Calum walked back to the inn just as the sun was getting higher in the sky. The streets were busy now. People going about their daily business. Nobody paid attention to the kid in the hood walking through the crowd.

  He pushed open the door to The Copper Rest and stepped inside. The common room had changed since this morning. There were people here now. Five or six travelers sitting at tables. Drinking and talking. A couple of them looked like merchants. Others looked like wanderers passing through.

  Marcus stood behind the counter. When he saw Calum enter, his face went pale.

  Calum walked straight to him. Kept his voice low.

  "Upstairs. Now."

  Marcus nodded quickly and followed him up to the second floor. They went into Calum's room and Calum locked the door behind them.

  Marcus stood there looking nervous. His hands were shaking slightly.

  Calum pulled off his mask and set it on the bed, looking at Marcus directly.

  "Who do you report to?"

  Marcus blinked. "What?"

  "The beggars in the slum. The thugs you hired. Who controls them? Who do you give a cut to?"

  Marcus's face went even paler. "I—I don't—"

  Calum stepped closer. "Don't lie to me. I already told you what happens when you lie."

  "I'm not lying! I swear I'm not—"

  "Then answer the question."

  Marcus swallowed hard. His throat moved visibly. "The... the Syndicate."

  "What's that?"

  "It's... it's what they call themselves. The people who run the underworld here. In the wizard town."

  Calum waited as Marcus continued. "They control everything. The beggars. The brothels. The gambling dens. The smuggling routes. If you want to do any kind of business in this town, you pay them a cut."

  "And who runs the Syndicate?"

  "I don't know their names. Nobody does. They keep themselves hidden. But..." Marcus hesitated.

  "But people say they're all Third Circle mages. Rich ones and influential ones, even some academy instructors."

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  (Third Circle mages running an underworld organization, Interesting and it involves the academy too.)

  "Why do they care about beggars?" Calum asked with an interest.

  Marcus looked confused. "What do you mean?"

  "The slum. You said they control the beggars. Why? What's valuable about a bunch of starving people?"

  Marcus opened his mouth and closed it back like he didn't want to answer. Calum just stared at him intensely.

  Finally Marcus spoke. "Because... because they're not just beggars."

  "Mmm."

  "Most of them are failed academy students. People who got expelled. People who couldn't advance past First Circle. People who ran out of money and couldn't pay room rents."

  Calum's eyes narrowed. "Keep talking."

  Marcus took a shaky breath. "The academy doesn't just kick them out. They... they sell them. To the Syndicate. For cheap. And the Syndicate uses them."

  "Really, hehe, how do they use them?"

  "For everything." Marcus's voice dropped even lower. "Experiments. Test subjects for new spells. Sacrifices for rituals. Cheap labor. Prostitution. Organ harvesting. Blood extraction for potions. They..." He stopped and looked sick now. "They don't waste anything. Every drop of blood. Every piece of flesh. The Syndicate squeezes it all out of them until there's nothing left."

  SILENCE

  Calum just stood there processing this.

  The academy and the underworld working together. Failed students were actually getting sold like cattle. Rich mages use them as disposable resources.

  A well-organized system that turned human beings into products.

  Marcus was watching his face nervously. "I—I didn't want to be part of it. But they made me. They said if I didn't cooperate, they'd—"

  "I don't care." Calum cut him off.

  Marcus shut up immediately.

  Calum walked over to the window and looked out at the street below. Thought about what he'd just learned.

  So he had competition here. The Syndicate was already farming these people for profit. That meant when he killed beggars in the slum, he was stepping on their territory. Cutting into their supply.

  They'd notice eventually. Probably already had. That mage this morning wasn't just a random guard. He was protecting Syndicate property.

  Which means they'll send more.

  Calum turned back to Marcus. "How many Third Circle mages are in the Syndicate?"

  "I don't know exactly. Maybe five? Maybe ten? They split the profits and each one controls a different part of the operation."

  Calum nodded slowly.

  Five to ten Third Circle mages. That was... not ideal. He had barely reached Level 10. First Circle Mid-Stage. Maybe he could take one Third Circle mage if he got lucky and used good tactics.

  But five? Ten? He was sure to die.

  But then again...Calum looked at Marcus.This pathetic man who'd been running a scam for years. Who'd killed travelers and dumped their bodies in the forest. Who worked for the Syndicate and followed their orders without question.

  Calum smiled slightly.

  "Alright," he said. "Here's what you're going to do."

  Marcus straightened up. Listening.

  "Keep the inn running normally. Keep the room prices low like I told you. Fill the place up with travelers."

  "But—but if I fill the inn, the Syndicate will—"

  "The Syndicate doesn't care about your inn. They are busy with slums right now."

  Marcus looked confused but nodded. "Okay. Okay, I can do that."

  Calum walked to the door but stopped and looked back at Marcus one more time.

  "Oh, and Marcus?"

  "Yes?"

  "If you try to warn the Syndicate about me, or if you try to run..." Calum's smile widened slightly. "Remember what I said last night.”

  Marcus went completely white. Nodded frantically. Calum left the room.

  Over the next few days, the inn filled up.

  Travelers came in. Merchants. Wanderers. People passing through on their way to somewhere else.

  Marcus charged them one copper coin per month just like Calum had ordered. The price was so low that people couldn't resist. The inn went from empty to nearly full within three days.

  …….

  One evening the common room was getting louder. Travelers drinking. Talking and laughing. While Calum sat at a table near the counter. Had a cup of water in front of him that he wasn't drinking. Just sitting there and watching Marcus who was behind the counter serving drinks. Looking tired but functional.

  Then the door opened and someone walked in.

  Not a traveler. Calum could tell immediately.

  The man was dressed too well. Clean clothes. Expensive boots and having that look of arrogance.

  He walked straight to the counter. Didn't look around nor order anything. Just leaned in close to Marcus and started talking in a low voice.

  Calum couldn't hear what they were saying from where he sat. But he watched Marcus's scared face.This nervousness, it had to be one of the Syndicate's people.

  Marcus was nodding and making excuses.” It's just that my child is sick and I needed money.” His hands were shaking slightly while he wiped down the counter.

  The conversation lasted maybe two minutes. Then the well-dressed man straightened up—looked around the room once. Then he turned and walked out.

  Marcus stayed at the counter. Looking pale. Like he wanted to throw up. Calum stood up. Left his cup on the table. Walked toward the door like he was just going out for air.

  Outside, the well-dressed man was already walking down the street. Moving at a steady pace.

  Calum followed but he kept his distance. Stayed in the crowd and made sure to move naturally. Like he was just another person going somewhere.

  The man didn't notice him. Why would he? Just a kid walking down the street.