Chapter 43 – The Young Master

He was cold. So very cold, lying in the middle of the street as the torrent of rain poured down on him. Even the layers made of fur and muscle couldn't prevent the cold from seeping into the deepest parts of his bones. It was a cold he'd never felt before, yet the jin was very well aware of its origins.

This was death's embrace. Fatally wounded, in a sea of corpses around him, he was the last living being breathing. But he knew that wouldn't be the case much longer. There was no escape for him. His death was an absolute certainty.

Nonetheless, he remained unwilling. Like any other being, he desperately clung onto life even if the outcome couldn't possibly change. There was so much left he had to. His people needed him. He was the leader that had to guide them. Then, there was his revenge. That traitorous jin who had betrayed his own heritage by colluding with the furless scum to take away what rightfully belonged to him. He could never accept that something he'd fought his entire life for would be taken away by him.

He was so unwilling. Yet, that unwillingness was met with indifference. In death, all were equal. His position as the leader of his tribe wouldn't change that. It wouldn't change the gaping hole that had replaced his stomach. In those last moments, he heard the sound of footsteps closing in on him. His vision had already faded, turning the world into darkness where only the sound of those steps within the rain remained.

“You look like you might need some help.”

An unfamiliar voice of a foreign language entered his ears. He couldn't see the person that looked down on him, neither could he utter any sort of his response of his own.

“No need to worry. For a reluctant soul such as yours, that desperately clings onto life in this meaningless world, there is still hope.”

Those were the last words the wounded jin heard before the dark curtain fell upon him.

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The next time the jin woke up, he found himself staring at a familiar ceiling. He was inside his mansion, around him several others staring at him with relief written across their faces. Tears of joys were shed for his sake while he remained confused. What had happened to him? He didn't know. The fatally gaping wound was gone. In its place, the stomach that had been missing returned.

He ordered those around him to calm down. It took a long time until the crying echoes stopped inside this room that was more of a cavern than part of some mansion it claimed to be. Following that, he demanded an explanation of what had happened, but the response was lackluster. He'd been found unconscious on the wayside and taken back here. Apparently, the corpses around him had vanished and there was no trace of anyone else. No enemies. No savior.

His recovery went without a hitch. In a few days, he was back to leading his people, in the same manner, he was used to doing. One day, when he ordered a task force to do certain errands for him, a messenger arrived with news of a new prisoner. It had already been more than a few months since his recovery, the incident already becoming a distant dream of his. When he was told, a furless had been put into captivity, he was surprised to find out there were a total of two.

His subordinates had deemed informing him about the first prisoner as a waste of time. However, since the second had claimed to be an envoy, his situation was different. Although he'd never been sent notice of his arrival, he still had to check it out. Thus, together with one guard and his confidant he made his way to the prison, where after arriving, he heard that familiar voice again, he'd thought was just a dream.

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To relieve themselves of their boredom, the two prisoners frequently talked to another. Reynold was very interested in what little Tormen had to teach him about Magecraft, and other aspects of magic in general. Although he was proficient in his own use of Magecraft, he realized that Tormen was far more knowledgeable in that regard.

On the other hand, Tormen listened to basically anything that Reynold had to say about the outside world. From Reynold's place of origin, the Republic of Ashos to his residence in Ethena, there was almost no topic left untouched in Reynold's life. He was also quite helpful in enlightening Tormen about the current state of the world.

"You haven't heard anything about the new Emperor, Tristan Stelfort? How long have you been here!?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"It's already been more than two years since Tristan Stelfort ascended to the throne! Are you telling me you've been left rotting inside this cage for the entire time!?"

When Reynold thought about this possibility, he gulped audibly as he dreaded his future. If the Jin had been truly this merciless with their prisoners, then there was little chance for himself.

"Not the entire time, no," Tormen answered much to his relief. "You don't need to worry too much. If what you've said is true, then I'm certain the jin wouldn't imprison their allies for much longer. Anyhow, it's astonishing what that Tristan has accomplished in such a short time. Levestein was moved all the way to the center of the continent to become the new capital... I still can't believe it."

"It's not just that. Although the people were taken aback by his quick decisions that went right over their heads, they did accept him as their Emperor. After all, the might he's displayed back then was the real deal. Then there is also the matter of revealing that secret."

"To think the higher races were this underhanded." Tormen nodded thoughtfully. "It's indeed no wonder that the unification processed this smoothly and at such speeds. You said, there were no rebellions or any other form of rising dissatisfaction?"

"Against the new Emperor, none at all!" Reynold said as if he couldn't believe it himself. "On top of that, all prisoners of war, including the slaves, have been released. The humans that have kept them were punished. Likewise, the other races followed suit, trying their best to lower the smoldering tensions between them. It really gives you the impression that everything is under the Emperor's control. He sure knows how to fan the flames in the right direction without getting himself burnt. Makes you wonder how much all of this was thought out beforehand... And how much just coincidentally played into his hands."

"Rather suspicious, aren't we? Is it that hard to believe that someone is doing something for the sake of justice? Righteousness? Or for the benefit of the entire human race?"

"Not where I come from." Reynold sighed, shaking his head. "Lots of things are pretty on the outside, but have an ugly tail dragging behind them - especially politics."

"You don't say... Well, be that as it may, it seems our time has finally come to an end."

"What do you mean?"

Before Reynold could get an answer, the door to their prison was forcefully swung open. With a thundering clap, the door almost shattered beneath the impact against the wall as two jin made their way inside.

Regardless of race, the sheer fury emitting from the face of the jin in front was something anyone could comprehend by a single glance. Undermining his grimace, his fangs protruded forth as the slits in his eyes scanned through the room. Contrarily to Reynold's expectations and fear, he realized that the ferocious gaze was not directed at them.

Soon after the two had entered, a flurry of hisses the two humans couldn't understand filled the small room. As a result, the two guards standing to the side hurriedly moved towards the two cages. Reynold had once again feared the worst, but instead of dragging them away, the two guards opened the weak locks on their cages.

Afterwards, the guards quickly excused themselves before disappearing from their eyes. Reynold confronted this unexpected situation with suspicion as the two jin communicated among themselves. The only thing he could take away was that it seemed to contain far less hostility.

"Please excuse our horrible treatment of the Young Master's savior. I can assure you that those that have treated you in such a disrespectful manner will be punished severely."

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The Divine Language echoed within the room. Neither of them had any trouble understanding the jin as he continued to speak his humble apologies.

The two jin were clearly apart in age. The old, fragile attendant could barely walk, his back almost down to a ninety-degree angle, making the cane in his paw-hand an absolute necessity. Both were covered in black fur that spread across their bodies as clothing would, while behind them, two tails emerged from their backs, listlessly sunk to their ground. 

"Thank You. My Savior. I thought. I dead. And. I'm sorry. Truly. You compensation."

A broken voice overshadowed the attendant's apologetic behavior as it was directed towards Tormen. In response, he waved him off with a smile before answering.

"There's nothing you need to worry about. Your people did what you had to and I won't hold it against you. Also, you're exaggerating. Your gratitude alone is enough, there's no need for anything else."

The jin in front defiantly shook his head, glaring at Tormen with utmost intensity. There were no words needed to translate the meaning of those eyes brimming with fervor.

"If you feel the need to so..." Tormen eventually relented, putting one of his hands to his chin as if in thought. "Then I'd appreciate it if you let me stay around for a while."

"Of course."

The jin answered with a brilliant smile, revealing the row of sharp teeth that didn't lose out to his fangs. Before leaving, he nodded towards Tormen and gave his attendant some orders.

"Allow me to also show my gratitude for saving the Young Master's life." Despite his frail back, the old jin didn't hesitate in the slightest to bow his already bent back further. Only when Tormen helped him up again did he appear to be satisfied.

"Young Master ZZuurr is deeply grateful that you came for his aid. He's repeatedly told me that if it wasn't for..."

"Tormen is fine."

"That if it wasn't for you, Honored Tormen, he wouldn't have made it back home. I could hardly believe the story of the Young Master and thought that it was all a dream. But now that he has found you, I seem I was mistaken. So once more, I sincerely thank you for what you've done."

"I doubt I deserve this much gratitude, much less since it was a bunch of humans that had threatened him in the first place."

"Be that as it may, it doesn't change what you've done, Honored Tormen. We are neither shortsighted nor narrow-minded. Not to mention that we are currently allies of the Allizan Empire. Now, let me guide you to your proper lodging."

"...Ehem!" Reynold coughed slightly to gain some attention since he seemed to have been forgotten about.

"What about me?"

The other two were already about to leave when the old jin turned towards Tormen, asking what to do.

"If you're not in a hurry, how about you stick around? I could use some human company." Tormen suggested.

"...Alright. It's not like I have anywhere to go now without having cleared myself of my doubts."

Thus, the three walked over the bridge and deeper into the forest where they were headed to a nearby village of the jin. Throughout the short trip, whether it was Tormen or Reynold, they were both heavily interested in learning more about the jin.

As it appeared, the jin, and apparently most other races, were quite similar in certain regards. For example, their living commodities. Although the jin weren't necessarily in need of lodgings, they did construct a few buildings that belonged to no one in particular. At any time, they were open for most jin to rest, if the need arrived, with only a few minor exceptions. In most cases, however, they would dwell outside, regardless of their environment or the weather.

Tormen learned that since some human knowledge and craftsmanship were wildly spread across the world as remnants from the Second World, the jin and the other races took advantage of that. There was no need to reinvent the wheel, thus the village the three had entered wasn't much different from those in Alliza. Small and simple wooden structures, erected next to large boulders or trees to provide some sort of shelter, or so the buildings wouldn't collapse. The more important buildings, one of them being the one the 'Young Master' resided in primarily, were made of stone and built with a more proper foundation, using human masonry techniques.

Regardless, whichever building it was, they all had one thing in common. They were utterly plain - Their sole purpose a little bit of added comfort. There were no signs of any form of decoration, and only very few utensils existed.

The small village, which was devoid of streets, was left fairly empty. Aside from some curious glances, the few present around here didn't show much of a reaction to the visiting humans. They'd grown used to it.

"I hope you can be satisfied with these accommodations. I'm well aware that humans prefer some more utensils of comfort, but I'm afraid I'm unable to present such to you." The old attendant had led to one of the wooden huts that were closer to the mansion the Young Master of this village resided in. It was as he said, an empty hut aside from a stack of hay, albeit slightly larger than the rest found around here.

"It doesn't matter. Thank you very much for your hospitality."

While Reynold grimaced at the thought of spending even a single night on top of that, Tormen wasn't bothered. Instead, he was more interested in the unintelligible ruckus that seemed to be taken place inside the stone mansion.

"Please excuse the noise, Honored Tormen. It seems that the Young Master has finally found the culprits that had caused the previous incident. I'm deeply ashamed that you have to witness such petty strife among ourselves."

"Don't mind me, I was just a little curious. I'm sorry if I'm poking my nose into things it shouldn't belong to, but is it possible that this is connected to the Baptism of Life?"

"I see you aren't only brave, but also knowledgable." The attendant sounded surprised. Still, he didn't deem it necessary to hide anything and continued. It wasn't much of a secret, so he felt free to provide some more information as Tormen seemed interested. "It's as you've said. The Young Master was chosen to undergo the Baptism, earning the Goddess of Life's favor and her blessings."

"As far as I know, the Baptism is connected to the prosperity of the Jin." Tormen thought aloud. "So the Young Master will become one of the pillars that guard the Spring of Life the Jin were blessed with?"

"You are correct. The Young Master will become one of the three Protectors that shoulder the prosperity of the entire tribe. Not only this small village. This position is one not passed down by heritage alone. It seems that one of his rivals had used underhanded methods to change the outcome."

Reynold, who had stood silent during this rather boring exchange of cultures, suddenly began laughing.

"Just like I've said. No matter where you are, it will always be the same, and it seems, even the race doesn't matter! Just perfect, isn't it? Maybe it's a rule of life itself..."

"But it won't change anything this time." The attendant continued, unable to understand what Reynold had said. "The Young Master has already won the competition and returned in full health. Once the current Protector, which is the Master, his father, steps down, he will assume the responsibility without a doubt. In the meantime, please rest. When the Young Master has finished dealing with everything, he will personally come to visit you. Feel free to explore the village, if you desire to do so."

While the ruckus and sounds of falling stones rumbled throughout the village, Tormen and Reynold remained in their new home. While Reynold tried to make himself comfortable on the hay, complaining about how he should spend the night here, Tormen looked around the village with much interest. The thicket of leaves above them didn't allow for much sunshine to illuminate the dim village, but it was enough to admire the similarities in craftsmanship.

"By the way, Reynold. You haven't told me yet, why you were sent here. Can you tell me about it, or are there some diplomatic reasons you can't?" Tormen spoke up after he'd enough of gazing at some large stones and wood.

"Sure, I can," Reynold grumbled from the other side of the room. "Supposedly, I was sent here to question the leadership about the missing humans in the vicinity."

"Missing?"

"Yeah. I'm sure you know we are fairly close to the border. It's not a large border, but the villages close to the territory of the jin have reported some missing people. It wasn't too long ago that slavery was more flourished around the world. And... well the whole mess with the eledyn and rykul, you know... But it's not only them. I'm sure this house we're in wasn't built by jin. Or any other building for that matter. So, it's only natural for us to assume that they might have done something behind our backs. Although few truly believe that, given our current situation and alliance, it's something we have to check. Normally, this would just be a show made for the public. I get sent here, check every nook and cranny, and report back to the Emperor, who will declare that the jin have nothing to do with this."

"But still, people are missing, no? If it's not the jin, then who?"

"Who knows? It's not too many, anyway. People go missing all the time in the woods and fall prey to some wildlife. But hey, someone just had to go around and announce that pretty much all of humanity is being held captive as slaves. Now every time a person goes missing, people go crazy and claim they were abducted for slavery. There are even cases of missing people returning, but that gets conveniently ignored by the doomsayers. Goes to show to what lengths Tristan Stelfort went to cement his position. For now, the public of humanity has calmed down on the surface and is slowly recovering. But underneath all that, there is a boiling panic like never before. That counts for all the races involved. People like me are just here to uphold the public facade that everything is alright and that it will continue to be alright if not better. There's also that group or order that is doing their part, but they've been pretty useless."

"You mean the Third Order?"

"That's what they're called? Bunch of naive frauds. Can't say I'm on board with the Emperor's approach, but that Order is even worse. No one knows what they're looking for or even doing. They were particularly interested in the missing people, but what have they done? Nothing. They also have no idea, but they seem to suspect the jin? I don't know. But forget about that. I'm not sure how you much you know with you being cooped up all this time so let me tell you the real kicker. Supposedly, they're the one place in the world where all discrimination is discarded... A city where everyone is the same. And what was the truth? They were part of that whole hidden scheme of the superior races. How they haven't already lost all trust is completely beyond me."