She smirked smugly. "Let me introduce myself. I am Helda Nevil."
Callisto calmly uttered. "I don't think I've seen you before."
"It's only natural, Your Grace. I only appeared since Joseph had requested me to give you his regards."
'Requested?' Not commanded?
"I didn't know he was involved in this as well." Callisto maintained his poker face. "Wouldn't it cause some trouble for your master if I knew about him?"
"It doesn't matter." Helda's eyes were filled with absolute conviction of something. "This plan was bound to succeed anyways."
"What do you mean?"
"Those two servants would never be careless with their job, especially since they are the top two we've specifically trained."
"He should be fine…" Callisto trailed off on his own thoughts. "By the way, ..."
"If you are going to talk about how I am disclosing these matters as a servant so easily, my master allowed me to tell you this much. This little secret wouldn't change my master's feelings for you."
"..." Callisto stared at her with a blank face. It was impossible for Joseph to keep a wild card like her work for him. According to his cautious personality, he would never keep someone he couldn't utilize as he pleased beside him. Besides, she herself didn't agree to Joseph being her master. She must have been sent from someone else, someone stronger, and close enough to Joseph to interfere in his plans.
"You will burn a hole through me if you keep staring, Your Grace." Looking at Callisto's poker face, she chuckled, changing the topic. "We've heard of how close you were with the royals. So we prepared a special surprise so you won't be able to escape from here."
Callisto tested her, unleashing his murderous intent, dexterously gathering the energy into the shape of a spike and hurling it towards Helda. Without much effort, he halted the attack right before Helda's eyes, who stayed calm despite the imminent danger.
As expected, she was still hiding something.
"Either way, you will soon end up with my master so don't resist and accept your fate." Callisto ignored her words for she sounded like a heretic worshiping the devil.
In the corner of her mind, it ticked her off that Callisto wasn't really reacting to anything she said.
"By the way, your junior, Weicht, was it?" She smirked, a crazed look in her eyes. "It would be fun to play with him some time later, but now…, as you can see, I am quite busy. See you later, My Grace." Satisfied with the murderous look in his eyes, she waved him bye cheerfully, thinking she had won.
Callisto said nothing in response to the hurricane that passed through.
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The two servants finally arrived at Callisto's castle, halting a kilometer away from it so that they weren't detected by the few guards protecting the mansion.
"Don't you think they can hear us from here?" Syn whispered to Dean.
"Of course not. Trust my abilities! Don't you know how well it worked last time on those vampires?"
"Yes…, you are right." Syn fidgeted with his fingers. Mustering his courage, he reminded Dean. "But we should make a move soon or else master Joseph…" Syn shut his mouth as soon as Joseph's name was mentioned. Looking around, he sighed in relief.
Dean reassured him. "It's fine. There's no one around. Joseph wouldn't send someone after us since we are pretty much under his mercy as long as he got our "
"..." Syn hesitantly took on the offer. "Master Joseph will punish us both. But what should we do? Master told us to think of a perfect plan."
"Oh?"
"I am being serious here!" Syn pouted.
Dean was walking ahead confidently while Syn, lost in his thoughts, loitered around. "If you don't have a plan, then make sure to follow my lead."
Syn had a bad feeling that Dean was going to ruin the jigsaw puzzle he almost completed. After finishing his sentence, Dean charged forward with greater speed, passing the guards who only noticed his presence a second later and was too late to chase after him.
The two guards nodded their heads, cuing the start of their plan. Touching their earbuds for a bit while mumbling, they went their separate ways to catch Dean.
Syn, who arrived at the castle gates, was suspicious of the fact that those guards could leave their post carelessly. Regardless of whether it was a trap, he had to catch up with Dean before all others were alarmed. Because of Dean's ability, they wouldn't be able to see the crate. As long as the guards were all distracted by Dean, he could place this crate secretly somewhere inconspicuous and leave this place together with his brother, back to their terrible master ... Joseph.
Having tasted a slight freedom, he almost wished he didn't have to go back to that hell where Dean, who looked similar to the person his master was obsessed with, would be bullied. Syn wouldn't care the least if he were to be harmed since…, he deserved this much. If they couldn't make it out together, Dean should be the one to gain his freedom.
Igniting the resolve buried deep into the corner of his heart, he sneaked in through the front gate, looking out for traps set up. It was safe to enter. Controlling his footsteps to be light, he swiftly headed for Duke Callisto's study, which his master was said to hold some secret places to hide the drugs.
Dropping down the crate lightly, he searched around the room for the key to a hidden place somewhere around. He couldn't knock on the walls too loudly, lest the vampires around heard him. They were quite sensitive to the slightest sounds they heard. He thought of a softer alternative, which was to tap on the walls.
Because some furniture was blocking the space of the walls and the soft sounds he had to make, he couldn't distinguish between a hollow or a full sound. Taking extra precautions, he put on two gloves out of his pocket to prevent any fingerprints on the objects he touched.
The past 10 minutes he observed, touched and experimented everything he felt was out of place. In the end, he found…
Nothing!
How could it be?
Was Duke Callisto such an uptight and cautious person at home too? Ain't a place like home built for showing your true self? How come he perceived no signs of such behavior in this study? Was Callisto just an oddball?
Most nobles would let their guard down in their own turf, especially when interacting with their loyal subordinates or someone they were acquainted with for a long time.
He sighed. It was decisive to entrust the position of Duke to that uptight man. At least, it was a decent, responsible being. Unlike their lord back in Regalia.
What should he do if he couldn't find anything? Their trip here would be wasted.
Think...think….
Ah!
Right! There was a key stuck in the open drawer, which he had already searched inside. Maybe that key was the trigger. He turned the key left. There was no reaction.
Maybe it was not the trigger? He desperately hoped it was. He had not much more time to waste. As the key turned right, the bookshelf opposite him shifted left, opening up a pathway down the stairs.
He was glad that Callisto had a secret room. Since he was searching everywhere, he thought for a second Joseph obtained the wrong information.
Leaping down a set of stairs, he reached the bottom, where he hid the crate as unremarkably as he could and sprinkled samples of the drug along the floor and on his way back up. He closed off the hidden room and rushed outside the study to meet up with Dean, highlighting his hearing senses. He could hear the guards splitting up.
Three units with 10 knights.
One was heading his way. The second division searched around the castle floor. And the last one was chasing Dean strategically, only guarding the outside of the castle. Scrutinizing for an unidentified figure to go out.
Finding a pathway around the group, he threaded carefully in Dean's direction. They met up in front of the servant's living quarters and headed into the kitchen. They sat on wooden chair, facing opposite each other.
"Have you gotten rid of the crate?" Dean asked.
Syn answered. "It's now in a safe place. What about you?"
"The guards lost track of me because of a new recruit. Fortunately, I didn't have to resort to killing them."
"Would the master be fine with us creating such a ruckus though? It might bring trouble to him and we would be held accountable for it."
"That was his plan. He already told us he would take responsibility for it."
"Right." Syn nodded. "If he said it out of his own mouth, it would be true. He's one to stick to promises."
As Syn went up to check the situation, the guards were still nearby patrolling around the training grounds outside. Dean thought of a topic they could freely talk about since they were in a safe space. "I heard Ebon, that criminal syndicate, contacted Joseph for more of those substances."
"Yeah, even after I warned them discreetly not to." Dean frowned in worry of how the evil ones in Ebon would put the drugs to use. The last time they went there, many werewolves had been corrupted, slowly getting them addicted to the enhancement drugs.
"Did the master support the syndicate because of their profits? I remember last month, they received about 1 million gold from abundant customers."
"No, he doesn't care about money. Maybe because he was promised a certain favor from Ebon."
"Like what?" Syn innocently asked.
"All executives in there are bad shit crazy humans. Some grew to become twisted in their logic, some suffered a mental trauma that led them to the wrong path and a few just enjoyed their job as an executive and were delighted to see otherworldly creatures suffer just like humans." Dean sighed. "They aren't a good bunch to hang around."
"From the way you are describing them, they sound like terrible people."
"Some were born with this abnormal desire and most turned out this way because of this world. Sometimes, I wished I wasn't ever born."
Syn was speechless. He failed his role as a friend and a close brother.
He had no idea Dean had been wanting to suicide under that cheerful attitude of his.
…
What do ordinary people do when they want to comfort someone? Scratching his head, Syn changed the topic, asking when they should go out?"
"Right now, perhaps." A merry but unfamiliar voice cut in their conversation.
Alarmed of an unknown presence, their eyes glanced around the room, swiftly standing up.
Nothing. There was no trace of anything foreign. Trying to activate his ability, Dean was stopped immediately by a dagger slashing past his cheek. Syn seemed just as confused as him.
Even though they were sensitive to sounds, the fact that they couldn't hear traces of the dagger until it was thrown meant that…!
Dean quickly caught on. Grabbing Syn's hands in his, he was making a run for it when a pair of hands slowly approached them, holding them down.
Taken by surprise, they effortlessly fell face flat onto the floor. Dean lamented at their powerlessness. In less than a second of facing their opponent, both were rendered harmless .
"Don't move." The voice warned them once again. It sounded deeper, darker and scarier.
Dean didn't take his warning seriously, activating his illusion ability. In no time, it was canceled by a bigger illusion power overlapping his. He failed to slip out of the man's firm grip on his shoulders. "..." He frowned, frustrated by the sheer difference in their power.
"Don't struggle. You will just hurt yourselves." Syn, who was planning on running away, stopped thinking about it when he saw Dean give up without hesitation. "My power surpasses yours. You couldn't even sound me out in your own domain."
"Are you mocking me?" Dean replied.
The man softened the force applied on their shoulders for a second, surprised that the hot-headed Dean would reply to him. "No."
"Are you our enemy?"
"Yes and no."
"Are we having a Q&A section or something?" Dean snidely remarked.
"..." This time the man didn't say anything, amused that even in this situation, Dean still had the guts to question him.
The man paused. "I just wanted to strike a deal with the two of you."
"I am not interested." Dean immediately refused.
Syn tried to talk things out. "Can we hear what it's about first?" He wasn't really interested in hearing what the man wanted. It would probably be the same as always, asking for a favor to get into Joseph's good graces or letting them receive part of the profits Joseph made.
How stupid the nobles were to not realize Joseph wouldn't even care for the profits. The only thing he cared about was to survive in his family and enjoy his obsession to the fullest without anyone getting in the way.
"Let me rescue the kids and free you from your master. In return, work for me as an agent and tell me everything you've learnt about Joseph."
"...." Syn's eyes widened in shock. He needed some time to process this offer.
Dean more or less reacted the same way. "You serious?"
"...Why would I propose it if I wasn't?" He could feel the man's irritation, being asked a question with such an obvious answer.
"How could I even trust someone who wouldn't show their face to me?"
"Oh, this?" The man released his hands on their shoulders. The man's presence vanished once again. "I am taking precautions in case you snitch on him."
"You really think we..!" Syn reminded him to lower his voice. Dean reluctantly obeyed. "...we would believe you?"
"Doesn't matter. If your trust is based on appearances, then it really is fickle."
"You….!" Dean almost snapped when he realized they were the ones negotiating for their life. "Nevermind. It slipped out of my mind for a sec that you were a werewolf."
"I really don't want to show you my face though." The man paused, searching for a solution. "Let's come to a compromise. In return for not letting you see my face, I will rescue 2 of the most important friends Joseph had held hostage in 3 months. No charge. You can decide after this whether you want to trust me or not."
Dean clenched his teeth, angered that the man was taking this matter too lightly. "Taking them away from Joseph's watch is almost impossible. We've tried everything we can to raise our position and earn their trust, nonetheless, they would never look at us as equals. We will always remain discardable, easily replaceable toys for their use in their circle. Once he sniffed out your weakness, you will be in the same position as us."
"..." He was so naive. Dean could have just used him to take his friend out of Joseph's control. "So, are you worrying about me?"
"That's not my point!" Dean snapped, raising his voice. "Just release us or kill us. Don't get more involved in this."
"Well, even if I want to, Joseph probably wouldn't leave me alone. If I killed you, he would probably investigate the culprit, which is me. If you guys were released and reported to him, I would be the one in danger. It's unfair that I take all the risks, isn't it?"
"Well…." Dean couldn't argue against him. It was all true.
The man chuckled, amused that his goons were saying something unlike their master. It went against the saying pets resemble their owner.
Although the idea of talking to thin air was unsettling, Syn spoke up. "Will you take the crate back?"
"Yeah." The man answered honestly.
"This case will be investigated anyways. Then, you will be under suspicion no matter what we do. The reasoning you provided made no sense."
The man chuckled once again. "Wolf shamans."
Syn realized. Wolf shamans. They have a special privilege in a wolf pack, especially male ones as they are rarer to conceive and more powerful than female wolf shamans. Just as they had the ability to produce healing potions, when they heal a person, they are able to read memories of the person they heal and transfer the cause of their pain onto themselves. That's why
"But their abilities shouldn't work on dead bodies!" Syn pondered whether it was really feasible.
"Have you seen with your eyes that it doesn't work?" The man retorted. "I have seen it happen in front of my eyes."
It was Dean's turn to question him this time.
"You said you would take back the crate. Are you on Callisto's side?" It was a relief he became calmer than his earlier outburst, but his guard was as vigilant as before.
"Kind of. I am in a contract with him." The man didn't divulge any further. Seeing that Dean was hesitant on taking such an advantageous offer, he was baffled. "What's the matter? I promised you that they will return in one piece. Though I can't be sure if they will be the same person you guys once knew."
"Why?" Dean asked worriedly. "Did Joseph physically torture them? Then, they should be able to endure it. Their bodies are hard to destroy."
"Oh? You didn't know?" The man paused, wondering if he should be the one to break the news to them. "Joseph drugged them, brainwashing them to kill you guys as soon as your role from his play was done. It was the same batch from the crate you were holding just now."
Syn was frozen in shock, taking the time to process what he just said. It was the worst case scenario that he feared would come true.
"What?" Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Aren't you just saying that to pressure me into a deal with you?"
The man shrugged. "While you guys were sent on missions, they may have thoroughly been turned into his puppets. Don't you guys know what Joseph truly desires deep down?"
Syn closed his eyes in resignation.
There were plenty of other people working for Joseph. Why would this man who was more powerful than the both of them choose to strike a deal with them? The answer was simple.
It was because they were the only ones capable of disturbing Joseph's plans or spying on him. The idea itself was exciting, but it didn't make sense why Joseph would have made them pawns by threatening them. It wasn't consistent with the methods he used on his other puppets.
Did he gain an interest in them?
No. The only one he was interested in is Callisto.
Then, why were they left alone amongst all others? He must have come up with a countermeasure other than their hostages.
But what exactly is that he was so confident in that he allowed them to run rampant?
He was missing something….
"The only reason why he was obsessing over Callisto is because he was the first one to escape his temptations and it's in his nature to watch superior people fail miserably and give in to what he called temptations to commit crimes. Just like Lucifer, the fallen angel."
"He believes that these desires such as greed, power, and ambition to succeed originally existed deep in the people's heart. As they age, the more these desires are suppressed, the worse the consequences are. For the person suppressing them and people staying around them. After all there is a limit to how much the human heart can hold." Syn added.
"Then…, it seems I have stopped being a human." The man mumbled.
Dean frowned in suspicion. "How did you know that? Are you perhaps….Callisto?"
"Are you dumb?" Almost as an instinct, Syn lightly slapped Dean's forehead, whispering. "He's definitely not Duke Callisto. Or else we wouldn't be standing here alive, idiot!"
"I can still hear you, you know." The man commented, bored of standing there all day long for their answer.
"We'll take up this offer."
"Very well." As soon as he heard what he heard, the man appeared in front of them like thin air in the form of a black haired young boy with red eyes. "Let's conclude the deal." He extended his small hair towards them. "Handshake."
For some reason, Dean thought this small gesture was very cute.
…
Dean slapped himself for thinking that way about a temporary ally they should be wary of. After Syn shook his hand, Dean followed suit, reluctantly giving his thanks. "Appreciate it."
The young boy turned into an elegant gentleman, who approached him to pat his head, smiling gently. "Save that for later when I reunite you guys again. By the way, why were you so hesitant to take up my offer?"
"..." Dean seemed unwilling to speak about it, therefore, he was about to let this matter go when Syn spoke up.
"We were given a similar offer by someone else, Yeseph." Syn clenched his fists. "He never returned after giving us his word. It was our fault for not stopping him earlier."
"Hmmm…" They really were peculiar kids. To care for someone else when they are absolutely not in the position to do so. This type of personality would be an eyesore to Joseph, who doesn't like his subordinates having weaknesses. "I don't think it's your fault. He should have known the dangers of going there. It was his mistake for underestimating Joseph. I won't be the same though. Give me the names of whom you want me to save."
"Zeke, a green haired boy with red eyes, half alpha, half human. And Cecil, a red haired girl with green eyes, half omega."
"Noted." The gentleman jotted down notes in his notepad. As he tucked in his pen into his side pocket, Syn informed him something important.
"I heard from an anonymous source that he was planning to send the crate over to Ebon and sell it to some slave trading company."
"You guys aren't going to do anything?" As the man questioned them, Syn felt as if he were being criticized for being pathetic and not doing anything about such a horrible situation. It pricked at his conscience to ignore the crimes Joseph and his party committed.
"Keep doing that. Nothing will change even if you intervene." The man remarked.
Dean defended Syn. "Did you have to phrase it so meanly?"
"If so, you guys are the meaner and more sinister ones for ignoring those who need your help." Dean couldn't win against his argument.
"Tch!"
The banter between Dean and the black haired boy set Syn at ease, making him burst into laughter. Dean paused, startled that Syn started laughing all of a sudden. "You guys are so… you two look like best friends who have hung out with each other for 10 years despite meeting a few moments ago."
"Why 10 years?" Dean paused. "Wait. Before that, why would we even be friends?! Even if I was younger, I wouldn't hang out with someone as…"
"As what?" Syn raised his eyebrows.
"A…anyways….," Dean took this chance to escape as the guards had left their area. "Let's go." He jumped out of the open window, beckoning Syn to do the same.
Syn waved bye at the man who smiled mysteriously. "See you later."