Return to Jorgaldur Volume IV: Reunion

Old Friends (II)

"Let's end the meeting for today. We all have work to do," the great boss of the Chamber of Commerce interrupted.

The rest of them looked at her in surprise for a moment, but quickly nodded. They collected the papers and returned to their offices. They weren't too surprised, as it wasn't the first time a meeting had been suspended like this. Probably, there was an urgent matter or an important visit.

"This's really unexpected," she said to herself.

She made sure the office door was closed, and opened a secret hatch. The opening of the wall made her smile. Her visitor had been disappointed in the past because it wasn't among the books instead of on the wall. It was certainly a curious opinion.

She came to a room with several magic circles inscribed on the floor, and activated one of them after entering it. Immediately, she disappeared from there to materialize in a distant place.

"Hi, Gjaki. What brings you here? Do you have something to sell?" she greeted her, with hope in her voice.

Every time she brought something to sell, it was usually an extraordinary item. She wished it was the reason for her visit.

"Hi, Tihgla. I'm afraid I don't bring such good news," the vampiress returned the greeting.

"Oh. What happened?" she asked, half curious and somewhat worried. That Gjaki came in person to bring bad news wasn't encouraging.

When the vampiress began to tell her, at first she felt somewhat incredulous, because it wasn't so important that an employee had been disrespectful. Sure, they would have to discipline him at the very least, but it was no reason for the big boss and the Blood Queen to meet.

When Gjaki told her about the auction house's attitude towards Johil's threats during the bidding, she began to get irritated. While it wasn't enough for Gjaki to come in person, it was a major problem for them. It would tarnish the Chamber of Commerce's reputation, if it wasn't already happening.

She had to confirm it, and put an end to it as soon as possible, publicly, strictly and unequivocally. It had to be a warning. Also, she had to investigate if something similar was happening in other delegations. Maybe, it was time for another massive purge. The last one had been more than twenty years ago. Some were getting too comfortable.

However, it was when the vampiress explained that they had been ambushed on the way out, and that Jonmio had been the one who had revealed it to Johil, that she lost control of herself for a moment. A small table suffered the consequences, as it was broken in two.

"You still have the same temper," Gjaki smiled, while raising her eyebrows slightly.

"I'm sorry, this's unacceptable. I don't know what I can do to apologize on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. Ask for whatever you want as compensation. I assure you that I'll take care of this. They'll pay for it," a visibly embarrassed and enraged rat demihuman promised.

She even stood up and bowed deeply, asking forgiveness for the subordinates' acts. She was feeling extremely humiliated by their attitude. What they had done, especially Jonmio, broke all the rules of the entity she presided over. What was worse, all the trust they had to convey.

"That's enough for me. At least, you haven't changed. I'm really glad," the vampire said. "Although... Maybe, there's someone I'd like to recommend."

After the meeting with the vampiress, Tihgla didn't return directly to her office, but rather teleported to another room. There was barely a table with a sphere on it, as well as a chair.

She sat down and activated the sphere with mana and a drop of her blood. Only the supreme leader of the Chamber of Commerce had access there. She closed her eyes and projected a mental image of her target.

"Boss? What's up?" a jovial voice answered in her mind.

"I have a job for you. Would you like to go to the City of Light for some investigations? The payment is good, but it has to be quick," she proposed.

"Sure! What do I need to do?" he accepted without hesitation.

It didn't take her long to explain the situation. He needed to check the information she had obtained from Gjaki, and uncover everyone involved. Also, he had to make sure they didn't escape, and not arouse suspicion.

"A fun little job. It had been a long time since I had one of these. I'll arrive in a couple of days. Anything else?"

"It's not a priority. If you have time, investigate an employee named Lakniba. Family, friends, colleagues, what they think of her," Tihgla asked.

"Oh. It sounds like a promotion. How high?"

"If she's as trustworthy as the person who recommended her says, she's not a talent that we can let slip away."

"Lina, can you explain what's happened? Why have you come back so beaten and with that mark on your face?" her mother asked her, between worried and scared. She had recognized the brand.

"Mom, dad... Well... We were with Johil and..."

"Tulno, what've you done!? This's... very serious," his father asked him, terrified.

"Well, Johil wanted to teach a lesson to..."

"Likno, Likna, how did this happen to you!? Who's the culprit!?" their parents asked them, indignant.

"This... We were at the auction and..." one of them began to explain.

Similar scenes took place in the homes of several wealthy families. None of their children dared to hide the truth from them, because they knew that their parents would end up finding out anyway, and it would be worse. Most of their parents were friends, and would talk to each other.

The reactions were different, although they could be grouped into three.

The first ones were terrified at the possibility of earning the animosity or hatred of the Blood Queen. They feared retaliation or repercussions on their businesses. Their reaction was to send long letters of apology and even gifts.

The second ones were angry with their children. It wasn't because of the bad luck of having met the Blood Queen, but because of their unacceptable behavior. They felt they had failed as parents. These parents apologized to Gjaki, and promised to discipline their children. It is true that some of these also belonged to the first group, so the fear for their commercial interests was added.

Then, there were those who had become angry at their children's suffering, and gave little importance to their behavior. Perhaps, there was a minor punishment, which would never be harsher than not being able to leave until the mark disappeared. Covering it up wasn't an option, as word would soon spread. Someone with their cheek covered would be pointed out on the street.

Of this last group, there were those who even sent angry letters asking for explanations, which found their resting place in the mansion's fireplace.

Gjaki marked the latter group as hopeless. She didn't know what to think about the first group, and the second made her not lose hope. That they were favored in trade with the Blood Kingdom was a coincidence. Probably?