In a small but tidy and elegant room, Mako stood before a mirror in his usual pearlescent blue suit.
'So many weeks in that dungeon…' he thought to himself, touching the sleeves, comparing the fabric's feel to his old shackles.
A knock at the door interrupted him. It was Ana, looking happy but sighing with concern.
"You know, I think I'm the one who's been looking forward to this day the most," Ana confessed.
"What do you mean?"
"Training and looking after the last two members of a major House isn't exactly a walk in the park."
Ana's voice was cheerful but tinged with melancholy.
"If I'd awakened my system sooner, maybe I wouldn't have caused you so much trouble," Mako replied with regret.
For a moment, Ana looked surprised, but then a warm smile spread across her face. "Better to be grateful it finally happened."
A warm feeling filled Mako's chest, one he was thankful he hadn't forgotten.
Then, a sudden sound of flapping wings buzzed through the room.
'Oh no,' they thought in unison.
Polyphemus made his entrance through the window.
"Kye-he-he-he!"
"Already?" Mako said.
"Already?" Polyphemus shot back. "We're running late! Master Mako, as your assistant, agent, and servant, I've taken the liberty of spreading the big news to Fox."
"That soon?" Ana exclaimed, stunned.
Realizing what that meant, she added, "I'll get ready too! You can't go without an escort."
The joy on Ana's face faded quickly as she turned to rush off and don her armor.
Before she left, Mako said, "Don't breathe a word to Erick about where we're going."
◇◆◇
A strange trio gathered outside the doors of a clandestine casino in the most dangerous part of Galandria City.
Mako, Ana, and Polyphemus.
"We shouldn't be in a place like this," Ana said, her eyes darting side to side.
She was awfully jumpy for the most armed of the three, clad in her armor with her sword still sheathed.
"Don't look at me!" Polyphemus protested immediately. "I did everything I could, but you lot have tanked the Sol reputation so badly."
Mako shot him a death glare that silenced the imp for a moment.
"I'm just speaking the truth!" the one-eyed demon continued. "Look, Master Mako, mastering a system isn't usually a cakewalk, and for that…"
"We need resources and information," Mako cut in confidently.
"Bingo bongo!" Polyphemus finished. "And even though Fox is an underworld crook, he's got connections. Though I'm not sure this meeting's such a hot idea…"
Without another word, Polyphemus led the two into the establishment.
The place was a dive, sure, but it was packed to the brim with patrons.
Men and women of all sorts gathered to bet on knightly duels, the next royal hunt, or even who'd be the next noble to lose their title.
The lives of nobles were the entertainment of the betting underworld.
'To think Erick's been dealing with these people all these years,' Mako thought.
They wove through the crowd into narrow hallways, a guard letting them pass upon seeing them.
Maybe it was his face, but when Mako snapped out of his thoughts, he caught Ana's gaze.
Her smile told him everything would be fine. Mako believed it.
Finally, they reached the last room.
It reeked of cheap cologne, lit only by oil lanterns along the walls.
Their steps made the floorboards creak beneath them.
It felt more like the abandoned cabin of an old pirate ship than a business office.
"Well, well! Armed to the teeth, aren't we?" a raspy voice hissed from behind a desk.
Dressed in a rumpled suit and a bent top hat, there sat the businessman they were meeting.
"Willy Fox," Polyphemus sighed, disappointed. "I reckon you, of all people, know why we're playing it safe."
"Yeah, yeah. Take a seat already. Time's money."
It was just the four of them. Mako felt a chill run down his spine, far from safe.
He couldn't help but think of Erick. He knew full well that, ever since awakening his system, Erick was the only one capable of handling meetings like this.
Mako glanced at his fist, still feeling the punch he'd landed on his brother's jaw the day before.
"House Sol has always been a safe bet," Fox declared loudly. "That's why my humble betting parlor stuck by you in your darkest times."
Fox laughed.
Ana gritted her teeth in frustration. She hated being in this place.
"I was surprised, though, to hear from my old pal Polyphemus again," the betting magnate continued. "You used to run around with Erick, but now I see a new face handling the paperwork."
"I taught Erick everything I could back then," Polyphemus replied.
Mako stayed silent.
Though the rumors surrounding this peculiar character were distasteful, Mako couldn't deny one thing.
"You're right," Mako said. "You're one of the few investors left after the death of House Sol's former lords."
'My parents,' Mako thought bitterly.
Fox burst into laughter.
Mako stared at him, clenching his right fist in anger.
"Kid," the old swindler said, slowly lighting his pipe, "I'm the only investor you've got left. Don't try to bluff the king of poker."
Not only was this Mako's first time facing the diplomatic and corporate world of his House, but he had to deal with an underworld magnate to boot.
Mako was on the verge of lunging at him, seething with rage. Sensing this, Ana placed a hand on his shoulder.
He calmed down, for now.
"He's awakened his system," Polyphemus interjected.
"Not good enough," Fox shot back, blowing smoke in their faces.
Sadly, everything he said was true.
Polyphemus got it.
Mako… not so much.
The room no longer smelled of cheap cologne—just that strange smoke.
"Look, I can see Erick was the only one who knew how to play ball around here, so let me give you a masterclass." Fox's voice had never sounded so treacherous. "First, your greatest asset was your reliability. Word was, your parents had a system second only to the king's."
Fox stood grandly from his seat as he spoke, as if he'd rehearsed it all before. He continued:
"I don't care to verify the rumors. But when they died, you lost your biggest edge. Even now, Don Mako, every expert in this cutthroat market is counting the days until your House…"
Without thinking, Mako shot up from his chair, ready to confront him, but Polyphemus yelled for him to sit.
Mako hesitated for a second, torn between punching Fox in the face for his insults or not.
Fox just laughed, sneering at the tantrum. He began circling the three of them, his steps making the wooden floorboards creak even more.
"Is this how House Sol does business?" Fox mocked. "I know your greatest asset was always brute strength, but this is ridiculous."
"We're more than just brute strength," Mako corrected proudly. "We're the greatest House in Galandria."
The air grew thicker with the smoke from Fox's pipe.
Ana's hand rested on her sword's hilt, ready to pounce if needed.
Polyphemus felt like his scaly skin was about to break into a cold sweat.
"The greatest House in all Galandria, you say?" Fox held his pipe elegantly between two fingers. "Pfft! Maybe now you're just a circus act."
Polyphemus leaned toward Mako, who looked ready to explode with rage.
"Master Mako," the imp whispered, "I warned you this guy likes to get under people's skin. Don't fall for his game."
Mako glanced at Polyphemus, slowly easing his scowl.
Then he looked at Ana. Raising his brows, Mako realized he was being too emotional.
"If you think so little of us, why invest in us at all?" Mako asked, calming his voice.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, Don Mako," Fox continued with his sharp words. "You're still my favorite bet, just…"
At that moment, the sound of Ana's sword clattering to the floor echoed through the room.
Mako turned to see Ana collapse, paralyzed, just like Polyphemus.
"You're no longer the horse we want to win this race," Fox concluded with a wide grin.