The elevator shook slightly as a body collided against one of its walls, droplets of blood flying from the lion’s mouth as he cried out following the impact. He slid down the wall, leaving a crimson trail behind. All the while calm steps approached him, the lion’s eyes looking up only to be met by that damn raven mask.

Grove adjusted his suit’s tie a bit, fearing it had loosened up with that last throw. And, although the sight of his bloody attire did bother him a lot, he still maintained that perfect air of neutrality Ravenlok was proud of as he approached the assailant.

“What… What the fuck are you?” The lion asked, trying and failing to stand up with how numb he felt.

It didn’t make sense… How could such a small and meek fucker actually overpower him, a damn lion easily twice his size, with sheer brute force alone? Not to mention he’d just seen through the weeks they spent undercover as workers here-

“How can a blasted deer be this strong with no augments at all?!” The lion protested again, coughing a bit of blood. His voice was raspy - low - as the small punctures across his body ticked down his life. “Bastard… What a disgrace…”

Grove’s ear flicked at that, recognition spreading across his face. The lion’s accent wasn’t from any of the districts within Haven. The combat style was also unusual… Predictable, considering its main moves, but still unusual for Havenites.

That meant only one thing.

“I assume you are from outside Haven?” The butler asked calmly, using a handkerchief to clean the blood from his knife. In the back, his Mirage finished slamming the other would-be assassin’s head into the ground. “Probably from either Saratusa or the neighbouring regions, correct?”

The lion’s eyes widened slightly.

Confirmation. Grove hummed to himself.

“Taking into account you are new to this area, consider this-” Grove said, pointedly looking at the bloodied elevator. “Your only warning. This residential condominium is private property ensured by Ravenlok, a subsidiary of The Crownfeather Group. Do not conduct your mercenary business here ever again, understood?”

“U-Understood…” The lion reluctantly agreed.

Grove stored his knife in his suit, turning away. Slowly, all the blood around the elevator and on his suit began to float into the air, forming into many small orbs of blood. These orbs slowly floated towards Grove before seeping past his suit and into him.

In a matter of seconds, the entire space was spotless, save for the trickling blood coming from the wounded men. Just in time for the elevator to stop with a cheery ‘ding’, the doors opened a moment later.

“Good. I shall procure medical assistance on the ground floor. Try not to dirty the elevator with your blood again, or Ravenlok’s pity shall be revoked.” Grove said, stepping out of the elevator.

With that, the doors closed behind Grove. He pressed the button to send the elevator down to the building’s lobby, where his fellow butlers would deal with the situation accordingly… A whole one hundred and four floors below.

Nevertheless, the butler continued his structured walk down the hall, which led to a singular pair of doors. His footwork was perfect, rhythmic and calm as he adjusted the collar of his shirt, two pins on either side shining brightly under the overhead lights.

The doors unlocked the moment he got close, its cutting-edge system recognising the mask he wore.

Grove stepped through and into the pristine penthouse on the other side, quickly analysing the space around him. His client’s home was three whole stories tall, with a spacious balcony and even an indoor garden.

And it was in that garden, watering some plants, that Grove spotted a white-furred stoat. The butler smiled, stepping closer to the man as he checked the time on his hidden wristwatch. Behind Grove, blood poured out from within him, forming into two Mirages of himself.

6:58 P.M.

Two minutes early from the agreed start of his service… But three minutes too late for Grove’s own tastes.

A responsible and dedicated butler of Ravenlok must always be there for their client before they can even think about their absence, after all.

“Mr Amber,” Grove spoke, stopping a respectable distance from his client. He bowed down, his blood clones copying the action perfectly. “Apologies for the delay in my arrival. My senior colleague left a pair of… Tasks to take care of before coming to meet you.”

The stoat, Edward Amber was his name, turned to look at him with a soft smile. He put down his tools, wiping his forehead.

“Are you the one Min said would be substituting for her today?” Mr Amber asked, chuckling. “I swear, sometimes she reminds me of my own little girl with how vague she is.”

“Correct,” Grove informed as he fixed his left hand’s glove to match Ravenlok’s attire regulations to a tee. “Grove, fourth tier valet of Ravenlok, at your service.”

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An amazing commission I got from the incredibly talented  draykathedragon! Gosh, I'm in love with how fancy and pristine Grove looks in this attire... I'm so down bad for fancy suits, goddamn.