Lapal, the self-proclaimed Black-Market King, carefully organized his ledgers, absentmindedly whistling to himself. He was a tall man, a few inches over six feet, lean but muscled from the years spent as a soldier. To someone unfamiliar with violence, he would only warrant a passing glance, his only distinguishing feature a widow’s peak that shaped his hair into a sharp triangle above his forehead. But to those who knew violence, he was unmistakable, his every move and action radiating a quiet aura of danger.

  Running his hand across his ledgers, he smiled, taking true joy in them. The one thing he let himself obsess over was the way he kept his ledgers. They had to be perfect, each page carefully written without any errors, whole ledgers rewritten just from a single ink blotch. To him, they were worth more than gold—worth more than even lives.

  “Father, did you call me?”

  Hearing his daughter walk in, Lapal glanced up, greeted by her radiant smile. Perphilia had inherited his height, taller than the average man; she towered over them when she wore heels—though that was rare. She preferred to wear men’s clothing, her long, loose hair freely flowing behind her.

  Setting his quill won, Lapal couldn’t help but smile. His heart swelled with pride—she was his masterpiece.

  “How are your sword drills and studies coming along?” he asked, looking down at the sword strapped to her side. While most parents might have been proud of their daughter's looks, he was different. He was most proud of her skill with the blade and the sharpness of her mind. The two traits he prized above all.

  “They are going fine,” Perphilia replied, walking over to him and hugging him.

  Returning his daughter’s hug, Lapal motioned her to a couch before going back to what he was doing.

  “Father, did you see our earnings for this month?” Perphilia asked, sitting down and crossing her legs.

  “Philia, the amount of gold you made in the last business deal was more than I could have hoped for. But we must be more careful from now on. You must stop dealing with children. I heard that Maliri found the ones you took. They’re looking for this Smiling Lady.”

  Lapal folded his hands on his desk and faced her. “You are the Smiling Lady?”

  “That fat, godforsaken excuse for a man,” Perphilia spat, her anger causing her mouth to twist from her beautiful smile to something far more vicious. “Why does he have to interfere in every business we run? He destroyed our loaning business by opening a low-interest lending business, then he helped Todo track down our liquor-making operation!

  “If he had just matched our interest rates, we both could have made a fortune! But no, he dares to go against us by pumping gold into a loaning company that won't even turn a profit for at least a decade! Father, why would he do that? The operation must be costing his family a small fortune!”

  Letting his daughter rant, Lapal settled deeply into his chair, lifting his legs onto his desk. “Because he can,” he said at last. “He has enough gold to keep his company afloat while his competition slowly withers away. By setting interest rates so low, he makes it impossible for anyone to compete. No one can match him—because he’s not trying to make money right now. It's an underhanded strategy only the truly wealthy can pull off. He can afford a ten-year loss just to wipe out the competition. Once we’re gone, he can raise the interest rates and turn a profit. His family will stay rich so long as they use their gold intelligently and leverage their wealth.”

  As he finished speaking, he noticed Perphilia’s eyes narrow.

  “Next time I send assassins, I’ll make sure that they’re the best of the best!” she hissed, her eyes smiling wickedly.

  “So, you were the one who sent them!” Lapal said, his suspicions validated. “I warned you that the Diamond Guards are not to be underestimated. Luckily for us, they think Calahan ordered the hit to seize control of the princesses. But I am serious, Philia. I want you to stop dealing with children. We can’t afford to draw Todo’s attention!”

  “Father! With Todo raiding our distilleries, we have no choice but to traffic children!” Perphilia argued, her voice turning into a sigh. “At least for a little while. Once we acquire more capital, we can rebuild our distillery and stop with the trafficking altogether. If my calculations are correct, just a few more deals and we’ll have enough gold to start a legitimate operation. We won’t have to hide anymore!”

  “I understand, Philia,” Lapal said, his voice softer now. “But I have a bad feeling.”

  As the two argued back and forth, Lapal suddenly turned his head, catching the sound of a bell ringing faintly in the distance. He lifted his hand to quiet his daughter and looked towards the sound. Seeing the change in her father’s expression, Perphilia fell quiet, waiting for him to speak.

  “Someone just opened the secret north passageway,” he finally said, reaching for a knife on his desk and concealing it up his sleeve. “The only ones that know of that passage are part of the old guard. They’ll be here in a minute.”

  Without needing his direction, Perphilia changed her seat to one facing the door, her sword drawn and hidden behind the couch. Arranging herself in a way that displayed confidence yet minimizing danger to herself, she picked up a book and opened it to a random page.

  Smiling at how quickly his daughter could project an image of strength, Lapal settled down as well.

  All that was left was to wait.

  Less than a minute later, someone was at the door, their knuckles urgently rapping on the door.

  “Enter!” Lapal said, positioning himself in front of his desk and leaning against it, his hands hidden from view.

  Opening the door, a middle-aged man entered the room, his white hair tied behind him in a ponytail.

  “Grey!” Lapal exclaimed, surprise and concern flaring in his mind. Grey would never come unless something serious had happened. “What is it?”

  “General! We just received word from one of our men in the castle. General Zacheri and Elijah are conducting a massive sweep for spies. At least three of our men were caught. We lost contact with the man who sent the message. It’s safe to assume he was caught.”

  “What!”

  Springing up from his desk, Lapal felt the blood drain from his face. This was always a possibility, but he had always thought it would happen later.

  “General, we have no option but to flee!” Grey said urgently. “We’re no longer safe here! I’ve worked with Elijah before; none of our men will hold out for more than a couple of hours.”

  “You think I don’t know that!” Lapal snapped, turning to snatch his precious ledgers and toss them into the fire. “Grey, get everyone out now. We’re abandoning ship. Regroup at the Great Shrine!”

  “Yes, sir!”

  As Grey rushed from the room, Lapal turned to his daughter. “Perphilia, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “That you’re the former General of Salizia, General Treselium? And that you work for the Great Shrine?” Perphilia replied, her trademark smile plastered on her face.

  Lapal stared at her, eyes wide in shock and disbelief. How could she possibly know?

  Seeing her smug smile, he laughed out loud. “How long have you known?” he asked. “What else do you know! Even the royal family thinks I’m dead!”

  “Who do you think I am?” Perphilia countered, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I've had my suspicions for years, but only recently confirmed them. I also know that you killed Queen Kina’s father and that you were ordered to do so by the Great Shrine. Please don't insult my intelligence by comparing me to the royal family!”

  “You truly are my daughter!” Lapal said, pride flooding his voice, nearly overtaking the urgency of the moment. He pointed to a chest in the corner of the room. “Everything in there needs to be burned!”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Yes, Father.”

  Grabbing stacks of priceless notes and contracts, Lapal began throwing them into the fire. Each piece of paper that went up in flames was like a piece of his life's work vanishing.

  “While I served as a general in Salizia, I convinced Queen Kina to donate vast sums of gold to the Great Shrine,” he said, grabbing another pile of papers and tossing it on the flames. “The evidence is in those ledgers over there—the brown ones. We need to get rid of it. It all needs to go.”

  “Why destroy it?” Perphilia asked, flipping through the meticulously written ledgers. “Wouldn’t it be better to keep them as leverage?”

  Smiling wickedly, Lapal replied. “The late Queen donated far more than what we reported to the Shrine. I used some of it to fund our business ventures. If the Shrine finds out, we’ll be hunted down.”

  “Oh, I see…” Perphilia mused, matching her father’s grin as she tossed the incriminating evidence into the fire.

  “Father?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why did the Great Shrine have you kill Queen Kina’s father? If you weren’t ordered to, you would still be a General!”

  “He was starting to become a liability. After Kina became Queen, his family began to forget that it was we who paved the way for their success. Instead of supporting the Shrine, they began hoarding wealth and reshaping the military to serve their interests. Some believed they were preparing to sever ties with us.

  “Given how they were running the Kingdom, and the threat of betrayal, the Shine had no choice. I was ordered to eliminate him. You should have seen his face when he realized I was working for them.”

  Lapal chuckled at the memory.

  Nodding in understanding, Perphilia helped her father burn everything of importance before the two of them ran down the secret passageway located behind a bookshelf.

  Reaching the surface level, they flickered from shadow to shadow, never in one place for more than a moment.

  “Father, are we going straight to the Great Shrine?” Perphilia asked, standing with half of her face hidden in shadows, waiting for a guard to look away.

  Signaling with a nod of his head, Lapal moved when the guard looked away, keeping to the shadows and making sure they were safe before answering.

  “Not yet. There’s an underground auction we need to attend first. There, we will acquire some gold to make our passageway to the Shrine more comfortable.”

  “Auction? The one at the Lion’s den?”

  “Yes, that one. This year, the auction is expected to be one of the largest underground auctions held in the Kingdom. We will be safe there.”

  Hidden near the outer gate, the two of them studied the faces of the guards.

  “Sun’s wrath!” Lapal cursed, noticing the guards were different from those who were supposed to be on duty.

  “They changed the guards.”

  Signaling silently to his daughter, he motioned her to backtrack. “Behind that store,” he mouthed.

  Within moments, the two of them stood behind a small bookstore.

  “The guards were changed. Where should we go now?” Perphilia asked.

  Taking a moment to think through all the routes he knew out of the city, Lapal chose the nearest one. “We go out through the hole in the east wall. It was just completed—not many people know of it yet.”

  “I thought it needed another month,” Perphilia said, her eyebrows rising.

  “It’s not the safest, and there’s no light. But if it’s the two of us, it should be fine,” Lapal answered.

  “I see. Lead the way.”

  Dodging the patrolling guards, Lapal quickly led the two of them eastward, the journey slower than he expected.

  “They even changed the patrols,” he muttered, stepping from the shadows to watch a group of guards pass by.

  Heart beating, he glanced at his daughter, noting her flushed face and wide grin.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, shaking his head and chuckling.

  “The rush of having your future on the line is exhilarating,” she replied, ducking behind a cart. “And I'm sure I got this trait from you, Father!”

  “Is that so?” Lapal said, a smile tugging at his lips. He was happy that his daughter understood him so well.

  “The hole should be just up ahead. Let’s go!”

  “Yes, Father.”

  The two former rulers of Salizia’s underground made their way to a small house nestled against the east wall, laughing quietly as if on a simple stroll. Once inside, Lapal motioned his daughter to follow behind him, his hand reaching for a lamp placed near the door.

  As Perphilia silently closed the door behind them, the room was plunged into darkness. Heavy drapes blocked the light from outside. Using Aether to see in the dark, Lapal quickly lit the lamp, creating an orange glow in the darkness.

  The house was new but looked lived in, the old, but well-crafted furniture carefully arranged to give the place a warm, inviting feel. In one corner stood a bed fitted with clean bedding and two neatly folded nightgowns resting on top. Turning to the other wall, Lapal spotted what he was looking for, a small bookshelf lined with worn books, surrounded by ornamental plates and carved wooden animals.

  “Does someone live here?” Perphilia breathed, her curious head swiveling around.

  “I had Grey station one of his men here,” Lapal said, approaching the bookshelf. “We needed the place to look occupied so people wouldn't ask any questions.”

  “Ah, makes sense.”

  Reaching behind the bookshelf, Lapal fumbled with his fingers until he found a hidden latch. With a soft click, the bookshelf swung open, revealing a narrow passageway.

  “This way, let’s go!” he whispered, allowing his daughter to enter before grabbing the lamp and following her. Pulling the bookshelf closed behind him, he took a moment to disable the secret latch. You could never be too careful.

  The passageway was narrow and dark, the small lamp casting black geometric shadows along the walls. Passing the lamp to Perphilia, who was standing in front, Lapal took a second lamp from a hook on the wall. With her help, he lit it and turned to her.

  “I'm ready. Let's go.”

  Making their way down the passageway, both had to crouch low, their heads nearly brushing the ceiling. The tunnel sloped gently downward, carving its way deep into the dark, the lamplight a small bubble keeping the darkness from swallowing them.

  After several minutes, Lapal felt a subtle change in the air.

  “We’re under the wall!” he whispered, pausing to glance behind them.

  “If this is under the wall, where’s the exit?” Perphilia asked, slowing slightly.

  “We’ve still got about half a mile or so,” Lapal replied, proud of the work he had commissioned.

  “Great,” Perphilia muttered, her tone flat.

  Frowning at her lack of enthusiasm, Lapal started moving again, reminding himself that she preferred the thrill of narrowly escaping over following a well-thought-out plan. She would rather sneak past guards than use a hidden passageway.

  She had always been like this, opting for a riskier deal over a safer one. Lapal, on the other hand, was more cautious. The thrill he relished came from gambling everything on a carefully laid plan.

  By the time they emerged from the hidden exit, they were covered in dirt. The passageway had narrowed significantly towards the end, forcing them to crawl through it. Huffing slightly as he took a moment to cover the hidden entrance with some dead leaves and sticks, Lapal looked around.

  “There should be horses and some goods we can sell at the auction at the farm up ahead,” he said, wiping his hands on the sides of his pants. “I stashed a few things there just in case we ever had to run. We can make it to the farmhouse by nightfall.”

  Drawing in some of the Aether around them, Lapal concentrated it around his eyes to scan the surroundings. After confirming there was no ambush, he led the way to the farm, rotating power to his legs to maintain a fast pace. Keeping up easily by rotating power herself, Perphilia wrinkled her nose as she sniffed her clothes.

  “I hope they have a bath,” she complained. “I smell like dirt and sweat.”

  She brushed herself off as best she could and matched his pace.

  Shaking his head at her words, Lapal hid his smile.

  The two reached the farm sooner than Lapal had expected, the two of them easily running through the countryside without trouble.

  “You became much stronger,” Lapal said, taking deep breaths of air. When he was her age, he would’ve needed to stop at least once during their run.

  “It's only natural, I'm the daughter of the Black-Market King!” Perphilia joked, flipping her hair and flourishing her hands like a stage performer.

  Laughing as if they weren't just running for their lives, the two entered the farmhouse, where a young man in worn brown clothing was waiting for them.

  “General!” the young man said, dropping to one knee. “As instructed, I’ve kept the farmhouse clean and quiet. The horses are fed and watered; they’re ready to go. There’s clean clothing and warm water prepared for both of you. Food and supplies are packed. If you don’t need anything else, I’ve been ordered to return to the city and spread rumors that you have been spotted there.”

  “Go. We have everything under control,” Lapal said, barely acknowledging the man as his eyes swept past him. “Philia, go take a bath. We leave at first light. I'll get us something to eat.”

  “Yes, Father.”

  Once the young man was gone, Lapal moved to the chimney, drawing his knife. Finding the correct brick, he started to chisel at the mortar connecting the bricks, his knife quickly chipping away at it. Blowing the debris aside, he grunted as he wedged his knife into the gap he had just created. Wiggling his knife back and forth until the brick came loose, he used his fingers to pull it out. Behind the brick was a small compartment, a wooden box neatly nested in the hollow space. Reaching inside, he pulled the box free, wiping the dust off before gingerly opening it.

  Inside was a small vial cushioned in soft padding. Holding his breath, he carefully lifted it, letting the last rays of the setting sun illuminate its contents. Inside was a green liquid, its harmless appearance a far cry from its true nature.

  “Father, I'm done. What are you doing? What is that?” Perphilia asked as she walked in, her wet hair hanging down, a towel draped over her shoulders.

  “This, my daughter, is our ticket out of here,” Lapal breathed, placing the vial back into the box. Bringing the box over to where Perphilia was standing, he opened the lid for her to see. “This is the Green Dragon’s blood!”

  “Green Dragon’s blood?” she repeated, her eyes narrowing as she stared at what was in the box. “What is it for? Where did you get it?”

  Smiling mysteriously, Lapal answered. “Years ago, I met a man who claimed that his grandfather found the remains of a Green Dragon. I didn't believe him, but then, he showed me this. It's a poison that leaves almost no trace, has no known cure, and most importantly, can poison Arcane Lords! I bought as much as he had. It cost a fortune, but I made ten times that selling it on the black market. This is the last vial. We’ll auction it off and use the gold to get to the Great Shrine.”

  Whistling softly, Perphilia ran her fingers over the glass. “Blood from a Green Dragon…” she murmured, doubt still in her eyes. “I’m sure it’s deadly, but dragons? Are you sure it’s not something else? Can we get more? I’d love to speak with the seller.”

  “Unfortunately, he didn't live that much longer,” Lapal said, his grin fading. “I also tried to find out where he got it, but no luck.”

  “Unfortunate,” echoed Perphilia. “Father, go take a bath. I’ll get the food ready.”

  Nodding, Lapal handed the box to his daughter and headed off to clean himself.