"Sardes"
Lysandra leaned back in her chair, her silver-eyed gaze fixated on Conrad as she began to speak in a steady voice.
"Is just one of the Six Major Assassination Organizations operating in the confines of the Sovereign State. As you should be aware of by now, Sardes's operations are carried within the borders of the Lindorwic Sect"
She paused for a minute.
The Sovereign State is the largest and most influential country out of the world's three states. It has a total of six Sectors. Connie resided in the Lindorwic Sect, bordering it is the Finseld Sect, followed by the Aldcroft Sect, then the Edred Sect, Ashendale Sect and finally the Elmbrook Sect.
Connie had never travelled before, so other than from what the internet had shown him. He didn't really know much about these Sects.
—Not like he did need to know much about them anyways.
That was until now.
Lysandra continued.
"Each one of these organizations operates under the guise of a legitimate company. Their true nature, however, remains hidden from the public eye. The State Court ensures that. You are aware of Nyssa.Inc, correct?"
"The world's most trending brand in the field of technology? I'm guessing it's also being secretly ran by assassins, right?"
"Something like that"
Fern, casually lounging on the couch chimed in to Connie's question. Before he could continue, Lysandra shot him a look before returning her attention back to Connie.
"It's fairly new in the industry, but yes, I suppose you could put it like that"
Nyssa is no doubt an industry giant. However, four years ago, it was always involved in scandals centered around heinous acts, or specifically—death. Despite that, people still supported it and that allowed it to further its scientific advances. That was probably the reason it wasn't shut down regardless of its bad reputation.
It's been four years since then and there has been nothing scandalous that involved Nyssa's name. Perhaps assassins were the reason behind that.
—So, what other company did he know, was being run by murderers all this time?
Since most of them used flashy magical cards, it puzzled him as to how have they been able to stay a secret all of this time.
His sparring session with Meliora was definitely flashy. The tremors it sent must have shaken the neighborhood somehow, given the terrible state the dojo was left in.
—No doubt it would take weeks for maintenance to get into working order again.
So, they have been operating in the shadows while using a legal industry as a front to remain undetected for all these years.
Obviously, it would take years for a company to be a huge success, especially in an oversaturated market. Nyssa was such an example.
Connie surmised that this has been happening for years now, decades even.
_Mae did mention the State Court would throw a fit if a Dragon rank were to show up or something_
With the involvement of the State Court, it would explain how this went unnoticed for so long. On a political level that is.
"Enough of that. Let's focus on the reason why I called you here. Before straying further from the objective"
That last part, she emphasized it towards Fern. Then she continued.
"The ability to manipulate Aura, is what assassins who stem from these organizations have in common. A mysterious power that permeates all of nature, it allows individuals to harness their own spiritual energy for various superhuman feats. In its purest form, it's not something that can be seen—at least, not by those who don't have their Soul Gate opened. Civilians in other words."
Connie stared at her with complete focus. It made sense why he was only finding out about this now. A day ago, he was a civilian himself.
_This just keeps getting more and more complicated_
Apart from those magical cards. There was also the manipulation of one's soul.
_Is she a prime example of that?_
Despite her petite figure, Tessa had surprising strength that did not match her body type. Plus, he did not see her pull out her Arcana Card, or Oswald showed up way too early before she could.
He's bound to run into her again. Next time it is then.
"So, this is manipulating your own soul?"
"In a way. That's correct"
Lysandra replied while nodding slightly.
"Think of it like an invisible force that's rooted in your spirit, your willpower. The stronger your sense of self, the more Aura you are able to tap into"
Having heard that, he began to frown.
It sounded like just having confidence. So, if he believed in himself hard enough, he would get stronger right?
—No way. It sounded way too easy.
There had to be something he wasn't getting here or that was actually it and he was just overthinking it.
Still, there are a lot of people in the world who are full of themselves. If that had been the case, there would have been a lot of power fueled maniacs wreaking havoc.
Clearly, there was something he was missing.
"If this really comes from a person's spirit. Then how has it been hidden from everyone else? Shouldn't there have been someone that figured out they are capable of freely harnessing the power of their soul?"
Lysandra didn't respond, she merely stood up from her desk and walked over to the window.
All of a sudden. Connie felt an object shattering on the top of his head.
He stumbled over as his hands instinctively reached for the spot that had been struck as he quickly turned around.
"What the heck was that for, Fern!?"
The grinning man stood behind Connie with the remains of what appeared to have been the vase he had used as a makeshift weapon that one time.
"I used my full strength on that. Did you feel it?"
"—Well, no. I didn't feel that at all"
Connie caressed his head. There was no pain at all. Even though the vase was brought down his head with force that would have knocked out any normal person, if not have killed them.
"I'm invincible now? But wait, how come I felt that finger flick but not this?"
"That is what set Diviner apart from normal humans. Your bodies are naturally designed to be able to manipulate Aura. Thereby granting you effortless durability, speed, strength and reflexes. To the unmarked, it's not a natural occurrence"
Lysandra said as she turned to face him.
"A Soul Gate is what separates the flesh and spirit from overlapping with each, this maintains balance in the body that allows it to function as a whole. To a Diviner, that gate is almost nonexistent. While humans on the other hand, require an external involvement of a skilled Diviner to forcefully open the gate in their souls. However, in exchange this puts the person at risk of their own soul destroying their body. To avoid that, the Soul Gate needs to constantly be regulated. That is what makes you and the other Marked special, Conrad. It's why I decided to add you to our ranks. Do you understand?"
Connie processed what she had just told him.
_That explains it then_
They saw him as a weapon, a tool.
It must have been the reason why they decided to spare him and blackmail him into working for them.
"Don't get it twisted"
Connie's eyes narrowed into slits as he said in a cold tone.
"The only reason I'm doing this is to save my parents, not compete in your power scaling wars. Got that?"
The butler—who had been quiet all this time, flinched. Lysandra immediately raised her hand, as if to stop him from moving.
"It's fine. As long you do as what's required, it doesn't matter what you do outside of that. Now. It's about time you showed us what your rank is"
Connie hesitated for a moment before turning his attention back onto the Assassin License Card in his hand.
"So, what am I supposed to do with this?"
She sighed.
"Close your eyes and take a breath. Imagine focusing the flow of your Aura into a single point. That being the card at the tip of your fingers. If done correctly, it will respond to the level of Aura you harness, and your rank will be written down. Is that clear?"
Connie nodded.
It seemed straight forward, or that was him underestimating the situation again. Even so, he did as what he was instructed.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, searching for the flow of his inner self.
For a moment, there was nothing but the darkness of his closed eyelids and the sounds of his own breathing.
It was faint at first but as he continued to concentrate. He began to feel something warm, slowly growing stronger deep within himself.
Eventually, pulsing warmth (energy) extended outward and cloaked his whole body, like a ripple spreading through still water.
"Eh?"
When Connie opened his eyes. There was red-Ish energy swirling around his body. He brought his hand closer to his face.
"Incredible…This is the coolest thing I've ever seen"
This amazing phenomenon brought a smile to his face. He hadn't done that in a while.
"I wonder…"
He thrusted that hand in the direction of a vacant wall. This was done in hopes of testing out whether or not he was capable of shooting projectiles with this.
But it turned out to be not the case.
"Maybe I need more training"
"—Conrad, what does the card say?"
Lysandra snapped him out of his delusions.
When he turned his gaze onto the card, his Aura dispersed.
—It was blank.
"Eh? It's blank. There's nothing written here"
Lysandra silently stared at him before she chimed in.
"Don't force yourself. Harnessing your Aura isn't about sheer effort. If you approach it as though you are trying to complete a task with brute force. It won't work"
"That right, huh? I'll try again then"
Connie stared at the blank card and tried again. Once more, his body was enveloped in Aura.
He could see it, the Aura that swirled around his body had no effect on the card. It was still blank, even when he had tried to steady his thoughts and loosen his grip on it.
It was still as blank as before.
—Frustration began to gnaw at him.
_Why isn't it working? I'm trying but nothing's working. Aren't I supposed to be a natural at this stuff or something? _
The card remained stubbornly blank, and with each failed attempt, the sinking feeling he felt during his time with Meliora in the dojo settled in.
Connie stood there, his brow furrowed in concentration as he focused intensely on trying to project his aura onto the card, but it still seemed as though it was not working.
"Come on"
He grudgingly muttered to himself. Lysandra watched him carefully, there was even a flicker of concern across her eyes. Whereas Fern, had an eyebrow raised in mild amusement.
_Damn it all. I can't even make a dumb card light up. How pathetic can I get? _
His hands tightened into fists as his frustration began to bubble over. There was even a faint tremor in the air around him as his red-Ish Aura slowly began to take on a more darker hue.
"Huh?"
That must have been the trigger because—a faint glow appeared.
The Assassin License must have finally responded to him.
Lines of light traced themselves on the card's surface, forming patterns and symbols that gradually solidified into recognizable shapes. The lines were not just patterns but also words, forming themselves in a fluid motion that seemed almost alive.
Lysandra's eyes widened slightly as she noticed the change.
Even Fern's nonchalant attitude was taken aback, he now seemed more interested in what the outcome was.
As the inscriptions appeared, Connie could see the information written out. But it was a specific slot which caught everyone's attention.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Lysandra narrowed her eyes as she said.
"Special…Dragon"
***
ASSASSIN LICENSE
Name: Conrad Adre Thorne
Title: Devil Diviner
Rank: Special Dragon
Affiliation: Sardes (Sovereign State)