Chapter 24: Sparks of hope

Location: Withsterak Secret Headquarters

The hidden location of withsterak, the dark magic organization is only known to a selected few agents of the organization, not even the traders and business allies of the dark magic organization knows of their actual headquarters.

A location hidden in the darkest parts of a jungle, a jungle that forbids anyone from entering because of the terror that is known in this jungle, darkness reigned as the sky darkened heavily, it's an hour of the ungoldy.

The door leading into the mysterious building suddenly opened up.

Lady rosa castle and her team made their way back into the building when she sighed. She glanced at the being who is seen standing before her, the entrance hall is completely empty with only a single being standing before them.

"Greetings lady rosa, I can see you have returned.....are you done handling the source of the disturbance?" the mysterious figure asked with a warm smile plastered on his face, he is a dark mage.

"Not yet, he barely escaped but he will be back...he isn't someone that you can just easily do away with," lady rosa castle answered when she sighed. She slowly turned towards the little girl who is standing beside her.

"Someone who even the demon of the north couldn't do away with in just one confrontation? Who may that be?" the dark mage asked calmly. He slowly turned towards the teammates of lady rosa castle.

"What? We aren't the ones you should be asking," one of the assassins spoke out.

"Grey ghost, the mistress of slavador, the purger and margaret, are you telling me you four can't answer my questions? Although margaret is one of us, the rest of you are just contracted with us," the dark mage spoke out.

"Oh? So because we are contracted to the dark magic organization doesn't mean we are to answer your every question, we may be contracted to the dark magic organization but we are subordinates of lady rosa," the mistress of slavador spoke out.

She is an average-heighted, black-haired young woman who is in her mid-twenties. Although she was once a member of the assassin guild, she is currently under the leadership of lady rosa castle.

She is a b-class assassin who is famous in the south for being a cannibal!!

The purger is an a-class assassin who focuses more on assault and he rarely talks, a man who wields a large broadsword which he could use to even cut down a mountain if necessary and he is quite strong.

Margaret is a member of the dark mage organization who chose to stay under the leadership of lady rosa castle since lady rosa castle was the one who rescued her when she was eight years old.

"That's enough lionel, they are my subordinates and they don't have the right to answer a question that even I haven't answered yet, and besides.....the one who is causing the disturbance is one of mine," lady rosa spoke out.

"One of yours? What are you talking about?" the dark mage whose name is lionel asked.

"His name is rey castle, the last son of lord benjin castle, my older brother....it's my duty to take care of my own. He may be an adopted son of my elder brother but he bears the name castle."

"He is trained in the ways of the house and he is regarded as one of the house castle, therefore he will be treated accordingly.....this is just the first warning, if he chooses to continue disturbing the peace of withsterak."

"I will kill him myself," lady rosa castle spoke out with authority.

"I see, but the dark magic organization is about to launch a new project and we will need to get rid of the disturbances, not only is the deathmaker our only disturbance, it seems more are coming," lionel spoke out.

This entire hall they are in right now is a crafted space created by the magic of lionel. It was cast the moment they stepped their feet into the building. This is to keep whatever they are saying a secret.

"Who are we talking about?" lady rosa calmly asked.

"The crimson lion company of the vermax empire, apparently they are undercover in order to get informations from us about the production of our products, we must protect the truth of the demon fruits," lionel spoke out.

"What should we do?" the grey ghost calmly asked.

"It's simple, since they are here undercover....this is the easiest way to handle the princess of the vermax empire. That man....he desires the princess of the vermax empire to be exterminated at once," lionel answered.

"The princess of the vermax empire? I believe her name is lily right? She is a new recruit of the crimson lion company and a huntsman right? I believe she is the one who is famously known for awakening a white core," margaret spoke out.

"That's correct little one, I'm glad to see you are quite smart.....she is the one and I don't know why that man wants her dead but he has given out his orders, she must be killed at once," lionel said.

"Lionel....if I may ask, was the deathmaker once assigned to assassinate her by the request of that man?" lady rosa castle asked when lionel grinned evilly, releasing his dark mana into the air.

"That's correct, but apparently he failed his mission so you are the one who's going to clean up his mess. After all....he is part of your family, miss rosa castle, kill the princess of the vermax empire," lionel declared.

"Lionel....who are the other disturbances to the cause?" lady rosa calmly asked.

"That's nothing for you to be worried about, the anti-demon federation will be sending troops into the amane empire to investigate the production of the demon fruits. They are our arch enemies."

"But there is nothing for you to be worried about, that man wants the princess of the vermax empire to be killed while she is investigating the demon fruits, and you have been chosen to do that....don't disappoint that man."

"Lady rosa....after all, you still have a debt to pay to that man," lionel spoke out with pride when lady rosa castle frowned at lionel. Lionel is one of the withsterak's messengers so he mustn't be killed.

"Very well then, I will go kill that princess brat but next time lionel, if you speak to me in that manner, your head will be sent to that man....that is a promise," lady rosa castle spoke out when she turned to leave.

"Very good then, I will be patiently waiting to hear the good news of your success."

Now

The dark continental market is currently overwhelmed with many nobles and merchants trooping into the grand building, a secret location for the rich folks to come and buy whatever they want.

It's always a mask festival so they have to put on a mask in order to hide their faces from being seen, the building is currently surrounded by soldiers and huntsmen paid by the heads of the dark continental market.

Assassins served as bodyguards for the wealthy!!

Meanwhile, amongst the crowds of businessmen, merchants and nobles present, even dark mages from the dark mage organization, they were all many present who were controlling the dark trade.

Even those who were the official traders of withsterak were present!!

Meanwhile, a figure could be seen standing in the midst of the crowds, dressed in black while putting on a black skull mask. He could be seen looking around when he took a deep breath, greeting everyone.

"That damned rosa castle, I know she is quite powerful but I never expected her to be with a team. The demon of the north that I knew of was someone who is always alone and doesn't have partners."

"But she is currently with a team.....I can recognize those assassins, they were once in the assassin guild, I've seen their files," rey castle said to himself when he sighed while looking around.

"Grey ghost, an a-class assassin, the mistress of slavador, a b-class assassin and the purger who is an a-class assassin, two a-class assassins in her team with a b-class assassin, what is she planning?" rey asked.

He yawned out loud while looking stressed.

"Mehn I don't like thinking too much about stuff like this, my nature is to act not think too much about conspiracy, but there is one thing I know....the next time they see me in action, one of us may drop dead."

"Apart from the demon of the north who is already a huge pain in the ass, there is that little mage. She may be young but she is quite skilled when it comes to magics and not to mention, she is a psychopath."

"I can feel it....a monster like her will be even more chaotic when she grows so I will grant her mercy by killing her when I have the chance, but there was something I felt the last time I engaged with her."

"Although she is a little girl, but her level when it comes to magic is top tier. She may be even s-class level in magics, but I will figure out a way to suppress her the next time we see," rey castle said.

He sighed calmly when he noticed something, the presence of princess lily and captain rudeus as they made their way into the building while disguising as merchants who are here to get some things.

"Those guys are here huh? I better not get involved with them."

"I'm here to figure something out, the connections between the dark continental market and withsterak. There is a deeper connection Rey castle said to himself when he was about to leave the scene, he bumped into someone when he felt something. The darkness he felt from this individual caused him to halt while his eyes were wide open in shock.

"That presence, isn't that a demon?" rey castle asked himself in shock.

He slowly turned to see the one who bumped into him when their eyes met. Rey castle frowned as veins spread across his face. He gazed at the figure standing before him. No one even noticed there is a demon in their midst.

A two-horned demon who smirked evilly. Rey castle was about to move his body when he realized that his body refused to move. All his cells were fighting against him moving at that moment.

"The last son of Baylor... the void is coming. We are coming for that which doesn't belong to you, the mark of death... and everything which you loved will be nothing but dust!" the two-horned demon voiced out.

Vanishing into the air like he never existed when rey castle gnashed his teeth in anger. He took a deep breath when he sighed. For a demon to sneak his way into a gathering of humans without being detected.

"Demons are becoming even more unpredictable than I expected them to be. But that is a double-horned demon... I guess I will try to understand what this mark of death truly means," rey castle spoke out.

"If it's a key for me to obtain powers beyond imagination, I will crush the demons with it!"