Chapter 55 - The White-Haired Beauty
On the chaotic district left to be governed by itself, mostly ruled with an iron fist by the gangs taking residence inside. One could see a tall young man with long black hair tied to his back with a rusted sword tied to his tattered trousers.
While he was carrying in his arms pieces of metal, a flintlock rifle, and all sorts of materials topped by the silk material fabric. Simultaneously he was also having a small bag hanging around his trousers that got filled with pieces of jewelry found by Aerius.
As for Aerius, the little gryphon took the high ground, being seated on Vlad's head.
His expression was of someone who pondered what was his next target, even a smile on his calm face started to form as he looked at his capture and what Robert managed to catch.
'Great capture, what we need now is to find a shop to sell those scraps and a place to eat.'
The young man was followed by Robert, who had to carry the most valuable catch. While walking in the alley, Vlad could sense the annoying stares of the people looking with greedy eyes at their small treasure. But they were deterred by Vlad's cold gaze that gave off some dark lights, which later made the ones staring in Vlad's eyes to scream in fear as if they saw a monster staring at them.
'Hmph, don't you dare that because I have my hands full, I can't deal with you bastards. My dark energies might not be in large quantities. Still, with what I have, I can use some of its abilities, such as [Mind Shatter], which will let those guys have their worst nightmares yet again played.'
'It feels as if this ability is close to Conqueror's, but it's not at all.'
They entered different alleys to look for shops that could buy metal parts and especially the firearm he stole. As he walked, he saw some guys wearing red uniforms with the head of an elephant on their back. He observed them a bit, the same as with the group wearing blue uniforms that he killed.
Seeing them walk in his way without even bothering to look at him, he made way for the group to pass, surprised by the casual manner they passed, not behaving any different than ordinary people he passed by. Seeing this reaction from the red-clothed syndicate members, he thought that maybe that's how most of those criminals should behave.
'Ohh, those guys seem to be a bit more decent than the bastards from the periphery. They are even ignoring me, good. That's how it should be. Just ignore my presence, I'm just here to sell some stuff before check some other places to live.'
The men also didn't bother with Vlad and Robert and chatted cheerily. Some parts got overheard by Vlad's keen hearing. "Have you heard that 5 of the Leviathan junkies got killed in a gruesome way? I heard their leader Paldot is fuming in anger. Probably he's blaming us Behemoths or the Gargoyles for the murder. That's just plain stupid, sure, we hate each other, but the balance holds for 14 years without a problem. Since the royal guards betrayed the royal family and killed Crown Prince Lucius, only trouble followed us in the districts."
"Us forgottens are ruled by the syndicates. We can't change much in this regard if the nobles and the king don't even recognize us as people. They only expect some revenue from us to collect for them, and they will just let us alone. This is also why some idiots get too arrogant and start shooting innocent people just because they have the syndicate's protection.
On the other side, the Common district is co-ruled by the guilds. At the same time, the de facto leader Duke Lacilet rules the Noble district." continued talking to one of the red-clothed guys that seemed to be quick on his mind. Followed by another guy saying a bit annoyed in response to what the first guy said.
"Shit truly got real. The old king is left without an heir and is struggling to keep the country whole. There's barely any unity in the class system. Everyone loathes the nobles and the wealthy class that profits over the suffering of the commoners and slaves."
When Robert, Aerius, and Vlad heard that when they passed, especially the young boy dropped his head a bit more, thinking in his head. 'He's walking right past you. The prince of your country.'
In rest, they also continued on their way. At the same time, the discussion of those syndicate members becomes less understandable. Yet, Vlad had his [Blood Enhancement], making his hearing far stronger.
"Fuck them, man, if I could, I would get rid of that system altogether, but we're only a bunch of lowly peasants that can only hold those guns on us as if they are our most precious. What say do we have in the decisions of the big shots controlling us?"
'Those guys are really not dumb. Even they figured out that the feudal system is just like an invitation for failed countries. Even I have regrets about how my country ruled in my first life.'
'Ahh, If only managed to kill all of the nobles or took all their powers away from their hands. I would be left in such a pathetic manner against the Turks. What Hungarians? They were so divided, having the Voivodeship of Transylvania. It could have been easy to take over that region if I had the power. As for my little cousin country, we could just have a council union that ruled over the former Dacian ancestral lands. In such a way, we would had the power to fight against the Turks, Polons, Hungarians. Sigh, it was not to be. People love power, and you can't ever make sense with them, to find alternative solutions.'
'In this regard, those citizens of Kaysang can only hope that either the king gets back on his throne and kills all the nobles that betrayed him. Or they can revolt and solve all their problems, slowly taking the power of the rest of the nobility. After that, with all the power the kingdom can offer, just like a real Leviathan, you'll unleash your fury and start expanding.'
Thinking that after hearing the gang thugs discussion, Vlad, after a while, could hardly hear the discussion between the gang members, but all that he heard was interesting information. This discussion of their made him remember about specific choices he could have made to strengthen and reunite the Dacian ancestral lands. Yet aside from making him remember the moments of his first life, he gained a general idea of the dissatisfaction of the general populace that we would strive to solve by giving them some more benefits. Making life easier for them and, for sure, the slaves.
Shaking his head, Vlad turned to go forward on the alley, trying to forget the haunting past and his bad choices in life. In his blank state, he was woken by Robert kicking him with his leg and Aerius, who used his beak on his head, just to wake him up.
"I think we reached a shop that deals in arms. Probably they might buy some of our metal parts and the gun you stole from that dead dude." said Robert to Vlad. While staring at the shop, they stopped.
Vlad looked up and could see some rundown shop that had the signboard of a gun and sword. Looking around, he found that the wooden shop was quite old, but at the same time had a unique feel about it. He entered inside the shop with all the metal scraps and cloth material and jewelry bag, followed by Robert. The latter could barely see where to step from the amount of scraps he had on his body.
'It seems that at least I'm lucky enough to find a place where I can get rid of those scraps of mine.'
When Vlad entered inside the shop, he noticed a young lady that had silver-white hair, almost looking more white, held in a medium-size ponytail. Vlad almost thought of his dark form, where the dark energies would slowly or quickly his black hair into snow-white color.
The girl was facing a book that she held with her delicate hands, where it was visible that the young lady kept care of herself. Facing the book, she seemed to look bored, but at the same time, that boredom on her beautiful emerald-green eyes, which sported a thin black eyeliner that spotlighted her white-skinned tone, gave her a unique feeling to Vlad.
Later, Vlad started observing the girl's body. Similarly, Aerius, who was on Vlad's head, also started looking at her, swinging his lion tail over Vlad's back. She was exceptional regarding her genes. Her chest was well proportioned, not big nor small, just to Vlad's tastes., which were covered by her dark shirt. Her body still had room for growth. That was something Vlad concluded in his mind.
'Ohh, if she had dark hair, she would really look close to my wife, Justina. Heh, at least Mathias knew something to gift me her sister in order to bound me closer to his dirty throne. Sigh, with this young body of mine, I can feel the effects of my youthness. Did little Zagreus get a crush on this girl? While indeed she's probably beyond average, that fleshly desire can't hold a candle for me. '
Chuckled Vlad between his calm face that showed not a once of emotion. Then as he looked around the girl and the shop that was full of weapons, he heard Aerius drop on his shoulder, approaching his beak close to his ear. Then he whispered in his ear. "Damn Vlad, this girl shouldn't even exist in this garbage place. She's just too good. Go for her. You'll need a wife anyway. In the meantime, I'll pretend I'm a cat so I can take some advantage of her. Girls like small, cute, and furry creatures a lot, wish me luck, boss."
"Don't you dare, if I see you take advantage of her, I'll shave all your fur, then I'll see how you can pick up the ladies," added Vlad in a quiet tone while giving Aerius a stare.
"Just a little bit. Please, only once." pleaded Aerius while whispering in Vlad's ears.
"No. But if she takes interest in you, I'll not stop her. Wish you luck, ahem mister cat." said Vlad to Aerius right in his face while giving a chuckle and turning to smile a bit.
The girl didn't even bother to take a look at Vlad, Robert, or Aerius. She felt some looks going in her way, which pissed her a bit, thinking that yet again, the syndicate members came to hit on her.
Focused on her book, she slowly turned to the next page while Vlad looked around the shop, observing the firearms placed on display.
Sometimes he would think of his first life experiences, but those memories would end fast. Not feeling like interrupting the girl from what she was reading, he could read the front title of the book. *Cristine Memories* He would turn around the shop display, admiring with curiosity the craftsmanship of those intricate guns. Robert also didn't know what to do with this situation and could barely see the silver-haired beauty from all the scrap metal parts he was carrying.
Meanwhile, Aerius also jumped away from Vlad's head and began to slowly walk towards the girl's desk before jumping on the desk to stare with his eagle golden eyes right in the girl's face.
[The young lady POV]
'Sigh, such a boring book. The plot's the same with all of this author's works. Such pathetic author who it's just writing shit to get a larger audience and draw money. I wonder how he even managed to get so popular with this kind of trash.'
'Oh right, the syndicate guys seem to get more active, especially those Leviathans. That blind idiot Paldot was screaming like a retard so hard that I could even hear him from my stop. Even for no reason. Was he conspired by the other gangs? Heh, good for them. I'm quite sick of having to deal with all the idiots hitting on me all day long. I barely managed to get rid of those red-clothed idiots.'
'What now? Did they come back to bother me again? Oh, it seems not. Wait, what is this black cat with a weird head doing on top of my desk? It's the guy who's staring at the gun's, pet? Aww, this cat sure looks cute, his black fur and that head resembling a bird of prey. I haven't seen such an animal in my life. Lucky guy to have such a cute pet. Probably they just came to Sagletius and are looking for some money. Wow, the tall guy hides quite the handsome face, sad that he's so slim, but what's the deal with the long hair?
'Sigh, quite sad to look at the tall guy. He looks quite skinny for that tall build of his. Let's see what they want, but before that, let me see what this little guy on my desk wants.'
[General POV]
As the silver-white haired beauty looked at Aerius with curious eyes, right as the little gryphon was approaching her, and turn to look at the book in her hand, she extended her white hand to grab him.
Not what the girl expected, the black cat-like creature, instead of getting scared, walked straight to her hand as if that's what he wished. 'YESSS, I got a step ahead of you snobbish bastard. Let me taste heaven.'
When the silver-white haired beauty gently grabbed Aerius, and taking him closer to her with two hands, and looking at his small complexion and golden eyes. She patted him while saying. "Good boy, what are you doing here."
Instantly when she patted him, the little gryphon swung his long lion tail happily in doing so, touching the girl's white delicate arms.
"Hoh, do you like it here, little guy? Then take this." The girl switched from patting to giggling Aerius under his chin.
'Ahhh, this is my angel. I'm in heaven right now. She treats me so well compared to that crazy Vermilion.'
The silver-haired beauty focused as she was petting Aerius on Vlad. Then she dropped any pretenses, she looked straight in Vlad's dark-green eyes, and after rechecking him while nodding her head, she asked.
"So, what brings you guys to my shop? Do you have any business here? Just to make myself clear, we don't buy metal scraps. However, that gun in your arm could make it and get sold here."
