"What did you say?" Nova took a step forward. "Watch your words, Cesar. I'm an engaged woman!"
"Hehe, I'm not surprised," Vicente said, amused by Nova. "So, Captain, what do you want from me? Do you want to come in and talk to me more discreetly?"
Nova didn't like Cesar's teasing way. But she wanted to talk to him privately.
She took two steps forward and said. "If you don't mind, I wanted to talk to you about what happened at The Rocky Gorge before."
"Oh? I don't mind. But I thought the matter was settled." Vicente made way for her and returned to his office while his men in the surrounding area watched their boss' beautiful woman.
"It was. But I need guarantees. Because of me, you escaped your troubles before. Now, I feel the city could be in danger because of my foolish decision to return the favor you did for me." She expressed as she entered Cesar's office and was alone with him.
"The city is in danger?" Vicente repeated. "How? The city has never been safer. Now there's no threat from a 3rd-stage beast, and the main local underworld groups before my arrival are no longer a problem for Millfall."
"Of course... You've become the problem, concentrating all the danger to the town on yourself." Nova said, not surprised by Vicente's statement, which obviously meant he was now the real controller of the Scarlet Syndicate.
Unfortunately, knowing that wouldn't help Nova at all.
"That's the wrong way to look at it, Captain. I'm an active member of this society. I'm as interested in the welfare of Millfall as you are." Vicente said in his defense.
Nova's eyes narrowed. "I am not sure about that. But from my testimony at the Martial Court, you've had a chance to get where you are. I'm afraid that if you continue as you are, you'll become a danger to the city, and I'll have blood on my hands."
Vicente's eyebrows knitted. "Are you here to charge me, Captain? I thought you weren't..."
"Tsk! I don't want your support or bribes, Cesar." Nova felt offended. "I want your promise that you won't use your position to oppress the innocent population, as the Scarlet Syndicate and the Defiant Tyranny have done in the past.
If you can't guarantee that, I'm afraid our good relationship will end here. I will have you apprehended for the deaths of the soldiers at my side in The Rocky Gorge!"
"Oh?" Vicente was surprised, not knowing whether to be happy that Nova hadn't come to him to be corrupted or worried about her threat.
"Captain, if you do this, your career will be over. Not only will you lose your position, but you'll be treated as a traitor to the kingdom. You will..."
"I will be sentenced to death if I do this." Nova finished Vicente's words. "But so will you, Cesar. If you don't make a deal with me, your head will be on a pole next to mine."
Vicente fell silent after hearing this, leaning his back against the back of his chair as he stared into Nova's determined gaze.
'Would you be willing to sacrifice yourself to stop me?' He looked at her carefully.
"Your boyfriend would be sad about that, wouldn't he? Don't you care about him?" Vicente asked.
"He'll understand," Nova said as her eyes reddened a little. "But that doesn't have to happen. You just have to make a deal with me. We'll be fine as long as you don't intentionally threaten innocent people and stay away from the army."
"What if I choose a third path?" Vicente asked as Nova moved one of her hands to the sword at her waist.
"Then..."
Just as she was about to say something, he interrupted her. "Captain, my situation is currently more complicated than you think. Maybe you don't need to worry about me. Before you came here, I was visited by a Mage from Ironcrest."
"A Mage from Ironcrest?" Nova was surprised.
"He was here to threaten me. If I don't give up my goals and dreams, he will kill me as soon as he can do so." Vicente said, telling the truth.
Vicente was no fool. He knew that the time Kohen had given him wasn't entirely true!
If he decided to join Kohen's group before that man's group was ready to take action against him, that man's promises would be valid. But if he didn't decide by then, that man's group from Ironcrest would act appropriately against him!
'Mister Reeves, you don't fool me...' Vicente looked out his office window. 'You haven't acted against me just because of Bart. But will that stop your group from eliminating a threat like me?'
The Congregation of Revelations might even agree to coexist with him. However, if Vicente wanted to go down the path of trying to overcome all the limitations of this world and add special pentagrams to his being in his next advancements, then he could become a danger to that faction.
As someone who had already been identified, it would only be a matter of time before the temple decided to eliminate him to prevent them from being harmed in the future!
"Do you understand my situation, Captain? In a few weeks, I may not even be alive to worry you..." Vicente said, trying to get Nova away from this business in a peaceful way.
Nova hadn't expected this, but considering Cesar's current power, she didn't doubt the truth of his words.
"Is this serious? Why would someone do that?" She asked.
Nova had her own reasons for wanting to take action against Cesar. But that was mostly because of her honesty and concern for his position in Millfall, as her actions made Vicente's journey possible.
For other people who might accept strange and not-so-honest deals, as was the case with most people in this world, wanting to go that far with Cesar was strange.
"Because I'm a threat." Vicente bitterly smiled beneath his mask. "The Congregation of Revelations doesn't mess around, Captain. Either I join them, or I'll be branded with the mark of death. Either way, I won't be a problem for you."
She opened her mouth and her eyes wide, understanding why Cesar seemed so pessimistic after such good results on this day.
"I didn't imagine that..."
But Vicente's eyes lit up, and he decided to turn the tables on her.
"If you insist, I'm willing to sign an agreement with you, Captain. That will guarantee my men will follow the terms of this agreement even after my fall. But in return, you'll have to help me with something within the army."
"What do you want?"
