“There is still a debate about what purpose Epsilon Centauri 3 served its self-proclaimed god.

Having spent days observing the planet while it was under blockade of our fleet, during which no entities had attempted leaving or entering the planet's atmosphere, we were at a slight loss. The imperial fleet was being ignored.

From the images we saw of the ground, there seemed to be no enslavement of our species or any other species. Rather, most humans and species we thought to be part of the tyrant's army were seen cooperating to destroy monstrous creatures that threatened their few primitive settlements.

Even the demon itself was out in the open, walking the great plains of the planet in the shape of one of our myths, an enormous elephant. The dust cloud of the devil could be seen from our ships with the naked eye.

Whatever was going on down on the surface of the planet, we proceeded with caution, and continued observation was decided to continue. At the same time, we consolidated our hold on the other two planets of the system."

- Elistar Iscariot, Grand Magister during the second Kingfisher dynasty.

Drizzling cold rain hit my face, plastering my far-too-long hair against my head as we made our way between the winding road going uphill from the beginning of the Shanties to the city wall.

Apparently, I was not allowed to wear my fancy hat today. The vote on Alucard vs the people ended in a three-to-one vote in favor of the people. The two remaining voters I had hoped to cajole over to my side chose to abstain.

Life as a newly minted uncle was a challenge, a role I had never imagined. But I was adapting, using my cunning to decipher their intentions and wants. I was determined to sway them to my side, to form a united front against Mira.

The only times I had traveled through the Shanties were in a carriage, so watching the roaming bands of naked children swarming lone travelers like locusts, gleefully pelting the victim with rocks and shit as they moved on to the next target.

More professional thieves were trying to bump into people and relieve them of their valuables.

Men and women lay along the side of the road or on the porch of the drug dens that seemed to be every second shed that stood beside the road.

Gangs of teenagers glaring at each other across the road while brandishing clubs and knives. Throwing insults and trying to look as menacing as possible.

Scantly clad painted men and women trying to entice anyone to come back to their tent or staked out pieces of rubble covered by a tarp. Some of them were far too young-looking for the profession. Their fake smiles and soulless eyes that had given up on this world a long time ago gave me the shivers.

Stall owners and hawkers trying to sell food that looked about ready to rot away.

Not to forget the smell. Oh gods, the smell. Rotten food, rotten humans, both dead and alive, people squatting down beside the road to defecate as if it were normal human behavior. Garbage, filth and rot clinging to everything like a blanket of pestilence in the making. Rats bigger than the ones we saw in the dungeon. Oh, Pierre, your life ended far too quickly.

The only ones they did not accost overly much were people on horses, drawn by horses with guards, or people obviously dressed as hunters.

I observed more than one soul being trampled to death, decapitated by a Hunter or run through by a guard only to lay lifeless on the road.

There were standoffs between villagers and shanties. Pitchfork against club and knife. The most brutal clashes were between drovers heading for the slaughterhouses and what looked like the local gangs. The drovers were clad in leather armor and carried axes and spears. Despite being mostly outnumbered, the drovers won most of the fights. Better fed and coordinated, they would single out a gang member one by one until they outnumbered the opposition, and then it was over.

Life was cheap in the kingdom. In the shanties, it was worthless.

On we walked, four more or less adults with a hat taking the center point of our formation up the cobbled stone road.

The few who tried to accost a group with two armored Hunters were so far gone there was no fight. More often than not, ending with them falling before they made it close enough to us for things to turn violent.

From time to time, you could spot groups of soldiers without any markers rounding up a group of people, old, young, man or woman. It didn't matter to them. Only the bodies their masters would pay for. Some would work the great farms of a lord, and others were sent to the mines or, if they looked good enough, served in some estate.

It was like this around every major city and some of the larger towns. Too many people and too few resources to go around. Even my home had a segment that, if not as bad as this, was very close.

Then, we finally reached the gate. A stone-faced Mira was holding an arm around each of the children who, by the sound of it, was in question everything mode again. Egmont and Hartwin just looked sick, as if they were about to hurl.

I cant say I blame them but I was busy working my way through some issues in my mind.

On one side, my upbringing told me the worthless masses were sub-human trash. Then again, I had been brought up that anyone with a lesser rank than a Duke was unworthy to look at me or even speak to me directly. I was within my right to take what I wanted from any of them, even their lives if I deemed it necessary. It wasnt just my aunt's influence either. My parents held much of the same view as did most nobility in the Kingdom.

On the other side, I had memories of humans dragging themselves up from the literal abys and achieving things that seemed impossible. Then there were the last couple of days where my memories had been too scrambled. Well, they still were somewhat, but I had somehow let people in, past my forgotten prejudices, and sort of just let it happen.

It was strange and really uncomfortable at times, especially now that more of my childhood was coming back to me in a linear manner, but look at me. I had a friend, sort of. I was even an uncle, apparently.

The only thing I knew about being an uncle was giving gifts when I visited, and whatever I was supposed to do as a friend was beyond me at the moment, but I figured it would come to me eventually. I already had quite a bit on my plate from the Awakening.

Now, I had to deal with social structures and how I wanted to fit in them, even more, how it would affect my life as a lord of the land later. I doubt many would see eye to eye with me on quite a few social issues that had started to occur to me, and when people with armies don't see eye to eye, war soon follows.

Yeah, I definitely needed a few days or weeks to gather myself before doing anything dumb or verging on suicidal. I thought as I finally walked through the southern gate of Murktown. There wasnt enough traffic at this late hour for there to be much of a line, and the city guard just glanced at us in passing.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

They weren't paid to stop every Dick and Tom walking by, only to keep the masses below from entering the city. Any attempt at keeping a registry of who entered or left the city had been given up a long time ago.

This close to the city wall, the cobblestones were still dirty, and the stench wasn't exactly going away by much, but there were a lot fewer robberies and murders out on the street. You were pretty much safe as long as you kept yourself on the main road.

We still had some way to go before reaching the inn I had stayed in, as it was close to the center and the arenas.

The stone and wood houses gradually became larger and cleaner as we neared the center. Fewer people walked the streets, and the smell was gradually improving from vomit-inducing to something one could get used to after a while.

Considering there actually was a working sewage system in this part of the city, it certainly did a lot to alleviate the worst of the smell of millions of souls living within the massive stone walls, even if the Duke regularly had to send guards down with the cleaners to keep it functional.

Then, it opened up to sprawling mansions, plazas and gardens.

“Alucard…You sure you know where you're going?”

I glanced at Mira for a moment, who seemed to be a bit out of sorts and was gaping at the marble-laid plaza with a gazebo in the center. Egmont and Harwin seemed taken aback by the sheer scale and beauty of the buildings around us, which was noticeable even in the failing light of the day.

“Yeah, just need to get there before the old harridan closes for the night. She calls it an inn, but it's more of a hotel. We should be able to spend the night there if she hasn't rented out my room already.”

Half an hour later, with the sun cresting the horizon, we made it to the Golden Rose. Six stories of rooms and more lounges and bars than you could ever want. There was even an in-house kitchen that was delivered in-house around the clock.

When I reached the gate of the property, the guard on duty didn't hesitate to open it for me, but he did seem rather pale in the face. That didn't bode well, I thought. You would think that the fellow would be happy to see someone who had spent almost a year in the establishment.

I wish it were light enough for the others to see the garden. It was a marvel of fountains and well-trimmed mazes. Gardens of flowers were placed to blend into shapes that delighted the eye. The former me had spent more than a few hours sitting on one of the benches composing mediocre poetry and half-baked philosophical drivel about the virtues of nobility and my own greatness. There had also been less scholarly activities pursued among the mazes. If you were of sufficient rank, the owner turned a blind eye to almost anything you did here.

Opening the wide hardwood door as if I owned it, I walked briskly to the reception.

“Is this the welcome I get after two days away, Theodore? I have to base myself to approach you.”

I think I remember the bald receptionist's name was Theodore; then again, I could be wrong, but he would never try to correct me.

“My Lord! A thousand pardons. I will get the Madam at once!”

“You will have baths drawn and food sent to my quarters. I have been on the road longer than I wish to contemplate. Now, have someone carry our gear and prepare the fire. It's chilly tonight. Oh, and prepare three more beds for my guests. They will be staying the night.”

He looked about ready to cry. Yeah, something was definitely wrong here.

“I'm sorry, My Lord, I can not. I must get the madam. Please forgive me.”

Then he hurried through the door behind me.

Turning to my companions, Egmont and Hartwin looked at me as if I was about to eat them. Albert and Saskia were…They were sitting on my hat! I wanted to sit down and cry. Why can't I have nice things? Mira was looking at me as if I had grown a second head. Well, as long as she didn't start talking, I could keep her in character.

No matter how foolish this felt, this was the way they expected me to behave. Oh, it came naturally as if I was lording people about just a few days ago. Come to think of it, I was. I wonder what happened, giving Mira a glare that she chose to ignore or didn't notice.

Then Madam Chenoweth came out of the same door Theodore had exited so hurriedly. She looked as if someone had just gotten her out of bed and given her five minutes to prepare for the gallows. It may not be far from the truth, depending on how badly she had screwed things up.

The law did not stand on the side of the common versus the nobility. In fact, there wasn't one.

There wouldn't even be a trial unless the accuser's highest title was a knight or a baronet. Just a brief investigation, since this wasn't my land and a punishment to fit the accusation. As far as I knew, the Madam held no title and had no protection in that regard, no matter who her patrons may be. Her patrons could, of course, reach out to me and negotiate compensation so I would withdraw my claim.

“Sir. Alucard! What a pleasant surprise. There seems to have been some sort of terrible misunderstanding,”

“Lily, I am wet, tired, hungry, and in desperate need of a bath. Yet here I stand at the entrance of your house, a part of which is on lease to me, and I am being held from entering my rooms? Have your staff lost their minds!”

Not even giving her the courtesy of being properly addressed, I continued to show my displeasure by hammering away at her words, which seemed to strike at her very core. I literally shouted the last part so hard that spittle flew from my mouth and loud enough that any guests on the closest two floors would easily have heard me.

Good thing I was used to being an ass. It came as naturally to me as breathing.

Since she didn't immediately answer, I decided to shout some more.

“Well, out with it, woman! Why am I being detained instead of in a warm tub preparing to enter a warm bed?”

“You were supposed to be dead! They said you were dead!”

“Well, I'm not, and they were wrong. What the blazes do that have to do with anything? I am here, and I want to get clean, eat and go to bed. All things that have already been paid for in full. Now, why am I still waiting!”

Other guests were starting to make their appearance now, coming downstairs to see what the shouting was about, no doubt. Everything can be entertainment, and people arguing was always great fun to watch.

“They took your things with them. Another guest has already taken the rooms. I'm so sorry, My Lord. They said you were dead and that they were to bring your personal items to your home. Again, I'm sorry.”

Lily looked ready to burst out in tears unless she could satisfy me that my things would be returned immediately and compensate me for the troubles she had stolen from me. A noble.

It took at least a month for a letter to reach my home, and who knows how long it would take for my aunt to answer and send my things back if she ever chose to do so. Lily hadn't stolen from my aunt or my family. She had stolen from me. The things in my rooms had been my personal items.

It was against my plans that my aunt found out about my whereabouts, but she would no doubt eventually receive word. What was it Mira used to say, that beak? That beak of mine was too distinguished. What can I say? It ran in the family. I was also a well-known character among the local aristocracy over my escapades during the previous year.

I just kept looking at her.

“Again, I'm so sorry, my Lord. What can I do to make up for this failure.”

Now, I had the option to be a bit of an ass, I just wondered how far I should take it.

“You can get my personal items. Then you can see to it that my companions and I are taken care of tonight. Did you not guarantee my safety, my staff, and my valuables when I agreed to pay you for my quarters here?”

“But how, my Lord? I don't know who the gentlemen that came to take your items away were.”

Oh no, she hadn't even bothered checking that they were actually here on orders from my aunt at all, had she? I mean, any moron should have been able to do the math and see that it would have been impossible for my aunt to have people sent here or even know about my supposed death such a short time after it happened. It took a month to get a letter to my home after all.

However, I was almost positive they were her on the order of my aunt, orders that probably involved killing me or, at the very least, getting my house ring back. Bet she was pissed at all the things she couldn't access or do without it. Quite a pickle she was in without it.

I almost reached up to the chain I had moved it to from the thread. But I could feel the slight bulge on my chest against my chain armor.

“Are you telling me you gave away my personal items without checking that those you gave them to were who they claimed to be or even got a receipt for them taking my things?”

“No, My lord. Yes, my Lord,”

“Well, you better get to writing then and hope that my aunt dignifies you with an answer that corroborates your story. In the meantime, you will be paying one-twentieth of the value of my personal items to me for each day that passes when I have to live without my things."

Contemplating my immediate needs I added.

"You will also see to it that I have rooms of equal quality to the one I am already leasing, mind you, until my business in Murktown and its surrounding area. You will house me and anyone I bring back to my rooms at your own expense.

Now, you had better hurry and prepare the rooms, baths for me and my companions, and a copious amount of food. Tomorrow, I will bring you a list of the values of all my missing items. We will discuss this further then. Understood?"

“Yes,

Lord. I will see to it at once.”

To be fair, I could have had her executed or forfeited her property to pay me back. She had screwed up in a bad way, but I was more annoyed than angry. The most important possession was hanging safely around my neck.

Turning to the staircase, now crowded with guests, I said.

“Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes tonight's entertainment. The madam has agreed to terms that are satisfactory to me. Thus, I consider this case closed without any harm done as long as those terms are upheld. I ask that you keep to yourself what you have witnessed regarding my personal matters. With that, I bid you good night. Now, please make way for me to get some rest.”

This was going to blow up all over the city tomorrow, but my plans had been slowly changing their trajectory on the timeline I had given myself. Sure, this would more than likely bring me into open conflict with my aunt sooner than I had first hoped for, but I could deal with that.

What I had done tonight would start a rumor mill about an Alucard that had not broken down in screaming death threats or thrown a fit. It wasn't much, but it was the start of my new campaign.

Following Lily and eight maids, some of whom were still in nightgowns. To my amusement, a bellboy offered to carry my backpack, only to collapse under its weight. After getting it off the poor boy, I slung it back over my shoulders and made sure my satchel was still tied to it and unopened. I will need every last document inside soon enough.

Now there was only one thing I couldn’t postpone any longer tonight, get my damn abilities integrated.