Cooperation

Sam and Jack are sitting at the river side where Sam usually eat along with Philip and others. This time there is a huge bird that was roasting on the fire. Sam looked at intently as he was waiting for it cook waster. Even though he, could make it faster with the Golden flames, the feel of waiting while roasting the meat on an open fire is really good.

"Sam, I want to make a deal with you?" Jack broke the silence.

"What would that be?" Sam asked as he flipped the bird.

"Do you need more meteorite sand?" This line caught Sam's attention completely, he turned towards Jack and looked at him with a serious expression.

"You have more?" He asked.

"No, But I know a place where you can find it." Jack replied with same calm tone.

"Why should I believe you?" Sam asked a little cautiously.

"The Black meteorite sand is a proof itself."

"That is what it is making it more suspicious. Even though you and I might not have any grudges, you might have some other intentions to bait me with it. After all, if you really know the location where the Meteorite sand is, you can make a deal with a High-level noble family or better yet the royal family. You can live your life in luxury. Why would you come all the way here to a backward city like this and make a deal with me using that precious resource." Sam said bluntly.

Jack shook his head at Sam's speculations and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"What should I do to have you believe me?"

"Nothing much. Just tell me the truth of the whole matter. Why do you want to make a deal with me? Where did you get this Black meteorite sand and how are you so sure that there is Meteorite sand at some place and how did you know it?"

Hearing Sam's questions, Jack hesitated a little and finally came to a decision. "I don't know if you will believe me if I tell you the truth, but since, you asked, I will tell you.

My father is originally from the royal capital. He once accompanied a group to an expedition. At that time the group went to the small island and then discovered a large amount of all kinds of Meteorite sands. My father and the other members in the group are very happy to find it and everyone took a small amount of a type of Meteorite sand and then made an agreement that everyone should keep the island a secret and all of them could only come back once a year to take a small amount at the same time in order to not to draw any suspicion. They took a soul oath and all left their own ways after making an agreement on the next time they should meet.

But they didn't know they were already betrayed. One of the guys already sent the news back to his organisation even before they made an oath. They already put some tracker spell on the rest of the group and hunted down in the very next days.

But my father already had made some preparations as he prepared to along with my mother and me. But they still managed to find us out and he took the enemies on and let my mother and me escape. My mother then fled with me to the village. The Black meteorite sand I took out yesterday is the one that my father passed." Jack said as he felt a bit sad.

"How long has it been?" Sam asked calmly.

"15 years" Jack replied in an equally calm but sad tone.

"Then you are just an infant at that time. How do you know all these?" Sam asked with some suspicion. Jack just let out a sigh and shook his head. Then he took out a scroll and passed it to Sam.

"I only found it recently. My mom died a year ago and then she passed me this scroll. She said that this given to her by my father to be passed on to me after I turn 16. But she passed away last year as due to her past ailments."

Sam took the scroll and read everything. The scroll contained more or less what Jack said. But there is an extra info. That is the name of the Organisation. It is called Black water Organisation. Sam looked at Jack and asked.

"What is the deal then?"

"I want your help in the destroying the Black water organisation." Jack said in a cold tone.

"I am not a person who kills for money. Even though I believe you. The Black Water and I don't have any grudges. So, I have no reason to destroy them." Sam said.

"Take a look at this." Jack tossed another scroll to Sam.

Sam opened it with a puzzled look and frowned up on looking at its contents, it is a lot of information about the organisation. There are all types of shady businesses they are a part of. Sam remembered the Mafia back on modern earth. This Black water is this world's version of the Mafia. Just as he was about to say that it is none of his business if the Black water is involved in these kinds of business, he saw the last of the list and frowned.

He fell into a deep thought. He really didn't care much about the starting of the list as there is not such as an absolutely good society. The underworld is common. But the last of list made him really despise this organisation.

"Where did you get this info?" Sam asked as he looked at Jack. Jack sensed that something was wrong. "My father used to work from royal family. My mother said that after he came back from the expedition, he started investigating everyone that went along with him using all his resources, they he came to knew that one of them was from the Black water. So, he collected all the info he can and passed it to my mom along with the other scroll."

After Jack finished Sam stayed silent for sometime and then looked at the last line with some hesitation. Then he took a deep breath and said.

"I will help you, but not in a direct way. I won't just directly attack the organisation with force and I am not going to come into lime light directly. But whenever you are going to make a move, you have to tell me and I will plan it in such a way that you can give them the maximum damage. I will only come to lime light when they put their sights on me. I will only take the payment after you feel satisfied and I will only take it for the work I provided. So, if you want to take the deal, I am okay with it."

Hearing Sam's words, Jack was a bit puzzled. He was mainly asking Sam for this deal because of the immense potential of him. His combat prowess is off the charts and he seem to have a lot of talents in auxiliary professions. But when he heard confidence in Sam's words, he couldn't help but feel a bit tempted but he can't bring himself to completely accept it.

Sensing his hesitation, Sam spoke again. "According to the info in the scroll, the Black water is an immense organisation with many branches. Let us give our deal a test run. If we go to the count city there might be a branch there. We will make some arrangements and eliminate the branch over there. So, you can think about the cooperation after that."

Jack though for a moment and nodded his head. "I am okay with this, but when do we go to count city?" He asked as he looked at Sam with some expectation. He really is too eager to get revenge.

"We don't have to go alone. You go back to school today and then you wait there. There will be a team of people going to be selected to be sent to the Count city in 12 days. So, there might be a news of selection and you can try your hand in it. If you can make it, we will be having a free ride." Jack was a bit surprised and calmed down. He nodded at Sam and extended his hand.

"it is deal."

"Deal"

Then soon became silent as they munched on the meat.

Meanwhile in the Crimson flame family the atmosphere is a bit gloomy. The meeting room was filled with this sadness as the family head sat on the main chair and all the elders took a seat. There is woman who is sobbing sat next to the family head. Freya stood in the centre and looked at the family head.

"Freya, can you do this for the family?" The family head asked Freya with a pleading tone.

"No, father. I already asked you before to not to make a move on him. You refused and sent people to assassinate him. He got the news. Then when he is taking the academy assessment, you also asked Carl and others to make a move just because he took revenge for what you did? Now, you want to meet him just like that because he has status that you cannot offend. Sorry, father. I already did what I can and already requested him to be lenient towards us. If you don't provoke him any further, he will be lenient. I can't bring myself to make a request for him to meet you. After all, even though he is magnanimous and can do that for me because of our friendship. I won't have any face to show him after that. I still have some shame left." Freya said with a tone filled with disappointment.

"Freya, how can you say that? You have to do something to our family." An elder from the side suggested.

"And why should I do that? I am not the one who created the mess. You the esteemed elders did and you have face to ask me to clean up. Dream on." She said and left without any hesitation.

All the elders looked ashamed being berated by a young girl.

"What a pity? We have lost a genius like Carl and we also lost a chance to maintain a good relationship with such a monstrous talent. And worse, we have offended him."

Someone from the side sighed as he thought of the situation.

"Maybe those from the academy already knew that. That is why they didn't send the elders to save Carl. They truly are meticulous when currying favour."

"No. they didn't intentionally stop the elders from saving him. It is more like they are not able to at all." Suddenly the family head said making all the room silent.

"What do you mean? Family head"

"The judge of the assessment is the not the academy elders but something else. There is another rule that the Principal didn't mention as it has become the norm since so many years that the rule was implemented and there was not a need aroused. But due to Carl and others the rule was used after a long time." The family head sighed as he remembered about his son.

"What kind of rule it is?" One of them asked.

"When somebody issues a death challenges and keep their escape tokens as wager the other elders can't interfere in the fight while they are in the testing grounds. Actually, the judge won't allow it." The Patriarch said in a low voice.

"But isn't the judge also the part of academy and isn't he also human. He can bend the rules, right?"

"No, the formation itself is the judge. No human is fit enough to judge the assessment as they can influence the judgement."

All the elders felt confused. "What do you mean the formation is judge?" Someone asked. But this time there is no reply.

Meanwhile. Sam finished his meal and went to the city along with Jack. They went to the market and Sam bought a lot of materials for tailoring, raw materials for forging and a lot of materials for inscription ink. Jack looked at the Sheer amount of the materials and took a deep breath.

"Sam, why are you buying so much?" He asked failing to hide his curiosity.

"I need to make some money." Sam said and continued his shopping spree. It was already afternoon by the time Sam came back to his mansion. Jack has gone back to the academy.

After entering his mansion. Sam took a seat on a chair and after a moment of silence he spoke.

"I don't like guests coming uninvited. So, you better come out while I am being nice."