Chapter 15: First mission

"Sasha shall guide you to your room." Maurin says.

"Room? What room?" I blurt out, confused.

"You will be working directly under me. We can't have you living in sclavus urbs anymore. But make no mistake, at the end of the day, you are still a slave. Just one that's landed a better job than the others." He calls in a woman named Sasha. "Ask her if you have any more questions."

And just like that, I was guided to another room by Sasha who appears to work as a maid. She takes me to this room on the same floor as Maurin's office, just one corridor away.

"So, umm…Sasha, right? Where are we going?" I ask her, slightly nervous and awkward.

She doesn't say anything for a minute and when we reach the said room, we enter and it's a beautiful, cozy room. It's not as big as Maurin's office but it's still great. It's nothing like the rundown, ruins of sclavus urbs.

"I have been informed you are the new translator. So, this shall be your room. It belonged to the previous translator."

"Previous? What happened to them?" I asked.

"She died." Sasha says with a straight face, as if it were a common occurrence.

"If you ever need anything, you can call me by pressing that button on the switch board. And another thing, Don't think of escaping or trying anything similarly stupid!" Her voice changed tone, it was suddenly more cold. I have lost count of how many times I've been told to not run away.

"Even if you do, it's for naught because Sir Maurin will be keeping a close eye on you."

She then takes off my handcuffs. "You will live here now. But don't forget, you are just another slave. One that's simply more convenient than the others." And just like that, she's gone before I could ask her anything else. I didn't even notice her leaving.

I lock the door and stand there in the middle of the room, staring at it. They said this was my room from now on. Does this mean I won't be returning to sclavus urbs? I won't be seeing my friends? My heart sinks. I knew I'd be away but didn't imagine not seeing them at all.

The room is full of earthy tones, it's warm and cozy. It's got a single bed, a closet, a desk for work, a small circular table in the center (for meals I suppose) and a rectangular mirror that reflects my full body. I look so…weird. Dirty, and messy. I hadn't noticed or cared much for my appearance living in that shack. But standing amidst this clean and pretty room, I feel so…out of place. I guess I did get used to living in that dirty and messy shack. I walk to the mirror and stare at myself for a second.

"I can barely recognize the person looking back at me." And then I went and laid on the bed. It's so soft and comfy. When was the last time I got to lay on a bed?

Laying on such a comfortable bed reminds of that hotel we stayed at during our college trip (just before everything came crashing down and we were kidnapped). The beds were as comfortable as this one. And we were all together. Eve was with me. I remember us, smiling and laughing. Eve, Vivi, Liz and I. How did it come to this?

Just getting to stay in a place as nice as this makes me feel guilty.

***

The next morning…

I see Sasha standing by my bedside, frowning.

"I am not your personal maid, miss! You need to at least wake up yourself."

"Sasha? What are you doing here?" I rubbed my eyes.

"Although I'm not your personal maid. But since it's your first day here, I'm supposed to guide you. So first things first, you need to wake up at 6am sharp. Get ready, shower, change clothes and have breakfast here in your room, you aren't allowed to eat at the mess hall in this mansion."

"Why not?"

She widens her eyes. "Because you're a slave! You didn't possibly let yourself think that these people considered you a part of them simply because you work together now, and because they gave you a room or something, did you?"

"Of course not!" I almost yelled instinctively. "Who'd wanna be a part of them?"

"Well that's good. Keep in mind, although they can be generous to those working alongside them. They WILL discard you the moment you are useless. Well then, run along now, change into these clothes. Sir Maurin is waiting for you in his office."

"What? He's waiting for me? Why?"

Sasha rolls her eyes. Her expression tells me she's already done with me. "Why? Because you work for him, what else?!" She presses her forehead as if she had a headache.

"Oh right!"

I wear the clothes Sasha gave me. I suppose they belong to the previous translator since she took them out of the wardrobe.

I'm now in Maurin's office, and he greets me with a smile, "Lovely morning, isn't it?"

"Yes, it was quite lovely. Until your brute appearance soured it all." I try to sound as unaffected as possible by his murderous aura. His clothes are covered in blood, I notice. I wonder what he was up to.

"Now, no need to be so rude. After all, we're working together. We'll be seeing each other quite often."

There's a knock at the door and another man walks in. It's the man from the antique shop, Velaris. And also the man who had me locked up at Claret.

"Now that all of us are here. Let's get down to business. Adrenaline, we've got a mission for you, well all of us actually.

There's this party in the city one week from now. And we will be attending it as guests."

Attending a party with the villains who made my life miserable was not how I saw my first job go. "Our main job is to find a man named Kobayashi Tanaka". He is a member of the Japanese yakuza gang 'Yamaguchi'—"

"Yamaguchi?! As in the largest, most powerful and wealthiest crime syndicate in all of Japan." I cut him mid sentence, shocked.

"Oh! So you know them. How do you know them?"

"I read about them in an article back in college."

"Well this makes things easier. As you might know they've spread their influence across Asia and the United States too. And now we suspect they are doing the same here. So we gotta catch this Tanaka or Katana guy, whatever his name was, and find out what it is they are upto." And then Maurin claps his hands and with a smile he says, "Quite simple, isn't it?"

"You are telling me that we'll be messing with THE YAMAGUCHI CLAN??? Are you serious?!"

"Yes! And you, my dear Adrenaline, will be the one doing most of the communication, since Velaris and I can't speak Japanese." He sounds unnecessarily excited about this party that could very well end in bloodshed for all I know. "Why? Are you scared~" He mocks me.

I look at him flabbergasted, "Duh! Of Course I am! It might seem like just another everyday occurrence to you guys since you guys are basically monsters! But I'm just a nineteen year old, highschool student!"

"You're nineteen?! Didn't expect you to be that young. Well it can't be helped. You volunteered for this. Remember?" He gives me a mocking smile. "Besides, they say it's better to learn young. Am I right? And correction, we didn't mess with the 'Mamagocheeze', they messed with us first—"

"It's 'Yamaguchi' not 'Mamagocheeze'." Velaris interrupts. How the hell did you get their name so wrong?" He sounds annoyed.

"Shut up, Vel! Who the hell cares what their name is!" Maurin throws his hands in the air, annoyed. "It's their fault keeping tongue twisters for names. So I was saying, they might be an international crime syndicate but so are we. They even killed some of our men in Japan and now, they are here, plotting who knows what! We can't let them get away with it. And thus finding that 'katana' dude from mamagocheeze is our priority."

"'Tanaka' not 'Katana' and it's 'Yamaguchi' gu as in goose and chi as in chicken." Velaris interrupts again.

Maurin gives Velaris a dirty look and yells out, simply to annoy Velaris, "MAMAGOCHEEZE. THERE! I've said it perfectly fine!"

And before they start bickering again, I interrupt, "Enough! Are you guys serious right now? No one cares what their name is. So let it go!"

"See~ I always knew Adrenaline had a soft spot for me~" Maurin winks which pisses me off.

"Don't flatter yourself. You illiterate bastard who can't even remember names properly." I said it out loud on an impulse.

"Ouch."

"Well then, let's get this ridiculous meeting over with." Velaris says.

"Oh and another thing. Velaris will be training you, Adrenaline. We've got a week and since this is a dangerous job, you need to be able to fight. Velaris is the best at combat and handling weapons. So he'll be teaching you everything you need."

Then Maurin gets close to me, "Put your hand forward."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

I put my hand forward hesitatingly and he places something in my palm. "I thought I'd give this to you. Since you've used it once, it belongs to you now. It could be useful in the future, again."

He's mocking me, again. This bastard. He gave me the dagger I used to kill Eve. My dagger. I wish I could stab him with it once and for all. But I simply accept the dagger, leave his office and return to my room.

I hold the dagger in my hands, staring at it and feeling it. It's a pretty dagger precisely why it caught my eye at that antique shop, its handle is simple but elegant. It's hard to believe I used it to murder Eve.

Every evening, I have training sessions with Velaris. He teaches me how to fight and use weapons. I dislike these sessions. Because I know it basically aims at preparing me to be a murderer but I like to think that it's to protect myself cause otherwise I would be letting my dark side take over. Velaris is terrifically good at all this fighting stuff. He's the best fighter of 'Cromwell' (that's the name of this crime organization). Apparently, Velaris and Maurin are both the best and most accomplished members of this organisation, they are their ace cards.

And Velaris, he is also a very strict teacher and the training he gives me is hellish. Also, I've learnt a few new things here:

One, Velaris rarely ever talks, he only speaks when it's absolutely necessary like when giving me instructions on how to fight or use weapons.

Two, I'm terrible at using a gun. I suck at it. I'm terrible at aiming.

Three, I'm fairly better, or even great at handling a sword or knives and daggers. Which also sucks. Cause I never want to cut someone ever again. I still remember how it felt piercing through Eve.

And thus I have decided to train and get better at all this, no matter what! I want to be good enough to be able to fight without having to kill anyone.

But of course, like they say, because life is unpredictable.

It's been a week since then, and it's the day of the party. Many distinguished people (gang members and other regular people who hold a high position in society) will be attending. Maurin, Velaris and I leave for the party wrapped in black robes. Over the outfit I got from Sasha, I'm wearing a black cloak, which is somewhat of a dress, it's got long, wide, loose sleeves and a hood. A narrow strip of golden lace on the front with shiny golden buttons. It's like a medieval style cloak. Maurin and Velaris also wear a black cloak when leaving for the party in Maurin's 1969 mustang. On our way there, Velaris reminds us that our plan is to subtly capture Kobayashi Tanaka. Do not cause any unnecessary scenes as there will obviously be other members of the Yamaguchi and it's better if

we avoid the extra trouble.

"And I'm saying this for you, Maurin. You're the one who needs to keep himself in control." Velaris exclusively reminds Maurin.

"When one has a reputation like ours, it can't be helped that we get wrapped in all the drama." Maurin sounds quite proud of it.

"All I'm saying is, this party better not turn into a slaughterhouse or another arsonist case."

What kind of people are they! Their mere conversation makes me realize that the world I've walked into will be one filled with tragedy.

"Relax, Vel darling. We'll just enjoy the party, pick our buddy up and leave. I don't need you to lecture me, mom~" Maurin teases Velaris as he crosses his arms and rests his head behind.

"Adrenaline, this is your first battlefield, so piece of advice, Be the hunter and not the prey."