The population of Angles Street consisted of more than a thousand people. It was a large district. As a result, Helena was not familiar with every corner of it. She had never visited the western part of the street or the dark alleys, where illegal transactions took place. There was no reason for Helena to do it.
That was her first time visiting that area. She followed Adham to the mercenary guild. They went from a small street to an alley. It was different from the Angles Street she knew. The surroundings were quiet, dingy, and shabby. The further they went, the shadier and scarier the people she encountered. Helena felt uncomfortable under the deadly glare of the inhabitants. However, she had expected this side of Angles Street. Places where the law did not reach were nothing new and existed everywhere. Even Noble Street had its own shady business going on.
"Don't stare too much. It's a giveaway for your first visit here. You might get robbed or kidnapped."
Helena stroked her chest. "My decision to bring Violet on this trip was right."
Helena stopped glancing around and asked Adham a question. "I thought you were just a normal mercenary. How do you know the location of the information guild?"
"Mercenary is a job that relies on information. It's common for us to know one or two information guilds. Sometimes, the outcome of our job is valuable intel. We get additional income from providing them with new information."
They finally reached their destination after walking for a few minutes. The information guild was disguised as a tavern. It was a two-storey brick building with cracks in the walls and a worn-out appearance. The place was packed with rowdy people. Some men were drinking in silence, eating, or talking loudly. Voluptuous women accompanied and sat next to them, wearing attire that was rather revealing. While Helena and Violet examined their surroundings, Adham approached the bar and greeted the attendant.
"How do you do, Lisa?"
Lisa was a woman in her twenties. The brunette was wearing a waitress uniform and was standing behind the bar. Her green eyes sparkled when she saw Adham. "It's rare to see you on holiday, Whitesmithe. I see you brought some friends. Is one of them your girlfriend?"
"Stop teasing me. I'm here for a meal."
"What would you like to order?"
"I'll have a medium-rare steak and a blue grape tonic. These two will have the same."
The woman nodded at his request. "We'll serve you at the back. Please come in."
Helena was confused. "Huh? Why in the back?"
Adham replied. "You see why."
Unlike the tavern, there were no customers in the back room. Lisa pushed some bricks on the wall, revealing a hidden passage. Helena was amazed and applauded the mechanism. "Wow! I thought such a secret entrance only existed in fiction!"
Lisa chuckled at Helena's reaction. "Whitesmith, where did you meet this adorable young woman? You should take her to a better place than this tavern."
"Don't be fooled. That woman is the one who commissioned me."
"My, how surprising."
Adham shifted his attention to Helena and grinned. "The blue tonic drink is real anyway. It uses lemon instead of grapes. You should try it."
Lisa turned her head towards him. "Are you going to be their guide, Whitesmithe?"
He shrugged. "I've already received the payment."
Behind the wall was a hidden staircase in a narrow space. The stairs led upstairs to rooms. Everyone walked up and followed Adham. He knocked on the door of a room and spoke his name before entering. "This is Whitesmithe."
"Come in."
Helena guessed that they used the structure of the building to hide the meeting place. In the story Helena read, the guest room of the information guild would have couches, fancy carpets, a chandelier, and expensive decorations. Yet that room resembled a workplace more than a place to receive guests. It contained two wooden chairs, cupboards filled with files, a desk, and a single ceiling lamp.
"Reality sure is bleak..."
Helena saw a man sitting behind his desk. From his appearance, he appeared to be in his forties or older. That man had a white moustache and stubble. He wore a white shirt, khaki trousers, and had tied his grey hair into a low ponytail. His amber eyes gazed at Helena from head to toe behind his glasses.
"Hey, Adham! I heard you brought a woman here. You've finally brought your partner!"
"Shut it, Old Man. She's a customer. She paid me in front, and I couldn't refuse."
He chuckled and stood up from his seat. "No wonder you work on a holiday."
Helena was intrigued by their interaction. "Do you guys know each other?"
He walked over to Adham and ran his hand through the younger man's hair. "I raised this brat."
Adham just pouted at the childish treatment. "Cut it out! You embarrassed me!"
"Aw, you hurt this old man." He wept dramatically. "I cannot believe such a sweet boy has become a nuisance. When you were five, you used to cling to me all the time and—"
"NOOOO!" Adham covered the man's mouth with his hand. His face was red. "We're here for work! Stop telling everyone about my childhood!"
That man laughed and stared at Helena. "I suppose this lady is searching for some information?"
He somehow recognised her. "You know me?"
"Helena Blackmoore, right?" He moved closer to her. "You're not as famous as the three princes of this country, but you're well known on the streets. A selfless young woman who rose from a commoner to nobility. She was given the title 'Saint' for her kind heart. It's a wonderful fairy tale for the general public."
He bowed like a gentleman and kissed her hand. "My name is Siegfried. May I be of assistance to this lovely young lady?"
Helena glanced at her maid. "Can you leave us, Violet?"
Violet was reluctant, but obeyed. "Of course. I'll wait outside."
Adham yawned and turned around. "Well, I finished my work. I'll be downstairs if you need me."
He left, closing the door and leaving her alone with the Guild Master. Siegfried stared into her grey eyes. "Time to do business. What brought you here?"
Helena sat down in front of him. "I'm looking for information about Paradise Star."
He was perplexed by her remark and tilted his head, "Let me confirm something first. Do you know anything about Paradise Star?"
She shook her head. "Not at all. Why?"
"Well, that explains your lack of surprise." He adjusted his glasses. "Paradise Star is a cult."
"A WHAT?!"
"You heard me. It's a cult."
Helena could not believe what she had heard. She recalled the demon's words to her.
"Blame the cult that brought me to the world."
This new information shook her to the core. Helena was horrified to learn the truth.
"Oh God... That bastard was not lying. It was the clue behind my regression. A cult made me go back in time... but why? I was never involved with them in the first place!"
"Hello, Lady Blackmoore. Are you there?"
Helena snapped out of her thoughts. "Sorry, my mind wandered for a moment."
Siegfried continued his explanation. "Paradise Star was a cult involved in the illegal use of substances, human sacrifice, human trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and fraud. No one knows the structure of the organisation or who its leader is. It was a very discreet group catering for wealthy individuals."
Siegfried took his pipe out from under the desk. He lit it and began to smoke. "The cult held secret underground gatherings and a black market where they sold their slaves and other goods. You need to be a member or obtain an invitation to attend it."
Helena was pondering in silence. It seemed that the cult was a well-organised syndicate rather than a group of thugs and fraudsters. "How do I get the invitation?"
"If we knew, we wouldn't be sitting here like this. The cult is a dangerous organization. The royalty has been hunting it for years with no luck."
She frowned at the information. "The royalty are after the cult? This is very important. Why does no one know about it?"
"They're covering it up. You're a smart girl. Go ahead and take a guess."
Helena thought for a moment. Why would they hide something this big? After a few minutes of brainstorming, she came to one conclusion.
"They… involved in it?"
"Correct!"
Helena was almost speechless. "Really?"
"The cult is a slippery opponent. Someone is supporting Paradise Star from behind, but nobody knows who it is. They suspect that some high-ranking nobles are pulling the strings. The royalty are hiding it to prevent turbulence. Imagine how chaotic the situation would be if the truth were revealed. The commoners will be angry with the nobles, and the other nobles will be at each other's throats."
"This is bigger than I thought. Is it all right for you to tell me this?"
"No, but I'll put it in your tab!"
Siegfried stood up from his seat. He walked over to a cabinet, picked up a file, and put it on his desk. "This is our investigation into Paradise Star."
Helena took the file and read it. It was full of reports on missing people related to the cult, as well as knights who were found dead after investigating. The cult apparently had a symbol depicting a snake coiled around a sword with a star above it. Helena staggered when she reached the last piece of paper. She finished reading everything in five minutes. Her eyebrows furrowed at the lack of material.
"Wait, that's it?"
"Yes, and that'll be twenty gold, but I'll give you a fifty percent discount. Think of it as a special price for our first customer."
Helena rolled her eyes and took out the gold. Siegfried grinned at the sight of the pouch. Now she learnt where Adham acquired his habit.
"Glad to do business with you! Just have one question. Why are you looking into Paradise Star?"
She glared at him and replied in a cold voice. "I have no obligation to answer."
Siegfried understood his place. "Of course, my apologies. I hope you will return."
Siegfried smiled as he watched Helena leave the room. After she closed the door, his friendly demeanour disappeared. He sat behind his desk and touched his forehead. Siegfried pulled out a piece of paper and wrote something on it.
"This is for the best."
Helena went downstairs alone and slapped her forehead. She forgot the way out. Helena was lucky that Adham was waiting for her in the back room.
"Are you done talking with the Old Man?"
"Yes, thank you for waiting. I can't remember how to return to the tavern."
"Well, your maid is waiting outside and making a fuss. She said something about how bad you are at directions, so I'm here to escort you back."
Helena covered her face in shame. She could imagine Violet throwing a tantrum right in front of the bar. Before the embarrassment took over, Helena shifted the conversation. "Do you know Mister Siegfried for a long time? You two look close."
"He's my guardian. He found me on the street and brought me to the orphanage. Old Man taught me survival skills and swordsmanship. You could say I owe my life to him."
Upon hearing it, Helena felt her heart sink. Yet, she decided to remain silent. She should not get too involved with Adham in this life. It would disrupt her objective.
It was time to go back with Violet. Helena had found what she was looking for. Before returning to her mansion, Helena expressed her gratitude to Adham. "Thank you for your help. I'm sorry to have ruined your holiday."
He showed her his coin pouch. "Don't worry about it. I've already accepted compensation."
Helena went home feeling puzzled. She drew a few new conclusions and recorded them in her book. Firstly, there was a darn cult hiding in this kingdom. Secondly, the cult had managed to summon a demon. Thirdly, the demon sent her back in time at someone's behest.
Who could be crazy and desperate enough to strike a deal with a demon?
Helena slumped onto the bed. She was exhausted after discovering the truth about Paradise Star. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect her opponent to be a whole cult. Now, Helena must prepare herself for the worst-case scenario.
"I think it's time to build up my strength."