Industrial Mage: Modernizing a Magical World

17 - Danger

Author's Note:

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Ethan decided that he wanted to send letters to the remaining three: Ducart, Kinsey, and Lykren. He didn't want to meet them himself. The only reason he'd come to meet Hector was that Theodore had some feelings—nasty feelings regarding the man and he needed to deal with that to scratch an itch he didn't know he had. For the others, letters would suffice. He wouldn't even detail everything, just simple normal stuff. All that would in turn make the three men paranoid as fuck to the point they'd keep thinking about the potential dirt Ethan might have on them—dirt he didn't mention in the letters.

With a practiced hand, Ethan dipped the quill in ink and began to write. He started with pleasantries, but slowly aimed at Lord Kinsey's meticulously cultivated public image. Then, the bait:

"...It's regrettable that the recent import of exotic nature nearly reached the wrong hands. A rather influential journalist with a penchant for exposing aristocratic improprieties expressed a keen interest in the sudden influx of ornamental dancers from Xarth (the Beastkin continent). It seems her suspicions were piqued by the rather... generous 'donations' your esteemed charity made to the orphanage bordering the docks just before the shipment arrived. Hmm, I wonder if there's something more to it than meets the eye? I find myself getting interested in that journalist. She is a woman hungry for opportunity, too..."

But by leaving it vague, he planted a seed of doubt in Kinsey's mind. Did Ethan know the exact details of the donation and the benefiting orphanage? Or was this just a well-placed jab? The uncertainty would gnaw at Kinsey, forcing him to consider the possibility of a deeper leak. After all, the man took his public image seriously.

Ethan continued:

"...Now, I wouldn't want your tireless work for the betterment of the community tarnished by a misunderstanding, would I, Lord Kinsey? Perhaps a... continued collaboration on some of my future endeavors, ones that remain discreetly philanthropic of course, could ensure such a regrettable incident never comes to light? My proposal is rather simple: I want you to be an investor and distribute my soap to the public. Give it away as well, of course. Philanthropy is always good, wouldn't you agree? Obviously, through anonymous channels that I would be deciding..."

For a minor lord in Norich, Ducart, the approach was different. Ethan detailed a series of "unfortunate accidents" that plagued Ducart's mines with disturbing regularity. The letter outlined the suspiciously convenient timing of these collapses, always timed right before a hefty insurance payout. Obviously, it appeared that the handlers of said insurance payout were also involved and were equally corrupt. Not to mention Ducart's involvement with Kinsey... and Kinsey's involvement with the orphanage suspiciously close to the docks. Ethan made sure to hint at the recent import. The Ereg merchant, Lykren, received a different treatment yet again. That man was directly involved with Beastkin imports, and Ethan didn't plan on letting his operations run free. The letter danced around the edges of Lykren's involvement, leaving enough room for plausible deniability but slamming the door shut on any chance of denying it altogether. Regardless, Ethan made sure to attach some evidence to all the letters. Each letter ended with the same message—copies existed, safely tucked away, waiting to be unleashed upon the world if their recipients did not comply. Ethan offered them a face-saving alternative—an "investment" in his endeavors. He promised handsome returns, a chance to turn a tidy profit while keeping their little secrets buried deep.

But Ethan wasn't going to do that.

He was already planning on a way he could use these three men to slam down on the Beastkin import. Slavery was a festering wound on the continent—a stain on humanity's supposed moral compass. Ethan couldn't stomach the thought of innocent beings ripped from their homes, treated as mere property. The Beastkin deserved better than to be chained and traded like livestock. While he understood that the ones participating in this sick act were a minority, and that the Beastkin weren't any better, that couldn't be an excuse to let something running. Regardless, he was keeping himself and his reaction in check. He wasn't stupid. He knew these three were mere cogs in a much larger, more insidious machine. Ducart and Kinsey were likely just low-to-mid-level players profiting off the misery of others. Lykren, however, was likely closer to the source. He was someone that could prove to be a vital link in the chain. But targeting the underlings wouldn't dismantle the whole operation—it'd be like swatting at flies.