Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

'Damn. How many people curse me these days?'

Eren thought to himself as he looked at Sirius' spectral rendition. The people of Edinburgh, the infiltrators of Layos, and Edgar's force didn't know they had him to blame for Sansara World's destruction. But that wouldn't stop them from cursing the imaginary him every chance they got.

He felt the Last Blood Bastion had bet quite a lot on Edgar getting the Sansara World.

The organization had decided to show itself out in the open for the first time in a while. It revealed its space-element rune as a Trump card. And lastly, it shook hands with Demonmir to make the most of the conflict between the two kingdoms.

At this point, all three sides pointed fingers at each other behind Sansara World's destruction. The butcher guessed that the Last Blood Bastion had taken a huge loss with the way they responded to Sansara World's destruction.

Eren felt that the Sansara World was treated as the last ray of hope by the half-bloods for some reason. And the fact that it was blown into smithereens right when they were about to get it was a huge confidence breaker for them.

'I don't know what the fuck is so profound about Sansara World. But I better keep my involvement secret. All of them would go mad with rage if they found out I was the instigator behind detonating their prize.'

Eren sighed as he listened to Sirius' report. He wanted to ask Sirius about the destroyed Sansara World's importance to half-bloods. All so he could understand what Sansara World 2.0 was all about.

However, Eren controlled himself from asking anything related to the Sansara World to Sirius. The latter knew him too well at this point. He would retrace Eren's actions at the Edinnica battle if he got a hint that Eren was behind the Sage artifact's destruction.

Eren needed to find someone from House Lowin to understand what Edgar was after. Sirius told him House Lowin was supposed to initiate contact with him after Sansara World's successful theft. Eren's mind churned as he thought of a possibility.

'House Lowin will contact me in a few days regarding scaling up business transactions if I am correct. It seems it will be one of the most active factions in Blood Bastion in the coming years. So it wants to secure exclusive deals for itself.

Instead of asking Sirius, I'll ask House Lowin for some information. It'll be safer for me this way.'

While Eren was busy with his plans, Sirius pondered a bit and sorted many thoughts in his mind before speaking up.

"Anyway. Sansara World is gone. So there's no point in discussing it anymore.

As for sharing information related to Demonmir… it will be very tricky, Eren."

Sirius paced around the spacious living room again with his hands behind his back. Eventually, he stopped himself and looked in Eren's direction before continuing with a serious tone.

"House Lowin has assured Demonmir of his safety. The guy is pretty knowledgeable when it comes to the lost paths of magic– especially demon magic. Therefore, he will be treated as an asset by the entire Last Blood Bastion."

Eren chuckled lightly when he heard Sirius. He shook his head in denial.

"Of course he is knowledgeable. He has Samael's demon soul fragment within him. But it is not supposed to comfort you but to make you worry about his alternative motives."

Contrary to what Eren assumed, Sirius agreed with his view immediately.

"Of course, Eren. We all know that. And that's the irony.

You know how it is. House Lowin is confident of handling Demonmir. It believes it can do a better job than the Kingdom of Edinburgh. So it ignores all warnings.

My faction's loyalties lie with you. We believe that Demonmir is bad news for everyone. And that sooner or later he will try to take advantage of the half-bloods as well.

Therefore, I'll try to keep you updated regarding Demonmir– anything I can find about him. But frankly, I don't want you to expect much. At least not anytime soon. Because Demonmir has gone completely out of reach."

Eren nodded at Sirius after getting a somewhat positive response from him. He decided to eliminate the "wild mushroom" as soon as possible. And he knew he couldn't do that unless he had inside help from within the Last Blood Bastion.

After settling matters related to Demonmir, Eren, and Sirius began discussing their business deals. Sirius explained that many smaller factions within the last Blood Bastion count on House Fenris to provide White Raven Guild's products.

And the larger factions like House Lowin also initiated contact with Eren or his guild regarding their own custom needs in due time. Plus, the Last Blood Bastion was also keen on tapping into the collective fund to do business with the White Raven Guild.

The butcher was more than welcome to get more customers and increase business for his guild. He offered Sirius bulk-order-related discounts as well, ensuring the Last Blood Bastion a steady supply for years to come.

Hours passed while the two sides talked and negotiated. Alephee was merely a witness to their discussions on the surface level. Eren would consult with her privately to protect his own interests.

The butcher also involved Agatha in the discussion after the primary negotiations were finalized. She was summoned to Eren's temporary abode like Sirius. The half-blood manager took over things from there, allowing Eren and Alephee to sit on the sidelines.

When everything was settled, Agatha bid Eren goodbye before disconnecting the call. Sirius breathed relief after the consistent cooperation between the Last Blood Bastion and the White Raven Guild was finalized.

"This was a productive day, Eren. I thank you for your understanding and cooperation with the Last Blood Bastion despite our differences in certain matters.

I am also glad that you were ready to meet with me while still in the capital city. I appreciate your guts for doing something like that. Haha."

Eren smiled lightly and got up from his seat. His emerald green eyes glowed as he responded to Sirius in a calm and collected voice.

"To be honest, I have no choice but to be bold.

Be it business or life, I know that I will never reach my true potential if I limit my experiences to a comfort zone born out of routine.

I have to outgrow the things that prevent me from growing. So I embrace the challenges that push me to become a better version of myself."

Sirius nodded in agreement, impressed by Eren's philosophy. With that, they ended their conversation on a positive note.