Ivan is witnessed to be preparing the carriage as he tied up the horse and made final inspections on the said transportation for any damage whatsoever that may prove to be detrimental on their trip. Thankfully, he has not found any and signaled the gang that they are good to go whenever they're ready.

Lady Stephania faced the gang and started saying her final words to them. "It's a great honor that I got to meet you and your companions, Baron Gray. I hope that you visit the village again. You are always welcome here, honorable friend."

"I thank you for your kind words, my lady." Gray bowed his head in appreciation. "Although I can't promise you that we'll visit here again. My duties might take me in different places throughout this land and I'm not one for settling in one place for a long period unless circ.u.mstances demand."

"Oh, I see." Stephania simply smiled at the elf's response. Although, she can't help but be saddened at the same time. As such, she decided to be bold on her next move. "If that's the case, Baron Gray, then I wish you good fortune in your future endeavors to come. May Lady Sylvia bless you throughout your adventures as well."

"And the same to you." Gray returned the gesture of blessing.

Gray and the others then proceeded to board the carriage while the elf waved his hands in a farewell manner to the Lady.

"Don't forget to give the letter to Julian!!!" Stephania reminded the elf cheerfully from a distance. "And if we ever meet again, just call me Steph!!"

"You got it, Steph!!!" Gray grinned with the same cheerful energy as he complied with Stephania's request.

And from here on out, it's going to be a two-day journey for our heroes as they venture forth into the countryside yet again, marveling the sights of nature that have been bestowed into this world by the G.o.ddess, Wynather.

***

u003cFour days later, Guild of Shadows Headquarters, Blertonu003e

Arriving at the aforementioned area, Connor is seen with a foul mood after the distressing events that have transpired in Einsberg days ago.

The Guild of Shadows Headquarters is a secret underground hideout located on the outskirts of the ill.u.s.trious town of Blerton, a settlement filled with corruption and crime as evidenced by the presence of the infamous thieves who are currently settling in.

The underground has a series of underpa.s.ses that grant access to different parts of the town, including the outskirts. This is a way for a thief to possess easier entrance and exit into the headquarters and to stay away from the prying eyes of the authorities.

Connor chose to enter via the outskirts entrance, a hidden cave located somewhere around the woods of Blerton. The cave itself boasted a sequence of confusing pa.s.sages that any random individuals entering would surely get lost and will most likely end up back at the entrance at where they first started.

Only a true thief of the Shadows is capable of transversing this perplexing site as it's a part of their training. The cave also possessed hidden doors and switches around the dark corners that can only be discerned by the guild members. Meaning, the normal folk will never be able to enter the headquarters unless directed by a guild member.

Connor obviously knows his way around the cavern, having been undertaking this ch.o.r.e for many times that he lost count. He displayed no hesitation in his every movement, calmly walking at the parts and finding the veiled openings with mere instinct alone, no doubt mastering every crooked and angle of the area as he found his way deeper inside underground without any issue.

In the end, his efforts did not disappoint him like ever before, now finding himself at a wooden door with a small sliding peephole that's used for verifying the one who is outside from the inside.

Connor knocked on the door and waited for the thief lookout who's inside to respond. In a short while, he saw the sliding peephole opening and saw two eyes looking at him meticulously, inspecting at Connor's every being.

Deeming the individual outside to be one of them, the peephole was closed and the door was open, revealing to be a female cat-folk with brown fur and green slit eyes wearing almost the same outfit as Connor.

"Ah, no wonder this one smells familiar." The cat-folk thief acknowledged the human with a toothy grin. "If it isn't one of the Mistress' prodigies, Connor."

"I'm back, Shanara," Connor spoke familiarly. "Is the Mistress around? I have to speak to her quickly."

Shanara Xykes

Level 25 u003ca.s.sa.s.sinu003e

Health: 1,641 / 1,641

Stamina: 4,012 / 4,012

Mana: 350 / 350

"Yes, the Mistress is always inside her office with that booze of hers, hehe," Shanara responded with a chuckle, as she and everyone at the guild are quite aware of the Mistress' eccentricities despite her being the esteemed leader of the Shadows. "Speaking of which, I heard that you are not alone from your recent contract. Where is Halbert by the way?"

"Dead," Connor answered her quickly without hesitation, his face a.s.suming a grimace.

"Dead!?" Shanara's cat ears twitched in surprise with her face donning the same look of frown like Connor. "Explain, Connor. You do know what this means, correct? I hope you are not joking, for our sake."

"The only joke that I perceive is your thought of me joking, especially in this kind of serious affair." Connor frowned at her statement. "As much as I want to have a leisure chat with you right here in the darkness of this cave, I have to deliver the news without delay to the Mistress."

"It's your funeral then." Shanara agreed as she granted Connor entrance to the headquarters. "After all, telling the Mistress such grave news would no doubt invoke her anger and we all know that she's a whole lot scary when she's mad. Still, to think that Halbert is gone. I hope whoever is responsible for his death will pay the most painful way before the end."

"He will." Connor simply nodded in agreement and proceeded to enter, making his way inside going to the Mistress' office and leaving Shanara back to her lookout duty.

***

Now in front of the office, Connor was greeted by the usual lookout guarding the area, the a.s.sa.s.sin Grim. Connor immediately told Grim about the whole incident and his business with the Mistress.

"I see." Grim nodded in understanding of the situation with a sad look. "Halbert was a talented thief and a valuable a.s.set of the guild. Not to mention, a good friend of ours. It's disbelieving that he's gone from this world. May he walk alongside the Lady Shadow in peace for all eternity."

Connor bowed down as he shared the same sentiment of mourning with the older a.s.sa.s.sin.

"I suppose you'll be having the pleasure of breaking the news to our Mistress," Grim said, causing Connor to nod in response. "Alright then. Go on in."

Grim opened the door for Connor, resulting in the latter to thank him and entered the office with a heavy heart.

Sitting behind her office desk before Connor is no other than the Mistress of Shadows herself as she was witnessed to be rather occupied in reading some of the doc.u.ments while drinking a bottle of mead from her right hand.

The Mistress of Shadows in a short while halted her reading and drinking in favor of eyeing the young thief with a welcoming smile on her seemingly angelic face.

"Welcome back my dear Connor." The Mistress of Shadows beamed brightly at him. "I trust that your mission with the elf went well? Say, where is Halbert? Last time I remembered, he was your partner in this task of yours."

"Mistress," Connor confessed with the utmost anguish. "Halbert is dead, killed by our very client himself."

"Killed, you say." Indeed, The Mistress's expression turned extremely cold all of a sudden, the very opposite of the mood that she was displaying earlier. No longer was she the happy go lucky woman that everyone in the guild came to love and respect. At this point, she is now the true personification of murder and darkness, her entire demeanor br.i.m.m.i.n.g with fury and grief within her heart. As a result, the bottle of mead that she was holding was smashed into pieces by her hand alone, as her hand inevitably bleed from the grisly act blinded by anger.

Connor could not help but feel wary at the killer intent that the Mistress is radiating at this very moment as he unconsciously gripped his dagger from its sheathe.

After a few minutes, the Mistress eventually calmed herself down as being blinded by her rage would do no good in any way. As the leader of the Guild of Shadows, her mind should be in an utter state of tranquility so she wouldn't make any stupid decisions that will put the entire Shadow organization into jeopardy.

"I truly apologize for my unbecoming display." The Mistress of Shadows sighed deeply, regaining her calm demeanor. "Are you sure that it was the Dean himself who murdered Halbert? Tell me the whole story, and spare no details."

Connor nodded as he did so, telling the Mistress everything of what has transpired in Einsberg during the contract and night of the incident. He told her about the visiting elven Baron from Chadena, how the Baron apprehended Halbert, and most importantly, Halbert's nature of magical death as told by the Diener.

The Mistress has understood the situation perfectly, deducing as well that it was Luthais' magic that was responsible for Halbert's demise.

"Luthais Faelar." The Mistress of Shadows uttered the name with disdain. "To think that he would perform such atrocity to one of our own. Yes, I too believe that it was he who performs the vile deed. I'm quite aware of how Magic Circle works as I have a friend who works at the University in Everfall and has educated me quite a bit. You do know what this means, right Connor?"

"Yes, Mistress," Connor replied. "The rite of Blood and Shadow is to be invoked upon the elf."

Blood and Shadow is a rite performed by the Guild of Shadows to someone who has murdered intentionally someone from the guild. The murderer would be marked and will be given the right to end his or her life, similar to a bounty hunt of a sort. The Guild of Shadows however has taken this to a whole new level. As per the doctrines in the Shadow Tapestry, The binding words meant that the offender should first suffer the three sanctions; disgrace, degradation, and dishonor. Death is simply not enough and the offender must be humiliated, exposed to his hubris and transgression while still breathing, and only then shall the last blow be dealt with the cold embrace of death.

Of course, this only applies if the murderer is actually known, and many are lucky to have escaped from this gruesome rite where cases of guild members who are killed are unknown in nature and thus, would require some investigation on the guild's part.

The Mistress nodded as she agreed with Connor's remarks. "Indeed. Tradition dictates that Luthais Faelar will be marked by blood, and he'll pay dearly for his act of iniquity."

"I couldn't agree more," Connor said. "Halbert was a good friend of mine and we were partners in many contracts. Mistress, please allow me to perform the deed of bringing down the Dean with my own dagger. I won't be satisfied until I slit that elven sc.u.m's throat."

"Hmm." The Mistress pondered for a moment if she should be giving Connor such a rather hard task. After all, this was the Dean of the Bardic University and not just any mere bystander with no name. In the end, she came up with her answer. "Very well Connor. I'll give you the honor of performing the rite. Do know that you have to make him suffer, expose his misgivings first before getting rid of him for good."

"You won't be disappointed by your decision, Mistress." Connor bowed his head with grat.i.tude. "I suppose I'll be taking my leave. What of the Baron's fate then? He's also one of the reasons why Halbert was caught, leading to his death."

"Leave him be." The Mistress ordered. "Luthais is your priority. The Dean's death would spare many of our fellow thieves from his atrocity should he conduct business with us once more. He is a blight that needs to be purged before his influence will spread even further throughout the land, and I also do not like him, so that's a bonus for me."

"Alright," Connor replied as he bowed his head down before departing the office to make his preparations for the task ahead.

Things are about to get hectic from here on out. Blood and Shadow will no doubt encounter destiny personified, a memorable event that will take place into the glorious town of Flocaster, the City of Jewels.