Chapter 2166 The Top Brass

Genevieve had wanted to visit Dark Port with Adam.

She had never been there before. So she was naturally curious. But Adam refused to take her with him.

The only way he knew—other than the Rabbit Hole—required him to go through the dirty sewers. He did not want to take her through shit and piss.

When Genevieve had learned of his reason, her face had turned pale from disgust. She couldn't believe that was how Adam had been traveling to the shadow city all this while.

So, here he was, back at Greene's Emporium without Genevieve, in the presence of the vampire couple, Esmond and Sandra.

"You what?!" Esmond's mouth was agape as he listened to Adam's reports.

Sandra was much more composed than her husband. But there was a trace of shock in her voice that was unmistakable.

"You defeated a… Transcendent Paladin?"

Adam shrugged. "Got lucky. I wasn't alone."

The vampire couple exchanged subtle glances.

Adam scoffed. "Three camps eradicated. One of them even had a Transcendent, and he seemed to have been dispatched specifically to take me out. So I would say…"

He leaned forward. "Some bonus reward is in order, no?"

Esmond grimaced. He thought for several moments before sighing in reluctance.

"Usually, no," he said. "The rewards are objective-based. They're determined by the bases you eradicate, not the enemies you slay."

Seeing Adam's deteriorating expression, Esmond quickly added, "But you and I go a long way back, lad. So I'll compensate you personally."

Adam leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile.

"There's one other thing," he said.

"What?" Esmond instantly grew wary. He hoped that Adam wasn't too greedy with him. He would not tolerate that.

"There's something the Transcendent said to me," Adam answered. "Something that's been bothering me for a while. So I hope you can shed some light on it."

Esmond sighed in relief. "Sure. Sure. Go ahead. What did the fellow say?"

"He said that the Iron Covenant has great plans for the West Coast," Adam repeated Aramen's words. "He said that Davos is doomed. And so is the Free City Alliance."

Esmond frowned. "The Free City Alliance is doomed? He said that?"

Adam nodded. He turned to Sandra, watching her slip into deep thought. "Anything I should know?"

"As far as we're informed," Sandra began after a long, deliberate moment, "the Iron Covenant has been constantly battling the Night Guild for control over Davos's criminal underworld."

Esmond nodded and chimed in, "This is the first time I'm hearing about their supposed plans for the entire Free City Alliance."

Sandra was more forthcoming. "There could be truth to his words, but we wouldn't know. We've only just joined the Guild, after all. They wouldn't share everything with us."

"But to have plans for the Free City Alliance?" Adam couldn't help but frown. "Not only would they need guts for that, but also strength that rivals the coalition of free city-states. Just how powerful are they really?"

"I can't say for certain." Esmond shook his head. "From what I've gathered, the reason the Guild hasn't been able to eradicate the Covenant's headquarters is that it has never been found."

"And battles between Magi and Paladins at the lower levels are more or less evenly matched," Sandra added.

"The more powerful mercenaries of the Covenant have never dared to show up anywhere near Davos," Esmond said. "That's why I'm more inclined to believe that whatever that Transcendent said to you was likely a farce."

"An unknown, hidden enemy is far more dangerous," Adam said. And Sandra agreed.

"We'll look more into it," she said.

"In the meantime, are you open to clearing out more mercenary camps?" Esmond asked, expertly hiding the gleam in his crimson eyes.

The more missions Adam completed, the more commission Esmond received.

Adam shook his head. "I've got plans this week. So, no."

He had to attend the Centennial Gala with Genevieve next week. The event seemed important to her, so he had to be there. For her, if not for anything else.

Adam rose to his feet and prepared to leave. "Perhaps next month," he said. "I'll come find you."

Having received his rewards and said all that he needed to, he departed the vampire couple's home and headed to the surface.

***

Genevieve hadn't been joking when she claimed she could pass on the message directly to the top brass.

To be more precise, she was planning to deliver the intel to the student of the Known Lord.

Knock! Knock!

She stepped through the door and entered the office of the Lady of Sapphire Tower.

Located at the very top of this Magus Tower, her office overlooked much of Davos. Through the expansive windows, the morning sunlight poured into the spacious chamber, illuminating the neatly arranged furniture and stacks of documents.

Genevieve found the Lady seated behind her desk, going through several documents. A handful of aides and assistants stood nearby, waiting for instructions or attending to their own duties.

The Lady had dark, glistening skin that caught the morning light. Her curly black hair framed her face, while her brown eyes carried a weight and intensity that made her gaze difficult to meet for long.

She briefly glanced at Genevieve. Then, without saying a word, she returned her attention to the documents before her.

The Lady's meaning was clear: "I am busy. I will speak to you when I have time. You will wait."

And that's what Genevieve did. She patiently remained standing, hands clasped in front of her. Her manners were impeccable, and she didn't show the slightest discomfort.

She had believed that this would be a private meeting with the Lady of Sapphire Tower. But looking at the half a dozen assistants orbiting the woman, it was clear that Genevieve was mistaken.

There was another matter she was wrong about, too. For some reason, she believed she would have good rapport with the Lady. But that was not the case.

After waiting for thirty minutes without anyone—not even the assistants—offering her a seat, it became clear as day to Genevieve that she was not liked and was not welcome here.

Still, she stood politely. She waited.

At long last, Adeline Stark, the Lady of Sapphire Tower, set her quill on the table and leaned into her seat. She looked at Genevieve with narrowed eyes and spat a single word:

"What?"