Chapter 172 - Slippery Slope (Book 3 End)

The next day...

Kyle's cloak billowed in the wind, the golden snake patterns embroidered within fluttering in his wake. A dozen Ghosts flanked both his left and right as they marched up to the Magda. Curious citizens and hopeful children cheered for him as he ascended the steps up to the enforcers' main office, celebrating the victory over the Ardent Cretins with fanfare.

Two Ghosts open the large chapel doors of the Magda for him, their creaking sounds echoing through the tough marble floors. At the end of the chapel was a simple table, Bishop Vernette and Baron Cain already seated and waiting. Niko stood at attention near Kyle's arranged seat, standing in for Damian.

"What has he said?" Kyle asked as soon as he got close, getting right to the point and taking his seat.

"Nothing. He wouldn't speak unless you were here." Baron Cain scoffed, his fingernails rasping against the table in irritation.

"Is this a trap?" Kyle asked Niko.

"Haven't seen anything yet, boss. We've tied Sebastian up fully, none of his knights are nearby either. We got the whole chapel on lockdown." Niko asserted.

"Where is he?" Kyle asked the Bishop and Baron

"I'm having Inquisitor Mason escort him up now. He should be here any minute."

Kyle half-expected to hear some news about the Inquisitor being killed. He rested his left arm on the table while his right still clutched an Oriental Bloom tightly, ready to move at a moment's notice. Unexpectedly, Sebastian came out just as the Bishop said, tied up in special binding ropes that restricted his limbs from moving. He was pushed about in a wheelchair by Inquisitor Mason to the table. Despite the clearly disadvantageous situation, a confident smile was still plastered on Sebastian's face, the smile growing larger when he saw Kyle.

"Kyle. Never thought I'd see the day that you would become the strongest in the South. How does it feel?" Sebastian smirked. "Do you feel like a king? I assure you, the feeling doesn't last long. I'll give it two to three hours."

"Such a feeling is only reserved for amateurs," Kyle replied without a tinge of emotion.

"As uptight as always-"

"Stop talking shit." Baron Cain interjected with a slam of the table. "You said you wouldn't speak till Kyle was here. Well, he's here now. Now answer my question: why the fuck are the major gangs revolting?"

"Baron, I am here to negotiate a deal, not to answer such simple questions that a five-year-old could answer themselves." Sebastian tapped the holster of his wheelchair with his free finger, Inquisitor Mason glaring down at him.

He does not give off the aura of a man who has lost everything - something is up. Kyle carefully watched Sebastian's body language, trying to pick up any hints of lying or false bravado. Yet he could see none. Instead, Sebastian smiled in Kyle's direction, clearly aware of what Kyle was trying to do.

"A deal? You're tied up in a wheelchair designed for incontinence, and you want a deal?" Baron Cain shot back. "There is no negotiation - you launched a unilateral attack and declaration of war on the Sanctum of Yual, Count Leon, me, and the people of Raktor. The surrender of the Ardent Cretins will be unconditional. You and Ares will be arrested and hauled to Tryas for judgment, while every single Cretin will be disarmed and imprisoned here."

"Oh, I don't think I will," Sebastian stated plainly as if it were a fact, causing the Baron to fill up with rage. The Bishop and Kyle exchanged an uncertain glance while Baron Cain flew into a tirade, shooting out of his seat.

"You don't think you will? You're lucky the railway between Tryas and us hasn't been built yet. Otherwise, I would have you imprisoned in the mines under six hours!" Baron Cain wagged his finger at the bounded Sebastian.

"Stop barking, Baron Cain. Even if you have me brought to Tryas, not a single person would lift a finger to do anything about me."

"You think you're still a noble?" Baron Cain fumed.

"No, but I think you should listen to my counteroffer. You let the Ardent Cretins go scott-free, and we will retreat to our original ten districts while the Seven Snakes get control of the rest, be it Red Lions or Wretches. Naturally, to prevent further bloodshed, we will form an alliance of checks and balances." Sebastian replied.

"Ridiculous!" Inquisitor Mason blurted out. "After everything you've done in the last few months, you think you can just return to normal?"

"Consider this: the Ardent Cretins, Seven Snakes, enforcers, and noble forces have been sorely weakened. Every party represented here on this fine day at this table is depleted in both manpower and fighting strength. Who stands to gain the most out of everything?"

Niko leaned over to Kyle's ear. "Boss, we just got a report that the Ravens are fighting Violet Demons in Kregol. Valentina is requesting for assistance."

Is this what Sebastian means? Kyle already knew that the alliance between the major gangs was tenuous at best, similar to the Barons. But he did not expect the Violet Demons to turn on their ‘allies’ so rapidly the moment the battle was lost.

Baron Cain took a deep breath, calming himself down and taking his seat again. The bullet wound in his thigh caused by Baron Namor's knight still ached a little. "You're saying that the other Sectors will attack us."

"Like I said, even a five-year-old could understand that."

"That doesn't answer why the major gangs are staging a revolt. Alliance or not, if you're using the concept of 'Sector' unity to fool us, you have to explain it to us." Bishop Vernette warned.

"You don't have a choice. Without me, the Ardent Cretins are splintered. You will be fighting factions for the next year while every other Sector outpaces you in both wealth and population." Sebastian retorted. "But I do suppose good allies should share information. The major gangs are staging a revolt to capitalize on Count Leon's involvement in the war. This period would allow for unhindered growth. However, as the major gangs reach the limits of their expansion, it is apparent to anyone that the other major gangs are also a hindrance. As we speak, the Ardent Cretins surrender has already kicked the Violet Demons into action. I wouldn't be surprised to hear news of my men deserting our ranks and joining them, both in Raktor and beyond."

"That still doesn't make any sense. There was no chance of success even if you managed to take out all of us." Baron Cain squinted in suspicion.

"... a chance? Baron, I would say the revolt has been a roaring success. Look at the East Sector, where Tul'e Da'li has negotiated with the Baron on equal grounds. We have expanded far beyond pathetic bickering for scraps in the city. Now we control wide swaths of the countryside and even other counties, though I supposed Kyle would know more about that than me." Sebastian insinuated. "Even the Ardent Cretins at this stage is two times bigger than it was two months ago."

"Still, triggering a war for independence is a fool's errand. You would be wiped by the troops in Tryas if you seceded from the Yual Dominion!" Bishop Vernette exclaimed.

"We never intended to be independent. We wanted to replace the Barons." Sebastian clarified.

"You're not of noble blood. You were stripped of your title." Baron Cain spat.

"And your father was a crook. Did you not learn how your father became a noble in the first place?"

"Enough slippery words. Your counter-offer is rejected." Baron Cain snapped his fingers to his guards. "You, arrange for a transfer of prisoners to Tryas."

"Oh, spare me the act. When was the last time you had contact with the Sanctum of Yual in Tryas?" Sebastian sneered. Kyle expected Baron Cain and Bishop to retort immediately, but instead, he saw the two of them freeze in motion like a space whale in a tractor. Sebastian knows something.

Sebastian's gaze landed back at Kyle. "At least someone in this room is much more intelligent. How about this? If you accept my offer, I'll offer a crucial piece of information that many would kill to know."

"How can a mere gang leader know more than a Baron of Raktor?" Baron Cain leaned back into his seat, trying to seem undeterred, but his hands were already motioning for his guards to back off.

"Has anyone ever told you that your mind is written on your face?" Sebastian mocked. "Even a former noble like me has their ways. So, what will it be? I am more than willing to take the information to the grave."

"One more clause," Kyle spoke out. "The alliance will not be of equals, but of hierarchy. The Ardent Cretins must be a subsidiary of the Seven Snakes, and you will be reduced to five districts instead of ten."

Sebastian's mocking expression changed rapidly, his eyes glaring at Kyle. "Some animals are always feral, no matter how much you try to rein them in."

"I have experience dealing with exotic pets with rare tempers." Kyle retorted. "Domestication simply requires a bigger stick."

The two gang leaders stared each other down, an air of hostility rising again. "You really think I'll accept such a clause?" Sebastian snorted. "You're not even my senior! I've seen more gangs rise and fall compared to the number of teeth in your gums."

"And I am more than happy to beat you and Ares into a pulp again if necessary. Don't be mistaken, Sebastian - you have nothing to stand on here. Even if all of your men revolt, I can easily subdue all of them within a month. You're bluffing."

"That month would set you back forever against the other Sectors! The center of economic power would never be yours." Sebastian snapped.

"It is a gamble I am willing to make."

Sebastian's eyes widened in surprise at Kyle's assertion, trying to read Kyle's body language. "You really believe you can do it. You're a madman. Your actions will make us lose!"

"There is no 'us'," Kyle stated. "There is only me. And you will kneel, or I will let the Baron deal with you. Make your choice."

Sebastian glowered at Kyle, a tense silence resting between the two of them before Sebastian finally let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. I agree. However, the five districts we give up will not be transferred to the Seven Snakes but to the enforcers instead. The Seven Snakes should not be allowed to hold more than ten districts as well." Sebastian countered again.

"Accepted." Kyle smiled. "Baron? Bishop?"

Baron Cain and Bishop Vernette looked towards each other, weighing the pros and cons of the deal. The deal was fair - it made sure that the Ardent Cretins didn't have the resources or land to try again, and it also made sure that Kyle wasn't in total control of the South Sector. Reclaiming more districts from the gangs into the hands of the enforcers would be a good mark on their reputation. "We accept." Baron Cain made the final call, and the deal was sealed in agreement.

"Good. The Ardent Cretins are now a subsidiary gang of the Seven Snakes, and we will limit ourselves to the nearest ten districts. All four of us are now in an alliance. I'll let Keith and Niko handle the paperwork later." Kyle was willing to give up the extra districts, knowing that there was always a way to sneak crime into the enforcer's district. He knew Sebastian was thinking the exact same way as him, though he was confident he would do it on a much better scale than Sebastian could.

"Now, what is that crucial piece of information you were talking about?" Bishop Vernette asked curiously. "It better be worth it, or I might just back out of the alliance."

"I'm sure the Barons have been wondering as to why all messengers and messages sent to the Duke and to Tryas have not received any reply. You talk about troops coming from Tryas to crush us, but not a single noble or army had budged an inch when we revolted." Sebastian smiled.

"How is it that you can know more than all of the Barons combined?" Baron Cain asked. "The information sounds like a ruse."

"I never said all of the Barons do not know about this." Sebastian pointed out. "The black market never lies when you have enough power and money. And while Raktor may be our main base of operations, I have always seen fit to keep my network of contacts fresh beyond the county."

"Out with it, stop beating around the bush!" Mason retorted.

"I suggest that only the relevant parties remain in this room." Sebastian motioned with his head towards Mason, Niko, and the other enforcers. "The spread of this information would be... problematic in the best-case scenario."

"And in the worst-case scenario?" Baron Cain asked.

"Lethal."

Inquisitor Mason scoffed, but he soon saw the Bishop instructed him with a wave to leave. Kyle also had Niko dismissed along with the other bodyguards, leaving only the four of them in the room: Kyle, Sebastian, Baron Cain and Bishop Vernette.

As soon as the chapel doors closed tightly after the last bodyguard, all eyes laid on Sebastian, who was still bound to the wheelchair. "This better be worth it." Baron Cain warned. "And if you try to kill any of us, I will make sure your legs are crushed into a pulp and fed to you!"

Sebastian chuckled, each laugh echoing off the marble floors. "There is no going back once you know of this. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Out with it." Bishop Vernette urged.

"Very well." Sebastian leaned forward, his eyes glistening with avarice and opportunity. "The Emperor of the Yual Dominion, the God who everyone worships, is dying."