CH690 Underworld M&A

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The downfall of the Lost Heathen Mercenary Corps sent ripples of unease through the lower and middle strata of BloodIron City—particularly within its underworld and shadow economy.

The Lost Heathens had controlled a significant portion of the city’s underbelly, spanning gambling dens, brothels, racketeering, smuggling routes, and even slave trade operations.

Many within the city expected chaos to erupt in the wake of their collapse. Competing factions were anticipated to descend like vultures, scrambling to seize control of the now-ownerless rackets.

Even the city administration began preparing for the inevitable unrest. Security forces were placed on alert—not with the unrealistic goal of suppressing the underworld entirely, but rather to safeguard key infrastructure from collateral damage once the inevitable power struggle began.

Yet, contrary to all expectations... nothing happened.

The reason lay with the Lost Heathens’ one-eyed vice-leader.

True to his word, Alex had intended to dismantle everything Brock Peyton had built—not merely his mercenary forces or smuggling networks, but the entirety of his influence.

However, through his discussions with Raven Horn, Alex came to understand the broader implications of such a move. A complete collapse of Peyton’s underworld operations would not simply eliminate a rival—it would destabilise the city itself, provoking reactions from greater powers lurking in the background.

As such, Alex adjusted his approach.

Rather than destroying Peyton’s underworld empire and allowing opportunistic predators to tear it apart, he chose instead to strip Peyton of ownership... and transfer control to another party.

A different method—but ultimately achieving the same outcome. Peyton was still stripped of everything. His empire—his so-called castle—was no longer his.

While Fortuna drew attention by systematically dismantling Lost Heathen outposts outside of BloodIron—ultimately drawing Peyton’s main forces away—Raven Horn, leveraging the Black Scar Syndicate’s assets with the city, orchestrated a series of coordinated hostile takeovers within the city itself.

Unbeknownst to most, a silent merger and acquisition had already taken place across the underworld.

Naturally, the managers overseeing Peyton’s various operations did not willingly submit to the Syndicate’s control. Under normal circumstances, such resistance would have resulted in fragmentation—splintering the organisation into competing factions following Peyton’s fall.

However, Alex and Raven Horn had anticipated this.

They executed a decisive move that prevented such an outcome before it could begin.

While Brock Peyton had been the public face of the Lost Heathens, the true architect behind the organisation’s day-to-day operations was none other than his one-eyed vice-leader—Viator Hoff.

After Alex handed Viator over to Raven Horn, the latter—being a seasoned figure of the underworld himself—successfully persuaded the one-eyed man to relinquish control of the enterprise.

In exchange, Viator was granted his life... and a generous retirement package.

This was not the usual "retirement" afforded to bandits—the grave—but a genuine chance to walk away, to abandon a life of violence and disappear into obscurity.

Alex was not entirely certain how Raven Horn managed to convince him—in truth, he did not particularly care—but Viator’s cooperation proved decisive.

With his endorsement, those within the organisation who might have resisted the Black Scar Syndicate’s takeover instead accepted the transition.

The acquisition proceeded smoothly, with the enterprise continuing to operate as before—only now under new ownership.

It helped significantly that the managers overseeing the various branches of Peyton’s operations had never been truly loyal to him. Their allegiance had always been transactional. Peyton provided protection and influence, and in return, they ran his businesses.

The Black Scar Syndicate could offer the same... and far more.

Aside from the introduction of a few new operational rules, little changed in practice.

The rackets continued as they always had—only the flow of profits was redirected to a different master. In the broader scheme, it was a minor adjustment.

The managers were, by and large, satisfied with the arrangement.

As a result, despite the change in leadership, the enterprise remained intact. There were no fractures for the opportunistic factions circling outside to exploit.

And so, the anticipated scramble for Peyton’s underworld holdings never materialised—much to the disappointment of some, and the quiet relief of many others.

The Black Scar Syndicate was not the only beneficiary of the Lost Heathens’ fall.

The BattleBane Guild profited as well.

Within the Mercenary Union, a quota system governed high-value missions—assignments verified and distributed through the Union’s administration. With the sudden disappearance of the Lost Heathens, a considerable gap emerged.

The BattleBanes stepped forward without hesitation to shoulder the ’burden’ left behind by that vacuum.

Furthermore, thanks once again to Viator Hoff, they were able to acquire the Lost Heathens’ client registry—effectively doubling their clientele overnight.

A broader client base translated directly into greater access to contracts and missions—bringing with it a significant increase in projected revenue for the BattleBanes in the near future.

As for Lady Wintermere’s Wildlands branch of the Drumvale Company, it went without saying that their trade agreement with the various Temples across the Verdantian continental plane was proceeding smoothly.

The trade itself was significant—not only for its immediate value, but for the access it provided. The Temples were among the most powerful organisations across the continent, and establishing a reliable channel with them opened doors far beyond simple commerce.

Access that was especially crucial for Lady Wintermere’s Demin Shop—a key member of the Drumvale Consortium.

The Demin Shop specialised in fabrics and high-end fashion. Should it secure a contract to supply garments—or even just raw fabrics—to a Temple, particularly across its many continental branches, it would trigger a major resurgence for the company.

In time, such success would reinforce its declining position within the Drumvale Consortium, granting it greater influence not only within the consortium itself, but also within the wider council of the Afordocia Free City.

As for the group at the centre of the Lost Heathens’ downfall—Alex and the Fortuna Company—their immediate gains were far more limited compared to the three major beneficiaries.

This was largely a matter of scale... and deliberate restraint.

There was only so much a sixty-man organisation could realistically absorb, even after accomplishing the bulk of the work that led to the Lost Heathens’ collapse.

Certainly, by capitalising on their rapidly rising reputation, Fortuna could have expanded aggressively—recruiting en masse and claiming a greater share of the spoils.

However, Alex had no intention of pursuing such a path.

He would only accept individuals of genuine value—those he could trust—into Fortuna. Growth, in his view, was not something to be rushed.

It would come in time.

Fortunately, the fall of the Lost Heathens had already sent a clear message throughout BloodIron City.

Though small in number, Fortuna was anything but weak.

No one was eager to become the next Lost Heathens. As a result, despite its modest size, Fortuna was afforded a wide berth by both the underworld and the city’s factions alike.

For now... that was sufficient.

Greed for short-term gain would only undermine long-term objectives.

And speaking of long-term objectives—

After settling the internal matters arising from the acquisition of Peyton’s enterprises, Raven Horn and Saul Redwald—the BattleBane Guild Master—arranged a meeting with Alex to discuss his broader ambitions, so that they might align their efforts accordingly.

The meeting took place within the study of the Fortuna Mansion.

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