A Side Character's Guide to Surviving an Otome Game

The Man and His Master

A/N: Yeah yeah yeah, it's barely a nibble. BUT IT HAS PLOT. PLOT IS BEGINNING Y'ALL. Next update will be longer, just wanted to give y'all *something* since I'm kinda strained for time for the next couple months. Or, if you prefer, I can do shorter chapters but more updates? Tell me what y'all would prefer!

Hope you all enjoy this.

The cloaked man kneeled down in front of the shadowed figure in front of him. "You called, my lord?" he rasped, his voice.

The shadowed figure leaned forward on his elaborately carved black-oak throne, the black hood covering all but their wicked smile. "Blood Mage."

The cloaked man felt his heart thrum faster as his master addressed him. The urge to run, the one that had haunted his every interaction with his lord since he joined the cause, hovered anxiously in the back of his mind.

"I heard something very odd from one of my operatives in Roan," his master continued, the lord's voice raspy and oh so cold .

The cloaked man pressed himself closer to the manor's wooden floor. The wood was warped, stained, he noticed.

Blood.

How many failures had his lord struck down in this very spot?

His hands curled, the nails of his pale hands scratching the thin layer of dried blood.

"They informed me of something quite disappointing," his master continued, their voice ugly and lined with a pulsing anger. "You failed."

The man closed his eyes tight, feeling his heart pound harder. "Yes, my lord."

"Yes?"

"I failed," he gasped, the words spilling out before he could stop them. "A red-haired witch and a swordmaster interrupted my work. One of the wolves and two cats escaped."

His master's aura flared, making the man cower even more into the blood-stained floor. "This mission was vital for the organization. You didn't just fail the mission, you failed the organization itself."

The man swallowed, his mouth dry.

"By all rights, I should strike you down right where you kneel."

He prepared himself for the lash of his master's infamous magic. Soon he would be nothing more than a splash of blood on an already ruined floor.

"But I will not."

The man froze, resisting the urge to look up.

"They say you are the best at your job," his master drawled, his aura almost completely disappearing as he leaned back in his throne. "I have a mission, one that is even more important than the massacres."

The man finally looked up, his red eyes looking into the cold reddish-brown of his lord's.

His master's cruel smile faded, falling into a serious scowl. "I trust you can properly complete this mission?"
"Yes, my lord, yes," he exclaimed.

"Very well."

The man watched as his lord stood, the hood falling off to reveal a shock of bright red hair and a shining white half-mask.

"I, Lord Cale Barrow of Arm, hereby issue this mission to Redika the Mage."

The lord held out a piece of parchment to Redika. Redika studied the inked drawing of a strangely familiar young male. Even through a drawing, he could tell that the man was jaw-droppingly gorgeous.

"Find Lord Ambrose Finley, and bring him to me. Alive."

Redika bowed his head, relief flowing through him. "Yes, my lord."

A measly lord from the Roan kingdom. He could do this. He would complete the mission and prove his place in Arm.

A terrifyingly insane smile spread across the mage's face.

Lord Ambrose Finley had no idea what was coming.

A/N: I know. PLOT. How are y'all enjoying the story so far? Also, thank you to everyone giving kudos and commenting! It really means a lot! I may not be responding to comments (yeah, I'm pretty shitty at things like that) but I just want y'all to know I'm reading each comment (and public bookmark lolol) and all the support is really helping me force writing time into my schedule!

also. sorry it's so short, I have like four exams within the next week and WHO THE FUUU DECIDED I SHOULD GET AN EDUCATION HUH? tbh i wrote this entire chapter in an Econ review class.