TBATE - Havaca Rises

Chapter 23 - Swindled

"Mr. Leywin, this is Otis Vayhur Wykes."

"Mister Wykes..."

"It's Lord Wykes," he corrected.

"I wanted to meet with you tomorrow at 4 in the evening," he said.

"I hate to say this Mister Wykes, but I am quite busy for the foreseeable future. If you really have to meet me, I can probably squeeze you in after my morning run and breakfast," I said knowing he cannot refuse.

"Ah, is that so? Well, I know how hectic planning such large events can be so I guess this would have to work," he said trying to brag while making it seem like he is accommodating me.

"Then I'll see you at Tekkadan's HQ at 6:30 in the morning," I said since that is the time most nobles are now waking up which should annoy him especially since the HQ is on the other side of Xyrus near the very edge.

"Mr. Leywin, surely we could arrange for a more convenient time," he pressed.

"Sure, how about 4 pm... five weeks from today?" I suggested managing to not laugh.

"I'm afraid I can't make it. Then we must conduct our business over the phone..."

"We can't"

"We can't?" he asked not even hiding his surprised tone.

"I prefer to do business face to face, so that there is absolutely no confusion," I lied.

"Very well, Tekkadan's HQ, tomorrow morning at 8:30," he said thinking he was sly.

"6:30 Mister Wykes, I will not wait for you," I said as I hung up.

The next morning, I stopped by Helstea Manor to grab a tracksuit to make it look as though I was actually exercising, and to further add disrespect, since when meeting someone of a higher class you always dress your best and be on time. Walking into my office at 6:38 I greeted him, and two other guards. "So, Mister Wykes, we have 10 minutes, let's make this quick," I said as he started to fume as the higher class would be the one to set the time limits.

*Jingle* He tosses a bag onto my table and said "I want all articles regarding my son, Lucas remove from all social media and," he tossed another bag, "I want the identity of that adventurer, Havaca," he stated.

"Mister Wykes, we promote free speech; deleting the articles goes against our goals," I explained.

He stared at me for a moment and then snapped his fingers, a moment later his guard dropped another large pouch of goal on the table. "I believe, you find that the misinformation about my son appalling and the adventurer who started such vulgar rumors must be punished," he said.

"Mister Wykes, you do know you cannot buy me? On my slowest days, I make thousands of gold," I said. "My decision is final: I will not delete any articles and assuming I did know who Havaca was I wouldn't have told you his identity."

"That's fine," he said as he and his guards started releasing their bloodlust. "I think you might want to change your mind, young man. It would be a shame should an unexpected accident occur," he threatened.

Looking at him with a bored expression I said, "All accidents are unexpected unless they are planned and intentional then they are..."

"Oh, so we have a smartass..." *Bloodlust* My guards were raging and waiting for my command.

*Yawn* "Mister Wykes, please take your leave before my guards lose their cool and if you even think of harming my family or hampering of business in any way, house of Wykes will disappear even before you could counterattack," I said leaking some aetheric pressure as Sage used [Rescribo] so that they won't talk about this meeting and [Obliviate] to make them forget about the multiple sacks of gold and jewels he left on my desk.