A little pressure for the black cat [Private / Plot]

The black haired girl sat on her bed while both Haku and Kuzunoha laid on the carpet comfortably. The girl’s bed was full of books and paintings and there was no more space for her to actually move around. There was a reason for her to put all of that stuff around her actually and that was to try to regain her own memories. She felt a little bit burdened by it actually, despite always looking a little bit ignorant about regaining her own memories. She was just afraid and not ready, all because she wanted to prepare herself just in case she got some clues from her memories about the whole massacre incident. In fact, the girl was not fully ready to know about all of it, but she wanted to at least remember the faces that was in the painting that she was staring at the moment. The black haired little girl must be her… and the black haired woman must be her mother, the tall man must be her father while the boy seemed to be her older brother judging from the looks. Unfortunately, after trying hard to find those people inside her memories, Noir couldn't seem to find them inside her head. All she felt was just a sharp pain on her head, as if someone pierced her head with needles.

After deciding to find a fresh air, the girl headed outside the house and to the town. She went into the tea shop that she had been visited regularly nowadays, they served a very good tea that came from various countries. After she ordered a cup of green tea and two bowls of water for her beasts, she would sit down and thanked the waiter for serving the tea and water bowls to her table. She brought the bowls and placed it on the floor before telling both Kuzunoha and Haku to drink up. It was quiet and times like this made her had a lot of thoughts clouded her mind. A lot of stuff had been happening...she made some memories for herself with a lot of people but she wondered why she couldn’t remember her past...

As Noir tried to grasp the fleeting strands of memories lost, a strange butterfly made of light fluttered down the street. The oddity was abnormal, yet beautiful, as if it were some kind of eccentric artist's masterpiece that should be on display in a museum. But it was alive and dancing through the air as it suddenly turned, gliding into the tea shop Noir was sitting in. The mystical butterfly of light casually fluttered its way over to the magician girl and passed in front of her field of vision. If she were to look around, she would be able to see through a window that there were more of these butterflies outside. Gorgeous floating masses of pink and purple light were scattered all up and down the street. Then...they all burst in a brilliant flash!


Each butterfly glowed brightly before bursting into multiple butterflies, those then spread out and burst into further bright lights. Following this it was as if time froze. People who were speaking went silent mid-sentence. Citizens strolling down the street were now standing still in place mid-stride. However, a dropped apple now rolling along the path made it clear that time had not truly been stopped. The red fruit stopped its rolling as it was picked up by another entity not frozen in place like all the others were. A beautiful woman with long raven black hair, elegant clothing of a Kou noblewoman, and a wicked looking mask covering one side of her face.


The woman took slow and refined steps as she passed a fruit vendor and placed the apple back into his hand as he had been the one to drop it. She then turned and entered the tea shop, a cool and confident smile on her face as she moved directly to Noir. The woman shook her sleeve revealing a wand being held which she swept through the air as she used the other hand to unfurl a large flying carpet. Gravity magic washed over Noir and all of her beasts lifting them onto the carpet, each one of the group almost looking like immaculate dolls with how they remained frozen in pose as if they were incapable of movement.

In moments, the woman was gone, Noir and company ghosted away along with her. Then time quickly thawed and things began to move again. No one seemed aware that anything had happened, the only signs being that Noir was simply gone, her bill unpaid.

---

Noir and her beasts would all awaken from their frozen state at the same time. They were all in the exact same positions, water bowls had been prepared for the beasts, and Noir was seated at a table with a cup of fresh tea in her hand. But the air was salty, the bustling of people was replaced with creaking wood and the sound of waves, the tea was of a slightly different brew, and instead of a tea house they were in the cabin of a large ship.

Seated across from Noir was the woman whom had abducted her there. Smiling and staring at Noir with a gaze that would seem familiar. Black rukh fluttered around the woman and she spoke in a smooth sultry voice, "Good morning, my dear. You've been out for three days." He melodic tones were like a minstrel's best music and he eyes like two infinitely deep pools of green. Her expression and the reason why her gaze was so familiar would quickly cross Noir's mind before she could say anything. It was the same way a certain blue haired giant of a man used to look at her...

It felt surreal, as if time had stopped for a second in the place where Noir currently was. The cup of tea in her hand fell slowly to the table as her hand losing it strength to hold it anymore. The sound of the glass shattering and the tea spurting to Noir’s face and chest snapped her out. . It felt like she had been dazing off or perhaps had been daydreaming even though she didn’t remember at all about that. With a reflex, the girl stood up from her seat just like how normal person would react if the same thing happened to them. At that moment she realized that she was no longer in the tea house, she was somewhere else and judging by the environment, it was clear that she was on a ship. She recognized the salty air, the sound of the waves as well as the seagulls made her even surer about it. But how…? She didn’t remember at all about getting on to a ship nor remember about her own destination and the reason why she would be on a ship.

A smooth sultry voice could be heard by Noir and at that moment, she noticed that someone was in front of her, saying something that she had been out for three days which made Noir became even more confused about what was happening at the moment. The girl could see black rukh fluttering around the woman and she tensed up, thinking about every possible thing that might be happening at the moment. Her eyes were green and how she gazed at her was very similar to someone. That was the reason why her body suddenly tensed up. She wouldn’t forget, her photographic memory wouldn’t let her forget either… It was the same like the way Yakuroro would look at her, the gaze that might be able to see something as deep as someone’s soul and reading them like a book while intimidating them. She was not really affected by how intimidating this kind of gaze would be, she was more affected by the fact this woman who was sitting in front of her could have a similar gaze like Yakuroro. Same way to look at someone… same black rukh…  Could it be just a mere coincidence?

“…Excuse me…” The black haired girl gathered all the voice that finally emerged from her throat, “But... who are you…?” She would let her hand moved to her back and her finger would try to find if her staff was still hanging on her back or not. She didn’t mean to be offensive, but just in case this woman was dangerous… she might need to protect herself. But there was another reason as to why Noir acted like this, as if she was being very cautious at the moment. Not only the fact that she got the vibe that Yakuroro had before, she also had black rukh and… she might the one who made Noir got on the ship without her being conscious with any way that might be possible. “What do you mean I have been out for three days?" She would stare down once in a while to look for her beasts and once she made sure they were there, conscious and stayed still, Noir would stare back at the green eyed woman and waited for her answer.

The woman eyed the broken cup and his soft smile slowly melted into a displeased frown. That cup was part of a very expensive tea set that had been a gift from the capital. Now the luxurious fragments were scattered about like countless shards of crystallized huang, each one worthless separate but as a whole worth the yearly wages of nearly a hundred common citizens. She sighed deeply, knowing that it would never be the same again. Nevertheless, she reached into her bountiful bosom to retrieve a wand. Not to react to Noir's defensive act of reaching for her staff, which the magician girl would find was right where she left it. But rather, to wave it through the air as the woman spoke a simple gravity magic spell. The tea floated into the air in a globe of liquid and the shards of shattered tea cup slowly reformed themselves only to be sealed in place by an aura of strength magic. The still hot tea then settled back into the cup and the woman put her wand back into its voluptuous resting place.

"Such a shame...do drink it so it doesn't get cold. The tea costs more than buying passage on this ship did."

The woman spoke calmly and with a polite tone, the smile returning to her face as she returned her attention to Noir and simply stared at the girl. The woman would not answer Noir's question until she sat down once more, even gesturing with one hand for her to take her seat to make that point clear. Once Noir sat down, or spent more than a few moments standing, the woman would lean forward and rest her chin on bridged hands, the motion making her bust visible and more apparent as she finally gave an answer.

"I am a friend of someone you knew, someone you killed, and someone you buried. In a way, you could say that I'm your teacher's senior sister as he and I both shared the same master. You may call me, Lady Soushui, I am a noble from Kou as well as a magician."

Lady Soushui's eyes peered deeply into Noir's as she made her introduction, not blinking even once throughout it. Her expression was an enigma, her tone undecipherable. Only that smile and polite demeanor showed through, any other intention or emotions hidden skillfully behind her visage making Soushui impossible to read.

"As for what I meant, you've been unconscious for three days. Frozen in place by magic so I could bring you here without a struggle."

Soushui finally leaned back and retrieved a simple pipe from her sleeve and in moments had it lit. The beautiful woman took in a deep drag and then let out a dancing cloud of smoke that billowed off to the side permeating the room with an alluring scent.

"Relax my dear, I'm not going to hurt you. I brought you here because there are some things I need to know. There are also some things I have to show you that you will want to know. But I'm going to get what I want first..."

Lady Soushui smoked her pipe a bit more and lifted one leg to cross it over the other as she lounged in her chair as if making sexy poses was simply in her nature. Yet, in contrast her expression changed finally revealing some true emotion. Her eyes were distant as she stared at nothing, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed as if she were struggling with something but didn't know how to say it. After a moment's pause, she spoke in an almost disgusted tone.

"Why did you bury him...? In his last moments it should have been clear to you that he was only using you. That he was a monster. Putting him down probably saved your life in the grand scheme of things...So why did you show that man respect in death?"

There was spite in her voice, but confusion and mourning in her face. There were clearly complex feelings in Lady Soushui's heart for the fallen magician named "Yakuroro" which she had yet to resolve. There was a hate in her voice, but also a deep and boundless love in her eyes as one might have for a close family member. She even almost seemed to be on the verge of tears, though no salty droplets came.

The black haired girl tensed up a little bit as the woman took a wand from her bosom, making Noir confused a little bit on why she would put it there but quickly stopped herself from thinking like that because she just noticed the size of the woman’s bosom compared to hers. With a little wave on her wand, the woman performed a spell that seemed to be a gravity spell. The black haired girl was amazed on how quick the woman was capable to reform the tea cup back from its tiny pieces as well as managed to put back all the tea into the now not shattered cup. After hearing the price of the tea, Noir would feel bad for accidentally dropping it but the fact that she didn’t do it on purpose made her feel less guilty.

It was no doubt that the stare was bringing back memories about Yakuroro, even the demanding stare was similar. Although Noir only spent a short time with the giant blue haired man, but her photographic memories let her to remember everything, even the details that she wished to remember. Yakuroro was pretty expressive himself in the way only Noir might understand while others might not agree with her, at least, the black haired girl noticed that the giant blue haired man spoke more with his eyes, just like this woman seemed for her.

“I apologize.” Noir bowed slightly before politely sat down and locking her golden orbs with the woman’s emeralds, waiting for her to say something as she lifted her cup of tea. She could feel the warmness oozing from the tea, the vapor caressing her lips slowly and the moment her lips touched the cup, she carefully drink the warm liquid. She could feel the warmness flowing through her throat and of course, the taste of the tea was entirely different from any tea that she had drank. This one tasted really fine and the smell was amazing as well, perhaps it was really that expensive…She would pull the cup from her lips and put it down on the table, but her eyes wandered to the woman as she leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands. One thing that was apparent to Noir was the size of the woman’s bust as she stared at them again, something that of course, didn’t disturb Noir a lot but she was just curious about why hers was not that bountiful and busty.

Lady Shousui’s introduction was surprising for her, of course, that made her felt guiltier than before at the moment. The news about she killed her own mentor was already spreading out, but she was not sure how because no one really knew about it besides those people who were in the dungeon with her… Was it that dying blonde man? Or was it Val Achilles… or perhaps… Solomon? But despite all of that, the black haired girl assumed that this woman was seeking for a revenge. That was why she abducted her to a ship where the destination that they will heading was unknown, perhaps… she demanded for explanation or maybe she wanted some other things. The black haired girl stared back at the woman’s eyes, letting her finish as she stayed quiet. Although her expression was not really apparent, but Noir’s gaze was showing that she was both sad and felt guilty about it.

As much as the girl wanted to ask about what kind of magic that she used, she knew her place and kept quiet before observing Lady Shousui’s movement. If she was a senior sister of her mentor, then she must be a powerful magician as well as she was capable to perform such a strange yet powerful magic to froze someone in place without getting noticed. As the woman in front of her smoke her pipe before filling the room with smoke, Noir somehow thought that she was somehow similar with Yakuroro with a little bit mix from the Pirate Queen, Madam Trixie. Her body didn’t feel as tense as she was when Lady Shousui told her to relax, which let her to be able to leaned slowly against the chair. Of course, she would still listen to the older woman tentatively, making sure that she listened to every words that came out from the woman’s lips. She nodded slowly, signalling that she understand as well as signalling her to go ahead and speak about what she wanted.

A disgusted tone was noticeable from Lady Shousui’s words as Noir listened to her questions and her mind was slowly working to build up an answer that was taken from what she really felt about it. The woman showed a confusing expression, as if she hated the giant blue haired man, but somehow she sounded like she cared a lot… but somehow she showed some entirely different feeling. Not being an expert about feelings, especially in recognizing emotions made Noir incapable to point out which emotion that the woman was having at the moment.

“I am aware that he was using me, but never once I thought that putting him down would save my life from any scheme that might happen.” Noir lifted her hands and wrapped them around her cup, letting the warmth to spread into her skin as she continued, “He might be evil, but despite all of that, I am able to learn a lot of things that I might not get from other people and I am really grateful.” She felt a little pain on her heart and that made her unwrapped her hands around the cup before bridging them together and put then on her thighs, as if she was making a prayer. “I respect him for what he had taught me, for every knowledge that I got and for every seconds he spent with me despite of the bad things that he might have done. So for me, giving him a proper burial is needed so he could be respected. Although...”

The black haired girl paused a moment and she looked down, staring at her hands that were wrapping each other. It was difficult to say the words that she wanted to say next even though that maybe it wasn’t that hard to say. But she was not sure about it and she didn’t know how to describe it as well. As she took a deep breath, she would look up and focusing her gaze to the noblewoman. “Although that was not the only reason…” Her gaze would sway a bit as she looked away from the woman for a second before looking right into the woman’s eyes again intensely as if she wanted to see her soul. “I believe that something had triggered his other side, something that might need the be researched more. I met someone that used to be his companion and he had not met Yakuroro for a while now because of some reasons.” She wondered about her Fanalis friend now, wondering about what he was doing at the moment.


“However, when I talked to him about Yakuroro, there was something different about his side that I had never seen before. Thus it gave me some theories that something might happen to Yakuroro before that made him changed into a whole different person. Something that is involved with depravity...” When she was done with her words, she would stay quiet again and waited for the woman to respond.

Soushui's eyes remained distant as she listened to Noir speak, but it would be clear from her reactions that she was certainly listening. Especially when Noir said that the subject of their discussion "might be evil" in particular. The word "evil" caused Lady Soushui's expression to wince and a brief tremble made its way through her body. Her lips took on an even more grim frown and she closed her eyes looking to be in a great deal of pain before taking a deep breath and calming herself to listen until Noir was finished. Although Lady Soushui was able to remain composed for the rest of the girl's explanation, there was an undoubtable look of grief in her eyes. When Noir was finally done, Lady Soushui brought her pipe up for another drag and sat there silent for a moment. One more deep breath and closing of her eyes seemed to fully settle the noblewoman as she opened them now clear and serene. He slight smirk of a smile returned and she shifted in her seat to face Noir once again, matching the girl's eye contact without so much as a blink.

"You are right to suspect "Depravity" as the cause, but there is more behind it...much more. I will correct you on one thing though. That man was not evil. No one on this earth was more concerned with justice than he was. Though...that is probably why he fell. His heart could not accept what had happened...what he had done. As far as I could tell in my observation, he had sealed away his memories in an attempt to forget the pain and trauma. Though in erasing all that he loved from his thoughts, there was nothing left but pain. Pain and vengeance."

The woman spoke with a sort of emotionless composure that made it seem like she wasn't involved. As if the anguished and deep reaction's she'd shown just moments earlier were nothing but an illusion or an act. Her facade of boundless confidence perfectly masking whatever kind of feelings she might have had on the matter. After a pause, Lady Soushui began to speak again while she snuffed out the embers of her pipe and returned it to sher sleeve.

The man you met, Dynatos, he knew Yakuroro before it all happened. You could say it's my fault they met, fufufu~." For the first time, she said his name. It was also the first time she laughed, the chuckle emerging in an elegant manner, hand covering her lips but failing to hide the dimples the smiles made on her cheeks. "I abducted him the same way I did you all those years ago. Brought him to Kou which is where the two met...That's where this ship is headed by the way, Kou. Or rather, it's going to a secret Kou port west of Magnostadt. I'm going to be bringing you the rest of the way with me though. There are things back at my estate that you need to see."

Lady Soushui then seemed to have spoken her peace for now, opening the table up for Noir to ask questions of her own. However, it seemed from the way she spoke, that the "things" Noir needed to see was something the noblewoman wasn't willing to talk about for the moment.

Lady Shousui’s explanation made Noir tilt her head as she listened to her tentatively, simply interested and concerned about the matter. As a magician as well as knowledge pursuer, the black haired girl thought that she needed to look into this whole depravity thing more and perhaps she could try to ask the professors in the academy about it later on. From the woman’s explanation, it seemed that the cause of depravity was… the weakness in someone’s heart and that was what caused Yakuroro changed into the opposite site of himself who was once was the ally of justice. It was just like how Noir assumed after she met Sloth, that this man was not like the man that she knew in the end of his life.

The curtain of smoke slowly became thinner and the black haired girl noticed the woman’s composure was kind of strange and it made Noir curious to know what had happened to the woman. The face behind that mask… the black rukh fluttering around her… and the mixed signal that she got by just watching and listening to the words of Lady Shousui were simply made Noir wanted to know more about this noble from Kou.

“Oh? But why did you abduct him? If Dynatos was the one that you meant…”

The change of the woman’s vibe was quick and it almost made Noir surprised even though her emotionless face didn’t show it. But it was enough for the noble lady to notice that the young magician was take aback when she mentioned about their destination. Noir gazed to the woman’s eyes once again with a questioning look, she had a lot of questions in her head about the reason why this woman would abduct her and a lot more, clouding up her head. If she wanted to show her something that was in her estate then why didn’t she just tell her what kind of thing that she wanted to show her. Instead, she stopped right away after that as if she didn’t want to talk more about it.


“I don’t really get the chance to say if i would be willing to go with you or not to your estate, don’t I?” Noir adjusted how she sit at the moment, bringing her right leg to lean against her lap as she tried to make herself more comfortable. “Perhaps you know, but I have some questions that I want to ask. First… how did you know about me? Also, what kind of magic that you use to froze people on their place…?” She would pause herself and waited for the older woman to answer her, but she was eager to know the answer all of her questions quickly because she still had another questions in her mind...so she hoped that the woman wouldn’t take time to answer it all.

"Dynatos? Ha, as if I had any interest in abducting young fanalis men. What kind of pervert do you take me for?~"

It would be clear from Lady Soushui's tone that she was teasing Noir by suggesting ulterior motives to kidnapping the fanalis male. But she showed mercy by not pausing with any expectation for Noir to respond to such teasing. "I abducted Yakuroro, though I did not allow him to wake from his slumber until we had already almost arrived at my estate. He was trying, and failing, to enter the Magnostadt academy, for some reason his entrance papers weren't being accepted despite him being more than capable enough as a magician. I recognized the staff he had at the time, it was so much like our master's that I recognized the style. To be honest, I mostly took him away with me for amusement~ But when I saw his dedication to magic I couldn't help but feel nostalgic. So I helped him a bit with his magic training and gave him...." The woman's eyes went wide as if she just realized something and then her face went dark. The black rukh around her seemed to get excited but Soushui pushed the matter aside. "Well...it doesn't' mater what I gave him....not anymore."

When Noir asked if she had any choice as to whether or not to accompany the noblewoman, a simple head shake "no" was her response. There would be no changing course at this point unless Lady Soushui decided so. Or unless Noir could manage to best the woman with her own magic prowess. She didn't seem to be making any hostile moves however and was more than happy to answer Noir's questions.

"Your first question is an easy one. I know about you because you spent time with Yakuroro. I keep an eye on him from time to time using clairvoyance magic, but recently I've had reason to watch his exploits constantly. Naturally, that means I saw how he met you and showed you the power of the djinn. I even watched as you killed him...As for the second question, that is something of a trade secret. Don't bother asking me to teach you the spell, it was my signature technique when I used to be an assassin for the royal family. But I will tell you the magic types involved. If you're brilliant enough you should be able to work out the rest. Water, or rather its sub-type. ice. Light magic of the highest degree, and life magic though probably not for the reason you'll probably be thinking in that pretty head of yours~"

‘Pervert?’ Noir asked herself and tried to imagine something that the noblewoman said, her pure and innocent mind tried to search the relation between abducting young Fanalis men with a pervert. Nothing came up in her mind no matter how hard she tried to look find the meaning and the relation between that, perhaps she meant it literally? So like if you abducted young Fanalis men that it would be considered as a pervert? She snapped herself out of it when Lady Shousui continued to speak, noting that she might need to ask about it later on.

After hearing about how she abducted Yakuroro, Noir became more interested to know about their past. Of course, she had been giving a hint that something was not meant to be spoken even though she managed to pause herself and stopped at the right moment. But all of that was just making the black haired girl even more curious than before. She could notice the black rukh around the noblewoman started to reacting to her feeling. What was this thing that she gave him? Perhaps it had a relation with the thing that she wanted to show in her estate later? But she would find out soon about the thing and it was clear that the golden eyed girl didn’t have any choices other than to follow the lady. If she really was the one who trained the giant magician, then she would be a fool if she tried to resist and fight. She knew her limit and power; it wouldn’t be as strong as the older woman who was sitting in front of her now so for now, she would quietly follow her to wherever she wanted her to go.

The combination that the woman made to abduct her was complicated; she never experienced to see such kind of magic before. Combination of the subtype of water magic, light magic and also life magic… she couldn’t think of any possible magic type now but then again, either she was still tense and she couldn’t really focus now… or the combination magic was just… something that was completely out of the box because it was used to assassinate the royal family.

“When will we arrive in Kou? Also… why do you need to bring me to your estate to see something?” The black haired girl slowly pour the tea to her cup before slowly placing down the teacup on its place as she continued, “Wouldn’t it be easier to show me by using the clairvoyance magic…? Not only that… but what is this thing that you want me to see? Is it related to something that you gave to Yakuroro before?”

Expecting Noir to ask more about magic, Lady Soushui seemed a bit unprepared for the girl to suddenly ask about when they would arrive in Kou. Though it certainly wasn't surprising. After a brief pause, Soushui closed her eyes and plainly stated that they would arrive much sooner than one might expect. "We will arrive in Kou in just a few hours. This is not a traditional ship, nor did we sail the entire distance. There were magic transfer circles left behind in Reim from the Kou invasion. I used one of those to take us much closer to Kou where this ship was waiting. Some magicians I've hired are using magic to help the ship sail faster too."

"As for why I need to bring you to my estate in person...well, it's important that you see something with your own eyes. You'll thank me for this once it's all said and done."

Aloof with her words, Soushui was careful not to reveal very much about what it was she was taking Noir to see. The noblewoman seemed fairly amiable up to this point, but when Noir asked further questions a sudden change in mannerism occurred. As Noir asked about the thing they were going to see and mentioned the "something" given to Yakuroro, black rukh began to flutter excitedly around Lady Soushui and her expression went dim. The woman abruptly stood causing her chair to scrape across the ground and fall over. "Enough!...Have you never heard the phrase that curiosity killed the cat? I am doing you a favor, that is all you need to know." Lady Soushui's tone was sharp as she glared at Noir and then turned to walk towards a door leading out of the cabin they were in and onto the ship's deck.

"As I said, we shall be arriving soon." Lady Soushui said, her expression and voice sounding much more calm. "Stay here until then. I'll send for you once you may leave. Oh, and do enjoy the tea~" With that, the woman stepped outside the door and then closed it behind her. Lady Soushui went a step further, drawing her wand and sealing the door with a thick sheet of ice so it could not be opened. Noir would find that this ice layer didn't stop merely at the door however. It covered the entire cabin, boxing her in from all directions, the ice even working its way into the hull beneath the cabin. There would be no escape without making a scene that would be easily noticed.

Noir noticed the drastic change in the noblewoman’s expression as well as the black rukh that fluttered excitedly around Lady Shousui. It was risky for the black haired to ask her last questions actually, she knew that the woman might be upset at her but she wanted to do it in order to test the noble’s reaction. She fully realized that she didn’t want to discuss about it anymore at the moment and it seemed that she was not that easy to slip something that she hid from Noir. The younger girl would stand up, tilting her head when Lady Shousui mentioned that phrase that the girl heard a lot, someday her curiosity might really lead her to death but it would be worth it.

“I understand.” Noir nodded and replied with a quiet tone, it would be best to not oppose the woman at the moment. In fact, it would be foolish to start acting up when it was clear that Lady Shousui was much stronger than her. She was an assassin who specialized to kill royals and it was safe to say that Noir was not her match at all, she could easily kill her and her beasts. The door was closed and the black haired girl could feel something was being done to the room even though she was not sure what happened except for the temperature drop. She would approach the door and tried to open it, but the door knob was cold and she couldn’t open it. It was as expected though, Lady Shousui didn’t give her any right to choose and she held her captive until it was time to let her free. The wooden floor felt a little bit cold as well and at that moment, Noir guessed that the older woman had frozen the entire cabin, and imprisoning her inside. It would be hard to escape without making a ruckus, not only that, they were in the middle of the ocean and without any clear direction, they would be a dead meat.

A sigh escaped her lips and she would sit back down on her chair, motioning her hand so Haku would approach her and nuzzle her hand while Kuzunoha climbed to her shoulder and curled up there. “Be patient, okay? She is some kind of dangerous so let’s do what she tell us to do for now… I know it might be hard but please bear with it until she is done with us.” The liger and the fox would let out a simple purr as if signalling the black haired girl that they didnt mind. Her lips was forming a small smile before she started to speak again, “There’s something I am curious about as well…”

The temperature wouldn’t be too cold for the girl and her beasts. Fortunately, Haku would be able to keep her warm so the black haired girl would stay calm and pour the tea to her cup again before bringing up the cup only to drink it. ‘I wonder what is it that she wants to show…’

WC: 3605/1000

There was a jolt of force strong enough to almost make Noir fall over if she was standing as the ship beached itself on the southern shores of Kou. The coldness had faded over the last few minutes and now that the ship had made landfall, a knock came at the door to Noir's cabin. "Ma'am, Lady Soushui awaits you outside." The voice of a servant girl sounded from the other side of the door. Her voice steady and level without emotion but gilded in a thick coat of politeness. The door then opened and sunlight poured in. Just outside the cabin could be seen the servant girl dressed in commoner's clothes, beyond her was a large flying carpet spread across the deck with Lady Soushui standing in the middle of it.

The noblewoman had her back turned to Noir and a heavy cloud of black rukh danced around her. Even more of the black birds were present than before and they gave the atmosphere a thick sensation of uneasy discomfort. Noir would be able to feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing tall as a shiver would involuntarily pass through her spine. The black rukh present here would be so abundant that they affected the thoughts and minds of everyone around, making negative thoughts more likely and those that come all the more powerful. This was the cause for various strange behaviors happening all across the deck of the ship. There were two different pairs of crew members that had gotten into fights, punching and clawing at one another over past grudges they held. Others seemed to be moving around sluggishly, eyes distant as they made depressed expressions.

Lady Soushui was at the heart of this all, the black rukh coalescing into a thick black sphere that floated in front of her. Noir would be able to hear that Soushui was muttering to herself, or perhaps to the sphere of black rukh. Her voice sounding cheerful and even producing giggles occasionally. The noblewoman would appear to be oblivious to the violence and sadness surrounding her, and even of Noir. Though this would change the moment Noir tried to get closer...

It was unfortunate for the black haired girl, she was sitting on the seat and calmly wait for Lady Shousui to free her from this invisible ice prison that was blocking her way out from the cabin. When With her pale hands, she brought the cup of tea up to her lips only to spill it everywhere on her cheeks, shirt and floor when a strong jolt suddenly happened. Noir’s eyes said it even though her expression stayed blank, they were showing that she was clearly annoyed of the misfortune that happened a lot and being splashed by a cup of tea was not fun at all. Although since the coldness had finally faded, Noir and her beasts could finally feel less uncomfortable.

A sigh escaped her lips for several times as she slowly put the spilled cup back on the table and she tried to breathe steadily to release some stress until she heard a knock. The magician could hear a voice from the other side of the door, mentioning that the noblewoman was waiting for her outside and the door would be opened after that. A massive amount of black rukh fluttered in front of the golden eyes girl’s eyes, seemed to be dancing around the noblewoman. The black rukh made Noir tensed up, giving her an uneasy feeling but she decided to stay quiet and look around first to assess the situation. Clearly seeing the black rukh fluttered around in the room was not a great view at all, not to mention that some people were acting strange like something was affecting their mind. She wondered to herself if that was the black rukh that was affecting it but then again, she was not sure because she and her beasts was not affected until that point. Perhaps that was because she was not exposed to the black rukh that much or maybe she was just used to be around black rukh people in the most of her life.

She took one step after motioning both Haku and Kuzunoha to follow her from behind before taking another step. She was careful because Lady Shousui was turning her back from Noir, muttering about something with a cheerful tone. “Excuse me…” The black haired girl called the noblewoman, hoping to get her attention and waited until she noticed her after she made another step closer.

Upon hearing Noir's voice, Lady Soushui abruptly stopped speaking to herself or perhaps to the sphere, and waved her wand through the air. The thick amalgamation of black rukh dispersed from the area slowly and the people on the ship were freed from its influence. It would still take several minutes for those in the middle of fights to calm down, but Lady Soushui wasn't concerned with them. Their usefulness to her had ended once they arrived on the shores of Kou. Turning around to face Noir, the noblewoman gave her a pleasant smile and a polite bow. "Welcome to Kou, my dear. We've arrived at a beach on the southern coat. Come, stand on this flying carpet, we must be off." She then beckoned Noir and her beasts to come join her on the transportation focused magic tool.

Once Noir and her company of animals boarded the carpet, they would ascend into the air and swiftly accelerate off into the distance leaving the ship behind. Lady Soushui stood at the head of the carpet, her figure cutting a proud and elegant silhouette on the sky line. The flying carpet trip would last for about 2 hours, during that time Soushui wouldn't say a word unless spoken to. She would be willing to answer questions about Kou, magic, or the ship they had left, but the subject of Yakuroro and the purpose of this trip were taboo around the woman. She would simply give a cold silence in response to such questions if Noir did indeed choose to ask them.

Eventually, a large swath of dead farmland came into view. Rows upon rows of fields and rice patties sprawled along the landscape, but they all looked as if terrible drought and famine had fallen upon them. Skinny and emaciated peasant folk meandered about down below, each of them looking weak and destitute. "Welcome to my province, Noir. As you can see, I've been dealt a terrible poor hand in life if you just look at the state of my holdings. But with magic, I can turn these vast farmlands into a bountiful source of food for the entire empire. I dedicated most of my days to such efforts in the past, but I've neglected those duties for months now. As you can see, without my help, these lands return to the barren wastes they were before I took charge over them." The carpet sped through the air towards a large mansion at the heart of all the farmland.

The mansion was massive and surrounded by high walls. But irrigation channels run from it in almost all directions splitting off into a complex network of ditches that would be providing water to all of the farms if they were in service. The dusty trenches were dry as a bone however, further testament to how vital the farmlands need for a powerful magician truly was. They simply could not exist without a magician supplying water to their crops. Soushui guided the flying carpet over the walls and down into a courtyard where the heart of all the irrigation channels were located. It was a huge hole in the courtyard that was covered with a large metal grate so it would allow water out of the compound while denying intruders access inside.

Upon landing the carpet, Lady Soushui turned to face Noir and spread out her own hands, "And this is my estate~ Much nicer than the lands outside but as you can see from the dust, also somewhat neglected. I've sent away my servants for several months now. Anyways, wait here for a bit, I must go prepare. I will come get you when I am ready." With that, Soushui turned on her heel and left Noir alone next to the irrigation grate. However, just before Soushui disappeared into a door way, she flicked her wand causing a clairvoyance magic spell to dance into life. Water formed in the air and then gathered together creating a life sized doll of sorts not too far away from Noir. It was a perfect copy of Yakuroro although his features were made purely of water. The magic showed Noir a scene of Yakuroro casting magic over the holes.He wasn't alone either, the magical water dopplegangers of countless people formed all around the courtyard. They were watching Yakuroro work his magic with excitement. A clone of Soushui was there too and she watched Yakuroro work with a prideful smile on her face. When the giant magician finished casting his spell, the water collapsed into the hole through the grate and the people around seemed to cheer as a result. Then the spell collapsed and all the water began to drain into the grate. As the water spread from the center of the mansion and out into the irrigation channels, some cheers could be heard from outside the walls.

However, Noir would be able to notice that the cheers quickly died down as farmers nearby realized that not nearly enough water had been produced to really suit all their needs. Unless another magician nearby was willing to produce more water for them, they would be doomed to suffer another season of horrible crop yields.

[NOTE: You may provide water into the grate without having a registered spell. However, in order to provide water for all the farms it will cost you 300 Magoi. You may spend any amount of magoi that you wish toward filling the irrigation channels or none at all. The choice is yours.]

Noir and her beasts didn’t have any choice other than to board the carpet with Lady Shousui, but perhaps it would be a good chance to get to know more about her. She remembered that some topics were off limits so she wouldn’t try to ask her about it anymore until she was ready no matter how curious she was. “Umm… excuse me, but…it seems that you were whispering something to an unseen force before… I was curious about that. And…” The girl hesitated to ask more because she honestly couldn’t read Lady Shousui’s mind and didn’t want to upset her if she ended up asking stupid questions. But she asked anyways, “What kind of magic that you are specialized in and how long have you been practicing with magic?”

The scenery under her was devastating, dried land and sick looking folk lived in the area indicating that the crops were bad and they weren’t able to get enough good produces for them to eat. Perhaps… many of the folks had died because of dehydration and starvation as well even though she didn’t know much about it. She listened to the noblewoman’s explanation, amazed that she was able to have a very large pool of magoi based on what she said. A mere magician wouldn’t be strong enough to turn these vast area into a source of food for the entire empire but for some reason… she stopped doing it and that made Noir questioned it inside her mind.

“I understand…” Noir nodded and let the noblewoman to prepare while she waited next to the irrigation gate, wondering what it was that Lady Shousui needed to prepare. She also wondered about why she would neglected her estate, trying to imagine if she spent her time living in the ship or perhaps living in some other places. But Kuzunoha who was sitting on her shoulder would nuzzle her cheek, as if wanting to tell her that something was happening. As Noir looked forward, she noticed water formed into a perfect copy of Yakuroro, something that again, piqued her interest about how strong the magic that being used at the moment. The blue haired magician seemed to performing a magic in from of the folks that was made from water as well, water entered the hole through the gate and people was happy. Lady Shousui was there as well, although Noir could tell that she was not real. The noblewoman had a different vibe and expression from what she had now, as if something was possessing her. Not only that, now that she could see the different side of Yakuroro, she was thinking about the same thing about him being possessed by an unknown force.

She came into a conclusion that perhaps, without any magician worked to provide water to these poor villagers, then they would not survive. Noir was not sure if she have enough magoi to actually do the same thing as what Yakuroro and Lady Shousui used to do, but she could try to help. Moreover, the scene showed that the cheer quickly died down when they realized the water was not nearly enough to suit all their needs and that certainly made the magician started to make her own decision.

A soft sighed escaped her peach colored lips as she took the staff that she slung on her back and pointed it upwards. She slowly whispered to the rukh, commanding them to produce water. Slowly, on the tip of the girl’s staff, a small ball of water was forming and it kept growing into a much bigger water ball. Soon, as she poured more and more of her magoi, the water danced above like a long dragon. She began to pant for a little bit because she spent too much magoi in a very short time but she knew she would need to give more magoi to produce enough water for the irrigation system. The water that she produced would start to enter the grate and she would fill it more and more until it was enough for all the farms. The girl, didn’t use to spent that much magoi would be on her knees as soon as she done and panting as if she was just finished doing a harsh drill. But hopefully the water was useful…


Magoi: 180/480
OOC: Spent 300 magoi to provide the water

The first of Noir's questions had gone unanswered, Lady Soushui acting as if she simply hadn't even heard the girl ask it. As for the second, Soushui plainly stated that she was a blue magician but had a keen interest in life magic as well. Neither of the questions would end up giving Noir information that might serve her any good at determining why she had been taken here. But as Noir fell to her knees from exhaustion after producing a large amount of water for the farmers, the reason would finally be made clear.

"Whoa! That was amazing!"

A young voice sounded from behind Noir as a wide eyed boy ran up to Noir's side. He couldn't have been more than 8 or 9 years old from the looks of it a he had a head of blue hair. There was a strange jewel with a magic circle embedded into his forehead and he wore simple but clean rags. "I've never seen someone other than mom with so much magoi!" The youth exclaimed in surprise. However, he seemed to remember something and then suddenly crossed his arms and took on a slightly more arrogant tone. "Although, I tooootally could have done that too if mom would let me use magic. I AM a water magician after all!" The child seemed rather sure of his statement as he stood there feeling rather proud of himself as he tried to look solemn and "cool" by making a serious face. If Noir looked closely, she would find that the boy looked somewhat...familiar.

Looking Closely:

It was then that Lady Soushui's voice rang out, "Yakutetsu, I told you not to run ahead just because we have a guest. You are nobility and must present yourself accordingly at all times." Her voice was stern as she strolled into the courtyard coming to a stop a short distance away. "Yes mother, I apologize..." The boy said with a sigh looking rather deflated compared to his previous energy. The child walked over to Lady Soushui and bowed to her lightly before turning and facing Noir to properly introduce himself.

"Hello miss, I'm Yakutetsu Soushui. It is a pleasure to meet you."

The boy gave a polite bow and spoke in a much more controlled manner with his tone being steady and clear of emotion. Lady Soushui nodded in approval and then tapped the child on the back letting him know that it was alright to investigate the animals he'd been eyeing for the past few moments. A smile broke out on his face and he rushed over to Haku before stopping a meter away and looking at the large beast cautiously, reaching out slowly to try and pet him.

Lady Soushui then slowly walked closed over to Noir with a mysterious smile on her face. "I'm sure you have questions. You can ask them."

The black haired girl looked behind her after she heard a voice of a young boy, she was just noticed that his amazement was directed to her right after he mentioned that he never see someone other than his mom with a lot of magoi. She wondered who was the mother of this boy because if there was another magician who has a lot of magoi, then why she didn’t help with the water for the irrigation system. Noir smiled when the young boy started to brag about himself but she put her hand to her lips, covering her smile because it soon turned into a soft chuckles. However, the more she looked at him, the more she thought she had seen him somewhere before. If not, then perhaps someone that she knew looked similar like this boy and there was only one person who was in her mind.

The strange orb on his forehead was unusual and she couldn’t help but to feel curious about the orb. However, his blue hair… that kind of gaze and… the affinity with the water magic…'Maybe Yaku—' Lady Shousui’s voice snapped her out and made her even surer that the person in her mind had something to do with this child based from…this boy’s name even though it could be a coincidence. Not only that, the child called her ‘mother’ and that instantly made what Noir thought about another magician with a lot of magoi before answered. It seemed that she was the only strongest magician in this area…

“It is a pleasure to meet you as well, my name is Noir. This fox is Kuzunoha and that liger is Haku.” She would pet the little fox that was standing on her shoulder and Haku who was sitting near the irrigation gate would growl but not in an offensive way, it was just his way to greet someone else. The moment that the boy rushed over to Haku, she knew that her liger wouldn’t just go ahead and be all alarmed. However just in case, she flicked her thumb and index finger together so the liger knew that he could let Yakutetsu to pet him if the boy wanted it.

“Umm…” The golden eyed girl gave Lady Shousui her attention back and tried to think about how she should ask the questions that she had in her mind. Not to mention that the noblewoman kept giving her a cold shoulder or short answer when she tried to ask about something. “So you and Yakuroro are married?”

Lady Soushui raised her eyebrow and simply stared at Noir for a moment, stunned by her response. In the meantime, the boy seemed to enjoy the feel of Haku's fur and began to pet the beast with a look of excitement on his face. It didn't take more than a couple breaths of time for Soushui to recover though. Blinking, the noblewoman cleared her throat and then gave Noir a solemn look, "No, my dear. He and I were never in any kind of relationship aside from fellow pupils. This child is not a normal boy. He is a life form made from magic using all the knowledge I have...He is my masterpiece." She was speaking too quietly for Yakutetsu to hear her words as she stared at him lovingly.

There was a sudden change in the atmosphere however as Lady Soushui took on a devilish smirk and shot Noir a look with eyes like daggers, "He is the only thing left of Yakuroro in this world, and he is MINE. Do you understand?" Black rukh began to appear around Lady Soushui as she hissed threats at Noir, "My son is dead, Yakuroro is dead, but their legacy lives thanks to me. Fate has failed to take them from me fully. One day, my boy will grow up to be the greatest magician in the world, when that time comes, you will know your place as a mere worm beneath his feet. A tool to be used. I've chosen you to be his slave, THAT is why I have brought you here~"

“A slave?” The black haired girl gave the noblewoman a stare, her flat tone changed into a tensed up one. Lady Shousui had brought her here after going through some kind of difficulties such as using magic to kidnap her and her beasts, only to make Noir as a tool to be used…for Yakutetsu. Noir thought that the woman must be joking, but she knew that Lady Shousui didn’t mean it as a joke. But there was plenty of people that she could use as a slave here, why need her, someone who was a stranger for her to look after her child. “I apologize but I have to refuse. I was once a slave and now I am free, I do not wish to become one anymore.” The girl assumed that probably her answer would lead to the noblewoman’s rage, but she worked so hard to be free and if she needed to give up her freedom again, she wouldn’t want it. The black rukh fluttering around the woman as she spoke her words, something that Noir was already getting used to due to being around those people with enormous amount of black rukh so many times. Although she could say that Yakuroro’s black rukh was pitch black compared to the other, she could be wrong about that though.


“If he wants to become a great magician, then I wouldn’t say anything because it is what he wants to be.” Haku who noticed the threat coming from the older magician decided to shrug Yakutetsu from him and dashed to Noir, standing beside her as if he wanted to be her shield if somehow his master would be attacked. Kuzunoha tensed up as well as she stood on Noir’s shoulder, but she waited for the black haired girl, knowing that she would command her if it was necessary. “However, I want to be the strongest, not only in the term of power but also in knowledge. Being his tool would prevent me to achieve what I want, so please find another people who would be your child’s slave…” To think that she interacted with someone who looked at other people like they were a lowlifes compared to them made her sick, anger quickly noticed and made its move to invade Noir’s heart. She hated slavery and the more she thought about it, the more anger that she could feel inside.

Her irises, once was golden bright, shifted into crimson blood and she shot a cold glare to Lady Shousui as she waited for her to respond. Of course… it would be Noir’s disadvantage if Lady Shousui chose to use violence because most of her magoi was being used to cast water into the irrigation system, but what could be better than giving a fight against something that you didn’t agree.

WC: 470

There was no anger in the noblewoman's expression as she listened to Noir's refusal. Only a mocking smile as if to say that regardless of the girl's protests, she would not have a choice in the matter. Yakutetsu was in the background pouting at the fact that his fluffy new fur ball had left, but he had been taught not to eavesdrop on his mother's conversations so he did not follow. Instead the boy turned and walked over to the other side of the courtyard looking at some weeds that were sprouting up through cracks the stone flooring. "Your ambitions are beyond your reach, my dear. I had mastered all the magic types and killed countless men by the time I was your age. Can you claim the same? And you wish to be the strongest? Fufufufu~ Your fate is already set to be one of despair and disappointment, I can tell from that look in your eyes...you are different. Something abnormal. Now that I look closer, I can see it more clearly...you've been experimented on with life magic! You would never achieve your dreams out there on your own following fate's whims. But if you stay with Yakutetsu, I can promise you will break those chains of fate. Perhaps you can be strong some day if yo-"

A loud pounding sound cut Lady Soushui off as the large double door gate to her estate shook. Another massive bang, followed by another, then a fourth which prompted the wooden bar holding the gate shut to shatter. The doors flung wide open and soldiers suddenly poured into the courtyard. Yakutetsu ran to his mother's side and Lady Soushui narrowed her gaze as she looked up to see six magicians fly overhead. In moments they were surrounded and an officer stepped forward with a bamboo scroll marked with the imperial seal. "By decree of the Emperor, Lady Soushui is hereby stripped of her lands and title! She has been found guilty of neglecting her duties as a noble of Kou and is to be detained in order to stand trial!" The officer held the scroll up for all to see and then gestured for the soldiers to take Lady Soushui into custody.

The men seemed to not even notice Yakutetsu's existence as they stepped forward and took Lady Soushui by the arms. She gave no resistance and held a smile on her face as if this were all according to her own plans. Lady Soushui turned and smiled at Noir, staring deeply into her eyes. "If you stay here in Kou, you will soon come to understand that fate is cruel and without mercy. Unless you cast it off and join my son, you will never know happiness." She then walked forward accepting the bondage of her capture. Yakutetsu also looked at Noir with an odd expression. He smiled at her too, as if he wasn't the least bit concerned with what was happening. Smiling to himself, the child walked after her mother, no one else present seemingly capable of seeing or hearing him. It was almost as if the boy were a figment of Noir's imagination had Soushui not confirmed his existence.

Another soldier approached Noir and her beasts looking somewhat wary of the magician girl. "I'm sorry, but Emperor Yoshiro is reclaiming this estate. We will need you to leave. However, would you mind identifying yourself?"

Noir tensed up a bit when the noblewoman said that she had mastered all the magic types, but she tried to stay calm and breathe steadily. She tried to make herself feel better mentally by planting in her mind that she was being isolated from the outside world for several years. She could have learn all of it if only she was not being enslaved most of her life, perhaps Lady Shousui had the privilege to freely learn magic and living her life since she was a noble and not a slave like her. Just when she wanted to cut the woman’s words, Noir stopped herself from doing so. Lady Shousui’s next words made her give more thoughts about it and the girl was surprised, she slightly doubted the woman’s word but she wanted to know why she said that in the same time. She decided to listen more to what the older woman wanted to say, until some soldiers barged into the manor suddenly and cut Shousui’s words.

The whole thing that was happening at the moment was strange, the noblewoman was being stripped from her noble title and was getting arrested now. The child, Yakutetsu, was unnoticed as if he was unseen by other people other than Noir and Lady Shousui, making her thought that perhaps the woman had been using some kind of magic and creating something that was similar to an illusion. But she had no time to shut up, she need to know more.

“WAIT!”

She shouted at the top of her lungs, hoping that the soldier who was gripping the woman’s arms would give them more time although she was now ignoring the soldier who was asking her a question. “What do you mean by being experimented by life magic? What do you know about…” As she tried to stack her words together in her mind as she tried to choose from the countless words floating in her head, there was a word that she wanted to say even though she didn’t know why. “…About why my eye color could change to red? Is that because of a life magic too?”

Whether or not the woman had the chance or the will to answer Noir’s question, the girl would wait. However she would still answer the soldier’s questions with a slightly annoyed tone, implying that they barged into the manor in a wrong time. “I am a magician from Magnostadt, my name is Noir and I don’t know where I should head to because I was being brought here by Lady Shousui...”

It as a shame Noir hadn't taken the chance to cut Lady Soushui off with the defense that she had been a slave. Soushui would have gladly told the girl that she too had been a slave. That her nobility was earned through blood. Perhaps if Noir asked the right questions of someone high up in the Kou government, she would lean of this some day. However, now that the soldiers had arrived, Lady Soushui was holding her tongue and looking back to Noir with that sultry smirk that said she was in complete control of the situation. It was as if the entire ordeal had been designed by Soushui in order to give her an excuse to ignore Noir's pleas for an answer.

When the magician first ignored the soldier's question to call after Soushui, two spears would cross in front of her to block her path in case she tried to approach the prisoner. Then the soldier insisted she answer his question. Once the girl told them who she was, the soldier made a grim expression and looked somewhat cautious. "I'm sorry ma'am, but if you want to speak to the prisoner, you will need to get approval of a minister in the capital. Kou is a dangerous place right now, we are in the midst of a civil war. It is probably best if you return home to Magnostadt..." The soldier spoke in a vert respectful tone, clearly fearful of offending Noir. The last thing his country needed was an outside threat during their time of internal strife.

The black haired girl gritted her teeth, feeling upset that she wasn’t able to get the answer from Lady Shousui. Not only that, the expression that the noblewoman had when she looked at her with that sultry smirk made Noir became more upset because it was as if the noble had set this things up. She stared at the spears that was blocking her path and she took her time listened to the soldier who was now explaining about how she could speak to the prisoner. Perhaps if she tried to do what the soldier said, it would give her a chance to talk with Lady Shousui. However, it turned out that the rumor about civil war in Kou was true. Clearly it was not a good time for her to be there at the moment because she might somehow getting involved in the war, perhaps it was the last thing that she wanted to happen due to the fact that she didn’t know the situation and all.

However Noir began to wonder if she should just get involved into the war to be able to communicate with the higher ups, maybe it could work even though the chances were low. As she tried to make up her mind, she would ask a few questions towards the soldier, “I understand. But I cant got back to Magnostadt now, I need to speak with Lady Shousui about an important matter… Tell me, how can I reach the capital from here? And how could I get approval from a minister?” Noir would pause for a bit as she finally made up her mind before continuing, “Also… would it be easier to get the privilege to speak with a prisoner if I support your Emperor? If yes, tell me the situation.” It might sound impossible for the girl to be able to say that, but she was willing to go into any kind of situation in order to be able to speak with the noblewoman. Giving a helping hand to get a small benefit wouldn’t hurt… maybe…

The soldier took a step back looking somewhat bewildered by Noir's barrage of questions, though the spears that had been held up in front of her by other soldiers had now withdrawn since she didn't seem to be a threat. Magicians floating overhead still had their staffs trained on her just in case though. The soldier gave Noir an apologetic look as he answered her.

"Getting to the capital is an easy matter. Just follow the main roads east. But as for the minister...I'm sorry, but I can't help you. You're clearly a foreigner and we are currently at war. There is no time for our government officials to spend on the pleas of an outsider. It doesn't matter if you say you support Emperor Yoshiro. Those are just words unless you back them up with action."

The soldier would then give Noir a slight bow before giving his regards, "We have to escort the prisoner now. If you wish to support our Emperor's cause then simply look for an imperial outpost and ask if they need anything. Farewell." The man then turned and left following after the soldiers that had Lady Soushui. Other soldiers followed him and after a moment, the magician's up above turned and joined the prisoner transport.

The soldier was right and Noir understood it fully, once she got into the capital and learned about the situation of the war, she would start to use her strength and knowledge to at least support Yoshiro somehow. She got plenty time to think as she traveled to the capital, so she would take out her flying carpet and mount it before commanding both Haku and Kuzunoha to board it as well. The magoi that the magician poured to the carpet gave it power and it would began to float, starting to fly the party with Noir’s control. The black haired girl sighed, to think that she would need to be involved in a war only to talk to someone. But this was a good chance to find out what the noblewoman meant when she said that Noir was experimented. Not only that… finding out more about that might let her know more about her family… she didn’t know why she could think like that but the thoughts just popped up in her mind somehow.

[EXIT]