Chapter 119: Volume 4 – Chapter 8

“Clyburn Bonholdt.” She said with pursed lips, her expression not looking surprised at all to see me.

“It’s been a few years,” I said, walking up to the side of the ring, but being stopped short as Brianna and Syph put themselves in front of me.

“Why are you here?” She asked bluntly.

I started to recall my limited interactions with the girl. Dia was the daughter of a rich entrepreneur, much like Lyra. However, where Lyra had a brother and an overbearing mother who liked to control her, Dia was being raised to replace her mother as the head of the company, and even in the Academy, she had developed a knack for business and a cold, analytical demeanor.

Since she was wealthy, acquiring a man had always been as simple as saying when, so she was never competitive in that field. She was more worried about helping her mother grow the business, and was this disinterested in having a child until it was necessary or beneficial. This caused her to become one of the Queens of the school, the careerqueen.

There had been five queens at my school, named for the general reason why they hadn’t been with a man yet despite their clear beauty. Unlike Lyra, who had earned the name Icequeen because of her tendency to freeze around guys, or my sister Madison, who had earned the name Slutqueen for showing too much knowledge about men, Dia’s name as the Careerqueen was extremely apt.

She wasn’t just popular among the guys at the academy though. She was a leader among the women as well. During the Day of Wrath, she had led a group of girls and protected them from the other seniors. She was considered a bit of a hero from that day, or so I heard later. That was the last time I had seen her, which was regrettable because I felt there was unfinished business between us.

I had run into her a few times during my time at the Academy, and she had even occasionally assisted me. It was when I had gotten in trouble sneaking into the girl’s dorm to see Madison that she had truly helped me out, and I had become indebted to her. She had always been extremely direct, and so even when she assisted me, she cut a deal. I promised to give her a child. As the world was now, there was no way I could do such a thing. I was curious about how she felt about that.

“I was looking for a woman,” I responded.

She cocked an eyebrow. “Aren’t there catalogs for that now?”

“A woman worth having can’t be found in a catalog.”

I had said those words teasingly, but a sudden flash of Hannah’s face caused my expression to sour a bit. Why was she in that catalog? Part of the reason I wanted Brooke back is that she also had experience with PI work. She would be able to investigate and get me the answers that Cornelia refused. Of course, I’d be leaning on Brianna and Syph, but they were young and inexperienced, and also still afraid of Cornelia. Brooke was the only woman I knew who wouldn’t give a crap about MPA mandates.

“Hello, Cornelia. I’m surprised to see you here.” Dia didn’t respond to my comment at all, instead turning to Cornelia who had walked up beside me.

“Dia…” She nodded, a small frown on her face. “How are things?”

Dia shrugged with a casual demeanor. “I’m being pressured to conceive. They want me to have a male as if that is something I could choose. I could have babies for the remainder of my life and never once produce a male.”

Cornelia tilted her head as she watched Dia closely. “You know, Clyburn has a good record with producing males.”

“He does. I have been interested in his seed for some time.”

“Very well, that can be arranged. Tonight?”

“I can make time, as long as Clyburn doesn’t take too much time to finish.”

“I’ll get him worked up before you come so that he finishes quickly.”

I glanced between the two women with my mouth open. Their conversation that was just a brief introduction had snowballed so suddenly.

“W-wait! I’m right here!” I snapped angrily.

Dia didn’t even glance my way, while Cornelia shot me an irritated look.

“Clyburn! You’ve already promised me the choice of four women you could impregnant.”

I blinked in surprise, having never expected Dia to be one of those choices.

“Sh-she’s not in a catalog!” I responded defensively, realizing I was sounding a bit childish.

Cornelia frowned as she spoke. “It’s a simple matter of filling out an application. As your agent, I can put in a request for any woman of my choosing. Should you desire any woman, in particular, arrangements can be made. For a person of Dia’s standing, approval would be almost assured. I have no doubt I can get an approval turned over instantly.”

“You…” I felt a great deal of irritation at the flippant way she said that.

I had been led to believe that the catalog was the primary path toward selecting women, yet even in this newly designed world, the government made sure there was room for backroom deals. The rich woman could still basically have their pick of any man they wanted, and they didn’t even need to worry about the slice! All they needed to do was talk to the agent and gain her favor. Since she wasn’t swayed by things like looks, then it was purely the benefits she could receive that dictated who her charge slept with.

I took a breath, wiping the ugly expression from my face. I had to remind myself that Cornelia had just made this agreement in front of me. There was no sign she was cutting any deal with Dia over this. It was Dia who had expressed interest, and Cornelia who allowed it. Considering everything, Dia was the best choice for my first time. I already had promised her to get her pregnant, so I was merely carrying through with previous promises. Furthermore, I was the one who asked to be here. It wasn’t like the two had made this plan behind my back.

Dia was someone I knew, a beauty, and also had a lot of power in high places. Getting on her good side would only benefit me in the future, no matter what happened. There might not be a slice, but a woman might always show just a bit of preferential treatment to the father of her baby. So, if it was all a good decision, why did I feel so irritated?

I didn’t like the way they had made these plans over my head like I wasn’t even involved in them. I had lived in this world for six years now. I had grown used to many women treating me like an object, a cum dispenser as the insult goes, but nothing churned my stomach quite like that.

“Clyburn, there is no reason to act this way.”

“You may come over tonight, Dia.” I responded, ignoring Cornelia and speaking straight to Dia, “But it remains to be seen if I’ll grace you with a baby.”

“Clyburn!” Cornelia tried to give me an admonishing look, but I ignored her.

“Oh?” Dia finally looked at me, an expression that seemed somewhat amused, but also considering. “I admit that I am inexperienced in this area, but I am confident I can help you reach a satisfying end.”

“I don’t doubt you can,” I responded. “But the results of that end are determined by me. You could lose your virginity and never have a baby. I could give a daughter, or maybe three. If it’s a son you want, you’ll need to work hard to earn it!”

“Determined?” She asked curiously.

“Don’t pay attention to him.” Cornelia grabbed my arm angrily. “He has this belief that he can choose the sex of the baby. He thinks too highly of himself. The women at the education center agree with me on this.”

“I am intrigued by this,” Dia spoke finally. “So, you believe you are capable of giving me a male with 100% certainty?”

“If I want to.” I shot back. “Unfortunately for you, I haven’t been in the mood to make male babies. Unlike popular opinion, I’m not a stud on demand.”

“Then, we are at an impasse, because a male baby is exactly what I need right now.”

“An offer?”

“Slice isn’t allowed!” Cornelia shot in.

Dia glanced at Cornelia. “Relax, I am very well aware of the laws. A man can not be coerced into sex using any promises of monetary gain, acquisition of goods, sentences, or treatment. First off, sex has already been decided between you and me, so this isn’t a matter of talking a man into sex. What I am offering Clyburn instead revolved around the gender of said child, something you already insist to be a falsehood he can’t truly achieve. It is a falsehood, isn’t it?”

“Of course, it is false!”

“Then, there should be no issue if Clyburn and I come to an agreement.”

“Even if you say that…” Cornelia had a stubborn expression on her face.

“You wouldn’t criticize a girl for drinking vinegar before having sex, or standing on her head after she finishes, in hopes of influencing the gender of the baby. So, how could you fault me attempting to influence the gender in any not scientifically-proven way.”

“Giving him benefits…”

“I have no intention of giving him any goods, money, services, or preferential treatment.”

“Then, what is it? As his agent, I have every right to know!”

I glowered as I looked at Cornelia. I felt she getting out of line here. The agreements I made with Dia were between me and Dia, but Cornelia kept butting her head into conversations where she wasn’t needed. She also had a somewhat unhappy expression on her face, like she was taking Dia’s challenge personally.

“Finally,” Dia finished while ignoring what she said. “I don’t plan to do a trade with Mr. Bornholdt. Rather, I plan to make a bet with him. If I win, then tonight, he gives every effort to give me a boy. If he wins, then he gains what I’m offering him. Your rules do not say anything about men betting. A casino was recently erected in the male district specifically to alleviate some of the stress men were having. You should understand more than anyone the importance of such things.”

“Watch it, Dia, I haven’t submitted my paperwork yet.” Cornelia shot back, but after a moment of silence, as we both watched her, she sighed. “Tell me what he wins.”

“I plan to give him the only thing of any value. Information. You wanted to know your sister’s whereabouts, right? Hannah… the sister who got away? I’ve had her investigated. I know where she is, and more importantly, I know which man will be reserving her.” She pulled out a folder that looked to contain documents from her bag, which was in the corner of the ring.

“How did you know that’s what I was looking for?”

“No!” Cornelia took a step forward.

Dia glanced between the pair of us, but she finally settled on Cornelia first. “Regrettably for you, you don’t have that kind of authority. You can choose not to give Clyburn information, but you can’t prevent him from getting the information on his own. You’re just an agent, not a master, or have you forgotten this?”

Cornelia’s expression turned ugly, but I was starting to like Dia more and more. When her eyes turned to me, I changed my question.

“What do you mean, a man will be reserving her?”

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“Reservations made through the catalog rarely occur on the same night. Don’t let your encounter with me convince you that every woman is at your beck and call. Schedules must align. Most men only have one woman a night, but they might prepare a list of women for the next two weeks. Some decide who they want the entire month. Of course, another can take them earlier, but that hasn’t been the case for Hannah. My investigation found who and when they will be having Hannah stop by.” She explained with the folder opened in front of her but bent in a way I couldn’t see what was in it.

“Who are they?” I demanded.

She snapped her folder shut. “That’s for me to know, and you to win the right to find out.”

“Clyburn, forget it!” Cornelia grabbed my arm again. “Let’s go. She’s just trying to mess with you.”

“What’s the conditions?” I shook of Cornelia’s hand.

“A sword bout. I heard that you were quite accomplished at swordsmanship. We will have three bouts. If you can win even one of them, then, I will give you all the information I have on Hannah. If I defeat you in all three bouts, then you will ensure that I have a male tonight.”

“…”

I didn’t know how to respond. She was correct in saying that I knew the sword. I’d never say I was accomplished. My hesitation had more to do with the folder in her hand, and how she happened to be where I came, happened to have this information on hand, and happened to end up in a situation where she could do this deal. It was like she had planned this all out from the beginning. I was beginning to realize just how much of a terrifying person she was.

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m already putting the deal in your favor. I must win all three, while you must win only once. Furthermore, since you more than likely won’t have the ability to ensure my baby is male, I’m betting on a baseless boast from the get-go.”

She seemed to have misunderstood my hesitation. Or, perhaps she knew my hesitation and was doing exactly as Cornelia had suggested and was just screwing with me.

As for my capacity to defeat her, I didn’t have any confidence at all. I had practiced a little bit, but the last two years had focused primarily on magic. That’s when a thought occurred to me.

“In this spar… is it swords only, or can I rely on my other skills?”

“You mean like hands and feet? You are fine using whatever you feel necessary to defeat me.”

“Then, I accept.”

“Good! Ah… for safety reasons, I do suggest you put on a suit. These are padded and difficult to piece. They make a difference.”

I nodded and walked over to the other side of the rink. A woman who appeared to be a servant of Dia handed me a suit. I frown as I realized it was sewn for a man and was pretty close to my size. Was I walking right into a trap? Even if I lost everything, giving her a boy was a small price to pay. It’d be best if I gave her nothing and then convinced everyone my words weren’t worth a thing. She couldn’t prove I didn’t do my best to give her a boy, whatever the case.

After I finished putting on the suit, Cornelia grabbed me one more time. She was doing that a lot. When I shot her an irritated stare, it melted for a moment as I realized she looked genuinely concerned for me.

“You… don’t have to do this, Clyburn.” She spoke softly this time, not sounding at all like her usual demanding, insolent self.

“Will you give me the information on Hannah?” I asked.

She looked away. “Clyburn… I can’t…”

I took a step up onto the fencing stage. The same woman who handed me my outfit now handed me a sword. It was dulled, but it was still metal. In the right hands, it could do some damage. Dia’s sword was similar.

She held her sword down at an angle and got into a stance Brooke had once identified to me as an epee position. She then remained there, looking somewhat casual even while facing me.

“You may make the first move.” She declared.

“Then, I don’t mind!” I didn’t hesitate to attack, swinging the sword down in a wide strike.

I didn’t even see how she dodged my strike, but I did feel the stab in my gut. I stumbled back, grabbing at my stomach. She stepped back and returned to her previous position.

“That’s one.”

She didn’t show any evidence of happiness or gloating. This attack had been as natural to her as a cutting glance. Feeling slightly irritated, I stood back into my fighting stance.

“Clyburn, you can do it!” Cornelia cried out.

I wanted to shoot the woman a disbelieving look. She was cheering me on now? Sometimes, it felt impossible to get a read on her. The pair of us faced each other again, but when she didn’t attack, I figured she was waiting for my move again. I took a deep breath and then closed my eyes. I visualized the magic rune in my head. Then, not even looking at her, I ran at her, swinging my sword.

“Hmm… full of holes!” Dia cried out, sending her sword out.

My eyes snapped open, and an inch from my skin the sword struck something hard. That force seemed to pull at the sword, preventing her from pulling away. The sword blade in her hand began to bend and warp. For the first time, the expression on her face was genuinely shocked. I swung down. She dropped her blade and leaped away just as I struck it. Had she kept holding on, the blade would have shattered, but this time the blade went flying away and landed on the far side of the mat.

“It’s over!” I declared, lunging at her.

Just as I got within range, she lifted a card. I was instantly familiar with it. It was a magic rune card. It was a one-time use device used usually for self-defense. She snapped her finger against the card, and a fire erupted from her fingertips.

“Clyburn!” Cornelia screamed.

I leaped back, half pushed by the rushing flames. I managed to conjure a gust of wind to defuse some of the heat, or I might have gotten a few burns from that. As it was, I landed on the mat, only to see Dia do a diving roll, grabbing her sword as she went. She moved impossibly fast. I was still patting out the flames that had singed me and she had run along the entire perimeter of the ring, only to come up from behind me.

She was about to get a strike on my back, but as I turned around to try to deflect. I noticed a red light fluttering on my shirt.

“Shit!” I cursed.

Dia seemed to see the light too. Her expression changed as she tossed her sword away. My blade bounced off her shoulder as she suddenly altered her momentum. Rather than grazing my side, she slammed into me like a tackle.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

A force struck into her back, three times, pushing me back with her. I didn’t fall to the ground. Instead, I stumbled back a few feet, only to catch her limp body in my arms. She looked up at me, her expression just as cold and emotionless as always, but then red blood spurted out.

“Dia!” The bodyguard let out a scream, leaping onto the stage.

Her white outfit had stains of growing blood, and some of that blood was my own. As soon as the guard took her off my hands, my eyes weren’t focused on her. They were focused on the direction of the shooting. On a building across the street, I saw a gleam of silver. I could also see three bullet holes through the glass pane. Various people were running or screaming, but my eyes were on the person who had just tried to kill me.

I leaped off the stage. My bodyguards were coming in through the doorway, and they would assuredly impede my process. Fueled on adrenaline and rage, I conjured a buffer of wind and then leaped through the window. It shattered to pieces as I landed into the street. My eyes looked up, and I could see a cloaked figure running along the roof. I started running as well.

From behind me, I heard Syph. “Ah, no! He’s running again!”

“Keep up with him!” Brianna cried out.

I ran down the street in the same direction as the suspicious figure. Only about five blocks they did a sharp turn, running back into some other buildings. Forming a formation in my mind, I ran full sprint in that direction, and directly into a wall. At the last second, I crouched and pushed off. A booming sound could be heard as the ground under me cracked slightly. I leaped up three stories, landing onto the roof with a tumbling thud.

I rolled over five times before I could regain my balance. Checking my legs, I was grateful they weren’t broken. I had caused a bit of damage to the street below. This all came from not having the right information. I was casting spells without the proper data to form them. Thus, I wasn’t able to control the forces very well.

Below me, the two girls came to the small crater I had left behind. Syph gestured to Brianna.

“Well, go ahead. Keep up with him!”

Brianna put her fist in her hand. “Ah! That’s right, I’m scared of heights!”

“Y-you! Look for a ladder or something we can scale!”

I didn’t wait for the two women. The assassin was getting away, so I ran after her. We ran across roof after roof. A few had gaps I had to leap across. I ran for two blocks after them, but they were shockingly fit. I just couldn’t gain any ground. Although I had used a lot of mana already and was feeling exhausted, I found myself conjuring one more spell. Just as they went to leap off the next building, I created a gust of wind.

Just as I hoped, they fell short, slamming into the wall and grabbing onto the ledge with their arms. By the time they finished climbing up, I leaped over the same gap and took a swing at them just as they struggled to a standing position. They seemed to sense my attack, as they broke into a roll, completely avoiding my strike as they ended up in a standing position. Their attack seemed eerily familiar to the moves Dia had just been using on me.

“You think you can shoot me and get away with it?” I demanded angrily, not caring if I got an answer.

They were unarmed at the moment, and I didn’t see the gun they had used to fire. That didn’t mean anything though. They had discarded it the second they started running. However, since they were unarmed, I also attacked them with my fists.

I thought I was pretty good at unarmed combat, but they easily managed to dodge three of my punches, and then punch me in the gut in a way that left me stumbling back. They weren’t just a good marksman. They were good at one to one combat as well. I had to commend them. Conjuring up any last drop of magic I had, I launched an attack again. This time, I pinned them down with a sudden gust, and I managed to deliver a punch, grabbing the mask on their face. They pushed me away, and I found myself stumbling back, but I also had their mask in my hand.

When I saw who it was, the mask fell from my hand, and my body went completely cold.

“B-Brooke?”

The woman who had just tried to assassinate me, the criminal I had chased down, was Brooke, my close friend, and former bodyguard!

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