Chapter 25 - Wesley's Networks

Currently in the Black Manor, two men stood at the entrance to the Master Bedroom, staring at the soundly sleeping siblings.

Wesley stood next to Neal, who was motionless, his face flushed with tears and a smile. In any other situation, Wesley would have let him stand there alone, but he still had reservations about this mysterious visitor.

After standing there for more than five minutes without either of them speaking, Wesley was the first to break the silence, whispering so as not to wake the children:

"Neal... Let’s head back to the study. We still have some things to discuss."

Neal turned his head to look at Wesley, then glanced at the sleeping children once more before nodding and closing the door. Moments later, Wesley and Neal were seated in the study, staring at each other in silence. Once again, Wesley spoke first:

"Tell me, Neal. Why would the four great families bother with your Black Family? If I heard correctly, your Black Family was neither involved in politics nor had any great wealth."

Wesley's blunt question made Neal shake his head, a resigned smile creeping onto his lips. He studied Wesley's emotionless yet youthful face, then, after a few breaths, he spoke:

"Before I answer that, who are you? How do you know what happened to my family, and why are you sheltering my nephews? Also, what was it that you were practicing in the basement?"

Neal fired off a barrage of questions. Up until this point, Wesley had been the one doing the interrogating, so Neal had no idea who this mysterious youth in front of him was. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that he had felt Wesley’s power when he first entered the basement, Neal wouldn't have taken him seriously at all.

Wesley just stared at Neal. In any other situation, Wesley would have ignored those questions, but he realized that he needed to know what this man knew. Although a year had passed since Wesley killed the Shorn Family and nothing had happened since, that didn’t mean the four families weren’t planning something. Wesley knew that those with more information had the advantage, and right now, he was at a distinct disadvantage.

"Like I said, my name is Wesley. I’m a student at the Four Moons Academy. I bought this Manor a year ago, where I met Lane and the others. They told me everything that happened and pledged an oath of service to me if I killed the Shorn Family, which I did. As for what I was practicing..."

Wesley paused for a moment, considering what to say. He didn’t want to defy his master's commands, but he needed Neal’s information. Before he could say more, Neal spoke again:

"No need to say if you don't want to. However, I would like you to release my nephews from their oath. I want to take them away from here."

Upon hearing Neal’s initial words, Wesley felt relieved that he wouldn’t have to say anything more. He realized Neal understood it was darkness, but Wesley chose to ignore this. However, when Neal spoke about releasing them from their oath, Wesley couldn’t help but feel anxious again:

"I will not do that."

Wesley emphasized the "not" in his response, making it clear that there was no way this would happen. Neal just stared at him, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts. Should he kill him, beg him, or bribe him? But after seeing the resolve in Wesley’s eyes and remembering his strange power, Neal sighed inwardly and spoke:

"I see. If you’re unwilling, then we’ll need to modify the terms of your agreement with the children."

Wesley had a strong suspicion about what Neal would say, but he asked anyway:

"How do you suggest we do that?"

"You will have to kill the four families. The Shorn Family were nothing more than lackeys. The true perpetrators of my family’s murder were the four families."

Wesley’s heart clenched. Killing the four families? How difficult would that be? The four families, combined, were comparable to any of the monarch families of the four kingdoms. Killing them wasn’t just hard, it was practically impossible. Thousands of thoughts rushed through Wesley’s mind as he tried to figure out how to handle this. The worst-case scenario was his death, and the least bad was his escape from the county. But even in the worst case, he could at most kill one or two of the families—killing all four was out of the question. Wesley looked at Neal and spoke hesitantly:

"First, you’ll tell me what I need to know. Why are the four families trying to wipe out your Black Family?"

Neal, who had been expecting Wesley to relent and release the children from their oath, was stunned by Wesley’s question. There was no way any sane person would try to take on the four families; it was practically impossible. Neal looked at Wesley with a complicated expression and replied:

"If you want to understand the grudge the four families have against the Black Family, you need to go back a thousand years. A thousand years ago, our Black Family ruled Blackreach County and were direct subjects of the Royaume Empire. However, we were not just any family; we were the Intelligence Corps of the empire. Blackreach County was our domain because of its central location, which allowed us to conduct operations and gather information from all corners of the world."

Wesley was startled by Neal’s words. Direct subjects of the empire, Intelligence Corps... he was surprised that they had managed to survive for so long. Neal continued his explanation:

"Our family’s wealth was immeasurable, so even when the empire fell, we used our wealth and spy networks to ward off all attacks on us. But as the years passed, with the collapse of our paymasters, our wealth dwindled, and we had to strip down our networks to the bone. The family elders decided that we could no longer continue down this path, so we withdrew from politics, hoping we might be forgotten one day. This plan worked to an extent, but we weren’t completely forgotten. The Four Families were once our vassals when we ruled the county, and they could never be fooled by our ruse. So, they spent every effort to wipe us out, but we always persevered with the help of our networks. Over time, as our power faded, theirs grew, and you know the rest."

Neal finished his explanation and looked at Wesley, waiting for a reaction. Wesley’s brow furrowed as he processed the information. The implications of being connected to the Royaume Empire were dire in all four kingdoms. Even his Holt Family, with its immense wealth and power, tried their best to distance themselves from the Royaume family they were descended from. But there was something else Wesley found astonishing. He looked up at Neal and said:

"There’s one thing I don’t understand. Where were you? Why did it take you three years to return?"

Neal looked at Wesley thoughtfully. He had expected this youth to panic, or at least show some awe or surprise, but aside from becoming more thoughtful, Wesley remained as stoic as a rock.

"Around four years ago, my brother and I noticed the four families were growing more aggressive. So, we came up with a plan. I would dismantle our remaining networks scattered across the four kingdoms and have them converge on Blackreach City, which would boost our power. But neither of us expected the four families to act so quickly. I returned today, only to find strangers living in our manor."

Wesley’s mind was racing, trying to figure out how to handle the situation. He had a strong feeling that the four families were aware of his connection to the Black Family, and that they knew he had killed the Shorn Family. His options were clear: either kill them or run. But he had no idea how to go about killing them. As soon as he heard Neal’s last words, though, he saw a way. Wesley’s eyes suddenly lit up as he looked at Neal:

"Neal, how did your assignment go? Are you able to set up those networks in the city?"

Wesley’s excited tone and the gleam in his eyes startled Neal. He hadn’t expected anyone to have such a reaction after hearing his words.

"Uh... Yes, it is possible to set up the networks in the city. But now that my brother is dead and our remaining wealth is gone, it is impossible to set them up."

"How much is needed?"