A/N: Chapter 7 of Mystical Eye of a Savage Hound
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OC. Revenge of the Sword Clan's Hound belongs to the rightful owner.
Chapter 7: Visitors from the House of Morgue
Inside the Baskerville Colosseum…
The Baskerville Clan owns a big plot of property thanks to the Empire, it was big enough to possibly engulf the neighboring two countries. There was a section of the property that houses the biggest colosseum built for entertainment, or perhaps fighting practice for the young and senior hounds; sometimes if Hugo was feeling gracious enough he'd allow colosseum fights against demonic creatures and host tournaments. The rewards ranged from either food from the food storage to money, regardless of the prize many of the members of the clan were eager to participate; the younger hounds were more apprehensive and weren't allow to sign up to participate in matches until they reached the level of a mid-rank or high rank sword expert. But if a hound manages to impress Hugo they may be allowed a pardon, or an exception to join.
Hugo calls it a gymnasium but honestly it looked more like a colosseum than anything else, there's no way gymnasiums would have pillars that looked so old and lavish with images depicting gladiators fighting. I stood in the middle of the massive structure with my training sword strapped securely to my back, my eyes roughly taking in the not too small audience around me as they cheered and chattered amongst themselves; word spread like wildfire about this supposed demonstration before Hugo Le Baskerville and so here we are. Higher up in the spectator box the clan head sat surrounded by a couple of the elite Knights, his eyes focused and glittering with interest down on me. I felt like one of the caged animals in a circus whose only purpose is to serve as entertainment for the nobility.
"Clan head, how are you thinking of testing the young master's skill?" John questioned as he looked at Hugo. He's have had his share of witnessing fights, but this is perhaps the first time in Baskerville history that a young hound that isn't of age participating in an actual match. "Will it be against her fellow hounds? Or practice dummies?"
"None of those. I'll send in a suitable demonic beast for her. Nothing too hard, but she'll think of it as a simple warmup." was the casual reply, as if it wasn't too big of a deal. The gates trembled as they were pulled open by a series of iron chains, letting whatever was hiding behind it access to the open air. There was the sound of shuffling and an elite hound guided the creature into the light, holding onto multiple pieces of iron chains. "I starved this one to make it a little more sensitive."
An orc? Surely Hugo isn't planning on belittling me with only lower-ranked creatures, maybe it'll be a warmup to gauge what I've learned… I watched in silence as the creature, a menacing green being tied in multiple layers of chains was guided out. It had a muzzle over its face to prevent any biting accidents, but I can clearly see the pearly white fangs as it cast its glowing red eyes onto me immediately. In fact this thing looks hungry and malnourished...was it starved during its captivity?
"Krrrrrrrrrrrrrg!" Orcs are generally a creature with a danger rating of C, which isn't as low as some creatures, but it was still a rare sight to see a C rank stand before the crowd. All around me there were murmurs of apprehension and worry about the outcome of this fight. It was to be expected though, young hounds no older than fifteen were allowed to face one of these brutes. But I was an exception and of course if something bad were to happen, then the Guardian Knights that were on standby will step in and subdue the creature.
We stood before each other, this orc towering a whooping four or five meters above me to my best estimate, I was like David and it was Goliath. The hound that guided the orc out noticed Hugo waving a hand to signal the orc's release. Soon the many layers of chains fell followed by the face mask, and the hound rushed to safety, climbing over the railings to take his place and watch the action. The orc, once it was freed of its bounds, let out a loud war cry and charged forward, mouth opened wide and arms opened to seize its prey.
I watched it in anticipation, leaning forward slightly and drew my blade half way out of its confinement. When the creature was in close range with an arm outstretch to shred me to pieces, I stepped forward fast. The blade sang through the air and in a flash, severed the orc's arm in a clean arc at the bone. Most of the younger hounds in attendance gasped at what they had witnessed, none believed that an eight year old managed to out speed the demonic creature and drew blood first.
"Kuwak?!" The orc gasped as it watched blood continue to spew out of the flesh wound, the severed arm falling to the ground with a limp thud. I didn't wait for it to recover from its shock as I went for the legs next, severing the tendons behind the kneecaps and watched it fall face first into the dirt in agony. It began crying and making distressed noises, clearly upset at getting hurt or perhaps shocked at seeing its own blood for the first time. There was one thing I noticed and that was the lack of 'Rapid Regeneration', a unique skill only for orcs to use. It never activated and that's because of me.
Thank god I asked Beelzebub to not show itself for this fight, but I was still able to apply the second skill, 'Hellhound's Hemorrhage' to my attack. I glanced down briefly to my right hand, noticing the slight markings of Beelzebub as it made its presence known within the artery. It would have been horrific if Hugo found out about its existence, so I made sure before the fight to have a brief and serious 'talk' with the demonic sword. There's no way a beast with a rank of C could stop a skill from a B+ rank beast. This orc is as good as dead.
"That's an eight year old?"
"How did she do that with her body?"
"Is it even possible to do that without the use of Mana…?"
He's saying that I still haven't shown him what I unlocked in the library. I tuned out the questions from the others and kept my gaze strictly on Hugo. He hadn't said a word during the demonstration, but I've known him for a long time so I was able to read his expressions well. Fine then, I'll show him what he wishes to see.
"Hmmm?!" That's an Aura Blade, how did she manage to do that? Now there's a reaction out of Hugo as he sat closer to the edge of his seat, his hands gripping so tight that the chair underneath threatened to buckle. I held my sword out before me and imbued it with Aura, the stainless steel turning into a menacing dark red hue. The orc had managed to get to its knees after sustaining so much damage, not to mention the continuous chip of damage from the hemorrhage, but when it turned around it met its swift death with my blade slicing through its entire being.
"That's a low rank sword expert's Aura… congratulations, Clan head." John murmured in amazement, not believing what he had just witnessed. He even removed his glasses to wipe the lens and put it back on and blinked twice for good measure. "The genius of this generation of Baskervilles has appeared. We haven't had this sort of hound in a very long time."
"Is that what you think?" Hugo questioned calmly as I quickly flicked the blood off my blade in a nonchalant manner, the gears within his head turning.
"Even amongst all the clans of the Empire, there will never be a genius like this…"
"Stop right there…look closer at the orc." The Clan head pointed to the corpse as it laid in a pool of blood, the liquid still flowing and staining the ground. "It was behaving quite strangely. Their specialty is their incredible regeneration. But this one hasn't stopped bleeding even after taking the death blow, in fact it seems to be flowing out of the wounds quite fast."
"So you think the young master only won because of a fluke?"
"She only won because the orc had been weakened a lot." Hugo spoke with confident, although the family butler thought otherwise and held back his comment about the clan head not being honest and happy with himself. The Clan head looked down as I stood before him, clearly waiting for him to notice my presence and give me permission to talk. He gestured for me to speak.
"Father, is there anything stronger than the orc?" I asked boldly, eliciting a loud murmur from the crowd as they watched for an answer. Clearly the others thought an orc would suffice for an eight year old, but my goal in this demonstration is to reveal a sufficient amount of strength; if I were to lie and then reveal that I was stronger than I appeared at a later time it'll bring nothing but trouble and questions. Another reason for my question is to ride on the hopes that if I get lucky, my achievement will be recognized by Hugo, and I'll get a chance to separate from him. There were a couple of routes I could take if I were to separate like being dispatched into the wild or enroll in the Academy.
"Hmmmm it looks like the orc we went and captured from the faraway lands isn't enough to satiate my daughter's hunger. She still starves for more and howls for blood." Hugo grins as I have captured his attention, a wicked sneer upon his face. "You make a lot of sense, Viktoria, you're at an age where you need to continue to experience real combat. Less time with training dummies, perhaps I should think about increasing the number of hunts in our forests."
"Thank you Father!" I responded in kind.
"Butler, isn't there an individual from the Barbarian subjugation we captured to experiment on some time ago?"
"Yes, there's exactly one left. It's likely to be very sensitive since it hasn't been fed in quite some time…perhaps a bit longer than the orc." John shudders at the thought of letting such a creature loose. "Clan head, I know you're probably doing this to indulge the young master but do you seriously think this is wise? She'll seriously get injured and won't be able to do her job if that's the case."
"Nonsense. Bring it here." At Hugo's sharp command the Elites rushed to get the creature from within, and brought it before me. If the orc was Goliath, this newcomer was a muscular skyscraper bounded in chains. I didn't dare laugh because of its smallish head with its thick neck in proportion to the rest of its body, but the energy exuded was definitely on a different level. The younger hounds flinched at the appearance and were nervous, some even looked as though they were about to be sick.
"Oooo! It's a troll." I couldn't help but sound excited as the large beast stared me down with wild anger. I could feel my blood boiling and my hands itchy to swing my sword and hack away at it. "Father, may I start?"
"Go ahead." The chains and shackles were removed much like how they were with the orc. With a bellowing cry and no longer bound, the troll roared and charged forward much like the orc did; looks like great minds think alike, which is great for me to counter. I don't know why these muscle meatheads think roaring is going to increase its chances of winning, but I ran towards it too with my sword drawn and by my side.
It's going for a punch, and it's a big one…! I took note of its movement – the pull back of an arm with its fingers curled into a tight fist ready to be thrown forward like a missile – and jumped, nimbly avoiding the blow as it crashed into the ground causing a tremor to rock throughout the arena. As I looked over the creature fully and thinking to myself of my next steps I backed off a bit to create some distance, not bothering to take the obvious opening as an opportunity to strike as the troll turned to face me again; its punch was so powerful a good size crater now littered the battlefield. If I connect with even one of its punches I will be badly injured…I must go about this carefully.
"Good decision." Hugo praised while the other less experienced hounds questioned my choice, his eyes glimmering with pride. "In comparison to the orc, a troll's regenerative ability is outstanding. If you can't inflict a fatal injury in one blow, you'll be wasting your energy; if you waste too much energy to the point of exhaustion then you are dead without a doubt, and a lot of hounds suffered for their naivety. This is why strategy is required if you want to hunt one by yourself."
I kept light on my toes and dodged the punches thrown by the troll when they're just about to connect, barely a hairsbreadth from my face. However, even though these were close calls I made sure to not make any unnecessary movements of my own least I become fatigue as well. I could tell that the troll was getting tired swinging its huge arms so much trying to hit me, its breath coming out ragged and short. Good, my strategy is working well.
"Is she trying to tire out her opponent? She's narrowly dodging those blows herself!"
"Is an eight year old really making such a judgement? Even I wouldn't have thought of something so risky."
"A real genius….a real genius is fighting before my eyes. It's surreal…"
A slow opponent such as this troll doesn't put too much pressure on a hound who is quick on their feet, but keeping up this act to fool Hugo is quite the burden. I may not be breathing as heavily but it's getting a bit strenuous. I kept my expression neutral as dollops of sweat appeared on my face from moving around. If I revealed my true strength coupled with Beelzebub's power, I can easily kill beasts similar to a troll. But I didn't want to complicate things so early, so killing this opponent needs to look as natural as possible.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaagh!" The troll roared in frustration, mustering up whatever energy and strength it had left, and charged forward once more. I could tell that it was absolutely desperate and doing what it could to demolish me with a single punch, hoping to chew upon my ruined body if it won. But I knew that a cornered animal who becomes desperate will make mistakes and slip up and that slip up was now.
A good method would be using its strength against it when it charges! With the flick of a wrist I flashed forward and swung my blade in an arc much like how I did with the orc, cutting through the troll's somewhat durable and hard skin along its left shoulder. It collapsed on its knees and cried in pain, holding onto its shoulder as it bled. I turned to look at it, acting as if I was waiting for it to use its regenerative ability.
"The troll got slashed!"
"It might be impossible to kill a troll using the Baskerville Swordmanship's First Fang."
"Regardless, it's still impressive that an eight year old did this much damage. I have no doubt the clan head will recognize her achievement."
It's true that it's impossible to cut through with only the First Fang. I thought as more chatter reached my ears, watching as the skin of the troll's thick hide began to bubble and stitch itself back together, a sign that its regenerative ability was activated. If I used Beelzebub's Hemorrhage ability then the troll would die if I waited…but that would be meaningless.
"You may stop now." Hugo ordered from where he sat, his voice calm and calculative as he observed the troll and I. "It could be dangerous if you wish to continue, so…"
"Sorry, Father, but I've nearly got it. I think I'll be able to realize something if I fight a bit longer. If I cannot finish it with my next attack, then I will abandon the fight." I spoke calmly but didn't turn my head to face him, my gaze was solely fixated on my prey as it stood back up slowly. "Please allow this selfish hound of a daughter to keep battling."
"…Continue." Hugo's one word ultimately sealed the troll's fate as I held my blade up, slowly pouring Aura into it till it was coated red.
How much should I reveal this time? The answer to this was set from the beginning way before my match with the orc. I look forward to witnessing Hugo's reaction after seeing this. While one eye began to glow the crimson color that signifies a Baskerville's lineage, I could tell my other eye did not exude a similar color. It was a strange phenomenon I have yet to unlock, like a mysterious puzzle. But that is neither here nor there, I don't need it to end this battle. The scenario I had in mind was one where it looks as though I received enlightenment during combat and gained awareness of the next level. I allowed the red Aura to flow around my body and took a stance, watching as the troll flinched as if being stared down by a very dangerous beast.
When everything was set and ready, one final arc of my Aura infused blade finally put the troll down. As its body crashed to the ground, there was silence in the air. For the first time in Baskerville history, an eight year old managed to display the Second Fang, a swordsmanship that most of the other young hounds could only reach at the age of eighteen. This event marked the beginning of the rumors about the birth of an irregular hound.
"Well would you look at that, I ended up winning." I smiled with glee and rubbed the back of my neck in a sheepish manner, acting oblivious to the shocked audience.
One week later…
Inside the cafeteria young hounds were busy either eating their meals or finishing up and rushing about to their next lessons; some hounds also spoke quietly about mundane items or wagered bets against each other for some quick cash. At a tender age we weren't supposed to worry about meager things such as money or earning an allowance since Hugo maintained control over the clan's finance, but it was still good practice to learn how to swindle or do business with each other.
"Ugh…no matter how much of it I eat, I cannot stomach this 'random meat stew' that the chefs whip up every single day of my life." I grimaced as I used my spoon to play around with the bowl of haggis in front of me. I found a quiet table to eat my meal, and so far it has been nothing but haggis day in and day out; a little variety in the menu wouldn't hurt, but I dare not speak my mind. Remember...only when a hound is rewarded for impressing Hugo will they get to feast on items from the food storage. I didn't question the contents of the gruel and mystery meat much since every young hound is aware that the meat in their meals were just danger beasts slaughtered a day or so earlier, and honestly it was very good for beginners to get their nutrients.
Glancing to the side I took notice how the other hounds were quick to avoid me like the plague, scurrying away as if they had more important places to be. This behavior wasn't strange to me in the slightest, after all I was only a small portion of the hounds that was born female and not from the main branch, so I was used to being avoided. However, the others keeping their distance from me just increased ever since my demonstration match in the colosseum. It's only natural because in this family, nothing but strength matters. Strength means everything to a Baskerville hound, and the stronger a hound is, the higher status that hound obtains.
Hugo being flustered was quite a sight, and the only reward I'll take great pleasure of remembering out of the whole event. I grinned to myself, remembering how the clan head sat in his chair so shell-shocked that he didn't even respond to Barrymore's words. The power I chose to reveal to the public was the Second Fang, a strength of a mid-rank sword expert, while my true strength is a weak Fourth Fang which is approximately the strength of a low rank sword graduate; deep down I was confident I would be able to polish up the Third Fang till it's ingrained into my very being, before turning my attention to improving both the Fourth Fang and the Fifth Fang.
If I take the troll's skill into account and mastering the swordsmanship of the Fifth Fang, I'll reach a level above a regular graduate. Before I left the arena and leave the corpses to the cleanup hounds, I allowed Beelzebub to take a quick snack out of view of the other hounds. The gluttonous creature buzzed with excitement and happiness as it quickly feasted on an open wound and feasted, eating without a care in the world. Once it had finished its meal I saw that it replaced the last skill which was the rat's skill in the third slot with the troll's skill Ultra Regeneration (C+).
However, even though I was thankful for having a better healing skill, I was constantly reminded of the demon's lust for hunger with unbearable stomach pangs and end up eating a lot more grub just to keep myself from starvation; I have grumbled with annoyance and voiced my complaints that as a female I had a figure to uphold, but those words did nothing to sway the demonic sword as it just countered with dishing out more pain to the point where I passed out. In the end I could only sigh in defeat and work just as hard to shave off the calories I shovel into my mouth to keep Beelzebub happy and fed.
"H-H-Hey, uhm…" A voice spoke behind me and I turned my head a bit to look over my shoulder, looking at the triplets stand behind me with slightly hesitant expressions on their faces. Hugo's Three Tridents, the three hounds that were once Hugo's prized hunting dogs. I didn't think I'd interact with them since our little 'dispute', not to mention we went out of our way to avoid each other during the exam. So imagine my surprise that these puppies wanted to strike up a conversation with the very hound who beat them.
"Was I too lenient on you three back then?" I asked them as I turned back around, gripping the spoon in my hand a bit tighter; at first I was feeling a bit lonely and thought I'd live the rest of my life in solitude, however that emotion went out the window because there's no way in hell I'd spend the rest of my life knowing that the triplets were the ones who I can talk to.
"N-No! Of course not!" High Bro uttered immediately as he and his two brothers backed up a little bit as they remembered that frightful beating. "We just...We just wanted to tell you that how you killed Cerberus, the orc, and the troll was cool…!"
"…Is this some kind of trick? Since when do you three dish out unnecessary words like that to a fellow litter mate? What are you all planning that involves talking to me?" I fully turned around in my seat to look them dead in the eye, watching as they did everything they could to avoid my wrathful gaze. There is nothing simpler in life than handling frightened puppies. Ugggghhh! These goosebumps from getting compliments, compliments from these three imbeciles, feels so disgusting…! Makes me want to punch their faces first and then think about this whole encounter later…preferably in a shower so I can get rid of these unauthorized goosebumps!
"Young Master Viktoria. A bit of your time if I may." John Barrymore's voice was close to my ear and it took me a moment to process that he was there by my side without making a sound. Seriously the family butler is capable of things like appearing without knowing that still made no sense to me, I swore this guy was like a shadow. I was lost in my thoughts for a minute and the triplets immediately high-tailed it when the family butler made his presence known.
"Ah! Barrymore!" I yelped and leaned back as the family butler stood at his full height, this is the second time someone got the jump on me because I wasn't paying attention. But thanks to these experiences I know now to keep my vigilance and my guard up, even during downtime; it's on me for not being so self-aware. "What can I do for you?"
"Young Master, you're needed in the clan head's office. Quickly now." Turning on his heels he led me out of the mostly empty cafeteria, not breaking stride but taking the time to say some greetings to wandering hounds.
As we passed the windows that looked out towards the entrance I noticed a very distinct carriage pulled by four horses parked in front of the door, and knew that very special visitors were here to visit Hugo. My eyes were then drawn to the two flags attached to the top and billowing in the wind, the insignia of what appeared to be a large rounded shield with an eye in the middle and two lances crossing in the front. Near the bottom was a pair of hands, their palms facing up to catch the blood red rubies. I recognized the symbol as the House of Morgue, and quickened my pace. Oh yes, these are some very important guests.
Inside the Clan Head's Office…
"It's been a while. And I see that Sir Hugo is the same as ever." The head of Baskerville sat on the sofa in silence with his arms folded and legs crossed as the man before him spoke in a pleasant manner. He was a slightly older gentleman with white hair and amber colored eyes. He wore a royal blue suit laced in gold, similarly colored pants and a pair of brown boots. Adolf Morgue is his name and he serves as the Clan Head's agent for the Morgue Clan.
The Baskervilles and the House of Morgue have always been rival families in a sense, thus both factions decided to appoint a representative who wasn't the clan head to travel to external events as acting head of the family. Adolf Morgue is such a man as he also is the younger brother of the true head of the House of Morgue; always attending and participating in these events doesn't faze him in the least, in fact he clearly enjoys it for he'll be front and center when meeting other key figures. "I hope this year's annual event will end without much issue."
In accordance with the order of the emperor two generations prior in the midst of war, 'Magic and Sword are complementary things' were his famous words before getting dethroned, Morgue Clan and Baskerville Clan have held joint training once a year. The children ranged between ages of eight and fifteen as they attend in this show-off event and the atmosphere was very good between them. However, at a certain point a conflict emerged. In the territory between the two, a ruby mine ownership issue arose, and so the relationship between the clan heads was skewed. However, because it was on the orders of the emperor, the joint training had to continue.
"Well, the joint training all ended without much happening so far, no?" Hugo responded in annoyance. He had been in the middle of writing reports or looking over the progress of a couple of hounds when his visitors arrived somewhat unannounced. Thus he had to clear out some space in his schedule to be a good host. "As far as I'm concerned this year will just yield the same results."
"Last year, weren't there some severely injured people from both clans? If that isn't an issue, then what is?" Adolf asked rhetorically as he reached forward to the cup of tea that was prepared for him.
"To call a mere scratch severe injuries, you insult me." Hugo growls as he feels his anger rise, watching the other drink a couple sips before setting his cup down. The Baskerville Clan Head himself had yet to touch his own cup, but he's more than likely to let it cool down. "The children of Morgue are overly dramatic as always."
"Well, that may be because we Morgues are prestigious and classy. Something your ruffian mutts may not be able to comprehend." The two men glowered at each other in anger, trying to rile each other up. Sensing that this topic wasn't doing them any good, Adolf cleared his throat and proceeded to change topic, "Ah right, I heard that a rising star has appeared among the Baskervilles, a true supernova. A genius who might appear once in a hundred years from the Baskerville Clan is a great fortune to the Empire, when was the last time such a hound appeared?"
"Heh, it's not something you need to tout so highly." Hugo spoke modestly, acting a bit formal before his guest.
To think that lizard-like bastard would actually react to compliments of his child, how unusual. Adolf frowned at the attitude the other Clan Head was exuding before speaking, "Well I suppose we can call this a double fortune, since talking about the joint training wasn't the only topic I wanted to speak to you about. A genius has also appeared in our Morgue Clan."
"Two geniuses for two families at the same time? That is quite a rarity." Hugo said as he looked at the other in curiosity as well as in interest. He doesn't even remember the name of the last genius of Morgue but that was way ahead of his time. "Looks like fate has blessed us both very well for the absences of geniuses over a hundred years."
"I couldn't agree more. Which is why I brought someone to come and meet you in person, she is eight years old and should be the same age as the genius of your family." Adolf turned to call over his shoulder, "Hey, Camus. Come in and say your greetings to the head of the Baskerville family."
The door opened and a young girl stepped through following the attendants. Her hair was the color of crimson and tied up into two pig tails with blue ribbons, her eyes a similar shade much like glittering rubies. She wore a clean white collared shirt tucked underneath a thigh-length skirt. There was also a similar colored tie much like Adolf's attire attached around her neck. A pair of shin-length brown boots adorned her feet and completed her appearance. Pure white skin and a sweet smile to add as she walked with grace up to Adolf and stood next to him.
Hmmmmm, so this is the supernova of the House of Morgue. A genius amongst magical geniuses of the Morgues. Hugo's brows furrowed as he looked at the young girl, watching her as she held out her hand to lightly hold the hem of her uncle's cloak. He had an inkling that the girl couldn't be any younger than eight years old, the same age as his own illegitimate daughter and the younger class of hounds in training, so he couldn't help but soften his expression a bit.
"This is the daughter of my elder sister. Her name is Camus." Adolf introduced his niece as he placed a hand on her shoulder. He then turned to her and said, "Child, you should greet the Clan Head, no? It would be rude if you don't and it'll reflect poorly on both of us."
"Mister, you're the thief who stole away our ruby mine, right?" The explosive question that came out of her mouth caught Hugo's attention and he stared at her as she walked a bit closer and held out a hand with the palm up. "Please return it to us, that mine rightfully belongs to the Morgue Clan."
The atmosphere instantly dropped at the question, the servants of both families stiffening on the spot, worried at what the Baskerville Clan Head would do after being disrespected as such. Even Adolf Morgue was perplexed at what his niece just said, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
"Thief…?" Hugo's eyes glowed an eerie red, clearly irked at the blatant accusation. He had never had such words spoken to his face, much less from an eight year old child from a different clan. "Is that what you called me…?"
"Y-You little punk! What are you saying all of a sudden so rudely in front of the Clan Head?!" Adolf quickly came to his senses and looked at his niece like she grew two heads. "You should apologize for your insolence!"
"But that's what you said, Uncle. I clearly didn't say anything wrong for it is the truth." Camus spoke clearly as she walked back to the sofa and sat down while folding her hands over her lap, obviously thinking that she didn't do anything wrong. "You said that the pathetic bearded man stole our ruby mine like a thief. And that's why the number of research rubies that I got from this month decreased."
"Wh-When did I ever say that?!"
"In the carriage, before we got off. About an hour and forty-two minutes ago? Don't try to deny those words, I heard it quite clearly…"
"A pathetic beard…" Hugo growls as he narrows his eyes, his teeth clenched as he heard the words. He sat through the confession letting it all come to light, but the unbridled rage was boiling to the top. "Like a thief? Those are some bold words to utter in my presence."
"Ahem, it seems like there was some sort of misunderstanding." Adolf tried to quell the situation, breaking out into a cold sweat and took out a handkerchief to wipe away the moisture on his face. "This will be explained well at a later time."
"What would a day-old pup know? There is no need for you to try and give excuses about the House of Morgue's education policies to me." The words were spat out, clearly signaling that the Clan Head was in a very foul mood.
"Return the mine to me immediatley!" Camus shouted much to Adolf's horror, her eyes fixated on Hugo as she commanded his attention. "I can't conduct my research because we're lacking in the materials!"
"C-Child…!"
"Stop." At that one word Hugo unleashed a very intimidating and menacing aura, his eyes glaring right back at Camus even though Adolf quickly brought her to his side; he even adjusted his body a bit so that he was in front of her should Hugo do something vicious. Camus was after all the Morgue Clan's pride and joy, so she shouldn't be harmed in any way, not while he's around protecting her. "It seems that education isn't the only thing Morgue Clan failed to teach. They failed to teach manners to their children."
"What are you saying to a child?" Adolf questioned Hugo, drawing his attention to him instead of Camus who couldn't understand what the big deal was. "Could it be that the Empire's sword saint is planning to oppress a mere eight year old girl who is speaking her mind?"
"If that eight year old can speak her mind freely in the front of the Clan head, then allow me to speak mine. The Morgue Clan also failed to teach their children not to covet what belongs to others." My voice spoke through the room and all who were attendance turned as I walked through the door with Barrymore behind me.
Is that kid the rising star of the Baskervilles…? Adolf thought as I kept my gaze on Hugo, not bothering to look at the visitors or acknowledge them until told to do so. Surely the rising star would be male since this clan is mostly patriarchy based…
"Hey. What did you say just now?" In a flash I came to a stop and was staring into a pair of red eyes, a girl the same height as I with her arms crossed over her chest as if she demanded my respect based on attitude alone.
"C-Camus! What do you think you're doing?!" Adolf gasped when he noticed that the girl was no longer by his side.
Camus…? The Morgue Clan's Steel-blooded Empress, is this Camus Morgue as a child? I thought as I stared at this girl. I don't remember if I ever came face to face with Camus as an adult in my past life, but I heard enough stories about her because she was just that famous. Even among the innumerable archmages that originated from the prestigious magic clan, she was someone called the genius of all geniuses. During her heyday, when she was at her prime, she subjugated all the monsters and barbarians of the mountains by herself. The way she skewered and burned them all to form the imperial borders' ash and blood became famous.
Her beautiful appearance enraptured everyone in the socialite world, there was nothing that could be hidden from her. If she wanted something she would be given it, no questions asked. She was beautiful enough to manipulate the imperials such that her other moniker was 'Avatar of Authority'. However, this is a story from far into the future, a future I had to live in without Vikir. But right now she's only an eight year old youngling like myself….
"What's with your stupid face?! Doesn't Baskerville Clan teach you to respond back to your master as a dog should?" She continued to badmouth me, trying to goad a reaction. Heh, even when she's angry she still has some cute charm to her except when she asks for things in a bossy way. "Why is the Ruby Mine yours?! It's quite obviously ours!"
"You must have worked hard traveling all the way here just to throw a tantrum. How unsightly for a lady who is the pride and joy of Morgue to show this side before her enemy." I finally replied to her after noticing Hugo giving me the approval to engage and she stared at me with a perplexed expression. Now the adults were paying attention to this little back and forth between so called 'geniuses'.
"Did you just say a tantrum…?"
"Oh? You mad?" It was my turn to goad her and I could feel the heat radiating off her body like a fire. What a child she is! "You're throwing one right now aren't you?"
"Then I'll teach you why the mine belongs to the Morgues in a simple way that your dogshit brain can understand." Little snowflakes formed out of thin air and I became aware that she was casting a spell in the room, obviously no one else was capable enough or even try to do it in front of the Clan head. But this little girl had guts to do such a thing, I was slightly intrigued. "Don't come crying to me with your tail between your legs once I beat you senselessly."
She really is a genius to be casting her spell without much effort. I stood calmly and observed her, not bothering to move an inch and waited. What I wasn't prepared for was her casting her spell to build a diorama of the entire territory right in the middle of the floor, her power so precise that I could see every little detail down to the minuscule lines that ran along the icy surface.
"Now!" She grinned at me as if she were prepared to lecture a student, and placed a hand on her creation to start pointing to various items. She must be really enjoying belittling others, can't wait to see her reaction when I crush her logic. "I'll make it so that even someone as ignorant as you can understand!"
"Huh, and here I thought you were going to 'beat' me in a physical manner. Little did I know you just wanted to show off your little ice model with your magic trick." I let out a disappointed sigh, infuriating her further but she composed herself and not take my bait. "Well go on then, don't let me rain on your parade just yet. I'll save it for later once you're done."
"Hmph! Well first off, the borders between the Morgues and the Baskervilles also known as the 'Joint Security Area', you should know that the mine here is where the high-quality rubies originate, right?" She tapped a place with a well-pedicured finger, a small cave-like structure. I nodded my head slightly and she continued. "The problem is that this mine's entrance is located in the Morgue Clan's territory on the surface, while the underground portion is located in the Baskerville territory!
"As you can see the mine is structured in a way that the Baskervilles cannot mine out the rubies on their own. That means that the mine should belong to us, the Morgue Clan! But, you guys are forcefully insisting that we are trespassing on your territory and interfering with our mining, and you're even rejecting our offer to pay lease for the relevant territory."
"Oho my little niece is so smart with her words!" Adolf laughs while Hugo just gritted his teeth in response. "No one has ever come close to besting her with words, she'll make a very good diplomat in the future!"
"The mineral called Ruby is indeed used often as a magical ingredient. And there definitely isn't a need for the Baskervilles to use the rubies that are mined." I said after a while of thinking and Camus smugly thought I agreed with her. However, I squashed her hopes by stating, "But a lease of territory? It seems that your biggest tragedy is that no one in the Baskerville Clan is idiotic enough to lease out their territory just to earn chump change."
"What?! You said that the Baskervilles have no real interest in the rubies!" Camus ignited and argued against me.
"Exactly, we only care about the territory. And that's why we are telling you that you're not allowed to enter. If you ignore our warnings then you end up trespassing." Then I smiled charmingly, knowing that I was getting under Camus' skin once more and making her upset again as she puffed up her cheeks. "After all, the only ones upset about not having the rubies are you folks, no? Your demeanor is just proving my point."
"Fine! If this doesn't persuade you then I'll show an even more certain way why the rights belongs to us!"
Oh it is so fun to tease this haughty princess! Her reactions are just the best. I couldn't help myself but laugh internally, very amused with myself and the way this interaction is playing out. Makes me wish I could've befriended this girl when she was an adult in my old life. A crying shame when I think about it because we could've been a force to be reckoned with. She just makes it way too easy.
"Listen up because I won't repeat myself again." Camus points to her model as she says her next words, "This is your land and this side is mine!" Then she leans forward, almost laying on her own ice model as she stretched out an arm so that it crosses both sides of the land. "Now then, whose arm is this?"
"Hmmmm…how intriguing." I smiled as I watched her act, my eyes glittered mischievously at the scenario that was playing through my mind. "Are you asking whose arm it is when your arm has entered our territory?" Like a snake I latched onto the dainty wrist of the outstretched arm and held it in my clutches with the thought of not letting go. "Obviously, yours is now mine."
"Wh-What are you saying so easily?!" Her face blushed red as she clearly misinterpreted my words. Now a flustered princess is even cuter and easier to tease, what a treasure this daughter of Morgue is. "Why am I yours now?! Y-You're so silly to even say that!"
"Who said you are mine?" I asked her, tilting my head in confusion at what she was saying. "Dig the earwax out of your ears and don't say such nonsense."
"Huh?" She watched as I unsheathed a knife that was attached to my hip and held it up near her arm, a sinister grin soon grew on my face widening from ear to ear. The adults in the room were stunned, enraptured by what was going on or was too shocked to move. "W-Wait…! What are you…?!"
"I'm saying that your arm is what is mine. Nothing more and nothing less." I leaned close to her, watching her squirm uncomfortably under my gaze as my grip tightened on her arm. She really looked as if she was about to cry and I just wanted to laugh right then and there. But I had an act to perform and I wasn't going to waste this chance to look like a bad guy. "Are you ready, Princess?"
"Hiccup."