NOVPUB"Rosavere Company…" the old man murmured thoughtfully, inspecting the visiting card in his weathered hands. He then glanced up at the man wearing a rabbit mask who now sat casually across from him in the modest living room.
"I've heard you folks are getting quite popular on the mainland... What brings someone like you to visit our humble little village, Mr. Lackey?" the old man asked with polite curiosity, setting the card carefully back on the table.
Lackey offered a small hum as he leaned back slightly in the creaky wooden chair, folding his gloved hands over his lap. "You see, sir, we received information that the government might soon begin constructing a major road—one that would connect the two Empires," he explained evenly. "They're planning to use this route as a strategic trade corridor, and... it so happens that the construction is projected to run near your village."
The old man's brows lifted slightly, his expression laced with surprise. "Roads? Out here?" he echoed, clearly not expecting such development news in this remote corner of the Empire.
Lackey nodded. "Yes. And because of that, our company is taking an interest in acquiring some of the local land to build hotels, restaurants, and perhaps even some recreational areas. It could become a thriving hub."
The old man blinked, his lips parting as if to ask something, "B-But—"
"Please don't worry," Lackey interjected gently, raising one palm as he offered a businesslike smile. "We're willing to pay a fair amount for any land we purchase. In fact..." he leaned forward slightly and slid a thick, neatly wrapped bundle of cash across the table. "We're even prepared to provide some... unofficial compensation as well. A little something extra, just between us."
The old man stared at the bundle with an unreadable expression, eyes flicking from the money back to the masked man's face. His silence stretched for a moment.
Lackey frowned inwardly. 'Looks like I've got one of those upright, moral types... this might take more pushing.'
But just as he was bracing for resistance—
"Of course, sir! I'd be more than happy to provide whatever land you need," the old man said suddenly, beaming brightly as he scooped the bundle without hesitation and tucked it away with the smoothness of someone who'd done this before.
Lackey's lips twitched, but he maintained his smile. "Good," he replied simply.
"Would you like something to drink?" the old man offered politely.
"Ah, no thank you. Why don't we get started instead? I don't have much time," Lackey said, tone mildly dejected yet professional.
The old man nodded understandingly. "Of course. I'll do my utmost," he said before clapping his hands once.
Moments later, a maid entered the room.
"Take Mr. Lackey around the village," the old man instructed. "Show him all the properties and make note of the lands he's interested in. And obey his every word. Do whatever he asks, understood?"
The maid nodded obediently and gestured for Lackey to follow.
They walked through the dusty streets, past stone walls and wooden homes. The maid pointed out landmarks and offered small tidbits of information here and there. That was until—
"Can you take me to Mr. Lame's house?" Lackey asked, his voice low and casual.
"Mr. Lame?" the maid echoed softly, clearly unsure of the reason but unwilling to question him.
After all her master ordered her do what he asked.
She simply nodded and led him to a medium-sized home that stood a little apart from the others. It was modest—not new, but not falling apart either.
"So they're here... huh," Lackey muttered under his breath as he stood at the door.
Knock, knock.
The maid knocked on the door.
Thud!
It swung open a moment later, revealing a middle-aged woman with a tight frown etched across her features. "What?"
The maid bowed politely and explained the mayor's instructions.
"Hm... alright," the woman grunted and called for her husband to come out.
.....
...
Inside, Lackey sat on a rough wooden chair, calmly observing the room and the man who now sat across from him.
"So let me get this straight... this man here is from the Rosavere Company, and he wants land from us?" the middle-aged man asked, his brows drawn together in a thoughtful frown.
The maid nodded as she stood beside Lackey silently.
The man gave a small hum, then extended his hand. "Hello, sir. My name is Lame. I'm the head of this household."
Lackey stood and shook the man's hand firmly. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lame. I'm Lackey—a real estate broker working under Rosavere's private expansion division."
"Lackey, huh... That's a pretty uncommon name," Lame muttered as he sat back down. Then he gave a small shrug. "Anyway... this land has been in my family since my great-grandfather's time. We've lived here for nearly a century. I'm not sure I'm comfortable selling it just like that—"
"Oh come on, father! Why are you still clinging to this dump?"
A sharp female voice cut in, and Lackey turned slightly to see a black-haired young woman walking in with a scowl. Her gait was confident and impatient.
'Xara...?' Lackey felt a strange pulse of recognition. The woman looked strikingly similar to Xara.
The girl walked over and stood beside her father, folding her arms.
Lame sighed tiredly. "Dear... you know this land is precious. It holds the blood and tears of our ancestors—"
"Tears and blood? What about us?" another voice scoffed from behind.
Lackey turned again, this time to see a young black-haired man entering the room, his expression twisted in frustration.
"We're rotting in this shithole, Father," the son snapped as he threw himself into a chair, arms crossed and jaw clenched. "This place is a curse."
"Mind your words," Lame said sternly, frowning at his son's crude language.
Lackey watched the two siblings quietly, taking note of their body language, their tone, their irritation.
"Mr. Lackey, please forgive their behavior—" Lame began, but before he could finish—
"Lackey? That's your name?" the son suddenly burst out laughing. "What kind of name is that? Hahaha!"
"Yeah! People in the city have the weirdest names. What's next—Mister Butler?" his daughter added, laughing as she leaned on the table.
Lame's face darkened with embarrassment as he looked at Lackey, whose demeanor hadn't changed at all despite their mockery.
He remained perfectly calm—expression unreadable behind the rabbit mask—as he continued to observe them in silence.
Still,
Still,
"Please forgive them, Mr. Lackey—"
"HAHAHAHA!"
"HAHAHA!!!"
They burst into even louder laughter, completely unable to contain themselves.
Lame's lips twitched in irritation, but then—
"Hissss~"
Snowflake, the white serpent coiled silently around his neck until now, suddenly let out a furious hiss, her body rising as her eyes gleamed coldly with murderous intent.
The two siblings abruptly stopped laughing. Their wide eyes locked onto the snake as their throats dried up and gulps slipped from their lips.
Lackey smiled calmly, "Anyway, Mr. Lame, I can offer you a much better settlement in the city… if you're willing to offer your land in exchange."
Both of Lame's children raised their eyebrows, utterly stunned by what they had just heard. Their shocked gazes shifted to their father.
"Father, you need to accept it."
"Yes, Father. This is a great opportunity!"
Even Lame seemed stunned by the offer. He blinked several times in confusion, and just then, his wife—who had been quietly standing beside him all along—leaned in and whispered something into his ear.
Lame frowned and blinked again. "Are you sure about this?" he asked softly.
His wife simply gave a firm nod in response.
Lame bit his lip, uncertain. He turned back to Lackey and opened his mouth, "Mr. Lackey, you see—"
"Was the price too low? I can increase the offer..." Lackey said smoothly with a faint smirk, casting a sidelong glance at Lame's wife. He had a hunch she might be attempting to drive the price higher through delay.
The entire family exchanged nervous glances. Even the children stared at their father with sharp, almost predatory intensity.
And within just a few minutes, they all agreed.
'I wonder where their precious forefathers disappeared to now…' Lackey mused, amusement flickering across his expression. He shook off the thought and smoothly changed the subject, "Anyway, this is all of your family members, right?" He handed over a set of clearly fake documents.
Lame nodded confidently. "Yes. Everyone is here," he confirmed as he took the papers and began reading through them carefully.
Lackey narrowed his eyes. "Hmm… no illegitimate children, correct?"
Lame's expression shifted slightly. His wife's face tensed as she muttered coldly, "What exactly are you trying to imply?" Her tone hinted at barely restrained fury.
Lackey raised a hand placatingly. "Please don't misunderstand. This is just a company policy. I have to make sure..."
Lame scoffed. "What kind of absurd rule is that—"
Before he could finish, Lackey calmly cut in, "Due to intense competition, some rival companies might attempt to use unacknowledged children—or anyone related to your bloodline—to sabotage deals. If we fail to obtain their consent, it could be used against us. Private corporations are greedy and ruthless, as you know. So we have to be extremely thorough before getting your signature. If you lie to us… we will take necessary actions."
Lame's frown deepened. "Necessary actions? What does that mean exactly?"
Lackey's smile remained polite, but something dark flickered behind his calm eyes. "Oh, nothing too serious. Just a light punishment… maybe a hundred whips, branding them as company property, and making them work as laborers for the rest of their lives."
A chilling silence settled over the room. Every pair of eyes widened in sheer horror.
"So…" Lackey continued softly, "You don't have any illegitimate children, right?" He smiled again—but this time, no one mistook it for a genuine one.
Lame swallowed thickly, his throat parched. He hesitantly glanced at his wife, who was now anxiously biting her nails.
Lame gave a nervous chuckle. "O-Of course not… there's no child besides these two," he said firmly.
The others all nodded along quickly and furiously, as if trying to reinforce the lie.
Lackey frowned slightly, as if disappointed, then shrugged. "Hmm... fine. First, sign these papers. Once everything is verified, we'll inform you of the next steps. Understood?" His gaze swept over the entire family, making sure none of them dared challenge his words.
Soon after, he stepped out of the house. As he watched the family close the door behind him, a quiet thought floated through his mind.
'Maybe I should've just used control magic to squeeze the truth out of them…' he mused silently.
But then again, he reminded himself, this was Xara's family.
She still had deep emotional ties to them... If he acted recklessly, she might get angry. Now was not the time to provoke her.
He needed to play a smarter, safer game.
Lackey walked slowly, lost in thought, trying to plan a way to extract the real information from this shady family—when suddenly, the maid who had been quietly guiding him around the village came to a sudden halt.
"They're lying."
"H-Huh?" Lackey stopped walking and turned toward her, surprised by the serious tone in her voice.
The maid's eyes were hard as she spoke, "Lame's family has one more member… a girl named Xara."
"Oh?..." Lackey blinked slowly, then a dark smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
