Gathering Husbands with a System in a Game Like World [BL]

”Are you sure we shouldn’t be sneaking in?”

Kai stood beneath the stone archway leading into the old customs quarter, staring at the dark entrance below, the residual ache from the alley still present every time he shifted his weight for some reason.

Elias adjusted the cuffs of his coat.

”I told you it’s not necessary”

”Not even a little?”

”Nope”

Kai frowned.

”We’re walking into an underground gathering full of criminals, where our target is surrounded by people who would probably kill us if they knew why we were there and your solution is to simply walk inside?”

Elias smiled.

”We’re not exactly weak people you know.”

Kai glanced at the A-Rank plaque attached to his belt then at Elias.

”Well that’s true”

”Great am glad you understand”

”But...” kai couldn’t get his words out, Elias was already on the move.

They descended the stairs, with no disguises, no false identities and no elaborate infiltration plan scheme.... their target was Marcel Veyr, they had been hired to kill him, so they were going to kill him, simple.

The Black Ledger was exactly what Kai had expected and somehow worse, the underground chamber was enormous, illuminated by fire torches that cast pale light across dozens of tables, people sat everywhere, people whispering to each other,

Others who wanted thier identities to remain secret concealed behind expensive masks exchanged information with men who looked like they had never seen the inside of a respectable building, maps were passed across tables, documents changed hands, names were whispered, prices were negotiated, there were no weapons openly displayed but Kai had enough experience now to know that almost everyone in the room was armed, this wasn’t a gathering of ordinary criminals, it was an information market, and at the center of it all was Marcel Veyr but Kai wondered what exactly was the information they were selling? What exactly was so secluded that they couldn’t share it over dinner in a protected tavern?

System, could you look into this for me?

[Negative! Not enough information]

That’s a bummer!

[Attention! Target is in reach!]

Kai spotted him almost immediately.

”There.”

Elias followed his gaze, Marcel sat at the largest table in the chamber, he was an older man with silver hair, an expensive black coat and the relaxed expression of someone who knew exactly how valuable his existence was, three people were speaking to him simultaneously, he listened to all of them then answered each one without hesitation, Kai watched him for a few seconds.

”He’s good at communicating i will give you that”

”He has survived this long for a reason.”

Kai’s Arcane Eye activated briefly, nothing unusual, no overwhelming magical power, no hidden combat ability, just a man, an information broker who had survived by knowing things other people didn’t, Kai looked toward Elias, the lingering soreness in his body made him shift once before he spoke.

”Let’s get this over with.”

Elias smiled.

”Gladly.”

They walked directly toward Marcel, the closer they got the more people noticed them, conversation began dying around them, a few hands moved toward weapons, someone whispered about Kai’s A-Rank plaque.

”I thought Adventurers weren’t allowed in here?”

”Well they might be looking for Marcell too”, the tension increased, Marcel eventually looked up, his eyes settled on Kai then Elias.

”Can I help you?”

Kai stopped in front of the table.

”Marcel Veyr?”

Marcel smiled.

”Depends who’s asking.”

Kai reached into his coat, Elias’s hand subtly moved toward his weapon, Marcel’s smile faded, Kai drew a blade.

”Someone has paid us to kill you.”

Marcel frowned ”is this a joke?”

Elias chuckled ”i will assure you it is far from it”

Marcel barely had time to react, Kai moved once and the blade flashed, Marcel’s eyes widened then he collapsed against the table, silence, for half a second nobody moved, then the entire room erupted.

A chair flew toward Kai, he ducked, a knife passed over his head, he spun and drove his elbow into the attacker’s jaw, the man collapsed, Elias moved at the same time, a thin line of steel flashed, two attackers dropped before they even reached him, Kai blocked another strike, his fist connected with the attacker’s chest, the man flew backward.

”Honestly,” Kai muttered, ”why does everyone make this harder than it needs to be?”

”Why couldn’t they just run and we would go about our day” He added.

A man in a well tailored suit raised both of his hands, Kai caught his movement immediately.

[Warning! Mana concentration detected.]

He moved before the spell was released, one punch was enough to send the mage crashing into the wall, he saw someone attack Elias, Elias disappeared, the attacker looked around, a second later he fell, Kai shook his head.

”Show-off.”

Elias smiled.

”You like watching.”

”I really don’t.”

”You do.” He walked closer to Kai and whispered ”And it turns you on” Elias smirked and leaped to intercept another attack

Kai blushed with embarrassment and kicked another attacker away.

”Focus.” He muttered to himself.

The battle lasted less than five minutes, the Black Ledger had attracted dangerous people but dangerous didn’t mean strong enough, by the time the last attacker fell the chamber had become silent, Kai stood among overturned tables and scattered weapons, Elias wiped blood from his sleeve, Kai looked around, the residual ache in his body was still present but the adrenaline made it easier to ignore.

”That was surprisingly easy.”

”You expected more?”

”I don’t know.”

Elias glanced toward Marcel’s body.

”The target is dead.”

Kai nodded.

”Then we’re done.”

Elias fished a dagger from his pocket and cut off Marcel’s index finger and threw it into a small bag as proof of his death.

”Let’s go” he said to Kai.

That should have been the end of it, the commission was complete, Marcel Veyr was dead, the Black Ledger had been dismantled, there was nothing left to investigate, at least that’s what Kai thought.

They left the chamber, Ravenport’s night air hit Kai’s face, he breathed deeply.

”Finally.”

Elias glanced at him.

”Tired?”

”No.”

”Disappointed?”

”No.”

”Then why the sigh?”

Kai looked at him.

”Because I thought S-Rank missions would be more complicated.”

Elias laughed.

”You’ve been spoiled.”

”By what?”

”Voltra.”

Kai went quiet, he couldn’t argue with that, Voltra had involved corrupted artifacts, disappearing people, an impossible entity and the death of someone he cared about, compared to that Marcel Veyr had been almost disappointingly simple, they walked through the quiet streets, Kai looked toward the river.

”So that’s another mission done.”

”Yes.”

”And now?”

”We find another one.”

Kai smiled.

”Yes my king”

Elias laughed.

For the first time in a while things felt normal, dangerous, chaotic, but normal, neither of them noticed the figure watching from a distant rooftop.

The next morning Kai woke early, Elias was already gone, he had apparently gone downstairs to get breakfast, Kai sat up and stretched, his body still carried the familiar soreness from the previous night’s activities but he had gotten used to it, he reached for his clothes then stopped, something felt wrong, he looked toward the door, nothing, the window, closed, nothing, Kai frowned, he activated Arcane Eye, nothing, no magical residue, no hidden presence, he relaxed, probably nothing, he dressed, a few minutes later Elias returned with breakfast.

”You’re awake.”

”Obviously.”

Elias handed him a plate, Kai accepted it.

”Thanks.”

They ate quietly, the morning passed normally, they discussed their next destination, talked about commissions, argued about breakfast, nothing seemed unusual, then Elias stood.

”I’ll go pay for another night.”

Kai nodded.

”Fine.”

Elias left, Kai remained inside the room, he sat near the window, he pulled out his Guild plaque and examined it, A-Rank, it still felt strange, he smiled, then he heard something, a faint sound behind him, Kai turned, nothing, he frowned.

”Hello?”

There was scilence, he stood, He used the Eye again but still nothing, the System didn’t react, Kai relaxed, he turned back toward the window, and that was the mistake, for one second, one tiny second, his attention was elsewhere, a shadow moved behind him, a hand covered his mouth, Kai’s eyes widened, he tried to fight them off but it was too late, something struck the side of his neck, his body went numb, his vision blurred, he reached for his ring, his fingers missed, the last thing he saw was the room spinning around him, then darkness.

Elias returned less than three minutes later, he opened the door.

”Kai, they were out of—”

He stopped, the room was empty, the breakfast plate sat untouched on the table, the window was still closed, Kai was simply gone, Elias’s expression changed, he walked into the room slowly.

”Kai?”

Nothing, he checked the bathroom, empty, the hallway, empty, then he returned, his eyes moved across the room, something caught his attention, a piece of paper sat on the bed, Elias picked it up, there were only seven words.

COME ALONE IF YOU WANT HIM BACK.

Elias stared at the message, for several seconds he didn’t move, then his fingers tightened around the paper, the playful expression he wore so often was completely gone, his eyes became cold, very freaking cold, somewhere in Ravenport someone had just made a catastrophic mistake, they had taken the one person Elias would actually burn the city down to retrieve, and whoever they were... No...he knew exactly who they were.

”Fuck this.”