Cover Art: Solace O'Autumn

Chapter 57

"So, the mom wasn't the one sabotaging her?"

Naturally, after meeting with Cinder, Jaune had gone to Pyrrha to give her the story – and his friend was incensed when she heard what happened.

"Ha-rin was absolutely sabotaging Chae as well," he replied. "But it turns out she was sabotaging her because she was afraid of what Chae's father would do if she did succeed. That being sabotaged by her own mother was a thousand times kinder than succeeding and ruining her father's plans for her. Because then he'd do much worse to her."

Pyrrha sat back. "Wow, that's messed up. What kind of family situation is that?"

"Not a good one. Honestly, I should have known that since they're a crime family. I just let myself forget because Chae is relatively normal and the security teams were treating me respectfully. It let me forget that these are people pushing drugs, starting gang wars and brutally stomping out competition. Worse than Grimm in some ways. At least Grimm are mindless. They have an excuse for their behaviour. These people are just greedy."

"I guess so. But going after them. Is that safe?"

"Cinder says she can come up with a plan."

"Yes, but she's one student. How much can she do against hardened criminals?"

"Quite a lot, it would seem, since she's almost twice his level."

"What…?"

Jaune couldn't blame her shock at that little nugget. He laughed. "Yeah. Cinder is Level 48 – and she was 45 when we met her the first time in Argus. Joo-won is only level 28 by comparison, and he's he strongest person I saw at the compound."

"Huh… And I'm still level 30? After almost a whole year?"

She was. Pyrrha hadn't gained a single level since he'd first met her, which probably went to show just how much she'd peaked above her age group. No one was challenging her anymore, and she was yet to be allowed to just go into the wilderness and fight Grimm. Pyrrha was stuck finishing her last year of Sanctum and competing in tournaments, both of which she'd eclipsed a while back. Another perfect example of why game logic didn't work in real life. In a game, you moved onto the next part of the story and a new monster-rich area once you were done with the last one.

In real life, you had exams and terms and restrictions dumped on you. Pyrrha would probably start growing again once she went to Beacon and got to meet – and fight – new people. Then she'd have a chance to face real challenges.

"So far above me," she mused. "Do we not think that's suspicious in any way…?"

"Not really." Jaune shrugged. "I've met huntsmen who are higher level and surely the whole point of an academy is to transition people from your level to theirs. Cinder is just a little higher on the track than most, but then so are you. Is it suspicious you're such a high level?"

"I guess not. Though her knowing how to make plans involving criminal empires is a bit weird."

"I thought so too at first. But then I remembered huntsmen sometimes do law enforcement, so it must be something she's learnt in Haven. Unless you have any other ideas?"

Pyrrha smiled. "Secretly a criminal?"

"That'd be a twist. But I think I'd have gotten a quest about her by now if she was. And the only quest we did get was saving her life from someone plotting an ambush to kill her. I think if Cinder were secretly evil, she'd have been the one doing the ambush."

"True. Maybe I'm just looking a gift horse in the mouth. You can call on me if you need me." She flexed her arm. "Now I know I'm a higher level than heir best fighter, I'm not afraid to get stuck in."

"I'll make sure Cinder knows. We won't be fighting their family, though. That'd leave Chae-young in danger. We're going to take over the crooks that kidnapped me and forced me into their gang, then use that leverage to make a deal with Joo-won that'll free up Chae to do what she wants."

"And because the quest before gave you a take over the gang option before, you know it's feasible."

"Exactly. More pro-active than the others, too. Telling the police would put me and my family in danger – not to mention Chae – and serving them means remaining under their control. If the police can even deal with them at all; they haven't so far. I never wanted to become a criminal but this is the best option out of the three. And do you know something, Pyrrha?"

"What?"

"That quest." Jaune smirked. "It wasn't completed."

.

Quest!: Familial Duty

Lady Ha-rin wishes for her rebellious and unruly daughter to follow in the family's time-honoured traditions. Assist her by sabotaging her daughter's efforts to become a musician and help Lady Ha-rin control her daughter once more.

Success: +Exp. +Freedom from Lil Miss Malachite. -Rep Malachites. +Rep Criminals. +lien. +Rep Ha-rin. +Allies: East Dragon Family. +Title: Honoured Member. Resolves prior quest.

Failure: +Rep Chae-young.

.

The quest was still active.

Which meant he hadn't failed Chae yet. All he'd learnt was that Ha-rin's "control" of her daughter was in said daughter's interests, and to protect her from her father's more brutal ways of instilling discipline. That didn't mean he'd sided with her, or with Joo-won. He was still loyal to his little student, and he'd be damned if that changed for a few titles and some exp.

"It's still active, Pyrrha. And that means there's still a chance to fail this damn quest. If that chance exists, I'll find it." Jaune clenched his fist. "Failure is within my grasp!"

"It feels wrong to say it like that…" Pyrrha said.

"I shall fail this quest or die trying!"

"Worse."

"Success is not an option!"

Pyrrha sighed. "Let's just help Chae."

/-/

Cinder was a lot more "there" when he met her later that day. More awake, probably. She'd been all kinds of weird before, but that was probably down to it being the early hours of the morning and her coming out of sleep. Jaune was content to forget about it since he was the one to drag her out of bed so early. That didn't stop her giving him a few odd looks. It was if she was trying to figure out some puzzle, always watching when he wasn't and then looking away when he turned back to her.

Probably weirded out by me suddenly wanting to take over this gang. Does she think I'm turning into a bad person? I hope not.

She'd taken the news Pyrrha was available to help without too much enthusiasm. Pyrrha was strong compared to people her age but still almost twenty levels beneath Cinder. And whiles she didn't know about the levels and such, she didn't see someone not even in an academy as being a particularly worthwhile ally.

"The problem is this isn't something you can brute force," she said. "If you wanted to destroy the Spider gang then yes, fight them, but if your aim is to supplant Lil Miss Malachite then you really need the rest of the gang to stay in one piece. You're replacing her. Ideally, only her."

"Ideally?"

"There may be some loyal to her who have to go but most of the people there will be like you, trapped in their jobs or desperate for money. Remove too many and other groups will smell blood in the water and attack."

"Yeah. Let's avoid that if we can. A gang war won't let me help Chae-young."

"Then your best bet – our best bet – is a hostile takeover."

Jaune winced. "Not a peaceful one?"

"Lil Miss Malachite will never give up control willingly, Jaune. You know that. Why should she when she feels she has you by the balls?"

Malachite wouldn't give up on him either. That was even more obvious. He'd proven himself useful now and also revealed that he had contact with Weiss and Pyrrha – two very valuable people. Malachite would be a fool to let him walk.

"How does one conduct a hostile takeover, then?"

"The traditional way would be to remove or replace the leader – either via murder—" Jaune's face twisted. "—or by making the current leader appear so weak that the gang turns on her, which I expect you would prefer."

"Yes. Definitely that one. Is it harder?"

Cinder shrugged. "Both are the same in a sense. Killing someone proves you're stronger and requires you to best them anyway. The only material difference is that you spare them. But it does come with risk. You're leaving behind an enemy who could theoretically gather power once more to challenge you. Though make a big enough display of your power and she might think twice about doing that."

"What if I made such an overwhelming display of my power that she'd never dare?"

Cinder's eyebrows rose. "That would work. And I'd like to see it – if you think you can manage it. Malachite will undoubtedly try and reclaim her comfort of living by making a new gang, but if you crush her spirit thoroughly then that gang will never dare approach you. People like her are pragmatic at heart. Prove strong enough and caution will override any thoughts of vengeance."

Strong, huh? It probably wouldn't be enough to use Cinder as a beat stick since that'd just show them she was the threat. Getting him alone and away from her would become their priority, and he'd probably face challenges to his authority whenever she wasn't around. It had to be him, which was awkward given how weak he still was. His level was too low, his stats too unbalanced.

But no one else could see those stats or levels.

They wouldn't know.

And if all he had to do was make them believe he was powerful, well, that was precisely what Charisma was meant to be about. If it could help him stand up against the White Fang and convince them to throw down their arms, it could convince a crooked criminal he was stronger than she could ever be.

"I can do that," he said, sounding more confident than he felt. "I can crush Lil Miss Malachite's spirit. I just need to be in a position with her where I can do that without someone shooting me. I have a weakness to bullets. And stabbing. In fact, anything that results in my insides becoming outsides is probably a weakness."

"Yes… that's how it is for most people…" Cinder gathered herself. "Ahem. Well, if you're convinced you can do it then I'm content to see. If all goes wrong, we can default to the regrettable necessity of killing her. Not that we want to, of course. Very tragic if it comes to that. Tragic but necessary," she said, picking at her sleeve. "To protect this Sai-yun—"

"Chae-Young."

"—Chae-young's happiness." Cinder continued without pause or embarrassment. "A shame, of course, but needs must, and this woman is a dangerous criminal. The world will be a better place without her. And as a huntress, I am prepared to take this terrible weight onto my own shoulders if needs be."

"Cinder…"

"Let it be!" she argued. "I don't want to kill her but I will if I must. Leave it at that, Jaune, and don't argue. Sometimes difficult decisions have to be made but, in the interests of protecting some random girl's dream of being a musician, I am prepared to bloody my hands."

His hands gripped her shoulders. "You're a brave woman, Cinder. I'll do my best to not make you take that burden."

Cinder stared at him. Her eyes flicked to the side. "You're lucky you have more to rely on than brains."

"You know, Pyrrha says that about me too. What does it mean?"

"That you're a man of many talents."

"Aww. Thanks. So, can you work a plan for this?"

"Yes. I have something in mind…"

/-/

It wasn't long before Lil Miss Malachite called on him. He'd known she would want to move quickly and even getting a full two days without interaction was a surprise. It was time she probably spent debating how best to make use of him, since he'd evolved in her mind from some sacrificial idiot she could throw to Joo-won to die as an apology for the drug run failure into someone who could get things done. Into someone who had surprisingly powerful friends.

It was an unknown goon who picked him up and drove him to where he needed to go. Cinder would be following in her own way. He wasn't sure how she intended to, but she was certain she could make it, so he didn't argue. Sitting back, he sent a silent apology to Pyrrha. While she'd have loved to help, he didn't want her involved in this with how famous she was. Not only out of the risk someone would see her, but that Lil Miss Malachite might use it as blackmail against her. It was in Pyrrha's best interests she not be here for this.

Cinder is a student of Haven at the very least. And she's almost level fifty. That's a huge difference.

They arrived at a relatively nice bar of some sort. Or a club. Jaune might have called it fancy if not for his time working in a casino. This place was much smaller, with two bars and several tables. There was no dancefloor, suggesting a more exclusive club catering to older people – criminals, no doubt. Every person he saw there was marked as being one of Miss Malachite's spiders. Not only marked with a tattoo but marked to his Semblance. Their titles and statuses made mention of it in one way or another. Jaune took in their levels while he was at it.

Some in their late teens, others in the early twenties, but none higher than level twenty-two from what he could see. It reinforced his earlier thoughts about the differences between normal people and huntsmen. In game terms, it was like the difference between NPCs and main character adventurers. No matter how long they lived or tried, they'd never be as strong as huntsmen because they only ever dealt with other low-level people. Cinder went out and fought Grimm. Pyrrha got matched up against some of the best competitive fighters in the world. How could some thug used to shaking down businesses and involving himself in back-alley brawls hope to match up against that? They could not. That was the simple answer. Jaune marched in with his head held high.

"The Lil Miss has been waiting for you," a man said. "With me."

They walked through an employee-only doorway and into the backrooms of the club, up a flight of stairs and then to a wide set of black doors inlaid with golden paint. They were ornate and heavy, and the man pushed them open with both hands. Inside, a penthouse of sorts – or a private VIP lounge, perhaps – lay, with black marble flooring and a hot-tub off to one side, and a bar on the right with red-velvet topped stools arranged in front of it. A staircase led up to a balcony overlooking it, upon which Lil Miss Malachite sat on a plush chair. A man in uniform at her side poured wine from a crystal decanter, while a topless man behind massaged her shoulders.

Someone was enjoying themselves.

"Ah, my newest acquisition. Back successful from teaching the little girl." Lil Miss Malachite leaned away from the man's touch and took the filled drink. "Leave us," she commanded. "Wait outside. My little spider and I need to talk. But, before that." Her eyes narrowed on him. "You have your hands in your pockets there. Show me them."

Calmly, Jaune withdrew his hands. He had nothing in them but wore his gloves. One of the guards by the door roughly felt in his pockets for a weapon but, finding none, stepped back and signalled the okay. Miss Malachite's smile returned.

"Good – but unwise. You should really invest in a weapon, if only to protect yourself."

"I'm not sure why I'd need one. I'm not planning to stick around or get involved in anything dangerous." Jaune kept his hands up. No one commented on his gloves. It was a cold evening. "You said I'd be free of my debt to you once I did this favour. Joo-won seemed happy enough with how I taught his daughter. Ha-rin said I did a good job as well. Was that not what you wanted me to do?"

"Oh, it's what I wanted. Just not what I expected. A surprise, but a pleasant one – marvellous, even." Lil Miss Malachite waved her people off once more. "Come sit and drink with me. No drugs. You don't seem the type and I'm not going to waste merchandise on someone who wouldn't enjoy it. Good wine and good company are enough. Come. Don't be shy."

Drawn by her beckoning hand, Jaune slowly ascended the staircase, which started on the left of the bar and looped over to the right before reaching the mezzanine above. Had there been a crowd waiting for drinks, he'd have walked over them. Yet another display of power. Though, he couldn't help but think, Miss Malachite's wearing of a skirt would mean the people below saw things they shouldn't.

And probably things they didn't want to see. Lil Miss Malachite was never little nor a young woman at this point. A life of crime had been good for her finances but not her overall appearance. Jaune took the seat offered across from her, and then the glass provided. He sipped. Malachite wouldn't see any reason to poison him when she held all the cards, and he had a feeling his Semblance would have warned him about it if she had. The fact the original criminal quest still had a completion option of serving her meant that was still active.

"Good, isn't it? An expensive bottle from a vineyard outside Mistral. It's relatively young, which makes it exclusive. Like you in a sense. Youth often comes with inexperience, but also with potential. It's not always easy to differentiate between that and reckless idiocy, however. All I knew of you was that you came back alive from my lost shipment."

"Lost to the Grimm…"

"So you say, so you say, but I have no way to confirm that." She winked and sipped at her own glass. "All I can work with is what I see before me. And what I see is someone who managed to navigate the intricacies of a criminal family without disturbance."

"I was polite."

"You'd be surprised how rare that is – or how many people struggle with it. You obviously cared for the young girl, but you didn't raise your voice or temper to Joo-won. A wise choice. Veiled insults aside, of course. Those were reckless. However, he was in a good mood since he ultimately won this little game of his."

"A game against his own daughter. A child."

Malachite waved a hand dismissively. "The best lessons are those learned young. The world will take advantage of her, so she may as well learn how to take advantage of others first. I did the same with my daughters. They may hate me for it, but they'll come out all the stronger. Mother knows best."

"It's not any of my business."

"It isn't. Of course, my daughters could become your business if you wanted them to." Her smile was coy. "They're single."

Jaune leaned back. "Are you talking about an arranged marriage?"

"Oh, hoho. Not I. No. Leave that to Joo-won and his old-fashioned ways. If I tried that, my girls might kill you themselves and blame it on an accident. No. But there's no reason you couldn't meet them. They'll take over one day, when I'm old and gone, and they'll need someone with them to support them – and to keep them on their toes. That someone could be you. They're quite the attractive pair."

"I'm sure they are, ma'am, but I'm not interested in becoming a criminal. No offence. You've not had me do anything too criminal as it is, and I appreciate that." Jaune thanked his Charisma for making that lie convincing enough. "I'd like to keep it that way and gracefully bow out your service now that I've completed the task you set for me."

"Hmm. Hmmmm. That is a shame." Lil Miss Malachite ran her finger in circles on the table. "I'd really rather not see you go with how useful you've been. Our groups might be working together soon and you would make a wonderful ambassador to them. You could even look over the little girl if you wished. Watch her grow up. The pay would be most generous."

Jaune smiled depreciatingly. "I'm not really in Mistral for the money, though. I'm here to travel and see the world, and I'd like to head to Vale soon. I have friends starting Beacon and then there's the Vytal Festival not long after. I hear it's a real spectacle."

"It is. It most certainly is. In fact, Joo-won and his family may even be going so you could accompany them. I might as well. A chance to check up on my wayward daughters. Working for me needn't get in your way of that. In fact, it would make it easier. Good accommodation, good seats, and good parties. Your friends are, of course, welcome to join our celebrations."

"My friends?"

"Yes. Beacon is going to be quite busy this year, isn't it? Hosting both Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss Schnee. That's quite the power couple right there. Two celebrities in one year. Imagine how dramatic it'll be if they end up on the same team!"

"Pyrrha may not enjoy that."

"You'd know, of course." Miss Malachite chuckled. "You know her better than I. Better than many, I dare say. Do you know there are rumours abound that Miss Nikos has been caught visiting a man's hotel room?"

Jaune choked on the wine. "W—What!?"

"Nonsense, I assume." The woman smiled. "Your expression is far too innocent for me to think you've been making love to her. How cute. But gossip is as gossip does. The masses are always obsessed with what the latest celebrity is up to, and if the truth is boring, well, they'll make up something more interesting."

Damn it. Pyrrha had been to his hotel once or twice but they'd obviously not done anything like that. He still had the "lose your virginity" quest active to prove it. They'd experimented with his Semblance and chatted. Still, to others, that was hours spent in his room. And sometimes they left sweaty from aura control exercises. Some guest or worker must have seen them.

I just hope they didn't get my name. There's still that person who tried to catch me in Vacuo. If they find out I'm here, they might come for me again.

"Do these rumours point me by name?" he asked.

"Not yet. I expect it's only a matter of time, however." She cocked her glass toward him. "Unless you take action. If the two of you want a place to meet up that's a little more private, you're more than welcome to meet here."

"Generous of you…"

"Hardly. It's no skin off my back to let you hook up at a place when I'm not using it. And I have little interest in eavesdropping on chat between friends."

"But you are interested in my friends," he challenged. "Aren't you? That's why you're unwilling to let me walk away."

Far from upset, she smiled. "Cat's out the bag, is it?"

"Yes. I've done the task you set for me Lil Miss Malachite. I'd like to leave now."

"That's a shame."

"Is it?"

"Yes. Because I'd have liked you to stay for the promise of rewards, power, money and all the other wonderful things I could offer you. I'd have liked it if you embraced that and your place here as one of my spiders."

"Thank you, but I'm not interested. I'd like to leave."

"Then I'm afraid you don't understand the power dynamic here," she replied, leaning back in her seat. "You are one of my spiders now. The sooner you accept that and learn to like it, the happier you will be."

Jaune nodded. He'd expected it. "To be clear, you're telling me you refuse to let me go?"

"If you think I'm going to let one of my people with ties to Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos leave, well…" Lil Miss Malachite raised her glass in toast. "You can go whistle."

"Perhaps I shall."

Jaune pursed his lips and let out a low, haunting sound. It was quiet, careful, and echoed ominously in the empty VIP room, bouncing off the walls. The woman across from him tensed, an unnatural fear gripping her. He kept it going, the note lowering, as he slowly rose to his feet.

Outside the room, in the bar and club, Cinder and her team made their move.

Yeah, just imagine the wolf whistle from puss-in-boots here.

Jaune is a man of many talents. Almost all of which are greater than his awareness.

Next Chapter: 9th February

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