Absalom's Stupidity
Disclaimer: If you are stupid and think I own DxD, then sorry to burst your bubble. I don't. If I did, then DxD would have made sense.
[Unknown POV]
The sky was covered with a sea of stars which formed constellations unknown. Amidst the chaos of this nightscape, the city below was considerably less illuminated due to the absence of the moon.
Certain parts of the night city of Uruk were still shining through the darkness. In one part of the many, an 'intriguing' event was taking place.
"Ahh, my man! I was almost sure that the last lady that came looking for a ruby ring was flirting with me. Imagine how fucked I felt when her fat and bald husband kissed her cheek. I had almost shouted for Hassan!"
'Anbar's Gem Emporium'. The sign featured traditional calligraphy with the name written in a rich gold. Despite the extravagance of the signboard, it blended seamlessly with the surrounding architecture, which was all stone walls.
The storefront has a large, ornately framed glass window displaying a selection of the finest gems, glimmering under soft, well-placed lights. It was a charming yet elegant store, reflecting both modernity and the deep-rooted history of the city.
Upon entering the shop, one would immediately notice the cool, calming atmosphere with high ceilings, soft lighting, and polished stone floors.
The walls were adorned with motifs that formed a unique design. Adjacent to them were glass cases filled with a variety of gemstones, from diamonds and sapphires to locally sourced precious stones like lapis lazuli and carnelian.
Behind the counter, shelves displayed the raw stones and high-end jewelry. Strangely there were no highly intricate or valuable pieces. Of course, they were probably to be housed in secure, spotlighted cases.
Currently, eight security guards were sitting inside pretending to be customers. In the foggy night, everyone had already returned to their home.
The rough and tanned security guards sitting on small spinning chairs were surrounding a rather well dressed man. He was none other than the owner of the shop, Kasim Anbar.
Kasim had sharp, intelligent eyes that shined with a bright glint. His skin was also tanned from years of traveling under the sun, a deep olive tone. His short beard was peppered with silver streaks. His hair was neatly trimmed and mostly gray, adding an air of wisdom to him.
Currently, the aura of wisdom was nowhere to be seen.
"Yeh boss! Even I wanted to call Hassan to get that guy's greasy paws off of that young lady. Ladies nowadays value money way too much. Agh, at least you have Lady Mellisa, boss. I am not even married," The whole group laughed at the poor fellow with a crooked nose.
"Heh. At least you have your sister and mother at home waiting for you, Zayd. Except Hassan, all of us don't even have that." A guy muttered with bitterness lacing his tone but it quickly dissipated away. "Oh yeah! Isn't Zaina going to finish her studies this year?"
The "Boss", Kasim, turned his gaze towards Zayd and his eyebrows rose for a brief moment.
"Is that true Zayd? I thought there was still a year left. Time really is flying by," Kasim said while looking at the watch hung at the wall. His hands were packing up stuff in his leather bag.
"Zaina is indeed about to finish her education. I just pray to the Gods for her success. Once she gets a good job, I would be able to take it easy and relax. Well that's if our Boss Kasim doesn't increase my workload again."
At that all the eight security guards chuckled.
"Heh. Don't worry your ass, Zayd. I would maybe hire someone else to take the night shifts in your place. Anyway, it's getting late and I am sure your Boss lady is going to eat me alive if I don't return early today." Saying that, Kasim left the cubicle he was in, amidst the snickering of his loyal guards.
"Hassan, take the keys and lock all the doors. Oh yeah, Mr. Absalom's order arrived a couple hours ago. He said he would come take it tomorrow, so right now it's in the room. Make sure to increase the surveillance there."
"Ok Boss," came a rather low and sharp voice. Hearing the reply, Anbar's smile dimmed a little but he continued instructing the guards before taking his leave via the main door.
"So we are back at the creepy night shifts. I swear, it gets so boring around here some nights. If not for cards and roleplay games we all would have died of boredom."
A smile graced everyone's faces. They continued to joke around for a few more minutes. Only Hassan wasn't laughing out loud, but even he had a small smile on his face.
Still the fun didn't last long.
The old guardians didn't take long to get to their duties. As if performing a repetitive task, they divided into groups and took different posts. Two people manned the surveillance room, while the rest divided themselves in two groups of three and safeguarded the inventory and the two showrooms.
This made the store extremely secure. All entry points were locked, the windows were bullet proof and even the walls were reinforced. With the CCTV surveillance and Alarm systems that get triggered by motion sensors, this was a safe haven.
In one showroom that contained most of the relatively cheaper gemstones and jewelry, Jain and Zayd were sitting and playing cards.
Zayd frowned as he glanced at his cards. "Alright, final round. I'm feeling lucky this time." He had lost the past two rounds consecutively despite trying to not let his emotions show.
He would surely not lose three times in a row.
Jain's smile widened to shit-eating proportions, and he calmly laid down his winning hand. "Full house. Better luck next time, Zayd."
Zayd tossed his cards onto the table. "How do you keep doing this? You've got to be cheating. I refuse to believe that I am this bad."
Jain chuckled, gathering the cards. "Nah, just skill. You should've folded two rounds ago. Heh, you can always try to win the nex-"
Jain paused in the middle of his speech, and his smile froze. His hands were also stuck in the position of collecting the cards.
"Oi Jain, stop messing around and start shuffling the cards. You aren't gonna get me this time."
Zayd stared blankly at Jain. There was no big change in his expression, and only his lips curled up a bit.
Jain resumed his movements and started snickering.
"Aw man, I thought I would get you again. Last time you got so scared by a simple prank!" Jain was a known prankster among the guards. He would occasionally pull such stunts on his fellows and call them 'pranks'.
"Agh, don't remind me of that you fucker. I got laughed at by everyone for shouting despite all of them also being scared of the same shit. Seriously fuc-"
Zayd felt a chill run down his spine, but before he could even express his discomfort, the world around him changed.
Time slowed down. The sounds of night had disappeared and a thin fog appeared in the room fogging the glass showcases.
Zayd turned into a statue. His limbs were stiff. It looked distinctly unnatural. The narrowed eyebrows were stuck at their position and the eyelids were half closed as if they paused mid-blinking.
There appeared a small cut under his throat. The thin red line spewed blood. The flow of blood widened the small cut into a crescent shape forming a circle around the vocal box of Zayd. The absence of sound had created such a silence that the sound of blood spewing out and dropping reverberated throughout the store.
Despite all of this, there was no change in Zayd's face or body posture.
He was still frozen.
Jain was still laughing when he realized something was wrong. Zayd's words had just... stopped. No final syllable, no continuation, just sudden, eerie silence. For a second, Jain's grin faltered.
"Oi, Zayd?" Jain leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as if Zayd had just frozen in the middle of a joke.
It wasn't like him to stop so suddenly. Jain leaned over, peering at his friend's face, but there was no reaction. Zayd's eyebrows were stuck in a halfway furrowed state, like someone had hit pause mid-conversation.
He heard a loud dripping noise.
"What are you..." Jain's voice trailed off as his gaze lowered in search for the source of the noise. At last it fell to the thin red line appearing on Zayd's neck. The deep, unnatural cut had formed a complete circle, blood silently seeping out and splattering onto the ground.
His mind couldn't process it. For a split second, Jain thought maybe it was some kind of prank-some horrible, twisted prank. But that line of thinking died as the smell of iron hit his nostrils.
The realization hit him hard, like a punch to the gut. His stomach lurched, and his breath caught in his throat.
"Z-Zayd?" His voice came out a croak, his eyes widening in disbelief. "This isn't..."
The red circle suddenly started to protrude from the neck. A cylinder of flesh emerged, and brought a fountain of blood along with it. As it was nearly detached from the neck, it fell to the floor and caused a loud thud.
The loud noise was enough to awaken Jain.
Jain tried to move away from Zayd but he was unable to do anything. His legs felt like they were glued to the floor. The world around him blurred, and his body screamed at him to move, to run, but his mind was caught in a loop of shock.
"Gods... what... what," His voice grew shrill, his hands trembling as he found his strength back. He slowly backed away from the table, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Something had done this-something was here, in the room, and that realization struck like cold ice down his spine.
Then there was only silence echoing in the rooms.
[Verdat's POV]
Verdat sat behind an elegant mahogany desk in her office, a room that balanced authority with quiet warmth.
The walls were lined with dark wood shelves, filled with books and artifacts from long ago, each item collected by the House, hinting at stories of it's history. A deep green, velvet armchair sat across from her desk, matching the emerald designs mixed with ancient symbols that adorned the wall behind her.
Small floating candles provided a gentle, golden glow, casting a peaceful ambiance while illuminating the room just enough to reflect the polished bronze fixtures and the intricate mosaic flooring beneath one's feet. It was a space designed to command respect and make one comfortable.
But the comfort of the room was distorted right now.
Across from her, Absalom stood with a rigid posture, his expression a mixture of regret and shame. She observed him quietly, waiting for him to begin.
He had visited her suddenly and her refined intuition about his character told her that this wasn't going to be about House affairs this time.
"Lady Verdat," he started, his voice low, "I regret to inform you that I may have gotten myself in a mess. I had ordered Ocean Eyes for my collection from the gem supplier I usually commission for my collection, Kasim Anbar. He was targeted last night."
He swallowed, his hands tightening lightly as he continued.
"His shop was looted, nearly all of his guards were killed. Only three survived, and... well, from their testimony, it's clear the thief wasn't an ordinary criminal."
Verdat arched an eyebrow, but her expression remained otherwise neutral. "Go on."
Absalom took a breath and continued.
"The guards' throats were slit without anyone seeing or even feeling it. There were other methods used in the murders that hint at it being someone who is capable of either telekinesis or invisibility. By their accounts, it's unmistakable... The thief was of supernatural origin."
She closed her eyes momentarily, her mind weighing the gravity of this information. It wasn't unheard of for supernatural agents to dabble in petty theft. Some might say that it was all too common, especially the ones affected.
She knew this subordinate of hers was very interested in Gems of all sorts. She hadn't been blind to times when he had slipped his "Gem Expenses" in the House's Finance register. She and Absalom had a tacit understanding about the limits he can do this.
After all, his Gem collection wasn't useless. There were many rituals that required Gems as catalysts, not to mention they were a form of asset. She knew Absalom wouldn't hesitate to offer his Gems if the House ever required them.
As for the matter at hand, Oceans Eyes were 'expensive' Gems for sure. But their cost was nothing in front of the wealth Lillitus had accumulated.
But mistakes were mistakes. This principle had kept their House afloat for its entire history. Absalom needed to face some repercussions for involving the House in a supernatural incident that would surely be investigated by the Supernatural part of the law enforcement of Humans.
He knew it. His hesitancy spoke volumes, and Verdat noticed the slight, guilty flicker in his eyes.
"There's... more," he murmured, a trace of discomfort edging his words.
"I was... I was informed of the arrival of my order by Kasim himself, but I didn't respond promptly. I had been drinking, and my thoughts weren't clear at the time, so I had pushed the date of delivery to today. Maybe the thief had sensed the magical properties of Oceans Eyes and had decided to rob the store." He met her gaze, there were visible signs of guilt in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Lady Verdat. I shouldn't have been so negligent."
She leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing slightly. Verdat held his gaze in silence, studying him, sensing the honest remorse in his confession. Finally, her expression softened a fraction, and she sighed.
"Apology accepted, Absalom," she replied, though her tone carried a note of firmness. "But you need to face the consequences. From this moment forward, you are banned from drinking alcohol until further notice."
Absalom lowered his head, clearly relieved at the light punishment.
"Understood, Ladu Verdat. Thank you for your leniency!"
He had missed the fact that "Until further notice" can be centuries too. She wasn't going to remind him about that.
For a moment, the room was quiet, the faint flicker of the sconces casting shadows on the walls. Verdat turned her gaze toward the window, contemplating the broader implications.
The theft of every single valuable gem in Kasim's shop was, in itself, a major offense, but what truly intrigued her was the thief's choice to steal from Kasim's shop only and leave the other shops untouched, including the other jewelry shops around it.
Absalom's theory with regards to the thief wanting the Oceans Eyes seems like the best explanation. She wasn't really worried about this case. As far as Verdat knew, that stone was intended for Absalom's collection; it held no particular value to the house itself, beyond aesthetics.
"You're probably right about your theory. This seems like an overblown effort for just Gems. The thief must have been after the Oceans Eyes specifically. Otherwise robbing the Gemstore alone isn't that beneficial considering the Thief can be traced by tracking the Gems in the market." she murmured thoughtfully.
"Still, this isn't the most troubling mystery..." She paused, remembering the conversation she'd had with Sethos.
Her grandson had expressed an eagerness to test his growing powers on a practical assignment, and had offered to use his abilities to aid the family, particularly in exchange for additional goods and resources.
A small smile tugged at her lips as the memory of his enthusiasm crossed her mind. The incident in Kasim's shop might be the perfect opportunity to grant him some real-world experience while resolving a bothersome problem for Lillitu House.
Turning back to Absalom, her gaze softened. "Perhaps we have a means to address this without investing more of our own energy," she mused aloud. "I recall that Sethos recently offered his assistance with a matter like this. I believe he may find this situation... educational."
Absalom looked up, slightly surprised, but then nodded thoughtfully. He excitedly tried to agree with her.
"Sethos would certainly be motivated. He has impressed us the last time with his creations. I could see the merit in letting him handle this. Perhaps he can use his Undead expertise on the dead guards?"
Verdat's smile deepened. "Exactly. Let him apply his skills here. I'll arrange for him to receive whatever materials he requires for the investigation."
With her decision made, she felt a surge of satisfaction. They discussed the specifics of the request and decided to contact Sethos now. After being done with the discussion, she dismissed Absalom with the reminder that his wine and alcohol collection is going to be confiscated. He flinched but accepted the outcome nonetheless.
She spun her chair and faced the city covered in the blanket of night. She was happy with this opportunity. Not only would this task allow her to test Sethos' capabilities in a controlled environment, but it would also offer him an invaluable lesson in managing real-world challenges.
She was sure Eirene would agree with her.
And who knew? Perhaps they would learn more about the peculiar thief and his motives through the process. They weren't anxious about the results of his investigation but having the Gem is still better than not having it.
In any case, Verdat knew that Sethos would give it his utmost. If only for the reward. She chuckled and the sound resounded in the chamber of her office.