And back with Chapter 56.
After half a year of inactivity -_-
I know, I know...Can't help it when the writer's block kicks in, tho.
This Chapter's 28k words long, however. So at least there's that.
Not much else to say, except I hope you have an enjoyable read.
Kay bye.
XXX
Three weeks later...
The time had finally arrived.
Weeks had gone by, time during which every single person under him worked from dawn to dusk to reach the proper preparations needed for them to proceed with their plans.
And now everything was finally ready.
As Yamamoto had provided a rough estimate of when they would be done, the group had been able to make an appointment ahead of time, and the date had finally come.
Indeed, they were on their way to the Guild where the negotiations with Royman would take place.
Everything was going according to both schedule and plan, however if he were to have a single complaint…
"Remind me again why I have to wear this...thing." Fuzen asked with the slightest trace of irritation in his tone, pulling at the shirt that was buttoned up to his neck which made it rather uncomfortable.
As per the rather annoying insistence of both Yamamoto and most of the others that made up his close confidants he had, reluctantly, agreed to wear a charcoal and light grey plaid suit, tailored to his size a week ago at the hands of a skilled East District clothier. His hair meanwhile was bound in a low ponytail with his bangs neatly parted to the sides. This was too much in his opinion, but the damn women back home wouldn't have allowed it any other way.
Vixen, all of them.
Last time he would inform them he had a meeting beforehand.
The suit itself, completed with a black shirt and a wine red tie stuck both tightly and neatly to his skin and therein lay the biggest problem to the boy: it was too constraining, a complete failure if he were to rank it as a battle attire.
Obviously, while the task ahead of them was not a physical battle where mobility played a crucial role it was hard for someone bred for fighting like Fuzen to simply get accustomed to it on the spot.
"While I understand your annoyance, my Young Master, it is simply etiquette to don formal wear when meeting with high-ranking individuals on the basis of equality in this city." The old man, himself wearing a simple black sui,t replied sagely to the question but it was not hard for anyone paying attention to notice the satisfied look on his aged face.
He had long wished to see his Young Master in a suit and that desire had been finally fulfilled.
"While I do respect his station that Elf and I are not equals." Came the reply which was hardly surprising.
"For the sake of a successful meeting you need to be just that, Young Master. If only for this one time."
Fuzen threw him a glare, ready to deliver his thoughts on the matter. Instead however he simply inhaled, then exhaled before looking up ahead again. "...I know."
"I-I think the Young Master looks very dashing!" Yua chirped in from her position two steps behind Fuzen's left side, the woman herself wearing a black woman's suit paired with likewise black pump heels shoes.
Compared to her frail and unkempt look she had when Fuzen first saved her from the Pleasure District all those months ago the woman was now like a different person altogether.
The lustre in her now shorter hair had finally returned as did the colour in her cheeks. Her body that looked as if it would break if you so much as grabbed her was now one which turned heads around on the street and the shine in her eyes finally, after so much time, reflected life once again.
Fuzen threw her an over the shoulder glance. "I'm a warrior. The amount of care I have for my looks couldn't possibly be lower, Yua."
"Even so, the Young Master looks dashing! And I'm sure Yamamoto-san would agree that looks can play a role in negotiations."
The old man of course nodded. "That is true, Young Master."
"...That's stupid. All that should matter is the reason and wisdom a person speaks, not whatever they went to the hairdresser an hour beforehand."
The two adults exchanged a look: that is how it should have been but humanity ultimately had countless nuances. Priorities were not always set straight nor was the logical thing what people went for all the time.
"No matter." The hazel-eyed boy shook his head. His eyes had more of a golden brown look to them than usual, almost no traces of the green to be seen. "We are almost there. You have all the documents we need?" He turned to Yamamoto, the old man nodding. "Good. As for me…" He brought his hand to his chest, a letter contained within his pocket there. "I will hold onto the blackmail material. Let's hope we are convincing enough not to need it."
In all honesty Fuzen doubted his so-called blackmail materials were as secret as he would like to believe. No doubt the really big Familia of Orario had a rough idea of what was going on behind the scenes, or a hunch at the very least.
But what they had was more than just that: it was evidence of the Guild's less than honourable conduct behind the walls of Orario.
Naturally they had not been able to get their hands on such evidence in only a month. The order for this task had been handed down to Kato months ago. Back then Fuzen had no idea they would try to build a loaning company in the future, but even so he had been aware that having any sort of sway over the Guild would prove beneficial to the East District.
That is why Kato had been hard at work tracing breadcrumbs on the Guild for some half a year now.
His decision to have the shinobi temporarily join Hermes Familia had been the right call, as well. With the freedom that Familia had to leave Orario without going through the Guild first Kato's job had been made much easier, able to both collect evidence for his Young Master as well as complete whatever mission Hermes had him do.
This way he had also been able to avoid suspicion by the blonde God.
"Young Master, please leave the talking to me." Yamamoto voiced, giving a soft kind smile. A rare sight indeed. "I feel like this is the moment for me to finally prove my worth to you. All the experience I have gained in the Far East has been for this moment."
He wasn't wrong.
Out of all three of them and out of all the East District he was the only one who had any kind of official training in matters regarding finances and negotiations.
However, Fuzen shook his head at his words. "No."
"D-Did I offend in some capacity, Young Master?"
"You have already proved your worth, ten times over. And even if you hadn't you wouldn't need to prove it to me. Prove it to the East District, instead. You are here on behalf of all of us, not just me."
Yamamoto took a single moment before he bowed his head. In truth his choice of words had been the result of his pride. It had as such been a poor choice of words, something Fuzen picked up on immediately.
Yes, this was why he adored his Young Master. So young, yet still able to keep his mind in the game. Able to keep everyone's minds in the game, not allowing them to slip up for a single moment just like he did a moment ago. "It was my mistake, Young Master. I apologize."
"I told you that having people your age apologize to me makes me feel uncomfortable. And now focus: we have arrived."
The trio stood before the Guild headquarters as a couple of moments passed in silence between them.
This was it.
If their efforts during the last month would amount to anything or not depended on whatever they came out of the building in front of them triumphant or not.
Sure, having the Guild take over half the construction and administrative work needed to create the loaning company would be a big success on its own, but that would all be meaningless if they didn't manage to get the Guild to be their partner.
It was a company catered to the needs of Adventurers, after all. Without the Guild's stamp of approval they would be just one more sketchy business out of countless others.
"...Let's go. Standing here will achieve nothing." Fuzen took charge once more and made for the stairs of the Guild, his two confidants following closely behind.
As was expected of a day at noon the Guild was packed with Adventurers, all standing in line waiting for their turn at the counter where the Guild employees were hard at work providing information, taking reports and everything else in-between they had to do.
Not a single moment after he took his first step inside the building the noise died down a bit as heads turned to look at him.
It was only to be expected, of course.
Besides the employees themselves no one dressed in formal wear would have any business at the Guild, not to mention that Fuzen himself was a well-known individual in this city of Adventurers by now.
His Magic alone, unique as it was in the world, was enough cause for that to be a fact. Add in his scuffle with Altena into the mix and it was only logical everyone and their mother would have at least heard of him.
'...All for the wrong reasons, though.'
The boy thought to himself with a sigh before he walked past the lines of Adventurers and made his way towards the stairs leading to the second floor, ignoring the looks he was receiving.
Once there they made their way towards the secretary seated behind her own counter a bit further away. "We have an appointment with Royman Mardeel." Fuzen stated.
After a brief moment of checking her notes and seeing their names on the list the secretary had them sit down and wait for a bit while she informed the Elf of their arrival.
It was in this moment of silence that Fuzen had just about enough of it and decided to call it out. "Yua. Stop being nervous." He had been feeling the woman's nervousness for a while now and in all honesty it was slightly annoying.
"I apologize, Young Master. It's just...this is the first time I'm meeting an important person…"
Fuzen's attempt to hide his frown had failed by now. "Anyone who associates with me cannot be this easy to intimidate. If you are going to be a bother…" He did not finish his sentence, for enough had been said.
Her eyes feel to the floor, by now slightly disheartened at her conduct. Yet the third of the trio, Yamamoto, did not question her as well. Instead his gaze locked onto Fuzen, his head shaking left and right just enough for the boy to make it out as a sign of disapproval.
'...Tsk. I know, I know.'
It didn't take a genius to notice that among all of the people of the East District, Fuzen was by far the rudest to Yua and the other women living at his place. They didn't know why but it was something that had been pointed out and something which Yamamoto took notice of.
Yua herself was the only one who knew why this was.
Months ago, when she had been alone with the boy and he let his true feelings about women like her leak out she became aware of just how much he hated, truly hated, prostitutes. So much so that her mere touch made him want to throw up.
Whatever they had been forced to or choose that profession themselves played no role in his eyes.
"...My feet cannot even touch the ground while sitting on this couch and I am less nervous than you." Fuzen voiced out as he dangled his feet a bit to illustrate his point: because the couch in the waiting area was so back leaning, someone of his height was unable to touch the floor. "You're the one I choose as my Assistant. My representative when I am not around. So be better. Better than even me. That is what I need of you. And I wouldn't have given you this station had I thought you unable to do it. My feelings about you do not change that."
Despite the tone he used to voice those words Yua knew there was honesty behind them. He had no many more competent choices, like Yamamoto or any other of his confidants, to appoint as his Assistant.
Yet he choose her.
"I understand, Young Master! I apologize for showing you this side of me. I'll do better!"
"...Mhm. You don't need to say anything this time around. Just watch how Yamamoto and I conduct ourselves and learn from the experience."
"I will!"
"...Mhm."
With that out of the way and a nod from the old man the three waited for a couple more minutes until the secretary came to get them. It was time for business now.
'...Not exactly what I expected out of my life when I first came to Orario...No point in thinking about it now, though.'
Following their guide the trio were led to an office further down the hallway, the secretary opening the door and letting them in before making herself disappear.
There he was, the Elf they were here for. Sitting at the high-class wooden desk and writing a report, not even wasting his time to look up at them. "Have a seat." He finally spoke after a long moment had passed.
With a nod Yamamoto was first to sit down at the couch opposite of Royman, taking the right side while Fuzen took the centre and Yua took the left side. Another moment passed before the old man spoke first. "Mister Mardeel, we are glad to be here and to have a moment of your time to discuss-"
He was cut off when the Elf raised a hand, his big eyes still glued to the report he was writing. "A moment, if you will. I am still in the middle of work."
It ticked Fuzen off how lacking the piggy's manners were. He didn't get to cut his confidants off. He didn't have that right, not when he didn't lift a single finger for the East District all those years ago when Evilus threw the city into chaos and ruins.
"...You should have dealt with that before deciding to receive us." Fuzen voiced in return. Despite seeing Yamamoto's head turn towards him from the corner of his eye he started solely at the Elf.
Finally he lifted his gaze and looked at them, sliding the paper he was writing on to his side with a hand. "...You are of course right. I apologize, Kenshi."
"Fuzen Katsumi. I am not here today in my capacity as an Adventurer."
"Understood." The Elf gave the closest thing to a nod he could without putting in the effort. Then he looked over at Yua. "I already met Mister Yamamoto when he came to make an appointment, but I do not believe I have met this young lady yet."
Fuzen himself felt her nervousness rise for a single moment as all the attention was on her, but to his surprise she simply pushed all that aside, giving a friendly smile as she introduced herself. "Yua Kojima, Mister Mardeel. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"She is my Assistant." Fuzen added.
"I see...Then, I believe you are here to discuss a...business proposition, if memory serves right."
"That is correct." Yamamoto replied, the enthusiasm palpable in his tone. Leaning forward and clasping his hands together, he began to explain in detail everything about their business idea.
How they planned to open a loaning company catered to the needs of beginner Adventurers, where they could get financial aid so that their chances of survival would be as high as possible until they would gain experience.
Yamamoto also explained how they already had a place where the company could be built, as well as the necessary employees he himself had been tutoring on everything they needed to be skilled at in order for the company to run efficiently. He also mentioned how they already had the capital needed to jump-start the business, the efforts of Fuzen and Raiju combined.
They had exclusively been hunting Magic Stones in the Dungeon for weeks now and with how the two could switch when one was needed on the surface, the duo had kept the farming up continuously without fail or pause. The amount of Valis they had made that way was honestly frightening.
With those basics out of the way the old man continued on, next explaining how the company would run.
Firstly, a Deity's presence was absolutely necessary if a new Adventurer wished to forge a loaning contract. Mortality rate among Level 1 and 2 Adventurers was the highest and as such the Deity would take the contract upon themselves in case of their Familia members dying, assuring that the debt was paid.
Secondly, a new Adventurer would not be allowed to loan over a certain amount of Valis. They lacked both the strength and experience to be trusted with a large sum of money and as such limits would be placed.
An absolutely new Adventurer with I Rank basic abilities could take no more than fifty thousand Valis as their first loan. From there the amount of loan they could take would go up with each improvement in Basic Abilities, a rise that would happen for each Basic Ability that reached the next rank.
This could be done either by providing a Status Update to the company's employees or, if they wished for their Status to be kept secret they could request a letter from their Guild Advisor, who would then proceed to give his or her written approval that the Adventurer's Status had indeed grown their Status.
Naturally they would provide a comprehensible chart to the Guild Advisors, detailing how much money over their normal rate the Adventurer could take depending on their growth.
Depending on available Skills and Magic the maximum loan amount could also change. If the desire for secrecy remained here as well, then the Guild Advisor could once again write a letter to the loaning company, assuring the existence of the Skill or Magic with their signature.
Thirdly, if a Familia with multiple members lost most of its manpower in the Dungeon and the survivors could not possibly produce the necessary money to pay off their monthly debt, then those survivors would be banned from diving into the Dungeon and instead be bound by contract to work for the loaning company, instead.
This would be done in order to avoid the survivors getting desperate and biting off more than they could chew, resulting in their deaths, as well.
The work the loaning company would task them with would not be inhumane nor slavery and it would not exceed more than sixteen hours a day, time needed for commuting included. Their basic daily needs like rent and food would be paid by the company and in turn the now contract-bound Adventurers could not turn down the work they were given, be it constructions, repairs, public work or guard duty at the loaning company.
Contract-bound Adventurers, if they possessed enough experience, could also be asked to train even newer loaners in combat. The training ground would be offered by the company right inside the East District.
Likewise, if an existing Familia that was not contract-bound to the company desired a Supporter or more manpower for their Dungeon dives then the Adventurer would be allowed to enter the Dungeon, though frontline roles would only be allowed if the Familia requesting help would dive on Floors close to the skills of the contract-bound Adventurer.
Mistreatment of the company's contract-bound Workers would not be allowed and contracts would need to be signed between the Deities of both Familia. In case of the death of the contract-bound Worker an investigation would be launched by the company to determine if it was simply bad luck or willing and needless endangerment of the contract-bound Worker by the employing Familia.
On another note specialized Familia like Ganesha Familia could request workers if they were in need of manpower for patrols around Orario. The same request could be done by any other type of non-exploration type Familia, as well. Examples would be fishing-type, agricultural-type or business-type Familia.
If a contract breach was found the Familia who requested the Worker would be penalized by the Guild on behalf of the loaning company, no matter their rank or strength.
This system would be in place until either half or the full debt was paid off. In case the Familia in debt proved to be trustworthy and cooperative the ban on Dungeon dives could be lifted once half the debt has been paid off.
Fourth, the Deity who signed the contract on behalf of their Familia member would be held accountable in case the mortal debtors breached the Dungeon dive ban. In case all Familia members died before the debt could be paid off the Deity would take it upon themselves to pay the debt through work, no matter how long it took.
They could take on new Familia members during this time if they wished but loans to new members would not be available until the first debt had been paid in full. At the same time the company could introduce and suggest individuals it thought promising for the life of an Adventurer to a Deity in debt.
The choice of whether to take the individual under their wing and bless them with their Falna, however, would ultimately depend solely on the Deity.
Fifth, any and all civilians could post Quests at the loaning company, work that did not involve diving into the Dungeon as long as appropriate pay for the work could be provided. The cost of each Quest would be estimated by the company's employees.
If at least sixty percent of the estimated reward for the Quest could be provided by the civilian the Quest would count as active and the remaining cost of the Quest would be covered by the company. The civilian could choose monthly payments for the amount they owned the company, payments that could be changed to best suit the civilian's income.
There would only be a three percent interest rate on the remaining forty percent and this rate would not change for the civilian in question, whatever their income would increase or decrease.
Contract-bound Workers could not refuse the civilian Quests and would be required to take on work if no request by a Familia for their services was in effect. Normal loaners, too, would be encouraged to take on the work provided by the civilians.
This would provide a steady if somewhat meagre income for any new Adventurer, a way for them to make money on the side and also a means for a contract-bound Worker to get rid of their debt quicker as the reward for the Quest would be taken by the company and registered as payment towards the debt.
Sixth, all loaners would benefit from discounts at pharmacies and blacksmiths associated with the loaning company. Over the last couple of weeks Fuzen's people had been visiting multiple such places and agreements had already been forged in signatures.
In exchange for providing them with customers, those Doctors and Blacksmiths would extend discounts on their services to the loaners of the company.
Multiple such people had already agreed to the propositions and were ready to start working with the company. They were of course not well-known craftsmen, they would have hardly agreed to a cooperation if they were, but they were at least newbie blacksmiths and pharmacists who had the guidance of a Deity that presented their craft as a reliable one.
Naturally that was all just the surface level points and many more remained to be explained but neither Fuzen nor Yamamoto believed that Royman was interested in how much salary the company's employees would get or the exact words on the contracts the old man had already pre-written and then mass-printed.
On that note…
'I only threw some loose words and ideas out there and this man has turned them into a whole multi-purpose business.' Fuzen thought to himself as Yamamoto's explanation came to an end, throwing the old man a glance. 'Competent people are...scary.'
Scarier even was the fact that all of that had been mostly thought up by the old man himself. Fuzen had of course been brainstorming with him on how to shape the company's structure and rules but the most he could help with was by giving the old man a more in-depth explanation on the life of an Adventurer.
That alone had been enough for Yamamoto to come up with the idea of turning debtors into 'Workers', keeping them alive and out of danger for as long as the debt was ongoing and making use of their superhuman abilities on the surface where it would be more beneficial to the East District.
The money they would use to pay their daily necessities was hardly anything compared to the work a blessed individual could do, especially in the world of man on the surface. A profit would be assured whatever they had the contract-bound workers do construction work, put them on patrols or lent them to Familia in need of temporary manpower.
But of course, profit was hardly the main point of this company. Even without having contract-bound workers they would still make profit simply from giving out loans.
No, profit was not the point here.
The main point was to give the East District that which it needed most: influence.
Contracts with Adventurers, a partnership with the Guild, a constant flow of money…
Those things would ensure that the second poorest District in Orario would no longer be just a place where immigrants and the unwanted had been thrown in order not to disturb the rest of Orario.
All those things would ensure that an incident like the recent one with the Ishtar Familia doing whatever they wanted in his District could no longer happen again. And if it did happen...well, they had contingency plans for that, all possible once the company would be set.
"Those would be the main points of interest that I believed would be worth mentioning, Mister Mardeel. Of course, should you require a more in-depth look into the structure of our business I have the necessary paperwork on hand." Yamamoto finished as he tapped the leather bag he had brought along to the meeting filled to the brim with papers and contracts he knew could prove useful.
The Elf, however, simply raised a hand. "That will not be necessary. I believe I have a good grasp on the workings of this loaning company you wish to establish. Still…" His eyes trailed off, stopping on Fuzen. "I was not aware that you possessed business acumen, Katsumi."
"All is as our Young Master wishes." The old man to his side spoke before he could.
"...I do not possess any such thing." The response came a moment later. "This is all the hard work of my confidants, Yamamoto most of all. I was only an advisor of sorts at best, seeing as I am an Adventurer and this is a company catered to the needs of Adventurers."
"...I see. However, while the overall idea is not bad I believe we have yet to address the biggest concern."
"And that would be?"
"Loki Familia." The Elf replied. "Which you belong to. You no doubt understand that your desire to become a...service provider in Orario will, without fail, link this loaning company with your Familia."
'Not fricking this again…' The boy could barely hold in the sigh that threatened to escape his lips.
"Whatever influence this company will grow it will ultimately be an extension of Loki Familia's influence. As such any new Adventurers who would make use of your services would be indebted to Loki Familia at some point in time-"
"Mister Mardeel." Fuzen cut him off before he could continue. The Elf raised one eyebrow but gave a small nod. "I don't remember signing away my freedom when I accepted Goddess Loki's Falna."
"...Your point?"
"You, and so many others, seem to think that being part of a Familia makes one's every breath associated with their Familia. However, I am my own person. What I do while in my free time is my own business, and mine alone. It neither concerns nor involves anyone else, my Familia least of all."
A moment of silence passed as the Elf leaned back into his seat, eyeing the boy. "That is not how it works."
"The last time someone tried to tell me how 'things work', a capital city fell and thousands died." The reply came lightning fast and yet another moment of silence befall the room. The old man and Yua exchanged a quick look, unsure how this conversation would go next. "I get your point, Mister Mardeel. That is how the norm was until now. But the norm is stupid and I don't have time for stupid."
By now Fuzen could see the fat Elf frowning ever so slightly. "So can you with certainty say that your Familia will have no influence over this company, should the Guild agree to the aforementioned partnership?"
"Yes, I can. The company will legally belong to Yamamoto over here and he is not associated with any Familia. While its establishment will indeed make use of my own personal funds and protection it will not be my company. After all…" To everyone's surprise Fuzen gave a small smile next. "How could a mere child hope to run a business?"
"…"
"…"
"...And just in case things will not go according to your plan and the norm you so blatantly downgraded tries to extend its hands towards this company?" Royman asked.
"I personally think that disciplinary lessons are quite efficient. It is, after all, rather unheard of for people to leave from such lessons quite the same person, with the same mentality."
"...Terrific." Royman voiced in a deadpan tone a moment later, picking up his pen again before resuming whatever paperwork he was doing before the meeting. "Very well, I agree to the proposed partnership. The Guild will take on half the costs of establishing this company. Leave your plans and estimated costs with my secretary on your way out. I will be in contact once I have time."
'Huh?'
By the looks of it, Fuzen was not the only one surprised at the words: Yamamoto and Yua were just as surprised.
They had spent the entire day yesterday thinking up ways of how to make the Elf agree to a partnership. Benefits to list out, long-term profits to name...Hell, they even went through the trouble of digging out dirt on the Guild to force them to their terms should they fail diplomatically.
And yet, Royman agreed...just like that?
Something was not right, both Fuzen and the old man could tell that much. But Yamamoto was fine with this. Turning his head ever so slightly towards Fuzen he gave the quietest clear of a throat he could.
'Just let it go, Young Master.' He seemed to want to relay to his Master.
Fuzen likewise looked at him with the corner of his eye, but he seemed less than fine with just letting it go. 'This fatso is up to something.'
Noticing the scowl on his Master's face, Yamamoto shook his head twice. 'We have yet to agree on terms, Young Master! It's fine, don't worry!'
For a moment he seemed to agree, his eyes falling to the floor as he contemplated.
Then a second later he looked back up at the Elf, the look in his eyes sharper than before. "You agreed suspiciously fast. What are you playing at?" Those words almost made Yamamoto facepalm himself.
But Royman hardly seemed to care for the words, simply going about writing his damn letters. "Why would I be playing at anything, Katsumi? Mister Yamamoto listed quite a lot of benefits from this partnership for the Guild, has he not?"
"And yet someone in your position would hardly ever make a decision that quickly."
"Decisiveness comes with exper-"
"This may be your turf but look me in the eyes when you're speaking to me." Fuzen cut the man off as he rested his forearms on his knees and leaned forward, his eyes never looking away from the man's face.
Finally Royman let his pen down and crossed his hands on his desk, locking eyes with the young boy staring daggers at him. "Decisiveness comes with experience, Katsumi."
And so they stared at each other for what seemed to be whole seconds, the silence in the room only making it worse for Yua and Yamamoto. Then Fuzen slowly lifted his hands-
Clap!
And clapped once. "...So we have an agreement, then?"
"...Indeed we do, Katsumi."
"Good. Yamamoto will come by again when you have time to discuss the exact terms and finer details, then."
"That would be preferable, yes. My secretary will schedule an appointment for you."
With a nod Fuzen stood up, as did the other two. "We will be in contact. Thank you for your time."
And so they left the room, scheduled an appointment with the secretary and then left the Guild.
"That fatso has something up his sleeve." Fuzen voiced as soon as they were a distance away from the Guild. "I may not know much about all this stuff but there is no way in hell anyone would agree that quickly to a sudden partnership proposition."
"...I would have to agree." The old man nodded. "It is quite suspicious he agreed that quickly."
"We will need to figure out what. Though we now have an agreement, depending on what he has up his sleeve...It could come and bite us in the rear down the lane…" He sighed. Be that as it may there was no denying they had succeeded in their mission here today. "Still, we achieved what we came here to do. That is worth something...right?"
Yamamoto quickly nodded. "Of course, Young Master! Though we could have built the company even without the Guild, it would have taken longer, not to mention our influence and efficiency would hardly come close to us having the Guild''s assistance. There is still the foundation to build but now our plan is set in stone!"
"...Mhm." A moment passed as Fuzen pondered on his next move, then he reached into his suit and took out the letter which contained the dirt on the Guild which they, luckily, had not been forced to make use of. "Here." And then he extended it towards Yua.
"O-Oh, okay?"
She reached out to grab it but Fuzen's grip on it didn't let her take it. "Take it back home."
"...Are we not going back together, Young Master?"
"...Haaa...You're bait."
"What…?"
"We just left the Guild. We know that fatso has something on us. And now after leaving the Guild I am giving you an unopened letter. If someone is watching us, it would gain their attention. So take the letter, thank me, smile and go back home. Alone."
He let go of the letter and Yua stared at it for a moment, Fuzen noticing a trace of a smile on her lips before she bowed her head and bagged the letter. "I understand, Young Master. Thank you for your trust." And with that she turned around and made her way back home.
A few seconds later Yamamoto spoke. "You are...quite unfair to her, Young Master."
"Thanks." Fuzen said in return, raising his arm at hip height and lifting two fingers. "Two should be enough…"
It took the old man a moment to understand what he meant by thanking. "...Oh. The Genyutai?"
"She's bait, not a sacrifice. Thanks for starting the conversation, however. Making hand gestures outside of a conversation would appear suspicious."
"...My Young Master has become scary. What is an old man to think of this…?"
"You are half the reason behind it, though?" Now that he had given the signal for Kato to assign two of his men to shadow Yua on her way back home it was time for the next topic. "...Anyway, are the ones you selected to work at our company doing well?"
"Our future employees? Yes, thanks to the old friends I got in contact with, their training is now full-time. I couldn't teach that many people alone, after all."
"Do we owe your friends anything for their help?"
"No, Young Master. They all owned me anyway. You could say we are even now."
"...Nonetheless, see to it that they are rewarded in some capacity. If the shared coffers are too empty you can reach into my own funds."
"Most gracious of you, my Master."
"Mhm...You said it will take around eight to ten weeks for the company to be functioning with the help of the Guild, right?"
"That is correct."
"So it will start soon, then...Do you require my direct involvement anymore?"
"I think we can manage everything else now, Young Master. I apologize again for today but your presence was necessary. Neither I nor the others carry the same influence as you do, after all."
Fuzen could barely hold in a chuckle. "You are still saying that after my slip-up?"
"Well...Antagonizing Royman might not have been the best decision if we want a good partnership...but I think you embodied the will of the East District quite well, Young Master."
"Embodied the will, huh…?"
Is that really what he did? To Fuzen who lacked any training in such matters it hardly seemed like that. He simply did what he would have done in any other scenario: keeping true to himself.
"On another matter, Young Master…" The old man spoke, shaking Fuzen from his thoughts. With a nod from the swordsman he continued. "It might not be the best time as some work is still ahead of us, but perhaps a celebration would be appreciated at this time? Succeeding in gaining the help of the Guild is quite a feat, after all, and everyone else has been working hard those past couple of weeks…"
"A celebration…?" A rather confusing proposal to the boy. He who had never celebrated anything in his life failed to see the reason behind such a thing. Whatever he survived his year long training to unlock his Ki, achieving a certain mastery in the way of the sword or perfected the usage of a Technique, it was all just another step towards his goal.
On their own, those achievements were meaningless. Without essence. Only when the end goal was achieved would it make a semblance of sense to celebrate anything.
But he was he, and Fuzen knew he was weird...to say the least. "...If you think it would help, then do it."
"Understood. Then should I have it held tonight?"
"Tonight…?"
'I still need to go and interrogate that rat Kato caught a short while ago...It would be a nice excuse to get away from this meaningless celebration, but I know those annoying guys would pester me if I'm not there...And they say they are adults. Tsk…'
And just as he was thinking of that his eyes fell upon the Babel in the distance, stretching to the height of the skies. A moment later he stopped in his tracks, eyes still on the structure. "...Young Master?"
'Now that I think about it...Isn't this a golden opportunity? But is it not too soon…?'
"Is something wrong?"
'...Nah, screw it. It would have happened sooner or later anyway. Better to get them used to it earlier…'
"No. We will hold it tomorrow night."
"Oh, I understand. More time to prepare would indeed be wise."
"Yes, sure. I'm also going to bring two or three guests of my own. They are unrelated to us or the company but I've been meaning to introduce them to you and the others for a while now."
"Friends of the Young Master?"
"...No. Let's just say they are some...individuals I met in the Dungeon."
XXX
It would be soon, now.
After their appointment at the Guild Fuzen had walked around with Yamamoto some more before they parted ways. The old man still had quite a lot to do and Fuzen himself needed some time to think.
So he walked around Orario, compartmentalising everything that had happened recently in his mind as he walked. Suffice to say a lot had happened by now. A lot that had not been originally accounted for when he first set foot in this city.
But...this was good.
Everything he did was for his goal. Even those seemingly unrelated actions like the loaning company and the art gallery would play their own roles in the achievement of his goal in the end.
It was good...but, despite wanting to punch himself for admitting it, he could not deny the fact that the mental fatigue was slowly getting to him.
Despite the boons of the Falna and despite his own mind being disciplined and something he could control far better than the average man thanks to his Ki, all this thinking still left its mark on him.
Naturally, he did not fail to notice how both Yamamoto and his other associates tried their best to lessen his burden. But even so...
He was tired.
'...Just thinking that out loud makes me want to puke. Urgh…'
It didn't matter, though.
His role in life was not to care for his own well-being. All he needed to do was to achieve his goal. Then everything would be right once more.
And all he needed for that were his own two hands, a sword and the patience for things to fall into the right place.
'Just a little bit more. A year...two at most. Just a bit more. Please, just endure a bit more…'
His walk coming to an end, Fuzen made his way back to the East District. There he first dropped by Mikoto's training grounds to make sure she was not slacking off.
Hearing her grunts of pain and tears falling down her face was a good indication that neither she nor Raiju were slacking off and this earned a nod of approval from him. Until now her physical part of the training was done in order to get her used to the physical anguish she would be subjected to once she became an actual Initiate of the Lightning Sword Style.
And starting this week Fuzen had decided it was time for her training to move up to the next step: bringing her to the very limits of her body and breaking her down.
Now it was only a matter of seeing whether she died or not in the process.
'Hang in there…'
With that out of the way he headed back home. Luckily, or not, the two members of the Genyutai who followed Yua back home reported that she had not been followed by anyone else.
He might have been just paranoid earlier...but better safe than sorry.
Then he dropped by his house as it was almost time for lunch. Alya still had lectures with her tutor so he had a bit of time to prepare something to eat for her.
Naturally, any one of his twenty plus housemaids could have taken care of that, but…
'Must be a female thing or something.'
As of late Alya had been throwing more and more tantrums. She refused to eat if Fuzen didn't make the food or at least was present to eat with her, she refused to take a bath if he wasn't there to dry her hair for her and she refused to go to sleep if he wasn't at home…
It was kinda annoying, in all honesty, for both him and the housemaids tasked with looking out for her in his absence.
Still, he knew that kids were both weird and dumb and as he didn't want to rob her of anything that would make her any less human, he allowed it for the time being. But if this went on he would need to take some measures against her behaviour.
'...Still, how do you even punish a normal kid? God Hachiman and that geezer used to beat me up with an iron cudgel when I didn't perform as was expected of me...Should I utilize that form of punishment on her, too? Food for thought...'
For now he still had to make something to eat for that little airhead. Today he decided on Hasselback Jagamarukuns. It was easy to make and something she liked, after all.
First get a fire going in the oven, then wash and dry pat the Jagamarukuns, skin still on. Then thinly cut the Jagamarukuns and stop just about one fourth short of the other end, keeping it as a whole.
Once they were all thinly cut, something he was especially good at, sprinkles them with some salt and pepper and then grab some butter then throw it in a pot and allow it to melt. Meanwhile, grab some rosemary, thyme and parsley, thought those were not the only herbs one could use, and chop them all up finely.
At the last moment he also decided to chop up some garlic.
As soon as that was all done grab all the herbs and garlic and throw them in the melted butter, stirring them up for about one to two minutes. Once done remove the pot from the fire and place the Jagamarukuns on a tray and brush them with the melted butter and herbs.
Lastly, put them in the oven for about thirty to forty minutes.
'That should do it...Time to brew some tea.'
Having a moment to himself Fuzen brewed some herbal tea and grabbing a cup he made his way to the porch overlooking the garden, taking a seat and enjoying the silence.
"Haaaa...I feel like an old man…"
Once his internal clock told him it had been around thirty minutes he returned to the kitchen and checked on the food. It looked just about done so he took it out of the oven and set it out to cool then went to the room where Alya would be studying with her tutor and slid the door open.
Not a moment later he was already hit by a projectile which took the form of a golden-haired girl, her arms tightly wrapped around his torso. "You're back!"
"I've only been gone a couple of hours."
"Save me!"
"...I sense no imminent threat in the vicinity, though?"
"Numbers are a threat!"
'Right...It's mathematics today. Now I actually feel bad for her…'
With a sigh he placed his hand on her head. "I can't save you from the numbers...but I can offer food, if you're hungry."
That seemed to do the trick as a single moment later she looked up at him, eyes sparkling. "Jagamarukun?!"
"...Yes. Sensei, would you like to join us?"
The tutor gave a smile but turned down the offer. "Thank you for the offer, Young Master, but I wouldn't dare impose. The Young Miss was just about done with her lectures today so I will leave her today's homework and be on my way."
"Understood. Thank you for your hard work, Sensei. I know she can be…" He looked to his side at the blonde trying to pull on his clothes to get him moving, no doubt because of her hunger. "...quite a handful."
Luckily enough it seemed his idea of preparing Hasselback Jagamarukuns had been a good one: the girl wolfing them down was a clear sign she liked them. He tried a couple himself and was surprised how well they turned out despite only reading the recipe once but not having made them before.
"I take it they are to your liking?"
"Mhm! They are so crunchy!"
"I'll make them again, then."
"Pwease doh!"
"Manners, Alya."
Once they were done eating Fuzen had Alya help him in washing the dishes, the girl surprisingly eager to help. She usually disliked doing boring stuff...but that had not been the case as of late.
'...Growth, maybe? She is chronologically not even a year old yet so I was worried she might have a slower growth rate, but...Besides her height, is she actually growing? That would be nice.'
"Hehe, I did good, didn't I?"
"...It was reasonable. You use too much dish soap. That stuff is expensive, you know?"
"Grrr...Come on, just praise me!"
"Maybe when you can wash dishes at the sink without the need of standing on a stool." She pouted at his words but didn't say anything, just giving him the stink eye. As he left the kitchen and made for the door she followed him, running up to his side and pulling on his arm.
"I'm done with my lectures today so let's go play! I want to show you my new airball move!"
"That is not possible. I need to go now." As soon as he spoke those words he felt the pull on his arm loosen up.
"...Again?"
"Obviously."
"But you needed to go yesterday, too! And the day before that! And before that!"
"...So? You might not realize this but I am rather busy-"
Before he could finish however the girl rushed past him, taking the next left which would lead to the garden. "Whatever! I'll play alone!"
'...Decide whether you're cute or not, you sub-sized little-...Haaa…'
With a sigh he decided to leave that for another time. He had delayed enough and now it was time for work again. Time for things to get a little dirty, for a lack of better words.
Being a Tsuwamono was not easy.
Sure, while it was only recognized within his own homeland it was nonetheless a powerful title. Most doors in the Far East would open with but one request and he could even walk into the Imperial Palace without being stopped, as long as he didn't decide to do it in the middle of the night.
Best of all he could even put arrogant pricks in their places as long as he had some degree of justification for his actions. It wasn't like anyone would try to challenge someone who obtained a noble title thanks to their martial strength alone, after all.
But naturally, where there is benefit there are also downsides.
Not restrictions like a Tsuwamono not being allowed to own land, he couldn't care less about that.
However...
The common people did unnecessarily venerate them beyond what was normal, if for no other reason that there were so few of them. Yet he was nothing more than a person with one too many issues who just happened to have trained in one thing his entire life. He was neither a leader nor a wise man.
But even so people sang him praises and thought his every action was something special, a decision done by someone better.
It had been the case back home and now it happened in the East District, as well.
'All the while I'm just going with my best guess most of the time. I'm actually surprised I haven't messed up big time yet. Haaa...No pressure, right?'
And just like any other place in the world, the East District had its own secrets. Secrets he was now privy to. Things he now had to deal with by himself least he would become an ignorant person.
'...What I'm about to do next was because of my decision. No one else is to be responsible for it. Haaaa….'
Walk down the main street of the East District from the southern entrance for eight hundred meders. At the start of the vendor market keep to the left side, then slip into the alley right beside one of the restaurants he now owned.
Then walk down the alley and take the second right, then take the first left straight after. Not a moment later after he was once again on the move the sensation of the first pair of eyes on him became prominent.
His eyes and ears were hard at work, it seemed. How useful simple civilians could be given the right instructions.
Finally, at the small clearing at the dead end where the abandoned four houses were keep to the left side then slip into the narrow alley between the houses on the left. Keep going forward then take a right at the end of the narrow alley. Walk between the wall and the building, then stop at seventeen footsteps.
Seventeen for Fuzen.
For the adults it was thirteen.
Face the wall of the brick building and from the top right grab the brick that was slightly pointing outwards, rotating it once downwards. Then on the same line but third row from the ground up rotate the brick upwards.
Once the faint Click could be heard grab the now open hidden door and pull. Quickly get inside and close the door, then climb down the flight of stairs which led to the underground hallway.
In all honesty neither Fuzen nor any of his associates who were aware of this hideout knew exactly who had built it. The East District had been around for quite some time so any such knowledge would obviously become less known with the passing of time.
It had been Kato who actually shared this hideout with them as he found it before meeting Fuzen while he was running his street-level information gathering business. From the looks of it...it must have belonged to some form of a thieves guild, or maybe to a group of merchants who used it to store less legal wares. After all, while this entrance was quite narrow, there were two more entrances to this underground hideout.
Whatever the case it was theirs now.
Fuzen knew of it. Kato and the Genyutai as well, and lastly Yamamoto. Before long he would have to share this location with Yua, as well.
'...Time to get started.'
Walking down the somewhat lengthy hallway he ignored the couple of closed doors on his left and right. For now those rooms were empty, serving no purpose. But in the future the space could be useful. Maybe for storing the bombs he planned to buy for the East District in the near future, or maybe as temporary living quarters for the Genyutai should their numbers rise.
"My Master." The one who had been walking in his shadow all this time since leaving the house finally stepped out, revealing himself. "I am still against your idea. This is my job, not yours."
"Your concerns are appreciated but unnecessary, Kato." He responded as he took the left hallway. The reason for him coming here was just up ahead, locked within one room. "I refuse to be an ignorant Tsuwamono. You and the others will not be required to do anything I myself would not do."
"...You are too young, my Master."
Though his concerns were indeed understandable, the reason behind them was goofy to say the least. "That didn't seem to bother you while I was murdering the cockroaches in my District."
"My Master was raised as a warrior. I understand that. But this...Is not the same."
To some degree, Fuzen had to agree. But it didn't matter. "Enough. I will do it. Let's go. Step in only if I mess it up somewhere along the way."
With his order given Kato nodded after a long second and followed his Master as he walked up to one of the many doors and after a long breath opened it.
Just like he and Yamamoto guessed, rogue elements had indeed started to appear in the East District shortly after they began moving to set everything up for their soon-to-be-established loaning company.
Outsiders who snooped around trying to figure out what those with some influence in the East District were up to. No doubt the house cleaning Fuzen had done in removing all the harmful elements of the District had gained some attention, especially among those who were partners or associates of the couple Familia who sucked the people of his District dry of money and lives.
What those assholes didn't know, however, was that with Kenshi as their central figure the people had finally gathered together under one banner. Over ten thousand souls keeping an eye out throughout their turf.
It was them who first spotted those rogue elements snooping around. Then those of them who had been assigned sectors brought the information to Fuzen's eyes and ears. They in turn informed Yamamoto, who in turn informed the Genyutai.
It took only about six hours since the snoopers entered the District for Kato and his men to find an opportunity to knock them out and bring them to the hideout. All that happened five days ago.
Three days ago, one of the two broke after a bit of physical torture only. A weak will and an even weaker mind. That one was hired by, surprisingly enough, the bank. Going by what the man said they had grown suspicious of his associates visiting the bank to ask all possible questions about the loaning system the bank had.
From there they grew suspicious and so they hired someone unassociated with them to figure out what the businessmen Fuzen sent to them were up to. Understandable, to some degree. Nobody likes competition in the business world.
Unfortunately the bank was not an entity they could attack directly or indirectly. At least, not until they tried anything against the District. For now the warning that came in the form of their missing hireling would have to do. When exactly they expected a report from him wasn't something they tried to figure out, but him not reporting at all would be enough warning that Fuzen and his associates were onto them.
As for the second guy they captured...he had been far more tight-lipped. For the last couple of days Kato and his men had been weakening him through torture, bringing him as close to the breaking point as possible, all the while they looked him up to find out who he was.
And now it was time to try and actually break him.
"Mmph." The captive grunted through his mouth gag as soon as the door opened, his tired eyes looking up to where the door was opposite of him. He was in a sitting position against the wall, his arms lifted up to his sides and shackled with the chains nailed to the wall.
The Magic Stone powered light sources in the room were all placed in a semi-circle around him, a strategy that Kato said was used quite often in torture. By shining all the light on the captive you make them unable to see the rest of the dark room. Thus you limit their perception of space, of their world. You make them feel more enclosed and trapped.
He could hear Fuzen and Kato walking around, but he could not see them. Just like someone out in the woods who cannot see the hungry predators lurking around him outside the reach of his torch, this practice allowed you to instil a primal sense of dread in the victim.
Taking his time Fuzen walked over to the table near the door and handed over one flask to Kato, then he grabbed three knives and poured the content of another flash on their blades.
Once that was done he walked up to the captive, keeping himself out of the light and only the man to see the tips of his boots. Kato likewise moved to the left side of the semi-circle, closer to the man.
'Kato told me the process. I just need to follow it…'
Collecting himself for a moment he nodded to Kato and the man reached out, allowing the man to see only an arm extending towards him. Grabbing the mouth gag he pulled it down then stepped back into the darkness.
"W-Who are you…?"
"Hilmar Karlsson, twenty-eight years old." The man's tired face managed to raise an eyebrow, no doubt because of hearing Fuzen's youthful voice. "Am I correct?"
"What the fuck do you want-?"
"Wrong."
The man was unblessed, merely a man doing the bidding of someone else. He could not even see the dagger that was thrown into his thigh until it was already guard-deep in his flesh.
"H-Huh…? There's no pain…" He voiced weakly as he stared at the dagger, unsure why he felt nothing despite it biting into his flesh.
Fuzen allowed him a couple of seconds, then replied. "It will come to you slowly."
Just as the man was about to speak again his eyes shot wide open and from his throat came the most wretched screams of pain Fuzen had ever heard. His eyes rolled in the back of his head and his body thrashed around like a fish out of water.
Kato's first rule of torture was aesthetics and narcotics.
From the moment the captive is knocked out pump them full of drugs that makes them unable to sense pain. While they are unconscious inflict serious wounds on them. When they are awake, only proceed with light torture like punching and drowning.
Repeat the process a couple of times, slowly shaving away at their life. Then when the victim looks tired and weak enough...that is when they are allowed to come back to reality.
The dagger Fuzen threw had been coated in the antidote that quickly removed the numbness of the aesthetics and narcotics. All at once the man's nerves were overloaded with the pain from the countless wounds that had been inflicted on him, not only the pain from the dagger in his thigh.
Naturally, if he was allowed to suffer to long he could and would pass out from the pain. "There is one rule: I ask you questions and you answer them. If you answer them I will not hurt you, but if you don't I will stab you with a dagger again."
"Aaarggghhh! I GET IT! I'LL ANSWER! I'LL ANSWER! FUCK! Just make it stop!"
With that as his signal Kato stepped forward into the light, his face still hidden behind a mask, and he removed the dagger from the captive's leg. Then he gave him the aesthetic again before stepping out of sight once more.
They allowed him half a minute for the drugs to work their effects and once his breathing became somewhat normal again, Fuzen continued. "We will start again. Your name is Hilmar, correct?"
"Yes!"
The first rule of torture and interrogation, per Kato's words: ask simple question that the captive can answer quickly, without thinking.
"You are twenty-eight years old?"
"Yes, I am."
This is done in order to make them careless and reiterate. To force them into a loop of sorts where they are safe and understand the pain won't return so long as they continue to say the truth.
"You are from Aermagh, correct?"
"Yes, you are correct…"
It does not require many repetitions. A couple are enough. Afterwards, even if you were to ask threatening questions…
"You live together with your wife, two kids and younger brother?"
"Yes, I do…" Instead of answering after thinking it over they would answer first and think later. "! You fuck! My family didn't do anything, keep them out of this!" He shouted a moment later, realizing that they were truly onto him.
Even with his injured leg he tried to stand up and fight against the chains, to no avail however.
'This is the moment Kato talked about. The crucial moment.'
Grabbing another one of his knives coated in antidote Fuzen lifted it up..."Wrong" and then threw it at his other thigh. It once again took a couple of seconds before he yelled and screamed, the pain overloading his system once again.
Another rule of torture Kato shared with him: fully keep your captive clothed. Do not allow them to see the extent of the injuries you inflict upon them while they are unconscious. Someone who could see how messed up they truly were could give up on life and just accept their death.
Captives who gave up were of no use.
That is why keeping them fully clothed was better. Someone hopeful about their survival and return to normalcy was much more useful, and easier to manipulate.
Hilmar did not know that multiple bones in his body were broken, nor was he aware that a hot iron had been used to cauterize the lacerations on his back. Thanks to the gloves they put on him, he wasn't even aware all his fingernails had been pulled out. Nor was he aware of the myriad of other injuries Kato had inflicted on him, weakening him as much as possible without killing him.
He was weak and his life was slipping away from him, slowly but surely. Some of the wounds have already been infected and others, like his severed and then cauterised Achilles tendons would never allow him to walk again, unless he got his hands on an Elixir or help from someone of Amid's calibre.
"I ask and you answer. Because you cannot follow a simple rule like that…" This was the moment Kato told him was the best to break the captive completely. "I need to kill your family."
Though still sweating and twitching from pain the man's eyes widened as he looked in Fuzen's direction, the horror clear as day on his face. "N-No, please! Leave them alone!"
"No. Because of your failure to comply with the rules I need to kill them." Repeated use of terrifying words will induce a pseudo-hypnosis on the target, forcing them to be more focused on you while less focused on anything else, like their well-being or the repercussions of loosening their lips. "I will torture them more thoroughly than I have you. First your little brother Juta, in front of your crying wife and children. Then your wife, Genna. Then your children, Nassob and Thyra." Slowly reveal just how much you truly know about the captive, making them aware that you were not bluffing until now.
As Kato had explained, at this point most males will have a moment where they will try to fight you. Hilmar did just that, fighting against the chains that held him for a few moments. Then the tears and howling followed, just as expected. "Please...Please..."
As the extreme pain and disorientation of their bodies intensifies, keep applying pressure to bring the captive into a state of complete hopelessness. "...I will slowly slice the flesh off their bones and then rip them apart, limb by limb. They will yell your name, little Nassob and Thyra. But you won't be there to protect them from me."
"Waaahhh...Ahhhh...No...No…"
His monotone voice had always been a point of dissatisfaction for Fuzen, but in cases like this his ability to detach emotions from his voice proved to be a bonus. It made his threats feel all the more real. Even more threatening was the fact that he was merely a child.
But Kato had told him that arrogance and cruelty are also important tools in torture and interrogation.
As such he took a moment to collect himself and forced himself to smirk, bringing the faintest trace of playfulness to his tone. "Can you imagine it? I am sure you can. The terrifying looks on their faces…"
It seemed to be a success. Following Kato's instructions on the art of torture and interrogation their captive had been forced into a corner, moulded into a helpless, crying mess. A success, to say the least.
Now he should move on to the next point.
But…
He didn't stop there.
"Why are you crying? Even if they are family, they are just other people." He continued even after feeling Kato's gaze switching from the captive to him. "Just abandon them. That's just the human thing to do, is it not? If you can survive by giving them up what does it matter if your family gets killed by me or not?"
"No! No…"
Fuzen was silent for a moment, unaware that he tilted his head ever so slightly at the man as he gazed at him. "...Is your family important to you? Then...if you agree to abandon them and leave their lives in my hands, I promise on my name that I will let you out of here."
The man's closed and watery eyes opened just a bit for a single moment before he closed them shut again, his head shaking from side to side.
'...Family, huh?'
With a sign from him Kato stepped forward once again, removing the second dagger Fuzen threw and applying the anaesthetic to Hilmar once more.
At its core, torture is a form of complete domination. Completely latch onto the enemy and break them apart. After that, slowly but surely cut off all their exists and make them depend on you.
Like a devil, like a God...make them see the person in front of them as a being of absolute authority that they cannot go against. Make them cling onto you, and only you, for mercy and forgiveness.
Once you succeed in doing that, you win.
"This is your last chance. Tell me everything I want to know and I will leave your family alone. Lie to me and I will make sure they suffer the most painful deaths imaginable."
Now somewhat more calm again thanks to the drugs numbing his pain once more Hilmar looked up to where he was and nodded, tears still falling down his cheeks.
"Who do you work for?"
"I'm a worker for the Merchant's Guild of Aermagh."
"I know. That is how I know your name and your family." Just to once again make sure they will not lie to you, ask a question you know the answer to first and make them aware of your knowledge about them. "Why were you snooping around Orario's East District?"
"My Guild heard that the influential people of the East District were up to something from our members in Orario and they sent me to investigate."
"Why you?"
"They were afraid that the faces of our members in Orario were already known, so they sent me, someone who has always worked in Aermagh."
"What were they afraid of?"
"Our Guild worked together with Rati Familia who were located in the East District but a while ago all their members disappeared, as did the Goddess Rati. There were reports of a divine pillar of a Deity going back to Heaven in Orario shortly before we lost contact…The Guild thought whoever was responsible for their disappearance could still be around."
Rati Familia.
Fuzen remembered them.
They were the scums, the damn cockroaches who called themselves Adventurers when in fact they dealt in slaves and blackmail, as well as extortion. The ones that Fuzen killed down to the last member. The Goddess which he personally sent back to Heaven with his own two hands.
The ones who had extorted money from the people of the East District.
The one who enslaved and sold the women of the East District to Ishtar Familia and to all the brothels in the cities near Orario.
Yua, Nanao, Ise...All of them from the East District.
'My fricking District.'
"...Does the Guild know who was responsible for Rati Familia's disappearance?"
The man's eyes widened once more, clearly panicked. "No! Please believe me, I am not lying! We don't know who was responsible for it! Please believe me!"
'...It doesn't look like he is lying. He must be panicking because he doesn't have an answer for me and fears for his family...Still, it is good to know outside elements are still not aware I was responsible for eliminating those assholes.'
"Why is Aermagh's Merchant Guild interested in the possible changes within the East District?"
"Depending on my report, if it is safe once again, we wanted to get one of our businesses back despite not having Rati Familia's backing."
"...What business?"
"The slave business. Rati Familia used to provide us with many slaves which we sold to regional lords or nearby countries. It earned us a lot of money but the business has been halted since Rati Familia disappeared."
"...Why target the East District specifically?"
"Easterners are quite rare. The few that can afford to leave the Far East come by boat to Melen and then make their way to Orario. Not many can be found elsewhere so they are seen as exotic goods. An eastern woman can easily sale for twice the price of a western woman."
Twitch.
Twitch...
"I see. That is all."
"T-Then, my family…"
"Your family? Yeah, as I promised…" Fuzen replied, taking a step forward, then another, until he was no longer hidden in the darkness. Hilmar's eyes widened as he finally made him out, remembering the description of the young Adventurer who destroyed Al-Dale all those months ago and realizing the one in front of him matched that description perfectly. "I'll kill them all slowly and painfully."
"! You little shit, that isn't what you promised!"
"Living with honour is what I was taught...but I need not keep my word to vermin." He replied with his monotone voice once again, lifting his hand and pointing the index and middle finger at the man. "You are not worthy of that sort of respect. [Lash out.]"
He wanted to fry Hilmar from head to toe, fry him to badly not even his god damned wife would recognize him anymore. He wanted to hear his shout out in pain. To suffer for being part of an organisation that brought misery and suffering to his District.
But…
No.
He had moved fast enough to redirect the lightning and make it hit the wall behind Hilmar instead. Frying him here would leave his corpse in a state that could draw attention to himself. While Mages were not exactly rare thanks to his broadcasted fight with Altena a death by electrocution would most definitely make him the prime suspect in Hilmar's death.
"...Y-You are...Kenshi."
"Yes." Fuzen voiced and walked closer to the man, his face now fully revealed. "Now stand there and die." And without a second of hesitation he lifted his leg and kicked the man square in the chest, pushing him into the wall behind and cracking it while at the same time caving his chest in.
Hilmar twitched for a second longer, puked a pool of blood and then died, just like that.
"...My Master."
Before he could continue Fuzen lifted a hand up at him, then placed it on his hip as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
How should they proceed from here?
Aermagh was not part of Orario, it was a smaller city-state located some one hundred and twenty kilometres south-east of Orario.
They now lived on borrowed time.
They needed to die.
But how?
What were the repercussions of exterminating them? If they were found out? How would that affect his Familia?
What about the slaves the Merchant Guild bought from Rati Familia?
Their rescue operation back then only extended to Orario and the brothels of the surrounding villages and cities. It had not extended that far away from Orario.
They didn't even know the District's people had been brought that far. There had been no reports of other missing or kidnapped people filed in by the District's civilians.
Yua and the others should have been the only ones.
Had Hilmar lied?
But if not, how many were still out there?
More importantly, where were they?
Were they still alive? Dead? On this continent? On the other side of the planet?
"...Fuck."
"My Master…"
"Be quiet for a damn moment. Fucking hell…"
'Next move...What is the next move? How should I think? What should I prioritize? I'm a warrior, damn it. I wasn't trained to be a thinker. Fuck..How would Captain Finn compartmentalize this information…? What would he prioritize…? The best step forward...'
…
…
…
After what seemed like two whole minutes he finally stopped rubbing his face and opened his eyes, one finger pointing at the now dead Hilmar. "Kato, have this shit-stick thrown at the Merchant Guild's doorstep."
"...Are you sure, my Master?"
"It's fine. From what he said they aren't yet aware of my involvement in the East District. Surprisingly enough, that is...If we throw the shit-stick at their doorstep they will know that the boogeyman who killed their partner, namely Rati Familia, is still lurking around. They'll know we are onto them now, that we know who they are and what they've done. It will keep them away. Maybe even make them careless enough for an opportunity to open up. No wait, what would an opportunity even look like? Opportunity for what?"
"M-Master…"
"Not important. Keeping them away and on edge will be enough for now. They'll know I am the one who killed Rati and her Familia soon. They loaning company is only known to a few people so far, but once it is built and opened and my protection of the place will be made public, they will realize I am East District's boogeyman. Or maybe they won't…? No, they can't be that stupid. They'll put one and one together, eventually. Or realistically, they'll realize sooner rather than later…? Which one is it? Or is there another possibility? How the hell would normal people think in that scenario…? No. Not important. They need to die all the same."
"…"
"The slaves he mentioned...Kato, are there any other known missing people that we overlooked?"
"No. The ones we rescued back then accounted for all the missing or kidnapped individuals reported by the District to Yamamoto-sama."
"So he lied, then. Right? No...What if they simply had no one to report them missing? Living on their own with no relatives? Or perhaps just easterners passing through the District? Which one is it? Do we need to mobilize for unaffiliated people? What should a Tsuwamono do? No, do I need to act like a Disciple, first? Which one…?"
"M-Master, maybe breathe…?"
"…" For a moment it seemed as if Kato's words got through, Fuzen stopping his rambling and being quiet. But when he turned his head the shinobi understood he had been completely ignored until now. "Those captives. I want them found."
"...I understand, my Master. My information network does not extend as far as Aermagh, but if I sneak into the Merchant's Guild maybe I can find a ledger-"
"No." Fuzen cut him off, shaking his head twice. "You are a fast worker, but...It's time to make use of Hermes's Familia."
"My work for them has not yet been that important. We will owe them a favour, my Master. A big one, might I add."
"Non-important. Do it. Now that I know they exist we need to bring them back as soon as possible. That is the right choice. That is expected of me…"
"My Master, you are being rash in your decisions!" Raising his voice finally seemed to do the trick, Fuzen's eyes now on Kato. "Let us talk to Yamamoto-sama first, put together a thorough plan of action."
"...Haaaa...Yes...Yes, you are right. That is...right. Mhm. But we need to find them."
"Of course, my Master. We will."
"Mhm. We need to find them. Even if it's just their bones, I need them. Their bones are mine to protect. It's myduty. Mine..."
Just then he felt a hand resting on his shoulder. "There is nothing else for you to do here, my Master. Please go back and rest. I will clean up here and have the body brought to the Merchant's Guild."
"Please see to it, then." Fuzen nodded and turned half a step, stopping only to look at Hilmar's body once more. "...It is not honourable...But I understand both the importance and effectiveness of torture now. You may continue to use this practice as long as it is done in the interest of the East District, and as long as the victim deserves it."
"Yes, my Master. As for his family…"
"...I just wanted him to die in despair. Don't touch them: they'll die on their own." He voiced but noticing Kato's raised eyebrow now that he removed his mask, he continued. "He was the breadwinner. Once his family becomes aware of his death, his young brother will try to step up, no doubt, following his sense of duty to his brother's family. Dumb fuck will try to earn quick money like all young, stupid people do, thinking he's hot shit. Mercenary or Adventurer. He'll die on his first mission or Dungeon dive, most likely. The wife will try to step up and earn for her family next. Stupid broad will more likely than not become a gobble-pipe for backstreet thugs before long. Get addicted to some drugs to forget about the pain as well, no doubt. And the snot-brained kids...Well, they'll have the kind of role models in their lives that won't see them survive long. They are already dead: they just don't know it yet."
"...If you say so, my Master."
"Mhm."
With a grunt Fuzen turned and made for the door, but just as he grabbed the door knob his shinobi decided to speak again. "Torture is a means to an end. It is not to be enjoyed, my Master. Ever."
His Master stopped and looked at him over his shoulder for a quick second, but said nothing in return. And just as quick he was out and closed the door behind him.
'...Clear signs of a desire to be right and prove his choices are the only correct ones. Back then, when he stepped out of the script...He would have truly let this man go if he had chosen to abandon his family for his own safety, if only to prove his point. His point being that...people only ever take actions that directly benefit them. When the Master was defeated by that wretched Were-Jaguar he truly believed the others and I only followed him because of his strength. That he was no longer of use to us because he had lost...Just what has happened in his life to make him that pessimistic at such a young age? My young Master, the only one worthy of being followed…'
"...My bright Master, fair and righteous, but human enough to possess darkness within him as well...Are you losing your own battle, I wonder...?"
…
…
…
It had been foolish.
For once he had thought things were looking good.
After the Ishtar incident nothing bad had happened anymore.
No one had attacked his District.
And things were looking good: he and Raiju had managed to amass a fair amount of capital needed for the company. They had found the necessary personnel to hire. Even the Guild agreed to be their partners, taking over half the costs.
Things were looking good for once.
But of course, that had been just a lie.
It wasn't enough that they had enemies in Orario, now even outside forces had been revealed.
One more thing to worry about.
It was moments like these where he realized just how much he needed to truly respect his Captain. How he dealt with bullshit like this on a daily basis was beyond Fuzen.
'Fricking damn it…'
What's more, there were still more of his people out there. People he had missed. People he had been ignorantly unaware of.
Why?
Why had he not been aware of it?
Not enough informations?
Did they need a bigger web?
But how far?
Up to Aermagh?
Further?
To cover half the continent?
All of it?
Up to the Far East?
How many more enemies would be revealed if they did that?
Half a dozen?
A dozen?
A hundred?
'...My head is fricking splitting open. Fuck.'
Trying his best to ignore the headache he moved forward, though unaware that he did so at a snail's pace.
'The slaves...They are the priority. Need to find them. Quick.'
He should have already found them.
He should have already been aware of their existence.
Why had he not been aware?
He had failed.
Again.
He had failed as...what?
A Tsuwamono?
A Disciple?
The Successor of his school?
Adventurer Kenshi?
Fuzen Katsumi?
The other one?
All of them?
None of them?
...All of them.
Failed.
Failure, once again.
They had been right, back then. His Mistress. Hachiman. The old geezer. His friends. Even his fucking mother, may her soul forever rot in Hell.
A failure forever.
By now he had stopped walking, still just two block away from the hidden entrance to the hideout. He wasn't aware however, neither that he had stopped nor that he was keeling over, hands on his knees and barely managing to breath in and out. "Fucking failure...Just do one single thing right for once. Just once..."
If enemies had been hiding as close to him as Aermagh, what about everyone else?
What about the Far East?
He had only left for Orario once he made sure no more threats remained which could harm the Lightning Sword Style or his Mistress...But he was a failure.
How could he even be sure he had done that right?
He couldn't even do one thing right when he was this old already, he obviously couldn't have done anything right years ago, either.
"Stupid. Stupid…"
A few more moments passed before he finally realized he was leaning with one arm against a wall, unable to breath at all. 'Dizzy. Chest feels tight. Can't breath...Stop thinking. Focus.'
Yet, no matter how much he told himself to focus it was simply not possible to do so. His own attack on himself continued even against his will.
Why was he feeling weak now?
What right did he have to feel weak?
He just needed to make everything right again.
He just needed to pave the path forward.
He just needed to grasp the Heavens.
Why couldn't he even do something as simple as that?
Failure. Failure. Failure.
'Stop thinking. Focus. Stop thinking...'
Everything that he had started recently, even if it did not seem so at first sight, everything was meant to help him achieve his goal.
But he couldn't even maintain what he had already build. How could he even finish what he started?
Something so simple, and yet…
A stupid, talentless failure.
'Stop thinking...Stop…'
Why had he been so laid-back and happy? About what? The mediocre work he had managed to do?
No, not even mediocre: just dogshit.
Right now he knew he needed to stop and focus more than ever before, but that was simply impossible. The thoughts kept popping up in his mind, one after another...until it was no longer just one though at a time.
Fortifications required...East District…Mikoto's cultivation...continue pressure…Loki Familia...neglecting my duties…Check on...school...Alya's mood swings...more attention...My training...intensify...Merchant's Guild...prioritize enemies...The Xenos...fulfil promise...
'tomorrow's guests prioritize important truth gathering scan in district enemies east favour familia hermes findtheslavesquicklythenbringthembacktheneliminatethemerchantsguildthenfocusontomorrowsgatheringbringthegueststellthetruththenfocusonmikotopayattentiontohertrainingkeepthelightningswordstylealivesecureitsfutureprotecttheeastdistrictyourdutyastsuwamonopreparemoretrainmorebebetterfocusonthegoalmakepreperationsforthedungeonlearnfromtheexpeditionsdontneglectyourdutiestolokifamiliastartthecompanyspreadyourinfluencegivethedistrictthepullitneedsfocusonalyaaswellyouownheryourlifekeepyourdutytoherprotectherandmoveforwardwithyourplansjustabitmoreoneyeartwoatmostjustabitmorejustabitmorejustabitmorejustabitmorejustabit-'
Thud!
And so, unable even to finish his line of thought Fuzen fell face-down into the ground, his body finally giving up on him.
XXX
"...Huh."
'Moron burned himself out and passed out. In a filthy alley, no less. Fitting, really.'
"Raiju-sama, is everything...okay? Did I do...anything wrong?"
"Hmmm….Nah, everything is fine, actually. Just keep doing what you're doing, miss apprentice."
'I'll need to grab him sooner or later before he wakes up, but...ehh, no hurry.'
XXX
Having read enough for her eyes to feel too heavy to keep open anymore Yua closed the makeshift notebook and stretched her arms and back.
She wouldn't say it was hard but it wasn't easy, either.
Now that her Master has officially appointed her as his Assistant she needed to learn. So it was that old man Yamamoto had prepared a notebook for her, if one could even call that many papers stacked together and bound with thin rope a notebook.
It wasn't even that long ago that she got the position: how exactly the old man managed to write so much by hand was beyond her. Maybe he possessed the foresight to see such a turn of events coming and he prepared it in advance?
Yua wasn't sure. But it made sense to her.
Economics, Orario politics, their businesses and partners so far...If she was to be a useful Assistant to her Master she needed to have an above-basic grasp on just about everything relating to their businesses and District.
As such she was to learn on her own from the notebook whenever possible, and when Fuzen was not present for her to follow around she had been ordered to stick by Yamamoto's side and learn as much as possible from him.
'...A cup of tea would be nice…' With that thought in her mind she stood up from her table in what was the meeting room and made her way to the kitchen.
It was already midnight and the others were asleep, as was the girl called Mikoto whom her Master was training in his ways. The Young Miss, too, had been tucked into bed a few hours ago. If anyone else was to be up it could only be Riko, the live-in housemaid. That girl had too much energy and loved her job, but Yua had not noticed her since the sun went down.
Setting some water to boil for her tea Yua crossed her arms as she leaned back against the kitchen counter. '...Today was pretty scary, too…'
Though she had tried her absolute best to not look suspicious Yua could not deny that knowing she was being used as 'bait' on her way back from the Guild made her somewhat...jumpy.
Not that she didn't trust her Young Master, she trusted him with her life and everything else, but that sense of danger was something she could not suppress. Thankfully she had arrived home safely with no incidents, but who knew what could have happened.
Still, it did make her question something.
Fuzen had said she was being used as bait. Meaning that he either thought or expected someone who opposed him to be watching them. Which in turn meant enemies.
The tea now ready Yua took a sip and allowed the revitalizing feeling to spread through her body and mind, taking a seat by the kitchen table.
Yua was not stupid: she knew that the District had enemies. Even though those animals who had been responsible for her and the others' years of torment were now dead, they were hardly the only ones involved in that whole criminal ring.
The Rati Familia might have been the main evil, but they hurt them only because there was a demand for it. Others had something to gain from their suffering. With Rati Familia gone, that supply chain stopped. That most likely made a lot of people unhappy.
But were those really the only enemies?
More importantly…
'Is it really alright for the Young Master to worry about things like these…?'
Naturally, she wasn't questioning his intelligence. It was obvious within the first five seconds of talking to Fuzen that he was intelligent and had been educated properly. His manner of speech, his knowledge and his understanding of matters even some young adults struggled with showed the true extent of his education.
However, he was still young.
Very, very young.
Was it really okay for them to let him worry about all those stressful matters by himself? As far as she understood, old man Yamamoto took care of the paperwork involving the District. But it was also the old man who silently complained that Fuzen was too much of a perfectionist. That he was getting too involved in the management of the District when that work should have been that of his confidants.
'I don't know of any other children who have been given this much responsibility, in fiction or real life...Should I not try to-?' Her line of thought ended as soon as it started, Yua mentally slapping herself for her mistake.
She was...projecting onto him again. Even though he had made her aware of this a while ago, she still did it.
This infuriated her slightly. But damn it, it was such a strong feeling she could do nothing against it.
She had lost three little ones while a pleasure woman for the Rati Familia. All dead at birth, thanks in no small part to the weak condition they kept her in. Even the whereabouts of their bodies had been kept from her, those animals no doubt taking pleasure even in her anguish.
All three now had a grave thanks to Fuzen, who somehow knew of them even without Yua telling him. Just like he knew that, even subconsciously, she was trying to project her motherly instincts onto him.
He just had that air of mysticism about him.
Yua knew it was a bad thing to do. She was not his mother: he deserved far better than someone like her. But even so…He was the best thing that had ever happened to her.
"...Oh. The tea has gotten cold." She realized a moment later when she touched the cup, having been lost in thought far longer that she would like to admit. As the new Assistant to her Master she could not allow herself to be so easily shaken.
Standing up she picked her cup and poured it back into the pot, planning to heat it up once more and finish her drink before going to bed. Tomorrow would be an early day, as well.
Just a minute into her wait she heard the front door slide open, however. The front gates were closed and she had been told there were people constantly on the lookout, so she doubted it could have been anyone else but the owner of the mansion. "Young Master?" She called as she walked towards the entrance.
But it wasn't Fuzen that answered back. "It's me."
Instead, it was Raiju.
As soon as he came up on the hallway Yua immediately noticed the figure of her Young Master being carried like a sack of potatoes under the dragonoid's arm and she was upon him in the blink of an eye. "What happened?!"
"Relax. He's just tired, is all."
Despite the words of assurance from the magical servant Yua could not bring herself to be at ease. She had seen her Master when he was tired before, his eyes closing and his head falling down ever so slightly as he went through a pile of reports.
Whatever it was her, Yamamoto, Raiju or Alya his eyes shot wide open as soon as anyone twitched a single muscle with the intent to touch him. It was simply too hard to imagine that he allowed Raiju to carry him like that if he was only tired.
With that in mind she wasted no time in grabbing Fuzen under the arms and lifting him up, immediately noticing the state of his clothes. "He is soaking wet."
"Yes, my glorious Master has been sweating a lot."
"He's sick?!" She stated as her eyes fell on the tall dragonoid man. "Why did you not bring him to a doctor, instead?"
"He isn't sick, you idjit. He's tired." Raiju returned with an annoyed raised brow. "Anyway, you know just as well as I do my Master would not appreciate being brought to a doctor if the reason for it ain't serious enough." Sadly, that was one fact she could not argue against. "I'm going back to patrolling the District now. Put him to bed, will ya?"
And with that the magical servant was gone, leaving Yua alone with an unconscious Fuzen. It was awkward to say the least: she had never imagined the moment would come when she would ever get to see the boy in such a...vulnerable state.
She had also noticed a moment later that, interestingly enough, Fuzen was frowning while asleep. Whatever this was a regular thing or he only frowned this one time, Yua could not know.
Deciding not to dwell on that matter she grabbed him in her arms, his weight meaning nothing to her at the moment, and made her way upstairs as quietly as possible. There was no reason to wake anyone else up, after all: that would only complicate things.
Yua knew however that hygiene was of the outmost importance to her Young Master, almost bordering on an obsession to be honest, so as soon as she placed him on his bed she took off his sweaty clothes and made for the bathroom, grabbing both a wet towel as well as a dry one.
Though it wasn't as good as an actual bath, wiping off the sweat was better than nothing and would certainly make her Young Master less moody once he woke up. It was like that she wiped him off as best she could without violating his privacy and changed him into his night attire.
With that she was done. Though he did have a fever, Raiju's words had been true: their Master was not one who would appreciate being brought to a Doctor unless life-threatening. He was also one blessed by a Deity, sturdier and healthier than all who were unblessed...While she had some concerns for his well-being and being reprimanded for her actions would be the least of her worries if his health was involved, she decided to wait until morning before further decisions be made.
'That should cover everything. I will check up on him regularly just in case…' With that thought in her mind she pulled the blanket over him and took a step back, ready to leave the room.
But...she found herself unable to.
The grunts her Master let out had been present ever since the dragonoid man brought him home. Yet now, looking at him, the frown on his face, the grunts he let out ever so often...Yua could not bring herself to leave.
And so she grabbed one of the chairs from the balcony and brought it near the bed, sitting upon as she decided to stand close to her Master for now.
She could only wonder what could haunt one of such a strong spirit as her Master in his sleep. For adults it would be grief, regrets, past suffering. She knew that to be true for herself, at least.
Yet what haunted one such as Fuzen Katsumi? That would perhaps forever remain a mystery.
It was funny, really. Funny how easily both she and everyone else sharing the same roof forgot that their Master was, in the end, just human like them. Hard to believe with his achievements and the way he behaved, but he was just that in the end.
For a moment she wondered if she would be...dealt with, for having witnesses one such vulnerable side to her Master he no doubt wished to keep secret. But that was just a silly thought, Yua knew that much.
Her Master was many things but he was not an oath-breaker.
As long as none of them would do anything dishonourable, something that would in turn reflect badly on him, he would not harm them. Even though Yua knew...no, she was the only one who knew that he hated them.
Because of their weakness. Their lack of resolve to fight. Their...taint.
How messed up was that even?
To hate someone yet to allow them to be near you.
To give them purpose, responsibilities…
Honestly, she had no idea what this boy in front of her was even thinking. She never had, from the beginning.
''Nggh…''
Another grunt followed as his frown only grew on his face, head turning left, then right. It was then that Yua noticed his arms moving ever so slightly around him, as if searching for something, fingers clenching and unclenching as he grasped at nothing.
She took a moment to consider if her next action was appropriate but as the next grunt reached her ears she honestly did not care anymore. So she reached out and grabbed his hand in hers.
A winch followed next, from her side this time. It was easy to forget looking at his sleeping face, but the boy in front of her was able to bend iron with his bare hands, something she had once seen him do.
It hurt when he gripped her hand, but luckily it did not seem like she broke any bones or fingers, Fuzen halting his squeeze on her within moments. His discipline kicking in despite his state of unconsciousness, no doubt.
To her surprise however his grunts stopped almost immediately and even the frown on his face seemed to lessen, looking far more at peace than he did a moment ago.
'He looks...so normal now.' Yua thought to herself as she stared at her Young Master's sleeping face, wondering how a simple gesture like holding his hand could change him so much. It was surprising, really.
Had she tried this while he was awake no doubt his eyes would reflect disgust back at her, but right now, for whatever reason...her holding his hand seemed to put him at ease.
This brought a smile to her face: thought the circumstance were hardly ideal, she managed to be helpful to the person who saved her from a life of constant pain and darkness.
"Rest, Young Master." She but whispered as she gently squeezed his hand between her two. "Rest…"
XXX
It was shameful to say the least, but the first thing that crossed his mind as consciousness returned to him was a dreaded sense of panic.
The Lightning Sword Style was not a school for the faint-hearted.
Even while resting those who came before him created a Technique which allowed the Disciples to remain aware of their surroundings even while asleep, all for the sake of continuing training even while the body rested, focusing on mental training and Ki manipulation. Making efficient use of their limited time alive.
Fuzen himself appreciated this Technique more than most would had and had been using it nigh daily for years now...to the point where he was dependent on it.
The few times this ritual of his had been interrupted was during times when his Ki reserves had been fully depleted or when his body had been injured so much he passed out on the spot.
Horrible experiences, to say the least.
There were few things he hated more than gaps in his continuous stream of memories.
And upon becoming conscious once more, he realized that one such gap had taken place once again.
But how?
He remembered going to the abandoned part of the East District.
Entering the hideout.
Meeting Kato.
Then torturing the man, Hilmar.
Finding out that there were possibly other people from his District out there.
Leaving the hideout.
Then...blank.
But why blank?
What happened?
Had he been attacked?
By who?
No, not possible.
Then...betrayed?
Kato had been the only one at the hideout with him.
Had he rebelled?
Did he need to cut him down?
But where was he?
Had he been abducted?
His sword.
He needed his sword.
All those thoughts and a dozen more buzzed like flies inside his mind over the span of a single second, his panic increasing the more he thought, even more so as he felt the weakness that plagued his body and the heaviness that did not allow him to open his eyes.
What had been done to him?!
Yet just as the panic rose, so did it dissipate. All thanks to his sense of smell.
The familiar smell of the woodwork, the scent of dried paint, the mild flowery fragrance of the blanket…
All of those were enough for him to realize he was back in his room, thought that did not explain how he got there or why his body felt so...weak.
With the initial panic now gone he focused on opening his eyes, though that was a chore in of itself. He had survived years of inhuman physical training...only to be unable to open his damn eyes while laying on a bed.
This was a bad joke if he ever heard one.
'...Hmm?'
It didn't take him long to sense a Ki presence near him, though he was too groggy and tired to figure out who it was just by their Ki signature alone.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he managed to open his eyes. As he guessed he was indeed within his room. Even more, the presence he had felt was that of Yua sitting by his side.
Sitting by his side.
Holding his hand.
Touching him…
What he did next had not been a conscious action, but rather a bodily reaction to the situation at hand. Yet even though it had not been his decision to do it, Fuzen had been disciplined enough to tune down the output to the absolute lowest.
As such, even as the electricity travelled from his core to his right hand, he knew no harm would come to the woman. Sure, she jumped up from the chair she was sitting in as the shock touched her skin, but it had inflicted no harm. At most she would feel numbness in her hands for half a minute or so, but that was about it.
It had neither hurt nor even burned her skin, that was how low the output had been.
Just high enough to scare her and make the woman back off.
"Y-Young Master, you are awake." She voiced as she shook her hands, not exactly surprised at his reaction. But he did not reply, instead pushing himself in a sitting position against the wall, vigorously wiping his hand against the blanket.
"Tsk!"
Though indeed not a surprise it still hurt her a bit watching him have such a negative reaction to such a harmless gesture. "...Are you feeling alright, Young Master? Raiju brought you home last night…"
"I'm fine. You were sleeping while sitting. Go rest now."
"But-"
"Now."
Realizing there was no more room for talk Yua gave a nod of her head before leaving the room, knowing that her Young Master would probably not want to see her for the reminder of the day.
"...Haaa. Damn it…" Fuzen muttered as he stopped wiping his hand on the blanket, the scent of the woman his enhanced sense of smell picked up on him strong and persistent enough to make his stomach churn and threaten to empty itself all over his bed.
With a bit of resolve he managed to keep it down however, taking a few moments to breath in and out to calm himself.
By now he thought he was used to being uncomfortable but that did not seem to be fully the case. His mental fortitude was weak, a point of great shame.
'Need to do better…'
Now calmed down and fully awake Fuzen turned his attention to the far more pressing matter: the fact that he felt so physically weak, the thought of it made him want to puke even more that Yua's touch.
But why?
He was certain he had not been attacked, nor did he feel the lasting sting of a syringe anywhere upon his body.
He thought that maybe the water or food he had consumed could had been poisoned, but a quick scan of his own body via waves of Ki turned down such an option. If there was poison in his system he would have picked it up, his Ki sending him signals that something was wrong.
But that was not the case.
And yet he had not a single ounce of energy and he knew that if he closed his eyes for longer than three continuous seconds, he would fall asleep right then and there.
Was this some type of sickness he had been stricken with?
If so, that was worrisome.
Grasping the Heavens with a sick body would be a whole different kind of challenge. Possible, but a bother he would rather not have to deal with. Seeing how he should have no reason to feel this weak but it still persisted the only logical way about it was to seek out a Doctor and have himself checked.
However, the only Doctor in the whole of Orario he trusted was the silver-haired Amid, and seeing how their last one-on-one conversation ended…
'...I'll just deal with it by myself. Haaa…'
Sitting on the edge of the bed Fuzen could feel his legs just fine, but he felt as if trying to stand up would just result in him falling face-first to the floor. Those damned legs felt as if they did not have the strength to keep him upright, just like his arms felt unable to push his body up.
'The hell happened to me…? This is pathetic. I need to get up already.'
There was no doubt that he should do just that. No matter his physical state, the sun and the moon still rose regardless. There was much to do, especially today.
He should get up…
Yet for a single moment, a moment of weakness, he questioned himself why he needed to do any such thing. It would be far better to simply get back under his covers, close his eyes and not think about all the bothersome things that awaited him.
That desire flared up for a single moment before he grabbed it, squashed it, ripped it to pieces and threw it to the winds.
Not about to deal with the situation at hand anymore, Fuzen took a deep breath and focused, calming his mind and concentrating on his inner layer of Ki, the layer which coated every fibre of muscle, every blood vessel, every organ.
Once his focused turned completely inward he allowed the Ki within his reserves to flow freely and spiked up his inner coating of Ki, overflowing himself with more energy that what was needed, especially in a non-combative state.
It was the same Technique he used to spike up his power and speed in the midst of battle, but in combat he only used it for fractions of seconds at a time in order to converse his Ki reserves.
However, though he now applied that Technique throughout his body at the same time, continuously no less, his reserves should last him for multiple hours as long as he did not fight nor perform any strenuous activities. It was only a boost, after all, and hardly any Ki would be used just for walking or sitting.
With that task complete he pushed himself up to his feet and went to change right away. His damned body still felt sluggish and every step gave him the impression that he was made of stone and needed to haul all that weight after him, but he could walk unlike before. Pain and everything else be damned.
'Right. Today is that celebration party. I need to prepare for that. It is being held in the evening, however. I got some time left. All things considered, I should check up on the District. There could be more spies from the Merchant Guild here...Haaa...What should I do first?'
That question answered itself pretty quickly however as he stepped onto the hallway and noticed that the door closest to his room was slid shut, the familiar Ki signature from inside telling him all he needed to know. "...Alya. Wake up."
The little hair monster turned in her bed, not even bothering to look his way. "Five more minutes…"
"...Every minute you stay longer in bed will result in one day where you are forbidden from eating Jagamarukun."
Suffice to say, some battles could indeed be won with words alone.
XXX
She waited by the door, arms crossed around her chest as one finger tapped her arm.
A few had already sneaked away to join her, but some were still missing.
It's not like everyone could be exposed to the plan, after all: only those who would not arouse suspicion were allowed in. The danger this plan could bring if exposed was...honestly scary.
Footsteps from the hallway were heard a moment later. Heavy footsteps which got closer and closer.
The Goddess lifted her head and looked at those already gathered in the room: a certain silence hung in the air, one in which even the act of breathing was being suppressed. Then the footsteps stopped right in front of the door.
Knock
Knock
Two knocks followed. "It's us." The voice from behind the door was deep yet collected.
Goddess Loki nodded to herself, pushing her back from the wall and opening the door. "You are late." She voiced as Gareth and Finn walked inside.
"Had to shake down those who would have followed us." The newly-arrived blonde stated, making sure everyone they needed was present before taking a seat on the couch. "We took care of our assignments. Preparations are done. What about everyone else?"
A round of nods was performed regarding his question. "Preparations on our side are also done, but some items will take time to be delivered. The big requests have to be collected on the same day we strike."
"Understood. Well done. I know this is nerve-wrecking for all of you. It is also why so few of you have been let in on this plan."
Gareth nodded. "Mhh. Yer all doing fine, don't worry."
"All that's left now is for you, Loki, to fool him when the day comes. Are you up for it?"
The Goddess hummed as a smirk appeared on her face, one that looked forward to the mischief that she was to cause in the so near future. "Of course, Finn. Who do you think I am? Oh, how exhilarating it will be...The day when we get the jump on Kenshi cannot came any sooner~ I wonder what expression he will make when he realizes everything has been a lie? Hehehe~"
At the sound of her words everyone else in the room nodded with a smirk on their faces, just as ready to strike as Loki herself. Even Finn and Gareth were feeling the same.
"Let us discuss the plan in detail one more time, now that preparations are complete." The blonde Pallum voiced. "After this, we will not meet for this purpose again to avoid drawing suspicion from any of the others."
And so, behind closed doors, the Children of the Trickers connived their dirty little plan, the person at the centre of their plan unaware of those who were deciding his fate…
XXX
It was the worst.
If he had to explain it in a single sentence, that is how he would have chosen to put it.
Following his groggy morning and after preparing Alya for the day with a headache which made his head feel like exploding, Fuzen set out to deal with his work. Tonight was the time when the old man planned to hold the celebration for getting the Guild to be their partners for the loaning company.
As he had stated before, Fuzen planned on introducing some of his own acquaintances at this party. He had just visited those acquaintances and two of them were chosen to attend the party.
Right now, he was on his way to escort those two to his house.
However, where as usually he would stand proudly on top of Raiju's head as the dragon hovered above ground, now he only had the strength to sit on the dragon, his hands grabbing at the dragon's scales, his back hunched forward to keep himself from falling down.
A disgraceful sight, to say the least. "You wiggle around too much. Fly slower." Fuzen voiced, feeling his breakfast threatening to come back up. He didn't even have any energy left to insult the summon as he always did.
Raiju remained silent for a long second. "My Master, I am already flying about as fast as a snail. We will never reach the surface if I fly any slower."
"Figure it out." That was all the swordsman could muster as his eyes remained closed, trying to think of anything else but the fact that he felt weak just from being a passenger.
Whatever happened to him on the night when he fainted after leaving the secret hideout, he did not know. But whatever it was affected him greatly. More than he would like to admit.
He felt sick.
His headaches bordered on the level where it could drive him mad, his body ached, he could barely hold down food and he felt even more tired after sleeping.
All of that he could have dealt with normally, but the fact he simply had no energy left, the immense feeling of fatigue, was what hindered him the most. Had it not been for the fact that he constantly supplied his body with Ki to keep it functioning at a normal level, he doubted he would have even been able to get out of bed this morning.
But this was not a long-lasting option. He only had so much Ki to use actively. The couple hours he had been using it for already took their toll on him. Training or going on Expeditions would be impossible.
He needed to figure this out...but he had no energy to spare for that.
The smartest move would be to seek a professional. However, there was a single Doctor he trusted in Orario, and his relationship with that person was...strained, to say the least.
"Master, another group of Monsters ahead."
Had he been his usual self, a group of Monsters would be something he would cut down himself. But right now...he doubted he could defeat anything besides the weakest of Monsters. "...Deal with them."
Raiju knew this too and he turned his massive head around to look at his Master for a moment before his horns crackled with electricity, flashes of lightning falling down on the Monsters and incinerating them to ashes within the second. "You're sick, my Master. Seek help."
"Fuck off."
With that the conversation came to an end, the serpentine dragon flying through the Floors of the Dungeon at a speed that drew far too many groups of Monsters towards them. But it was fine, as Raiju's Ki reserves were deep enough to take care of them all by himself.
Though later than desired they finally reached the stairway leading to the surface, Raiju flying close to the ground to avoid shaking too much. Though the sight of the summon had become a daily occurrence for the residents of Orario, civilians and Adventurers alike, usually he was seen passing only in a scaly blur or high above the buildings.
It was, indeed, quite rare for the sentient summon to fly this low to the ground, or this slowly. Naturally this drew more than a couple of heads towards them, curious stares that took the chance to observe the dragon in greater detail.
However, the well-known swordsman with his head hung low and the two boxes tied to the dragon's back drew just as much attention as the dragon this time around. Though not of the same renown as Adventurers of much higher Levels, it was fair to say there was not a single person who did not know of Fuzen Katsumi in Orario.
Though his actions and achievements in the Dungeon were not exactly wide-spread knowledge, his actions almost a year ago in Altena had ensured his name and face were well-known. And yet, never before had any one Adventurer on the surface level of Babel seen the youth looking so...tired.
"Halt!" A voice spoke out and Fuzen looked to the side, noticing a pair of Ganesha members, most likely those tasked with guarding the area approach him. "A moment, Kenshi."
"...What is it?" He answered, not even trying to hide his dislike at being stopped.
"We would like to examine the contents of those boxes strapped to your…" The follower of the Elephant God took a moment to consider his words, the side stare of the dragon telling him all he needed to know about what a wrong classification of Raiju might do to him. "Summon."
"No." The word was spoken firmly and clearly, Fuzen tapping Raiju to continue flying.
But the guard did not budge. "Magic Stones or Drop Items would be stored in bags. Every adventurer stores them that way. Why, then, use boxes? They are different sizes, too."
Fuzen looked down to the guard once more, the stare in his eyes telling of his irritation. "I'm not in the business of granting wishes, but I'll make an exception if you want to die that badly." He stated through gritted teeth. "Fuck. Off."
Any other day, he would have prioritized politeness, as that would have been the honourable decision to make when approached by an unknown person just trying to do his job.
But this day was not 'any other day'. He felt worse than he had ever felt. His energy was all but gone, his head was just about to burst open and he was running low on Ki to keep himself going.
Politeness could go frick off, as well.
Giving a mental command to Raiju, the two continued on their way, the swordsman glaring at anyone who thought they were sneaky enough to stare at him unnoticed. As soon as they were outside the Babel the dragon took to the skies, though still slower than usual. From there it was a straight flight to his mansion in the East District, the dragon landing in the backyard.
'Longest fricking flight of my life…' He thought as he sighed, standing up and cutting the ropes holding the boxes on Raiju's back, then hopped down with the first one, then the second. By now his many housemaids had gathered in the backyard as well. "One of you go and close the front gates." Fuzen told the group as a whole.
"Young Master, what is with the boxes?" Riko, the only official housemaid, asked.
Fuzen didn't answer, however. "Did you had someone bring Alya to the hideout already?" It was only when Riko nodded that he drew his sword and stuck the tip into the box. "You can come out, now." He said before pushing downwards and popping the lid off.
"Geez, talk about an uncomfortable ride…" A voice spoke from inside the box. Then slowly, she rose to her...feet, and the gathered group of housemaids gasped in unison. "My back hurts…" And yet she forgot all about her back pain as she straightened herself up and looked up, at the clear blue sky above her head.
The girl looked up, directly at the sun she had only heard about yet never seen for herself before, feeling it's warmth on her face. And then a tear fell down her face. The promise had been kept. Despite a part of her fearing the very worst to happen...the promise had been kept.
"Stop complaining." Fuzen shot back as he popped the second box's lid off, noticing the flutter of her wings. A single glare of his on her back sent a shiver down her spine. "Don't even think about it. And introduce yourself to my people, Fear."
The girl inside the box, if one could call her that, nodded and turned to face the group of housemaids with a big smile. "Hello~ My name is Fear. It's nice meeting you, humans~!" She introduced herself cheerfully as she flapped her wings in a motion that would be the equivalent of waving, had she possessed normal arms. "Your clothes are so cute!" She added, eyeing the various kimono the housemaids worse with delight.
The other individual to come out of the second box was neither female nor did he possess wings for arms, but he was of very short stature and green skin. As soon as his feet touched the grass he looked around, turning his head to look at the sun as his companion had done moments ago, lost in thought with mouth agape. Finally, he faced the group and unlike his companion, bowed his head ever so slightly. "H-Hello. My name is Lett…" As soon as he introduced himself, the Goblin once again looked up at the sky and at the sun, still unable to believe that this was actually happening.
And so it was that Monsters greeted humans.
Not Adventurers, but normal civilians who would otherwise never come anywhere close to a real Monster. The women's silence was justified, even Fuzen realized this much, but time was short...and his patience even more so.
"Hey…" He addressed his people. "We got guests. Are you all trying...to bring shame upon my household?" He glared at them, and whatever shock they were in from being in front of talking Monsters dissipated into nothing as he scrutinized them. "Bow your heads and greet our guests. Then prepare tea."
Almost immediately they bowed in unison with robotic synchrony. Anywhere else, with any other group of people things would have developed differently. People would have screamed in fear or they would have ran around like chicken with their heads cut off at the sight of the two Monsters.
But this wasn't anywhere else. This was happening in the East District. In Fuzen Katsumi's District. And if their Master told them to bow to Monsters and serve them tea, that is what they would do.
With a nod of approval at their efficiency he sent them away to prepare the drinks and a room. "Fear, Lett. Get inside. The stone walls are tall, but it is still broad daylight."
"Sure thing, Master Fuzen." The Goblin nodded. "Still...I can't believe your people did not run away at the sight of us. Did you tell them of our arrival...?"
"No. They just know better." His answer managed to make both of them shiver. Following Fuzen they made their way to the entrance of the house and entered from there, Lett leaving his shoes at the entrance as did Fuzen. Fear, however, had no such footwear. Understandable, given her Harpy anatomy.
From there they made their way to one of the guests room, Fuzen taking a seat before the two followed, as well. His headache was painful enough to make him feel that his head would explode any second now, but he tried his best to ignore it...to little effect. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he sighed. "Now...let's talk about your roles tonight."
XXX
Finally, evening came.
This was the long-awaited evening where all the businessmen and women who bent the knee to Fuzen for the benefit of the East District would gather at his mansion to celebrate their success in bringing over the Guild to their side as partners.
For the last few weeks they had all gone far and beyond what was expected of them.
Gathering information, going out to meet and get smaller and less known Pharmacies and Smithies to become associated partners of their to-be company, recruiting the soon to be employees, helping Yamamoto with setting up the rules and terms...All of this, while taking care of their respective businesses as well.
They had truly gone far and beyond all for the sake of Fuzen's idea.
Though he personally still didn't think just everything needed to be celebrated, he was nonetheless thankful to Yamamoto for bringing out the idea.
One by one they all arrived at the mansion, taking the seats in the large dining room. Food and drinks were plentiful, and the housemaids were on standby in case the pre-ordered food ran out. Though they could not cook to the same level as chefs, Fuzen doubted anyone would complain about their dishes.
Yet one aspect that stood out were the two empty seats to Fuzen's left and right.
Usually the right seat would be taken by Yamamoto and the left by whoever was first to arrive afterwards, but this evening both seats were kept unoccupied, Fuzen even going as far as to bring two extra pairs of pillows and low tables and placing them near the door to the porch.
Still, none inquired about this sudden decision. All were simply overjoyed at their successful labour, enjoying the evening and engaging in chit-chat and friendly jabs at each other.
Fuzen himself had started the evening with a few sentences he had brainstormed beforehand. Nothing too motivational or uplifting, but thoughtful enough, considering his personality. But besides that, he had remained silent as he watched the celebration unfold from his seat at the centre of the far wall, furthest from the entrance.
None dared to disturb him: by now they knew that he would speak first if something needed to be said.
And he was grateful for it, indeed. Whatever it was that was plaguing his body and sapping away at his strength had, unsurprisingly, not ceased. For almost a whole day he had been passively using his Ki to energize his body and forced himself to keep going, despite both his mind and body's desire to just...not do anything.
But he only had so much Ki to spend in one day. Though not as vexing as when used to perform a sword Technique, this constant drain had left him empty.
Running on fumes, really.
Merely keeping his eyes open or bringing his cup of tea to his lips took effort far beyond what such mundane things should take. Had he been required to entertain the guests, too...He doubted that would have ended well.
Finally, a little over an hour since they started, he felt the familiar Ki Signatures moving around the porch, waiting. This was his cue, and so he cleared his throat.
All eyes were on him in an instant, the chatter dying out faster than he could blink.
'Talk about awkward…' He thought to himself, taking a moment. "Everyone…thank you for coming today, and thank you again for all the work you performed those last few weeks. It was all for the sake of the District, but I also appreciate it. Thank you."
Though he was mostly just improvising at this point, it seemed as if his speech did the trick, a round of nods following his words of gratitude. "Now...Although I have not informed you about this earlier, for which I apologize...I do in fact have two more guests. Those empty seats to my sides are for them."
"Guests, Young Master? Are they people of the District, too?" One of his confidants asked.
"...No. They are...acquaintances, unaffiliated with Orario in any way. However, I would like to introduce them to you, as I will be affiliated with them personally, as the Adventurer Kenshi."
Another of his confidants, the tea-shop owner called Kata, spoke next. "Why have they not joined us earlier then, Young Master?"
"...My decision to invite them had been a spontaneous one, so they had less time to prepare. But they are ready now. With that said…" He looked around the room, making sure everyone was paying attention. "My guests are not...your usual individuals, so you might be surprised, shocked even, as soon as they walk through that door. I ask that you all remain calm and seated." Naturally, words as suspicious as those only managed to confuse his confidants even more. Knowing that he did his best to prepare them, Fuzen looked towards the far door. "Yua."
He called out and the housemaid slid the door open. As expected, as soon as she did so and his confidants looked towards that direction, their jaws fell to the ground.
There they stood, Fear and Lett, both of them clad in last-minute eastern clothes Fuzen had his housemaids procure for them.
Fear was dressed in a beautiful blue kimono with white flower patterns, only the tips of her wings visible through the cuffs of the sleeves. Her hair had been braided into an elegant style, with a red flower ornament added for a touch of cuteness, of which she had enough of. She wore a smile on her lips, as she usually did, not disheartened by the shocked looks of the people inside.
Lett, on the other side, worse a Pallum-sized black kimono with cloud patterns. Unlike his companion, his anxiousness was visible on his face, though he tried his best to hide it.
Noticing the awkward silence that dominated the room, Fuzen took the initiative and made a sign for the two to introduce themselves.
"Oh! Hello everyone, I am called Fear, and I'm thankful to be here today!" The Harpy went first, making sure to wave at them with her wings.
The Goblin, on the other hand, awkwardly straightened his back. "I-I'm called Lett...Likewise...a pleasure…"
Capitulating on the moment, Fuzen stretched out a hand towards them. "Do not stand in the doorway. Come inside, and take your seats." They had of course gone through this a few hours ago, and the two bowed their heads at the same time before walking past the rows of seated people to take their own seats to Fuzen's sides.
Lett was alone, of course, but Yua likewise took a seat besides Fear. She was there to help the Harpy with her food. Eating with chopsticks proved rather impossible when one missed any semblance of a humanoid hand, after all.
Snapping his fingers, Fuzen gave the second signal and from the door to his right two housemaids walked inside with foods of tray for the Xenos, setting them on the tables before stepping outside again.
Then, silence again. "At least none of you tried to shamelessly run away. I commend you all for the trust you put in me." Fuzen spoke, yet the stares of everyone present were still solely on the two Monsters who just entered the room. "Hey...Look at me when I'm addressing you." A single glare from him, however, changed all that.
"W-We apologize for the display of rudeness, Young Master!" Yamamoto said first before bowing his head to Fuzen, as did the others a fraction of a second later.
"...It is forgiven. Raise your heads." He added after a moment of silence. This wasn't an act he liked to partake in often, but authority proved pretty useful from time to time. "Your shock is understandable. Monsters are nothing but mindless beasts, right? Existences that only wish harm upon us who live on the surface. You are not wrong to continue thinking that. My guests, Fear and Lett, might look like Monsters, but their people are different." With that he looked over at Lett and gave a quick nod.
The Goblin swallowed a mouthful of spit and turned to look at the surface dwellers looking at him. "W-We are called Xenos. We are Monsters, born of the Dungeon, but...we are sentient. Not all of us can speak like Fear and I, but we are all hated and targeted by the normal Monsters. We are no allies of the ordinary Monsters, and we do not harbour any rooted hatred for surface dwellers, either." At his words the people gathered in the room stared at each other, then at Fuzen.
"It is true." The swordsman nodded. "I have seen those Monsters without sentience attack the Xenos myself. They are not lying."
Though he was just as shocked and confused as everyone else, Yamamoto's age and wisdom showed in the next few words he asked. "Young Master...If I may…"
"Always, Yamamoto. Speak freely."
A loud gulp was heard next as the old man glanced over at the Harpy sitting to his right side, then back at his Master. "What would be the reason...behind you introducing Miss Fear and Mister Lett to us?" That he even managed to keep his politeness despite the circumstances, Fuzen could do little else but praise the old man mentally.
"Well...I'm kind of helping the Xenos out. Not...a lot at the moment, but I am on friendly terms with them. And I wanted to see what your reactions would be upon encountering sentient Monsters. None of you ran away or screamed in fear, so overall I'd say it was as good a reaction as I could hope for."
Hiroshi the artist and owner of the pottery shop spoke next. Though younger than most in the room, he was not quite as pale as some of the others. "What do you mean...when you say you are helping them, Young Master?"
Knowing that this question was better answered by one of the two, Fuzen looked over to Fear. The Harpy understood what he wanted and turned to look at Hiroshi. "We, the Xenos, desire to live on the surface!" She stated and if Fuzen didn't know better, he could have swore her eyes were sparkling. "We wish to one day live under the sky, and to see the sun with our own eyes! Earlier today, when Fuzen secretly brought us here and I saw the sky and sun for the first time...It was the most beautiful thing I ever saw! And I want the my companions to also see what I saw today!"
"Y-Yes!" The Goblin nodded as well, more to himself than anyone else.
"Well...something like that." Fuzen added lastly, taking a sip of his tea to allow everyone a moment to gather their thoughts. "How rude of us...We haven't even given a toast to our guests yet...Yamamoto."
The old man blinked once, then twice. Finally he understood what his Master meant and he grabbed the bottle of sake on his table with both hands. "M-Miss Fear, may I fill your cup?"
The Harpy turned to him, a smile on her lips. Obviously, she had already been told by Fuzen this would happen. "Thank you very much!" She answered, cheerfully, as she grabbed the cup with her feathers and extended it towards Yamamoto, the old man filling it up for her.
With a glare from Fuzen, Goro the chef, the one sitting closest to the Goblin Lett extended the same offer to the Xenos. Once their cups were filled, Fuzen raised his own cup of tea. "To our guests."
Though still unsure of what was even going on, the others raised their cups as well, their shock only overruled by their loyalty to their Young Master and the dreadful thought of displeasing him. As soon as everyone had a sip, Fuzen turned to face Lett. "Right. I forgot to ask, but is the food I provided fine with you, or should I have something else prepared for you two?"
The Goblin shook his head, a bit too awkwardly. "N-No, we can eat your food just fine. All Xenos can, actually."
Another pre-arranged exchange of words taught to them by Fuzen. Even if their appearance still scared the others, seeing the Xenos talk was bound to shake away some of the fear from the hearts of his confidants. Even more so the sight of them taking part in a toast, drinking alcohol and eating normal food.
Mortals simply changed their opinions about an unknown as soon as they ate the same food and drank the same water or alcohol.
It was a small gesture, of course...but the sole fact that they sat in the same room as two Xenos meant that everyone present was now irreversibly connected to the Xenos as a whole, however small the scale of the involvement. All because of him, of course.
Before long, each individual in this room would become more influential within the city as the District grew, even more so after their loaning company took root, as they were shareholders. If the Xenos' wish were ever to come true, they would need influential people on their side.
Fuzen was one of them. While he commanded no respect or loyalty from the Adventurers or city as a whole, he was powerful enough for anyone to think twice before crossing him. And now, because of his own plans and machinations, those confidants of his became such people, as well.
Fuzen sighed at the thought of the underhanded tactics he had used: he had obviously spent too much time around adults as of late.
He had little doubt most of them would bombard him with questions as soon as they were alone. Understandable, really. It was a big risk he took by keeping the Xenos's existence secret, even from his own Familia. An even bigger risk was helping them.
They would inquire about his reasons for doing so.
But honestly...he didn't really had one.
At first he thought he could use the Xenos the same way he initially planned to use the District: a group he was affiliated with, so he would be justified in his retaliation whenever anyone would harm said group.
It was a good idea, in his mind: he could further spread his name, get closer to his goal and also be able to say 'I only attacked because they harmed my associates'. Cold-hearted, sure, but so what?
He had a goal to achieve.
But...they didn't really meet the criteria for such a group. Not one soul would sympathize with him retaliating on behalf of a group of Monsters.
So no, there was no reason for him helping them.
…
…
No, that was a lie.
There was one single reason. A personal one, which he would never voice to anyone else.
'Undesirables should stick together...right?' He thought as he looked into his cup of tea, at his own reflection.
The Xenos were undesired.
Undesired by the Dungeon. By humans. By other Monsters. By life itself, it seemed.
He understood that feeling all to well.
To be undesired by your own God, your own Mistress, your own school. To have looks of disappointment thrown at you for being the only one to survive the initiation. To apparently be little more than a thorn in the side of others. To be undesired for being born...differently.
He understood that.
And that was enough. One sole reason.
Fuzen was of the mind that people everywhere needed too many reasons to act, and too many reasons not to act. He, on the other side, was of a much simpler mind: If you can help, then do it. If someone needs to die, then kill them.
Way back when that Pallum girl he forgot the name of approached him, he helped her become stronger for no other reason than he could do so, and it was no detriment to his own goal to do so.
When Ais had approached him with the desire to help to spar in order to grow stronger, he agreed simply because he could.
When Altena and that Queen became a pain in the ass, he crushed them...for no other reason than he could, and because they gave him one single reason to do it.
Naturally, he was well-aware that every action had a reaction. Consequences, in other words.
But...sometimes you just needed to not give a damn and just shove your middle finger in life's face.
'I'll do that, then…'
Putting his cup down he looked over the room: a little over half an hour had passed since the Xenos sat down with them. Though he could still see how tension was running high, both the Goblin and the Harpy were engaged in conversation with his confidants.
Conversation revolving around life on the surface and food, respectively. They had memorized his words well, indeed. Though he was no social butterfly himself, it didn't take a genius to know that mundane topics with of no threat would be easiest for strangers to engage in.
Talking about food, for example, was a safe topic. It did not require either parties to reveal private information about themselves, and even if the conversation ended in disagreement over which dish was better, it was highly unlikely for it to escalate into anything that would damage long-term relationships.
More importantly, even if it was mundane, any conversation worked to show that the Xenos were indeed capable of thought, speech, opinions, manners and so forth.
After waiting for a short while longer, Fuzen finally grabbed his cup of tea and tapped his index finger on it three times, in quick succession. Naturally, it was too silent for any of his confidants to hear, but loud enough for the two Xenos to take notice of.
A moment later, Lett turned to face him. "Master Fuzen. We are once again grateful for your reception. However, I am a bit tired from my trip here. Can I retreat for the day?"
Fuzen gave a nod at his words. "Of course."
"Then I'll call it a day here, as well!" Fear was next to speak.
"Very well. Yua, see my guests to their rooms." The housemaid gave a nod of her own before she stood up and followed the Xenos outside, to the porch. Both of them bowed once again before the housemaid slid the door closed.
An awkward silence followed as all inside the room listened to the footsteps growing ever fainter before a unified sigh of relief was allowed. "Young Master…" The old man spoke first, the tiredness visible on his face. "Did that...just happen?"
"Believe it."
"Since immemorial times, Monsters have been thought to be nothing more than a pest, a threat to human civilization...And yet, intelligent Monsters are real…?"
"They are Xenos. Monsters in origin, yes, but that's about as far as their likeness to ordinary Monsters go." Fuzen stated. "What's your opinion of them?"
His confidants changed looks among themselves, unsure how to reply. It was Kata, the tea-shop owner, who spoke first. "I believe you are inviting needless danger into your house, my Young Master."
"I can kill them, if they decide to go against me or anyone associated with me."
The middle-aged woman shook her head. "That is not what I meant, and you know it, Young Master. I am no Adventurer myself, nor have I ever lost anyone dear to me to a Monster, but you cannot change the fact that mortals everyone have an innate fear and hatred alike of Monsters. Even if the intelligence of some among them were to be made known, anyone harbouring them or standing on their side would be seen as a deviant. Not just by Orario, but the world as a whole. You are strong, Young Master...but you are hardly strong enough to take on the world."
And it was exactly this direct approach and lack of hesitation that Fuzen admired most in the woman. "True enough. As I am now, I can hardly take on the world. You are correct."
The artist, Hiroshi, cleared his throat next. "If I may ask...Why did you decide to affiliate yourself with them in your capacity as an Adventurer, Young Master?"
"Why…?" Fuzen repeated the question as he looked into his cup of tea, at his own reflection looking back at him. "Why, indeed...I guess I just...saw some similarities. Nothing more, nothing less." His half-arsed response did little to calm the nerves of his confidants. He knew this, but it didn't matter. In the hours leading to the evening this very conversation had been something he prepared for. "Going by your reactions, you do not agree of me affiliating myself with them?"
The silence persisted for a few moments before the old man spoke up. "...No, Young Master. We do not. There are too many risks, to both you and the District as a whole. If word got out that you side with Monsters...I cannot even begin to imagine the consequences."
The swordsman gave a quick nod in response. "I see. I understand your concerns. We shall cut our ties with Xenos faction, then." Fuzen said and he noticed relief wash over all of his confidants. "...Still...there is no guarantee that they would keep quiet about us should they ever be captured or tortured." He added as he grabbed his cup of tea, looking down into his reflection. "Guess I'll just kill them all, then." And then took a quick, casual sip.
"W-What…?" He didn't even look to see who asked that.
"They invited me into what they consider their home multiple times. I know where they live. More importantly, they all gather when word of my visit spreads. With Raiju coming in from the rear, I can take them by surprise in a pincer attack." He voiced as he continued to stare into his cup, the faintest trace of a cold smirk taking form on his lips. "I could kill a fourth of their kind before they could even react to my attack. Their leader, first of all. He likes sitting besides me when we share a drink. With my skills, I can behead him faster than he would ever imagine. The rest…" A low chuckle was heard. "The rest are easy prey after that."
A cold shiver ran down the spines of everyone present as their Master informed them of his plan. Most stared at him with widened eyes. Others looked down on their lap, feeling a tightness forming in their throats. Breathing was hard: it was as if the very air was made out of a thousand tiny blades which stung their skin and lungs.
"Y-Young Ma-"
"It shall be a splendid massacre, indeed." He cut whoever had tried to speak off, the smirk on his lips widening. "Deep within the Dungeon, where no one can hear your screams...attacked by the very person you share a drink with...your comrades snuffed out one by one around you...All the while you can only think one single thought:" By now his smirk had turned into a full disturbing smile, his teeth visible. "Why? Why us? What have we done to deserve this…? Kehehe.."
Perhaps it was the immense fatigue which plagued his body and mind ever since he woke up this morning, or perhaps it was simply his own inner desires crawling their way to the surface. Whatever the catalyst, there was no denying that then and there, for just a single moment, a slip-up had occurred.
A slip-up in which Fuzen had imagined the scenario he laid out for his confidants, from beginning to end. Every single moment, just as he had described it...
Splendid.
Truly splendid…
Understanding what they had done and the consequences of their words, Yamamoto leaned forward, worry visible on his face. "We-!"
CLAP!
And just then a slow clap cut him off.
Then another.
And another…
"I must thank you." Fuzen responded. "I have always experienced troubles when trying to figure out this humanity people go on about. I thought that, since you are either first or second generation immigrants who had experienced suffering and pain at the hands of those who did not desire you in their city, you would relate to a group in a similar position, even if their appearance would be different from yours."
He clapped again, the smile on his lips unnerving even the oldest among his confidants. "But I see now. Your decision is no different than my initial one. I was right to think that way, and wrong to make this current decision on my own. The wrong decision which made you uncomfortable, the thoughtless decision of mine which made you question the direction our District is heading towards."
He lowered his head, once again looking into his own reflection on the tea as he lifted the cup to mouth level. "It's fine. Don't worry. I'm your Tsuwamono: I'll take care of your worries. I'll kill all the Xenos and erase any connection between us and them. It can't be helped. After all…we are only human, right?"
A single moment after he brought the cup to his lips to take a sip, they started: one after the other, a dozen foreheads slamming into the tatami floor.
"We are sorry!"
"We apologize!"
"Forgive us, Young Master!"
"Forgive our moment of weakness!"
"Please forget what we said!"
One after the other they cried out to him, practically begging for him to change his mind now that they knew the consequences.
Fuzen did feel bad about doing this. On his sword arm, he felt bad.
But there was no helping it at this point.
He had made his decision.
And that meant this would go only one way:
His way.
XXX
Though the people inside the same room as Fuzen had experienced tension and the coldest of chills running down their spines, in truth, what they had experienced could not even begin to compare to what the two eavesdroppers had felt.
Without the knowledge of his confidants, the porch side door of the room next to the one where they held their little celebration party had been left open. As soon as they had left earlier and walked loudly to the end of the hallway, they had walked back and stood still in the next room.
Not because they were that curious as to what would be said after they left, but because Fuzen had told them to do so.
In truth, he had told them how to behave, what to say and even had them memorize his signals, like the signal he gave for them to leave the door without provoking suspicion.
Yes, indeed...He had told them to stay and listen. But as he went on and on with his explanation, both Lett and Fear felt the colour draining from their cheeks. Sure, they knew Fuzen was misdirection his people, and that he would not actually put his plan into action even if the other surface dwellers decided not to agree with him.
At least, they hoped he wouldn't go that far.
In truth, while his presence within their village was always a very welcomed one, as he was the only Human they had ever established friendly relationships with, it was also fair to say that he made most Xenos feel a bit...uneasy.
But right now, in the moment, none felt more uneasy than the two. The simple way he decided to explain his plan, the tone he used while speaking, even his little laugh...Both Lett and Fear felt as if every single fibre of their bodies screamed at them to run and get as far away as possible.
Yet, they did not. And because of that they got to listen to Fuzen's last words and the uproar they had caused among his confidants.
Truly a move well-executed.
For years now the Xenos had longed for the surface, though with no clear path for them to achieve such a desire. Years passed by with no change, with no progress.
What progress could you make when the mere sight of you would have the strongest of the surface dwellers, the Adventurers, jump at you with the desire to take your life?
It was thus no surprise than when the swordsman visited them and requested for two or three Xenos to accompany him to the surface and establish first contact with the civilians there, no one expected anything out of it.
Gros even went as far as to warn them about the possibility of a trap. To both of their shame, both Lett and Fear had considered such a possibility.
But no such thing had come to pass.
The promise had been kept.
And, uneasy as he made them fell...Neither of the two could help but envision a possible future for them on the surface. If they had him on their side...maybe, just maybe…
XXX
Unknown to either Fuzen or anyone else present at his house, their meeting had hardly been as private as they would have liked it to be.
Also not a surprise in of itself: what happened within that room could very well change the fate of an entire group of people going forward. Naturally, such an event would draw the attention of those involved.
So it was that the whole evening had been spied upon from afar, from beginning to end. Such a feat was only possible thanks to the incredible power of the individual in question...together with the magical items the two Xenos had on them.
"...It seems you were right." The robed individual holding the scrying orb finally voiced as the gathering came to a slow end, the divination Spell like-wise ending there.
"So it would seem." The second individual who had been witness to all which had transpired nodded from the throne he was sitting upon.
"Had you seen this outcome when you decided to have Royman agree to Kenshi's requests, as long as they were within reason?"
"Hardly." The older-looking man shook his head. "I just...had a hunch this was the correct path forward."
"He had actually managed to bring Xenos and civilians together, under a single roof. Even if those were his own people, this is unprecedented."
"Yes. It is. This one evening today...changes everything."
The robed individual remained silent a moment longer. "Does it, though?"
"You are uncertain?"
"Kenshi cannot be trusted. You know this too, Ouranos."
"...And yet, he is now involved." The elderly-looking man answered through a sigh. "More than you and I have been for years."
"So, what now?"
A moment of silence fell over the chamber. "We shall watch from the sidelines a while longer. Continue to support him from the shadows and make sure that request of his to the Guild goes smoothly. Let us see if he succeeds in his next plan, as well."
Though still sceptical about this whole deal, the robed individual simply nodded at his next orders. Indeed, his achievement could not be ignored, nor did his next plan sound hopeless.
And yet…
'Is this really the individual we have been waiting for, I wonder…?'
XXX
It was finally done.
From the preparations to getting the Guild on board with their plans to even introducing the Xenos to normal people...Everything he had set out to achieve weeks ago and much more had been achieved today.
Things would change now.
Whatever for better or worse, that he could not say. He lacked the age, wisdom and experience to say with certainty. But things would change now.
For him...not so much. But for the District. For the people. For the Xenos, too.
Tomorrow, he would escort them back to their village. Then he would need to discuss with Lyd the details of his next plan. With some luck, everything would go smoothly.
Following that...whatever came next.
'Haaaa…'
He was spent. For real, this time around.
The last drops of his pool of Ki had been used up a while ago, before the last of his people had left. Whatever it was that sucked the very energy from his body, it now had an absolute grasp on his body.
Walking was a drag. Lifting his head was a hurdle he could not overcome. Any sort of movement was a challenge. Fuzen hated it.
Feeling weak, feeling powerless.
Those were not states he was allowed to be in.
Not him.
Not Fuzen Katsumi.
So he walked. He had walked to the back of backyard.
In truth, his new...condition, if it even was that, made him feel like nothing really had any worth. It tried to make him think that doing nothing was the better option.
It could go frick right off.
With great effort he pulled his sword out of its scabbard, and with even greater effort he lifted it above his head.
One swing.
The motion had hardly been performed well and his form was bad enough to make him cringe. But it was a swing. It was more than his body wanted to allow him to do, and he did it, anyway.
Two swings.
All things considered, he was no moron: he knew that he would eventually have to seek help.
But that was easier said than done.
Three swings.
Back then, after the whole Ishtar incident, he had met Amid. As the one who led the group of Healers to the Ishtar Familia Home, she had seen first-hand what he had done to those women.
Four swings.
She had disagreed on his needless brutality. He had not. A disagreement arose. Then that turned into a fight.
Five swings.
Nothing major, of course. No shouting or threatening. Simply...a case of disagreement. Though he did get slapped once, when his poisoned words continued to flow. None of them directed at Amid, obviously, but rather at the women whose faces he had ripped off.
Six swings.
As much as he trusted and appreciated the Doctor, it was quite obvious the matters they could agree on were few, indeed. Not surprising, but still a bit...disappointing. Nonetheless, he would need her help. He trusted no one else for this.
Seven swings.
Tomorrow, then...No. The day after sounded better. Or after that. Indeed, that sounded best.
Eight swin-
Thud!
…
…
…
'Screw my fricking life...Fine, tomorrow it is, then…'
Unable even to open his eyes, he simply decided to accept the fact he would be face-first in dirt until morning.
How the mighty have fallen, indeed…
XXX
And that's that, I guess.
For anyone wondering, yes: that is a burnout my boi is feeling right now. It didn't pop out of nowhere, either. It had been accumulating for a while now.
As tough as the lil' hoe likes to think he is, he's still only 11 years old. And I'm nothing if not a writer who likes to make the lives of his OC as hard as possible -_-
Besides that, how did ya all find the torture scene? I actually had to go and do some research, since I obviously had no idea how any of that mental torture worked. Didn't found that much, unsurprisingly enough, but tried to do my best with what I had.
As for the whole Xenos thing, I guess I will be getting a lot of hate for that. After all, they are more or less Bell's domain.
But honestly, seeing how the author handled that whole thing, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. So I tried my hand at tackling the Xenos and their desire, in my own way.
Not the biggest progress in the history of progress, but I think I found at least a somewhat realistic way of bringing two of them to the surface and having normal people interact with them.
As for the guilt trip my boi pulled on his own peeps...Well, you tell me if that was any good or not.
Not much else to say, really.
I will reveal, however, that the next upload after this will be a omake.
So yeah.
Hope you had a somewhat enjoyable read, and until next time.
Kay bye.
