A/N: Another big thank you to Moonman2633 for the castle!

***

"Before I make my offer," Morgana said, "I would like to provide you with some context."

Her gaze moved from Lukas to Melody, then Akira, then back down to Lukas. It was clear that whatever she wanted to say was quite important.

"Are you familiar with a Tier 4 city called Salaria?" She asked.

Behind Lukas, Akira and Melody exchanged a glance.

"We are," Lukas said. He didn’t elaborate further.

However, Salaria had been one of the names they’d come across when searching for where to go after the tournament.

It had even been their obvious pick. Since people from Havenhart were regularly being welcomed there, then the place should be helpful for them.

Hearing his answer, Morgana nodded, her expression remaining the same.

"Then this will be relevant to you." She paused. "The family that has governed Salaria for the past six generations is my family."

The room was quiet for a moment.

Lukas blinked in surprise. Of all the things he’d expected to hear, this was the last.

"Then why are you here?" he asked. "In Havenhart."

"Officially, our delegation came as observers of the tournament." She held his gaze. "But unofficially, this is a small vacation, and I came to fight in it."

"As for the [Kairos Fillet] being used as the tournament’s prize, it was provided by my uncle."

She leaned forward slightly. "I am telling you this not to impress you, but to demonstrate what my family is capable of offering. We have more items of that caliber. Resources that guilds like the Iron Fist cannot match."

She folded her hands on the table. "I wanted you to understand the value of having a family like mine behind you before I propose what I’m about to say."

She looked at him directly.

"Now, my offer."

"I’ll be straightforward," she said. "I already know you’re not someone who responds well to being tied down. Everything about how you’ve operated in this city tells me that."

"You have no guild affiliation and no formal connections. Most with your skill and power would have jumped at the chance to gain more resources for their growth, but you don’t want to tie down your time to any organization."

"Most importantly, you have no obligations to anyone except the two people behind you." She glanced at his wives. "I’m not here to change that. At least not too much."

Lukas said nothing, letting her continue.

"When you’re ready to advance to Adept, I want you to come to Salaria. Instead of joining us or any organization, I want you to sign as a contractor for the Le Fay family."

"You keep your freedom, and this way, you can keep it. You can continue doing what you want, going where you choose, and building whatever you’re building."

"The family’s resources become available to you in the form of guidance on the Second Floor, contacts in the right places, a few [Items] to help you out, and if you find yourself in a situation that has gone beyond what you can handle alone, we pull you out."

She paused. "Provided the situation wasn’t created by your own poor judgment, of course. We don’t save people from their own stupidity."

"In return," she continued, "you carry out one mandatory mission per month on the family’s behalf. And if the family requires military support, you can be called upon for the duration of the contract."

She looked past him briefly at Melody and Akira. "This extends to your wives. The three of you can stay together. You’ll operate as a unit with the same contract and the same obligations."

She straightened slightly. "The resources of the Le Fay family are not comparable to what any guild in this city or even in Salaria itself can offer you. You’ve seen one example of that sitting in Rollo’s spatial ring. We have more."

Lukas looked at her for a long moment.

"The duration," he said.

"Three years minimum," Morgana said. "That is the one condition we won’t move on. It can extend beyond three years by mutual agreement. It will not be less."

She unfolded her hands. "Everything else is negotiable. The mission parameters, the terms of the military clause, specific exclusions you want written in. Whatever you want, we can discuss all of it."

She sat back.

"That is my offer."

The room was quiet.

Lukas turned the offer over in his head, examining every angle.

Everybody always said the Second Floor was incredibly dangerous. It was the place where the rules changed. Where the resources they’d accumulated on the First Floor meant nothing.

Having a City Lord’s family standing behind them during that transition was not a small thing. It might just be the difference between surviving and thriving on the Second Floor.

Not to mention that the terms were better than anything the guilds had offered.

Full guild membership always meant obligations that ran in every direction, put constraints on his movement, and he’d also have to deal with petty guild politics.

But this one was different. For the small cost of one mission a month and military support if called upon, he was getting quite a lot.

He retained his freedom and gained a safety net. There were no downsides he could find to this deal.

But his wives were part of this decision, and he would not accept on their behalf without at least conversing with them.

He exhaled. "Thank you for the offer. I’ll need time to discuss it before I give you an answer."

Morgana nodded once. "That’s reasonable."

She rose from her chair, and Lukas stood with her. "I’ll be leaving Havenhart two days after the end of the tournament. Whatever your decision, I’ll need your answer before then."

She held his gaze. "If you don’t give me one by then, the deal is off the table."

"Understood," he said.

She turned to the door, and Baldwin, who had stood in complete silence against the wall for the entire conversation, fell into step behind her.

At the doorway, she paused and looked back.

"I’m looking forward to our match tomorrow," she said. "Don’t disappoint me."

Then she was gone.

Lukas stood in the middle of the room for a moment, then he turned to Melody and Akira.

"Well," he said.