Chapter 76 - A Warning

<---Chapter 75 - Sasha's Day Off|Table of Contents|Chapter 77 - Incursion--->

A week later...

“This is absolutely outrageous! Let me speak to the Bishop immediately!” A frustrated lady slammed the reception table of the Magda again, her cries overwhelming the din of overworked clerks and enforcers trying to take a break.

“Ma’am, if you would please calm down… I don’t even know what you’re reporting!” Mason groaned as he tried to calm down the lady, motioning for her to take a seat. “At least tell me your name and purpose!”

“Madam Suzanne, and I am here to report of an affront to the very nature of humanity!”

“Huh?” Mason was flabbergasted, until the lady retrieved a rugged looking pamphlet, slapping it on the hardwood table-top.

“Look at this! it is being distributed all over near the Golden Snake Shopping Arcade!”

Mason snatched the paper, it clearly being a sort of published article, albeit one of poor quality. A scantily-dressed woman was plastered on the cover of the soaked pamphlet, the illustration lurid and highly imaginative.

He flipped open the cover, reading the very first page:

[A Warning to Young Boys, Gentlemen and Young Ladies Who are in the South Sector to Visit the Golden Snakes Shopping Arcade.]

What the hell?

[It is our earnest desire that nothing dangerous or violent will befall these visitors during their trip to marvel at the shopping arcade, and we also hope that their stay in the district will be both happy, exciting and profitable.]

“Ma’am, I don’t particularly see why this pamphlet is an affront to humanity…”

“Shut it and keep reading!”

[While it is true that the shopping arcade hold many diversions of a benign nature, it is regrettably also true that the district offers a multitude of dangerous amusements that only the most depraved of may willingly encounter. We beseech the innocent visitors that they may be cognizant and aware of exactly where such distractions lurk, and thus we set forth a list of places so as to warn others of their inherent dangers.]

[The Konan Market and Stokes Street. There is no more dreadful sight in all of Raktor and the South Sector than of the scores of painted harlots gathered in these areas. These pitiable ladies ply their awful trade from exactly eleven in the morning near the beauty school until long after midnight has struck, with lodgings for the night often offered in nearby housing complexes for twenty rakels.]

[It is hardly possible to traverse the length of the newly established food market in the Konan Market without being made the unwilling and naïve subject of numerous irresistible propositions of a grossly indecent nature, some willing to conduct their trade right out in the open for indecent sums.]

[This area, inclusive of the Olson Square, is alas, not the only place infested by such girls. The park in the center of the square at exactly two in the afternoon is transformed from a place of harmless family fun and frolicking to a fearsome den of vice and criminal nature.]

[Houses along Stokes Street are but mere facades, places where the presence of a Lusty Arcian employee mark the spots where prostitutes may be encountered with comparative discretion. Other parts of the districts are also habituated by the most loathsome of creatures, some of whom know their hiding dens full of alcohol and gambling games very well, their affiliations well marked by the armour and weaponry they holstered beneath their well-trimmed clothes.]

[Despite the best effort of humbler vigilantes and crusaders such as ourselves of the Crusaders Against Vices, brothels, pubs and casnios abound in all areas of the districts. Take good care of your steps, lest you find yourself enticed to such dens of terrible circumstances, as , for instance, the Seductive Serpent tucked away at a basement on Pullers Lane No 41, open from six in the evening till late where horrid pints of alcohol are served for a mere four rakels each.]

[Such establishments are said to possess courtesans skilled in the arts of Aphrodite who cater to the most depraved of tastes. Beware too, of a certain man who goes by the moniker ‘Slavin’, which is the man who fulfils every vice an innocent visitor might find himself lured to.]

[Physical vices are not just the only thing a visitor must watch out for. Here in Thresher Street, in shop after shop, are sold various species of print and literature that will offend and outrage all but the most corrupt of sensibilities. I am told of certain light-thrower establishments that portray shows of an unmistakable nature, with seating tickets sold at prices that are dangerously within the range of a visitor’s pocket.]

[For those who have nay but a single rakel in their pockets, Jalan Sekolah’s trade school is to be avoided with the utmost precaution, as it is said that their educational staff is fraught with mysterious beauties that would lead even the most sensible Sanctum clergy astray from their path. The living wage afforded by the enrollment of the trade school is but another trap laid by such beauties who seek to ensnare young men for over a year.]

[Be not alarmed, for the district is by and large safe and blameless. Remember too that the enforcers and the Seven Snakes offer its sanctuary at all times from any of these irresponsible ventures.]

Mason had to stifle a laugh, much to the enragement of the lady, her face filled with blistering anger. “How dare you, an inquisitor, laugh at such an blatant crime being committed?”

“HAHA- Sorry, ma’am.” Mason instantly stopped sniggering, keeping a straight face, though it was clear from the tip of his eyes that he was about to burst into abrupt laughter any time. “I don’t see how this is a crime – the writer and publisher of this booklet is clearly doing the Sanctum’s work by offering good advice on where to avoid. In fact, his information is so detailed that much of my own investigative work has been put to shame.”

“And shame indeed!” The lady spat. “The most outrageous thing of all is the claim that the Crusaders Against Vices has issued this ‘guide’ that is obviously false!”

“May I inquire as to how you are so sure that it is false?”

“Because I AM the leader of the Crusaders Against Vices! And look at the indecent drawings plastered all on the back!” The furious lady jabbed towards the last few pages.

“Well then, perhaps one of your members felt the need to inform the general public of where to stay clear of. It does indeed reduces the impact of crime in the district.”

“You…! These pamphlets are being distributed not just at stalls all over the district, but even circulating among kids. Children! If it were not for me finding out that my very own son has been reading this in secret, large swaths of residents would have been terribly afflicted.”

“I apologize, my enforcers will take this case with the utmost importance. You can rest assured that we will find the source of said publication and clamp down on it heavily.” Mason eventually managed to convince the lady to let it go, before letting a hearty laugh. Seven Snakes, they really know how to get them going.

However, as an inquisitor, he had no choice but to act on the evidence presented to him. With the locations and streets so blatantly described in the guide, he had to at least ‘pretend’ that he was doing something.

As soon as he stepped out of the Magda into the busy street, he could already see the pamphlet being read by about one in every five pedestrians, the publication spreading like wildfire across the South Sector. Weird. I could have sworn only a small fraction of the population knew how to read.

Obviously, the people reading the booklets were not exactly ‘reading’, but simply ogling at the etchings of semi-clad dancing girls alongside occupational drawings of various seductive professions, like teachers and construction workers.

The effect of the publication was immediately obvious, even to an outsider like Mason. As he approached the trade school, dozens were already queuing up in front of a makeshift table, where Niko and Keith were happily receiving the new enrolling students.

At the corner of the bustling queue, Alex was trying to convince Ollie and Bola to queue up for the trade school enrollment. "Come on, you get paid a decent wage and actually learn something! You can't spend your entire life working in the bath house. The wages might be good, but -"

"I didn't sign up with the Seven Snakes to become a nerd!" Ollie shrugged off Alex's hand vigorously. "I joined because of the shopping arcade and the job! Not to bury myself in books!"

"Idiot, if you can read and write you'll have a brighter future ahead! My daughters are signing up too - This is an order from your cobra as your squad leader!"

"I don't have to take your life advice! I'm an associate of the Seven Snakes, not a dumb student!" Bola yelled, grabbing Ollie and running off into the alleyway, leaving the frustrated Alex behind with his two daughters enrolling.

"Fucking Damian, why the hell did he assign me two brats, I'm already having a hard time parenting..." Alex grumbled as his daughters tugged him in opposite directions, one wanting to go to a nearby cafe, while the other urged him to move along the queue.

Apart from the bickering in the Seven Snakes squad, many other students were clearly enticed by what had been written in the pamphlets and various publications issued around town by Monica, the majority being boys in the prime of their puberty.

“Can you read? Can you write? Okay, good, sign here, and you can pick up your complimentary uniform and books inside at the store.” Niko jabbed at the contract paper.

“Right!” The excited student signed with haste and wrote his name down, his scribbles hardly legible but still better than nothing. “So, where are the teachers?”

“Right this way.” Niko grinned, already anticipating the disappointment on the student’s face as he guided them in towards the elderly university graduates who would to be their ‘mysterious beauties.’ Telltale sounds of disappointment and outrage against the wrinkled saggy faces of the teachers erupted amdist the various classrooms, but it was far too late for these trapped souls.

Mason chuckled to himself, simply walking along and tipping his cap at Keith in acknowledgement. The flow of people into the Seven Snakes district was enormous, the migration reaching a new record in the history of Raktor.

He headed to down to Thresher Street, where a few print shops were crowded to brim with factory workers clamoring for a view at the displays. The windows and shelves were packed with vicious and gaudy literature of all sorts, seemingly enabled by an improved printing press that allowed for such cheap publications. Some of the workers gathered around their colleagues, having them read out the erotica that had just been purchased, a few of them even cursing their own inability to read.

Apart from the crowded street, underground small-scale light-thrower theatres were packed, tickets selling faster than a maggot stick in a goblin den. The new visual medium helped enrich the public's imagination, allowing them to live out fetishes they might not have dared to attempt on their own.

Furthermore, the Sliver Snakes had just released a handheld version of the light-capturer and the light-thrower, accelerating the adoption of the product into households. Various workers splurged their entire wage onto the expensive contraptions, hoping to enjoy themselves thoroughly with one of the pre-filmed engraving plates that were immediately sold out in a day.

How does that damn Alvin Teras keep coming up with such ludicrous inventions? While he would have initially despised the Seven Snakes for their obvious lack of morality and decency, it was hard to say that Kyle was not improving the district, albeit in unconventional ways. It was clear to Mason that such pornographic books and materials seemed like a sure-fire method to raise literacy and entice even more people to come to the Seven Snakes district in search for more exquisite entertainment.

Memories of how Kyle slipped between the enforcers’ fingers during his arrest still irked Mason, but he now learnt that the machinations of the Seven Snakes were not something to be trifled with.

He thus closed one eye, and continued ‘patrolling’ down the street, remaining blissfully oblivious to the printed material. The Sanctum of Yual only prohibited prostitution, but had no rules against such newfangled visual mediums. Until orders came in from the top, Mason chose to not interfere at all.

[Inquisitor Mason, the Bishop has asked you to return to the Magda immediately.]

“What for?”

[An order from the Central Sector’s Bishop has been handed down.]

An order? Mason couldn’t recall the last time such an order was issued this way. Usually the rumours would travel through the grapevine months in advance before the declaration of an order was made. Something’s off.

Returning to the Magda, Mason only found Bishop Vernette pacing the breadth of her office with a slight tinge of panic. “What’s wrong?”

“They found out about the truce we have with the Seven Snakes.”

“And…?” Mason cocked his head in confusion. It was nothing new for the enforcers to cut deals with local criminal organizations to prevent anything from going into all-out war. The West Sector was the perfect example of what happens when you break the truce. At least Kitana is having a field day there.

“They want us to revoke it.”

Mason’s face darkened. “Who’s behind this?”

“The Central Sector’s Bishop.”

“You and I both know he’s far from able to issue such an order. Theoretically, you are on the same level as him.”

Bishop Vernette took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “I think the Seven Snakes are getting a bit too close for comfort for Count Leon.”

“Didn’t Baron Cain negotiate a deal?”

“He did, but still, we can’t ignore the order.”

“Breaking the truce would devastate the progress the South Sector has made thus far.” Mason warned, having learnt his lesson from arresting Kyle. With the shopping arcade and the influx of jobs and houses now coming in, it would be tantamount to political suicide to suddenly reverse their stance.

Furthermore, they had already announced joint projects such as the housing complex to further boost the enforcers’ public image. The bishop was clearly conflicted with this as well, but Mason could read her expression as clear as day. “You have a solution.”

“I have. A way to play both sides.”

“Tell me.”

“We officially renounce the truce, but we do not act on it. We simply pull back all our patrols and resources from the Seven Snakes district. Tell Count Leon we won’t intervene no matter what happens, fight or not.”

“Isn’t that still a truce of sorts? How are we going to explain why we are not arresting them?”

“We can simply say that the district is too dangerous for our enforcers to enter, and that it constitutes a work hazard until we are afforded more budget.”

“Us pulling out of the district wouldn’t make the factory nor the Seven Snakes any less weak… unless…” Mason completed his thought in his brain. Unless Count Leon has other means of undermining the weapons factory. “Should we give them a warning?”

Bishop Vernette held a grim smile on her face. “No, we don’t want to be complicit in anything. Count Leon is going to crush the Seven Snakes, and we’re going to stay out of his way.”

“Bye bye Mister!” A young girl waved her free hand jubilantly towards a florist shop, the other holding onto a quaint little miniature pot, with a tiny flowering plant blooming in it.

“Don’t wander off too far, you go home straight now, you hear? And water it regularly every day!” The florist waved back from the shop, a gentle smile on his weathered face while he dusted off a few stray leaves on his apron, turning back into the shop to help other customers.

The florist shop was filled with many well-dressed residents, each of them obviously considering the best arrangement for their upcoming events as they discussed with one another. He noticed a few customers voraciously reading a pamphlet, his own curious self leaning over to peek at what they were reading.

As soon as he saw the images, his face contorted slightly in suppressed rage, but still held a gentle smile as he approached another customer who was clearly having a hard time deciding.

“My good sir, that bouquet is a marvelous choice for your wedding anniversary. Or perhaps you could consider adding a tinge of red into the mix, make the yellow and white more outstanding. I suggest a Crimson Tiger Flower, though it may be on a pricey side?”

“A Crimson Tiger Flower..? I never heard of that before.” The customer in question scratched his head.

“Not to worry, I have a sample right here. Blooms right in the desert of all places, can you believe it? A great symbol of your undying love to your wife.” The florist chuckled as he pointed out a flower pot, with a spectacular large red flower the size of a plate glistening under an arctech lantern.

“That’s it… that’s it! I’ll take it.”

“Perfect. Let me wrap that up for you.”

The atmosphere was cheerfully laid-back, with the satisfied customer leaving with his humongous bouquet. The florist continued working, tending to the flowers and watering the pots until metallic boots could be heard approaching the store. He glanced up to see a squad of three arctech knights standing at the door, the leader removing his helmet to reveal a familiar face.

“Mr Leo, I need to have a word with you. In private.”

“I apologize, but I’m currently very busy as you can see.” Leo motioned to his watering can. “Perhaps we can schedule for another date.”

“It’s from the top.”

A moment of silence passed, the remaining customers inside the shop staring at the arctech knights while Leo gently put down his watering can.

“Everyone out.” Leo announced to the store, the customers unnervingly immediately leaving out onto the streets in an orderly fashion, as though they were thralls of the florist himself. The sight of the customers leaving promptly hardly fazed the three knights.

Leo arranged for a wider space, shifting a few pots out of the way. “Please, come in. I do apologize for the mess, but there are no chairs available.”

The three knights entered, closing the door behind them and locking it, while the leader immediately began talking even though Edgar was still tending to the flowers. “Count Leon has an offer for you.”

“I know what you want. Speak to the Ardent Cretins - I have better things to do.”

“You and I both know that the Ardent Cretins are currently preoccupied with... external matters beyond Raktor.”

Leo raised his eyebrows in suspicion while he continued trimming the plants with a gardening shear. “And you came to me?”

“This offer is standing for anyone with the strength and willpower in the South Sector.”

“And what will I get if I do this?”

“Count Leon promises no retaliation from the enforcers for a year, as well as a waiver on all taxes.”

“Intriguing, and how far do I have to go?”

“As far as you want. All enforcers have stopped activity in the Seven Snakes District.”

"For what reason did Sebastian reject this?"

"I am not privy to their private discussions."

"If Sebastian and Ares were hesitant to take up the offer, what makes you think I will? I'm still recovering from the war - not everyone got out unscathed."

"Consider the possibility of absorbing all of Seven Snakes." The leader pressed his persuasive speech, expressions hidden under the helmet.

“Not good enough. I will be severely weakened if I fought them head-on - Kyle has more than proved his strength. If you want a dog to eat another stronger dog, you’re going to have to offer more.”

“Or Count Leon could just starve you himself, and find another dog.” The knight leader chuckled.

“He can try.” A loud snip from Leo's gardening tool echoed through the store. “He can most certainly try.”

“The offer still stands. It’s either you, or the others. Your choice. The final objective is simply to neutralize the Seven Snakes' ability to hold their economy together. Both you and Count Leon have a common goal in this, otherwise you will be left behind in the dust.”

Leo stood motionless for a moment. “I will consider it. You may expect my reply in three days.”

The meeting ended as abruptly as it began, the three arctech knights leaving instantly. Leo let out a sigh, placing his gardening shears into the deep pockets of his apron. The tough decision weighed on his mind heavily - not because he did not want to harm the Seven Snakes, but rather because he saw no way to do so.

He furrowed his brows, his mind deep in contemplation as he headed towards the storeroom behind the cashier. Amdist the neatly arranged rows of empty pots and seed packets, a muffled whimper drifted through the damp cold air.

Leo let out an exasperated sigh to himself as he approached three men tied to wooden chairs, their eyes blindfolded and their mouths gagged with a cloth. The first of them began to shiver uncontrollably as he heard Leo’s footsteps approaching him, struggling to break free.

He knelt down, coming face to face with the blindfolded man, gripping the first man's chin and checking his cheeks without speaking a word. The man whimpered as Leo grabbed and patted each part of the man's body, finally reaching the the still bloody stumps that used to be the designer legs, the chair rocking back and forth heavily.

“I brought you out of the slums, and for a measly 25000 rakels you scamper away to our enemies. It made me think - do arctech designers really need legs?” Leo kicked the designer right in the jaw, causing the chair to topple over as the designer's head slammed against the nearby pots, his amputated stumps flailing in the air with blood spurting.

Kyle is slowly draining resources from the entire South Sector, and he even managed to overshadow Sebastian's shopping arcade through his public pandering and sabotage. Leo faced a conundrum with regards to Count Leon's offer. Sebastian's rejection was a big red flag for him, but if Leo did not do anything, he would eventually be bled dry of skilled labor and residents to extort. What good is a gang with no one to profit off?

Leo glanced around at the other three prisoners, his mind racking together, wondering if there was a way to bring down the Seven Snakes without a military confrontation. They were still licking their wounds after the Ilysian Punks War, and many other minor gangs and rackets were now eyeing them, seeing them as the weakest of the pack. Suddenly a flash of inspiration hit Leo, a small smile slowly blossoming in his face as he started to put a plan together.

The second prisoner was more composed but still showed a few signs of fear when Leo approached him. "It seems all three of your lives still have worth." Leo murmured as he grabbed the second prisoner's head, shaking it violently. "But know this: if you ever lie to me, the Mane of the Red Lion, one more time, you won't be dying peacefully anytime soon. This is your last chance, Wrent. Try not to fuck it up."

<---Chapter 75 - Sasha's Day Off|Table of Contents|Chapter 77 - Incursion--->