The Scholar 4-1

Note: Caboose here! This chapter is the first of several parts, depending on how we've broken chapter 4. Eritzz and I were joined by a volunteer to help us, 'An Exile'. He's got good stories too.

See you at the bottom!

Zaiten sighed in boredom as he finished the last page of his book. Big Brother was already away on a hunting trip, and Zaiten had already managed to read all of the books within the library- at least, the sections he was allowed into. There were several wings of the Royal Library that were closed off, and he didn't dare anger the ancient, withered Librarian or her Automaton Guardians by breaking the rules.

The old lady especially scared him.

He got up from his seat, thumbing the locket tied around his neck. The locket he had received from the Prince of the Northern Tribes held both the image of Numa and Big Brother Syura; his most important people.

He had added Big Brother's picture there a month after he had received the locket, always able to have a bit of extra happiness in his pocket.

He'd spent enough time in the library for the day, and was getting hungry. With a sigh, he gathered his books and strode back the way he came. He walked past all the tall bookshelves and lines of books, slippers pattering softly on the carpet. Turning the way he came, he left the Library with a bored expression on his face.

"I miss big brother already… He always has something for me to play with or just with him…"

The young genius quietly kept to himself, though he stopped at a windowsill to gaze over the Palace Courtyard.

As usual, the scene would be breathtaking. The view gave him a vantage point unlike most any others in the capital, surveying the city for as far as the eye could see; lakes, rivers, plazas and parks, all cordoned within the walls ringing the city.

Beyond the outermost wall was practically empty, merely farmland tilled into different shapes, specked with the occasional town.

'The... towns…' His eyes widened at the thought.' Outside the wall…?'

Zaiten has never visited outside the 6th ring nor even outside the palace grounds- with the exception of his short time with Numa. To the Palace Guards, allowing Zaiten into the capital without him was just a guaranteed death in the most brutal way possible.

Perhaps his rampage for allowing Zaiten to follow Numa instilled that fear- over a dozen men killed, maimed, or simply gone.

All of this, of course, was unknown to the young boy, and Syura intended to keep it that way.

Curiosity piqued at the thought of going outside, Zaiten began to think.

His books, of course, had quite a bit of information on the outside; be it the many heroic tales of heroes long past, evil warlords, or even economic agriculture. There was also, of course, mention of manual labor, medicine, mercantilism, and even mercenary work.

The more he thought, the stronger the urge became. Grinning to himself as he sat in that windowsill, the androgynous boy plotted and schemed his next great adventure.

He would get a disguise, (not too difficult, as the palace maids loved dressing him up so he'd picked up on a few things)

He'd need a disguise though since he wouldn't want the people outside to remember him and start spreading gossip about a white-haired boy with green eyes around the city.

Though he probably already had gossip going around about him from following around Numa for a whole week or two.

Or maybe they forgot already? Hopefully, they wouldn't remember too much.

If Syura, or worse yet, Father found out...

Zaiten gave one last look out the window; past the wall and out onto the greenery that filled the outer parts of the towns rather than the tiled roofs of the city. He smiled with determination before walking out of the library. He powerwalked the hallways, up the two flights of stairs, and down one more wing to his room.

He demurely waved to all the passing the guards, maids, and other castle goers. Most of the time, he was scowled at, or just ignored. Those who didn't, however, found a smile upon their faces. It was still rare.

Zaiten was doing nothing wrong, not at all. It was the mere fact that he, one of the Prime Minister's sons, could have them executed at the drop of a pin, encouraged most to avoid him. However, despite this and his shyness, the servants who worked for him couldn't help but smile fondly in his presence. The young, waifish boy, would never wish ill upon anyone.

Entering his room, Zaiten approached his large wardrobe, something gifted by Syura for his last birthday. Since then, Zaiten had been filling it with any clothing, wigs, and accessories he could get his hands on.

The maids also had a habit of 'forgetting' makeup in his room. It was upon their nudges, winks, and barely hidden giggles that he kept it all. Attempts to return it, or ask for the reason, was met with more laughter and headpats.

Those were nice, he decided as he rummaged through what he had.

Meticulously, he rummaged through various clothing; some common looking clothes, others the same as other nobles would wear. In the end, he went with a heavy woolen cloak, boots, black pants and a grey longshirt.

He fought the urge to include a yellow headband for his long hair, no matter how cute it was. Perhaps there's really no hiding my hair, though?

Turning his head, the reflective surface showed his stark white hair. He frowned, running his fingers through his rather soft locks.

...my hair is too distinctive. Even in the palace, there aren't many with white hair.

There was that one general, though Zaiten didn't ever learn her name. She seemed quite scary, like most other soldiers.

Running his hands through the locks of hair, Zaiten gave a sigh. Opening his expansive closet, he stopped in front of the 'wig' section. There were plenty of 'common' colors, chiefly browns, blacks and blondes but there were some uncommon oranges, reds, blues- and Numa's small but genuine smile flashed across Zaiten's mind- and silvery hues, to name a few.

His hands quickly skipped over the winterish blue; that color wasn't something that would help him much, considering whom it could be likened to..

Esdeath, the up and coming General who had single handedly demolished the uprisings in the south, was someone that Zaiten would utmost avoid, though he could certainly appreciate the Empire being safe. She was simply terrifyingly powerful.

Breaking out of his thoughts, the boy selected a mixed brown wig, slightly overgrown but a pleasant sheen. Absentmindedly, he stuffed it into his rucksack, where he had placed the other elements of his disguise.

Next, he moved to his notebook and flipped to a later page. There, a schedule and floor layout of the Imperial Guards patrols were sketched- with immaculate detail, of course. Zaiten couldn't help but appreciate and pick up on neat handwriting, after his fair share of books. (Not much annoyed him. Bad handwriting was certainly that 'not much).

The Imperial Guard was an elite group that certainly lived up to the prestige and responsibility of personally guarding the Palace. Each soldier, experienced from the many campaigns, excursions, and border patrols throughout the expansive Empire, had to survive a long ten years in the military. Then, the candidates required a letter of recommendation of both a noble and a high ranking officer to attend the special training; a training regimen overseen by the Great General Budo himself.

Less than twenty percent made it, and there were often dozens of casualties out of a hundred potential recruits.

With all this information in mind (He had managed to pry the information from his many different minders, persisting with both cuteness and kindness), Zaiten knew he had no room for error. Shifts were often erratic, with 'surprise' patrols being the norm. Also of note were the many traps that activated during the night hours. To avoid the traps was the first thing Zaiten had been told, by both his brother and the guards, at all costs.

Before he could sneak out though he would need to know when the guards wouldn't be there so he could get out. If he were to get caught he didn't want to know what punishment he might get and big brother wasn't here to make excuses for him or save him.

Still, he had found a way, and had the support of the right people- his personal maids and servants.

"...now, to find Sophie-"

His plotting and scheming were interrupted rudely by his stomach, demanding it is satiated before any more mischief.

"...I'll leave after she feeds me~"

Passing through the hallways he would give waves of hello to the guards standing about, mostly the ones that did reciprocate his kindness. It was nice that some of them didn't care about him being the Prime Minister's son as he acted kinder than Honest or his Big brother.

He went down a few flights of stairs, turned a couple of corridors, and walked through some doors but he managed to reach the kitchen. Not the main one as he wasn't allowed in there but the one that was closer to the side of the castle that he was in. He stood by the side so as to not trip any of the chefs or get stampeded in the bustle of the kitchen. He waved his hands at one of the chefs who were kind enough to him and the one that mostly cooked him his food. Father would never allow him food from the grand kitchen unless he was invited to a banquet and his presence was required.

The kindly lady chef walked up to him as she leaned down and patted his head softly with a warm smile. "What can I get for you dear?" She asked with the back of her hands on her hips.

"Oh, just some dinner please~" He tilted his head in a way he knows people seemed to like.

"Can I ask for some dinner please~?"

It was something he always tried whenever he asked people. It didn't always work on men, but it was super effective on his brother! He would just stare at him (Hiding a nosebleed) before giving him a hug. It was great~!

Sophie gave a happy chuckle and gave the little noble another pat on the head. "Of course dear. Just wait a few minutes and your dinner will be ready~"

Zaiten took a chair in the corner while waiting. His mind wandering into his thoughts about his plans into sneaking out of the castle; he wasn't sure if it was easier to sneak out of the city than the royal palace. But he still wanted to get out and explore, to know what it's like out there and experience things to write down and see if he could help.

Sophie returned a few minutes later as she promised; a plate in hand with his dinner on it and a glass of cold milk so he could grow up to be tall. Not that Zaiten was getting any taller. He's noticed.

His dinner consisted of fillet chicken, some pork cutlets, mashed potatoes and a side of vegetables. He took the plate and glass from Sophie and thanked her with a smile.

"Thanks, Miss Sophie~!"

He walked off to eat outside in the corridor so he wouldn't disturb the other chefs or probably spill some of his food by accident and make one of the chefs slip and cause a ruckus. Sophie only smiled back at him while giving him one more pat to the head as he left and returned to her duties as a chef in the kitchen.

Zaiten walked out into the hallway and sat down a couple of steps away from the kitchen door so he wouldn't get hit if someone opened the door abruptly and he gets hit in the face along with spilling all his food on himself.

Once settled down on the comfy floor he began to dig in with gusto and smiled at the delicious food.

"So tasty~"

He at and looked out the window as he walked. The sun was setting, bathing the capital in orange light. The warm colors made him smile, added to the sparkles of the lakes and buildings.

Idly, his thoughts extended out past the walls, musing on life outside the palace.

Some corridors and flights of stairs later, he managed to arrive back into his room and locked the door before pulling out his bag that he was packing earlier. Zaiten pulled open the bag and took out the pure black cloak; he thumbed the material and hummed as he felt that it was made of fine silk. He wondered why it was so dark like a moonless night, but he'd have to learn about that another time.

He was about to place it back when he stopped mid-action; he could wear it now and sneak out to watch the guards shift on the inner wall or he could wait till later. Either way, he'd have to stay up and away so he would know what to do. After a moment of contemplation, Zaiten returned the cloak into his bag. Climbing up to his work desk, he took a blank piece of parchment from a drawer and laid it bare on the desk while taking an ink pen.

He then began to draw up a map of the castle from his memory as best as possible, (Something which would be considered quite impressive, not that the boy knew). It mapped in detail each wing to go down, as well as where to avoid. For the guards, he used his coins to mark out temporary placements. He could place permanent ones later.

"Now then… The guards outside my door seem to change shifts every midnight and noon, sometimes 6 in the morning to noon and noon to 6 in the evening and vice versa. In shifts of 6 hours or 12 hours…"

He laid out his plan as he moved the coin pieces on the map; soon enough he wrote that info down onto the part of the castle that held his room. The castle was huge though, and there were many guards roaming about too so that made it harder.

Sneaking out of my room would be the easy part but then that leaves the rest of the castle… But I can easily circumvent that if I use the secret passageways in the castle. Thank goodness that a copy of the castle blueprints is lying about in the library!

Now if those secret passageways are unguarded, I should be able to take the one down the hallway that leads out into the gardens.

He drew a line leading from the hallway a couple of meters away from his own room, down to the garden which was lightly guarded with a two-man patrol going around every now and then. He drew an oval around the gardens to signify the guards.

The guards have eight-hour shifts, they usually circle the rose hedges and go off to the other side with the arches so I should be out of their sight. I can sneak out from the palace grounds... but I'd still need to exit the 9th ring.

He paused as he began to wrack his memories to see if he could remember anything that could help him get through the large wall. Thinking back to the secret passages, he tried to remember which ones ran out to the city... a servant supply tunnel.

The pen hovered over the spot, and for the first time, Zaiten hesitated

It was next to the gardens and barely guarded, but had dangers of its own.

The passage began directly inside the servant's quarters, meaning that if he were to do that, others would get involved.

Failure on his part, indeed, would get them in trouble, and he had no idea what would happen then.

Would they let me do this... or try to stop me?

Turning his face back to the main castle his eyes wandered over to the servants quarters and the various passages they use for getting supplies in from the city.

I'll just have to trust them.

He encircled the servants quarters and nodded. The plan was set, he just needed to get down there undetected by the guards.

He gulped, and made his way out of his room he went out of his room again; the moon had already risen in the sky and the dark had crept in. It would still be a while before his nightly exploration would start to seem weird to others.

So, with a resolute expression and (childish) plan in mind, he walked down the corridor towards the servants' quarters.

He walked past a couple few guards on the way down the flights of stairs, giving them a usual wave and smile. Only a handful seemed to notice, while the others ignored him completely.

One more flight of stairs down put Zaiten in front of his destination. Though quiet, not all servants had retired for the evening.

The few servants remaining were ones that he knew. The first of them, a tall woman with waist-length silver hair, took first notice.

"Oh, Lord Zaiten? What a surprise."

"Good evening, Irene~!" He waved, looking up at the tall woman.

He turned to the next servants, identical twin girls. "Hello there, Sora, Sakura!" One sported pigtails, the other a side-ponytail; the only way he could tell them apart was their hairstyle and slight differences in their peach pigmented hair.

Then he turned to the last servant, "Kaito, good evening!"

An immigrant of the northern Kingdom, Kaito sported raven black hair and narrow facial features, giving him a rather intimidating scowl on his face. He was only a few years older than his brother.

He was, when Syura was away, the closest thing to a male 'guide', not that he'd hit puberty yet (Or so the servants told him, but he was fine with how he was, diminutive frame and all). Officially, he was just a butler, though Zaiten meant to ask why he had such a limp in his left leg, and always wore sleeves.

The servants, no longer caught off guard by the surprise visit, perked up in their seats a little.

Of most all the nobles of the Palace, Zaiten was perhaps the purest, treating them as real people. They, in turn, had become something of a family to him.

Clearing her throat, the lead servant Irene cleared her throat.

"Good evening, my lord. May I ask why you are here in the servants' quarters at this time?" She asked hesitatingly. "It is nearing the bedtime your brother set for you."

Her tone was soft and caring, quite a contrast to her normally strict verbiage. Her silver hair glinted in the low candlelight of the room, let down rather than in her usual high-top ponytail. Irene, like the other servants, reserved such a genuine tone for Zaiten, seeing he was one of the few to not mistreat them.

Despite being a runt with little socializing skills (Or rather, not caring for it), Zaiten had found love in his time alone. He had entered the life of each servant with persistence, asking questions and offering to help.

Of course, they had all declined, but the boy did so every time he saw them, and in no time at all, each and everyone had requested to serve him specifically.

"I…"

He gulped, suddenly realizing that his plan might not sound so good spoken aloud.

"Yes, dear?" Irene encouraged, well aware of his poor speaking skills. "We're ready to help you."

"I, uh...recently, I've been wanting to sneak outside the palace, and explore the capital!" He blurted whispered nigh inaudibly, "And I don't want any of the others knowing I went out…"

""What!?""

An electric current ran through them all, and they jumped to their feet. Only a glare from Irene kept them from shouting- even in the servants quarters, being too noisy at night was asking for trouble.

"B-but my lord!" Sakura gasped, holding her hand to her mouth in shock. "Lord Syura specifically ordered to never let you go without proper escorts-!"

The others nodded in agreement, with Kaito checking to make sure nobody else was near to eavesdrop on the conversation. This sort of thing, if found out, would kill them all, if not worse.

The young butler, seeing Zaiten's stubborn look, added to their concerns. "M'lord, we would do anything and everything to serve you, and that is exactly why you should know. It is ...unsafe, out in the city, particularly at night."

Pickpocketing. Kidnapping. Raping, drugging, enslaving, and even murdering. It was the very reason the servants of the palace could turn a blind eye to any wrongdoings from within the palace; surely, as bad as things were, it would be much worse out there.

Zaiten gave a slow nod, to show that he was listening to their input. He decided to hear one last opinion before deciding his choice, so he turned to Irene.

Staring with her silvery cool expression, she studied Zaiten's eyes. Finally, she shook her head and flipped her platinum hair.

"I have the feeling that you might go no matter what we tell you," she sighed. Cutting his protest, the eldest servant gave him a pat on the head, "I know you listen to us, but who's to say you won't last another month, with that curiosity of yours."

"That is true," The twins giggled, thinking back to all the times his childish tendencies had gotten him into amusing predicaments. "If you had to go, we might as well prepare you well! Besides, you may even like it out there!"

"But," Irene continued, "may I be so bold as to ask your reasons, m'lord?"

"I ...want to see what it's like out there. In books, there's always stories of happiness and sadness. Sometimes, there are people that need help, or at least a friend, or others who can just have a fun life! I want to have the experiences of those books in person. I want to do this so that I can try to help people with what I know…"

After staring at his feet uncomfortably, he looked up to see the servants staring at him with slight awe, though worry was still in their eyes.

"You… That is so, so sweet of you m' lord. You're far too kind for life in the palace. And, despite our positions, we've no choice, but to help you. But-" Irene raised her finger sternly, "please be back by the end of the week, Lord Zaiten. Your brother is returning in two weeks' time from what I've heard."

Her tone was resigned but accepting.

That's good, at least…

Normally, this is where everyone would tease about her hair becoming grey or something along the lines of aging. She'd respond with a smile, a doubled workload, and gentle karate chops to the head, saying she was still young.

Reassured that his friends supported him, Zaiten gave each of them a hug, which they all reciprocated.

"Be safe out there, you hear? There are monsters lurking in the shadows and we don't want to feel guilty for letting you go out there alone." Kaito told him, looking his young master in the eye. "And come back by midnight, okay? We'll help you sneak out."

"Oh, and don't get caught by the guards!"

"Keep your money hidden well, and never show it all. Have your dagger at all times!"

"And remember to have enough hygiene tools, like your toothbrush and hair comb!" The twins added, concerned that their master's beautifully soft hair would get ruined.

"Don't get caught in a scam, okay?"

Zaiten couldn't help but smile brightly; they were all concerned for him, worried about him. To them, he mattered.

With this thought, he gave them all hugs one more time and left to his chambers to prepare.

"Let's pray that he'll be okay out there," Irene said.

They nodded in agreement before continuing with what they were doing earlier before Zaiten had come inside…

Zaiten waited patiently in his room, he distracted himself and tried to stay awake with some success as he drank water every now and then. He splashed water onto his face and ate his candies at a slow pace as best as he could.

He looked towards the moon; the clock tower wasn't on his side of the palace so he wasn't able to know the time but he could still hear the bells tolling when it strikes midnight… Zaiten gave a frown as he sat down on his bed and gave a yawn, maybe he could just take a small nap…? Yes, that sounds quite nice, just a little rest-

No, snap out of it!

Shaking his head to stay awake, he drank more water and tried some light exercises to keep his heart pumping

The two hours finally passed, and Zaiten quickly donned his 'gear'; the charcoal silken cloak and the black wig, followed by his rucksack.

Slowly pushing his door open to find the guard station empty, he smiled as he quickly snuck out into the hallways. Whenever he heard voices, he the boy dashed into the nearest closet to hide.

While hiding, Zaiten overheard a pair of guards making their rounds.

"-and I'm telling you, neither of the Prime Ministers sons is right in the head!"

The other guard shifted the grip on his halberd nervously. "H-hey now, you've had too much to drink! We'll get in trouble...besides, the youngest one ain't so bad. He says good morning every time he walks by, treats us as people!"

His partner's pleas passing by him, the first one belched. "Bah! The little runt? He's got no spine! And, I bet, he's lacking the pair between his legs, if you know what I'm saying?"

"You're gonna get us sent to the stocks, you fool."

By then, they had already passed around the corner.

Still, Zaiten couldn't help but frown. He didn't really care how others saw him since he knew that the important people already loved him, but did others truly have to be so mean?

A tense minute and flight of stairs later, he arrived in the servants' quarters.

The lighting was dim, but most of the doors were closed, meaning the majority of servants were asleep. However, servants often worked around the clock...at least, so was the pretense that Sakura, Sora, Kaito, and Irene had to be playing cards around a table.

Casually, the looked up over their cards and nodded, before seemingly not noticing him. Irene, the most senior of the servants, beckoned him into a side room.

Irene leads him into the darkened room, holding a single shutter-lamp. The room was dark and musty, lit only by the lamp. It took an effort not to bump into any of the many crates and shelves stocked with bags, wooden chests, and other mysterious items.

With a quick push on a wall sconce, a small passageway opened up. Taking him by the hand and holding the lamp in the other, Irene led the boy down.

It was a quiet walk through the passageway but Zaiten was fine with that. All was quiet until Irene had spoken.

"My lord… It's already late already, but I refuse to let you sleep out on the streets. I have a cousin who lives in the merchant's district, a blue-tiled roof right next to 'Gidion's Flower Shop'. Just look for the sign on the outside and knock on her door; her name's Lillian, and let her know who sent you."

Zaiten nodded instantly; she had a motherly tone that he couldn't fight, even if he wanted to.

She said to him in a motherly tone as Zaiten listened to her intently as he gave her a nod at the end. He knew he would have needed somewhere to sleep and it was probably not advisable to sleep in the streets with what he's read from the books.

"Yes, Irene-san. I promise I'll make it there," he smiled, brighter than the sun, "you don't have to worry too much about me okay~?"

That's what you're supposed to say when people worry about you, right? According to the many adventure novels, of course, of dashing rogues or brave knights being seen off by fair maidens...

"See to it, my lord."

Silence resumed, and the only sounds were their footsteps on the cobblestone floor.

Soon enough, they arrived at the end of the tunnel, blocked by a heavy wooden door. Silently unlocking it, Irene cracked it open, before opening it wide. To their luck, the area was empty. With a nod she turned back to Zaiten who was already in his disguise, the black cloak upon his shoulders and the wig hiding his stark white hair.

"The coast is clear, my lord." She said, giving him a final pat-down, "You can go down this lane there, then go four streets down that way. Please, m'lord, be safe out there. I'm afraid we wouldn't last the night if you were to be found hurt."

Even as she said that the servant gave him a hug that felt warmer than usual.

Zaiten nodded. "I promise, I'll come back safe! I don't want you to be hurt!"

With that, the adventurous young boy left a bounce in his step.

"Oh my boy," she breathed out as he disappeared, "I'm afraid that is inevitable…"

Fighting the weight of guilt, the maidservant returned to the servant quarters.

...She would find no rest that night.

END!

Thanks for the support so far.

It seems that Zaiten, for all his book smarts, still doesn't understand the consequences of who he is, or what his actions would mean. In case you didn't pick up on it, if he's caught, all of the servants would be slaughtered and tortured, as well as their families. 'Cause you know, Akame ga Kill, where the villains have to be bad guys by killing innocents.

I would like to address some concerns made by Guest Reviewers. You know who you are (*Glares*). I can't respond because, surprise, they're guest reviewers. Just know, This is not a Syura centric fic. He's not gonna be perving on Zaiten, and this isn't 'sum gay fic'. I promise. He's going on a trip very soon.

Also to clarify, we will be sticking closely to canon as best we can. We're not gonna drastically alter the timeline, and we'll do our best to include Night Raid in a proper way, as well as members of the Jagers. (Esdeath too! *w*) This means that the Rebellion and the final battle is definitely going to happen, but the path we take will be a mystery~

Eritzz: Hey there, readers. Sorry for the long wait. Took us a few months to get this posted, we already had some content written. I and Caboose were talking about whether or not to post the entire thing since it's really long but in the end, we decided to just cut the chapter up into parts so you guys have something to read while we edit and write the rest. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

We will get the next chapter out soon(ish). Maybe after I watch a movie. Perhaps Saga of Tanya the Evil?

Caboose out!