Release That Succubus

Calvin wanted this high return business for himself. And the fact that Luther family was going to take over the business after the fall of the Sosis family was a hindrance to his wishes. He wanted to monopolize the whole business by taking over the forestry and the exclusive mining rights for the place no matter what.

Therefore, he didn't plan on bothering to play the good guy in front of the Luther family and had already considered them his enemies. Of course the fact that Zach was a dark mage also helped him make up his mind in choosing this method.

After carefully thinking about the whole situation and coming up with various alternatives to the situation, Calvin decided on his course of action. But he needed to discuss this with someone else; someone who was like-minded and would be able to give him the right advice as well.

Thinking along those lines, Calvin called for an armed guard and whispered something to him. None other than himself and the courier was able to hear the message. As soon as Calvin finished talking, the guard moved a step back without showing his back to the leader of the family and then saluted by raising his fist to the chest before leaving in a hurry. He was going to carry out the task given to him by the leader.

In fact, Calvin had arranged a secret rendezvous with George, the man he believed was venomous enough and was likely to understand him and his motives.

As night turned deeper and the whistling sound of the wind flowing through the leaves grew more frequent and the Sosis family estate burned with crimson flames along with the corpse of their leader and the future heir, the leader of the most powerful family of Elizabeth city left the mansion as if on a night stroll. Of course no guard accompanied him on his walk since he was more than capable of protecting himself. The title of the strongest family wasn't in vain after all.

When the rendezvous point came in his sight, Calvin saw the man he wanted to meet, waiting for him in an impatient manner. He was stomping the ground lightly from time to time and fidgeted with his hands as if to calm his senses.

As soon as George laid his eyes on Calvin, the signs of his impatience subsided like they had never been there. Calvin smiled at this and didn't point it out.

"Did you get my message?" Calvin asked as he came to a halt in front of George who had been waiting for him eagerly.

"I did. Aren't I here?" George retorted with a slight frown as if he was displeased about being called in the middle of nowhere at this time of the night.

"So, what do you think?" asked Calvin in anticipation of George's point of view regarding the path he had chosen.

"I don't have any intention of getting involved with a dark mage especially one that I have no knowledge about. The Sosis family business isn't that attractive to me that I will willingly take on the enmity of that dark mage."

"I half expected that you were going to act like a spineless worm even when the opportunity presents itself in front of you. Despite all your cunning, you act too cautious which always works towards your own detriment." Calvin sneered at George who didn't qualify as a worthy man as per his standards.

"I just don't find it as attractive as you do. But let me say that Macrae family should not be too greedy or it wouldn't be long before the spears of the whole city would turn in the direction of your family." George wasn't willing to back down either as he warned Calvin with a smirk on his face.

"What do you mean by that?" Calvin's tone grew threatening as he heard George's caution.

"The Macrae family is already hoarding all the iron ore resources of the city. If you take in the timber business from the Sosis family as well, the burden would be too huge for even a family of your caliber to handle. Don't mind my words, but you aren't exactly the Elizabeth family when it comes to business matters. Both the businesses would deteriorate even if you manage to get your hands on the timber mining business. So why bother taking over a business that will only harm you?" George explained his reasons as to why Calvin should not take over the business of the Sosis family but the menacing look on Calvin's face didn't vanish.

"That is not what I asked. What did you mean by your words earlier?" Light flashed around Calvin and brightened the area around them like it was morning despite the fact that it was a moonless night.

"What I meant was that the tallest tree faces the most brutal wind. Even though the Macrae family might be the strongest in terms of power, you aren't exactly the best when it comes to business matters. You will earn the ire of the business families if you break the unspoken rules regarding the inheritance of the spoils. Since the Luther family won the war against the Sosis family fair and square, all the things left behind by the Sosis family should rightfully belong to the Luther family; including the timber business that you intend to take over. By going against the rule, you will be setting a precedent for this matter which can potentially cause chaos in the business community. Moreover, mage families like yours might begin to exercise their powers to take whatever they want from the families versed in the business. This action of yours would therefore be shunned by the entire business community in general and they might even oust you to prevent it from happening."

"THEY DARE?" Calvin shouted at George as if he couldn't believe that mere wealthy families dared to condemn his actions when he represented the most powerful family in the city.

"Who knows? I am simply telling you to think of all the options available to you before making a decision. Don't be in a hurry and sleep on it first." George calmed the burning anger of the leader of Macrae family as he feared for his own safety. Therefore, he chose a specifically softer tone and palette of words to appease the wrath of Calvin.

Although Calvin was quite touchy when it came to his authority and power in the city, he wasn't averse to the logic of things. He tried to see things from George's perspective and found that the things he had said were quite logical. As the meeting couldn't help him reach the final decision, Calvin called it off and headed back to his mansion in the darkness of the night.

Just as no one saw Calvin leave his home earlier, no one was able to detect him as he came back.

The things he discussed with George were circling around his head the entire time. Pacing back and forth in the lounge, Calvin considered the various implications of his actions on his own business as well as the power balance of the city. Unlike how he acted in front of George, Calvin was now cool headed and calm as he thought of the possible alternatives to this situation but compared to the sharp minded folks like the Elizabeth family, he really was muscle brained in comparison. He was prone to his impulses as he took action based on his instincts whenever he felt a threat from someone or when he liked something like a local tyrant.

Thanks to his unwillingness to reason or compromise, he was unable to come to an accurate conclusion that would solve all his problems and wouldn't cause him to face heavy repercussions of his choice.

Had it not been for his daughter Sarah who was also resting on the couch close by, Calvin might have truly remained stuck in the same situation.

Sarah stood up from the couch as she slowly circled around it and stood in front of Calvin before saying, "You don't have to worry about what George said. He is not exactly selfless either in his advice. You don't really think he was worried about you or our family suffering a loss. It is the exact opposite of that. George is a greedy man; much more than he lets on in front of you or in front of anyone for that matter. That is his persona; a mask that he uses for deception while pretending to be the well wisher. He warned you so that his relations with our family won't be compromised and at the same time he told you that he won't be trying his hands on what rightfully belongs to the Luther family. The reason behind that isn't because he isn't interested but that he doesn't want to offend either us or the Luther family until he is sure where he stands to gain the most benefit. That's why he stated his position so ambiguously so that he can figure out a loophole to grab his share from amongst the wreckage left behind by the Sosis family."

Calvin was always dumbfounded at how clever his daughter was. She was able to discern the hidden intentions behind a conversation that she wasn't even a part of. She looked like she had gotten a good grasp of the situation just from his words. He couldn't help but feel proud that the things that even left him pondering for days were solved so easily by his daughter.