Supremacy Games

'It doesn't sound too bad, indeed.'

Felix was somewhat satisfied with her offer as he knew that he wasn't in perfect condition to haggle.

His solution to build his own house wasn't a sure thing and if it didn't work, he might end up in the streets for a very long time...He couldn't afford that.

Plus, the fact that he could move around the blacklist order in the markets was also a must if he desired to continue his journey in the tournaments.

Still, Felix wasn't done haggling.

"How about the salary?" Felix moved on, "My services aren't cheap."

"You will get paid two thousand Lumus, nothing more, nothing less. Our entire operation is based on payments after succeeding in cases, which means if you want a stable high salary, you have to give up on the 10% share. You can't have both."

"Fair enough."

Felix knew that her answer would be like this as he would have done the same too. In fact, he was pleased that there was even a salary on the table.

So, he didn't waste both of their times with this.

"One last thing, I have no interest in a permanent position." Felix said calmly, "The moment I become a golden spirit, I will either be your partner if I liked to continue with you or take my departure."

"So, you are telling me, you don't want a timer on the contract?" Miss Sanae asked.

"No."

All relationships between servants and their masters were enforced by binding contracts unless the servant himself hadn't imposed one.

For example, Karra's situation was so desperate, she just wanted to find a master and didn't have any other conditions.

In the case of Felix, his main goal was to become a golden spirit and obtain a governmental position to be offered the reincarnation opportunity.

Since golden spirits couldn't become servants to anyone, each servant that reached this grade automatically free himself.

If there was a contract between the two parties that enforced the servant to not upgrade to golden rank, he had to respect it, otherwise, the law enforcers would be introduced.

"I don't mind." Miss Sanae smiled, "But, you will have to close more than five small cases and one major case before considering becoming a golden spirit."

"Sounds fair." Felix nodded in agreement.

He didn't want to negotiate with this condition since his payment was dependent on the cases closed.

"Give me your agency location and I will be paying you a visit shortly with my servants."

Felix informed her, "You will have my answer by then."

Miss Sanae agreed and they both went their own separate ways.

After Felix returned to Sekiro and Karra, the first thing he did was ask about Miss Sanae and her agency.

"Why are you asking about that Lunatic?"

Sekiro narrowed his eyes, having a bad feeling about this.

"We will be under her wing." Felix anwsered as he continued his walk toward the national park.

"..."

"..."

Sekiro and Karra didn't even know how to respond. They knew that Felix wasn't a conventional master, but to cause trouble everywhere and anywhere he went?

"What's up with those reactions?" Felix frowned, "Is she really that bad?"

"Bad not in the sense she is hated by the public, but in the sense, no one wants to deal with her in fear of their own future."

Sekiro sighed deeply, "The entire upper echelon and the underground world consider her as their enemy and anyone related to her will suffer a much worse fate than just having a blacklist order on them."

"This is one of the reasons why even though she is a golden rank spirit, she has only one servant under her as no one wants to associate with her to not harm their future."

"Getting involved with her... It's like walking straight into a hurricane. The thrill is tempting, but the destruction is devastating. You don't want to be caught up in her storm, Trust me."

As he finished, he stepped back, leaving Felix alone with his thoughts in the eerie silence of the alleyway, his warnings echoing ominously.

'My people my ass.'

In the end, Felix was bothered by only Miss Sanae's falsehood about her having 'servants' under her, but in reality, she only had one.

Since the contract wasn't signed yet and he hadn't given her his word, Felix wasn't planning to let her get away with this.

As for the rest? He couldn't care less as he wasn't here to build a future.

"Let's go pack up," Felix ordered.

"Sir..."

"Drop it." Felix ordered.

'I hope everything goes well...' Sekiro could wish with a bitter smile and follow his master to their tent.

...

After they packed up, Felix and his employees took off right away toward Miss Sanae's detection bureau.

It was situated on the fringes of the city, far from the gleaming skyscrapers and bustling streets.

It was less of an official institution and more of a makeshift operation, a stark contrast to the grandeur associated with typical investigation bureaus.

The office itself was nothing more than a modest apartment complex, easily overlooked amidst the sea of more imposing structures.

A weather-beaten signboard hung lopsidedly over the entrance, the words 'Spectrum Detection Services.' peeling and faded.

'Is she broke?'

Felix's eyelids twitched, starting to have second thoughts about this whole thing.

Still, he pushed his doubts down and knocked on the door.

Kiiiiii...

The door opened with a squealing noise as it had never been oiled before, exposing a short unique boy.

He was like an exquisite sculpture, shaped from pure white wax, his surface smooth and glistening with an ethereal sheen...His limbs were finely crafted, each detail painstakingly chiseled, possessing a lithe grace that belied his waxen nature.

Atop his head, where a normal boy might have hair, sat a single, sturdy wick, its flame flickering merrily. When lit, it bathed the boy in a warm, soothing glow, casting moving shadows that seemed to bring him to life.

'Interesting, was there always such a race in the universe?' Felix eyed the boy with an intrigued look.

All the records across the history of the universe never showed even a diagram of such a race that resembled a living candle.

Only in the spirit realm would it be possible to see all known and unknown races across its history in one melting pot.

After all, the memories reformation merely changed the personality, facial features, and such, the main body was still based on the previous race.

"Enter."

The boy opened the door for Felix and his employees and then slid through the floor, leaving behind him crumbles of melted wax.

Before Felix could step inside, Miss Sanae came out to greet them.

"Welcome to my modest abode."

"It's modest alright," Felix remarked indifferently as his eyes scanned the minimally furnished apartment.

The office was the heart of the bureau, cluttered with a myriad of documents, case files, and a few mementos from successful investigations.

A single desk stood against one wall, a lone lamp casting a pool of light over the papers scattered about.

Two adjoining rooms served as bedrooms, each sparsely decorated, the beds more functional than comfortable.

The kitchen was quaint and compact, bearing signs of use but also of a person who cared about cleanliness.

The living room served as a reception area of sorts, the mismatched furniture hinting at the many stories this place had witnessed.

Felix didn't expect a massive building with multiple floors, but at the same time, he didn't think that it was even possible for a golden spirit to be this poor.

"Don't worry about your salary. I can pay you three years in advance or even more if you're skeptical about my financial condition." Miss Sanae said, acting a bit hurt by his comment.

She expected Felix to back off and trust her...Alas.

"Three years will do." Felix agreed.

"...Are you always this insensitive?" Miss Sanae's lips twitched in vexation.

"You have no idea..." Sekiro murmured as softly as possible.