Chapter 57: Blood Moon is here
*Third District of the Alchemist Clan*
Andromeda advanced with a determined step, her short hair dyed black partially hiding her face under her cape.
She needed to know the identity of The Midnight Star. But even more, she wanted information on Daemon. At the Sandalphon mountains, he had behaved like a completely different person, taking pleasure in dismembering his enemies. She was convinced that this change was linked to the reason why Persephone had sealed his chi core.
"The only place where I can find this information is in the Shadow clan," she murmured to herself as she approached the entrance of an establishment.
The bar blended perfectly into the dilapidated decor of the district. Andromeda pushed open the wooden door and entered inside. The atmosphere was filled with the smells of cheap beer.
The Shadow clan was known to the general public only through rumors, but Andromeda knew it really existed. It was a clan without its own territory, preferring to spread its bases over many domains.
Their specialty was espionage and the collection of information that they sold to the highest bidder. The Shadow clan was therefore technically neither enemy nor ally of the other clans; they were neutral, or rather on the side of their most generous client. Their influence in the underworld was undeniable, and no one could afford to ignore them.
Andromeda sat down on a stool at the counter.
"What can I serve you, miss?" asked the bartender while wiping a glass with a dubious cloth.
Andromeda emerged from her thoughts and raised her head. Her eyes met those of the server, a man with tired features.
"The usual," she replied in a calm voice.
The bartender looked at her more closely, a wrinkle of confusion on his forehead. His eyebrows furrowed as he examined her from head to toe. "Huh?"
"The usual," Andromeda repeated, then she added in a lowered voice: "With white hair and longer..."
The bartender’s eyes widened. He stepped back, his face turning pale. His hand trembled slightly as he put down the glass he was holding. He recognized her now... Blood Moon.
"Calm down, I did not come on behalf of my master," said Andromeda while raising a soothing hand. "Tell your boss that I am here. Make it quick... "
The bartender nodded eagerly. "Yes-yes..." he murmured before disappearing behind a door.
Andromeda waited, arms crossed. The minutes stretched out, punctuated by the sounds of glasses and the conversations of the other customers. Finally, the bartender reappeared and signaled her to follow him.
She followed him through a narrow hallway. The bartender stopped in front of a dilapidated door.
"Blood Moon is here," he announced while stepping aside.
Andromeda pushed the door and entered a large room, much more luxurious than the rest of the establishment. Thick carpets covered the floor, paintings adorned the walls, and a crystal chandelier diffused a warm light. In the center of the room, a leather couch had a portly man sitting on it with a cigar in his mouth. Two women in light outfits massaged his shoulders while a third was seated on his lap.
At the sight of Blood Moon, the portly man made a casual gesture with his hand. The women stood up immediately, one of them quickly adjusting her cleavage before leaving the room in silence.
Andromeda remained standing at the threshold of the room, arms crossed. Her gaze cast a disdainful glance at the ostentatious decor, then settled on the man. "You are still a pig, from what I see," she said in an icy tone.
The man, whose name was Gurn, the head of this Shadow clan base, smiled broadly.
He took a long puff from his cigar before placing it in an ashtray. He adjusted his clothes, taking all his time to respond. "You are very wanted, Blood Moon... What makes you think I will not hand you over?"
Andromeda approached the couch: "You are too afraid of Vamp to make that kind of decision without consulting him."
Gurn sighed: "Well, what do I owe the visit of the greatest work of The Painter?"
Andromeda’s jaws tightened. "The next time you call me that, I will kill you, you filthy pig!"
Gurn raised both hands in a sign of appeasement: "Sit down, miss... Let’s talk calmly. You say you did not come under the order of The Painter..." He pointed to an armchair in front of him, inviting Andromeda to sit.
She complied: "Indeed. I need information for personal matters."
"Hmmm... I see," said Gurn while tilting his head. "Well, you know that the information here is not free... I will answer five of your questions... But you will have to do me a small favor in exchange."
Andromeda narrowed her eyes, wary. "What exactly?"
"The Venom entrusted me with a small fortune. They want me to hire an assassin to kill the head of the Fire Elemental House. A juicy contract, but... difficult to fulfill with the elements currently available."
"I no longer do that kind of work," Andromeda replied without hesitation. "I can pay you. Just give me the price of your information."
Gurn burst out laughing: "Miss Blood Moon... do you really see me short of money?"
Andromeda remained silent. She knew that the Venom Clan and the Magic Clan maintained a rivalry, a hatred simmering for generations. She did not want to get involved in these quarrels. But she wanted information on The Midnight Star. She wanted to understand what had happened to Daemon and why Persephone had sealed his chi core.
The seconds passed. Finally, she let out a long sigh.
"Give me your documents on him," she said in a weary voice.
***
Andromeda was settled in a shabby room of an inn in the first district of the Magic Clan, Gurn’s documents spread out in front of her on a table.
"Lord Wade was really a pig..." she murmured to herself while shaking her head in disgust. "Like most guys anyway."
Lord Wade BlackFire was the head of the first district of the Magic Clan territory, a position of power that he used without any restraint. According to the information gathered by the Shadow clan, he exclusively took women as servants, forming a large harem in his manor.
The rumors said that he regularly dismissed those who aged or who no longer pleased him, to recruit fresher young women. He was truly a pervert without scruples, and Andromeda felt nausea rising in her imagining what those poor women must endure.
Andromeda narrowed her eyes while staring at the roughly drawn plan of the manor on one of the documents. "At least, it will be easier to infiltrate Lord BlackFire’s manor..."