134 Zulkernyn Yazid Hassan.
"You think they can get the materials, he needs?" Zulkernyn asked Sabastian.
Understanding who Zulkernyn meant by 'he', Sabastian nodded.
"Mr Bartholomew is the person to look for if you need something that isn't on the market. Almost all of the black market sea routes are under his control." Said Sabastian, remembering what his sister told him about Lucas Batholomew.
Hearing Sabastian, Zulkernyn sighed.
Looking around Zulkernyn whispered, enough for Sabastian to listen.
"I'm really surprised that we are dealing with the people from the Abyss already! Nameless is still not on the level of the powerhouses in the Abyss order."
"Yeah, but we need materials that the idiot lovestruck fool asked of us. He needs it to make his metal stronger, most of his projects are centered around his metal. It's a must for Nameless he said!" As he whispered back, the elevator returned and the receptionist walked towards them with a smile.
"Honoured guests! Please, follow me. You two don't have to go through the regular screening."
Following the receptionist, both Sabastian and Zulkernyn entered the elevator.
"Hope you don't mess up anything, Basti..." Zulkernyn whispered.
~~~
Leaving the elevator both of them saw how crowded the place is.
There was a cage in the middle surrounded by crowds of people cheering for their fighter.
Inside the ring, both of them saw two men fighting each other. One of them was a bloody mess bleeding everywhere, his face is not recognisable at all.
Following behind the receptionist, both of them looked around.
There was a bar on the right side, people were drinking there and flirting around.
Sabastian almost bumped into a waitress.
Luckily, Zulkernyn steered him away.
Waitresses were going around serving drinks.
Right beside the bar was a lounge for regular people.
Sabastian and Zulkernyn followed the receptionist to the second floor.
Arriving on the second floor, they learned that the second floor is only available for the VIPs. The second floor was pretty much the same as the first floor but there's an extra lounge area for the fighters to the right side.
They stopped before a room.
The receptionist turned around and informed the two of them.
"Master is inside the room, he requested that no one shall be allowed to enter. The only exception being you two honoured guests. So please, head inside!" Giving a smile to the two of them the receptionist left.
"Well, after you Mr Heilige." Zulkernyn said in a mocking tone.
Grumbling, Sabastian opened the door and went inside first.
~~~
The two saw a man in his late 40s wearing a burgundy suit, sitting at a table.
"So it is the youngest son of the Heilige." The man said looking indifferent.
"Take a seat."
Sabastian and Zulkernyn walked towards the table and sat down facing the man.
"State your business, I don't have much free time on my hands." Waving his hand, he told Sabastian.
"Straight to the point then, Mr Bartholomew! Well, I have come here to collect the debt you owe, Sir." Giving a smile to Bartholomew, Sabastian replied.
"And what debt do I owe you, young Heilige? Also, who is the person beside you? You have not introduced yourself, young man. There is a touch of unpolished killing intent only can be found in certain people who left their duty and disregarded their status as a Sacred noble clan."
Zulkernyn, inwardly was shocked!
Zulkernyn thought he had already perfected his family arts, but this man was able to recognise it?
How is that possible!!!
Since Zulkernyn was wearing a mask, Bartholomew didn't see his shocked expression.
'That man even knows, our history!' Zulkernym said in his mind.
'Since he was able to recognise my identity as a Hassan, that means I still have a long way to go. Aurora's guess was right, my family art was supposed to mask all intent but both of us disregarded the thought thinking it's because of her unique soul constitution.' Zulkernyn thought.
"I'm a person who is barred from the heavens." Zulkernyn said in Farsi.
(A/N: Persian language FYI)
Hearing the familiar way the Hassan's refer to themselves, Bartholomew nodded.
"It is a pity, you could have avoided your fate if you were a person of 'wisdom' instead. A path to heaven would have been shown to you." Bartholomew looked at Zulkernyn with pity in his eyes.
Zulkernyn clenched his fists hearing Bartholomew.
It's not like he didn't try! But fate was cruel, he couldn't avoid the curse placed on the Hassan's.
He had to or else he would have died along with the others.
Suddenly, Sabastian firmly held one of Zulkernyn's hands under the table to calm him down.
Zulkernyn soon composed himself.
Changing the topic, Sabastian spoke.
"I have come here to collect the debt behalf of Yaksha from you, Mr Bartholomew."
"How can you prove that you have come to collect the debt behalf of the Yaksha?" Countered, Bartholomew, he knows the coin was real but he still tried to buy him some time.
"..."
'Haas, I knew this would happen. These damn merchants!' Sighing inwardly, Sabastian complained.
"I did not come here to play games with you, Sir!"
"Pierrot, either you pay your debt or I will come to collect your head myself."
Hearing Sabastian, Bartholomew got angry!
"That's what my sister said to tell you, Mr Bartholomew." Sabastian quickly added seeing the old man seething in anger.
Suddenly, Bartholomew paled in fright remembering a certain scene.
{"I will spare you, Pierrot. But remember this debt, you will pay or else I will come for your head personally!"}
He remembered a certain memory of a woman with bloody clothes holding a sword dripping with blood.
He was the only one who lived out of two thousand people on that island.
A single woman massacred two thousand people in a few hours with a sword.
Bartholomew still has nightmares of that night.
The screams of the people she hunted one by one, the horrors of it!
He remembers it as it happened yesterday.
Both Sabastian and Zulkernyn felt good seeing the old man's face contorted in fear!
It was satisfying to watch.
Composing himself quickly, Bartholomew spoke.
"Speak your terms, young Heilige."
"Very, well. I have two demands, the first one is, I want 1 ton of Tevittarium."
Hearing the first demand, Bartholomew almost fainted on the spot.
"Surely, you must be joking? It's impossible to gather a ton of that precious metal! Even the govt of country Z only gets less than a quarter of a ton every year."
'I know, right! That idiot, Aaron thinks Tevittarium is easy to get. How foolish of him, to think that I can get a ton of that metal!!!'
Seeing that Sabastian is not speaking, Bartholomew gritted his teeth and said.
"I can only manage, half a ton. That's what I can offer to you. The metal never appears in the black market is because the Tevittar tribe kills the people before they can sell and take back their metal. In the Abyss market, only a handful of people can get ahold of this metal. That too always get intercepted by the Tevittar Tribe. It's too risky to deal with this metal, we have to smuggle that metal secretly for them not get any wind of this deal! It's hard, young Heilige! If you can wait a year or 2 then, yes, I can give you a ton."
Sighing, Sabastian replied.
"Then we will take that half a ton of that metal from you. As for the second demand?" Sabastian turned to Zulkernyn.
Zulkernyn spoke instead of Sabastian.
Because the second demand was for himself.
This is the reason he is here for.
Zulkernyn is grateful for his friends, they have risked a lot for him.
He thanked them in his heart many times before he opened his mouth.
"The second demand is, this." Zulkernyn handed a paper with a Symbol to Bartholomew.
It was a symbol of a skull with Arabic words imprinted on the skull.
"We want all the information about this organisation, everything!"
Bartholomew recognised the symbol at first glance.
"So you are the heir to the Hassan, I see!" Bartholomew was surprised finally learning the mysterious young man's identity.
He previously thought it was someone from the Hassan but he never thought the young man was the heir to the Hassan's.
"Very well, we will try our best to gather as much information we can about the 'Union of Assassins'. But young Hassan, are you prepared to go against them? They are not a simple organisation. After the Assassin order disbanded leaving the assassins at a loss, some created their own order but declined soon after. But only this organisation succeeded because the founders of this Assassin order were also true descendants of the Hassan who didn't agree to their mentor's will of repentance to their creator for forgiveness. They chose to go against their mentor and recreated the order. But they lacked something the original order had and they didn't."
"The library of wisdom and death." Zulkernyn solemnly replied.
"Yes, indeed. The library is something they lacked! So are you prepared? If you go against them then sooner or later they will find the location of the library."
Bartholomew said with interest in his eyes.
He heard tales of that library that holds wisdom that is lost in the history of mankind.
"That is for mine to decide, Mr Bartholomew."
Nodding, Bartholomew agreed.
"Then your debt shall be considered paid and you will be free, Mr Bartholomew. If you finished the terms of this deal!"
Sabastian said staring at Bartholomew.
They talked for sometime before Sabastian and Zulkernyn left.
~~~
Outside the abandoned building both of them looked at each other.
"Zulk, you okay?"
Staring at the night sky, Zulkernyn replied.
"My brother, my friend! I thank you and your sister for this sacrifice. I vow to our friendship, I will never forget what you and your sister have done for me. If there's anything you need even if it's my life? I shall give it to you after I take my revenge on those who killed my parents."
The atmosphere was heavy.
Sabastian can't comprehend the emotions of his friend but he can understand the heavy burden and responsibility that his friend shoulders.
Smiling, Sabastian replied to Zulkernyn.
Sabastian placed a hand on Zulkernyn's shoulder and stared at the night sky full of stars alongside his friend.
"Zulkernyn! Only death can separate us, my brother. Don't think too much, we are here. The eight of us live for each other, will do anything for each other. So this is nothing. It's what I should do as your friend, as your family. We are Nameless, after all!"
Hearing Sabastian, Zulkernyn smiled.
He doesn't care if there is no place for himself in paradise, in the afterlife.
He found paradise in the living world in his friendship.
'That's all it matters.' Zulkernyn muttered softly.
