Chapter 103: Those who dwell in the shadows [3]
Leon stared blankly at the building in front of him.
Of all the places he imagined the Twilight Order would hold their so-called "secret gathering," this was definitely not one of them.
It doesn’t look like it at all.
A three-story building stood before him, bathed in golden light. Fancy lamps twinkle along its edges, the sound of music echoes softly from inside, and people in expensive coats and dresses laugh loudly as they go in and out.
The bright sign hanging above the door reads in bold, glowing letters, clearly stating:
"Tonight’s Night."
Leon rubbed his temple slowly. "This... this can’t be the location, right?"
He asked the chestnut-haired girls standing beside him.
"This is the location." She said.
"Yeah, I can see that," Leon muttered. "I just... didn’t expect our great and glorious underground hidden organization to meet in a... bar."
She tilted her head.
"Commander picked the place."
"Of course she did," Leon sighed.
They walked forward together. Pushing past the people, they reached the inside.
From there on, Yoru led the way.
Leon simply followed behind her, recalling some info about the members of the Twilight Order.
She led him through a staircase at the very back, and when Leon passed a certain area, he noticed that the air around him changed, and the number of people around him reduced to zero.
Ignoring it, he and Yoru stopped behind a wooden door; on it was written ’Private Bar.’
’She booked a private bar?’
She is a princess, so she has quite a fortune.
It was brilliant, in its own absurd way. It was a perfect disguise.
’No one would suspect a thing. No noble, no authority, no one would even imagine the biggest underground organization is having its meeting here, of all places.’
Leon waited at the door, thinking about how he would make his first impression.
Yoru turned to him.
"Commander said to move quickly."
’Yeah, sure...’ he narrowed his eyes. Fixed his collar, and with a ’not-so-very-interested’ expression, he pushed the door open.
The first thing Leon noticed after stepping inside was the heat.
The room was bright, almost unnaturally so, with dozens of lanterns hanging from the walls and thick candles burning on the long rectangular table in the center.
The warm orange light filled the space, brushing against the dark wooden floor and giving the air a heated, heavy feeling.
The flickering flames cast seven shadows across the room.
Seven figures sat around the table, both men and women, their faces half-lit by the golden glow.
And in the very middle of it all, seated on the main chair, was Eula.
She wore her usual calm expression, her chin resting lightly on her knuckles, as if she had been expecting him for a while now.
The rectangular table was arranged perfectly. She sat at the head, while three figures were seated on each side. There was one empty chair at the far end.
Including Eula, there were eight people in the room.
The moment Leon stepped inside, the atmosphere changed.
Every single person turned their head toward him at once.
Their gazes were sharp, heavy, like predators sizing up new prey.
He could feel their eyes scan him from head to toe, searching for the tiniest weakness they could exploit out of him.
But Leon did not flinch.
He had known more about these people than they had. He knew exactly who sat before him, what kind of persons they were, and more importantly, that none of them would harm him unless he gave them a reason to.
He smiled faintly.
Then, with slow and composed steps, Leon walked up to the edge of the table. He stopped, bent his body forward slightly, and gave a polite, pleasant bow.
"Good evening," he said, making his voice steady and clear. "The name’s Leon Valentine. Starting today, I’ll be your brand-new member."
He kept it short and simple.
He lifted his head back up, meeting their eyes one by one.
"Hope we get along well."
The room remained silent for a second longer.
Leon’s gaze drifted across the faces around the table.
On Eula’s right sat a tall man with silver hair tied in a loose knot, wearing a long black coat. His eyes were half-closed, but Leon could tell by the way he held his hand against the chair’s armrest that he was ready to move at any second.
That must be Ajisai, intelligence head.
Beside him, a woman with short black hair and sharp red nails tapped the table lightly with one finger. Her eyes were cold and curiously gaze him up and down.
She was Tsubaki, the combat captain.
Next to her, Kikyo, the quiet one.
A man with clean features and clear glasses, looking more like a librarian than someone who specialized in security and purges.
On Eula’s left sat Ume, a soft-faced woman with bright pink hair, the only one who did not look like she was about to kill someone. She gave off the impression of a healer, though Leon knew better that she was dangerous in her own way.
Then there was Asagao, leaning casually back on her chair with a flirtatious grin, and beside her, Higanbana, who was silent and unreadable, half of her face was hidden behind a netted cotton piece.
And finally, Sumire, whose presence was the quietest but heaviest in the room. Her purple eyes reflected the candlelight like a still pond, Leon didn’t dare to look at her way for any longer.
Eula leaned back slightly; she rested her elbows on the armrest.
Her blue eyes were fixed on him.
Leon could clearly see that she was enjoying it.
She wore a kind of pride that made even Leon feel envy.
For the first time since stepping inside, he saw the corners of Eula’s lips curved faintly.
"Welcome Leon," she said softly. "To the Twilight Order."
"Take your seat."
She pointed at the only empty chair at the far end of the table, directly in front of her.
Leon didn’t say anything. He simply walked forward. He pulled the chair out and sat down, facing all seven members of the Twilight Order.
’So, this is them...’ he thought quietly.
The infamous Seven Heads of the Twilight Order.
In the game, this was one of the most feared and respected organizations in the entire underworld. They were everywhere. Their influence stretched far beyond the shadows. Their name alone was enough to make nobles and underground guilds alike tense up.
And now, he was sitting right among them.
’Let’s see...’
His gaze wandered slowly from face to face.
It was strange seeing these people not as moving characters on a screen but as real individuals breathing the same air as him.
The Twilight Order wasn’t just any random group of criminals.
Every single person sitting here was exceptional.
Top-class mages, battle magicians, alchemists, doctors, healers, assassins, and spies from different corners of the world. Some belonged to powerful noble families, while others were commoners who shared Eula’s ideology.
And Eula, of course, had handpicked each one of them.
The same way she had chosen Leon.
Leon leaned slightly against the chair, keeping his expression calm but his mind focused.
They were considered criminals because they had openly gone against several major powerhouses in the past.
Many great noble houses and organizations tried to crush them, but none succeeded yet. Twilight Order wasn’t a group you could simply attack. If you tried, they would always retaliate twice as hard, even if it took years.
Eula leaned slightly forward. Her voice was light but carried the weight of a commander.
"I believe you already know most of us, Leon."
Leon didn’t deny it. "Yeah... I’ve done my homework."
Ajisai tilted his head slightly, his sharp silver hair catching the flicker of the candlelight as it shone.
"Confident, aren’t you," he said.
Tsubaki crossed her arms.
"Let’s see if you can keep that confidence once you start working with us."
Leon didn’t take the bait. "I’ll try not to disappoint."
’they will try to break me, buuut... I have played this game before.’
The others simply watched.
Eula placed her hands together.
"Good. You’ll have time to prove it. But before that..." She glanced at everyone around the table. "He should know exactly what kind of group he’s part of now."
Leon didn’t look away.
Eula smiled faintly, like someone who was about to tell a story she was proud of.
"This order exists outside the law. We don’t follow crowns or titles. We don’t kneel to kingdoms. Our hands reach into places most wouldn’t dare to touch. And unlike those fools in the capital, we don’t act for glory."
She lifted a finger and tapped the table lightly.
"We act to change the board itself."
The air around the table shifted slightly. Leon saw awe in every face, as if they shared the same vision, which they really do. It wasn’t... hostility or pressure. It was the kind that only came from people who had seen too much, done too much, and survived through everything.
Leon exhaled slowly. ’Perfect... this is exactly what I expected.’
Twilight Order didn’t care about playing nice. They didn’t care about politics or reputation. If they decided something needed to change, they would do it, even if it meant tearing down the system piece by piece.
And these people... these seven around him... were the ones who made it happen in the game... before they all perished one after another.
And now, Leon was now officially part of it.
He rested his hand lightly on the table.
"Well then," he said, meeting Eula’s eyes, "let’s see what kind of board we’re playing on starting today. So... what’s my role?"
Eula’s smile deepened slightly. She looked at everyone, then declared.
"Starting this moment, Leon Valentine will be our eighth head." She paused, then added. "Does anyone have an objection?"
Leon glanced at each of them.
No one spoke.
"Great," Eula declared, then turning to him, she said, "Leon, you will be our Strategist. You’ll serve as my direct advisor and act as the tactical coordinator for multi-division operations."
She met his gaze and added, "Do you accept?"
’...Tactical coordinator for multi-division operations,’ he thought.
It meant he would be involved in every mission and every major decision they made.
’Wow, isn’t that too much?’
But knowing Eula, who had seen him work up close, she had actually chosen the perfect role for him.
It suited him.
Leon nodded. "I accept."
Eula acknowledged with a firm nod.
"We look forward to your support..."
She then shifted her tone and attention to everyone.
"Now then, the reason I called all of you here..."
.
.
[A/N]: 1 ch today. I will do 3 tomorrow