The Greatest Sinner

"What is it?" Asked Kilia.

"Right after you leave, I'm going to go to the place indicated to me to join the Demonic Tree. I want to ask you some questions." Calmly said Evan.

"Mr. Rave told me you were busy with an experiment, did you decide to put it off for later?" Kilia asked.

Evan nodded, "Yes, the one year that Rave gave me is not enough for me. I have other things to do, just like all of us."

"I understand what you want to know?" Said Kilia. She didn't mind answering Evan's questions, but only because Rave was interested in Evan.

A mere mage on the - Two-Pointed Star stage couldn't get her attention. She was many times stronger.

<Hmm, this guy has already reached that stage. It's unbelievable. However, if by the time he was in our castle, he was already close to breaking his third Barrier, it's not surprising>. Kilia thought.

There weren't many mages at the Two-Pointed Star stage in every organization. On the other hand, there were a huge number of them compared to the mages in the - Three-Pointed Star stage.

"When I join the Demonic Tree, will I have to obey the orders of my elders? And if I have to, for how long?" Evan asked.

He wanted to join the Demonic Tree, but he wanted to get resources from this organization and become stronger with it. He was particularly interested in forbidden spells and the Seven Princes of Hell spell quest.

"I see. You want to finish your business first and then be active within the organization. But, it's not that simple. Even though you're already in the - Two-Pointed Star stage, you'll still be a novice for at least one year when you join the organization." Kilia quickly replied.

"I take it pledges aren't allowed to act on their own?" Evan was cautious.

"Not exactly, but the gist is similar. Regardless of your strength, you'll be a newbie pledge because we have to see if you're loyal to us first. We are the most dangerous and powerful dark organization in The Kingdom of Fallen Hopes. We have to trust the person and know that their goals are the same as ours before we can call them a full member." Pronounced Kilia.

Evan thought to himself, <Hmm, that makes perfect sense. They are entitled to assume that another such newcomer or I might be a traitor. If I were them, I would do the same.>

He sighed and asked, "What does a newbie have to do to earn trust?"

Kilia replied, "It's simple, this year, you, like the other newbies, will do the errands given to you. They will be different so that we can test how you will act in different situations. If there are no complaints or suspicions about you during the year, you become a full member of the Demonic Tree."

"Huh, isn't it dangerous to tell me that? I can pretend to be your ally, but I'll actually stab you in the back." Evan said with a smirk.

Kilia didn't react in any way and calmly said, "Don't overestimate yourself. You can't pretend in tasks like this, and we can easily tell if your intentions are sincere or not."

<And they are sure of themselves, there must have been several people trying to trick them in that amount of time. I'm sure they've suffered a fate far worse than mere death.> Evan thought.

"Okay, so in order to stop being a newbie and gain credibility, I have to fulfill the goals set before me perfectly. That's pretty fair and smart, but what are the limitations of being a rookie? What will I be allowed to do, and what won't I be allowed to do?" Evan asked.

"I'll explain now, but before I do, I'll tell you that even if you fail some tasks, it's no big deal. Not all of our members are equally strong, and we understand that. The most important thing is your goals, desires, and ambitions. With that, anyone can become strong enough."

Kilia sighed and continued, "As a newbie, you will be allowed to use the arsenal, the spell archive, the labs, and so on. But, you won't be allowed access to the kind of information or items available to full members of our organization. That information must not get to an unverified person. You also won't have access to operations that only full members of the Demonic Tree can participate in."

"I take it that the search for lost spells, the archive of forbidden spells, and the spells of the Seven Princes of Hell will not be available to me?" Asked Evan. It was this knowledge and quests that interested him the most.

"Of course. You asked if you would have to obey your elders, and my answer is yes. While you are a novice, you will have to do the tasks assigned to you, but otherwise, you will be completely free. Moreover, you can refuse some tasks, but only some of them. Otherwise, we won't be able to trust you, or it will have to be a lot longer than one year." Said Kilia.

"When I become a full member, I can do whatever I want? Am I right?" Asked Evan. Freedom has always been and would always be his first priority.

In Evan's opinion, if the Demonic Tree would restrict his freedom or force him to do something without good reason, this organization was no different from the Tear of Light with its rules.

"Of course, total freedom, but you can't attack your own, steal secret materials, and so on down the list. We don't spare traitors, but I think you know that yourself. Once you've proven that we can trust you, you can do whatever you want. Of course, you can also take part in the operations and missions of our organization. There is a reward for everyone who participates in a mission. But I didn't have to explain that to you. Said Kilia.

<Good, to be honest, I was a little worried that Demonic Tree might be hypocrites. But I think I got the right impression of them.> Evan thought.

Evan would be greatly disappointed if the Demonic Tree turned out to be like the Tears of Light. This world would have reminded him of his past.

"A year..." Mumbled Evan.. "Kilia, is there any way we can get your trust sooner? A year is quite a long time."