The Reincarnated Villainous Young Master's Guide to Happiness

Chapter 8: Notes

He only found a small remnant of them in the latest history book--and even then, he wasn't sure if the Syndicate was the same group written down in the records.

He found there were branches and leaves. They all stretched from the base of the tree. He wasn't sure which part of it he was supposed to look for.

According to history, during the Lesser Krieg War, the Syndicate were efficient and cruel, starting off as contracted mercenaries to the Empire.

Something happened during the beginning of peacetime after the war and it was said that the group went rogue and fell into the underworld, disappearing into obscurity. Their contact with other individuals was private. No one knew the identities of the other contactors besides the Syndicate--the main tree.

Neo frowned.

Just how well-connected were they to root him out?

Could there be other children connected to the Syndicate as well?

There was a legend in the slums where if you wished upon a star, your wish might come true. Nazareth was too old for wishes, but he thought he might as well try. There should be other lesser fortunate children who also made wishes.

And as long as they were capable, it was likely that the Syndicate would find them.

He could never forget the emerald-like hummingbird flying into his room with a little letter tied to its legs on the day he turned twelve. The sight had been magical.

Nazareth was foolish and took the deal. He didn't question their intentions to work with him. Rumors about his scummy reputation had already run rampant, so he didn't think much of their willingness to cooperate.

It had been supposedly a good exchange. All that the Syndicate desired was his expertise.

For such a conniving kid, he really should have questioned how they came about this information.

In the Red Light District, he was taught healing plants and their uses. In the Manor, he became an expert in poison-making, a creative designer of its delivery. He had memorized and worked with both, experimented with them, and used his knowledge for nefarious reasons.

But it was all in secret.

The only one who knew his capabilities had been his mummy. She had seen something in him. And perhaps his suppliers. He would think they knew something was up with how frequent his visits were.

The Syndicate commissioned him to make the Slave Emblem--him, a twelve-year-old--and in exchange, they would help him kill Aurelion.

He didn't realize how wrong it all sounded.

That was his first mistake.

When all his deeds were exposed to the public, the Syndicate remained unseen and unheard of.

He fell into a pit.

They lost nothing.

He was given a year to complete his commission. The Slave Emblem was an intricate talisman made with one part magic and eight-part poison. The pain of the application was on purpose. It was designed to break and torture the spirit of the emblem's victim.

It required a few specific common healing plants and his own twisted knowledge of healing magic.

He already had a good foundation for creating healing runes. All it took was to strike out a few specific marks and voila! The result was the opposite of anesthesia and numbing cream...

It was one of his greatest creations, but he had damned so many with it.

Neo pulled out another personal journal with dates and numbers.