Chapter 158: Reve And The Thieves(7)
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The cohabitation between the three levels of Narva might have gone too far.
As the second level was left in the dust, the other two levels of contrasting qualities built a union. A union that helped both sides!
This was the origin story of some of the underworld organizations. They were supported by the nobles who provided them with funds.
In fact, it was almost a custom that each noble house should be associated with an underworld organization. That way, they get the influence in the underworld and conduct activities under the nose of the second level.
Meanwhile, the underworld organization would get a boost in productivity. They would become more nefarious and gather more members.
However, with this alliance came rules imposed on the organization by the nobles. For example, one of them was to never target nobles.
Another rule is to never target true mortals with no affiliation to the magical side of Arcadia.
The Underworld, a complex aspect of Narva that also served as one of its pillars.
.........…..This was the true face of the Underworld
.
.
.
.
.
.
Dorian was finally done with his explanation.
His voice was immensely passionate as he described all he knew about the underworld. It was clear that he held this menacing faction in high regards.
"Well, that's really interesting," spoke Reve.
He never knew the entire faction so built deep into the system of Narva. A faction like that would not be that easy to mess with, especially since it was so intricately tied.
Reve made a wild guess; they were probably rules that prohibited each organization from destroying each other to a certain degree.
This made his plans complicated....
Months ago, Reve had scoured NIRA for any information about the shards of Sheol. That was why he joined the Archaic Mysteries Club. They held records that could probably provide a clue to the shards.
However, surprisingly, that was not the case, both the records of the club and NIRA Library had not a trace of information about the shards. Nonetheless, Reve did find something. He found his first clue of the Underworld.
Back then, as he spied on this piece of information, he mentally proposed a theory. Since he could not find what he wanted in the normal Narva, he had to infiltrate the other two levels.; the Aristocratic Circle and the Underworld.
Of course, back then, he didn't have any conclusive knowledge about both factions, but to a smart person like him, it was easy for him to have solid guesses.
Reve sighed as he thought deeply, 'However, It seems it won't be easy.'
Shaking his head, he asked another question, "The Alchemist belongs to the Underworld, right?"
"Yes. The Alchemist is a new figure to the Underworld. However, he is equipped with sufficient knowledge of us, seeing as all his actions never went beyond the boundaries of the Underworld," answered Dorian.
"What organisation does he belong to?"
Dorian gave a contemplative answer, "He is independent, associated with the Black Market, a primary organization of the Underworld. It is the only one to keep resurfacing in the normal side of Narva."
"Hmmmmm….I thought as much. What about you guys? Where do you sit in this pyramid?"
Dorian clenched his fist as he spoke, "The lowest bottom. We are not backed by any nobles, nor do we exist as subsidiaries of other organizations. In the Underworld's saying, we are rats!"
Reve thought to himself, 'I guess this is to be expected from a pyramid-structured society.'
In his mind, he was jotting down all the details that Dorian spilled. Of course, he knew that he couldn't just trust Dorian's words.
Granted, Dorian might not be lying. But he might not also be in the know about all the affairs of the Underworld. Now, that it has come to this, it seemed like he would need another affiliate of the Underworld.
Reve dusted his knees and stood up. Attempting to pull up his hood, he said to Dorian, "Thank you for the valuable information. After an enjoyable round of torment, I shall take my departure. Fear not, If anything happens, I will not sell you out."
The Underworld was brutal and secrets about it must be submerged. This was also one of its rules, "Do not tell anyone not among us!"
Just as Reve was about to exit the tent, a hand grabbed his leather pants.
"Wait!" shouted the panicked Dorian.
Reve raised his eyebrows, "What is it?"
He didn't do anything wrong, did he?
Panicking further, Dorian stuttered, "I-I-I know you have a plan. You need something and that involves the Underworld. You won't be able to navigate alone. We can be of use to you."
Reve gaped his jaws at this sudden turn.
The way he saw it the person he mercilessly beat up was asking to be subjugated?
Was this also a form of.....masochism?
Intrigued, Reve quizzically smiled, "Why is that?"
"Huh?" trembled Dorian.
"Why do you request such? I can see no reason why you would want to be allied with me. I don't plan on doing that also," told Reve.
Knowing he needed a solid reason, Dorian truthfully spoke, "I can see it. You are strong, and in the Underworld, strength is all that matters. Without it, you can't be anything. That is why we remain at the bottom. Even teeny bits of cleverness still does not change that fact."
Dorian looked at his dirty palms and spoke his thoughts, "Our gang only controls a small district of Starhold. The other gangs have the backings of large organizations. Meanwhile, we remain like rats and scrap the little we can find out there."
"That is not enough. Most of us here have a legacy to protect. We have kids that can barely pay for a knight school. To top it off, some of us lack an affinity for mana. We couldn't participate in Narva's illustrious festival. We couldn't receive the blessing of Narva because we lacked the money for that."
Reve queried, "But didn't the King declare participation in the elemental festival free?"
"That only applied to orphanage houses. The commoners still pay. It is necessary to cover the cost of the festival. Our kids are not as privileged as the others. This was the only way we could provide for them. It's a bunch of excuses, I know. But I-I-I-"
Dorian loudly stated, "I don't want to fail at even this bit. What would the young ones think if they knew we were this pathetic? We can't provide them a better future!"
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The cohabitation between the three levels of Narva might have gone too far.
As the second level was left in the dust, the other two levels of contrasting qualities built a union. A union that helped both sides!
This was the origin story of some of the underworld organizations. They were supported by the nobles who provided them with funds.
In fact, it was almost a custom that each noble house should be associated with an underworld organization. That way, they get the influence in the underworld and conduct activities under the nose of the second level.
Meanwhile, the underworld organization would get a boost in productivity. They would become more nefarious and gather more members.
However, with this alliance came rules imposed on the organization by the nobles. For example, one of them was to never target nobles.
Another rule is to never target true mortals with no affiliation to the magical side of Arcadia.
The Underworld, a complex aspect of Narva that also served as one of its pillars.
.........…..This was the true face of the Underworld
.
.
.
.
.
.
Dorian was finally done with his explanation.
His voice was immensely passionate as he described all he knew about the underworld. It was clear that he held this menacing faction in high regards.
"Well, that's really interesting," spoke Reve.
He never knew the entire faction so built deep into the system of Narva. A faction like that would not be that easy to mess with, especially since it was so intricately tied.
Reve made a wild guess; they were probably rules that prohibited each organization from destroying each other to a certain degree.
This made his plans complicated....
Months ago, Reve had scoured NIRA for any information about the shards of Sheol. That was why he joined the Archaic Mysteries Club. They held records that could probably provide a clue to the shards.
However, surprisingly, that was not the case, both the records of the club and NIRA Library had not a trace of information about the shards. Nonetheless, Reve did find something. He found his first clue of the Underworld.
Back then, as he spied on this piece of information, he mentally proposed a theory. Since he could not find what he wanted in the normal Narva, he had to infiltrate the other two levels.; the Aristocratic Circle and the Underworld.
Of course, back then, he didn't have any conclusive knowledge about both factions, but to a smart person like him, it was easy for him to have solid guesses.
Reve sighed as he thought deeply, 'However, It seems it won't be easy.'
Shaking his head, he asked another question, "The Alchemist belongs to the Underworld, right?"
"Yes. The Alchemist is a new figure to the Underworld. However, he is equipped with sufficient knowledge of us, seeing as all his actions never went beyond the boundaries of the Underworld," answered Dorian.
"What organisation does he belong to?"
Dorian gave a contemplative answer, "He is independent, associated with the Black Market, a primary organization of the Underworld. It is the only one to keep resurfacing in the normal side of Narva."
"Hmmmmm….I thought as much. What about you guys? Where do you sit in this pyramid?"
Dorian clenched his fist as he spoke, "The lowest bottom. We are not backed by any nobles, nor do we exist as subsidiaries of other organizations. In the Underworld's saying, we are rats!"
Reve thought to himself, 'I guess this is to be expected from a pyramid-structured society.'
In his mind, he was jotting down all the details that Dorian spilled. Of course, he knew that he couldn't just trust Dorian's words.
Granted, Dorian might not be lying. But he might not also be in the know about all the affairs of the Underworld. Now, that it has come to this, it seemed like he would need another affiliate of the Underworld.
Reve dusted his knees and stood up. Attempting to pull up his hood, he said to Dorian, "Thank you for the valuable information. After an enjoyable round of torment, I shall take my departure. Fear not, If anything happens, I will not sell you out."
The Underworld was brutal and secrets about it must be submerged. This was also one of its rules, "Do not tell anyone not among us!"
Just as Reve was about to exit the tent, a hand grabbed his leather pants.
"Wait!" shouted the panicked Dorian.
Reve raised his eyebrows, "What is it?"
He didn't do anything wrong, did he?
Panicking further, Dorian stuttered, "I-I-I know you have a plan. You need something and that involves the Underworld. You won't be able to navigate alone. We can be of use to you."
Reve gaped his jaws at this sudden turn.
The way he saw it the person he mercilessly beat up was asking to be subjugated?
Was this also a form of.....masochism?
Intrigued, Reve quizzically smiled, "Why is that?"
"Huh?" trembled Dorian.
"Why do you request such? I can see no reason why you would want to be allied with me. I don't plan on doing that also," told Reve.
Knowing he needed a solid reason, Dorian truthfully spoke, "I can see it. You are strong, and in the Underworld, strength is all that matters. Without it, you can't be anything. That is why we remain at the bottom. Even teeny bits of cleverness still does not change that fact."
Dorian looked at his dirty palms and spoke his thoughts, "Our gang only controls a small district of Starhold. The other gangs have the backings of large organizations. Meanwhile, we remain like rats and scrap the little we can find out there."
"That is not enough. Most of us here have a legacy to protect. We have kids that can barely pay for a knight school. To top it off, some of us lack an affinity for mana. We couldn't participate in Narva's illustrious festival. We couldn't receive the blessing of Narva because we lacked the money for that."
Reve queried, "But didn't the King declare participation in the elemental festival free?"
"That only applied to orphanage houses. The commoners still pay. It is necessary to cover the cost of the festival. Our kids are not as privileged as the others. This was the only way we could provide for them. It's a bunch of excuses, I know. But I-I-I-"
Dorian loudly stated, "I don't want to fail at even this bit. What would the young ones think if they knew we were this pathetic? We can't provide them a better future!"
The cohabitation between the three levels of Narva might have gone too far. As the second level was left in the dust, the other two levels of contrasting qualities built a union. A union that helped both sides!This was the origin story of some of the underworld organizations. They were supported by the nobles who provided them with funds. In fact, it was almost a custom that each noble house should be associated with an underworld organization. That way, they get the influence in the underworld and conduct activities under the nose of the second level. Meanwhile, the underworld organization would get a boost in productivity. They would become more nefarious and gather more members. However, with this alliance came rules imposed on the organization by the nobles. For example, one of them was to never target nobles. Another rule is to never target true mortals with no affiliation to the magical side of Arcadia. The Underworld, a complex aspect of Narva that also served as one of its pillars............This was the true face of the Underworld......Dorian was finally done with his explanation. His voice was immensely passionate as he described all he knew about the underworld. It was clear that he held this menacing faction in high regards."Well, that's really interesting," spoke Reve. He never knew the entire faction so built deep into the system of Narva. A faction like that would not be that easy to mess with, especially since it was so intricately tied. Reve made a wild guess; they were probably rules that prohibited each organization from destroying each other to a certain degree.This made his plans complicated....Months ago, Reve had scoured NIRA for any information about the shards of Sheol. That was why he joined the Archaic Mysteries Club. They held records that could probably provide a clue to the shards. However, surprisingly, that was not the case, both the records of the club and NIRA Library had not a trace of information about the shards. Nonetheless, Reve did find something. He found his first clue of the Underworld. Back then, as he spied on this piece of information, he mentally proposed a theory. Since he could not find what he wanted in the normal Narva, he had to infiltrate the other two levels.; the Aristocratic Circle and the Underworld.Of course, back then, he didn't have any conclusive knowledge about both factions, but to a smart person like him, it was easy for him to have solid guesses. Reve sighed as he thought deeply, 'However, It seems it won't be easy.'Shaking his head, he asked another question, "The Alchemist belongs to the Underworld, right?""Yes. The Alchemist is a new figure to the Underworld. However, he is equipped with sufficient knowledge of us, seeing as all his actions never went beyond the boundaries of the Underworld," answered Dorian. "What organisation does he belong to?"Dorian gave a contemplative answer, "He is independent, associated with the Black Market, a primary organization of the Underworld. It is the only one to keep resurfacing in the normal side of Narva.""Hmmmmm.I thought as much. What about you guys? Where do you sit in this pyramid?"Dorian clenched his fist as he spoke, "The lowest bottom. We are not backed by any nobles, nor do we exist as subsidiaries of other organizations. In the Underworld's saying, we are rats!"Reve thought to himself, 'I guess this is to be expected from a pyramid-structured society.'In his mind, he was jotting down all the details that Dorian spilled. Of course, he knew that he couldn't just trust Dorian's words. Granted, Dorian might not be lying. But he might not also be in the know about all the affairs of the Underworld. Now, that it has come to this, it seemed like he would need another affiliate of the Underworld. Reve dusted his knees and stood up. Attempting to pull up his hood, he said to Dorian, "Thank you for the valuable information. After an enjoyable round of torment, I shall take my departure. Fear not, If anything happens, I will not sell you out."The Underworld was brutal and secrets about it must be submerged. This was also one of its rules, "Do not tell anyone not among us!"Just as Reve was about to exit the tent, a hand grabbed his leather pants. "Wait!" shouted the panicked Dorian. Reve raised his eyebrows, "What is it?"He didn't do anything wrong, did he?Panicking further, Dorian stuttered, "I-I-I know you have a plan. You need something and that involves the Underworld. You won't be able to navigate alone. We can be of use to you."Reve gaped his jaws at this sudden turn.The way he saw it the person he mercilessly beat up was asking to be subjugated?Was this also a form of.....masochism?Intrigued, Reve quizzically smiled, "Why is that?""Huh?" trembled Dorian. "Why do you request such? I can see no reason why you would want to be allied with me. I don't plan on doing that also," told Reve. Knowing he needed a solid reason, Dorian truthfully spoke, "I can see it. You are strong, and in the Underworld, strength is all that matters. Without it, you can't be anything. That is why we remain at the bottom. Even teeny bits of cleverness still does not change that fact."Dorian looked at his dirty palms and spoke his thoughts, "Our gang only controls a small district of Starhold. The other gangs have the backings of large organizations. Meanwhile, we remain like rats and scrap the little we can find out there.""That is not enough. Most of us here have a legacy to protect. We have kids that can barely pay for a knight school. To top it off, some of us lack an affinity for mana. We couldn't participate in Narva's illustrious festival. We couldn't receive the blessing of Narva because we lacked the money for that."Reve queried, "But didn't the King declare participation in the elemental festival free?""That only applied to orphanage houses. The commoners still pay. It is necessary to cover the cost of the festival. Our kids are not as privileged as the others. This was the only way we could provide for them. It's a bunch of excuses, I know. But I-I-I-"Dorian loudly stated, "I don't want to fail at even this bit. What would the young ones think if they knew we were this pathetic? We can't provide them a better future!"
