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At the bulleter station, Jake saw the path the train Emma took him to will take. His eyes squinted upon seeing how it will pass through ALL the outlying districts BEFORE Iron-47. He knew this was intentional since he got the feeling that Emma did want to talk about some things. Was that embarassing visit to Sinners Hollow THAT intriguing to her? He wondered how much does she want to talk about as they lined up for the bulleter train to arrive. Why does she even care? WAS he a candidate for Cardinal Sin? The train stopped and people got out first. Surely enough, some of them got some looks at Emma and some stares, making suren they saw who they really saw. They got their passes scanned and got in the train car. It was the last one in the bulleter train. The car has a second floor Jake never really knew what looked like in. it were reserved for S pass holders only. He knew only the big shots get to sit there. Butlers or Firemen that got enough credit under their belt for the City to grant them this amenity. He did wonder though, of the chances a sentinel gets on the same train car with a Cardinal Sin. The looks were starting to get noticeable.
"Come on. Upstairs." Emma called on.
Jake didn't know S passes can take visitors up with them. The upstairs was of course, less crowded, carpeted, and spaciously furnished compared to the simple tables, seats, and windows downcar. Clearly it was tweaked with spatial tech or magic with the amount of room difference it had from the first floor. It was as big as a small luxury hotel lounge. It was decorated with dark warm colors, maroons, dark oak, bronze fretwork, and opaque glass - Art Deco. There were a few occupied tables beside the windows, Jake couldn't recognize any of them.
"Over here..." Emma sat down on the cornermost booth and Jake opposite of her seat, a table between them. The train started to move as the scene outside started to scroll away towards one direction.
"So here's how it's gonna go. I bet you're made up of questions right now, not to mention a fuckin' traumatized mess. I'll have you ask the questions that I'll try to answer the best I can." She was tapping on a simple panel at the corner of the table. "I'm ordering us food or drinks. Are you hungry? What's your drink?" Being forwarding as she is, Jake didn't express her not having to do a gesture like. He did think he needed one upon remembering how thristy he was.
"Maybe some meat buns? And rum soda please." The way he sat was like a kid sat across her awkward aunt. She typed in their order and sent it to the kitchen car. Jake had the question in his mind since they left Sinners Hollow. "I'll first ask about the thing you said about reaching Kane's study. What exactly does that mean?"
Emma relaxed on her seat. "Right... That's just how Sinners Hollow works. Can I ask first what your faction is?"
"I'm from the Blades of Mercy"
"and I'm sure you have some rules in your HQ," she followed up. "Same principle goes for my HQ. First off only M.O.S.es get to go in Sinners Hollow. M.O.S stands for Marked of Sin, the seven of us just call it MOSses. Being a MOS means you're kinda like...too involved to your self-centered as of late, and it's affecting your service as a butler and a sentinel."
"Wait what? So... I'm a sin?"
"No no no. marked of Sin. It only means you're a potential candidate to succeed one of the seven in the future."
Jake understood enough, however heavy this newa is being shared to him. He nodded to Emma to signify this. Remebering some of what she said just then, he tried to look for some things he can get a better explanation of.
"Can you explain what you meant when you said "self-centered side?"
"It's a very common case really. A census was conducted by our boss some cycles ago. She told us that 6 out of 10 butlers are MOSses. It just shows how human we all still are and how it greatly informs our work in service to the cause. Being a Marked of Sin means that you technically you belong to two factions now."
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Jake sighed and turned his view to the window. The sky was pinkish and the city lights are turning on. "Just one faction," he clarified with melancholy.
"You quit your faction," Emma said. By the way the boy didn't speak and just stared out told her she was right. She didn't feel pity, but rather curiosity. A butler's faction is their family, for most the one they have until the day they die. Since biological families are an outlawed construct, a sentinel can only have their peers and their mentors as their families. The closest thing for one to have all of those are to be in a faction that will nurture you. For this kid to quit his faction meant being a soloist, a very young one. With all these running on her mind, Emma rested her jaw on her knuckle.
"You can enter Sinners Hollow," she continued, "but only up to some rooms. How far you can walk in depends on how fit the title 'Cardinal Sin' for you...
You got as far as Kane's Study, one of the farthest domains in Sinners Hollow. That means that gatecrashing as far as you did just got yourself a watch order from us at the high table. I should tell you that there are only a handful of MOSses that are and were able to make it as far as that, heck, even I didn't get as far as you did when I decided to check the place out before I got condemned as Cardinal Wrath."
Jake's brows furrowed. "So you guys just know who's the next sin depending on... How far one walks in your HQ? Isn't that shallow?"
She chuckled, "It's just one of the methods. There are more in-depth ones. Don't underestimate it though, it hasn't failed so far..."
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"Ma'am, I have called to report."
"Kane, dear..." an older womans voice answered on the phone speaker. "I just left a meeting with Herr Masterman concerning your recent assignment of cleaning up Terra 16. Your next set of orders aren't due for a few more days."
"Yes, ma'am..." He took a puff out of his long ivory and golden pipe. "This is about something else, a high class candidate."
"Another high class candidate? Curious, isn't it? Aren't butlers supposed to be the ones who are kept in line the most? I swear the Heimdall is not compensating me enough to keep check... Don't tell me you've already found an apprentice, Kane. Aren't you still in your prime?" The woman asked.
"It is beside the issue, Madame Church." Kane stated. He is still in his study back at Sinners Hollow.
"Well out with it as I walk..."
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Church stopped. "The Ferrous boy did what?"
Her reaction got Kane's eyes narrowed, he knew there was something about this orphan that didn't check out. "What is it about this boy you aren't telling us, ma'am? Sure by the way you talk about him tells me that he is... at least involved in something that encompasses our directive as the Cardinal Corps..."
". . ."
The line was dead air for a few seconds, something that assured Kane that this isn't some isolated case nor somthing that can be easily dismissed. A boy going in too far the candidacy of apprenticeship as a Cardinal Sin is NOT something young sentinels are able to do just because some gods-know-what reason prompted them to "pay Kane a little visit" honestly...
"Where is he now?" Church asked.
"Emma is taking him back to his district."
"They're together then... that's good.
Kane was already walking out the halls of Sinners Hollow. Kane is the Sin of Pride, a member of the Cardinal Corps. The halls lit up, as if letting the man know he was in its attention. The man in gold and white put on his gloves. His golde quill followed him, flying out of his desk and hovering close to his brisk pace.
"Track Emma," Church imstructed. "That will lead us to the boy. Relay their coordinates to my personal channel once you found them... As for your briefing, I'll send you our rendezvous via text. You are to head there as soon as I send you the location, is that clear?"
The halls were large and the doors opened to make way for the Sin of Pride, hallway after hallway, after hallway...
"I'll be there..."
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