When they saw the metals of the decoration near Vicente floating in the air like parts of a liquid, everyone there except Casey turned their attention to it.
At first, none of them associated what they saw with the powers of Cesar Mazzanti, someone who had become famous in the local underworld and whom they knew of.
Their first thought was that Vicente was demonstrating his powers to show them his ability to fulfill what he was offering them. But soon, those more attuned to local news shifted their thoughts and connected the person in front of them to a rising mercenary in Millfall.
"That..."
Lukas also noticed the similarity between Vicente's powers and those of Cesar Mazzanti and looked at him differently, but he couldn't help but be fascinated by the skill of his contact.
'This skill is perfect for forging! I hadn't imagined Cesar Mazzanti's potential as a blacksmith!' He thought as he also considered his closeness to Vicente and whether it would be good to make a deal with someone with so many problems.
Lukas and his associates didn't know the details of what was happening in Millfall's underworld. They knew about the organizations that existed and the noble families that supported them and got involved in some problems. But even if they didn't know what Vicente was involved in, they knew those things could put them in danger.
That was a point they had to consider!
'So, he's revealing his identity to prove his powers of persuasion.' The only woman there thought as she admired Vicente's magical abilities.
Her eyes narrowed as she watched him form a mechanism and realize his potential.
'Vicente Fuller is a blacksmith, but he can also be an engineer!'
The skills of blacksmiths and engineers were not so different. In fact, they were complementary, and one with the ability for the other could venture into both fields if they wished.
Of course, each person would have stronger or weaker affinities for one side or the other. Still, someone capable of creating mechanisms could truly follow both paths.
The difficult part would be the path to follow, with more time for study and training.
Realizing Vicente's potential, the engineer became even more interested in him because having access to someone with a good talent for her profession could help her develop her own powers more easily.
Thinking about his potential, she saw that there were clear benefits to a relationship with Vicente, even if he was Cesar Mazzanti.
"So you're Cesar Mazzanti..." The doctor commented.
"I didn't expect someone like that to be so young and even closer to us." The other engineer, a young man with short green hair, said as he watched Vicente stop using his ability.
Casey stood silently next to Vicente, his hands behind his back as he stared intently at the group in front of him.
Meanwhile, Vicente had a smile on his face before he opened his mouth to speak again, this time having already revealed his secret to them.
"That's right. In the darkness of the city, I use this other name to operate locally and do some business that could put a target on my back. However, I'm not revealing who I am to frighten you. I want you to understand that I propose you to join the Mazzanti family, not House Fuller."
"Wouldn't that be the same?" Lukas laughed.
"No. I wouldn't be able to explain the hiring of you or the promotion of my men. But at House Mazzanti, I can do that without attracting attention." Vicente looked at Lukas and continued. "But don't get me wrong. You coming into my family doesn't mean I will give you guns and masks so you can work with my men.
On the contrary, you will have little or no contact with my people. But you won't have to work for anyone else and will be available to serve our needs from afar.
All contact between us will be made to keep the secret of who you will be working for as much as possible, which could significantly reduce the risks of you joining the family."
"Still, there would be no guarantees..." The engineer commented.
Vicente looked at that brown-haired woman named Rose Eaton and agreed. "Yes, I can't deny that. But the reward you will receive for the risks you take will not be small.
I'll pay each of you 40 gold coins a month, no matter how much work you do. In addition, I'll pay for all the ingredients, spells, materials, and, in short, everything you need to produce what I ask for.
In addition, I'll give you 10% of what you produce for yourself, and I'll also pay for any exams you need to take to improve your position in your profession. Of course, I'll also give you resources such as pills and potions."
What Vicente offered them was superb. There had to be a catch because no one would just give something away.
Behind the many benefits were the dangers of associating with him.
These young people looked at each other in silence as they thought about it, attracted by Vicente's offer but also afraid.
Not only was Vicente likely to get into a lot of trouble because of his identity as Cesar, he was a danger to them all!
As someone capable of killing people without blinking an eye, he was a hazardous man for these people, most of whom didn't know how to fight.
John North, a young man with short white hair, took a deep breath and asked. "What happens if we refuse your offer?"
Everyone there looked at Vicente, putting aside whatever was on their minds to listen to what he had to say, all feeling tense.
Vicente smiled and pointed to Casey. "I'll let my friend here take care of you..."
Gulp!
Everyone felt their hearts beat faster as they looked at Casey.
Vicente finished his speech. "He will erase your memories of this encounter, and we can go on with our lives as if nothing had happened."
'Damn it, Vicente! You nearly scared me to death!' Lukas used one hand to prop himself up on a table as he stood, but he could feel his legs weakening.
He knew how to fight and had a lot of strength, but he wasn't sure he could defend himself against either of the two visitors.
The others also breathed more deeply as they relaxed their bodies, feeling what was to come after so much tension.
They had all felt their hearts racing after the first part of Vicente's speech!
Seeing their situation, Vicente smiled at how easily he had fooled them. "Anyway, your lives are not in danger if you're worried about that. I don't want unconnected people in my family. If you don't want to, you don't have to take the risks or have the opportunities I offer.
So please, make a choice. Whatever it is, I'll accept it."
