CEO in a Fantasy World 3

by Tristan H Brown

  Veronica scrunched up the paper in her hands and ground her teeth angrily, "that damn bastard disappeared on us when we needed him most, this is the early stages of the business! When he gets back, I swear I'll resign, yes… I'll resign!" she spoke to herself in a crazed manner, soon, her eyes rested on the giant bag of coins in the corner of her room.

  This was her share of the money gained from the current weapon orders, without taxation, the amount of money she earned in these last few months was double her typical annual salary. The expression on her face soon calmed as she sat back in her chair.

  She rhythmically tapped the desk as she peered down on a small piece of paper, it was much cleaner and elegant than the articles around it… the sides of it were decorated with coiled dragons while the text was printed in a deep red color.

  'To the Earl of War, we are pleased to invite you to the council of 'Requiem' as our 8th member, as you probably have already heard, we are a council that works in the underground, hidden in the cracks and crevices, far from human eyes. We will not only help conceal your identity, but you will also obtain an equal ranking amongst us as a member. This, of course, is not for free, as you will become a new branch amongst our council, you will naturally need to supply us with a minimum amount of supplies every year. And I'm sure this wouldn't pose too much difficulty to a man of your esteem. Granted, you will gain access to our connection in doing so, as well. Please do think about it, Yours truly - The Fool.'

  Veronica read parts of the letter out loud while just scanning through the rest, such as the location of where they needed to submit a reply. Her brows furrowed as she read the rest, "how did he get the attention of such big shots so quickly? This is both fortune and calamity," Veronica said with exasperation.

  According to her limited knowledge, 'Requiem' was a big-time underground organization that dealt with many things, such as assassins, lawyers, and ever doctors, all of which was done illegally and completed without question. Their connections were vast.

  Veronica once again frantically scratched her head, "unfortunately, the so-called Earl of War you sent a message too, is having a vacation with his bride!" she roared out with indignation and started to think of a way to respond.

  ***

  Caesar, who was currently sound asleep, would have no idea about Veronica's grievances. Soon, afternoon came, and the lights seeped into the room as if signaling to both Caesar and Renee, it was time to get up.

  The afternoon light gleamed on Caesar's face as he pushed the covers aside and stood up, he stretched his limbs and yawned loudly.

  Feeling Caesar's movement, Renee also woke up. She had nearly slept for 24 hours since their 'session'... the physical taxation was clearly evident. She blinked her sleepy eyes as she slowly raised her upper body while covering her nude breasts with the sheets.

  She looked similar to a sleeping cat, nestling close to the covers as she glanced around the room with curiosity until her sights landed on Caesar.

  Caesar pulled back the hair draping over his eyes and sleeked it back, uncovering his elegant and handsome face. Seeing this, Renee didn't have much of a reaction and walked to her nearby closet to get a set of clothes.

  Noticing his attempt at seduction was a failure, Caesar chuckled dryly and walked into the bathroom, he briefly washed up and walked back out of the door just to see a red object fly toward his face.

  Caesar raised his hands and caught the projectile out of reflex, contrary to his expectations. It was soft, he raised his eyes and looked at Renee who had thrown this at him.

  "Just wear it, I asked a few of my well-trained maids to make it for you… your height and width have already been accounted for," Renee explained.

  Caesar nodded his head and began to inspect the clothes Renee had given him. It was a dark crimson kimono with a yellow flower pattern etched on to the chest area.

  Caesar took off his current sleepwear and put the kimono on. He tied the sash, and soon, he donned the kimono. It had a deep crease, fully showcasing his pecs and sagged slightly, giving him a more 'calming' atmosphere.

  Renee nodded her head excitedly, "mmhmm, I knew that you would look great in our ancestral clothing!" she said.

  Caesar shook his head with a wry smile. He didn't quite like the unprofessional look it gave him, alas, if Renee requested it, he didn't mind wearing the kimono every now and then.

  He walked toward the door and turned the knob, but as he was about to walk out, he looked as though he remembered something and turned to face Renee.

  "Ah, would you like to go adopt another child together?" he asked slyly.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  "Surely, you jest?" Renee spoke with a higher octave than usual. It was clear that Caesar's question had caught her off guard.

  Caesar tapped his chin with his index finger, "perhaps not a daughter, but at the very least, I will become her godfather… as I promised, I will give her a life worth living," Caesar said with a strange gleam in his eyes.

  "Wait, wait, hold on a second, who are you even referring to? I'm confused," Renee couldn't help but tilt her head in confusion.

  "The assassin that had infiltrated your room a few nights ago, to get her to align with us, I promised her a better life compared to what she had prior, naturally, at the cost of some information," Caesar explained.

  Renee massaged her forehead with the palm of her hands, "are you sure that's a good idea? What if she gives you false information, how can you trust her?"

  Caesar's expression darkened as he squinted his eyes, "I pride myself in being able to see through someone's character, however, if I do find out that she still holds loyalty to her previous master… I will personally dispose of her" a light smile suddenly appeared on his face as he continued.

  "Alas, that would be the worst-case scenario, I don't believe she is a bad person. I would even go to say that she has wanted to leave her master for a long time now subconsciously. If not, she would've killed herself while in the jail cell, or at the very least, killed that human soldier stuck in there with her"

  Renee shook her head with a wry smile, "I suppose you're right, but please be careful. I would join you, but I have my duties as Empress, mainly the work that my grandfather is too lazy to complete," she said with a disgruntled tone and tidied up her clothes.

  Seeing her regretful expression, Caesar gently pat her head for a few moments before walking out of the door. Once he exited, he immediately took off the kimono she gave him and put on a more western raven black suit. It sported a long overcoat with two silver chains draped from his right shoulder to his left.

  The guards at the side had their mouths wide open in bewilderment, "e-esteemed strategist, why are you stripping all of a sudden?" one of them gained the courage to ask.

  "Ah, you know, relationship things," Caesar replied curtly to which both guards nodded their heads with an understanding look.

  "We completely understand, don't worry, your secret is safe with us!"

  Caesar raised his eyes and looked at both of the guards. He had a strange suspicion that they may have misunderstood something, alas, he didn't care enough to correct them. Once he finished changing, he quickly headed toward the jail cells where Ronny and the girl were located.

  Caesar passed the long corridors, and soon that gloomy room with dim-lit torches entered his line of sight, he walked by the neatly arranged jail cells with steady steps until he arrived in front of the last one.

  The cell door was still open, as Caesar had left it. He walked inside and scanned the room. However, what he saw, no, what he didn't see, caused the temperature to drop a few degrees.

  The assassin girl was nowhere to be seen, and just Ronny, who was loudly snoring, was left in the room. The smile on Caesar's face froze as he approached Ronny and nudged him with his feet.

  "Hmm, huh, oh, M-Marshall, I mean, Mr. strategist, what do you need of this lowly servant?" Ronny's drowsiness vanished once he saw Caesar's cold face, this was the same face he had when he '
trained' that crown prince… Just the thought of it made Ronny shiver in fear.

  "When did the woman leave"? Caesar asked.

  "H-huh? A few guards came in here and took her away. She tried resisting at first, but once they told her that you were the one who ordered it, she stopped resisting," Ronny stuttered while telling the story, even an idiot was capable of realizing that Caesar didn't order anything.

  "When did this happen, and why did they not do anything to you?" Caesar asked coldly.

  "I-it happened about an hour ago, I-I was faking my sleep, s-so they didn't pay any attention to me," Ronny said.

  Caesar crouched down and became eye level with Ronny, "If I find out you're lying to me… you know the consequences, right?"

  Ronny gulped a mouthful of saliva and nodded his head up and down, "I wouldn't dare lie to you!" he said.

  Caesar tapped Ronny's cheek with the palm of his hands and smiled widely, "it's good you understand" he replied while standing up and walking out of the jail cell, however, right as he was about to leave, he glanced one last time at Ronny.

  "Oh, one last thing, we're going to need to have an in-depth talk, it was already weird for a human to be in the dark continent, but for you to refer to me as the Marshall when you first saw me…" Caesar's words trailed off as he knew that Ronny would understand the just of his words, and without waiting for his reply, he walked out of the jail cell.

  After closing and locking the jail cell, he walked out of the room and entered back into the corridors, although he didn't think Ronny had any ill intentions, it was probably safer for him to be locked in there.

  'The security in this place is an utter disappointment. I suppose keeping an eye on one person is too tiresome a task for the guards stationed here,' Caesar thought to himself while walking through the halls.

  He tried sensing for the girl's mana, but to his disappointment, he couldn't detect a strand of her mana, let alone pinpoint her location.

  Caesar didn't hesitate to kick off the ground and head towards Musashi's residence at the quickest speed he could muster. As if a turbulent wind moved through the halls, the vases, pictures, and other decor fell off the walls.

  In a scant 15 seconds, Caesar reached Musashi's door and slammed it open, revealing Musashi writing on a few pieces of paper while sitting at his desk.

  Musashi snapped his head in shock at Caesar's abrupt appearance, "what's the rush!?" he asked while standing up from his chair.

  "Average looking human lass, probably around 18 years old, cold face, short brown hair, being escorted by a few guards… lock down your stronghold. Don't let anyone leave until we find her," Caesar said in a straightforward breath.

  Understanding the gravity of the matter, Musashi quickly exited his room and went to order the guards stationed in front of his door, soon, the entire stronghold received simple orders.

  "Find the human girl!"

  Seeing Musashi's quick work, he didn't laze around and immediately went to go find the girl… 'if memory serves me right, because of the troll threat, they won't allow anyone to exit the stronghold unless they have a reason for doing so, such as hunting... ' he thought to himself while walking down the corridor.

  Even if they got ahold of her an hour ago, it wasn't possible they already snuck out of the stronghold, unless, of course, there was a secret path that Musashi and himself weren't aware of, though, it was unlikely. Leaving the most plausible scenarios being, they either brought her to somewhere secret and silenced her, or they are hiding. The former being much more feasible.

  Caesar clicked his tongue in displeasure; the information the girl contained was probably more abundant than he had initially thought. Once he opened her up a bit more, he was planning on getting all of the information she had to offer, alas. It would appear that his plan has gone off track.

  The aura around Caesar was freezing cold, and everyone that passed by him couldn't help but shiver in fear.

  "Once I win that tournament Musashi is holding, I'm going to enjoy purging each and every traitor in this damned stronghold," Caesar whispered to himself vehemently.

  The only thing Caesar hated more than betrayal, was when his plans went awry, not to mention, his plans only failed due to the traitorous scum within the fox-kin army. If he had full control over the fox-kin, he would have already conducted a large-scale purge. Nonetheless, he would need to wait until the tournament to obtain such a significant influence.

  "We'll see where you can hide after I'm done refurbishing the place."

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  The entire fox-kin stronghold was frantic. Everyone was trying their best to find the human girl. Remarkably, even the clan heads had mobilized their elites at Musashi's orders.

  Caesar, who was just one person, wasn't capable of searching the entire stronghold himself, thankfully, with the fox-kins' fast mobilization, news of the girl's whereabouts soon reached his ears.

  "Sir, W-we've found the girl you're looking for… at least, we think so," An average looking guard anxiously reported to Caesar.

  "Bring me to her," Caesar replied without a hint of emotion, to which the guard gulped a mouthful of saliva and began walking north, out of the mansion.

  They took a few turns, and about 5 minutes later, they approached a relatively large tent, a few dozen soldiers currently surrounded it, and Musashi, himself, was present.

  Once they caught sight of Caesar, the atmosphere turned even more gloomy. The guards were too ashamed to even look him in the eyes, while Musashi just shook his head with furrowed brows.

  Seeing their reaction, Caesar's dark premonition was turning out to be more and more likely, alas, his footsteps didn't stop, he soon reached the white tent and pulled back the flaps to step inside.

  A foul stench immediately assaulted Caesar's nose, he furrowed his brows and looked down, the entire tent was filled with blood. He could see splatters of blood on the side of the tent alongside a few rips. It was clear she resisted.

  Lying in the middle of the tent, was an unrecognizable body, her face and limbs had taken radical damage, and it would appear they used some savage torture techniques on her.

  The blood was incredibly fresh, as it had happened within the last hour, Caesar stroked his chin and calculated, 'it should've taken them about 20 minutes to get here, not to mention the amount of time they spent in here… they couldn't have gone far,' he thought inwardly and rummaged through the body.

  Seeing the massive amounts of cuts, Caesar's frown deepened, soon, he found a white envelope under the girls dress. He grabbed the envelope and delicately opened it, revealing a small letter.

  -"Dear Caesar, at the very least, I think that's your name… Anyhow, I just wanted to thank you for keeping my property safe, I mean, 'it' failed a mission and thought 'it' could live? Haha, her screams of indignation brought shivers to my body. If it were before, perhaps it wouldn't have even had a reaction. So, I have to thank you for the joy you've brought me. On a different note, Renee looks good in the bath, those curves, and supple lips, oh my, I can't wait until I get a taste."

  After reading the contents of the letter, Caesar directly crushed it, the smile on his face disappeared, and a burst of loud laughter escaped from the tent.

  The ominous feeling the laughter contained made those waiting outside of the tent sweat profusely, after a few seconds, the laughter stopped, and Caesar walked out of the tent.

  He looked at the back of his wrist as if he was looking at a watch, "I've spent quite a bit of time here, I suppose I should speed up the process…" he whispered indiscernibly and raised his eyes to look at the fox-kin currently looking at him.

  "Strip," he ordered.

  Musashi and everyone present widened their eyes in surprise, "why are you suddenly ordering something so strange?" one of them couldn't help but ask.

  Caesar took a step forward and looked at his long fingernails, "the lass had remnants of skin under her nails, alongside the obvious signs of resistance. Whoever did this, w
ould naturally have some fresh scratch marks.

  Musashi nodded in realization, "but wouldn't the perpetrators have already left?" he asked.

  "Hiding in plain sight is sometimes the best place to hide, alas, I'm tired of being nice, I won't repeat myself a second time," he replied.

  The fox-kin guards around them all looked at Musashi for confirmation. It was clear they still weren't entirely willing to be ordered by Caesar.

  Musashi nodded his head, and the fox-kin started to take off their clothes, of course, they left their undergarments on, no one wanted to see their family jewels.

  Soon, a few dozen semi-nude guards were standing next to the tent, shivering from the cold breeze, all of them were hugging their shivering bodies.