Chapter 87 - A safe escape

---

The hours passed since Vlad killed Mayer and fought Wincester and the rest of the assassins.

The news about Mayer's death already arrived at the ears of the important people of the district.

Inside the pink palace, a young girl wearing maid clothes stood in front of a gorgeous mature lady as she said to her while bowing their head.

"Madame, there's news from the girls. Mayer has been found dead inside his mansion."

The gorgeous lady looked while switching her delicate legs position as she stared at the young maid with a calm face.

"Tell me little Iris, do you have details on how that pig died?"

"I have madame. The pig was found having an open wound on his stomach with marks of rodent bites while body and neck were heavily bruised. However, the last piece of information I have is a bit confusing for me."

"Ohh, go on tell me. What is confusing?"

"How should I say it… The pig aside from all the later information was found having his backside teared as if someone passed a big object down that area and that passed from his chest. But..."

"But?"

"There's not even a sign of that weapon that killed him. Isn't that wrong lady Felicia?"

Felicia stared at the young maid, who looked to be 16, as she asked her that question with confusion on her face and laughed softly at her.

"My little Iris. There's nothing confusing here, the one who killed Mayer is a devil fruit user. Well, from what you described he was more likely tortured to death."

"Tortured? Were those signs of tortures? But why haven't I read a single thing about those in the manuals you have given me?"

Asked the young maid that had crimson hair and blue eyes, still a bit confused.

"Because those methods are really old. Almost ancient. People no longer use those techniques of torture on people, they use now easier methods. The one who killed Mayer is called Impalement and Rat Torture."

"Ewww, disgusting. Did he really use rats? That really is sick and disgusting." commented the young maid Iris while making a disgusted face.

Felicia just smiled a bit while looking at Iris before not long turning cold and solemn.

"We might think it is disgusting and sick, but those exact simplistic methods yield the best result. You better remember those techniques, it is unknown when we might need them when extracting information."

Iris felt Felicia's coldness when she said that and quickly got back to her serious face as she said to her.

"Madame, I'll take my leave since I have finished with the reporting. If you have any instructions I'll be on standby."

"You can go Iris. I'll ring the bell if I want something."

The young maid nodded her head and left the room, leaving Felicia alone, seated on a comfortable chair.

Tapping with her long red nails the desk while pursuing her red lips, she added to herself.

"Finally, that Blood guy made his courage to arrive inside my district and even took down one big annoyance for me and my girls."

"He probably even got all the money from that pig, so they should be in good hands I guess."

Tapping more on the desk, with a pondering expression under the oil lamplight, she continued talking to herself.

"Should I start increasing my alertness towards the nobles and those black rats roaming the streets?"

"I think is about time I train my girls again in the art of assassination and start pushing those bastards away from Kaysang."

Ended saying that Felicia, while her face looked outside the window with a cold expression.

Meanwhile, those news generated different reactions from the guild's leaders.

Brass and Wilhem were staring with a surprised face at the report their servants sent about Mayer's death.

"So that piece of shit finally found his maker and got killed. Prepare a feast for the boys at the barracks." said Wilhem happily while ordering his servants.

"Master is almost 4 AM, shouldn't we reserve it for the morning?"

"Fuck. You're right, normal people should be sleeping at this hour. Fine, prepare it then when the guys wake up. I'll go take a small sleep, since I still have some projects that require my lead."

"I understand master. I'll take my leave then."

Brass was a bit more unfortunate, being disturbed from his sleep by his servants.

"What is wrong with you bunch of morons. Do you even know what hour this is? Let people sleep for fuck sakes."

However, when he heard his servant's reports he stared at them almost like Wilhem in shock.

"What did you say? Mayer Loftso is dead? It was about time someone did a good deed!? Someone killed that fat piece of shit who kept stealing good lads from me at the auctions. Now is only me and Wilhem for the industry."

"You're forgiven you idiots for waking me up at this hour. But don't you make it too repetitive."

Moving away from Brass, there was someone inside the district's center crying in sorrow when hearing this news.

"Master Lucil, is everything okay?"

"How can it be okay you incompetent fools. Who would pay my money back if that pig is dead now!? Curses!? I shouldn't have landed him such money, not even the smallest cent."

Yelled and cursed Lucil, an already dead person, now suffering from a bad investment.

Yet as the guild leaders seemed to be happy about the news of Mayer's death, the assassin's still roamed around the Dawn streets until the day lightened up.

"Aren't those black clothed guys annoying? Asking as dumb questions, about some guy wearing a dark armor and mask." asked a random guy seated at a tavern?

"Shsh, don't mess with those guys. Don't even bother cursing them or you'll get killed in some unexpected manner." replied another guy seated at the tavern, a bit scared.

"Guys something big happened last night. You know what happened to AMB-1 street?" entered in the conversation another citizen of Dawn District.

"No. Did something big happen?"

"Yeah, it is big. That alley has a big crater inside the center of the street. The buildings there are also half destroyed."

"Oh. So that street got destroyed? What about it man. It's usually an empty alley where drug addicts waste their lives. So if they got killed, bad luck on them." replied the first guy to talk at the tavern.

The guy who prepared to say something about the subject suddenly stopped when seeing two looking beggars appearing inside the tavern.

"You dirty beggars, can't you see that this place isn't for you?"

The rest of the guys seated at the tavern turned their heads and saw a young beggar who looked very frail with his hair chopped messy. His body and face looked very dirty, as if years passed since he washed.

Together with the young beggar was an old man who looked as worse as the young beggar.

"We only need some food sir and we'll quickly get out."

"Hmph, do you even have money to get food you dirty parasite?"

As the guy asked that, the young beggar looked at him with a chilling calm expression and showed the guy who asked some 500 belies coins.

"Young Vlad don't bother with them." said the old man quietly to the young beggar.

The guy at the tavern bar wanted to make Vlad's life harder, but he heard the owner's voice saying in a high tone.

"Shut your mouth you idiot. Don't you dare scare away my clients. So what if they look like that. As long they have money for food, I don't give a shit."

"Fine, fine. I'll leave them alone, boss, however, make them stay away from us, so they don't spoil our mood with their smell."

"You heard them guys, go to that distant corner and wait for the server to come." said the tavern owner to the young and old beggars while pointing toward the tavern corner, where there were some tables and chairs.

Vlad nodded his head and walked with a limping step toward the table.

Seated at the table, Vlad looked at Old Tius and said to him calmly.

"We'll eat for a bit and go to another safe spot."

"Sigh, young man I'm still asking myself since we got out from the canal. I understand about making yourself dirty and all, but did you really have to be so extreme and cut your hair in such a messy manner?"

"It was a necessity. I'll not risk my life for just some strands of hair that can grow anytime."

"I understand. You're right. Being the only one walking around with that long hair of yours it could draw the attention of unwanted people."

"That's right, so I better don't risk it."

Before not long, even the server came and quickly asked them what they wanted while looking disgusted at Vlad and old Tius. They didn't mind this reaction and only commanded some simple things on the menu that wouldn't draw eyes for two beggar-looking guys.

When the server noted down the command as he walked toward the kitchen, he spit on the ground a bit while saying to himself or maybe directed to Vlad and Tius.

"Damned beggars, they even have money to eat at the tavern. Curse them, I have to work hard all day and they can just stretch their hands and beg."

Vlad looked at old Tius and smiled a bit, not affected by this comment and remaining quiet along the entire time he was seated at the table.

Soon, in 15 minutes, the food came, it didn't look fantastic or any expensive things, it kind of reminded him of Pops Marcus place.

"Wow, this food isn't half bad. Ahh, it's been a while since I've eaten something with taste." commented the old man after eating a bit, nodding his head at the taste of the food.

"It's passable but if you want really good food at a cheap price  I know a place that sells that kind of food which  is hundred of times better than this bland food."

"It doesn't matter to me, in my situation lad. Food is food, at one point you no longer care if it's cold food, without taste or disgusting food when leaving on the streets."

"I agree with your point, food is food regardless of what condition it is."

They eat their food in the corner of the tavern while talking without disturbing anyone, and once they were done, they paid the tavern boss for the food and took their leave, moving along the people's scorn and curses.

Ignoring the curses, the young and old beggar began walking toward the harbor of the district to move toward Sun District.

As they began distancing from the tavern located at the center of the district, they walked down the alleys leading to the harbor in a pathetic manner.

If old Tius was an authentic old beggar and has mastered the art of walking pathetically, Vlad didn't lose on his act at all, acting as pathetic or even worse than old Tius. They walked the streets without being apprehended by the common people. The two only received the disdainful look of the commoners.

Slowly they walked close to the harbor area, and when they arrived around that zone, a group of 6 guys wearing normal clothes, but who clearly, from Vlad's view, were assassins. How could he tell them apart from ordinary people?

The assassin's steps were lighter, as if they were trained a lot. However, the most evident sign was their sharp eyes.

He slowed his steps and walked slower toward the harbor. The old man noticed the change in Vlad's steps and also looked around and finally, after a while, also noticed the suspicious group of guys that seemed to patrol the streets.

"Don't look at them old man, it will create suspicions. Act normal." whispered Vlad when he noticed the old man looking at the group of assassins.

The old man listened to Vlad's advice and walked close to him in a pathetic manner.

This type of atmosphere was a bit unpleasant for Vlad who now was in a vulnerable state, but he moved along, embracing this feeling he had.

"Hey you two beggars, have you noticed someone with long black hair, around that much moving around this streets?"

When Vlad heard this question, he turned to look at another group of 3 guys walking toward him. Like the other group, the signs he got were that they were assassins.

"I haven't seen such a guy sir. Did something happen, that you're looking for that person?"

"Hmph, no need to know about it, you beggar. So what's with you here, weren't you guys mostly stationed around the center."

"That. Sir you know that the competition is great there, we'll starve if we don't change location and other guys. That's why we are now at the harbor."

"I see. Then go with your own business."

Ended saying one of the assassins, turning to walk away and ask other people about Vlad. However, as they walked, he heard one ask the guy who talked with himself.

"Why do you even bother asking those dirty beggars about the target. We should just ignore or kill them."

"That would be dumb. The beggars are quite useful to us, being a part of our eyes. Killing them would be wasting good material."

Vlad stared coldly at the backs of the assassins as they walked away from him.

After they moved for some else, he continued toward the harbor together with the old man.

Walking around the wooden platform that had ships anchored, he moved toward a transport ship like he already knew about this ship.

"Hey you two, why are you staring like that to the ship?" said one young sailor on the transport ship, a bit confused.

"Is this ship moving toward the Sun District?" asked Vlad, the young sailor vaguely remembering his face.

"That's right. Do you want to go to the Sun District? Sigh, I wanted to ask you some money but it seems you two have been having it worse here. Come along guys, there's plenty of space on the lower deck, having two additional people wouldn't change anything."

"Thank you. I will remember this and pay you back."

"No need, man. Take it easy, you will get better once you arrive at Sun District. All you need is the willingness to work and to change your life.

Just look at me, I was one of those lowly thieves in the past, but with Lord Blood and Mayor Aldenis, the Sun District almost looks like a bustling city."

"I see. We will look forward to meeting you again, and at that time I promise to repay you."

Vlad stepped on the main deck, followed by Old Tius.

As they distanced from the bridge of the ship, they heard the young sailor talk to himself.

"Tsk, to think that the people leading this district are so bad to forget about the simple people. I'm glad I live under the district administered by Mayor Aldenis and watched over by sir Blood when I see those poor guys."

This comment made Vlad give a short smile along his way toward the lower deck. Meanwhile, the old man who observed the way the young sailor behaved asked Vlad a bit confused.

"Lad, I'm still questioning myself who exactly are you."

"Vlad, or Blood. You can think of me as Aldenis' boss if it's easier for you."

"Still I don't understand you. If you are the leader of the district, why don't you lavish in the money?"

"What's there to understand, old man. I invested my money in people and their future. When they grow as people and begin being self-sufficient their money will come back to me in some other forms."

Old Tius eyes turned a bit big after Vlad told him that.

Soon after, they arrived at the lower deck while still having to respond to some questions of the sailors.

They noticed other people wearing cleaner clothes staying on the lower deck as they settled down on the wooden floor.

"Grab something to hold yourself. We will begin the journey to Sun District." yelled from the main deck a sailor down the lower deck.

"Ohh, this is shaiky. Ahh, it's been a while since I've been on a ship, almost 18 years." commented old Tius when the ship began waving and turning the lower deck into a swing.

"You sailed on a ship? You don't seem like, from your reaction." laughed Vlad a bit at how the old man was trying to find the holders.

"Hmph, don't make fun of me lad. It's true, I've sailed on a big ship for a meeting when I was still a man."

"Don't worry old man, you're still a man to me. Just wait a bit and you'll see how your life will change for the better."

"Thank you lad. I can't wait to see for myself what this district of yours looks like."

Following that, the two talked yet again about other things but never crossing the lines of touching sensitive things.

By the time they took a break from talking, the sailor's voice resounded again, seeming to start anchoring the ship and unfurling the sails.

"You guys can climb to the main deck, we have arrived in the Sun District."

The people on the lower deck become excited as they climbed toward the main deck and moved toward the ship's bridge.

Vlad and the old man moved slower because of their respective problems. However, when they were out from the dark part of the ship, what greeted them was a bustling harbor and the loud voices of the working men.

"Welcome to the Sun District, old man. Now let me take you to my home and clean ourselves."

Old Tius looked in shock at the bustling harbor and at the people walking around the platforms and only thought in his mind.

'Are those really the dirty peasants the nobles made them out to be? I don't see any thieves, criminals or other lowly people.'

'This is unbelievable. Even the working man seems to be in good health and even wearing decent clothes. Is this really that district from the past, full with criminals?'

"What is wrong old man? Shocked only by this much? What face will you make when you see the big things?"

'Big things? A tavern? Who am I kidding myself. This young man seems to really be proud of this district so the only conclusion I have is that it's no longer something I can remember in my old age.'

"What else do you have in store for me little Vlad?"

"Haha, that remains to be seen. Before we tour around the district let's go home."

'Home, what a nice word young man. How many years have passed since I could call that so wholeheartedly.'