Scarlet's face went through several emotions in rapid succession, confusion, hope, suspicion, and finally settling on fury.

"I knew it." She hissed, baring teeth that looked slightly sharper than they should be.

"You're just like those bastards." Venom dripped from every word.

"Every single one of you men are the same, always wanting something, always taking—"

Her claws flexed, muscles tensing to strike.

I kept the knife steady at her, my voice deliberately calm.

"You really want to take me on? Right now?"

Please don't attack. Please don't. At this distance, even with debug vision, I can't dodge those claws fast enough.

She hesitated, eyes flickering between my covered face and the blade still pressed against her skin.

"You just have to do a few things for me," I continued.

"Simple tasks. Nothing... immoral. And in return," I gestured with my free hand toward her neck "I'll make that vanish."

Her eyes went wide. "You... you can remove slave marks?"

"I can try." Not quite a lie. "But we need an agreement first. You help me with what I need, and I help you disappear. Properly."

Scarlet stared at me, her expression cycling through emotions again, disbelief, desperate hope, lingering suspicion.

"What kind of 'things'?" Her voice was guarded. "I'm not doing anything perverted, you bastard. I'll kill you first."

"Information, mostly. Maybe some courier work. Nothing that involves..." I gestured at her. "...whatever you're imagining."

"You expect me to just trust you?"

"No." I lowered the knife completely, stepping back to give her space. "I expect you to be logical. You're a runaway slave in a major town with guards actively searching for you. You have a glowing mark that advertises your status to anyone with eyes. Your options are limited."

She bristled at that, pride flashing in her green eyes.

"I was doing fine before you showed up!"

"You were stealing and barely staying ahead of three guards," I said flatly. "That's not 'fine.' That's desperation with a countdown timer."

Her jaw clenched, teeth grinding audibly.

But she didn't attack. Didn't run.

Because I was right, and she knew it.

"Fine," she spat finally, the word forced out like it physically hurt. "But if you try anything... anything... I'll gut you. I don't care how strong you are."

"Noted." I pulled down my scarf slightly, just enough to show a genuine smile. "Glad we could reach an understanding."

She glared at me, arms crossed, radiating hostility.

I pulled my scarf back up and activated my debug vision, focusing on the slave mark beneath her cloak.

[Object Analysis]

item_name: "Slave Binding Mark"

type: "magical_contract_seal"

rarity: "rare"

function: "Tracks subject, prevents unauthorized departure from designated area, alerts master to violations"

complexity: "high"

[Warning: Removal requires Master Key or Advanced Dispelling - Current user level insufficient for direct removal]

Shit.

I tried anyway, attempting to simply delete the mark from existence through raw editing.

But, pain exploded behind my eyes.

Sharp, white-hot, like someone had driven nails through my skull. Blood dripped from my nose, warm and wet, but I forced myself to stay composed, to not show weakness.

Fuck. Can't remove it.

The mark was too deeply integrated into her. The system was rejecting my attempt to brute-force a solution.

Scarlet was watching me with a mixture of caution and anger, her hand moving instinctively toward her claws.

"Well?" she demanded. "What's taking so long? Thought you said you could—"

"Shut up. I'm working on it." I wiped the blood from my nose with my sleeve and refocused.

If I can't remove it entirely, maybe I can... modify it.

I pulled up the edit interface again, this time examining the mark's structure more carefully. It wasn't a single spell, it was layers. Tracking enchantment, boundary alerts, pain compliance triggers, and most relevantly... the visibility beacon.

There. That's the part making it glow.

I selected the specific magical strings responsible for the visual component and started editing.

[Modification Analysis]

target_id: "slave_mark_visibility_component"

mark_type: "binding_contract"

current_state: "active_glow"

applied_edits: {

luminosity_reduction: "95_percent"

external_manifestation: "suppressed"

}

limitations: {

duration: "temporary"

permanence: "not_removed"

reversion_trigger: "mana_instability_or_forced_activation"

}

warning: "patch_only; core_contract_integrity_unchanged"

confirmation_required: true

The edit took hold immediately. The faint glow visible beneath Scarlet's cloak dimmed, faded, and finally disappeared entirely.

From the outside, she now looked like any other normal person. No telltale mark. No glowing brand advertising her status.

I exhaled slowly, the headache from my failed removal attempt still pounding behind my eyes.

"Done," I said. And damn, UI for edits changed a bit now...

Scarlet's hand immediately went to her neck, fingers pressing against where the mark had been glowing moments before. Her eyes widened.

"It's... it's gone?"

"Suppressed," I corrected. "Not gone. The mark is still there... it's just not visible anymore. And the tracking function is still active, so your former master can still sense your general location if they're actively looking."

Her expression darkened immediately. "You said you'd remove it!"

"I said I'd try." I met her glare steadily. "Turns out it's more complicated than I expected. But this," I gestured at her neck "This buys you time. Lots of time. No one can see it now, which means no one will immediately know you're a runaway. You can move through towns, interact with people, without constantly hiding."

She touched her neck again, clearly torn between gratitude and fury.

"How long does it last?"

"Indefinitely, as long as I maintain it. Which means," I smiled behind my scarf again "You need to keep me alive and cooperative if you want it to stay suppressed."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You bastard—"

I shrugged, cutting her off. "We both get what we want. You get freedom of movement without constant fear of discovery. I get someone with your particular skill set helping me with tasks I can't do myself."

"What tasks?" The suspicion was back, sharp and hostile.

"For now? Simple reconnaissance. I'm looking for someone in Greyford. You help me find her, and we're square for this month."

Scarlet stared at me for a long moment, clearly weighing her options.

Then she spat to the side and crossed her arms.

"Fine. One month. But don't expect me to be nice about it."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

She glared at me one more time, then turned sharply and started walking toward the alley exit.

"Where are you going?" I called after her.

"To find a place to sleep that doesn't involve talking to you," she shot back without looking. "We start tomorrow. Meet me at the eastern market at dawn. Don't be late, or I'll assume our deal is off."

Then she was gone, disappearing into the shadows with the same feline grace she'd used to escape the guards earlier.

I stood there for a moment, alone in the alley, blood still drying on my upper lip.

Well. That went... about as well as could be expected.

I now have a angry foxkin as a temporary partner.

This month just keeps getting more interesting.

I wiped the rest of the blood away, deactivated my enhancements, and started making my way back to the inn.

Victor was going to have questions if he saw the scratches on my face.

I'll figure out an excuse tomorrow.

Right now, I just need sleep.

And maybe something for this headache.

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