Chapter 259: The price for a divine favor.

Mayor Logan stared at his big desk, feeling a vein throbbing wildly on his temple. His search team was a complete joke. First, Garon and Ocean had to go and die, completely crippling his operations. Secondly, the surviving idiots under his payroll were only good at one thing: burning through his precious energy stones like dry firewood while delivering zero results. Time was running out. He wasn’t the only power in the world hunting for Zyra, and if someone else found her first, his neck would be on the chopping block.

"And that ungrateful little brat, Ian_" Logan ground his teeth, slamming a fist onto the desk. "Zero loyalty! After everything I did for him!"

The boy had packed up and left alongside Frederick Grey-Drake. Going up against the Grey-Drake family to drag Ian back was out of the question_ they were a terrifying force, and Logan wasn’t suicidal. Ian was a dead end.

To top off his miserable week, the capital was currently suffering from a nasty outbreak of the flu. Health workers and loud-mouthed activists were practically banging down his doors, demanding he postpone the upcoming Tournament.

"Postpone? Are they insane?" Logan muttered, pacing around his office. He couldn’t make a big call like that on his own. He wasn’t the real boss around here.

Twenty minutes later, Logan was standing inside the cold, fragrant Mystic sanctum hall, his heart hammering against his ribs. The sharp, rhythmic click-clack of high heels echoed against the marble floor.

The moment the sound drew near, Logan folded himself in half, bowing so low his nose almost touched his knees. "Greetings, Divine Maiden."

Trinity swept right past him without a word, her silk robes whispering against the floor. She took her seat on the elevated throne, resting her chin on her hand. Before Logan could even open his mouth to state his business, she raised a manicured hand.

"The tournament goes on," Trinity declared casually, as if deciding what to eat for lunch. "Don’t bother postponing it."

Logan snapped upward, nodding like a wooden puppet. "Understood, Divine Maiden! Perfectly understood. But what should I do about those noisy health activists? They’re causing quite a scene in the lower districts."

Trinity let out a disdainful sneer. "Suppress them. How hard is it to shut a few loudmouths up?" She leaned back, casually admiring her nails. "Besides, it’s mostly the middle-class trash getting sick anyway. They’ll survive. Set up some quarantine camps outside the city gates and make mask-wearing mandatory. As long as the wealthy and privileged are fine, who cares about trash?"

"Ah, of course, your wisdom is boundless," Logan flattered quickly.

"Every noble family has already been granted a Soul Maiden to purge the worst of the flu symptoms anyway. We are also providing high grade herbs at a steep cost to them." Trinity added with a bored wave of her hand. "The elite are safe. That’s all that matters."

Logan wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead, a greasy smile stretching across his face. He crept a few steps closer, dropping straight onto his knees with a heavy thud. "Divine Maiden, this humble servant knows the truth," Logan said, pumping as much desperation and reverent emotion into his voice as he could muster. "Whichever clan obtains favor in your divine eyes will undoubtedly claim victory in the tournament. I beg you, please bestow that heavenly favor upon the Craw clan!"

Trinity leaned forward, a slow, amused expression playing on her lips. She always had a soft spot for creatures who understood their place and Logan clearly knew she held every single card in the world.

"Oh?" Trinity purred, tilting her head. "And why on earth would I help the Craw clan win? Aren’t you from the Cutter clan, Mayor Logan? Shouldn’t you be begging for your own bloodline?"

Logan snorted, waving his hand dismissively. "The Cutter clan? Please! Those fools aren’t my concern. I don’t gain a single thing if they win."

"Oh!" Trinity giggled, her voice dripping with mock surprise. "And you will benefit if the Craw clan wins?"

Logan raised his eyes, meeting her gaze with practiced eagerness. "My father-in-law promised me directly! He said if I make it possible for the Craw clan to take the championship, I will be named the sole heir to Craw Automobiles." He paused, leaning in slightly. "And more importantly, you will benefit the most, Divine Maiden."

Trinity stopped smiling, her eyes narrowing. "How do I benefit?"

"Because I will be nothing more than your faithful puppet," Logan said smoothly, tapping his own chest. "You will be the actual, true owner of Craw Automobiles behind the scenes."

Trinity’s eyes brightened. Craw Automobiles was the only company in the entire new world capable of crafting high tech vehicles and planes. Old Man Craw had always been tight with Sabrina and Apex, keeping the company stubbornly neutral. She had wanted to sink her sharp claws into that massive enterprise for years. If this greedy idiot is telling the truth, Trinity thought, this deal is delicious.

She tapped her long, sharp fingernails against the carved wooden arms of her chair. The silence stretched until Logan felt like his heart was about to burst out of his throat.

"Very well," Trinity finally said, a sweet smile blooming on her face. "I grant your request."

Logan’s heart fluttered with pure ecstasy. "Thank you, Div_"

"But" Trinity cut in sharply.

Logan froze, his smile locking in place. "But?"

"There will be a high-profile death in the capital very soon," Trinity said softly, her eyes glinting with cold malice. "Your only job is to handle the aftermath. Make sure every single investigation fails miserably or leads directly to Sabrina Kaelion."

Logan blinked, his brain racing. A high-profile death? Who the hell is dying now?! panic flared in his chest, but he knew better than to ask questions in this hall. Opportunity only knocked once. He slammed his forehead against the floor. "Consider it done! I will handle it smoothly!"

"Good boy." Trinity smiled, thoroughly pleased. "It’s a deal."

She pointed a long, delicate finger straight at his forehead. The temperature in the room dropped sharply. "Just remember, Logan_ I have enough dirt on your dirty little secret accounts to sink a two-thousand-ton warship. Keep that in mind before you try anything clever."

Logan swallowed hard, feeling cold sweat soak his inner robes. "I would never betray you, Divine Maiden! Never!"

"Shoo, shoo." Trinity waved her fingers dismissively, looking bored once again. "Get out of my sight and get to work."

Logan scrambled to his feet, bowed three times in rapid succession, and scurried out of the sanctum hall like a rat fleeing a burning kitchen.