Chapter 30.
Natsuki watched from the cliff by her cabin as the Arcadia set sail.
"It seems the Baroness came to see us off," Emeraldas smiled to Harlock.
Harlock stood on the bow of the ship and saluted the daughter of his late friend. He was too far away to see her face, but he sensed that she was smiling.
"Life is a series of meetings, partings, and reunions," Harlock said.
"I've heard that somewhere before," Emeraldas said, smiling at him.
"Our young friend in the German Army, Meryl Stryfe," Harlock said, "She was quite profound for her young age, and quite a shot with a derringer. I wonder if we'll have a reunion, some day."
"Well, I for one am anxious to have our next Reunion with Kanzaki, so that we may then have a final parting from him. He'll be clever enough not to haul anchor right away. He'll wait a day or two to set sail, and make like he's heading out to sea, before looping back to try and find our 'poor crippled ship'."
"And he'll find that her teeth are sharper than he counted on," Tochiro joined them, "Plus, I have a few new toys I'd like to try out on him."
Harlock grinned, "Tochiro, did you go and build something irresponsible and impressive, again?"
"Well, we'll see when we put it to use," Tochiro returned Harlock's grin, "Also, I serviced the Baroness's weapons before we set out. She'd worked out how to clean them from books left in the colony, but there's a big difference between what she could do with the scant supplies left behind and what I could do for her."
"I think you admire her a bit, Tochiro," Emeraldas smiled at her lover.
"Don't we all?" Tochiro smiled back at her, leaning against her affectionately, "That girl has the same will to survive that has been our ideal since we all took to the sea, and she has a strong sense of right and wrong. For people like us, there are few places we can go safely. It's nice to have at least one port where we know we'll always have a friend."
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"I don't like it," Mikoto said, "Natsuki's home is another country, now?"
"I don't like it either, Mikoto," Mai sighed, "But I don't know what to do."
"I'll tell you what we do," Yuuichi said, "We walk over to the new place, this Garderobe, and we set up there. 'King Nagi' is proposing some hefty taxes, for one thing. He's not interested in letting anyone here prosper. He just wants people he can control.
"There are five ships' worth of passengers out there, getting ready to disembark, and every last one of them an indentured servant. And guess who Nagi will turn to for work and such when he has the choice. Not the free citizens he has to pay."
"Then I've arrived just in time," Alyssa smiled.
"Alyssa?"
"Natsuki has stated that any citizen of Windbloom who wishes to come over to Garderobe and become a citizen there has her blessing. She told me to make sure to make the offer to you, first. And there's plenty of others who've already slipped over there to ask. Nao. The Otome. I suspect that Suzushiro, Kikukawa, Senoh, and Harada will all want to join. And of course, your brother Takumi and his wife Akira, Mai."
"Oh, by all means, if you won't be happy hear, I encourage you to depart," Nagi strolled by, "You needn't be clandestine about it. And you may tell your pet Baroness that if she wants to free all of my indentured servants, and bankrupt her Barony all at once, I'm more than willing to receive the gold from her coffers."
"You're disgusting," Mai spat.
"As if the opinion of a commoner matters to me," Nagi shrugged, "However, since I am technically your King, now, you can either apologize, or I can have my guards here put you in the pillory for…hmmm…a week."
Mai's response was to throw out insults in words that were so alien to her that everyone present looked utterly flabbergasted. Nagi sighed and snapped his fingers. Two well armed and armored men grabbed Mai.
"A week in the pillory will kill her, Nagi!" Alyssa said sharply.
"As you're the sister of a neighboring noble, and also a child, I'll be a bit more lenient with you," Nagi said, "But you will address me by my proper title, or you will find yourself in a very grave situation."
"I'll take my leave, King Nagi," Alyssa said, turning.
She had only one destination in mind. She raced up the hill as quickly as she could. She was not surprised to learn that she was being followed. But these new guards did not know the way as she did.
She was almost to the cabin when there was a loud noise, and a man grabbed her shoulder, "You're about to have a very unfortunate accident."
"I don't think I am," Alyssa said evenly, and smiled.
The man made to shove her off the edge of the cliff, to fall to the beach below, when a blade sprouted from his chest, having been shoved through his back.
"Thank you, Miyu," Alyssa smiled, "I'm glad you've been keeping an eye out. I'm afraid you'll have to leave Windbloom when Nagi finds out."
"That's fine, Miss Alyssa," Miyu smiled gently, "I was planning on it, anyway. You don't live in Windbloom, after all."
Alyssa and Miyu reached the cabin, where they found Natsuki sitting on the cliff, staring out at the ocean. Duran ran up to greet them.
"Natsuki, there's trouble in Windbloom. We need your help. Bring the Countess, too!"
"Ara, ara," Shizuru emerged from the cabin, "I was just discussing the designs for the new estate with one of our architects. What's going on?"
Alyssa explained about the incident that had happened below, and how Mai had been sentenced to a week in the pillory.
"A week?" Shizuru looked horrified, "The pillory is for crimes such as perjury or financial malfeasance, and most countries restrict it to no more than two hours!"
"Nagi feels that Mai's insult to him rises to a much more severe level than that," Alyssa said, "Come on, we have to help her!"
"This is a tricky situation, Alyssa," Shizuru said, "Nagi is a King, and he is, unfortunately, well within his rights in the charter he's established. If we storm in there and demand he release Mai, he can file a grievance against us. It could cause armed conflict."
Natsuki frowned, "There were situations between the various tribes, much like this, where a member of one tribe had a grievance with a member of another tribe, and many discussions to avoid conflict. Shizuru, will you allow me to talk to Nagi?"
Shizuru nodded, "Very well, Natsuki. But be careful. Nagi would undoubtedly seek any excuse to accuse you of a crime against him."
"Oh, I will not give him excuses," Natsuki smiled pleasantly, then went into the cabin. She came back wearing two holstered pistols and carrying a brand new longbow and arrows she'd received from Harlock, "I will handle this quickly."
"That's not a bow for hunting," Shizuru looked mildly alarmed, "That is a bow for punching holes in armor."
"Indeed," Natsuki nodded, "Let's go."
She made her way down the hill with Duran at her side, and Shizuru following close behind.
When they reached the village below, they found Mai in the pillory, and chained beside her was Mikoto, with several guards standing around looking like they'd been beaten by a group of several people, but whose injuries Natsuki suspected were all caused by the diminutive girl next to Mai. Yuuichi was then brought out, limping and manacled.
"Oh, Baroness Kuga," Nagi smiled, until he spied her weapons, and looked uncertain, "To what do I owe the pleasure."
"My people," Natsuki said sternly, "Release them at once."
"You're people?"
"I paid their indentured servitude in the name of the Barony," Natsuki said, "That was how you put it on the paper. Ergo, they are not your subjects, they are mine."
"You can have them when their sentences are served," Nagi grinned.
With speed no human eye could follow, Natsuki drew an arrow, nocked it, and let it fly. It struck a post just above Nagi's head, actually running partly through his hair, "The next one will not miss."
"How DARE you attack a King!" Mashiro came running up.
Natsuki stood over her, looking down, "The people who give you your power are several months away. Words on paper mean nothing if you haven't the power to back them up yourself. Right now, none of the people of Windbloom are your subjects. They are the people I have freed from Nagi's servitude. If a fight begins, do you think they would support a cruel king who breaks the rules of his own people, or would they support me, who has shown them kindness and aided them in times of trouble?"
"You…you…Heathen!"
"And you are a pretender to the throne," Natsuki smirked, "Now, free my friends, or I will free them, and then leave the two of you in their place."
"My guards…" Nagi began. Then he heard a noise, and turned to see villagers all around holding muskets and flintlock pistols to his own knights, who were outnumbered four to one.
"As I was saying," Nagi sighed, "My guards will release the prisoners."
Mai, Mikoto, and Yuuichi were quickly turned loose.
"Anyone who wishes to leave Windbloom for Garderobe," Natsuki called, "Gather your things and come."
It took very little time, and soon, the only people left in Windbloom were Nagi, Mashiro, John Smith, Joseph Greer, and the guards that worked for Nagi.
"Not much of a king," Natsuki smirked.
"This will not be forgotten!" Mashiro screeched.
"It would do you little good to report it," Shizuru said, "What sort of King whines to another kingdom that all his subjects abandoned him? I'm sure the rulers in Rome would see fit to have Nagi replaced if word of this reached them."
"Damn you," Mashiro snarled at her.
"I can see this pillory from my home," Natsuki said, "If I find you putting anyone in it for more than the two hours allowed by the laws of your homeland, or hear that you used it for any crime that doesn't warrant it, I'll come back."
"It's not like you've won all that much," Nagi said, "I wanted those people gone, to begin with. I won't have to pay them for anything, anymore. And not even you have enough money to free the people coming ashore over the next few days. They're mine for the next ten years."
Natsuki shrugged, "If you run Windbloom the way you run your mouth, you'll likely not survive long enough to see the end of their service. I do not wish to see you again, Nagi de Artai, failed king of Windbloom. Cross the border into my domain at your own risk."
"That goes double for you!" Mashiro shouted at her, "If I see you on this side of the border, I'll demand the guards kill you!"
Natsuki laughed, walking away, "They will be welcome to try."