time at their devices, with Mathias getting into his writer's mode, starting to respond to various questions about his story, Justinian's Restoration.

There were some irrelevant questions that he ignored, but the ones that had some depth to them, he responded without finding a reason not to, giving analogies and explaining his vision for the respective scenes, such as the win over the Sassanids.

In that event inside his story, a vast majority of his readers were mentioning about the fact he should have razed to the ground Ctesiphon, but in a sarcastic tone he started asking them questions, and in doing so explaining the consequences of each of their options, as if he already weighted down all outcomes of his story like a master strategist.

'Well, this will be all for tonight, I got to wake up early for the old man. I wonder what he has in store for me? It might be some old classical album? Or some of that old manga he read when he was younger. Hah, I really have no idea, but I bet it will be good.'

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