Frostbound [LitRPG Apocalypse]

Maeve

"The Big Man wants to see you," Griff said after tracking her down to the tavern she was in.

Those words were never good, and she suppressed a shudder at hearing them. They weren't always bad, as she had met with him many times before, but it still caused her body to react instinctively. There was no one who could compare to his sheer... presence. Even if he wasn't trying to be intimidating, which me most of the time was, it was still a struggle to be in the same room with him.

Maeve nodded and quickly got up from her seat. She made sure it couldn't be said that she had kept him waiting. With people like him, it was best not to give them a reason. A reason for anything, good or bad. One would think that to meet with the Boss, she would have to skulk through the shadows and turn down dark alleys before entering through a hidden door, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

She didn't even enter stealth.

Exiting the tavern, she openly turned down a few streets like she was just out for a stroll. Her pace wasn't rushed, but it also wasn't lagging, and the blocks she passed by gradually got less impoverished.

Not that where she had been could be considered impoverished. The scale had moved ever since the Change. Builders and the like could put up works that would go for hundreds of thousands of dollars Before in just a few days. Even if they were considered 'barebones' compared to what they could do with the right incentive.

Atlanta was nothing like it once was, and the city she now walked through proved it.

It didn't take her long to reach her destination, and she stopped in front of a large building that towered over the ones next to it. Glass windows adorned the sides, and it looked the most like the old buildings on the block. The rest were shorter, stone things that were built in the new styles that Builders now used, which incorporated less glass.

The security guard didn't even bat an eye as she entered, and she was free to step on the elevator without a fuss. If it were anyone else, or if there had been any hints of stealth or mana use, the whole floor would have been locked down in an instant.

Maeve took a few deep breaths as the elevator rose, preparing herself. She knew she wasn't in trouble, and she had done everything as ordered to the letter, but she prepared herself nonetheless.

As the doors opened, a familiar sight greeted her. The office was exactly how she remembered it, except that there were a few more weapons on the wall. Most would see a sword hanging up and think that it was part of a weapon collection, but Maeve knew better.

The sword was from an enemy. The Boss liked to take trophies from those he considered 'worthy foes'. A proof of his victory over them. The other weapons on the wall were the same. An axe here, a mage's staff there, there weren't many, as there weren't that many the Boss would consider 'worthy', but there were enough to paint the picture.

The most impressive weapon hung nearest to the desk she was walking toward. A pair of daggers hung prominently on the wall, and Maeve knew where they had come from.

Aaron Gleeson, a man who came back from the tutorial as one of the strongest in all of Atlanta. He wasn't anymore.

The daggers didn't hold her attention long, as the man seated behind the desk was hard not to look at. Especially with the danger he represented. She wouldn't claim to have the best danger sense or warrior intuition, but she had enough for her to instinctively try to keep the man within eyesight.

Trevon Sanders.

Ruthless, cut-throat, and all the other words that would describe a great businessman. Except he had taken those skills and applied them... differently. Now it wasn't only business he was running, but much, much more. He'd traded out his business suit for a more modern look that the best Tailers and Leatherworkers in the city created. The white trim contrasted perfectly against his dark skin, and no one would be able to say it was anything but impressive.

The City was only the start. She wouldn't be surprised if he had dealings in half the pylons this side of the mountains.

With time, that would grow to all of them. Then he would expand it to wherever else he saw fit.

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"Ah, Maeve, thank you for arriving so promptly, as always." His words were level, and the smile he had on his face supported that, but she knew better. The pearly whites were a ruse used to disarm the unwary.

"You called for me," She dipped her head in respect.

"Yes, after your wonderful job in the North, I have another task for you," Trevon said, "There's been an order that came in that I need you to take care of."

Maeve tried not to show displeasure, but apparently failed. Even her smallest expressions were caught. How high is his perception?

Trevon sighed, "I know I said you were done with these trivial tasks, but I must trouble you once more."

"Then it shall be so," She said. No one in their right mind would deny him. Not unless they wanted to find their way into an early grave. It was best to agree while he was still asking nicely.

"The order is of such a magnitude that I can't trust it with anyone else. It will wipe out our supply for a while," Trevon informed, "But that's a good issue to have. It just means we need to ramp up production."

Wipe out their supply? Who has the gold for that? Better yet, who has the need for that?

"Where will I be headed?" She asked. It was best not to pry, but the location alone would give her enough to put the pieces together. There weren't that many Factions out there that had the kind of resources for such a large order.

"Northwest," He said, "And you should pack clothes for the weather. I hear it gets a bit stormy there."

Oh. For a moment, she had feared that she would be sent off into the Far North again, for a trip that would take half a year to complete, but this wasn't so bad. She would be able to get there and back in a few months, tops.

"Should I remind him of his obligations after handing it over?" She asked.

Trevon chuckled, "No, this one isn't dumb enough to sign a contract. Arrogant, sure, but not stupid. He pays a premium for it, but he has no other obligations. A simple drop off and pick up will suffice."

She nearly wanted to laugh when she heard the word simple. There was nothing simple about these things. Not when meeting with people of such strength, even the most casual of altercations could turn for the worse quickly.

"Should I continue to look out for potential Summoners?" Maeve asked. If this order was to wipe out their supply, they would need to find a way to replenish it. It used to be a standing order to keep an eye out for anyone susceptible, but that had changed as of late.

With the Anti-Demon Formations spreading, they had to be more careful with how they went about things. If they weren't, it wouldn't be long until they were discovered. They'd rescinded much of their efforts in the Far North for that exact reason.

Tracking and information gathering were much easier than they used to be. There weren't as many cameras keeping watch all around the country like there were before, but that didn't matter if someone could use a skill and know who was in the area for the past week.

It was even worse for those with less... scruples. A high enough leveled Mentalist could pretty much get anything they wanted out of a suspect. It would leave them stupid in the head, but they would know what they wanted to know.

The only way around a mind search by a Mentalist was with a Spiritually bound contract or tether that would keep the mind from revealing something it shouldn't. The problem was that those were expensive, and the expense wasn't worth it for people who would more than likely be found and killed after they accomplished what was desired.

"No, not this time," Trevon answered, "The closest Formation should be in The Twins, but I don't want to risk it. Plus, being so close to the surrounding cities, a summoning won't accomplish much. There won't be enough time for them to build up before they are found and slaughtered. The chance of a D-rank coming through is... unlikely."

Maeve nodded. The area around the storms was one of the most dense in terms of pylons housing strong people. Velmara wasn't that far away, along with Willowreach and St. Louis.

Not to mention Storm City itself.

With trade and travel cutting in between the four cities, any Demon would be found and killed before it had the chance to do much other than run around.

"Then if that is all..." She dipped once more, ready to depart, but stopped.

"One more thing before you go." Trevon raised a hand to stop her, "Since you're already making a delivery, there's another stop I need you to make, but this one's different."

"Different how?" She couldn't help but ask.

"The buyer tried to be discreet and reached out through a few old channels. They did their best, but it wasn't hard to find out who was behind it. The second drop off is to the west of the city, and the man will meet you halfway. The timing on this one is more strict, so you'll have to do this one first if you run into any delays."

"Who or how should I make the drop?" She asked.

"A man named Pierre will give you a code phrase," Trevon said with a chuckle. "I know, amateur, but it was insisted upon. It's like this is their first time, and it probably is. The code phrase is 'A falling leaf flows with the wind.' Don't ask me what it's supposed to mean, I don't know."

Pierre? Pierre. She knew that name from somewhere, but couldn't think of where. None of the Faction Leaders she knew were named Pierre, and no one else was coming to mind.

Wait a moment. Those New Canada bastards who spread the Formation have a Pierre high up in their leadership.

"The same Pierre who-" Maeve began.

"Yes, that one." Trevon interrupted, "Funny, isn't it?"

"Could this be a trap?" She asked.

"I doubt it, but be prepared for one anyway. From how it looks, he's done everything he could to make sure this couldn't be traced back to him. No names were used, and the drop is happening way out of their scheduled path home."

But... they were the ones who...

Her thoughts must have shown on her face because Trevon broke out into a laugh.

"Oh, Maeve. Hypocrites can be found anywhere. All you have to do is look."