Kiyomaro
KIYOMARO KUROSAKI, ABADDON 'Abby' La-Tif, Leo Blackbriar, Luna Crestfall, and Alice Rose are seated at a table in the dining area of the Snapdragon Inn.
Listening to Kiyomaro explain how he bought up Snapdragon Village and the all the surrounding lands from Countess Bathory and was made a Baron by His Imperial Majesty.
As well as the new castle he's having built as the Rising Sun's new home.
"Can you tell us more about it?"
"Sure. The castle from my world is known as Azuchi Castle. It was one of the primary castles of a man who was regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan.
"He is sometimes referred to as the 'Demon Daimyo' and 'Demon King of the Sixth Heaven'. That man's name is Oda Nobunaga.
"Now as for the castle itself. Many researchers agree that Azuchi Castle was the catalyst for the establishment of early modern castles in Japan."
"Is that why you picked it, Kiyo? Because Azuchi Castle is the original castle that everyone based their own castles after?"
"You are mistaken Alice. Kiyo chose it for its military might. After all this Oda person was called a 'Demon King' after all."
"You're mistaken as well Abby." I said, "Nobunaga intentionally built Azuchi Castle close enough to his territory so that he could watch over and guard it."
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚.
"Makes sense," said Luna, "You are a baron after all. It'll also make it easier for people to find you if they have any issues."
"Are you going to name this one Azure Castle as well?" Asked Abby.
"I actually wasn't planning on giving it a name."
"Kiyo, all castles need a name." Said Luna.
"Says who?"
"It's just a custom that all castles have a name." Explained Abby.
"Oh, and what's the name of your family's castle?"
"I-I'd rather not say." Abby averts her gaze."
"It's called the Demon Castle."
"Alice!"
"That's kinda cliché don't you think?" I said.
"It was given that name waaayyy back when my great great great grandfather was alive, and we were at war with pretty much every race."
"I see. Well I'm open to suggestions if you guys have any."
"How about Hyperion Castle?"
I turned around to find a young maid with a silver slave collar had approached the table.
"Why Hyperion?"
"It's the name of a Sun God. He was in a book mama once read to me."
"We are known as The Rising Sun Party. I say we go with it." Said Leo.
"Let's put it to a vote then. All in favor of our new home being called Hyperion Castle, raise your hand."
They all raise their hands. Even the young maid does.
"It's unanimous then. Hyperion Castle is the name of our new home. Thanks for the help Sumac."
Sumac continues to stand there quietly waiting. Clearly wanting to tell me something.
"Was there something else that you needed from me?"
"You're needed back at the construction site. Kraddus has a question for you "
"Got it. Please let him know I'll be there in a moment."
"Right away, master." Sumac courtesies and departs.
As soon as she's out of ear shot.
"What the fuck Kiyo. Why do you have a slave?" Abby, along with the others, are clearly angered by this.
"Calm down, it's not what you think. When the Templars looked into the matter of Ivy's husband's death, they determined that failure to report the crime…"
Alice interrupts, "but wasn't he hitting his wife and daughters?"
"Yes he was. However, failure to report a dead body, fleeing the area, and being co-conspirators to murder is a crime. That's why they have slave collars. They'll do their time as slaves under my employ."
"For how long?"
"Given this is the only crime they've ever committed, one year. Once they've served their sentence, and if they choose to, they may stay on as paid servants, they can go work at the guild, or do whatever they wish to do."
"And the Templars agreed to this?" Abby asked, skeptically.
"They had no reason not to, once they learned that I knew both Crown Prince Jamison Arsenio, and General Fiora Elyra."
"Couldn't Rin have shown them proof that you were a Templar?"
"I think Rin lied about that part, Luna." Replied Leo.
"Oh, okay. What happened to the others who tried to rob you?"
"You saw them when you arrived here."
"Wait, you employed the same people who tried to rob you?"
Before Kiyo could respond to Leo's question, both Oak and Sumac came running in.
"Kiyo, come quick. Someone's attacking mama and the workers."
Kiyo and company follow the girls out of the inn, heading for the construction site.
****
Construction Site
"Do you people not know who I am!" Shouts a tall pasty white man with a thin, pointed mustache, and beaked nose.
Dressed in a gaudy dark purple overcoat—jewels sewn into it. A gold-buckled black belt, a black shirt, black leggings, and knee-length gold-buckled boots.
He has in his hand a sixteen inch spiked paddle—each spike is a glittering diamond. Ten men stand behind him.
"I am The Honorable Richard Dumas, son of Count Alexander Dumas! And these lands are my lands!"
Richard paces back and forth, lightly patting his thigh with his spiked paddle as he walks. "You all will now be killed for trespassing on my lands!"
"Like we've been trying to tell you. You are not the owner of this land or any other lands surrounding it, Master Kuro…"
𝑻𝒉𝒘𝒂𝒄𝒌! 𝑻𝒉𝒘𝒂𝒄𝒌! 𝑻𝒉𝒘𝒂𝒄𝒌! 𝑻𝒉𝒘𝒂𝒄𝒌! 𝑻𝒉𝒘𝒂𝒄𝒌!
Richard begins mercilessly beating Ivy with the spiked paddle. All the workers rush to her aid. Nine of Alexander's men move to intercept them.
Only the leader of these men stayed put beside Dumas as is his duty.
Oak, who was returning from the inn, saw this and ran back to get Kiyo, hoping he's still there.
When the dust finally settled, Richard's men stood triumphant. Not because they were better, no, far from it in fact. They only won due to the command spells placed on the slaves activated.
There are two different ways of identifying a slave: A slave collar or an enslavement mark. The severity of the crime determines which one one will receive.
𝑺𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒓: 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒃𝒕.
𝑬𝒏𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔: 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐'𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔.
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒔: 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅, 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅, 𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒓. 𝑫𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒗𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝑶𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇𝒇, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉.
𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆. 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.
All of the workers have been corralled into one spot. All of them have been badly injured, but the worst of them is Ivy. She had endured years of abuse from her late husband, but nothing like this.
Her breathing is ragged. Blood soaked the ground beneath her unconscious body.
"Will one of you put that dying cow down?" Richard points to Ivy.
"On it boss." A man with a lance in hand heads towards her.
"Don't you dare touch her!" Shouts Kraddus. He tries to stand on a broken foot only to fall on his face. "Ivy! Ivy!" Kraddus starts crawling towards Ivy shouting her name.
"Be quiet!" Another of Richard's men stomps down on Kraddus's back.
The Lancemen stands over Ivy. Holding his weapon over her skull, he drives it down, piercing the ground. "Huh?" Confused, he looks around for the women.
"Shit that was a close one." Said Abby. "Had we been any slower Kazuma, Ivy would be dead right now." They loop around the incomplete castle and land. Abby hops down and gently lays Ivy on the ground. "Alice you're up."
"Right."
"I won't let you heal her!" The Lancemen throws his weapon at them.
"Cover! Guard!" Leo moves to cover the girls. The lance hits Leo's shield and falls to the ground.
Shield Skill "Cover." Users can automatically move to protect someone within their line of sight. The distance the user can move depends on skill level.
Normal Skill "Guard." Users can cancel out any physical attacks directed at them. The number of uses depends on skill level.
"You're not getting past me, assholes."
"Challenge accepted." A swordsman runs at Leo.
"By thunder's might and stormy night I call upon the bolt's pure light. Descend from skies, oh electric force and strike with power, in a wondrous course. Lighting Magic: Lightning Bolt!" Luna's lightning bolt attack strikes true, killing the man.
"Who the hell are you bastards!?" Shouts Richard.
"That's my line," I said, coming up behind the two strangers, "who the hell do you think you are coming here and trying to kill my employees?"
"Names Lighting Jack…"
Talking over him, "I am The Honorable Richard Dumas, and you all are trespassing on my lands."
"You are mistaken sir. I own these lands. Bought and paid for in full."
"That is a blatant lie. Commoner trash like you couldn't possibly afford it."
"Then by all means check with the guild." I say.
"That won't be necessary. Men, kill these interlopers at once, but leave this one to me."
Leaving the construction workers where they are, Richard's men attack the Rising Sun Party in full force.
"Heed my call and come forth, my Great Serpent: Snakei. My Monstrous Wolf: Wolfy, and my Stone Golem: Roxy.
Snakei! Protect those people on the ground. Wolfy, Roxy, kill those seven men." Orders Abby.
Snakei lets out a hiss in response to its master's orders. Slithering over to the crew, it circles around them keeping them in the center.
Roxy just nods and Wolfy growls. They both carry out Abby's orders.
"Monstrous Wolf, Wolfy. Stone Golem, Roxy. And now your Great Serpent, Snakei.
You know Abby, if Corym were here, he'd give you grief about how you name your summons." Said Leo.
"I'll tell you the same thing I tell him; bite me."
"Her wyvern, Kazuma, seems like a normal enough name." Luna points out.
The three chat casually while Abby's summons take care of Richard's men.
"Mama!" Cries Oak.
"Is she gonna be alright?" Sumac asked, kneeling beside her mother.
"Yes."
One of Richard's men is a geomancer mage. He had disappeared into the ground and easily moved through it towards Alice. Sticking his head up like a shark's dorsal fin, he stealthily moves to attack her.
𝘚𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘩!
"Ewww, gross. What the hell did I step on?!" Satan lifts up her foot. She had stepped on the man's head, popping like a zit.
"Thanks Satan." Said Alice.
"And then there were two." Said Lilly. Walking up and standing beside Kiyo.
"Your move." I say.
"Sir, I recommend we leave and come back with more men." Suggested Jack.
"No, no, no, no!" Richard stomps his foot like a child. "I am Richard Dumas, son of Count Alexander Dumas. Commoner trash like you must do as I say."
"I decline."
Richard's face turns red. "I am Richard Dumas, son of Count Alexander Dumas."
"Don't care."
Richard's face goes from red to purple. "I am Richard Dumas, son of Count Alexander Dumas. Hand over your land to me right now!" Screeches Richard.
𝐼'𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑠𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒.
"Listen here dick, I don't give a fuck about who you are, or who your daddy is.
You have no legal claim to anything here. So kindly remove yourself from my sight before I, Baron Kiyomaro Kurosaki remove you by force."
"I'll help. Shouldn't be too hard."
Abby joins Kiyo and Lilly. Luna and Leo stand guard as Alice heals the others. Satan stands behind Abby, slightly to her left.
"Even a filthy demon child thinks they're better than me?"
"I don't think I'm better. I know I'm better than you."
Richard loses it. He charges forward, spiked paddle in hand. However his target isn't Kiyo or Lilly, it's Abby.
Realizing this Abby lets him get within striking distance. Winding back, Richard swings his spiked paddle with all his might—it connects with a sickening sound against Abby's skull, snapping the paddle in half.
Normally when someone threatens or attacks a member nobility, guards would swoop in to prevent and or stop them—maybe even eliminate the threat.
However, Abby has given all members of The Seven standing orders not to intervene.
That doesn't stop them from assessing all viable threats to the Imperial Royal Family.
If such a threat ever did appear that would cause any member of The Seven to react to it, then they would absolutely disobey Abby's orders, and incur her ire; rather than face the wrath of her father Emperor Po, a.k.a the Primordial Deity Khaos.
"Is that it?" Abby smoothes out her hair and picks out a few diamonds that broke off of the paddle.
Holding one up to the sky she says, "These are fake by the way. Nothing but glass imitations." She drops it on the ground. "Same for all that costume jewelry you have sewn into your ugly ass jacket."
"Fuck you!" Richard starts punching Abby like a man possessed. "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you you fucking cunt!!"
Abby doesn't even flinch, just stands there smiling all the while. It doesn't take long for Richard to run out of steam.
"My turn. Release seal."
A blinding light erupts from Abby's body as she begins to transform. Once the light dissipates her black horns are longer, black wings jut out from between her shoulder blades, a black tail just above her tailbone.
"So you got bigger, so what?"
"You claim to be a count's son, and yet you are unfamiliar with my appearance. You are a disgrace to your family."
"Fuck you!" Shouts Richard, "Jack, kill this bitch at once!"
Abby rolls her eyes, "look behind you dumbass Dumas."
Richard does and is immediately confused by what he sees. Jack is kneeling. Looking back he sees everyone else has taken a knee as well.
"W-What is going on here?" Richard is left stupefied.
"Seeing how slow you are, I'll help you out. My full name and title is Princess Abaddon La-tif, third daughter of Empress Cesmak La-tif.
Now I hope with whatever little brains that you were born with can comprehend what this means?"
"....."
Abby sighs, "I see you're still having trouble grasping the situation at hand, so I'll spell it out for you. You've committed two unforgivable crimes.
Your first crime is threatening to kill a princess. One from another empire no less.
The second is that you repeatedly struck a member of nobility of a much much higher standing than your own—again from another empire."
Richard takes a step back, "no. This can't be. I-I…" he drops to his knees, a vacant far off look in his eyes.
"Satan, tie him up and toss his sorry ass into his carriage. We're going to pay his father a visit."
"As you command."
"Jack, I assume you know where Count Alexander Dumas lives so you're driving the carriage."
"Understood prin…"
Satan clasps a hand over Jack's mouth. In a low voice, she says, "I know you don't know this, but never address her as princess. She absolutely hates it. It's a whole thing so don't ask."
"Understood, and thank you."
"Kiyo, given all that has happened you should expect Count Dumas to pay you a visit."
"Seeing how this place isn't suitable for receiving guests, I'll ask Guild-master Momo if we can use her office."
As the carriage pulls away I check on Ivy and the others. "Alice, how is she?"
"Better. Had we not gotten here in time she mostly likely would've died."
"Listen up everyone, once Alice has healed you you will take the rest of the day off."
Confused by this, Kraddus asked, "are we being punished for defending ourselves?"
"That's not it. The command spell I placed on you restricting you from getting into any physical altercations with anyone for any reason is what left you all badly injured. And for that I am sorry."
I get down on my hands and knees, and touch my forehead to the ground. Feeling a touch on the back of his head, I sit up.
I'm now staring at Ivy's tear streaked face. She wraps me in a hug. Oak and Sumac also embrace me.
After everyone is healed, I set about modifying the command spells.
"There, all done. You guys can now properly defend yourselves should the need arise."
"Thank you." Said Kraddus, putting his shirt back on. I've seen some pretty shitty slave owners in my time, and honestly I was nervous when I became a slave. But having you as my owner hasn't been that bad."
"Glad to hear it. Honestly, being someone who has slaves is a foreign concept to me."
"Seriously Kiyo, I had a buddy who got in over his head in debt, sold himself into slavery to a master who claimed he would be treated fairly, but treated him like shit instead."
"What happened to him?"
"The master worked him to death, and not just him. Many of his slaves ended up dying from being overworked."
"Let me guess he was a noble in high standing?"
"He was a marquis."
We both go quiet. Eventually Kraddus breaks the silence, "well that's enough moping, time to eat."
"I think Nanasay is making sandwiches for lunch today."
Later that day I would learn that Count Alexander Dumas, whose health had been in decline, suffered a fatal heart attack and passed away after learning what his youngest son had done.
His eldest son and heir; Viscount Alexander Dumas ll would handle the matter upon his return to the family estate.
In the meantime Richard has been confined to his sleeping quarters under Satan's guard.
I also learned that the Dumas territory is just south of Snapdragon Village.
After a hearty lunch Kiyo, Leo, Luna, Alice, and Lilly are back outside the forage. Its door opens and out steps a very busty woman, her leather apron is somehow keeping her breasts contained — just barely.
Wiping the sweat from her brow she calls out to Kiyo, "is this your harem?"
"Um, I'm a guy."
"No judgment here."
Clearing my throat, I say, "everyone, this is the Master of the Forage, Vulcan. She has agreed to make you all new gear for the upcoming tournament."