On the spacious roof of Green’s End, Arthur and Evelyn faced the blind Kirn Sparrow. The Seat of Deliverance was standing at the edge, enjoying the cool morning breeze as he softly smiled and, with a hand over his chest, performed an elegant bow.

“Welcome to my humble abode, Mister Sanguis… Miss Evelyn.”

Arthur reciprocated, though his attention was momentarily caught by the rock formation situated a fair distance away from the fort.

When Veronica had led him to this settlement, she used a direct path opposite the rock formation, so Arthur couldn’t see it. Moreover, he had never heard of it in history books, which made it even more intriguing.

Still, he purged any thoughts concerning it and spoke,

“I thank you for your hospitality, Viscount Sparrow. It is my honor to be welcomed by such an illustrious host.”

The Seat of Deliverance chuckled and shook his head, “Let us forego frivolity and get down to business, shall we?”

“Of course.”

Kirn Sparrow either was confident in his own strength or didn’t feel threatened by the parasite as he ordered his knights to leave them alone, including his trusted confident Veronica.

“I’ve been briefed about what happened in the forest. My knights are searching for other survivors and looking for the perpetrators as we speak. However, I would like to hear your thoughts about the matter, if you don’t mind.”

Kirn stepped away from the edge and grabbed three crude wooden seats, motioning for his guests to sit, which they did.

Usually, a meeting with a high-ranking official, especially one with the Ten Seats, wouldn’t be like this. The Ten Seats were important to the Militant Syndicate and most, if not all of them, paid great effort to ensure their safety. Yet, Kirn Sparrow was relatively nonchalant and spoke with an eager voice.

He sat down, crossed his legs, and tightened his blindfold while waiting for Arthur.

Rather than directly answer the Viscount’s question, Arthur sighed and said,

“Viscount Sparrow, I believe it’s too late to stick to pretense. Someone of your status must’ve already been informed about me, which is why I find myself slightly perplexed by your course of actions. Before we speak about the heart of the matter, will you enlighten me about your reasoning first? Because last I heard, my kind is detested by any and all.”

Upon hearing this, Kirn’s smile broadened as his hidden eyes were fixated on the parasite. Arthur wasn’t foolish enough to hope that the Viscount was ignorant. Even though the Duke promised to keep everything a secret, it was still far-fetched to think the Ten Seats were oblivious to the truth. The Blood Purge, although affecting only a small settlement like Wilsden, had caused the death of many nobles, and as the ruler of the territory adjacent to Greenbell Forest, Kirn Sparrow must have investigated on his own.

One more thing to note was that Leonis Sanguis was, technically, a minor noble. Someone much lower in rank relative to a Viscount, so it was unwarranted to be granted an audience shortly after his arrival here.

“The way I see it, Mister Sanguis, Right and wrong are not what separate us and our enemies. It's our different standpoints, our perspectives that separate us. Both sides blame one another. There's no good or bad side. Just two sides holding different views. With a bit of leeway, there’s always room for compromise. Cooperation instead of opposition, that’s my motto. So, it doesn’t matter whether my ally is a demon or a parasite. I have no qualms about your possession of Leonis Sanguis, neither do I care about the repercussions as long as they don’t affect me, which they didn’t. Last but not least, I prefer joining hands with your rather than the Holy Church. Those people are insufferably inflexible and care not about the consequences as long as they get what they want.”

“That's... understandable. What is it you want from me?”

“Before we can delve into the details, I want to make a couple of things clear. It has been confirmed that the attacks on Smithy Town and Warmcross were done by the Brutal Prince Order, though their intentions remain unclear. As for the creature that attacked yo-”

Kirn suddenly when Arthur raised his hand, “A moment, please.”

He leaned closer to the maid and whispered something, which made her frown and reluctantly leave.

“Oh? And I had thought the two of you were rather close.”

“...”

Arthur didn’t deign to clarify, but the Viscount didn’t seem particularly interested to know why the parasite had done that. When the maid went away, the two were left alone on the roof, basking in the warm sunlight as they faced each other.

Instead of letting Kirn continue, Arthur, looking resolute, spoke,

“If you can tell me authentic information about that creature, I am prepared to cooperate and pay you back in kind. “

Kirn broke into a chuckle as he didn’t expect the parasite to be that interested in the unknown monster.

“That’s what I was going to do from the beginning. Have you ever heard of The Circle of Damnation, Mister Sanguis?”

“No.”

“It’s like other secret organizations, but with a more special 'cast'. It has precious few members and has been active for no more than a hundred years. With its short history and lack of incidents on its part, it remained rather obscure and away from the radar of the big-shots. I don’t know much myself, but what I can tell you is that it’s comprised of devil-worshippers.”

Kirn paused for a moment, his expression turning a bit serious, “You know about the Twelve Creation Gods, yes? Unlike the Brutal Prince Order, which follows the teachings of Creation God ‘Timos’, the Circle of Damnation believes in another deity, separate from the Twelve. That is all I know, unfortunately.”

Arthur looked at the Viscount for a couple of moments then nodded, somewhat satisfied about the lackluster response but a bit relieved that he got to know about the origin of that gargoyle.

“Different from the other secret organization, which are managed by humans, this one has people of all races. Anyway, I hope this has quenched a bit of your unbridled curiosity, Mister Sanguis.”

Kirn clapped his hand in eagerness then moved to the next topic,

“The Holy Knights led by Solas and assisted by none other than your dear friend, Lexander Biax, have apprehended two cultists from the Brutal Prince Order. They arrived at Green’s End an hour ago but they haven’t been informed about your presence. I see an amicable relationship blossoming between us, one that can bear fruit only when we each fulfill our end of the bargain, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I’ve yet to hear about the ‘bargain’, Viscount Sparrow.”

“Consider the information about the Circle of Damnation a display of my sincerity. A sample of my resources, if you will. As for what I want from you…”

He took out a white crystal from his pocket and pressed it a couple of times, which made it display an illusory image of Blackcrest.

“Yes, this is Blackcrest. Besides the Duke, do you know who else manages it?”

Judging by the parasite’s confused face, Kirn didn’t wait for an answer and resumed,

“Halric… someone with the same ‘occupation’ as me. He’s a distinguished alchemist and, I confess, one better than I. You might not have noticed him in your brief sojourn there, but I’m certain he saw you and knows your true identity. He’s someone who has total and absolute control over the city.”

Still confused, Arthur maintained his silence and perked his ears.

“As it happens, Halric has stolen something of mine a long time ago. I wish to take it back, but, as the Seat of Deliverance, I cannot go there and force my demands. Terden is quite close with Halric and would side with him instead of me. Therefore, I want you, my new friend, to retrieve what’s righteously mine. Before you ask anything, I’m fully aware that it is no easy task, but that’s exactly why I chose you… a parasite.”

Kirn chuckled as he sized Leonis, “Parasites are apt in the art of deception of trickery. With a multitude of hosts to choose from, the ability to camouflage and deceive almost anyone, there’s no better candidate than you. Admittedly, at your current state, you would be hard-pressed to fool the eyes of Halric. However, given the unrivaled pace at which parasites grow stronger, I believe it won’t be long before you become fit for this appointed role.”

“What if I can’t do it? You might not know, but the Duke has banned me from entering Blackcrest ever again. Furthermore, what will you offer me in return? I’m grateful for what you did so far, but offering safe harbor is nowhere near enough for such a risky undertaking. We both agree on that, right?”

“Indeed we do, Mister Sanguis. Which is why I will direct you to a place better suited to find crucial information about the Circle of Damnation. Believe me when I say that, there, you will find that which you seek, if not more. I’m no mind-reader, but it is plain to me that you are awfully inquisitive about ‘them’, which makes me guess that they were, or have become, your main focus. In this line of work, information is key.”

Kirn then turned his head and looked at the rock formation, dazedly pondering about something. When he finally snapped out of it, after an indeterminate amount of time, he proceeded to slowly remove his blindfold.

“Building trust, especially between two people who have just met, is no easy thing. Trust is something you earn, therefore, I want to gain yours.”

The closed eyes of the Viscount opened, revealing a resplendent luster as the pair of golden pupils focused on the parasite.

Rendered momentarily speechless, Arthur looked at the familiar golden eyes which he had seen only once before.

“I am not at liberty to reveal everything, but I can tell you that Ami is alive. The main reason I brought you here and was willing to reveal so many things is because she spoke highly of you.”

“She…she’s alive? But how?”

Arthur vividly remembered the cheerful girl who acted as a guide in the Maga Venari village. In the end, she suffered a cruel fate and died, like so many other villagers. Arthur still felt regret and wished he would have been able to save her, so when he heard her name again, and from the Viscount’s mouth, he was flabbergasted.

“We, of Arman descent, are not so easily killed. I genuinely bear no ill will towards you. I want us to work together, assisting each other and nurturing an amicable relationship built on trust and cooperation. Frankly speaking, I wasn’t going to reveal my true identity to you were it not for Ami’s behest. She vouched for you so fervently, leaving me no choice but to do this in order to ensure you wouldn’t backstab me.”

“Why go so far, though? Perhaps I was going to agree even without knowing this.”

“It’s insurance, Mister Sanguis. When important matters are involved, I don’t want to take risks. I am sole-heartedly committed to my cause and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to achieve it.”