Mr. Gallagher studied Simon for a long moment before answering. His old fingers rested on the pomegranate, but his eyes were sharp enough to cut through the silence between them. “I am saying you are too young to retire from the world, Simon. You are too talented to hide inside small peace while the world is full of filth, corruption, cowardice, and suffering.”Simon’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He knew that tone. It was not the tone of a grandfather asking for help. It was the tone of a former emperor preparing to move a piece on the chess board.Mr. Gallagher leaned back against his chair and continued, “You are gifted in battle strategy, personal combat, you know how to handle both large scale weapons and small scale weapons, you are skilled in gathering intelligence, medicine, alchemy, languages, politics, negotiation, and business. For more than two thousand years, history has not recorded anyone as complete and gifted as you. I cannot properly describe how proud I am th

Mr. Gallagher stood to his feet, unsure if this was the right time to reveal everything about his secret business dealings. He moved slowly across the room, one hand resting against the wall for support, but Simon could tell the weakness in his body did not reach his mind. The old man was not confused. He was calculating how much truth his grandson could carry without walking away.Simon remained seated, but his eyes followed every step. “Grandfather, you called me here because you said this was important. If Arranguare is about to become my burden, then I need the full truth. Do not give me half of it and expect me to smile.”Mr. Gallagher stopped near the window and looked outside. “Before I speak, promise me one thing. Do not react like a frightened civilian when you hear what I am about to say. You are Simon Gallagher. You have faced worse things than numbers.”Simon’s expression turned sharper. “I am not afraid of numbers. I am afraid of chains dressed as inheritance. Speak.”Th

Simon entered the police vehicle without asking another question, but his hand remained close to the pocket that held the flash drive and gold card. Commissioner Pierce sat in front with the driver while two officers followed behind in another car. As the convoy moved through Betford, Simon watched the city through the window and saw the same broken roads, crowded corners, and tired faces that had always made him question the people in power.Commissioner Pierce glanced back at him once. “Mr. Gallagher, I know this looks sudden, but the governor insisted that you be brought respectfully. He did not want you arrested, delayed, or embarrassed.”Simon kept his gaze on the road. “That sounds very generous for a man whose government has embarrassed the poor for seven years. Did he tell you why he wanted me?”Pierce hesitated before answering. “No, sir. He only said the matter concerns the future of Betford State, and that you are the only person he wants to speak with tonight.”The govern

Simon’s cold laugh faded slowly, but the disbelief on his face remained.Governor Reddan did not smile with him. The governor’s office stayed quiet, except for the soft hum of the air conditioner and the distant sound of vehicles moving beyond the government house walls. Commissioner Pierce remained near the corner, his arms were folded, his eyes were moving between both men like he was watching a loaded gun on the table.Reddan leaned forward. “No, Mr. Simon Gallagher. I am not asking a fish seller to recover Betford’s stolen wealth. I am asking the man who destroyed the Iron Fangs in one night.”Simon’s smile returned, faint and dangerous. “You make it sound like I walked into hell and came out with their heads.”“That is almost exactly how my informants described it,” Reddan said. His voice was steady, but his eyes carried a strange mix of fear and hope. “They said you moved through Varen’s men like a monster straight from the gates of hell. They said grown men begged before you w

Five days later, Simon Gallagher stood before the main headquarters of the Arranguare Gold Consortium, and for a moment, even he had to admit that his grandfather had not exaggerated.He had landed on Arranguare Island the previous day, but today was the first time he had come to the company’s main tower. He wore a fitted dark shirt tucked into black jeans, with black canvas shoes that looked clean but not expensive. His long black hair rested against his shoulders, and his body carried the quiet strength of a man who did not need luxury to look important. Still, to anyone who judged by clothing alone, he looked more like a handsome junior staff member than the new owner of a hidden empire.The headquarters rose high above the island’s business district, wrapped in tinted glass and gold-black steel. The entrance had wide marble steps, silent fountains, trimmed gardens, and armed private security standing with the calm alertness of trained soldiers. Luxury cars moved in and out of t