Rok Soo stayed inside his guest room during his stay at Harris Village. He decided he would not take the chance to meet Choi Han at all. He inquired casually to the chief about how the village worked and found quickly there was a night guard. Naturally, Rok Soo managed to swindle out information and found that Choi Han was not on guard, meaning Rok Soo could leave just before dawn. He mentioned this off handly to the chief out of courtesy and the man tried to talk him into leaving later but Rok Soo insisted he had work.
Thus, he was soon out of Harris Village and two days later back at Rain City in the afternoon.
Siwan was quick to coddle him and check him down, only letting him go when he said he wanted a shower. Balint was ready for him when he entered his room, pointing silently to the bathroom. After he came out and was dressing, Balint informed, "the lord has requested a lunch with you and Lady Siwan,"
'Of course he did,' Rok Soo sighed in his head, 'These idiotic siblings of mine,'
Balint didn't mention the smile that curled fondly at Rok Soo's lips.
The meal was casual and warm, just like every meal shared between the three of them. Rok Soo listened to banter and teasing, occasionally joining in. The servants that were serving them smiled and let out soft laughs at the sight of their three charges.
The Nyphan Estate did not have an official title, nor was it officially recognized as a noble family. Working for them provided little honor. However every servant and knight and mage would not change it.
"Rok Soo, why did you go to Harris Village all of a sudden?" Siwan asked after a small pause had hovered between the three of them.
"...I was bored,"
"Really?" Siwan raised an eyebrow, "There was no other reason?"
Elis stared at his sister curiously. Rok Soo had a similar stare, but repeated, "No,"
"Hmm...so it wasn't because you were upset?"
"Upset?"
"Yes, Young Master Cale has never been apart from you this long since you two met," Siwan smiled innocently.
"Siwan..." Elis sighed.
Rok Soo stared blankly.
"I am not upset?"
'Why would I be upset? The only thing odd about that punk being gone is the quiet'
Siwan smiled wider, "Of course,"
Elis decided to move the conversation forward, "Speaking of, while you were gone a package came from you,"
"...for me?"
"Yes. The carrier also said that it was something Young Master Cale commissioned and requested be sent over,"
"Oh," Rok Soo was intrigued, "Did they say what was inside?'
"No," Elis shook his head, "However, the carrier did say that you would know exactly what it was,"
Elis reached into his coat and pulled out a small envelope. He handed it over to his brother, "This was given to me to directly give you,"
Rok Soo looked at the ink on the envelope that etched out his name. The handwriting was familiar. There was not a stray spot of ink anywhere else. The penmanship was graceful and exceedingly neat. It was Cale's handwriting.
Rok Soo turned the envelope, taking an unused knife and cutting open the wax seal. He opened the letter as he vaguely listened to the chatter of his siblings next to him. Pulling out the paper, Rok Soo was greeted with more of the perfect and precise penmanship that belonged to Cale Henituse. It was a short message, only a few lines. At the bottom, there wasn't even a full signature. Just the initials "C.H."
Yet the short letter made Rok Soo's eyes widen in surprise and a rush of adrenaline ran through his body, "Hah!"
Hey, old man.
Do you remember that "thing" I had vaguely mentioned to you a few months back? The one that I said was inspired by a book? Well, I've built a decent foundation. Within my estate and outside it. Bars and boutiques. The slums. All of it, I clicked together. I will tell you more in person, but these documents are for you to see my plan and progress. I want your eyes on it, your opinion. Also, I've set a book out for you that you should check out.
~ C.H
"This punk!"
"Hmm? What is it?" Siwan asked as Elis observed quietly.
Rok Soo folded the letter, placing it back into the envelope. He gave his siblings an innocent smile, "Cale's been rather obsolete on a matter. I'll finally be getting details,"
Elis and Siwan exchanged odd looks. Nonetheless, Elis couldn't help but fondly sigh, smiling as he said, "Go on then,"
Rok Soo was quick to get up, muttering a short goodbye before making his way towards his room. Siwan laughed as they watched the quick steps. She grinned, "My, my, what will we do with him?"
Elis chuckled, "It's nice to see him warming up,"
Rok Soo eagerly made his way towards his room, before changing paths to his study. A servant had found and informed him the package had been placed in there instead. This made more sense, he supposed. His study was far more secure than his bedroom.
Dismissing the servants that were dusting inside, Rok Soo walked to his desk. He sat in the large chair, opening a thin drawer where most of his small writing instruments and other tools lay. Such as the wax seal knife.
Its handle was of polished elm wood, the glossy finish reflecting the light that ricocheted in from the windows. The blade was not silver but rather had a golden color to it, complimenting the wood.
Bringing the package to his lap, Rok Soo easily used the sharpness of the seal knife to cut open the package. Placing it off to the side, Rok Soo opened the box and pulled out a stack of papers— no, two stacks of papers, each held together by a thin rope.
The box was set down next to the desk as Rok Soo lifted up the small slips of paper tied to each string, labeling the piles. Both piles were relatively the same thickness, only about half an' inch of parchment. The stack that was on top was labeled 'completed/in progress' while the second stack was leveled 'unfinished/to begin'.
Placing the 'unfinished' pile to the side, Rok Soo untied the first stack and pulled off the blank piece of paper at the top. With record, Rok Soo let himself intently absorb the words. He did not read it fast despite only needing a glance to recall everything on a single page. Instead, he read through it at his casual reading speed.
Only a little way through the papers and Rok Soo was pleasantly surprised. Cale had been working hard in the shadows. He had made hidden connections with people all over Rain City. Rok Soo suspects that Ron or Beacrox had given a tad nudge to find trustable people, but it didn't really matter. In the end, it was Cale in charge. Furthermore, it seemed that not everybody knew it was Cale Henituse running the show.
Billios Flynn was one of the few assets that did know and also one of the most important.
According to the report on the bastard son, Cale had let down his persona and drew on Billios's curiosity. The two had exchanged a short conversation that was scripted below. Rok Soo was proud while reading the next few correlations.
Once Cale had gotten Billios intrigued, he had moved to sink his teeth into Flynn by subtly tugging at Billio's greed and prodding notes at the Flynn Merchant guild. It was clear that Cale had a knack for how words affect the mind and perception. He had clearly approached Billios knowing about his shaky status in the Flynn Family and knowledge about his work in Rain City. The scripts and letters pinned clearly expressed word play for both sides. Billios also sought to make claims or squeeze out information, but Cale would write something like 'My, oh my, the Flynn Merchant Guild is really letting a jewel rust. You should be glad I'm a fan of nice things' or 'Hm, I hope this is worth the price, Flynn. I am not above demanding a refund,' and the next letter sent by Billios was usually curbed to praise and assurance. The following correspondence would contain what Cale wanted or new information.
After two weeks of more mock assignments, Cale had employed Billios to find him information on suspicious people in Rain City. This section was marked as important.
The list of about two dozen names was listed next to another list compiled by the official reports of the Henituse Territory's information network. Rok Soo wasn't sure how Cale got access to those but he brushed it aside. Rok Soo was surprised that Billios's list was only a couple names longer with a few amount of overlap.
The paragraph written informs that Cale had sent Ron to investigate the names on Billios's list. Billios had given sound information. Rok Soo expected to see a report of the people being taken care of but he was pleasantly surprised by the small notes in the margins.
As he kept going, he connected the odd words. A few of those names were listed as people Cale had added to his web while those not in the first batch were still being considered. Only four of the names seemed to have been marked as a threat; one of them had already been dealt with.
A few of the names compiled to the first pile included bakers, bar owners, boutiques, jewelers, artists and a few more. The number of truly confirmed people was few in number, just about a dozen people. Even then, it seemed to Rok Soo the most trusted was Billios Flynn. A close second would be someone who worked at the Rain City Bank.
"Not so bad kid.."
The last page of the pile was a drawn up plan already past the first couple steps which mostly included scouting and target gathering. It seems that Cale had been paying attention to the lower lives of Rain City. To build a concrete network, Cale was planning to build up a large network within the slums. The plan also included a list of pros and cons. There were a few cons such as if a beggar could truly be trusted enough or would have the correct resources to provide good information. Cale seemed to have countered this with a cover and pro.
"...build a fund and charity,"
Rok Soo snorted, chuckling, 'Though it's meant for his own purpose, Cale doesn't need to provide the entirety of the slums with support. Only those he deems valuable enough to be useful. This is just him being the kind kid he is and caring about his people again'
Rok Soo kept the plan near him as he pulled off the string for the next stack. The unfinished stack was organized in a similar manner to the first, except it was mostly unfinished reports. Furthermore, there were smaller slips clipped to the top of certain pages with a small note directed for Rok Soo.
Only four of the people in the vacant stack were in the process of being implemented. Cale's notes were meticulous and organized into sections, some specific to the person. Cale had clearly thought out how to build a network and ensure that there was little contact or knowledge of others involved. It was clear that Cale did not trust this network completely and was being very careful. He wanted to know everything about the person he was trying to involve before actually involving them.
Age, gender, occupation, family, friends, enemies, transactions, reputation, everything. Cale was using Billios, Ron, and Beacrox to his full advantage.
"And now you plan to use me," Rok Soo muttered, his eyes gleaming with pride and amusement. 'Hehe, I've taught this bastard well'
Rok Soo, after going through the reports, took out fresh parchment and began to write. Not letters, but more reports and details. He added on to each person in the pile and made a few mental notes to send out some of his own people to investigate. Balint was a favorite choice as he answered directly to Rok Soo and was the servant that had the most exposure to Cale and his endeavors.
Additionally, he also wrote down a few names that he knew Cale would recognize as faculty of the Nyphan Manor. Rok Soo had the names of the people working at the manor memorized along with basic information about them. This is why he was aware of the servants that had taken a liking to Cale and which ones Cale also found pleasant. With the information of being one of the masters of the house, Rok Soo could provide a few more names for Cale to add.
He wouldn't add anyone Cale didn't trust nor feel comfy with. It was Cale's web. Rok Soo, in retrospect, was also just another string. He was just of a higher ranking and the closest string to the head.
Rok Soo saved the proposition about the slums for later as it required a little bit of investigation and thought. Rok Soo hadn't been near the slums since they'd stopped going to the silver tree. He also knew the reason Cale was hesitant.
Cale was, naturally, a pure blooded noble. His knowledge about commoners, especially those of the slums, was limited. Also, with how nobility reacted to commoners becoming nobles via marriage or adoption, it was high chance that a lot of what Cale has heard about the poorest of his people were insults directed towards his family. He also is sure that Cale's hatred for Harris Village also couples into some sort of hesitancy.
This is, of course, not blaming Cale. Rok Soo is not a noble by blood and is extremely aware of the type of life living on the streets and in terrible conditions is like. Cale is not. Even if Cale is better than most nobles who would spit and such, it won't take away the fact that Cale has to be far more careful when recruiting the slums than a regular commoner. The slums are ignored for the most part. Even amongst the commoners, there is a hierarchy and prejudice regarding the slums.
To recruit the slums, Cale would have to appeal to something other than money. More than money, food and water is treasure. It would be a slow thing to slowly recruit the slums, let alone in a way that's natural. To build a charity for the slums, Cale is best protected by using his name. However, Cale's reputation is on a downwards slope and him doing something so inherently good will arouse suspicion and scrutiny.
Rok Soo exhaled deeply, pausing his writing as he thought. He doesn't want to encourage Cale to risk the congregation and unexpectedness that could be the slums without proper information, let alone a proper motivation.
Rok Soo mumbles, "Perhaps Cale and I should personally investigate the slums...it would be crucial to know how they viewed the Hentiuse Family and if they'd be recipients..."
Setting the pile aside, Rok Soo added a few more details and notes to the reports. He was careful with his writing, ensuring that the most key details and words were written in Korean as Cale had done so in his reports. Honestly, Rok Soo was quite proud at how quickly and eager Cale was to use Korean. He didn't think he'd be affected by something so mundane but listening to Cale ask about new words or use Korean while speaking with him gave him an odd sense of nostalgia.
As he thought about it, a small smile sat on his face without him realizing. Rok Soo kept working until he had to eat and return to his regular duties. After ensuring everything was secure inside the locked drawer, Rok Soo took the merchant reports from Balint. A sigh escaped him as he stared at the familiar words, "Ugh..."
"The Young Master was working very happily earlier,"
"Cale's given me something interesting to do," Rok Soo grumbled, "This is so boring and it's the same shit over and over,"
"Shall I get you some pastries?"
"How about something savory?"
"I could request some stuffed peppers,"
"That sounds great, actually. Thanks,"
Rok Soo smiled at Balint, who gave a small bow in return. Rok Soo watched Balint leave his study, staring at the closed door for a few moments. His head turned and he stared out the window and at Rain City.
A single thought rang true in his head at that moment.
'What a nice place'