Alastor was not very pleased.
"You sent away my daggers too?" he forced himself to speak calmly, his right eye twitching.
The white-suited figure adjusted their fedora and raised their right arm. With a click of their white-gloved fingers, orange lights burst out from every scarlet curtain—except Alastor's.
They adjusted their fedora again and faced Alastor. Their blank golden mask flashed, the stage light beaming from above suddenly becoming dimmer.
"The story behind that book should never be known. They may already know that their book has been here. And if that is the case, then we are all going to die painfully. The one carrying that book is tainted; all in his presence may become tainted. So yes, I sent away everything in that room. I will even let the darkness consume that room…"
They spoke solemnly, the dramatic edge to their voice all but gone. Alastor knew that everyone else in the gathering was gone, leaving only the two of them.
'Should never be known? Whose book is it exactly? I thought that this white suit was powerful… maybe the person who the book belongs to is just all that more powerful.'
He took off his Mask of Joy and leaped off the balcony to the wooden stage, landing with a soft thud.
"You must still compensate me for my loss. Those pair of daggers were very rare and powerful."
The White Suit nodded and clicked their fingers again. Three floating orange lights appeared horizontally in front of Alastor. The light subsided, leaving three floating objects:
A transparent beaker, full of frothy black liquid.An orange bowtie, emanating a subtle yet insidious aura.A wooden cane with a small golden fedora head.
"These items are of equal value to those infernal daggers. Inside that beaker is demonic blood extracted from a son of Demon Prince Asmodeus."
'Demon blood… If I drank it, would it harm me or make me stronger?'
"The orange bowtie allows the wearer to inflict a state of madness on others. The drawback is that the wearer themselves will very slowly go mad."
'No.'
"Lastly, the cane is something I myself created. It's a failsafe — if you ever find yourself in a situation where all is hopeless, you can plant it in the ground and say the word Ardin, and it will transport you to a safe zone… well, a place safer than the one you would otherwise be in."
"Can you take anyone or anything with you?" Alastor asked quickly, clearly interested in the cane. The White Suit chuckled, "Only what you are touching, and you can only take one other person with you."
"I choose the cane." Alastor reached out for the cane, feeling the smooth oak.
'If I'm right, then I'll need this. Probably more than once.'
Alastor nodded, a hint of satisfaction on his pale face. "I suppose this will suffice."
"I hope it will too, but again, I a—"
The White Suit stopped mid-sentence.
The stage light flickered. Before Alastor could say anything, the world turned into an orange light — he stumbled and almost fell, and when he looked around, he found himself in the familiar alleyway leading to the greystone entrance.
He shivered and fell to the ground.
'What the fck happened?'*
'I, Demon-spawn, Son of Greed, fell in fear?'
Alastor slowly stood up. He breathed in deeply and exhaled through his mouth. He took off his old cloak and threw it aside, leaving him in his beige sweater and black vest.
A familiar shape, similar to a present box, appeared next to Alastor — he took off the lid, which remained floating mid-air as he rummaged through the contents of the box.
He took out a gun.
The revolver. He placed the lid on top and willed the box to disappear. Blurring his eyes, Alastor carefully walked out of the dark alleyway, his revolver clutched tightly.
'Spirit Vision can allow us to see the mysteries of the world,' Alastor remembered his grandfather's words. 'What mysteries?' he had asked. His grandfather simply smiled.
"Indeed, what mysteries…"
It had passed midnight. All was quiet. Tranquil, almost, with the starry night and the beautiful moon shining onto the fountains, the tall golden lamplights illuminating the smooth stone pathways.
Almost—if not for the figure in front of Alastor.
A dark crimson smoke, similar to Alastor's own golden, swirled around a human outline. Unblurring his eyes, he was met with a cloaked figure.
They pulled back their hood.
"Hey."
Kios waved, expecting a wave back. Alastor looked at Kios with a deadpan expression, raising his revolver.
The person in front of him looked no older than Alastor, with medium-length dark hair as unkempt as a vagabond's. His facial features were all ordinary.
His eyes…
Were simply black.
'He looks so… ordinary? If not for his weird aura, I would have assumed him to be just a normal guy.'
Alastor's right eye twitched. He smiled.
"You know what they say, right?"
"That you're worth a lot, and potentially the key to the Mammon treasury?" Kios offered.
Alastor's smile became even wider, his hand slightly shaking.
"Looks can be… deceiving."
Kios continued staring at Alastor. Eventually, he scoffed. "Are you trying to imply that my looks are lacking?"
Alastor's smile became forced. 'This guy… he's messing with me. Nobody has messed with me. I mess with them.'
"It seems you know about me. You were at the gathering."
Kios raised his hands slowly up. Alastor noticed they were heavily bandaged. He exaggeratedly reached into his cloak, and as Alastor aimed his revolver, he saw Kios pull out two daggers.
Alastor paused and laughed.
"I didn't get the book, but you got my daggers. So you were the one who got kicked out, all because of that book you carry. My book. It is mine now, so hand it over."
Kios very stiffly held the Couple of Despair in each of his hands.
He sighed dramatically.
"You still want the book? Even after the White Suit himself got scared and banished me because of it? You know, he's pretty powerful, and the one behind him is even more powerful.
"Truth is, I think there's something wrong with it. Well of course there is. What I'm basically saying is…"
Kios's eyes met Alastor's.
"For both our sakes, I think I should keep the book. And of course, the daggers will be very useful, you know, in case the book falls into the wrong hands."
Alastor chuckled, "Neither wanting to give me back my daggers or the book. How greedy. But you know, I won't let that happen. At first, I was content with just having one or the other, but you've inspired me."
His golden eyes flashed. "I'll take both. You might be right though — there's something strange about that book. Ah, I got really scared. I think there's something else that wants that book too. They got the White Suit. Oh, who am I kidding? The guy probably escaped…"
"Only he didn't though."
Kios blinked. "Oh? Something else is looking for the book… strange. Maybe it's the skeleton's brother." He laughed quietly.
"But… is the book worth more than you?"
"Now you desire the Mammon treasury too? How greedy. I am starting to like you. I mean, your greed is exquisite."
Kios very stiffly placed his right hand on his chest. "Why thank you. I suppose being told my greed is exquisite by a descendant of the Prince of Greed is a compliment."
"Is there something wrong with your hands? A shame. I might even take pity on you and just leave."
"How come you haven't shot me yet, demonspawn?" Kios suddenly asked.
'Why haven't I shot him yet?'
Alastor's eye twitched. "I don't know. I also don't know why… I'm using this revolver…"
'Why am I using it? It was placed conveniently on an altar in the treasury, not by my parents or myself. I… someone placed it there, or… but it's impossible to get in there if you're not a Mammon.'
'Nothing's impossible in a world of strange things…'
'No, it quite literally is impossible. Only a deity or a Prince of Hell could break in.'
Alastor's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of many heavy footsteps. Both he and Kios turned.
Silver armor, clad in white mantles with the regalia of Light — a four-pointed star. All wore great helms, carrying long tower shields in one arm and a weapon — a longsword, morning star, or lance.A dozen… no, twenty of them.
A brown-bearded man stepped out, his white alb flowing. He raised his hand slightly, his palm facing them.
Alastor sighed.
"Knights Templar…"