Blurry and smoking, that was the small clash between the protestors and the dogs of the Syndicate.

No one knew the truth behind it except for those the Ringleader who stood watching things unfold while plotting, calculating, and plotting again.

He looked at the bottle in his hand, just a fucking bottle made of trash-grade glass that breaks very easily. It contained Dwarven Oil which is a very easy material to acquire then it was blocked by a dirty rag of dry cloth. Light up the rag, throw the bottle, and watch the magic happen.

It reminded Eden Newman of the Fire Bag, a weapon that was used as a throwable as well but it would only smear alchemist fire on the enemies before igniting them with a fire arrow.

This is much more economic. Dwarven Oil is much more available than Alchemist Fire and this method can be replicated anywhere and anytime.

Dangerous! Extremely dangerous!

It doesn't need a child to learn how to build one of those Cocktails as that young man called them. If this gets out on the street, the city will be lit aflame with all the protests going on.

As promised, Leon delivered the weapon samples and the method of creation to Eden Newman without a hitch. He even advised adding Sawdust and Resin to the Oil in order to increase the intensity of the flame and make it stick to vertical surfaces.

"What a horrible child!" Eden thought.

There was no denying that since he saw the young man just a minute ago use Earth Magic then chase off an escaping wagon on his feet.

It all kept Eden thinking.

On the other hand, Vadim dragged Zal into the crowd of the protestors who fought with the syndicate dogs and sent them running.

Vadim went straight to the saloon and once he arrived, he saw Jessica yelling at the Saloon girls to come with clean sheets of cloth and warm water to help the injured. She led it all as if she knew exactly what she was doing.

The protestors gladly accepted the help and despite being prostitutes, these girls were running like they were prepared for this moment for a while now.

"Lass!" Vadim called for Jessica.

She looked in his direction and recognized Zal instantly before looking at Vadim who was that Dwarf she saw in the Mercenary Hall when Leon signed up for the job.

"Mister?" She replied in confusion.

"You and I will have a long talk but for now, I want you to line up all those with bone dislocations and large bruises for me. I can help." He said.

It seemed that she had a limit to what she could do and Vadim's help was surely appreciated.

"Very well, Master Dwarf. I will send them right away." She said.

As he walked past them, she glared at Zal to get his attention.

"Hey, you delivered what Leo wanted?" She asked while whispering.

"I got his luggage but these people got me." Zal replied.

"Give it to Jordi, he will deliver it for us." She changed the plan to better suit Leon.

Vadim, however, was hearing this very well.

On the other side of the street, the hooded and cloaked Eleanor stopped in front of the men who were about to leave the scene.

"Mr. Eden." She called.

Surprised to see this woman in that place, Eden Newman hesitated a bit before signaling the young men around him to back away.

"It is an honor to meet you once again, my Lady." He said in rather an uncomfortable yet respectful tone.

Even his followers knew that he believed in neither hypocrisy nor aristocracy so his behavior seemed rather weird.

"It is quite odd to see you in a place like this." She said, "Or rather it is not since you believe in protesting with your followers everywhere you go."

"They are not my followers." Eden replied, "They are the sons and daughters of this country. They have faith in what they do and they listen and understand. The term of a follower devoid the human of his will."

Eleanor laughed for a second almost remembering how much pain in the ass this man can be.

"They still call themselves the Edeners and call your way Edenism." She said.

"I am humbled and honored by the fact that they chose my name. Even as an educator, there is no greater honor than that. You, as a fellow educator, must know so." He said.

"Let's skip the debate." Eleanor had to change the subject of this conversation, "Why are you here?"

Eden didn't really reply aside from pointing around him with an expressionless face as if he was saying, look around you.

"What I meant is why are you here in this certain avenue? This is not a place for protests and the gang members you just clashed with aren't your regular targets." She asked.

"I don't have to answer that." He said.

As the two almost started to glare, a girl came running.

"Mr. Eden." She spoke.

"Comrade Jessica." Eden changed his expressions into a cheerful smile as he turned to Jessica.

"On behalf of Mr. Leo, I thank you for your involvement tonight." She said.

"Leo?" Eleanor was almost baffled then looked between the hooker girl and the protestor old man before shaking her head in bafflement.

How is Leon involved in all that?

"Comrade Leo is a great benefactor of ours. Thanks to him, the Revolution will surely strike the heart of corruption." Eden nodded as he shook hands with Jessica.

Holy Shit! That was the look on Eleanor's face.

"It may have been a trade between you and Mr. Leo but as a sign of good faith and as the new Madam of the Honey Saloon, we will welcome the Revolutionary Front members into our establishment from this day onwards." Jessica added.

"That's exciting to…" Eden was pleased to hear that there is a new gathering place for the revolutionaries but that got Eleanor involved right away.

"Girl." She spoke to Jessica, "You realize that by putting your establishment in that position, you will be defying the monarchy?"

The question carried every threat in the alphabet with the way Eleanor spoke it and with the look on her face.

"What has the monarchy ever done for us?" Jessica's reply was rather swift and simple.

Eleanor can answer with a lot of words but she knows how the people of this district live. There is neither love nor loyalty to the crown in these parts.

"Mr. Eden, Mr. Leo had one last thing for you. He said to consider it a birthday present and it is too early for mischief to end here tonight." Jessica said as she handed Eden a small paper.

Eden naturally took the paper and read its content before his eyes widening and his face almost running pale. He then shivered from excitement as the color returned to his skin once again.

"Deliver Comrade Leo my sincerest love." He said with almost a manic smile leaking from his lips, "Please, take care of the injured."

He then turned to his nephew behind him and spoke.

"Gather everyone."

"Everyone?"

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"Yes, as many as we can be. We need to protest someplace else."

Eden didn't even bother with Eleanor who was one of the most difficult people to debate and started running around like a kid who got his birthday present exactly as Leon said.

"Arcane Eye!"

Under her cloak, Eleanor cast a spell that can let her see further from what she should. An invisible eye formed above her and started following Eden Newman right away.

In a far-off location from Eleanor, Eden opened the paper and read it again to feel more excited about what it said before burning it. Eleanor, however, read through the whole thing.

Her eyes widened, she went pale. The same reaction exactly as Eden.

"Leon, you son of a…"

Leon just leaked the location of Prince Edward, the Crown Prince of Amber, to the Revolutionary Front.

The student convoy and all its details should be passing now through the city gates of the Docks District.

This will be a bloodbath!

***

Aside from being the mastermind of tonight's mischief, Leon had his own plans for extra naughtiness. He, however, wasn't feeling mischievous or anything rather than a little bit of guilt.

"Here, back where you belong." He said.

The magical painting in front of him finally returned to its place in dignity and beauty like it never left. He had to pick it up right after Ruth was finally dead.

Only Jessica is aware of his identity as the criminal who was being chased by the thieves two months ago during the stormy night. Now that Ruth is gone, no one else aside from Vadim and his gang would be aware of the secret place he hid in. Jessica would want to protect her home so she will keep Leon's secret for enough time anyway.

Now, it was time to face the consequences of his actions. Funny enough, all he needed to do was to turn around and directly face all… fifteen, seventeen, twenty-one of them.

"Will my apology suffice?" He asked.

"No." Karmina replied.

"Thought so."

Karmina de Sadé, a noblewoman of great beauty and integrity in the business world. Right now, Karmina was standing in the center of her maids, servants, and butler all aiming their weapons at him.

For a group of servants, that's a shit ton of weapons.

"Is your name even Alfonse Vanderbilt?" Karmina asked as she walked ahead right next to Leon facing the painting he just hung in her house.

"Do you truly wish for me to have such a silly name?" He asked.

"Be careful around silly things. They're always trying to hide something beneath their boring appearance." She replied.

"But you were not boring." Leon said, "Rather than boring, you were the most unbelievably surprising person I ever came across."

She snorted with a slight smile.

"You were not boring too, Leo the Rabbit." She said.

"Thank you for the kind words, Karmina the Spider."

It was obvious, wasn't it?

Karmina de Sadé, the pure lady, the innocent beauty, the lily rose of the sacred garden, the Spider of the Twilight Syndicate.

Leon was good with faces and he recognized Furra from the first sight, Karmina's maid.

Each and every individual around this house was a Syndicate member. Followers to the most secretive Crime Boss in Karanberg, the Spider.

But how on Earth?

Why is it that Leon never saw it in their Status Reading before?

The titles of the Twilight Syndicate always appear in the Status no matter what.

Does this mean… someone else can influence the Status Readings the same way he does?

It may be an important question but the matter at hand was more pressing.

"Aren't you curious why I stole it?" He asked.

"Probably the map on the back." She replied, "What I am truly curious about is… how can this painting be so fresh?"

She asked as she held up the portrait and removed it from the wall.

"Eh." Leon suddenly lagged, "I am not… sure how to say this but…"

"But what?"

"The painting was damaged by the one who hired me to steal it." Leon said.

"The Bull wanted to destroy it?" Karmina glared.

"The center was badly damaged but Mr. Zal put a tremendous effort to restore the Pride of Del Mar. Sadly, the map behind the canvas had to go during the process." Leon said, "But wait, you knew Hector Norman was after it?"

"Hmph!" Karmina looked away, "For those who don't value history, it is a matter of minor interest but I discovered that Hector Norman is a descendant of one of my great grandfather's servants. The servant was kicked for trying to steal the painting and ever since then, his descendants have had their eyes on the painting thinking it will lead them to the treasure of all treasures."

"Hmm." Leon contemplated before asking, "And you don't care about the treasure?"

"This painting is a treasure." Karmina replied, "House De Sadé is my treasure. My gold and my silver and family. Not something my buffoon of a brother can just buy and sell as he wishes."

She took the painting away to the butler.

"Keep this in a secret location." She said.

"As you wish." The butler bowed and carried the painting somewhere Leon couldn't see.

"You're not hanging it on the wall?" He asked.

"My brother is the owner of the painting and he already suspected me of stealing it. Aside from how troublesome it will be, I don't wish that he gets his hand on it ever again."

"So… it shall remain stolen." Leon shrugged his shoulders in tiredness.

Karmina watched the painting go before closing eyes for a while then hesitatingly trying to look towards Leon.

The two of them were standing on the top of the staircase in the center of the lavish classic manor.

"As for you…" She said, "… I am not sure what to do."

"Will leaving myself under your mercy be enough to satisfy your anger?" He asked.

"I am not angry." She looked away and walked to the railing holding it in frustration, "Sir Alfonse… or whoever you are…" She then looked towards him, "Who are you? Really?"

Leon had that look on his face which conveyed his inner complications as well.

"I am a stranger from a strange land. A couple of months ago, I had a name and an identity then something happened and I had to assume another. I thought… something made me think that I am this new person… that I live some sort of fiction or a story that I don't really believe in. I started feeling less guilt no matter what I did."

He said and for a second there, he spoke everything that was on his mind before realizing that he said too much.

"I'm sorry, Lady Karmina, that was inappropriate for me not to answer your question." He fixed his mood and continued, "If you want my name, I have no idea which is the truth myself. If you want my identity, I am just someone who's caught up in a mess that he has no idea why he in it. I'm just a lost drifter."

"It's okay." She said and barely turned her head.

"Okay?" He asked, "I stole your family's treasure. You don't even know if the one I returned is true or fake. I deserve…" He halted his words, "You deserve to punish me."

"Punishment?" She slightly smiled, "I am not much better than you are. It is not noble to punish when you are a sinner. I am the Spider, I am way more of a criminal than you will ever believe."

"A noble criminal?" He asked with a smile that managed to find its way on his face.

"A good thief." She pointed to him saying it is also possible.

"I am a bad guy." He laughed and backed away.

"You don't want to be." She softly said.

"That is all I know." He replied.

"I…" She turned to him, looked at the ground, and spoke, "My parents burdened me to be a criminal instead of leading my brother down that road. They didn't want him to know the life of a crime and wanted it to be with me while my brother separates the family business from the crime business and Horse De Sadé no longer relies on the old methods."

She approached Leon and held his arm.

"They were wrong. My brother ruined the family business so I had to run both businesses eventually. Life always has its own plan even if you are the best planner there is."

Leon nodded.

"I am leaving the capital. Somehow, Life doesn't want me here." He said.

She smiled.

"When?"

"The sooner, the better." He said.

"If you stay, I'll give you a place in my house. Your talent is welcomed by my side." She said.

Leon looked around and saw the faces of the servants who seemed very loyal to their mistress and showed respect to his skill. It reminded him of someplace he used to belong to.

But that was just it, a memory, an illusion of one.

"Maybe one day. I just need to get rid of a demon lurking up here." He said and pointed to his head.

"I understand." She nodded, "Do you have a place to spend the night?"

He shook his head.

"Plenty of rooms here." She said cheerfully, "You can rest anywhere you like."

"Alright." Leon smiled and simply said on the stairs, "My name is Leon. As my memories serve right."

"Nice to meet you, Leon." She said and slowly sat beside him, "My name is Karmina."

A strange chemistry was found between the two. It was there since the start, it is there now, and the two seemed aware of it.

"I come from a house from the East."

"Truly? A big house?"

"It seems so."

"You don't know?"

"I lost my memories. It is very complicated. Do you want the crazy version or the version you can understand?"

"I prefer the one I can understand."

"Oh, this will need a lot of explaining then."

The night was young still and the conversation went on and on until the two of them went into the same bed.

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[ Karmina De Sadé ]

- Affinity: ♥♥

- Mood: Nostalgia, Interested

- Likes: Warmness, Strength, Family

- Dislikes: Disloyalty

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