The odor of recently lit tobacco permeated the chamber, its presence particularly pronounced in the vicinity where Remy was restrained. Shadows moved across the walls, an effect of the flickering flames within the hearth. Danian, breathed in another smoke from his cigar, and exhaled the smoke in Remy's direction.
"You requested an opportunity to demonstrate your capabilities," Danian stated, his voice exhibiting more hoarseness than previously. "That opportunity is now."
Remy swallowed apprehensively as the digital interface appeared before him.
[ Conditions for passing ]
(✓) Successfully persuade Danian, the head of the Mastrior family, to spare your life.
Fulfill the task assigned by Danian, the head of the Mastrior family.
???
"Listen up," Danian said, as he extinguished his cigar in the fireplace. "One of my highest-ranking subordinates has been captured by the Nazal family. This individual possesses sensitive information about our family's operations, and I cannot allow our competitors access to this knowledge."
"Are you asking me to go on a rescue mission?" Remy inquired.
"No. A team has already been assembled for that purpose. Your role will be to provide a suitable diversion," Danian replied with a smirk.
A diversion, yes. At least it's safer than infiltrating a prison. Remy considered
"Your task is to eliminate a prominent member of the Nazal family."
Remy's apprehension intensified. Despite a youth marked by destitution following his parents' disappearance and persistent maltreatment, he had never entertained the notion of causing the death of another. However, given the nature of this ceremony, Remy recognized that he was compelled to comply with the directive, which was to commit homicide.
"Your departure will be within the hour. Zim has been assigned to accompany you and to ensure that the diversion is executed as planned, whether you cooperate or not," Danian stated, gesturing towards one of the heavily built men who had accompanied them. Zim bowed in acknowledgment of Danian's command.
"Zim, should he attempt to flee," Danian said, directing his gaze at Remy, "kill him."
Zim bowed once more and approached Remy's chair.
This sucks. I wanted more time to get the lay of the land. Is killing really the only way out of this? Remy pondered.
"I wish to make a request," Remy declared as Zim's hand firmly grasped his shoulder.
Zim regarded Danian, who nodded in approval. Zim relaxed his grip, indicating that Remy should proceed.
"I'll do my best to complete the task you've given me," Remy's voice wavered as he contemplated the implications of his audacious request. "But it's not reasonable to expect me to start this mission without the right gear. So I'd like to get some decent weapons, and maybe some of those magic books that could help."
"Tomes?" Danian clarified. "Very well. Zim, escort him to the armory and grant him access to that chest."
Zim nodded and once again took hold of Remy's shoulder, leading him out of the office.
The castle's dimensions were more extensive than Remy had initially perceived. They proceeded down several flights of stairs, traversed a number of corridors, and eventually arrived at the armory. The chamber was populated by numerous individuals of similar stature to Zim, although others, particularly those in the hallways, were noticeably distinct from the general appearance of the family. The other family members consistently deferred to Zim, a demonstration of his elevated rank.
Upon entering the armory, Remy encountered a familiar sight: racks of short swords, long swords, curved and straight blades, mauls, maces, shields, and various types of bows and arrows. The weapons were covered in dust and cobwebs. The scene evoked memories of his final year of secondary education. His public school had maintained a comparable facility to prepare students for the upcoming ceremony, although participation was not mandatory. The school had ensured the availability of such a facility, in accordance with the recently enacted laws about individuals with Gifts.
The school's adherence to these laws represented a recurring source of distress for Remy. He recalled incidents in which his classmates had used hammers, maces, and mallets against the covered parts of his body, leaving him with bruises on his back, chest, and thighs.
"Select a weapon," Zim directed, walking past him. "You may choose any item, but I would advise selecting something small and lightweight, so as not to attract undue attention."
Startled by Zim's sudden deep voice(who had not spoken since their teleportation to this dimension), Remy approached one of the racks and chose a dagger.
"Why are these items covered in dust?" Remy asked.
"These weapons belonged to families who were foolish enough to antagonize our leader," Zim explained, opening a small closet at the rear of the room. "We retain these weapons as a reminder that our family is not to be trifled with."
"These items belonged to people who were killed in the past," Remy surmised.
"Are there any artifacts in here?" Remy inquired.
"No. Any items of significant value are secured within the leader's vault," Zim replied, returning from the darkened room with a chest filled with books. He placed the chest in front of Remy, causing dust to rise from the floor and books. "Few members of the family possess magical abilities. These items belonged to those who did, and to adversaries who no longer have need of them. Consequently, we have kept them here."
Remy sat down and began to examine the contents of the chest. The books varied in design, color, and thickness. The system displayed translated words above the books, indicating the magical abilities that Remy could acquire.
Tomes, which are books or scrolls containing instruction in the use of spells, were highly sought after. Even a single spell was considered advantageous for an individual, despite the potential for mental strain.
Remy initially sought the most potent spell available, but none were present. The chest contained only tomes pertaining to minor spells, such as Light, Floating Orb of Light, Illusion Voice, Campfire, Torch, and Snow. He continued his search, hoping to find something of use to help him with his assigned task.
"A flashy and powerful spell would have attracted all the big guilds in Crawling City. But it's obvious now why this family wasn't interested in these spells; they're pretty useless," Remy reflected. His search was eventually rewarded.
Beneath the other tomes, he discovered one with which he was unfamiliar. Although the spell it contained was neither flashy nor particularly potent, it was ideally suited to the present circumstances.
Remy rose, selected a plain, straight dagger from the racks, and turned to Zim.
"Are you satisfied with your weapon?" Zim asked.
"There is only one way to find out," Remy responded, gesturing that he was ready to depart, with the dagger secured on his belt and the Illusionary Disguise tome in his possession.