The air was filled with the sweet scent of blooming wildflowers as the group gathered in Sharone's Isolated Space. The normally empty and misty plane had changed from a void landscape and had shifted to resemble a serene grassy plain, with a few scattered trees providing shade from the warm sunlight. A delicate wooden table sat under a summer hut at the center of the gathering, laden with an assortment of snacks and refreshments.
Sharone, resplendent in her elegant white dress, was the one who called for this meeting. Koniko, Lin, Adriana, Sasha, and Nefaria were there as well, their faces relaxed and at ease in the peaceful surroundings. The other leaders of their organization, the Moonshadow, were busy tending to various tasks such as helping the merfolk and Lizardmen settlement that was now east, the rebuilding of the city, among other things. Sharone thought it would be best to proceed with the meeting. She had connected with all of them via telepathic link, so they were listening in even as they carried out their duties outside, though due to the nature of the space, telepathic communication with persons outside was one-way. It didn't really matter though. After all, they would switch the direction of communication in order to get the others' points of view, and if there were any objections to the consensus they had reached, they would re-evaluate it based on the reasons the opposing party gave.
In this meeting, Eden sat among them, his eyes scanning the horizon as he muttered something about how useful this ability was and how this spatial structure acted like a barrier by severing the connection to the surrounding space and forming a separate dimension. He still didn't fully see how it worked and was evidently thinking hard about it.
As the group had just settled in, the sound of gentle chatter and laughter filled the air, accompanied by the soft clinking of teacups and the rustling of snack wrappers. It was a rare moment of tranquility, a brief respite from the turmoil and uncertainty that had been plaguing them of late.
After a while, they had to put aside the small talk and delve into business.
Eden spoke up and began to share what he had learned through his....."talk" with the now deceased merchant Malcolm Marconni.
"Well, I did learn a few new things. The first being that the empire that Marconni was just a small part of a grander operation that's currently underway. This Black Market does not just rotate around slave trade," he said,
"But they also deal with other items. Items that have been declared illegal by the Trade Union of many countries and strictly regulated in others. They're dealing with artifacts, drugs, and body parts of both man and beast within the criminal underworld."
The group listened intently as Eden revealed the names of several individuals within the Kingdom, nobles and men of high repute, who were actively involved in these activities.
"It's not just limited to Archadia, either," he continued. "Every nation seems to be involved in this to varying extents. For instance, the Empire of Adonis seems to be particularly interested in the corpses of certain types of beasts but most recent Maajin."
"That's disgusting! What could they possibly want with Maajin corpses?" Sasha asked in outrage.
"We're so they even get them?"
"They have certain people who are like Bounty Hunters. They go out to look for whatever creature is in demand, then bring it back to sell to the highest bidder either through shadow agencies or directly to the individuals." Eden's expression didn't change as he spoke.
Sharone watched him. She had come to observe the questioning of the other and saw the questionable...ahem, effective way that he extracted the information from the captive. It was so effective that she left out of pity for Marconni without actually entering the room. That, and the fact that he had soiled himself the moment Eden took a step towards him, and the pungent smell was affecting her sensitive nose.
"It's clear that this network stretches far beyond Ekron. It even reaches as far as the holy land of Ezkanur," Eden continued.
Koniko's brow furrowed. "Ezkanur? The Holy Land? I wouldn't have thought that place would be involved in something like this."
Eden nodded. "That's the extent to which these people have managed to reach. It seems that even the holy land is not immune to the influence of the underworld. And they are so thorough in covering up that it would be difficult to on your own find out these things unless you have been introduced by someone who's already involved. Ah yes, I also asked Marconni about the wonder drug Glamour and its origins."
Adriana's eyes narrowed.
"What did he say?"
"I asked that question several times, using various methods to... convince him to share that information, but he genuinely seemed not to know the exact origins of the Glamour Stimulant," Eden replied,
"But he did mention that it came from the Dark Apostles Cult and was being circulated by them to other cartels and individuals across the globe. Marconni claimed he was just a retailer, reselling it to smaller groups or individuals in order to make a profit. He said he didn't deal with the manufacturer but received his shipment through agents within the cult."
Sharone interlocked her fingers on the table as she considered this information.
"Now that you mention it, Nefaria, you're a member of the Cult, right, basically one of the leaders. Do you know who's responsible for the creation and spread of this drug?"
"I don't bother myself with the petty affairs of this world. I have my own domain to run," she said with disinterest.
"Why is she being so arrogant? It's just a simple question," Sharone thought as she glared at her.
"However, I do know that it's likely one of the Twelve...." Nefaria paused.
"Well, four of them are already dead, and I've... defected, shall we say. That leaves one of the remaining five as the culprits."
"Ooh, can you tell us who they are? It'd be so much easier if we could just eliminate them and be done," said Lin.
"Unfortunately, I'm bound by a pledge that prevents me from sharing their identities. One of the criteria for membership in the Twelve is that we undergo a ritual that prevents us from revealing each other's identities."
"But you're one of the oldest Demons. Can't you just break free from that pledge?" Koniko asked with her eyebrow raised.
Nefaria's laughter was like ice.
"Oh, I could, but if I were to do so, it would alert the others, and they would become cautious. The pledge formed this kind of link, you see, that lets us know if one of the twelve is dead or has turned traitor."
"But you've defected to our side, why hasn't it gone off yet?" Adriana asked.
"Well, that's because I'm that powerful," she said smugly.
"If you're that powerful, then mention names," Koniko retorted with a hint of annoyance.
"Anyway, things would become... problematic for everyone, so let's focus on a different approach for now," Nefaria said.
"I see," Sharone responded thoughtfully.
"Just tell us who they are. And stop acting all smug, you're pissing me off," Koniko said.
Nefaria ignored her, then yawned.
A vein appeared on Koniko's forehead, and Lin had to restrain her, all while Nefaria casually took a sip of tea.
Koniko and Nefaria had to argue, with Koniko saying that she was not telling them things on purpose and Nefaria talking down to her.
All this while Sharone silently pondered the information. Knowledge is power, and while they didn't know everything, they knew enough to make a move.
But what was the street way to deal with this because she knew for a fact that the cult and, in fact, other cults were tied together in the criminal underworld. They were like a hydra.
"Cut off one head, and two more grow in its place," she muttered.
If they didn't tread carefully, they might end up drawing attention, creating even more enemies and problems to deal with.
She sighed and rubbed her temples with one hand while reaching out to take a glass of water.
If only they could have the kingdom deal with it.
Kingdom.
Wait, kingdom deal with this?
How would.....
Sharone began to think through the idea that was forming in her head. Finally, it clicked, and she gasped, dropping the glass. It shattered, drawing everyone's attention to her.
"Sharone?" Lin called.
"I have the perfect solution," she said with a smile.
"We....." She said, bringing the tips of her fingers together.
"Are going to take over the world."
There was a great pause.
"Huh?!" they said in unison.
"What do you mean, take over the world?" Adriana asked.
"Are you okay?" said Lin.
"That's quite ambitious. Care to explain?" Nefaria said, looking her in the eye.
"That's the best solution to dealing with this. If we attempt to deal with only one problem, the other one would just keep growing larger as a result and end up causing other problems."
"I still don't get you," Sasha said.
"Eden, we now have all of the assets and connections that Marconni had throughout his years of trading, both legitimate and illegal?" She turned to the Fay.
"Yes?" he answered with a curious expression.
"That's it. We use Marconni's contacts to infiltrate the Black Market. That way, we can get access to and attack and dismantle the entire operation from the inside, all while building or restructuring our own network to ensure that we're the ones dictating the new world from behind the scenes. After all, the best way to destroy a kingdom is from the inside."
The others fell silent as they contemplated her words.
"You're right," Adriana said.
"And we already have our own network. Getting in won't be that difficult," Lin added.
"But we'll need to keep an eye on the nations as we work," said Sasha.
"We can even use this to influence the information that leaks out about us and create a persona of misdirection for our benefit," Koniko added.
"Oh, so you are smart," Nefaria said, covering her mouth with a fan and chuckling.
Lin added to restrain her again.
Eden looked at them and nodded.
"Yes, this will work."
"And what about you guys, do you have anything to say?" Sharone asked, switching the one-way channel to hear the input of the other leaders. They had nothing to add and affirmed her decision.
"Good. Now let us begin."