Mortis Syndicatus

The capital city of Gravantia was crowded with Revery students enjoying their weekend without caring about classes, training, or lectures from the teachers. Many were hanging out with friends, while others were on dates, taking advantage of the common discounts restaurants offer on weekends.

Raziel was lounging in bed, planning to spend the entire day either sleeping or reading his novels, as he had nothing interesting to do. But, his plans changed when Eve called, asking him to join her on a visit to the Inderfell District.

The Inderfell District is a place with a dark history, once notorious for its horrendous crimes due to the absence of imperial guards, making it a lawless zone. However, powerful gangster families have since risen to prominence and now control various parts of the territory, reducing the frequency of confrontations between outlaws.

The place still holds a bad reputation, but some important people frequent it due to the casinos, brothels, clandestine fights, and the famous black market, where you could find a lot of trash or treasures, depending on your luck.

Knowing this, Raziel initially decided to refuse. But, he soon recalled that the shady seller of the rainbow stone had been last seen by the original Raziel in that area, which made him reconsider and ultimately accept Eve's request.

Eve happily promised to show him a good place, unlike the last visit when she and the original Raziel ended up with stomach aches after eating at a suspicious restaurant.

Raziel instinctively raised an eyebrow while holding his stomach, almost experiencing PTSD from the memory of spending nearly an entire day in the bathroom. Not even magic had been able to remedy that situation.

The girl understood his gesture and reassured him that it really wouldn't happen again. Raziel gave an agreeing nod and said, "Okay," which made Eve jump with joy like an animated child. With that, they decided to call a carriage to take them there.

After arriving at the entrance of Inderfell, the duo walked down the dirty main street, gathering some unwanted attention. No one dared to approach them once Eve gave a deadly stare in their direction, making it clear that they were not to be messed with.

Eve guided him through some very isolated areas until both entered a suspicious alley and arrived in front of a common shop with a wooden sign written "MS" in black letters. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary place, but Raziel could sense that there was more to it than met the eye.

Before they entered, Eve, who had been holding two medium-sized paper bags since they left the house, handed one to Raziel. She then reached into her own bag and pulled out a falcon head mask, which she put on, covering her entire head.

Raziel didn't understand what Eve was up to, but before he could ask, she instructed him to put on the mask that was in his paper bag and follow her.

He nodded, feeling a bit nervous, and retrieved a white theatrical mask from his bag. With things already going this far, he put on the mask and followed Eve.

As he followed Eve into the building, Raziel noticed a tall, fat man behind the counter wearing a bear head mask. The man turned to glare at them, giving off an unsettling vibe.

Raziel felt a chill run down his spine as the atmosphere grew tense under the man's intense stare, until Eve began to speak.

"What's up, Grizzy, my brother! How are you? Probably fine, right?" she said in a casual tone, addressing the intimidating man as if they were old friends.

"Oh, Miss Falcon, you've returned to pick up a contract?" the big guy asked in a rough voice.

"Nah, today I'm not here for a contract. I'm just going to use the service area to relax with my friend here," Eve said, pointing at Raziel.

Grizzy tilted his head, surprised by Eve's statement, as Miss Falcon had never brought anyone with her before to use the service area.

"That's surprising… very surprising…" Grizzy said, pausing to analyze Raziel. After a moment, he added, "Well, since you're not here as a 'Cleaner,' you can use the stairs at Door C. Here's the key."

"Thanks, Grizzy," Eve said, taking a key from the big guy, who handed it to her with a nod.

She then gestured for Raziel to follow her until they reached a corridor with three doors, each labeled with letters A to C. They went to the door marked "C," and Eve used the key to unlock it.

After descending the stairs, they arrived in a space that resembled a basement, but it was very well-lit with silver chandeliers. The ambiance was enhanced by the soothing sound of piano music playing softly in the background.

Looking around, Raziel saw tables with people seated. Some wore theatrical masks of various colors, while others sported different animal head masks.

They were chatting and minding their own business in a setting similar to a classic café from Raziel's world, which left him puzzled. He couldn't understand why there was a hidden café in the middle of such a dangerous area, with everyone inside wearing masks.

Raziel decided to follow Eve more closely as she approached a bartender in an owl head mask, who was cleaning glasses behind the counter.

When Eve leaned over the counter, she said, "Sup, Owl? Everything good?"

"Miss Falcon, it's you... tsk." The person merely glanced at her and clicked their tongue in disapproval.

"Hahaha, still sore about me beating your ass last time? Feel free to cry about it," Eve taunted, provoking the person so much that they broke the glass while trying to contain their anger.

Eve then walked away with Raziel, who took the opportunity to admire the place. A minute later, they arrived at a door guarded by two large, bulky men in black suits, each wearing a rhinoceros mask.

The duo, after seeing Eve show the key, stepped aside but continued to glare at Raziel, who passed through them only after she mentioned that he was with her.

When they entered through the door, they found themselves in a lavishly decorated room furnished with fancy booth sofas, square tables, golden chandeliers, and a fragrant ambiance reminiscent of an old-fashioned luxury restaurant.

Eve chose a seat and removed her mask before calling for Raziel to join her.

Raziel decided to sit beside Eve and removed his mask too, wondering to himself what kind of place this was.

Eve then handed Raziel a menu, saying, "Here, little master. Pick whatever you want. Don't worry about the price."

"Eve, before I order anything, first tell me... What the hell is this place?" Raziel asked, visibly confused, still unable to figure out what kind of "cult" she had brought him into.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to explain. We're at my part-time job at the Mortis Syndicatus(Death Syndicate), haha..." she said, scratching the back of her head and laughing awkwardly.

"Wait, WHAT!?" Raziel shouted involuntarily at Eve's sudden revelation.

The Mortis Syndicatus is a notorious institution known for employing the most skilled assassins from all three primary classes in the Gravantia Empire, boasting an exceptionally high success rate on their missions. Most gangster families controlling Inderfell avoid crossing their members, as killing a "Cleaner" without a valid reason can lead to the downfall of an entire family, especially if they lack strong political connections.

One of the principal peculiarities of this organization is that a Cleaner usually wears a bartender, butler, or maid outfit along with an animal-themed mask to conceal their identity.

The HQ of the Mortis Syndicatus is shrouded in mystery, accessible only to official members or authorized guests. Anyone attempting to enter without an invitation faces a brutal death.

Raziel didn't recognize the organization at first because it wasn't very prominent in the game. Erick had only encountered them once but managed to escape trouble quickly thanks to Nozomi's help and her family's influence.

Now Raziel found himself in a dangerous place that felt oddly like a common fancy restaurant.

"H-Hey, E-Eve, you're kidding, right?" he asked with a trembling voice after realizing where he was.

"No, little master, I'm not," Eve said calmly.

"O-okay..." Raziel sighed and decided to go along. 

Two hours later, the duo were enjoying a delicious lasagna along with several equally tasty side dishes. Raziel was pleasantly surprised, having never expected an assassin organization to employ such skilled chefs.

They devoured the food like hungry animals, especially Eve, who seemed as if she hadn't eaten for a week. She was quite different from her usual self at home.

As they focused intently on their meal, the door swung open, drawing Eve's and Raziel's attention. Eve paused mid-bite to see who had arrived.

The tall figure, clad in a butler outfit and black gloves, wearing a black panther mask, entered the room and walked directly toward their table.

At that moment, Raziel tensed up, noticing the person looking at him like a predator, which made him gulp. Then Eve got up from her seat and said, "Tiyara, you came!"

With a joyful leap, Eve landed in a hug with the tall figure, like two old friends reuniting. The person being hugged then removed her panther mask, revealing an attractive woman with long, gorgeous coal-black hair.

Looking at her face, she had smooth, tanned skin and almost perfect features, resembling a Egyptian princess. However, one thing was unusual: her eyes were entirely black except for the irises, which glowed a bright, golden color.

The sight of her eyes sent chills down Raziel's spine for some reason.

Without noticing Raziel's reaction, Eve took the woman by the arm and said, "Tiyara, this is Raziel, my master and childhood friend that I told you about."

The woman gave him a full look-over.

"Oh~ so you're Eve's crush. She always talks about you whenever she gets the chance," Tiyara said sweetly, covering her mouth with her hand like a noble lady.

At that moment, Eve froze, staring at the tanned woman as if she had been frozen by magic, while Raziel widened his eyes after hearing such a revelation.

"Oops~ I forgot this was a secret," Tiyara said playfully, glancing at Eve.

It seems Miss Panther has once again let her habit of teasing Eve show.