The Kind of Evil

The four of them walked out of the carriage with grace, taking everyone's attention, even the high-ranking nobles couldn't help but pay attention to them. Rasmus was standing in front with Aris beside him while the Jester and Rullein were standing behind them. People began to murmur, gossiping about the mysterious guests that they didn't know that would attend the ceremony.

Even the high-ranking nobles couldn't help but ask around to the other nobles about who they were. Although Rasmus, Aris, and Rullein were well-known among commoner and low-ranking nobles, the high-ranking nobles were on a completely different world. They didn't know much about what was going on around them unless it was beneficial to them.

However, when the high-ranking nobles found out who they were, that the four of them had a tied and close connection with the Asghar family, they couldn't help but feel unease. They knew more about the Asghar family than anyone else, and knew how powerful and influential the Asghar family was. They knew too much that they chose to avoid them rather than indulge in pleasantry with them. They knew when not to touch a fire, especially a fire that could easily melt them by just being too close.

"Oh my... what a pleasant surprise..." A woman's voice could be heard from the side. The sound of her heels could be heard on the gravel. "Lord Vije, Lady Sira, and Lady Lurein. I heard a lot from my people, rumors about who you are," she added.

Rasmus glanced to the side, staring at the middle-aged woman from the corner of his eyes. A woman with fancy dress, gold earrings and a necklace with pure gemstones decorated them. Rasmus remembered the faces of the guests through the paintings and sketches that the Black Hands provided him with.

"Countess Valerie Estinol, is it?" Rasmus asked as he slowly turned his head to stare into the woman's eye.

Valerie stopped her advance when her name and status were known to Rasmus. The confidence in her gaze slowly turned into anxiety, thinking if she should be careful or not. The moment her existence was known by someone who had a close connection with the Asghar family, it wasn't bliss, it was a warning.

"It appears your husband isn't here with you. His sickness is worsen, isn't it?" Rasmus asked again, this time with an empty smile on his face.

Valerie gulped, knowing that it was time for her to retreat. The heat was too much, and if she dared to move one step closer, she would catch on fire.

"Yes, it's unfortunate, but he has shown a sign of recovery," Valerie put a forced smile. "Well then, I will excuse myself and go ahead first to greet His Highness and Her Highness," she bowed her head and began to walk up the stairs, holding and lifting her skirt to prevent herself from tripping.

Aris and Rullein looked to the sides, staring at the nobles, challenging them if they dared to approach any of them. However, the nobles immediately averted their gazes, not wanting to offer themselves like a log ready to get burned. Rullein unfolded her fan and covered her lower face, smiling with her eyes while Aris kept hers folded under her crossed arms.

They decided to walk up the stairs to go to the grand hall where the ceremony was being held. It was as Rasmus said, there were hundreds of nobles from all over the nations. The nobles who had been confirmed to be a part of the low-table, were members of a demonic cult.

When they entered the grand hall, it was so lively, especially with the classical music that echoed throughout the hall. Their arrival became the center of attention when the words had reached every guest. Some were staring at them with curiosity and some avoided their gaze at them completely, but both had something in common, none of them wanted to approach them.

"You guys can enjoy the moment," Rasmus said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Try to socialize, and be the person you're impersonating," he continued and decided to go his separate way on his own.

Aris and Rullein stared at each other for a moment before they both went their separate ways, leaving the Jester on his own. The Jester looked around for a moment before he decided to get something to drink, which was toward the same place as where Rullein was going.

"I can hear your heartbeat," Rullein said under her breath before she downed the whole glass of wine.

The Jester's heart clenched when Rullein could hear his racing heart because he was one step closer from achieving his goal. However, he didn't like how Rullein could hear and feel his emotions that he tried to suppress.

"Be careful..." Rullein put down the wine glass and went to grab another one. "Some of these people aren't even real. You should know what I mean," she warned as she took a sip of her wine.

The Jester didn't say a word when he heard the warning that some of the guests that were in the grand hall weren't humans, but demons. He was grateful to know that, however, he couldn't tell the difference. He then gave a simple nod as he took a sip of his wine, the taste of an expensive wine washed his dry throat.

Rasmus was standing on the balcony, checking the view of the whole city from the palace. His face was calm and collected when the truth was he saw the lingering energy that was suffocating even for him. Mana was nowhere to be found and it was impossible for him to use magic in this kind of place. It was similar to what Lenin said during their expedition beyond the Blackcliffs, making any warrior powerless without the presence of Mana.

"Lord Vije..." Viscount Heward's voice could be heard from behind.

Rasmus slowly looked over his shoulder and glanced at Heward with a few of the nobles behind him. He could see that all of them wanted to introduce themselves to him through Heward.

"Viscount, what can I help you with?" Rasmus asked as he turned around, completely facing them.

"These ladies and gentlemen want to have a moment of your time," Heward said, smiling nervously at Rasmus.

Rasmus stared at each one of them into their eyes, trying to remember the names and the faces, matching them together based on information he got from the Black Hands. Ever since he had awakened his bloodline as Orthias, his memory became sharp and he seemed to remember every tiny detail of the past memories.

When Rasmus was identifying each of the noble ladies and men, his eyes lingered longer toward a woman with curly black hair. The mole on her bottom lip was easy to identify, and she was Mariana Moris, one of the core members of the low-table. She was the only one among the nobles that seemed to be close to Heward, an eyesore in Rasmus's eyes.

"My time? Please, you have given me such an opportunity to join in this memorial and important moment in the Refenus Kingdom, Viscount Heward. I'll give you my time as long as you need. After all, we still have time to have conversation before the ceremony begins," Rasmus answered, smiling at Heward.

Everyone was smiling with joy while Heward was the only one who put on a forced smile. He could see the threat, meaning behind Rasmus's words that as if something that would happen today, and if he wasn't careful, he would be a part of it. However, the moment Rasmus called them by their names, their status, and their private affairs, their smiles disappeared in almost every instance.

"(I knew this would end up like this... these greedy fucker...)" Heward thought in his head as he kept his forced smile on his face.

Aris was tasting the food while so many single noble men wanted to approach her and introduce themselves to her. When a noble man approached her and was about to open his mouth, she placed her hand right in front of her face. The noble man thought she wasn't interested in him and immediately walked away while his colleagues and friends snickered at him.

The truth was, Aris stared at the six people that had just entered the grand hall. She wasn't the only one, Rullein and Rasmus also looked toward those six people who had just entered the hall. The three of them stared at each other, realizing that they all noticed the immense power those six people had with them.

"(Demon King Rank demons)" Rasmus thought to himself, finally finding out the identity of those six mysterious people. The guests on the list that Gorge mentioned were suspicious. "(This is a great addition)" He looked away and focused on the nobles around him again.

Rullein had emptied the fifth glass of wine, and the servants were worried that they would run out of wine because of her. When the servants noticed the huge grin on her face, their faces went pale because of how unnaturally wide her grin was. She immediately covered her lower face with the fan, glancing at the servants with her shrinking pupils.

"This is going to be so much fun..." Rullein's voice was low and quiet.

The Jester felt every hair on his body raise, an instinct and an alert signal from his body to his brain that he should run away and stay away from Rullein. He was the only who could see that wide grin that almost went from ear to ear.