Part 1

Vice Chamberlain, Sashimaru Daizen and I were surveying the progress of the town-square and market. We were in disguise. The result of that observation was clear. I didn't like the current situation of the people. I wanted to strangle the 'shadow' king with my own two bare hands. How could he let them be in this poor state of impoverishment and depravity? The rich merchants got richer by oppressing the lower traders and farmers of their goods. There were no standard in measurement for any dry or wet goods.

Price hiking and cheating the public were one of the ways the traders could gain what they'd lost. Good legible establishments were fewer, many closed down or chose to leave town because the price of properties and land were high. Only those with money could survive by giving bribes to land, building, or trading officials for them to stay in business. The ones in full swing were establishments of ill repute where money was God and peoples' well beings were less than animals'.

I glanced at Daizen in disgust, "The morality level here is atrocious. I see the royal high officials weren't doing their proper jobs. I'll need to see the records of all property leasing and the officers in charge for the last five years. Get them ready by noon tomorrow."

"I also want to see the reports on the trading of wet and dry goods by farmers, fishermen with traders and merchants and the trading officers in charge for the past five years. Get them ready the day after tomorrow. The reports should be on my table before I come in." I was determined to write a full proof Act of Merchant Trading and Taxation when I'm in my study after examining the records.

There wasn't room for arguments. Everything was absolute. The VC went pale with shock and then hung his head in defeat.

Suddenly, I heard terrible shouting and heart-wrenching cries from a tavern on my right. I nodded my head to assigned guards in disguise to wait for my signal outside the tavern. I glanced and motioned the VC to come along. He looked forlorn as he followed me into the tavern and nearly ran out like a coward when he saw how unruly the situation in the tavern was.

But I grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him to me, "Endure it!"

We sat at a table next to the window. A scruffy looking wench approached and enquired our orders. I glanced at her then the tavern and smiled apologetically, "Later." The tavern was filthy with cockroaches, lizards and occasional rats scurrying by our feet and their droppings was enough to make the VC turn a slight shade of green. My eyes were focused on five monkeys in uniform acting unpleasantly towards the tavern workers.

They were bullying a small girl aged five who was sprawled on the floor. They tripped her on purpose. The wooden utensils and the remains were strewn on the floor. They bawled in laughter. They sounded like a pack of crazed hyenas. The tavern keeper apologized profusely while scolding and beating the small girl with a broom. One of the officers, grabbed her by her arm and shook her, she cried in pain and fear. One of the wenches implored them to stop hurting the child.

Another officer with a scar on his left cheek grabbed her arm and yelled at her. "My comrade will stop, only if you licked the dirt on my boots."

She looked shocked, humiliated, with a pained expression etched on her tired face. But, she braved herself for the sake of the little girl and was on her knees. She held the booted foot in her hands, closed her eyes and was about to lick it when she felt a swift 'whoosh' and felt her face drenched in warm liquid. There was a bloodcurdling scream from a man. She quickly opened her eyes to see blood on her hands, clothes and without doubt on her face. The blood belonged to the man whose boot she was about to lick.

Everyone in the tavern was shocked into silence. The fellow's booted foot lay in a bloodied heap on the floor. The fellow was howling and rolling on the floor in pain. The other four officers looked at the trail of blood and saw a slightly built young man with startling brown eyes and short, black hair wounding a unique metallic whip round his waist. He was a bishounen. The stranger was with a company who had passed out due to too much 'excitement.'

"What's the meaning…"

The stranger held a firm hand up, "What's in code 231 of the military statutory act?"

Perturbed, the military officer with an eye patch looked at him, "Who are you?"

"Someone who would spare your lives should you answer wisely," He eyed the four officers predatorily. He stood with hands behind his back.

The thin looking officer, trembled and spoke, "Code 231 is to protect and serve the people of this kingdom along with the royal houses representatives of this kingdom. Any ungracious acts from officers, low, middle and high ranking would be dealt severely by a special enforcer appointed by the king." The other three glared at him. He gulped in fear of his comrades, and of the commanding yet mysterious stranger.

The brown eyed stranger was expressionless, "What does code 343 indicate?" The question was directed at the thin officer.

The thin officer went pale as he answered, "A traitor who discloses his company's circumstances and/or whereabouts would be subjected for tongue removal and slow agonising death. No appealing representations allowed."

The mysterious stranger whistled shrilly. A few special officers burst into the tavern, the captain saluting him, "Your Excellency, which of these rats needed drowning?"

"None, Capt Murasaki, however, please bring in a healer to see to the squealing rat." He indicated at the writhing form on the floor. The captain motioned two of his men to look into the injured military officer. "Also, I've come to a decision on these five characters."

The four gasped in horror at the sight of the fearsome force backing the bishounen. The famous and fearsome captain was a subordinate of this bishounen. Who was this young man? What decision? They stared at the brown-eyed man who looked at them in antipathy.

"You three are demoted to rank private. You'll be deported to the remotest area of this kingdom known as Rikaku Desert." He pointed at the three surprised officers.

They groaned in protest. The one with the eye patch queried the bishounen's authority. "Who are you? You've no right to decide anything."

Capt. Murasaki bellowed, "Why you…" He was stopped after receiving a single glare from the young man.

Ignoring the officer with the eye patch, he shifted his attention to his thin comrade. "You," he pointed at the quivering thin officer, "don't belong in military service. You're thus, relieved of duty without compensation. The military can't afford to have weaklings like you jeopardising their mission."

"But…" Then he immediately clamped up.

The brown eyed young man gave him a withering stare, "Or would you rather die an agonising death…" The thin officer shook his head.

The mysterious young man nodded, "Good." Glancing at the injured man, the mysterious bishounen informed Capt. Murasaki, "He's relieved from duty without compensation. Uncivilised acts would weaken a united force. Enter in their files what they've done."

The young man knelt beside the heavily injured small girl. The little girl was curled into a tight fetal position and was shivering. He pressed his palm gently on the girl's forehead. A frowned etched his handsome face. "She's burning up." He looked for the brave tavern wench and motioned her forward. "She's in your care. Follow Corporal Ikeda. He'll take care of the both of you. Capt. Murasaki, there're still unfinished business here."

They approached the tavern keeper. But, the eye-patched officer intervened, "I asked who you were."

The mysterious bishounen gave him a cold stare, "Someone who'll spare your live but unfortunately not your livelihood. You're a disgrace to this profession. The best for the three of you to learn is through the hardships of an officer and gentleman. Only then will you value life."

The man was taken aback with the remark and looked intimidated and shrank back.

The mysterious young man narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction at the tavern keeper. "I'm sickened at the deplorable state of your tavern. This isn't an establishment, but a house full of rotting corpses by the look and smell of it."

The tavern keeper's eyes widened in fury and fear, "What? That's ludicrous. Our customers haven't complaint a bit about…"

The young man banged his fist on the dirty counter. The rotted wood gave in. "See what I mean, ROTTEN! And, you've pests for pets running about." The tavern keeper jumped back while the bishounen took an empty but moldy jug, "The customers can't complain because you have bastards to pound their faces in." He let the jug slip from his grip. It broke into smithereens. "Your establishment is closed. Your operating license revoked and you're fined 35,000 silver nuggets. Sergeant Honzo, book him."

Those in the tavern, were in shock, and were speechless. The tavern keeper and the four condemned officers asked Sergeant Honzo who the mysterious brown eyed bishounen was, as he went out of the tavern, while Capt Murasaki shook the VC roughly for him to wake up.

"That's Lord Haruka Ran, the prime heir to the Tsubaki Clan that the shadow king had appointed as his troubleshooter."

TO BE CONTINUED…

A/N: Lord Haruka Ran from the Tsubaki Clan is actually as you've predicted, is Lady Haruhi Fujioka but under elusive circumstances she'd become Lord Haruka Ran. Don't worry, the details will be revealed as the story progresses. Of course, she's the Tenshi and Kyouya Heika's the Akuma. So, there'll be lots of tension and funny moments too.