Chapter 15: Repercussions

The next day…

“Did you hear? The Seven Snakes lost to the Red Lions and had to pay reparations?”

“Nah, no way. I saw them fight each other – they were at a draw! Sure, the Seven Snakes were beaten up slightly more, but they were extremely tenacious.”

“Their new gang leader seems to be much more competent than Ulon, but I guess a small-time gang will always be a small-time gang.”

Such were the types of rumours going around the food market and the South Sector, but it was drowned out in a sea of other conflicts. The Seven Snakes were not the only gang fighting at the time – it was the city of Raktor. A fight was around every corner.

However, the morale of the Seven Snakes was much higher. Everyone was extremely clear that it was their victory, and they had never won against another gang like this in the past five years under Ulon.

“Are we going to be the next dominator of the South Sector?” One of the more overtly excited gang members discussed.

“Idiot, no way! How the hell are we going to overtake the Ardent Cretins? Wait, fuck that. We can’t even go against the main force of the Red Lions!”

“Nah, believe in Kyle! I like him much better than his Alvin persona.”

“Can’t wait to have my own underlings; I’ll put them through the same training routine!”

The mood in the base was festive, but Kyle was not. At least not until the waves had died down. He sat in his office, waiting patiently until Keith came in, his face clearly shaken.

“Sir, there’s someone here to see you.”

“Is it the enforcers? I’ve been expecting them.” Kyle nodded with a calm expression, having anticipated a potential visit, seeing as they had now established their foundation in the district. Kyle was not averse to collaborating with the enforcers: crime and law came hand-in-hand. Already in his mind, he was coming up with ways to entice and lure the enforcers into his pocket. Perhaps a tax generating scheme, or even mutual assistance on reducing crime.

He could even use the enforcers to potentially suppress some of the thug outfits lurking around the district. Despite the Seven Snakes’ resurgence, it was foolish to assume that they had complete control over every individual in the area – countless upstarts and small three-man gangs ran multiple smuggling rings and production lines as well.

But Keith shook his head violently. “No, sir. It’s not the enforcers.” Keith barely stuttered the words out, his hands shaking slightly at the fear.

“Alone?” Kyle squinted his eyes, tossing out everything he thought about regarding the enforcers.

“Yes.”

Kyle’s expression darkened slightly. “Have him come in. Prepare the best tea we have.”

“Yes, sir.”

Soon, a well-dressed gentleman in a butler outfit walked in; his hair slicked back in jet-black lines, his face immaculate. The suit spoke volumes of the care and attention to detail; the thread count specifically selected with the gradient of the fabric astounding. He did not bow nor show any sign of respect towards Kyle, treating him like a decoration while he simply walked around the office and looked at the bookshelves and furniture. “Hmm, how quaint. I am a bit sad to see Ulon’s hallmark ornaments missing.”

“They were quite a distracting sight, so I had them auctioned off.”

“A pity. I would have hoped he kept some of my older gifts.” The man finally locked eyes with Kyle before sitting in a chair meant for guests, relaxing as though he had just arrived home.

“I’m sure he appreciated the gifts nonetheless.”

“Oh, my gifts pales in comparison to the gift you gave him.” The man chuckled at his own joke. Keith soon entered the room with a teapot and cup on a delicate tray, placing it down and pouring a cup for the guest. However, his hands were shaking terribly, the tea violently vibrating as the glass clinking.

The man simply smiled at Keith, before turning back to Kyle. “You’re doing much better than Ulon did. When I first met him, he could barely reply to me or look me in the eyes. I recall him trembling continuously, nearly unable to form a coherent sentence. Much like this poor young boy.” He motioned his hand to Keith, who quickly bowed and took a step back.

“I would not use Ulon as a measure for eloquence – or a measure for anything.”

“Indeed. Ulon was never able to make use of what he had on hand.” The man chuckled, before examining Keith closely, looking at him from head to toe. “A gait of a scholar. Sharp eyes, though bravery has to be worked on a tad more. Your abilities seemed to be far wasted here. Perhaps I can offer you another form of employ-.”

“Get to the point,” Kyle challenged. The man did not seem irked in the slightest at being interrupted, merely smiling gently as he crossed his legs.

“I’m here to deliver a form of greeting from our leader, Ares UIras. He has only the best wishes for the future of the Seven Snakes and hopes to potentially forge relationships where possible. We are open to partnerships, or collaborations in any future ventures.”

Kyle nodded. “You may give him my thanks, Sebastian. I will surely take him up on his offer in the near future.”

“Ah, a man who has done his research. Consider me surprised that even an amnesiac knows about me.”

“It is hard not to notice legends and myths about the vice-leader of the Ardent Cretins.”

“Oh, don’t flatter me. I’m simply doing my job. I’m sure that you will have your own myths in the future if given enough time.”

“Only if I am allowed to.”

Sebastian’s smile got wider. “I knew we would understand each other. A big improvement over Ulon, as repugnant of a standard he might be. Seems like being amnesiac is a gift of sorts; perhaps I should try it one day?”

“I can have an alchemist prepare a memory-erasing potion if you so wish. Perhaps we could set an appointment?”

Sebastian laughed while Kyle maintained a stoic expression. “Maybe sometime in the future, when I’m retired. For now, I still have to manage a group of naughty children who only get rowdier as they grow up. Always aiming to become the parent. Do you have any tips for handling them?”

“Some sweets or cake would make them easy to handle. A gift or a concession goes a long way.”

“Ah, but children forget very fast, especially when another carrot is dangled in front of them. That reminds me.” He stood up, rummaging through his suit’s inner pocket.

“Here, a token of goodwill from the Ardent Cretins.” Sebastian retrieved a transparent glass bottle holding a miniature galleon suspended by wood inside. “An exquisite gift, handcrafted by one of our patrons.”

He stood up and placed it on the table in front of Kyle. The boat was extremely intricate and fragile. Keith looked at it and could tell that even a slight sudden jerk could cause the boat to collapse. For Sebastian to be able to carry it in his suit without breaking it was stupendous.

“Do be careful with it. It is an extremely delicate work. If one were to rock the boat too much, the pieces within would begin to crumble. I hope to see you again occasionally under similar circumstances.” Sebastian took his leave, with Keith escorting him out of the base.

Keith soon returned, only seeing Kyle continue to stare at the ship. “Wow, I didn’t know the vice leader of the Ardent Cretins was so nice! That boat looks really expensive.” Keith exclaimed.

“It was not a nice conversation. Far from it. It’s a threat.” Kyle responded grimly. After all that he had done to make sure he remained as low as possible, somehow, the big fish of the South Sector had locked onto him. He expected someone of note from the Ardent Cretins to eventually visit but never expected the vice leader to come in person.

Don’t rock the South Sector, lest you want your gang to crumble into pieces. Kyle knew what the warning was, clear as day. He gripped his fist tightly.

With the Ardent Cretins having their eye on him now, any sort of expansion or scaling up from him will be heavily scrutinized. The moment Sebastian detected a threat, Kyle knew he was the type to use everything he had to eliminate it immediately. That was the privilege of the strong, after all. Kyle himself used to do that in his former life.

“Keith, call Damian in. We will have to restructure the plan moving forward.”

The central sector of the city of Raktor was the most prosperous. Buildings made of arcia-infused glass towered over streets filled with automatic carriages, guided by the roads as they ferried aristocrats, nobles and the general upper class to and fro.

An opulent and intricately detailed building reminiscent of a temple was one of the key features of the sector. While many of the locals and tourists would admire it as a work of beauty, it was equally feared by many of the gang leaders.

A lone girl walked up the marble steps, clearly excited as her cobalt blue eyes darted around. She checked her pearlish-white cloak, rubbing a small stain off the shiny silver pauldrons. The long golden rims of the cloak fluttered as she continued climbing, wearing straight dress pants and a buttoned shirt under.

“Inquisitor Kitana, here under orders from the Archbishop.” Kitana bowed to the guards at the entrance, who bowed respectfully back. They performed a simple check on her belongings before allowing her in.

She entered the vast temple, the ceiling and pillars adorned with paintings that were completed over generations. At the height of it, all in prime view was a portrait of Yual, the Emperor of the Yual Dominion that ruled over the city of Raktor and others.

As she walked, she could hear whispers from local enforcers and clerks who stared at her, their echoes bouncing off the concave ceiling and domes.

“The Inquisitors are here? Finally, we get some much-needed help.”

“Yes, the bloodbath in the West Sector between the Veiled Angels and the Violet Devils is escalating far beyond our control. If the Inquisitors did not show up, we might have had to call in the military.”

“The military would never agree to intervene in civil affairs unless ordered by either the Duke or the Emperor himself.”

A servant led her to a smaller audience chamber, where an old priest was kneeling in front of a statue of the emperor. There were already nine others like her, lined up and standing behind rows of pews and praying. Kitana quickly joined an empty spot, clasping her hands in prayer as well.

After five more minutes, the old priest finally stood up, turning to face them. “My fellow priests and priestesses. It is with great honour that you have come before me and the Emperor today to be given a special role.”

“Crime has infiltrated the streets of Raktor, defiling the empire-wide bans set forth by the Archbishop himself. Alcoholism, prostitution, senseless violence and the proliferation of weapons are just some of the infestation that chokes Raktors by the gut. The citizens of this city do not know what true purity is and are unwilling to adhere to the law. While the Archbishop has turned a blind eye to it in the past, he can no longer divert his eyes away from the stray sheep that are running amok.”

“You shall act as the eyes and ears of the Sanctum of Yual. You are the arbiter, the judge and executioner of our will and our beliefs. Those who claim to be citizens of the Yual Dominion, but do not uphold the same values must be taught otherwise, by words or by fear of death. For it is only through fear that they may learn to love the encompassing embrace that is our Emperor.”

The old priest retrieved a scroll before he rolled it out and read it. “As such, under holy appointment and orders direct from the Archbishop himself, you are all now appointed as Inquisitors of the Yual Reign. Go forth and cleanse this city of filth and bring glory to the Emperor!”

“Glory to the Emperor! Glory to Yual!” The ten inquisitors bowed.

They remained bowed as a few servants brought out a series of peaked caps, with the priest bestowing one to each individual, the symbol of the Inquisitors clearly shown. The inquisitors solemnly received it, with one even bearing a grim expression as though he was about to be sent to the gallows.

Contrary to the others, Kitana received the cap excitedly, a fire lighting up in her eyes as she bowed in respect. The old priest chuckled before placing his hand on Kitana’s shoulder. “Keep that enthusiasm strong and steadfast. You’ll need it to face down the evil lurking in the city.”

“Yes, Bishop.” Kitana bowed even lower.

Soon, the ceremony was over, and Kitana was already ordered to head towards another room to meet the department that she would be in charge of. Each pair of inquisitors was to oversee the assistance of a different sector to not clash with each other. They were not working alone – they would be reporting to the overseeing bishops of each sector and working in tandem with local enforcers.

The inquisitors mumbled and discussed between each other as they walked. “I sure hope I get assigned to the Central Sector – if I got assigned to the West I’ll die.”

“Why did the Sanctum even assigned me here? This has got to be the worst place to graduate to!”

While the inquisitors lamented the results, they barely noticed the absence of Kitana who had not followed them. Kitana instead headed to a secluded area, grinning as she placed the cap on her head, the cap fitting snugly. She then glanced around her shoulders, making sure no one was looking around before she hunkered down and whispered to herself.

“Statistics.”