Disclaimer: Monster Girl Encyclopedia belongs to Kenkou Cross. The events of this fic are purely fictional and are not at all connected to MGE canon.
Chapter 2: Testing the Waters
A young boy stared up at a monster. Its cold and dim irises stared down at the young boy.
The boy was alive, and yet the monster knew that he lacked life. With sunken cheeks and empty eyes, the boy was nothing more than a corpse.
"What a pitiful sight you are," The monster began,
"Too weak and too pathetic to even eat," It continued, voicing its disappointment with deafening clarity.
"Too dead, too lifeless to even be considered human."
But then the monster had a thought, its crimson-red eyes squinting in glee.
"But what if you lived as a monster, a true monster? You, the lifeless boy, shall become something grand." It spoke with an unnatural tone.
Kneeling down, the monster's pure red eyes stared at the boy's blue.
"You will be reborn, boy… the dead who walk amongst us shall become a monster greater than I."
A grin formed on the monster's face, its darkened eyes.
"And once I am done with you, all will tremble beneath your heel."
-owo-
That dream again…
I blinked once, twice, then three times in a row. Getting up, I rubbed my eyes and stretched my limbs, letting out a groan in the process. Sitting up, I took in a deep breath before coughing. Right, almost forgot… this place was filled with more dust than oxygen. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that they were trying to suffocate me.
Looking around, I was met with the sorry state of a room I call my own. The walls were rotting, and there were cracks in the ceiling. The window frame adjacent to my bed was rotting, while the window itself was cracked. As for the bed itself… let's say that it didn't feel all too different from something that would be found in a torture room.
Seriously, I know the Inquisition doesn't have a good reputation, but I'd expect a better standard of living than this…
Maybe I was just a little spoiled.
Regardless, today was officially my first day as Inquisitor in Lescatie. Getting up, I stretched a little before dusting myself. When my feet touched the wood floor, it creaked under the strain. I paused, looking down before applying slightly more pressure. The results were as expected. The wood bent and even slightly cracked. I sighed, the monetary issue really needed to get solved.
Walking towards the closet, I opened it to reveal my uniform: a dark coat and white dress shirt. Putting it on, I felt the coat fall onto my back as I placed my hands in the sleeves. Turning to a cracked mirror, I fixed my red hair to the best of my ability before standing straight.
Blue eyes scanned my form, checking if there were any wrinkles on my clothes before fixing them accordingly. Overall, I'd say that I looked presentable. My coat was open, but there were no real wrinkles to be found. A black tie was wrapped around my collar, and a blue gem hanging around my neck. I checked my hair, slightly curly with bangs but stopping just before the eyes.
Satisfied with my look, I walked out to receive my first assignment. Being the 'new guy,' I expected my first assignment to be relatively simple.
Moving through the halls, I was greeted with the sight of my coworkers moving around and minding their own business. Some moved boxes to and fro, others were having a conversation by the window, whilst a few were writing down reports. It wasn't a scene I was unused to. Being an Inquisitor, such things were very common in other sites where we operated.
Still, the added context of our… well, let's just say the poor situation that we were forced into–somewhat gave the sight a less than stellar undertone. I honestly still had no clue how all of… well, this happened.
Straightening my body, I continued on my way to Master Myer's office. I'd get my answers soon enough, that much I knew.
-owo-
"Your task for today is simple, you'll accompany Inquisitor Rena Rose with her patrols." Master Myer's voice sounded out.
Rena Rose, huh? From what I remembered, that was the brown-haired girl with a laid-back attitude. Her name was Rena, so it's possible that she's the one Vania was referring to. Then again, it was possible that there were other people in this organization named Rena but… I digress,
Nodding along, I listened on with a straightened back.
"Seeing how you're new here, I took this opportunity to group you with your fellow inquisitors. Use this to understand how we function and to get to know your comrades from here on out." Vania stated, her hand moving towards a cup sitting on the table.
Taking another jar, she then proceeded to add what looked to be sugar into the cup. One spoon, two spoons, three, four… okay, I'm not really aware of the customs here in Lescatie, but I'm pretty sure that 7 spoonfuls of sugar aren't a very healthy thing. From the smell, I could at least make an educated guess that it was coffee in that cup of hers.
Seeing the ridiculous amounts of bags under her eyes, I can at least understand.
Still, that could be very unhealthy for you… should I be worried?
Deciding to shift my attention elsewhere, I then thought about her words. It made sense, logically speaking. Grouping me with one or two other Inquisitors during my first days here would allow me to get to know both my comrades and how this place operated. While all branches of the Inquisition served one purpose, their methods may differ from place to place. The rules here are ones set by the Master of the place, who in turn have to listen to the Grandmaster's will.
For context, the Grandmaster acts as the head of the Inquisition. That being said, the Grandmaster is usually pretty loose on how each branch functioned, so all masters of each branch had free reign on how they operated.
Considering the dire situation, the Lescatian branch had, I'm somewhat nervous. After all, a rat will do all it can to survive when pushed into a corner. Such was the nature of the world, such as the nature of humanity.
Nodding along, I waited for Master Myers to continue on. "Your assignment should be relatively simple, all you have to do is to follow Rena around and do whatever she says. Despite her lax attitude, I trust her."
If nothing else, the Inquisition was at least pretty tight-knit. A rarity in this organization, usually the biggest obstacle to an Inquisitor, came from within their own organization. I guess that they had to be, considering their position. If they competed with one another even now, then there was no chance that this organization would last.
Still, I can't imagine them achieving this without laying off one or two people.
"You seem to be pretty close," I commented,
Vania shook her head, "You're mistaken; our relationship is purely professional. As is my relationship with the rest of my organization." She refuted. Her tone was sharp enough to cut through me like a knife.
I decided to test the waters a little,
"Really? You sounded pretty fond of her," I said, my tone somewhat light.
Looking at her, though, it looked like I might've poked the bear a little too hard. Hey, I was never really the best when it came to teasing. I'm usually the one being teased here… courtesy of my siblings.
"...For your good, Inquisitor… I suggest you learn when to keep your mouth shut." She admonished,
"Sorry," I apologized awkwardly. My tone could've used some work; that irritating expression told me enough to know that she wasn't amused.
Okay, look… it was just a joke, sheesh. You should work on that no-nonsense attitude of yours; you're not gonna find a boyfriend if that keeps up…
Unless you're into women, that might be a possibility… hey, not gonna judge.
Anyways, ignoring my apology, she decided to continue on with her report.
"Her patrols are in the slums, so I suggest you listen to her. That place could be dangerous; we lost a few of our own to criminals." She warned; I just dumbly nodded. Considering what I've seen, that much was a given.
At least that gave me confirmation that we still had a bit of influence in the slums. At least enough for us to patrol the streets. That wasn't really saying a lot, and from the looks of it, there was little competition. Still, from her words alone, I wondered how bad it was over there.
If mere criminals had the courage to stand up and even slay inquisitors, then how far down had we really gone?
Maybe things are a little worse than I first thought…
"I suggest you arm yourself; there are a few weapons that are sturdy enough for you to make use of," Vania added, sitting down on her chair. She then took a long yet quiet sip of her coffee. Taking a small handkerchief, she slightly wiped at her lips before she sighed.
"Any questions, Inquisitor Ciel?"
I did have a few, mostly on what exactly happened in this place.
"Yeah, I-"
"None? Okay, Rena's waiting for you outside. Good luck on your first day." And… she's back to work, burying herself in paperwork and completely ignoring my words. Rude… but understandable. If anyone had to shoulder all of this on their own, they'd be driven insane. But…
Watching her work alone in this dark, damp, dreary, old and dusty office with no one around her. This was all by choice, most likely… or perhaps she was pressured? I couldn't exactly tell.
Regardless, seeing as how Master Myers probably wasn't gonna answer, I decided just to hold my question for Rena.
-owo-
"Yo, Red! It's you~" Rena began, raising her hand with a cheery and laid-back tone.
Honestly speaking, she's a lot cheerier than I thought an Inquisitor was capable of. No… if anything, she's a lot cheerier than anyone else I know, and I've only known her for a few minutes at most.
Or maybe I just wasn't paying attention to people. The Inquisition's not exactly a very cheerful organization, considering all the monster hunting and heretic burning.
Still, it was a nice change of pace and one that put me at a natural state of ease. Maybe it's some kind of tactic to get people to drop their guard, and if it was, it was working. Looking over at Rena, I took note of her current clothes.
She wore our current uniform, a white dress shirt with a black coat and a crucifix around her neck. Her coat was unbuttoned, letting her white shirt flow freely while also accentuating her moderately sized assets. Her shirt was wrinkled and obviously slightly disheveled. It was clean, at least, with only a slight amount of dusting on it.
In essence, it accentuated her laid-back look and made her easy on the eyes and not at all threatening. It was the complete opposite of what the Inquisition's uniform was supposed to convey, but it fit her.
Anyways, I should probably respond accordingly. "Yeah, yo~" I tried miming her way of talking. You know, as a way to try and make a more casual impression on her. Raising my hand, I waved back at her.
She paused. Her face fell, eyes staring at me with a blank look.
…
Okay, maybe trying to mimic her wasn't the best option here. Shit… did I screw up?
Maybe I should try and salvage this situation… "...Uh…" Okay, what can I exactly say here that won't make things awkward? Shit, and I thought that I was supposed to be relatively good with people. Apologize? Probably, just in case I did something wrong.
Before I could apologize, however, Rena began shaking, her hand covering her mouth as she closed her eyes. A stifle sounded out, and before long, she snorted. "Relax, Ciel, I'm not gonna bite you or anything." She cheerily stated, moving over before she patted the back of my head…
Really hardly, mind you. From the look on her face, though, this was just a casual and light tap for her.
Her physical strength was definitely one thing to take note of. Does she work out?
"Sorry," I apologized, "Being the new guy, I'm not really the best when it comes to these things. I'm a little nervous, haha…." I gave a small awkward laugh.
She gave me a reassuring smile. "Nothing you gotta apologize for, Ci. Just leave things to big sis Rena." She said, giving me a thumbs up.
Ci?
My confusion must've shown on my face; the moment she looked at it she gave me a small smug grin. "It's a nickname; pretty clever, huh?" She said, her tone akin to someone who just discovered the trick to life itself.
"I'm not sure that shortening my already 2 syllable name is that clever of a nickname," I said, my tone light-hearted.
Though, it's better than shortening an already one-syllable three-letter name into one…
She laughed, "You're right, but it's the Rena Tradition for me to give people nicknames. Makes it easier to remember them," She shrugged, walking forward as she placed her hands in her pants' pockets.
Shrugging myself, I walked and followed her. Honestly speaking, I didn't mind the nickname. "Is it also the Rena Tradition to not bring weapons with you?" I asked,
That was something I noticed when we began our patrol; she didn't carry a weapon with her. No sword, dagger, or anything was visible. She looked at me with a slight deadpan, "It's also Rena tradition to ask why you yourself didn't bring any,"
I looked away with slight embarrassment; yeah, she caught me there… "Uh, well- Yeah, none of the weapons were up to standard. I usually used a sword, but the ones in the armory looked like it was bound to break with just a single swing."
She let out a small smile, placing her hands behind her head as she leaned it back. "Yeah, true enough. My reason for not bringing one in is quite simple…." She began, lifting her arms before she flexed her arm. She patted it with her hands, "I've got my own weapons right here,"
"You're pretty confident," I commented,
"Yep, you don't have to worry about a thing. Just let your senior Rena handle everything for you~" She stated,
Rena certainly had the energy, and it wasn't the type that drains your own, either. She's good at leading conversations and making people feel comfortable around her. I can see now why Master Myers puts a lot of trust in her.
That being said, I don't know the full extent of her talents… let's see what you can do, Rena Rose.
We continued on our walk, moving through the streets. As we did, she greeted everyone with a smile, one that they mirrored. She greeted them all, even saying their names… or rather, nicknames she gave everyone.
"Good morning, Brandy!"
"A nice day, isn't it, Rin-Rin!"
"Leo, is that a new cut?"
Did she memorize everyone here? Not only that, but she also gave each one a nickname.
From how everyone looked at us, it was clear that Rena was a very liked person around these parts. She knew their names, and not once did she receive a single glare or rude remark.
The same couldn't be said about me; a mere glance at someone, and they're already glaring at me. Could've sworn that one of them just spat in my direction.
Hey, I haven't even done anything to you!
The disparity in our treatment was unfair, but that was just how the world worked. Rena's natural charm and ability to get along with everyone was an ability I couldn't replicate. Of course, her personality could be annoying to deal with when prolonged, but aside from annoyance, I couldn't see anyone naturally hating her.
"You okay, Ci?"
Again, with that nickname… well, it was better to me than the alternative.
"Yeah, I'm alright," I answered,
As alright as I can be, at least. I can handle a few glares; I wouldn't have been an Inquisitor if I couldn't. Besides, it was understandable, considering who I am and what I was… even if none of them knew the former to its fullest extent.
In any case, I think that this is the perfect time to ask.
"So… what do we exactly do on patrols?" I asked,
So far, we were just moving around and greeting people. While patrolling did involve us moving through an area, I expected a little more… well… patrolling and apprehending in the process. For example, what exactly are we supposed to be looking out for? Monsters are obviously on that list, but I want to know what crimes we should look after, what we can afford to deal with, and what we can overlook.
With our position here in Lescatie being this poor, I knew there was simply no way we had the manpower or ability to handle every crime out there. Unfortunate as it was, we needed to turn a blind eye in a few instances… lest we risk gaining the ire of an undesirable power.
"Hmm… Well, uh… right now, you just have to follow my instructions. Look out for anything suspicious, and try to handle it as peacefully as possible." She said, continuing on her walk.
I deadpanned,
That gave me basically nothing to work with,
"...So, just… be an Inquisitor?"
"Yeah, yeah, you got it~!" She said, turning to me with a thumbs up.
What exactly did I get…
"Is that it? Nothing more?"
"Nope, those are the only two orders you must listen to."
"Alright then," I finalized,
Looks like Rena acted more on her instincts. A helpful ability if sharpened, but when it came to details and thinking it through, she might be a little lacking. Not saying stupid, just carefree…
I won't get a more detailed response from her, and trying to force one out would be pointless. Besides, she and Master Myers told me to just listen to everything she says, so I'll do just that. Look for something suspicious and then handle it as peacefully as possible.
In any case, time to ask the one question that's really on my mind. "So… how did the Inquisition become… well, like this?" I asked,
Rena paused, her eyes darting before she visibly sighed. "Master Myers didn't tell you?"
"It looked like she'd collapse if she did," I joked, causing Rena to laugh.
"True,"
"Still, I'm not sure if you want to know about this." She muttered,
"Being a member of this organization, I think I deserve to know how exactly we managed to be put in this state," I answered.
It was my right, an obligation. Being a part of this organization meant I was now involved in whatever problem they faced. I at least had to know how they managed to get into this situation.
"Fair enough," She relented.
Straightening her back, she placed her hands out of her pocket. Turning to me, she took a deep breath before she let it all out. "Listen, I'm not good with details, so my testimony might not all be that accurate, but…
A few months ago, before you arrived… we in the Inquisition were in a pretty good spot. Our HQ wasn't… well… shit, and Master Myers didn't look like a dead fish," She laughed lightly,
"That all changed one day; Nichol Myers, the master of the Lescatian branch collapsed on his desk. Putting him into a coma and one that healers said he wouldn't recover from it. In our moment of weakness, our rivals struck…." She said, and I heard venom in her voice for the first time.
"They financially blockaded us, somehow convinced the king to pull our funding. Not only that, they presented mounds of evidence regarding illegal shit that some of our… more ill-aligned members were participating in."
"One by one, they took us out, some were arrested, and most were fined. We were kicked out of our old HQ and forced into that shitty mansion we now call our new home. We're on the verge of bankruptcy, and there were even calls to just ban us from this country entirely."
She gave a small, grim, wry laugh, "But by that point, we were so weak that no one bothered to give us the finishing blow. We're nothing but a patient on life support at this point. The biggest blow happened just a week ago; Nichol Myers died and in his place was his daughter…."
She muttered sadly, her fists clenching.
"...Rena, I…"
"You don't have to worry about me, Ciel… I'll be fine… we'll be fine…." She muttered,
She clapped her hands, turning to me with her signature smile before she continued. "Anyways, enough with the sappy and sad shit. We have a mission to fulfill!" She cheerfully said.
…
Before I could say anything, she continued to walk off. I reached out, looking at her before I clenched my fists. The situation here was dire, probably the worst I've seen in any branch of the organization. Sighing, I placed my hands in my pockets. I continued walking, giving myself a fair bit of distance from my fellow Inquisitor.
If there was one thing I could take away,
It's that Rena's mask seems particularly fragile…
-owo-
"Yo, nice to see the cargo's going well, Richie. I'm assuming that this means there'll be a discount due to a surplus."
After a few rounds of patrolling, we eventually stopped by a tavern. In front of it was a small wagon with barrels of what I assumed to be alcohol. On top of it was a large, gruff man, his hands carrying a single wagon as he placed it down on the floor.
Richie looked on at Rena before visibly smiling, "Ha, in your dreams, Rena. Unfortunately, we had run dry just a few days ago. A certain someone just couldn't help themselves and treated her entire unit to every barrel we had."
Rena sighed, "Captain Merse is at it again, huh?"
Wait… Merse? Why does that name sound so familiar? If I could remember correctly, she was a hero of the Order. One of the more prominent ones, handling a large squad of soldiers, around 200 men strong. Huh, I wonder what it's like to train under a Hero.
Still, I needed confirmation.
"Wait, by Merse, do you mean… that Merse?" I asked,
Rena and Richie, looked at me, his eyes scanning my form before he turned to Rena. "Is this kid new?"
Rena nodded, "Yep, he's a certified newbie in our organization." She then pulled my arm and brought me closer. "This is Ciel. Say hi, Ciel,"
"Hi," I answered,
Richie laughed, "Well, you're in for quite the culture shock Kid. Say, how's it feel being in the city of heroes?" He asked me,
"Well, it's exactly how I imagined it to be," I answered him. My voice might've come off a little more sarcastic there, but from the looks of it, he didn't seem offended.
Far from taking it as an insult, he laughed. "That's an Inquisitor for you, not taking the bullshit propaganda in any way, shape, or form."
This guy was surprisingly casual when it came to talking with an Inquisitor. But then I realized that it was probably due to the fact that Rena knew him. If I was alone, I felt like he would've treated me a lot more coldly. Once again, I'm reminded of the charisma and unfairness of the world.
Curse you world!
"Anyways, to answer your question. Yeah, it's that Merse. She's the only hero around here who bothered to even look at us commoners, her and Fullmoon at least."
Now that's another name I was familiar with. Sasha Fullmoon, caretaker of an Orphanage and Priestess of the Chief God. Her ability to heal was said to be unmatched, and her calm and gentle disposition was a notable quality most people recounted about her.
In any case,
"Must be nice," I commented,
"As if, whenever she comes here with her squad, the whole place becomes a piece of dynamite. If she didn't pay for her drinks, then I reckon that I would've kicked her out entirely," He said with a hearty laugh,
As harsh as his words may appear, they were actually pretty light in this regard. He had a smile on his face and a fake look of exasperation. Merse must be pretty popular here; I wonder if I'd get to meet her.
"Yeah, yeah." Rena waved off, moving forward before she leaned in. "Hey, are you sure that there's nothing I can do to get a single mug of wine?" Rena asked.
Richie thought about it, his hand moving under his chin as I thought. "If you help me move these barrels in, I'll give you two cups for free."
If Rena were any other inquisitor, she wouldn't neglect her duties for two cups of wine. Unfortunately…
"REALLY!? Well, shit, I can't pass up on this opportunity. Ciel, stay out here and do guard duty!" She ordered, immediately getting up before picking up one of the large and heavy barrels with her hands.
Seriously, how strong is she?
Also… why have I been relegated to guard duty? This is so unfair; I wanted a drink too! Ah well, for the third time, I'll repeat it, the world is truly unfair.
She entered the tavern with the first barrel; Richie was probably already inside.
After around 5 minutes of waiting, she then moved outside to grab her second barrel. Before she entered the tavern, however, she tossed me a piece of bread. Peaking out, she spoke in a whisper. "My sign of thanks; you probably didn't have breakfast~," She said,
I sighed, leaning onto the wall as Rena and Richie continued their work.
Looking around, I took note of my surroundings. The houses here weren't in as good of a condition as the ones near HQ, but it was clear that they were at least in better condition than the ones in the slums. The people walking around wore decent clothing, nothing too fancy but enough to not look too dirty. There were stands all around, each selling goods from all over Lescatie. Some fruits here and there, bread, etc.
It was clear that this place was the more developed part; there was no one visibly starving. At least not to the point of desperation where they'd eat food off the ground.
There was one thing that caught my eye, however… in the corner, a bunch of men in hooded cloaks was staring at me. And this wasn't anything like the hateful looks of people whenever they see an Inquisitor, no…
This was more like the stare of someone observing me, watching my every move.
It was… well… suspicious.
Looking at the bread in my hands, I decided to take a gamble.
Stretching my arms, I looked in their direction.
Time to do a little investigation.
-owo-
From how they moved alone, it was clear that they wanted me to follow. They moved fast enough as not to get into direct contact but slow enough for me not to lose them. It was probably a trap, a bait set for me, one they believed I was mindlessly walking into.
Well… they were right,
This was a dangerous game I was playing, which is why I said that this is a gamble. Eventually, the group of men turned into the dark alleyway. Pausing, I took a look at it before sighing.
This is probably where the trap is… welp, no choice then…
Time to enter the lion's den.
And so, I walked in.
It didn't take that long. After a few seconds of walking in, I found myself in a dead end… typical… if this were any more cliche, I'd say that the cloaked men were hiding behind and waiting to assault me.
"Well, that was pretty stupid of you, wasn't it?"
Slowly I turned, and before long, I felt the gush of wind from a fist moving toward me. I dodged, moving to the side as I took a few steps back. I stumbled a bit, looking shocked as I stared at the group.
"Well," The lead man began, "Looks like this little Hangman's got skill,"
Hangman?
I dusted myself, looking up at the group. So this is what Master Myers was probably warning me about. She said that the slums is a dangerous places, but I didn't expect that danger to be in the form of an ambush. How poor of a position were we in, where common criminals could ambush us like this?
"Look, I don't have any money or gold," I said, if this was a robbery, I should be upfront. I had no money on me, and I doubted that my clothes would be of any value.
I guess the gem around my neck could be worth something, but none of the men looked interested in it at all.
"Oh, we know." One of the men began,
I raised my brow, so this wasn't a robbery then. What was it? A murder attempt? If so, what purpose would it serve? I don't know anyone here, nor do I know anyone from this place. If they wanted me dead, they wouldn't have dragged me all the way out here and just killed me. Instead, they took this opportunity to reveal themselves before attacking me.
"Listen, kid. We're just here to send you a little message. Once we drilled into the heads of every other Inquisitor here." The lead man began,
"What kind of message requires me to get my head caved in,"
"The kind that tells you to keep your nose out of our business in the future." The lead man said,
I furrowed my brows this time. Keep my nose out of their business? I see… they're probably a little more organized than I thought. Judging by the cloaks and how they looked, they appeared to be of better quality than usual. Nothing on the level of a noble's or even the city guards, but just enough to put any slum-dweller to shame.
A gang, then.
That wasn't all too uncommon around slums and destitute areas. But as far as I'm concerned, I haven't done anything to piss anyone off other than threatening Lore and Damian… wait, were those their names? I can't remember.
Regardless, I don't remember doing anything of note here.
"Look, this might be an understanding. I don't remember messing with you or anything relating to your business." I said,
The lead man shrugged,
"I know, but this is just a precaution on our part. Think of it as our welcome to you. After all, you're new to Lescatie, right? You don't fit any of the other inquisitors we know."
Wow, the criminals were now keeping tabs on the Inquisitors. That was ironic in a somewhat morbid sense. Usually, it was the other way around. But again, I don't even know who you are or what you want. Hell, I don't even know which gang you belong to.
"Message received then; I won't get in your way," I said curtly,
De-escalating this as soon as possible was ideal. I didn't want to get into another fight on my first day as Inquisitor.
"Now let me go; I have barrels of wine to guard." I continued,
The lead man clicked his tongue, "Sorry, kiddo, but that just ain't gonna cut it." He began, cracking his knuckles as he spoke.
"I know your kind; the only way you'll listen is if I beat the message into you."
I agree… lucky for you; I have the perfect weapon to beat my message into you.
"Gakh!" Despair, the emotion, that was what was written on the lead man's face. His pupils shrunk, and his eyes dilated. A loud crack could be heard, making every male around the sound cringe…
That included me.
Behind the lead man was none other than Rena Rose, a knee striking where the man's crotch should be… ouch…
And… right on cue…
She looked pissed and annoyed. Most of those feelings were directed at me. I gulped, maybe running here wasn't such a good idea… regardless, with her here, I should be pretty safe.
"That should put my message across, scram." She said, her voice colder than I could imagine. I shivered down my spine, but honestly, all I could feel now was relief…
And slight discomfort as I watched this man get his family jewels get the nutcracker treatment.
"Shit… it's Rena…."
"Fuck, this ain't worth it…."
"Come on, let's get out of here…."
They left without fighting back. Understandable considering what Rena did, but it also told me that she had a reputation over here. Looking up at her, I saw the displeased look on her face. I hid the fear in my spine.
"Uh… thanks," I said,
"...I told you to stay put," She said,
I took a deep breath, thinking of what to say next. "You also told me that my only orders were that I should look for anything suspicious and that I should handle it as peacefully as possible.
I did just that," I said with a shrug,
I followed her orders to a T, so she shouldn't be too mad. Of course, I knew that I was a bit of a smartass, but I thought it would lighten the mood.
Here's a spoiler, it didn't.
She sighed, massaging her temples before she spoke. "Do you want me to crack your nuts too?"
"I-I'd rather not, thank you." I hurriedly uttered,
"Seriously… leaving a literal trail of breadcrumbs for me to follow. Do you realize how risky that was?"
I did, which is why I called it a gamble. I had to gamble on whether or not Rena would see the breadcrumbs; I had to gamble on her making a conclusion and following it, I gambled on the trail, not going cold and being disturbed, and I gambled that she could help me with this predicament.
From the looks of it, the gamble paid off.
She crossed her arms, leaning on one leg before she spoke. "What if you got hurt?" She asked,
"But I didn't," I answered. I managed to dodge and weave through the first punch. It also didn't escalate beyond that, all thanks to her involvement and influence. It looks like her charisma ran both ways. She can both use her natural charms and instill fear to those she desires, impressive.
My answer didn't help. She just looked at me with a raised brow. Right now, Little Ciel was in danger of the dreaded nutcracker…
This situation needed to be dealt with carefully.
"What if I didn't reach you in time?"
"Then I would've just held out until you did." Even still, this harsh questioning of hers was for my sake. Flattered, I truly am. She was willing to completely emasculate a man for a person she just practically met today.
"What if I didn't show?"
"Then I would've dealt with them myself,"
She visibly rose her eye. "You? But you said that you don't even have a weapon?" She asked,
I replicated her grin from before. I flexed my arm, patting it in the same way she did. "These things are also a weapon,"
…
Okay… it sounded better when she did it. Now I just embarrassed myself in front of her. She gave me a deadpanned look, a well-deserved one I might add. She moved forward, stopping just before me before she suddenly threw a punch.
I didn't move, nor did I even react.
The fist stopped just before my face, my eyes staring down at her brown ones as she looked at me with a cold stare. She stayed like this for a few seconds, and before long she dropped her fist. With a heavy sigh, she placed her hands back in her pockets.
"Ciel, you are probably one of the most insane people I've ever met. Congrats, it only took you one day." She said,
I laughed lightly, "Sorry,"
"You should be, I didn't get my free wine because of you!" She complained with a yell. Scratching the back of my head, I gave her an awkward shrug.
"As punishment, you owe me one." She said, walking off as she continued on patrol.
"Yeah, yeah…" I said,
Thank you, Rena…
For showing me what you're capable of…
Author's Notes:
Okay, it's official… I am having a lot of fun in this story.
I think I'm getting the hang of writing in the first person, and writing Ciel's reactions to various things was fun.
In any case, I don't really have a lot to say here. So far, the only characters I've shown were OCs with mentions of the canon chars here and there. It's gonna stay like that for a while, so feedback would be appreciated.
The next chapter should come pretty soon,
Have a nice day!
Whamo out!