Business Mogul

The young man had slicked back dark brown hair, and the iota of sunlight made the gel in it shine. The two shared the same amber-colored eyes. From their physical build to their facial structure, they could almost be twins.

“Lawrence.” He greeted in an affable tone.

The Blackwood son held his hand outward, not recognizing the man as he looked at Lawrence with some bewilderment. Out of embarrassment, he quickly shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Forgive me, my memories are still very jumbled.” He apologized, lowering his head slightly.

“No worries, I’m your first cousin, Adrian Thorbourne.” He regally introduced himself.

The interaction opened Lawrence’s eyes to the fact that he needed to use his memory fragment recovery ability more to become familiar with the original Lawrence’s life. Even lying about memory loss won’t last forever. It’s become very apparent that he needs to understand himself, his family, and his friends.

“Again, forgive me, but I still have no recollection of anyone. I didn’t even recognize Eva after the fire when I first saw her.”

“Not a problem. I actually wanted to discuss something with you in private if you wouldn’t mind.” He gestured towards a sumptuous-looking carriage, supposedly his.

Lawrence discreetly looked over at Eva, who did the same, silently acknowledging that he wouldn’t be attending school with her. Without a word, she nodded and parted ways, briefly resting her hand on his shoulder before departing.

“Sure, let’s get going.”

He invited Lawrence to go first, and he followed closely behind. A man in a nice suit who appeared to be a servant opened the door for them as they climbed inside.

The interior was similar to that of the Blackwood personal carriage, except for the colors. However, a significant difference was the presence of a table in the middle for drinks.

As they departed, Adrian took out two teacups, opened a cooling box with ice cubes, and put a few in each cup. After closing the cooling box, he reached for a glass pot and poured a light red, fragrant tea into it. The smell wasn’t overpowering, but it was sweet.

“Please, try this. It’s a new drink that has been making waves across the capital recently.” He offered, setting the pot aside.

Obliging, Lawrence lifted the cup to his lips and sipped it softly, tasting the rich flavors he had smelled. It was fruity with a bit of tartness.

It’s just iced tea…but it’s good.

It flew over his head. Since it was a standard drink in the Old World, it didn’t even dawn on him that people might find it nascent at this time.

“So, what do you think?” Adrian asked eagerly, sipping on his tea.

“It’s truly incredible. The flavors all blend quite nicely. I can’t believe tea like this can be drunk cold with ice and still taste splendid.” Lawrence embellished, taking a bit more to drink.

“Right? It may not seem like much, but what can be done in the world of bromatology is truly fascinating.” Adrian replied contentedly, pouring himself some more and doing the same for his cousin.

Setting the glass pitcher down, he interlocked his fingers and looked at Lawrence with intrigue.

“I’m actually having the company look into doing partnerships with the companies that make riveting drinks like this tea.”

“Company?” Lawrence asked, setting his cup down as well, and tilted his head slightly out of curiosity.

His cousin nodded before making a fist to cover his mouth as he cleared his throat.

“That’s actually what I wanted to discuss with you.” He revealed, crossing one leg.

“What do you mean?”

Adrian inhaled a bit, giving him time to form his thoughts before speaking.

“I assume you remember Blackwood Industries, your father’s company before he passed.”

Lawrence nodded silently, familiar with the company. Shortly before Jacob’s passing, he had expanded the company into multiple industries, transforming it into a conglomerate known as the Blackwood Group, run by a board of directors comprising both close and distant family members.

“You were supposed to take over when you turned eighteen, but then the Leidhal incident happened. The board did an emergency vote, anointing me as the provisional president of the Blackwood Group until a more permanent solution came to fruition.”

Everything he said made sense and aligned with what Aria had told Lawrence earlier on his first day back after the incident. He had a lingering feeling that he knew what this conversation was about.

“Since your birthday has passed, you are eighteen now. So per our bylaws, you’re allowed to take over at the company now.” Adrian revealed, leaning forward a bit, his fingers still interlocked.

Lawrence raised his eyebrows in intrigue. Even if he did expect this outcome, he could only wonder what the benefits of being the president of Exalta’s most powerful and influential company could be.

“Even if you’ve lost your memories, the bylaws legally obligate me to inform you of your ability to choose whether to take over or not.”

Lawrence made up his mind upon hearing his cousin's intentions. As thrilling and probably financially joyous as running the Group would be, it wouldn’t allow him to do the things he wanted to do. He already has enough money, so there’s no point in doing so.

The fact that there’s zero readily available information, nor any news vaguely related to the shadowy creature that greeted him, put him on edge. The very thought of coming face-to-face with it sent several chills up his spine.

As Lawrence moved to open his mouth, Adrian held up a hand and stopped him, shaking his head in disapproval.

“Before you say anything, I want you to see the company first.”

A moment later, the carriage came to a stop, and the driver opened the left door, allowing the two to exit. The light rain had stopped as the clouds began to lighten.

In front of Lawrence sat a giant vanilla-colored brick building with large dark brown metal letters reading “Blackwood Group.”

----

The Royal Family arrived back at their stone-fortified abode as they all began going their separate ways. Eva watched as Leonard set off for the palace garrison, while her mother and sisters left in the direction of the living area.

“Eva.” Her father called out for her as she tried to head for the garden.

She stopped in her tracks, turned to face him with a smile, and noticed that they were still around.

“Yes, father?”

The King begrudgingly approached his youngest daughter with angst until they were only a foot away from each other.

“Malakai has informed me that you’re attempting to wield magic again and that Leonard has been training you.”

Eva wasn’t sure how to respond, leaving only a lingering silence between them. Disappointed in her, he pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed it intensely as he exhaled.

“How many times have I told you not to pursue this, Eva?” He scolded.

Unable to take it anymore, she balled up her fists and scrunched her eyebrows.

“Why not?! Why not, Father? When are Sophia and Leonard free to do what they please?? They’re the most powerful people in this kingdom! Why can’t I want to be like them?”

The King looked down at her with pity as a concerned expression appeared on his face.

“Admiration is fine and all-”

“Don’t you patronize me.” She retorted, cutting him off.

He put his hands on his hips and tipped his head to the side, taking slight offense.

“Excuse me, young lady, but last I recall, you’re my youngest daughter. You should instead look up to Liv, who is so diligent in her studies at the university. But instead, you want to waste your time immersing yourself in a world where you could die horrifically.” The King castigated.

“I understand you’re my father and that you’re looking out for me, but you should respect what I wish to accomplish, even if you disagree with it.” She calmed herself, soothing her previously raised heartbeat.

“I can’t. Leonard is my only son—your only brother. You know the average lifespan of a Paladin. No matter how strong he is, this world is cruel and will find a way to take him away from us. We can only hope that it doesn’t happen soon.” He crossed his arms in defiance of her wishes, to her displeasure.

“Then wouldn't learning how to fight give me a better chance at survival to avoid that same fate?” Her tone became a bit irate.

“Throwing yourself at the void doesn’t bring solace, only sorrow. I cannot have any more of my children at risk when two of them are already sacrificing so much in the name of the country and this family.”

Eva couldn’t help but gasp at her father’s words. She believed he didn’t see the world the same way as she did. Her father’s mindset only reinforced her tenacity and frustration with him.

“I honestly can’t believe you would say that. You’ve heard about the monster attacks at the Academy. What am I supposed to do if something attacks me while I’m strolling through the halls?”

“Then, perhaps I may have to pull you out of that school and put you in a new one.”

“So, you would rather risk my education than let Leonard teach me how to use a sword properly.” As she said that, something clicked in her brain, making her even more infuriated.

“Is this why you negotiated with the Chancellor to exempt me from combat classes?”

This time, the King was unable to respond, staring silently at his daughter. Eva smiled in disbelief, shook her head, and stormed off without another word, the King unable to articulate anything to say to bring her back.

----

Once again, Lawrence was in awe of the capital's architecture. The Group’s headquarters had multiple ascending levels, all lined with windows, and curved and sharp intricacies gave it a unique design.

Before they headed inside, he noticed two flying shapes out of the corner of his eye and turned to get a clearer picture. They turned out to be two soldiers wearing strange boxes on their backs. As they slowly flew around, they held what appeared to be wooden, archaic bolt-action rifles.

Are those boxes what allow them to fly?

“I see they’ve caught your eye,” Adrian said as Lawrence quickly looked at him for answers.

“What are those?”

“Our most recent project, Aviation Assistant Devices. AADs for short. Mana cores power them to allow mages to fly without requiring Wind Magic or anything of the sort.”

The integration of magic into technology was a fascinating concept. Lawrence had believed it existed only in fiction, but seeing it in real life was nothing short of amazing.

After his explanation, Adrian led his cousin to the entrance, where a security guard greeted them. The guard wore a tight-fitting black coat with several copper buttons running down it and a dome-shaped helmet. He carried a dark brown truncheon and a silver short-barreled revolver on his belt.

They entered the lobby after being let through by the guard. The lobby was even more magnificent than the exterior of the building. Lawrence wondered how much money the shadowy patrons invested in such a clean and sleek architectural design.

“The Heart of Innovation.” He read the motto in the Aytash language, engraved on the wall above the receptionist's desk, out loud amidst the clamor of busy individuals in the lobby.

They approached a pair of wooden sliding doors as Adrian pressed one of two buttons next to the door.

“I didn’t want you to answer right away because I wanted you to check out the company for yourself. Before, you weren’t very adamant about taking over the company, but as tragic as losing your memories is, perhaps seeing it from a fresh perspective may help you make an informed decision.” He revealed, still facing the doors as people walked past us.

Before Lawrence could respond, he heard a soft ding as the wooden doors slid open. They got inside, and as the doors closed, Adrian pressed the “4” button, releasing a muffled hissing of steam.

There was a slight lapse in gravity as the elevator ascended. The ride-up was shaky but negligible. A few moments later, the doors opened to reveal a more serene floor with expensive-looking furniture and decorations.

A tall but portly man walked past, stopping when he noticed the two exiting the elevator.

“Father,” Adrian called out.

Aside from the weight, Lawrence’s uncle and cousin were almost the spitting image of each other.

“Greetings, Uncle Joseph.” Lawrence greeted nobly.

“Ahh, Lawrence, it’s so good to see you again!” Joseph quickly went in for a hug, squeezing his nephew tightly like an old bear.

His actions differed from what Aria had told Lawrence.. However, even if he trusted Aria's judgment, it’s not a good trait to have preconceived notions about someone before meeting them.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t attend the funeral. The company has been in turmoil since the incident, and even with you alive, we’re still in chaos with the board and our shareholders.”

“No worries. As long as my father’s legacy is still afloat, I think my mother and sister would appreciate that more.”

Joseph gave an awkward smile, nodding solemnly as if he was going to ask a question.

“Lawrence is here to determine whether or not he wants to take over the company, you know, since he's eighteen now.”

The revelation somewhat took Joseph aback, and he slightly tightened his grip on the papers he held.

“Really now?”

“Yes. Every board member is in, right?” Adrian asked, folding his arms.

Joseph nodded as Adrian began mentally clearing his calendar. Lawrence could sense a few office workers quietly spying on their conversation.

“Great. Please have them sit down with us in thirty minutes. This takes precedence over anything on our agenda for today.”

Joseph acknowledged his words and swiftly left in the direction he had come from. The two cousins turned left into the office area, where many busy workers were filling out paperwork and performing other administrative tasks.

A haunting feeling of unease made Lawrence think that Aria was potentially right about Joseph. He was almost too suspicious that it didn’t seem plausible.