[Asheford Manor, London, England, November 2022]
"I must say, I'm quite happy with this arrangement. I've been trying to get that boss of yours to play at my venue for the past three years. I'm glad that she's finally agreed to it after so long." A thin woman who appeared to be in her mid-forties with long, auburn hair, alabaster skin, blue eyes, and a sharp face said with a smile hidden behind her gemstone-decorated fan.
"I get what you mean." A man replied just before taking a sip of the expensive tea that was offered to him only minutes ago. The man had shoulder-length black hair, olive skin, steel-blue eyes, and a face that many would consider to be quite handsome in terms of attractiveness. "But try not to hold it against her. Elaine's schedule has been pretty packed for the last year or so. And doing a show like this when she isn't actively touring is a bit of a trial for us."
"Yes, yes, I understand." The woman nodded. "That last thing I want is to get in the way of her work. I know just how difficult it must be to manage her career while coordinating operations in your country. We may both be Branch Heads, but she certainly has more on her plate than I do these days."
"Thank you for your consideration."
"Oh, don't mention it, Mr. Conley!"
Duncan Conley, a twenty-six-year-old member of one of America's Nine Families and one of Elaine MacNamara's direct subordinates, simply smiled at the woman in response. Unlike the rest of his group, who were still back home in the States, he was currently out on a mission that required his direct involvement. One that was more than a matter of simple business regarding his boss's upcoming concert.
At the moment, the dark-haired man was talking to none other than Jane Asheford, otherwise known as the 3rd Viscountess of Upton Snobsbury. An illustrious woman who was not only a key member of the British House of Lords, but also both a member of the British Ministry of Arcane Affairs, and the infamous organization known to sorcerers across the world as the Clock Tower.
She also just so happened to be the fifth Branch of Iznana, the woman responsible for overseeing all operations throughout Europe on behalf of the criminal organization.
The two Iznana members had been sitting in the lavishly decorated parlor of one of the woman's many homes across the country for quite some time now. They had been there for the last few hours discussing the matter of Elaine's upcoming concert. One that was going to be taking place at Lady Asheford's concert venue in a few weeks' time. But now that all of that was out of the way, it was time for them to change topics and talk about a more interesting matter.
"Now then, about that other thing that we discussed a few days ago…." Duncan leaned forward in his seat as his face adopted a more serious expression.
The aristocratic woman took a second to place her drink down on the gilded coffee table that sat between the two of them and crossed one leg over the other in anticipation of what was about to happen next. She already knew why the man had decided to drop by today, and she was certainly looking forward to hearing what he had to say.
"Yes, well…" The woman placed her hand on her cheek and adopted a faux-pensive look. "Simply put, I'm still having a hard time believing that MacNamara's plan is even real. Don't get me wrong, the whole thing sounds like a wonderful opportunity for us. But…whether or not such a scheme can actually bear fruit is another matter entirely."
"I understand." Duncan simply nodded as he waited for her to continue. If nothing else, this woman loved to hear the sound of her own voice. He learned that the hard way after talking to her so many times over the last couple of weeks.
"I'm also not a fan of how secretive she's being about the whole thing. As you already know, I hate going over the organization's head when I don't need to, especially since that man is now in charge of Iznana. I don't know about you, but I care about my life too much."
Duncan found it hard to argue with that point. After all, with what they were planning to do, there was bound to be some pushback from some of the other Iznana Branch Heads across the world. And that went double, maybe even triple, for the individual who has been in charge of the entire organization for the past four years. Even if everything went according to Elaine's plan, the chaos that would no doubt come as a result of it would greatly affect the organization as a whole for the foreseeable future.
"However, just between you and me, I'm willing to lend her my support when the time comes. So long as she keeps my name out of it until it actually happens." The woman then said while pointing her fan at the man.
That was practically music to the man's ears. Granted, it wasn't exactly the answer that he was looking for, but it was close enough. In all honesty, he expected the woman to completely shoot down the offer he had made to her on Elaine's behalf. So, the fact that she was even willing to play ball was a miracle in and of itself.
"That's wonderful to hear-"
Lady Asheford was quick to cut Duncan off before he could finish what he was about to say. "That being said, I'm going to need something in return for my troubles."
"Like what?" The man asked, albeit a bit cautiously.
"There's a certain man with whom I need to do away with. One that's been a particular thorn in my side for quite some time."
Needless to say, Duncan did not like where this conversation was going.
"Who?" The dark-haired man asked as he brought his hands up to his face.
"A fellow member of the Ministry of Arcane Affairs. One that's been snooping around my ongoing operations in Ireland for the past few months. If you can do away with him in the near future, I'd be willing to give your boss some more active support."
"And how do you expect me to do that?"
"As it just so happens to be, this man is going on vacation in the US with one of his sons. And the two of you are miraculously going to be on the same flight in a couple of days."
"It almost sounds like you had this planned out in advance."
"It does, doesn't it?" The woman smiled creepily. "None of my operatives have been able to get close to him. But, those insect companions that you command are perfectly suited for the task."
The dark-haired 'best magic' user leaned back in his chair and took a moment to think about what to say next.
As one would expect for someone in his position, Duncan Conley was no stranger to taking the life of another person. Far from it, actually. Thanks to the insect-type cryptids that he had at his command, he was often the one Elaine called upon whenever she needed to get rid of someone quickly. Just like what happened with the 'water magic' user that idiot girl, Hannah, let get away from her earlier this year.
Since his companions could slip in and out of places pretty much undetected thanks to their small size and low mana signature, it was easy for him to pump someone with enough magically-enhanced venom and kill them before anyone even figured out what happened. That being said, missions like that always came with some level of risk, even for him. So the idea that he was going to have to rush and take out another potential target like this out of the blue didn't sit well with him.
"How long would I have to do this…if I agreed to it?" The man then asked.
"If you can handle it before he boards his return flight back to England, then that will suffice." The woman replied with a grin.
Duncan mulled over his thoughts for a minute before responding. Even if he was inclined to honor the woman's request, he wasn't in a position where he could agree to it that easily. He was still an underling at the end of the day. And doing something like this without his boss's express permission would put him in a very awkward situation. Elaine may have been a generous woman who had given him a new lease on life, but he doubted that she would be okay with him handling jobs for other Branch Heads without her knowledge.
"Obviously, I'll have to discuss the matter with my boss. But I'm willing to do this favor for you. However…I am going to need some payment in return for this."
"Excellent!" Lady Asheford clapped her hands together. "I assure you that you'll be rewarded handsomely for this. I'll have my people send you his information after you leave here today."
"Thank you."
"Now then, enough of this dreadful work talk. I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for a bit of fun!"
The aristocratic woman then walked over to the nearby bookshelf and pressed a button that was hidden behind a comically exaggerated painting of herself. And not even a minute later, a group of men and women walked into the room. All of whom were dressed in expensive-looking clothing and appeared to be well-groomed. But not only that, they were also remarkably good-looking.
Duncan immediately knew what the deal was, and a slight shiver went down the 'beast magic' user's spine as he gave the group of new arrivals the once-over.
To anyone who knew her, Lady Asheford was famous for running some of the most in-demand brothels all over Europe. It was one of the main reasons why she raked in so much money every single year. Along with all of the human trafficking that she was actively involved in across the continent. So, it made perfect sense that she would have so many of her employees on standby just in case she needed to bring them out whenever she had guests over.
"Well shit…." Duncan let out a nervous smile. 'I need to get the hell out of here.'
"Pick any one you'd like. I promise that my employees here are some of the best in the business. I even flew some of them in from Amsterdam for the occasion!"
Duncan was quick to shoot down the offer. He was way too smart to get involved with something like this. "I appreciate the offer, ma'am, but I'll have to respectfully decline. It would be irresponsible of me to partake in your…services while I'm on the clock. Plus, I'm more of an old-fashioned kind of guy, if you know what I mean?"
"Hmmm…what a shame." The woman sighed before directing her attention over to one of the young women at the far end of the group. "Margaret, be a dear and escort my guest here down to the cafe, please. Have the chef whip him up something nice for me before he heads out, if you could be so kind!"
"Y-yes, mistress." The young woman, now identified as Margaret, nodded with a polite bow.
Duncan couldn't help but wonder why someone who had the mana level of an A-rank sorcerer was working as an escort for someone like Asheford. But considering how a bunch of strong sorcerers back home also worked as high-class prostitutes in places like New York and Los Angeles, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself. If nothing else, it at least meant that they were strong enough to protect themselves in case any trouble came their way. But it was such a waste of good talent that he had to wonder what the deal here was.
'Oh, well, not my problem.' The man mentally shrugged before being led out of the room by the woman.
Just before he could leave, though, Lady Asheford decided to give him a few parting words. "Have a lovely rest of your evening, Mr. Conley. If you need anything, feel free to contact me. You're under my care while you're here, and I want to make sure that one of your boss's top men is well taken care of."
"Thank you, ma'am. I look forward to our next discussion." The 'beast magic' gave the woman a polite nod.
"As do I."
With that, Duncan made his exit. Of course, he took the chance to stop by the cafe and grabbed himself a plate of food before leaving the building entirely. But either way, he was glad to finally get out of that madhouse while he still had the chance. Fortunately for him, his flight back home was only a couple of days away. So, he only had to stomach this trip for a little while longer before he could sleep in his own bed again.
The sooner he got back home, the better. England was cool and all, but he much preferred being back home in America. And once he got back, he was going to spend as much as possible tending to his hive and relaxing while enjoying some mindless television in the comfort of his own room.
'Man, what a day.' The dark-haired man said to himself as he watched the London skyline pass him by through the window of the backseat of his chauffeured vehicle. 'But hey, never a dull moment, right?'