A Busy Night

"I... I want to know the safest method to kill someone,"

That was the request that Eduard brought forth. Although slightly wavering, his voice was full of conviction. He seemed to have made his mind before coming up with the request. The dimly lit confession chamber was silent, and the orange light was gently coming from the other side through the small gap.

"Who is your target and what have they done? Tell me the name and we can eliminate them for you, or if you'd prefer, you could do the killing yourself and we only provide the cleaning afterward. There would be a cost that you have to pay, however," replied Graham seriously.

"Val, I'm not a fan of killing random people, but if the one he wants to kill has done terrible things then I wouldn't mind lending a hand," he muttered quietly.

Graham's goal in establishing the syndicate was to please his Deity and to earn money on the side, after all. Although the latter had been rather slow in progress, as the organization grew, there should be more channels to make money from.

Eduard hadn't expected to get such a straightforward answer. He even got another option for the job.

"His name is Lucas Meijer..." he said.

Graham raised his eyebrow.

"Meijer... Isn't that Eduard's last name? How are they related?" he muttered.

"What has he done?" he asked the man on the other side.

Eduard swallowed his saliva.

"He... is a good-for-nothing drug addict who always steals money from us. He is a manipulative, abusive bastard who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. My mother has been blinded by him; she refused to turn him in to the Police even though he beats her up. He is also the reason I was getting those death threats... He needs to disappear for us to be able to be a happy family again," explained Eduard lengthly and then paused.

Eduard clenched his fist tightly.

"I don't have the money to hire you, so just knowing the method is enough for me," he said with regret.

"We can help you nonetheless. You can pay by doing more tasks," replied Graham.

That's... not too bad. The tasks that we have been told to do so far are not that difficult. Maybe I should agree. I've never killed anyone after all. I don't know if I'll be able to do it when the time comes...

"I'll do that, then," he replied a little bit unsurely.

"Then, tell me the details of the target," replied Graham from the other side.

Eduard gulped down his saliva again.

"He is... my brother. We live together but he only comes home for money. We live on Oostparkstraat, but at this hour he should be out there somewhere, getting drugs or some other bullshit." he explained. His tone was heavy and there was a hint of hatred.

After that, the orange light from the other side shone more brightly for several seconds. Eduard stayed quiet and waited patiently for the response from the man with the Gemini mask. After a while, the mysterious man finally spoke.

"I've located him. I can make him disappear tonight if that's what you wish," Graham spoke ominously.

Without hesitation, Eduard replied, "Please!"

The orange light coming through the gap disappeared, and with that, the warmth also dissipated. The confession chamber turned cold and eerie.

"Then you won't ever see him again," replied Graham mysteriously. "As for your extra tasks, you will be let know soon,"

Eduard nodded, but of course, the person on the other side couldn't see it because of the separator unless he was peeking through the gap. After that, he opened the chamber door and exited. His heart was filled with anticipation and anxiety. He was really looking forwards to the day his brother would never come back home because all he brought was pain and suffering for him and his mother.

The other four, who were sitting, looked at Eduard with curiosity, but they didn't ask anything. Everything that happened inside the confessional was something private.

Graham walked out of the chamber shortly after. He returned to the altar and sat there ceremoniously. He cleared his throat and spoke.

"This concluded today's gathering. You are free to leave,"

The five people remembered their tasks and got up from their seats. They walked towards the tall double door and opened it gently, but it still created a loud creaking noise that broke the silence of the night. Once the associates left, he turned to Luuk and Jacco, who had been sitting leisurely on the altar watching the whole proceeding.

"What were you two doing while I was inside the confession chamber?" asked Graham curiously. His tone had returned to his normal, casual self.

"We were just chatting between the two of us. The other four were talking among themselves and we didn't really know them, so," replied Luuk.

"So what are we doing next?" asked Jacco, "Are we going to get my contract scroll now?"

Graham picked up one of the candles surrounding the altar.

"Yes. I've used divination earlier, but it's better for you to see it yourself. You need to choose your own target," he replied.

The flame of the candle was burning gently in the cold night. As Graham was concentrating, the light became brighter and brighter until there was an image created in the core of the fire, just around the wick. The image got bigger and bigger until they felt like watching a cinema that was projected right into their minds.

The first image shown was that of a fat woman that was doing dishes in a place that looked like a restaurant's kitchen. She looked to be in her early thirties and was washing the dirty plates vigorously. After that, the image shifted to that of a young man wearing a mafia hat and a trench coat. He kept one hand under his coat all the time, most likely to be able to draw his weapon at a moment's notice. After that, the image changed again to show a young woman who was together with a group of people. They seemed to be hiding inside an empty house.

The image gradually disappeared after that. After seeing the three potential targets, Jacco had to make up his mind.

"The second one is a no go. He is a member of Fratello Maggiore and we can't afford to make them an enemy right now," said Graham, and then added, "And I know the third one. She is a member of a band of burglars. She wasn't a Contractbound before, so it's surprising that she is one now,"

"Then I'll go with the third one," he said, "The first one seems too innocent and I can't bring myself to do that,"

"Then it is settled. I also happen to know where they are currently hiding," he said.

What doesn't he know...

Luuk looked at Graham with admiration but also slight fear. He felt that he couldn't keep any secrets from the man with the peculiar mask.

"I must warn you that they have another Contractbound within their rank. He's a Slumberer, with the ability to make people fall into a deep sleep. We should avoid a frontal fight because I've almost exhausted most of my abilities today," explained Graham.

He also needed to use his ability to deal with Eduard's brother, so he couldn't afford to use up all of them for this mission.

"Got it. Luuk, are you going to help as well?" asked Jacco to the man sitting next to him.

Luuk stretched his hands and was yawning under his mask.

"Sure, but you have to help me as well in the future," he said casually.

"Okay!" he raised his right thumb.

"Now, before we depart. There are some things you need to know," he spoke in a serious tone.

The two of them looked at Graham and became curious. Usually, when he spoke in that tone, it would be about something in need of attention.

"I used divination again to see the future of Sloten..." he paused.

Luuk raised his eyebrows, but the other two couldn't see it because of his mask. Jacco had got briefed a little before, so he knew how dire the situation was.

"The result is still the same. Sloten will be destroyed by a horde of supernatural creatures. We need to foil Pale Society's plan or our homes will be destroyed," Graham added.

The atmosphere became heavy. The three men sat in silence thinking about the future of their city. Graham was the one with the least attachment to Sloten, so he could always escape, but Luuk's family was there and Jacco had a sister who couldn't leave the hospital. They knew what they needed to do and they had to do it quickly.

"What about the Police? Aren't they supposed to be able to do something?" asked Luuk.

"I don't know..." replied Graham, "My guess is something similar is happening in another city and their main force has been dispatched there, leaving Sloten undermanned. The only possibility is the capital, otherwise, they wouldn't leave such a big city like this undefended."

"It's plausible. I also heard from Pietro that the mafia's main force has also been sent on an expedition somewhere. He wouldn't tell me the detail though," added Luuk.

Jacco was only listening. Although he was the leader of a gang, he seldom came across crucial secrets like those. All he ever heard from his men was street gossip and the like.

Silence crept in the abandoned chapel once more. The candles that were placed all over the place burned gently, illuminating the room with their mysterious orange light. The moonlight penetrated through the hole in the roof, giving a contrasting silver light that soothed the mind.

"How long do you think we have?" asked Luuk.

"I'd say less than a month. My divination has never shown me the future before, so I assume it's not actually that far ahead," he replied.

"So we have to be stronger, right?" asked Jacco.

"Yes. That's also why I'm helping you," replied Graham, and then turned to face look, "Has your Deity's messenger come to you?"

"No, not yet," replied Luuk shortly.

"For now, focus on getting the approval of your Deities as soon as you can, so you can advance. I'm very close to pleasing mine," said Graham.

Luuk and Jacco weren't surprised. In their eyes, the man with the Gemini mask had always been able to do things quickly, especially with the help of his divination power. They, however, still didn't understand the actual extent of Graham's power. They knew that he was in a contract with a lot of Deities currently, seeing from the range of abilities that he often used.

"What Deity should I form a contract with next? After Reconciliation?" asked Jacco curiously.

Graham put his hand under his chin and recalled the information he got from the ancient book. It also reminded him to check the book again once he had successfully formed a contract with a President Rank Deity.

"First, let me ask you. Do you still remember what I told you about the ranks of the Deities?" said Graham.

Luuk and Jacco nodded.

"We are currently in a contract with Earl Rank Deities, and the next one is President Rank. From what I've gathered, there are eleven Deities of the President Rank. I'm not sure which one is suitable for you, but I know which one is suitable for Luuk," explained Graham.

He gave Luuk a glance and the latter nodded. Graham had told Luuk about it before.

"Unless you want to compensate me for telling you the names of all the eleven Deities," added Graham.

Jacco's expression sunk under his mask. He couldn't afford to be wasteful with money.

"I'm just kidding. I'll tell you their names. Remember them and decide which one you think is the most suitable for you,"

Graham then proceeded to tell Jacco and Luuk the eleven Deities that were of President Rank. He didn't mind doing so for free since getting the other two stronger was also one of his goals. Although for all missions they always got compensated with money or something else, trust was still an important factor that he wouldn't mind losing money for.

"I've decided that I'll go with Cunningness and Transformation, so we should plan ahead so our abilities won't overlap," he added.

Luuk and Jacco seemed to be in deep thought. The amount of information they received was plenty, and they needed to digest it first.

"I think the Deity of Stupidity and Hatred would complement my role as a support more," he said, and then added with a heavy tone, "I've accepted that as my fate,"

"You are very lucky because I'm in possession of the scroll. You just need to compensate me appropriately when the time comes," said Graham meaningfully.

Dang, Jacco is very lucky. I wonder where I can get my scroll for Invisibility and Treasures. Or should I just wait idly? I'm sure Mr. Hymes will stumble upon the owner and kill him...

Luuk looked slightly enviously at Jacco and then longingly at Graham.

"Then I'll work hard for it!" replied Jacco enthusiastically. He felt like someone whose path had been paved by their parents.

Graham nodded in approval and then got up. He tapped his clothes to shake the dust off.

"Now with that out of the way, let's get you your scroll,"