At the Staples family headquarters...
Shelby had just heard about the return of Vicente in the basilisk that was supposed to be hunted in The Rocky Gorge and was naturally shocked to hear such a thing from her trusted person, Molly.
Molly was going over what she'd just heard from Shelby's informants around town, so she was shocked, too, as she hadn't expected something so extreme to happen to one of her allies.
But how could she not be shocked? Vicente returning with a 3rd stage beast was beyond her and her miss' wildest dreams!
In the blink of an eye, Vicente had gone from a young man with potential to perhaps the strongest and most influential in Millfall!
With him on their side, it would only be a matter of time before they put their plans into action.
But as Molly finished speaking, another of Shelby's subordinates rushed into the orange-haired woman's personal area with a terrible expression on his face.
"Miss, I bring urgent news. The leader of the Scarlet Syndicate has just been confirmed dead! Brody Wright was found lifeless in his office a few minutes ago." A middle-aged man said, causing Shelby and Molly to look at him strangely.
"What?" Shelby rose from her seat as she shouted.
"How can that be? What happened?"
"I don't know for sure. The information is still being gathered." The man dressed as a butler said. "But it seems that the Scarlet Syndicate is already in the process of choosing a new leader. According to our observers, Waylon Aceron will take over the faction with the support of Cesar Mazzanti."
Molly and Shelby narrowed their eyes as they heard this and connected the dots.
'Vicente has just returned from The Rocky Gorge...' Shelby closed her eyes momentarily. 'This is his doing! Waylon is probably just his puppet. He's really the one who will lead the Scarlet Syndicate!'
Thinking about it, Shelby smiled and said. "Very good. Arrange a meeting with Mira Burt for me. I want to meet her later today."
"Mira?" Molly looked at Shelby and imagined this could only be an excuse since it wouldn't make sense for her Miss to meet such a person right now.
Mira was one of Shelby's best friends. But she was the complete opposite of Miss Point in her intelligence and her contempt for nobility.
Mira was just someone Shelby liked to spend time with and who she knew wasn't a bad person, even if she was the daughter of a man who could soon become a nobleman.
'The Miss probably wants to find a way to meet Vicente without attracting attention.' Molly thought and immediately set off to arrange things.
...
Meanwhile, Jasmine was standing before a grey-haired woman, her friend Layla, who had arrived in town the night before.
Gulp!
"Jasmine, I'm happy for you, but..." Layla swallowed her saliva as she considered the news of Cesar's return next to a 3rd-stage basilisk. "I'll probably die soon. Cesar Mazzanti won't include me in his plans now that he's made a deal with you and has such a powerful beast."
Jasmine was startled by the information that had taken her by surprise moments ago, not expecting Cesar to be so successful in his little trip through The Rocky Gorge.
She had been trying to convince her friend to make a deal with Cesar and have herself examined by Casey later today. Still, this information had reached her before she could get any results.
'How did he manage to do it while being only a 2nd stage magician?' She wondered, not understanding what could have happened.
A scholar like Newton would devise several justifications to explain Vicente's situation. But 'ordinary' people would find it difficult to understand feats outside the norm.
Even though she was very talented and came from a good background, Jasmine was far from understanding such facts as well as Newton would.
Anyway, she had a more pressing problem on her mind.
"Layla, don't worry about it. It's actually good for us."
"Good? How?" Layla smiled bitterly at her friend. "Now he can kill me much easier."
"It's not that simple." Jasmine shook her head, making her pink hair float in the air. "Cesar getting stronger is good. It means he'll have a better chance of solving the situation Mark will try to create. That will increase our chances of survival!"
"Is that so?" Layla sighed, having already told Jasmine that Mark had no intention of not causing trouble and would soon be arriving in Millfall, bringing issues for everyone involved in the previous situation outside of Ironcrest.
"Yes. Trust me, Layla. Make a deal with Cesar and let Mister Amnesia have your memories. You'll prove your loyalty to him, and that will bring you over to our side." Jasmine said confidently. "Cesar is no fool. He won't stop at Millfall. That beast he just defeated is nothing compared to what we can offer him. He knows that and won't abandon you for it!"
"Sigh... I guess I have no choice but to trust that."
...
Meanwhile, Marcus had already heard the latest news while under house arrest and was shocked to discover the 3rd-stage basilisk everyone feared had become a mount for Cesar.
At the same time, his father was already back at the Symons estate, trying to find a way to resolve his family's problems with Casa Mazzanti.
As much as he was a noble of the kingdom and the most influential in Millfall, the Viscount now felt he had to be as careful as possible with Cesar Mazzanti.
With a 3rd-stage basilisk, Cesar's strength would be comparable to the strongest in Millfall!
He didn't think his family was in danger because he had the kingdom on his side. But his influence was certainly under threat less than three weeks before his family's wedding to House Staples.
"Your Grace, shall I contact our allies?" The Viscount's bodyguard, a level 9 General, asked as he looked at his boss after seeing him finish a conversation with another local noble.
Viscount Symons looked at the Sir behind him and said. "Put our friends on alert. I don't think there's much chance of us being attacked. Cesar looks pretty reasonable and shouldn't attack us. But let's not take any chances. Prepare our friends for action."
With that order, the level 9 General disappeared from the room on the Symons estate, while the Viscount stayed behind, sighing as he thought about everything that had happened.
"Sigh..."
'The Scarlet Syndicate had to fall just now? Who will replace them?' He wondered, not knowing as much as Shelby, imagining that this faction would disappear without their leader, just like Defiant Tyranny had.
