The room was simple and elegant. The bed was neatly made, and even the chairs and tables were symmetrically arranged, as though he were a perfectionist.

Halo sat across from Hazard at a tea table, watching as he gently sipped his tea.

"I trust you won't take offense. I was told a woman relieved you of your sense of taste."

Halo smiled awkwardly.

'How much did that bastard tell them?'

He sighed.

"I'm sure you're concerned about the Northern Mist, about who they are, and why Nava's connection to them is both threatening and hard to accept."

Hazard said and rested his cup on the table.

"Yes, I suppose."

Hazard ceased the moment.

"Forming a cohort in this world is no small matter. To ensure strong succession, most have ancestry that reaches to the Ashen Ages, or beyond."

The atmosphere grew calmer and yet eerie.

"Starting a cohort without strong backing isn't easy. Only a handful can do it, and even then, they usually need a god, a powerful being, or a castle behind them."

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Jihriel isn't weak, but he still misses the basics required to lead a cohort. In short, he lacks a powerful force to support him."

Halo's eyes narrowed. That had been his worry too. He was told everyone needed a castle and a powerful leader to start a cohort, and even though the estate they lived in was big enough in its own right, it still wasn't a castle.

"That's where the Northern Mist comes in. This cohort is only a fraction of the actual Northern Mist, which exists in the Ashen Ages. Even so, claiming to be a functional and active cohort without one of the things that truly defines a cohort feels like an insult to them."

None of this made sense to Halo. Sure, cohorts in this world weren't taken lightly, and their high standards were why not everyone could form one, but this was absurd. The NeverLight cohort was barely a year old, why can't the Northern Mist treat it as ants playing with an elephant's foot? Unless…

"Yes, they feel threatened. As I said, Jihriel isn't a weakling, and even without him, I have no doubt you're strong enough to take down this branch of the Northern Mist—unless…"

Halo furrowed his brow, waiting for Hazard, but the calm man only brought up something entirely different.

"Have you heard of anyone who serves the God of Greed?"

Halo glanced through his mind for a moment.

"No, but I can say with confidence that it's one of the four prominent gods here."

Hazard smiled and nodded.

"Greed has the most servants, second only to Lust, Despair, and Destruction. But if we're talking about true servants, those who live long enough to tell the tale, the God of Greed ranks the lowest. Even the God of Songs has more in that regard."

Halo had expected better from the God of Greed since almost everyone had a sense of greed within them. But then he began to understand why he hadn't seen anyone serve Greed.

"Why's that?"

Hazard collected his thoughts for a second or two.

"The price the God of Greed demands from its servants isn't what you'd call a fair trade. Unlike the rest of us, who only pay a price when using our True Abilities, Greed's servants are different…

"They have to constantly claim everything they see. Fail, and Greed consumes them, draining their life until they become nothing more than corpses. That's why most servants of Greed die as Awakeneds, or early on their path into Knight rank."

Halo's skin crawled. God of Greed took the title servants' literary.

"Barely 1% of Greed's servants go on to become Assassins, and even reaching Sovereign is rarer still."

But this meant all those who served Greed and managed to survive were extremely powerful. They had to consume Sin Fragments at a rapid pace and could never tire of it.

"Exactly. They have to consume Sin Fragments at least five times faster than most people, or they won't survive. That also makes them grow stronger faster."

Sweat formed on Halo's brow. Such cruelty.

"Now, this brings us to the Northern Mist. Their leader is, in fact, a servant of Greed."

Hazard was distracted for a moment.

"Not only is he strong, but these people are insane and unpredictable. He was defeated by Kysa not long ago and fled, but now, with Kysa gone, he's bound to return soon."

Halo began massaging his forehead. Kysa knew for certain the troubles her disappearance would cause, and yet she decided to do it anyway. But then he began to understand the weight she had to carry and the reasons behind her actions.

Hazard exhaled deeply.

"I have my suspicions about why Nava is with them, but without concrete proof, it's not something we can act on."

"This is why I need your help. I want your clones to keep an eye on the Northern Mist and report anything noteworthy."

Halo stroked his chin for a second.

"I don't have a problem with that, but none of my clones are familiar with this land. They don't even know where their castle is."

Hazard's expression darkened for a moment, then softened shortly after. He believed he could give better instructions to the clone to find the castle without complicating things.

This prompted Halo to summon Light and for Hazard to take the initiative to explain everything in thorough detail.

Light seemed sharper than ever. Halo didn't know what that bastard was trying to sell, but he was definitely putting in more effort than he usually did.

"Can't you learn from him? He's calm and always says please… Oh, let me guess, you didn't have parents. My bad. Wouldn't it be great if you learned that too? We are in a new world, after all."

Halo's face began twitching with annoyance as he watched Light vanish. The insult toward his parents and the sheer irony of it made his blood boil, but he calmed down shortly after. After all, they shared the same parents.

"Your clone is an interesting one…"

Hazard's words struck Halo's pride once more.

"Tsk!"

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