468 Another Burial

After talking to his men, Vicente met with Sarah Mercer, who noticed his return and quickly walked into Don Mazzanti's office.

"You're still here, huh? I didn't expect to see you again." Vicente commented as he took off his mask and looked at Sarah with interest.

She smiled at him, curious to know how he had fared alone in the Wolfrior Forest.

"You really didn't expect me? After our day, I thought you'd want to see me again." She murmured. "But perhaps your journey in the Wolfrior Forest has changed you..."

"In a way, yes," Vicente said, though not in the way Sarah had imagined. "But I am still interested in you. I think I can use you in a way that is 'pleasurable' for both of us..."

"Oh?"

"Then I will open the doors of my group to you. A Mid-level Mage like you can contribute to the growth of the Mazzanti family."

She smiled. "I'm ready to serve you..."

"And you will. I want you to start working with Rory and the rest of the family. There are still things for my group to do to have absolute control over Millfall. But I want you to start preparing my group for the day when we expand our territory.

You'll be in charge of scouting out the following towns we enter and making sure we succeed. Your rewards will not be small, so work hard."

"I can do that." She stood and went to his side. "Shall I begin, or perhaps you would like me to do something else?"

Seeing her bite her lips, Vicente closed his eyes and smiled, feeling a different sensation than he had with Nova. Sarah liked to play games and knew how to provoke the opposite gender. It wasn't easy for him to ignore his tension with her, especially considering his current frustrations.

"Did you lock the door?" He asked as he used one of his hands to take her onto his lap.

"No." She said softly, sending goosebumps up her neck.

Vicente moved one of his hands, and then the lock clicked.

"We don't have much time, but I'll give you your welcome gift..."

He laughed as he opened his eyes, then kissed her fervently, returning to what they had done in the provincial prison.

...

Forty minutes later, Vicente and Sarah finished their business and separated to attend to their own affairs.

She stayed at the Mazzanti estate to begin the work Vice had assigned her while he made his way to the local cemetery for the Staples family funeral.

He already knew about the event scheduled for earlier in the evening, so he was in a hurry to clear things up with Sarah.

After switching identities, he went to the gravesite and soon encountered several nobles and important local figures.

"Miss Staples, I am sorry for your loss. But you must be strong now. That little boy will need you very much." Vicente said as he stood in front of Shelby.

Hearing this, the woman stepped forward with a handkerchief in her hand, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Thank you, Vicente. People like you are all I have now." She said in a tone that made it hard to doubt her feelings as she slowly hugged him.

"You're really good at what you do..." He said just for her to hear, unable to stop praising her level of performance.

Shelby said. "I have to be genuine. There are people who are suspicious of me."

"Won't you get in trouble hugging me like this? People are already looking at us strangely." Vicente muttered as he noticed this with his aura, his eyes closed.

"What trouble could there be? At most, they'll think that you and I are romantically involved. But now that I don't have anyone to force me into marriage, that's not a problem. I can be with whoever I want." She said, trying not to smile at him. "If I want, I can be your girlfriend now..."

"That wouldn't be hard to believe," Vicente mumbled playfully. "Our relationship already seems strange to many people."

She let out a small laugh that only he heard and then changed the subject. "Let's leave our 'dating' aside for now. How was your trip? Successful? Were there any problems we should be aware of?"

"I'd say my performance was about 80% perfect."

"And the other 20%?" She worried as she pulled her face away from his, a little concerned.

"I had to show my face and aura to a Sovereign before entering the provincial prison. If he sees me again, he'll immediately realize who I am and what I've done."

Gulp!

'That would be terrible!'

"That is terrible! How can you tell me that so calmly?" She felt her heart beat faster.

"Only if he finds me again. But I'm already a Mid-level Mage, and I don't want to get into trouble for a while, Shelby. Maybe I'll be strong enough to deal with him when we meet again."

"I hope you're right. Unlike you, I couldn't stand the pressure of a Sovereign." She said in a more serious tone, but she was a little relieved to discover his current cultivation.

"Sigh, but you're right, there's no danger for now. We've succeeded in our plans, and now it's time to reap the rewards. I'll start helping you as soon as my position is solidified."

"I know." Vicente smiled.

Their agreement wasn't just for her benefit. Not only was Snow Claw an enemy of the province's largest underworld faction, which could help Vicente have one less competitor in the future, but Shelby would also work to help him on the side of the nobility.

There were many things that only nobles could do or accomplish in this kingdom. Therefore, becoming the controller of a Viscount title would give her several advantages.

"How long will this take?" He asked her as he turned away and looked into her eyes again.

"A month at the most. I've heard from some informants that the soldiers coming from the capital have already stopped investigating the deaths of my relatives and the Symons family. This means that the king's envoys will be coming to town soon to appoint a new Viscount and a new Baron."

He liked what he heard. "Very well, I'll wait for that. I have some things to do that will keep me busy for a few days, so I'll use this time without any problems."

So their brief reunion ended, and Vicente soon joined the people mourning the loss of Shelby's family members while the burial continued.