Chapter 71 - New changes to the District
Time passed along for the Forsaken District. Everyone seemed to be high in spirits while walking around the streets. From kids to adults, everyone seemed to be beaming with a new desire for a better life.
In a newly raised tavern around where the district's periphery used to be, a group of 3 citizens was gossiping about the changes taking part in the district while drinking some beer.
"Have you heard that guy? Mayor Aldenis plans to build a school for the children of the district. I heard he needs people capable of lifting stones, woods, and other side things. They are even paying for the job."
"Are you for real? Unbelievable, it's only been 3 months since that gathering took place, and look at us sitting, where not too long used to be the former walls. Tell me, friend, do you know what's the pay for this job?" asked the second citizen seated at the tavern seat.
"It's like the pay for rebuilding the harbor, 5000 belies per day and a warm meal." replied the first guy while drinking some of his beer.
"Really not bad. I think I'll go after this beer to see if I can get this job. Compared to the other jobs that appeared recently, this one pays quite a lot." replied the third guy of that group, looking forward to seeing this job.
Still, the first guy who started the conversation didn't finish and spread out another interesting news.
"Guys, this one is just the first news that arrived at my ears. I got a friend who was part of the formed Behemoth Syndicate, and he said that there are talks between sir Aldenis and the guilds to extend the trade agreement they built 2 months ago. We'll also be able to travel safely to the common district using the transport ships coming from the shipbuilding guild."
"Buddy, are you really not bullshitting here? If that really happens, our two districts will for sure prosper. Tsk, I still remember those dumb faces of the guards sealing the bridge for good for us. Like we're some infected people. Hmph, we will show those cursed Nobles soon, with sir Aldenis great administration, that we're not the lowest people." replied the second guy of the group, a bit angry when remembering how he got rejected from entering the bridge even if he got the money for the entry.
"We just have to be patient. The change is already happening. We got a better harbor where ships are going in and out with products we never heard about. The district got expanded even more. The people who wanted to start a farm got helped by the mayor, who even lent some of the former syndicate members to help build the farms. Now they even start to build a school for our young to learn. It feels more like a normal city than the former shithole this place used to be."
Meanwhile, at another part of the district, closer to the former Behemoth Syndicate headquarters, an old man surrounded by some middle-aged guys and a blonde young man asked.
"Faust, Kavos, how long do you think the construction of this school would take?"
"Old man, from what Kavos designed, and if we really enough men to do the job, it would take us about 2 months to make the first building. After that, we can slowly expand since we got enough land for that.
Don't ask for quicker because it's really impossible. We're not building a cabin log here. It's a school where future generations of brats would learn it. It requires time and precision. Ahem, we also need some masons and freemasons, and lastly, a lot of stone." ended the blonde young man reporting to Aldenis.
"Sir Aldenis, young Faust is right. We need skilled people for this. I suggest we ask the Stonemason Guild in the Common District to give us help with their craftsman. We also need blacksmiths to help out with the tools."
"I understand Kavos, I'll send a letter to sir Wilhem of the Mason Guild for some help. As for the blacksmiths, Faust go send a message to Johan to start preparing some cutting tools. Tsk, I also need to send that fat idiot Laftso a letter for the stones required for the construction."
"Damn, old man, are you really treating me like a messenger boy? Aren't you the mayor now? Just ask some kids out to deliver your messages. I have other important things to do."
"Hmph, little bastard, what important things do you have on your hand? Exploding my basement again? I'll rather have you do odd jobs until your contract expires. You still got 5 months. After that, do whatever you want."
"Ohh, only 5 months is remaining. After that, I can finally meet that person again."
"Good luck with that, you know it's hard to meet him nowadays. You'll have to set up a meeting following those annoying procedures."
"I know it, old man, wasn't me the one who sent your letters. Hehe, but I had no problem doing so, seeing that beauty always made my day."
"I don't care, you annoying brat, go already. Time is money. I also have to check some things on the harbor."
"Tell me, Kavos, do you want to accompany me to the harbor and see the stage the trading fleet is?"
"No problem sir, I also have to see the stage of the harbor expansion."
Like this, the group began getting busy with their jobs as much as the simple citizens were getting busy working.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the district, in the Forbidden Forest, a tall young man was looking as a young boy was swinging a sword in his direction.
As he dodged the sword strike, a normal-sized black cat with a head of an eagle lunged from behind using its claws and sharp beak.
The tall young man only smirked and blocked the black creature attack using a simple sword stance. After that, he switched targets and followed the younger boy's sword direction.
Extending his hand, he grabbed the young man's leading hand, and with a push, the boy lost balance and dropped to the ground.
"That's all for today. Contemplate on what you did wrong, and we'll spar again in two month's time. This applies to you too, little guy."
"Ehh, give me a break. It's not fun at all sparing against you. All my attacks can't even reach you. All this training, and you're still easily blocking and dodging me."
"Don't complain, Aerius. He's still going easy with us, not using his blood on us to restrain our movements or attack us with it." replied the boy while getting up on his feet with the help of the sword.
"Damn it, Robert, fighting against you is enjoyable, but not against Vlad. I can't even notice my progress, as if I'm still the same."
"You'll notice your progress with time. Now, if I may, I also have to train myself." said the tall young man as he left the sparing ground, leaving the young boy and black creature to discuss by themselves.
"Here he is again doing that. Beating us before going about his usual daily activities. Hmm, friend, I can see that you've grown a little bit since we first meet. As for me, sigh. Each day I curse that witch for cursing me to not grow to my adult form."
"Thanks friend, but this doesn't solve my lacking power. Also, be patient. From what Vlad explained to me, you're suffering under the side effects of a devil fruit power."
"Argh, it's so frustrating to see everyone around me grow, yet I remain the same. I'm glad that Elisabeth remained the same because I would have gone crazy otherwise."
"Friend, I really don't want to hear about your little rants. Now help me test some moves I noticed that Vlad used while fighting us."
"Wait, what!? You fished out some of his skills. Come show it to me."
Robert nodded his head before he used a quick footstep to build the right momentum before lunging toward Aerius and slashing widely in the air.
Aerius felt something tingling him, yet he still confirmed Robert.
"I felt a slight wind that tingled me."
"Good, it seems I picked the right footstep and striking movement. Let's continue, Aerius."
"Fuck, why do I feel that I'm becoming more and more a punching bag."
"That's all your imagination. Now take this."
Distancing from the young boy testing the skills he picked aside from what his young mentor taught him.
The sight of the water stream and lush forest instantly filled the eye of whoever watched this scenery.
Here one could see the tall young man stay silent for a while before raising his hands up to the air.
Blood began exiting his hands, surrounding him closely as if it was a blood cocoon. Feeling that every single space around him got covered in his own blood assured his safety. The young man then closed his eyes, whereas slowly, something began to change inside his mind.
The world around him shifted rapidly while some lights were pulsating as he was going deeper inside his mind. Red and dark lights were getting powerful with each moment until they slowly stabilized. Not long after that, Vlad opened his eyes and woke himself, seated on a slightly darker throne, which felt even more colder than his first tries at this world.
Looking around himself, he could see that this world was still balanced out between the red and black, and over the horizons being a slumbering light.
"The balance is slightly off. The blood powers should be stronger than the dark energy. Yet from what I can see, the darkness feels more dominant. It's because of the killings I did or the fact I didn't use it so constantly?"
"I'll better use this chance to train my dark energy before going out."
Then as he said that, he slowly pushed the dark energy inside of him. Similarly, the dark energy surrounding the throne began to quickly bind with the energy he summoned, slowly binding together.
Vlad's body was slowly engulfed in a dark mist that turned out to look closer to smoke. All the parts in his body got covered in this dark smoke, making him feel his body instantly dropping a lot of body temperature.
"Hah, this doesn't feel half bad. Let me see if I'm now capable of using that ability."
As Vlad said, the dark smoke began gathering closer to Vlad's body before morphing on his body in the shape of a dark armor. Slowly the form of the armor began to be seen. However, Vlad felt that along with the morphing of the dark armor something began to change. Grabbing his long hair, he saw that his hair strands began turning white from the ends.
"I hope this doesn't have lasting effects. I don't want to be seen as an old person when I didn't even enter my twenties." commented Vlad as he was looking at the constantly whitening hair before it suddenly stopped from moving towards his roots.
"Good, so this is how this armor actually feels? Hmm, there are some boosts to my physical abilities too. Interesting. Then if I use this together with my blood powers, it would lead to a double effect? Let's try this then."
The blood began to flow from his skin, quickly surrounding his armor to every single corner. As it settled down on the blackish armor, the contrast of color began getting shifted, turning the armor into a darker red (rosewood color).
Yet not long he morphed the armor on his body, he suddenly felt an imbalance of powers that he couldn't control.
"Damn it. Using this ability could last me some minutes. Sigh, at least I got a huge power boost when using this ability."
"Let's test my Blood Swordplay since I can't use it on the kids when sparring with them."
Opening his right hand, blood quickly began to flow from his hand in a viscous manner and, at the same time, starting morphing into the shape of a claymore.
After some seconds passed, Vlad grasped the sword's handle and began with a sword slash who exuded out a blood blade after slashing the air.
"Ohh, this attack also increased in power while using the armor."
Then not wasting any precious time with the armor, he jumped down the throne platform arriving at the cold red and dark floor. Grasping the blood sword, he began doing a series of sword attacks which all contained some exuded blood at the end of the attacks.
Seconds passed, and all of Vlad's attack followed a rhythm of its own. Even his footsteps began to emanate some black smoke that masked his steps, adding a greater danger to his movements and swordplay.
In no time, he could feel that his armor started to shatter from this imbalance of power, and before it would be shattered, Vlad made the last attack.
Opening his hands as if he was sheltering something in his hands, a blackish-red ball began to form in his hands. As he fed this ball in his hand with blood and dark energy, the armor on his body began to crack.
Piece by piece, his armor began to turn to nothing, but this didn't affect Vlad's concentration on the pulsating mass of blood and dark energy condensed in his hand. Then, as it gathered more mass and began releasing malicious-looking dark waves and red waves, his armor's last remains disappeared into nothingness.
Vlad, sensing that he didn't have enough resources to feel this ball stopped forcing any energy in his body.
"To think Star of Collapse would evolve alongside me. Sigh, I don't even want to use this attack inside here. What if I get those nasty side effects and got killed? My power is most likely enough to fight for a while against a Haki user."
"Release." When Vlad said that Star of Collapse began dispersing out its energy back in Vlad's body.
"I'll do some more drills before my time here runs out." ended Vlad saying that while his body began was settling down the energy of the last ability.
After 20 minutes, Vlad opened his eyes and canceled the blood cocoon around him. After doing this, he washed away his sweat before moving toward his wooden home and changing his clothes.
Preparing to walk towards the district to check on Aldenis, he also stopped to check the orphans, only to find out that only the little girls were inside the building.
Staring at the girls and Elisabeth, he asked them in shortly.
"Did those 4 rascals went again inside the district?"
"Yes big brother. They are helping out the people of the district again with their farms." responded Fay to Vlad while drawing something on a sheet of paper.
Stealing a glance at the sheet, he saw the draws of some clothes. He didn't follow with annoying questions, letting the kids be a bit more independent since they recovered.
"Little Fay, Alicia. If you want big brother to help you out, only ask." ended Vlad before exiting the building.
"Sure big brother, we'll be needing some of your help with our shop soon." replied Fay with a smile to Vlad while moving back to talk with Alicia and Elisabeth.
Taking his time to get to the district, Vlad looked around the periphery outside the new walls at the people working the fertile soil with signs of hope on their faces. The kids of the district helped around the farm work alongside the adults.
As he was walking around in his simple clothing, he settled down on a green hill around the shade of a tree. He could see that some farms even brought out some sheep and cows who were now grazing the green hills undisturbed by anyone.
"To think that those terrorized people would get so quickly on their feet. This place resembles more a city compared to the dirty slum I first arrived at. To think the old man would go this far as to support the first year expenses of the farms until they would be able to run smoothly on their own ways."
"Hmm, I think the meeting time is approaching. I should get going and not just blank out remembering the sights from my first life." said Vlad while getting up from the green ground and moving towards the entry of the district.
After some minutes, he arrived at the new gates, which were for now constructed out of wood and some stones. However, looking around, he could see some guys patrolling around the entry accessway.
The common citizen flow around the district's streets was significantly increased compared to the time of the syndicate rule. Vlad could tell that the number of people began growing with each passing month.
Walking uninterrupted the district streets along with some random citizens until he split from them. When he separated from them, he walked towards Marcus's Restaurant, which was relatively close to the district market. Making his way inside, the server boy Ricardo welcomed him and quietly guided him towards the restaurant's new extended building.
This building had separate rooms, and as Ricardo guided him, he stopped while pointing at the last room of the building.
"Big brother, that's the room for today."
"Thank you, little Ricardo, say to old Marcus that I'll await his cooking." ended Vlad while giving a 5000 belly banknote to the young server.
"Big brother, there's no need for that. You know that pops will take away my money if he finds out my pocket money." said Ricardo, a little bit embarrassed while taking the banknote and stuffing it on his trouser pockets.
"That's your job young man. To not get found out by that old man. Well, enough chit-chatting since I got a guest for today. See you another time Ricardo." ended Vlad while patting Ricardo's head before entering the room.
Entering inside the room, he was met by an old man who bowed his head a little before saying.
"Your Highness, you've been rather quick to come this time."
