Chapter 330: Horace’s Offer to Oskar

Looking across the town square, Horace held a small book and watched the palace in the distance. With a peaceful smile, he waited as people gave him strange looks, wondering why he wasn’t reading despite having a book open. Minutes turned to an hour, and looking up at the sun, he smiled.

’Right on time.’Horace closed the book and looked to the left at the man who took his hat off. Taking a seat next to Horace, the man looked at the placard in the distance. "He still attends the Gentleman’s club."

Horace chuckled at his operative’s words and shook his head, "God. Oskar never learns his lesson. Go on, you’ve got work to do." The man nodded and got up as quickly as he had sat down. Putting his hat on, he blended in with the crowd and vanished from sight. Horace finally closed his book and stood up, leaving it on the bench.

Patting down his clothes, he strode confidently through the streets of Torun until he arrived at the club. Nostalgia washed over him as he knocked on the reinforced door. Pulling out the gold before the eye slit even opened he held it up and took a deep breath.

’I hope you make the right choice, Oskar.’Horace lightly hummed as the man on the other side of the door inspected the gold. After a minute, a series of bolts unlocked and Horace was finally let in. Looking around, he smiled, seeing Oskar, and walked over. The table had a few men surrounding it, Oskar among them, as they laughed with increasingly slurred words.

Horace didn’t care about putting up a polite front to worm his way in and grabbed one of the men. Pulling him out of his chair, he sat down on it instead and looked at Oskar with a sly smile. Everyone looked at Horace like an idiot as the man slowly rose up from the floor.

Staring at Horace’s back with hate, he clenched his fist and was about to throw a punch. Horace turned his head quickly and reached out. His fingers curled around the man’s neck, each finger placed perfectly over the arteries. "All of you leave." Horace squeezed firmly, and the man quickly started slapping Horace’s hands, trying to break free, "I will kill him." Horace’s empty voice and cold eyes were enough to know he was telling the truth, and Oskar gulped.

"All of you go. He wants to talk to me." The men looked at Oskar and Horace, eventually nodding and getting up. Horace finally released his firm grip, and the man collapsed onto his knee. His friends quickly came over to help him as Horace stared at Oskar. "You didn’t need to do that, you know," Oskar said with a reserved familiarity.

"It makes an impression." Horace smiled and called over one of the servants. Listing of a drink, they bowed and ran off, having seen Horace’s earlier outburst.

"An impression. Right." Oskar shook his head and had a sip of his drink. "So, who am I talking to? Jedrick or another fake name."

Horace chuckled, seeing Oskar’s attitude. He could tell the man was completely over him by now. It wasn’t hate or dislike, just an unshakable indifference.’I won’t be able to trick him like this. He won’t latch onto anything like this.’Horace shrugged and looked him in the eyes. "Horace. It’s a real name, don’t worry."

Oskar looked at him and took another sip of his drink. "That’s not Livonian."

"Correct. So what is it?" Horace teased and stared at Oskar. The young man’s mind went into overdrive as he stared at Horace. Indifference quickly turned into surprise, followed by anger.

"Ammary." With a cold voice, Oskar reached the table and grabbed a small knife he had been using for his food earlier. Horace saw the act and reached into his pocket pulling his own. Playing with it between his fingers, he watched Oskar’s eyes dart between his face and the knife.

"Sorry," Horace said in a fake tone as he lowered his head.

"Nothing..." Oskar looked at the knife again and put his own down, realising how outmatched Dit was, "Nothing about you is real. Not once have you ever shown a genuine emotion." Looking at Horace Oskar’s mind, it went through hundreds of theories about who he really was. In the end, however, it was simple, "Your last name. Underwell?"

"You’re just like Piast. So quick to catch on. But it did take a few years to figure out my name. So maybe not." His words seemed to annoy Oskar even more, and the man squinted.

"Is this a new way of talking? Another mask?"Oskar groaned and took another sip of his drink. "Just talk normally and not like I’m a child." Horace took a deep breath and stopped. There was no point if Oskar saw through it. His playful eyes quickly vanished, replaced by nothing, only an emptiness remaining.

"So? You know Im an Underwell, what know Oskar?" The servant finally came back with Horace’s drink and put it down in front of him. Picking the glass up, he poured some of its contents into Oskar’s glass. Oskar felt his lip twitch at the blatant poison test Horace was putting him through, and he took a sip, showing the drink was fine.

Even with that, Horace didn’t drink from his own glass. Grabbing one of the glasses on the table, he poured out the drink and poured his own in. "You don’t trust anything?" Oskar said after watching the strange acts Horace took, but the man only raised his eyebrow and waited for him to answer his question. "I guess I’ll report you to my uncle. Then Konrad will be informed, and you will die or be chased out. I would bet you get chased out, you’re too much of a snake to die."

Horace finally took a sip of his drink and nodded, "Sure. I wouldn’t die. But you neglected the other choices. I kill you and you can’t tell anyone, I stay even if you do tell your Uncle, I kill you after your uncle knows. There are a few more. Take a pick."

"If you wanted me dead, you would have done it already." Oskar eyed up Horace, "What do you want? Or what does the Empire want with me?"

"I offered Pisat something. Work with me or don’t."

"And Piast is dead." Oskar downed the rest of his drink. "I guess he said no." Oskar leaned forward and looked Horace in the eyes, "You left a kid without parents."

"It’s all for the Empire." He replied coldly, and Oskar finally saw the true face of the Underwells. People, when they ruined lives, didn’t flinch or regret it. People who justify every evil deed they did with the cold logic that it was for the good of the Empire. The dark underbelly of the Empire ensured its enemies never grew too powerful.

"You have me in a bind here. I don’t want to die. I still want children, you know."

"Stop with the moral act, Oskar. I’m being truthful with you, but you’re not with me. You didn’t even show a change in emotion when talking about the orphan. You’re a cold bastard with ambition. Sure, you like to hang out in places like this, but you’re still young." Horace picked up his knife again and started playing with it. "How deep is your ambition?"

"You don’t expect.."

"The princess has." Horace quickly cut in, surprising Oskar. He opened and closed his mouth, unable to find the words he wanted. "Ambition is a dangerous thing. But sometimes it’s not enough. Add in, however, the risk of that ambition being crushed forever, and a little persuasion and family can betray family."

"And that’s what you did. Persuasion." Oskar chuckled, "What did you do?"

"Gave her the choice to kill me or a noble of the Empire. She knew my full name, and yet she still chose the noble." Oskar chuckled, expecting nothing less. It was like the world was a game to Horace. Sometimes she was the one playing the game, but other times he was a piece in it, albeit someone who chose to become a piece.

"Why would I betray my family?"

"Because if you don’t, the Emperor will make sure it no longer exists," Horace said sharply. Stabbing the knife into the table, he leaned back and crossed his arms. "Your father’s actions have shown he can never be trusted in the new regime. He has no respect for his King right now, so why would he have it for a foreign Emperor? And unfortunately, the father’s sins are the son’s sins. You won’t be spared."

"So..." Oskar grabbed a random drink on the table and downed it, "I’m going to die because my dad tried to get more power."

"It’s the way he’s done it. The Princess straight up asked the Emperor to be made an Arch-Duchess, and it was fine. Ambition is allowed in the Empire, but only when it won’t affect it. Your father’s actions have allowed the Commonwealth to collapse because of his ambition. The Emperor won’t accept this."

Oskar took a deep breath and looked at Horace in silence, wondering what to say. "Can I save anyone in my family if I accept?"

"Depends who?"

"My uncle," Oskar answered quickly, leaving Horace to go silent.

"Maybe. I don’t know if he would accept. And if he doesn’t or tries to undermine the Empire once in it, I need to know you won’t throw a tantrum, once he is taken care of." Oskar didn’t talk, and Horace smiled. Getting up, he put a single gold coin from the Empire on the table. "I’ll be back in a few days. Give me an answer."

It was the first test for Oskar. It would have been a wasted endeavour if he had sold him out in those few days. But if he was fine, then it showed Oskar could be made to work for the Empire.