'I can't afford to be on the streets again...'Karra's mind was a mess as her emotions and rational thinking kept clashing the moment she realized that Felix wasn't joking around.She knew that it would be extremely difficult to become a servant of another spirit even with her price being this low due to her past.In the heavenly plane, spirits must have a place to stay as each day that went by and they had no home, a percentage of their own light gets liquified as a punishment.Karra's color had dropped to indigo because of this and she was going to drop to black color if she kept receiving those penalties.At the end of the path, she would end up kicked out of the heavenly plane and have her status occupied by someone more worthy."Speak." Felix pressured coldly, uncaring about her internal turmoil.Karra sat quietly across from Felix, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.
She was silent for a moment, her indigo eyes flitting between Felix's concerned gaze and the floor.Taking a deep breath, she began to speak, her voice barely above a whisper."My former master...he wasn't kind," she began, her words halting and slow.Her gaze dropped down to her hands, her knuckles white from how tightly she was gripping them.
"He was a noble, a man of influence...well respected in the city.
People would bow in his presence, and speak highly of him in the streets.
But behind closed doors..."She paused, a small shudder running through her.
She looked up at Felix, her eyes reflecting an ocean of sorrow and pain.
"He would threaten me, saying if I dare to report him, he would ensure I would never find a master again.
He would use his influence to tarnish my reputation and leave me to survive on the streets.
No one would hire an outcast spirit..."A tear slipped down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away.
"He would flaunt his power, his connections.
I was just a servant, powerless against him.
It was...it was terrifying.
Every day was a struggle.
A struggle to serve, to obey, to survive..."Her voice trailed off, her gaze unfocused as she remembered the past, her body trembling slightly from the memories.It was a confession, a tale of abuse and fear, one that cast a shadow over the vibrant city they were in.It was a cruel reminder that even in a realm of spirits and grandeur, there was darkness lurking beneath the surface...When Felix saw her condition, he didn't push her for more details even when a lot of parts didn't make sense.Instead, he looked at her with an indifferent expression and said, "I am not gentle or kind, but I am not interested in abusing anyone.
So, just do your errands and chores, no one will dare touch you under my presence.""Now go make us something to eat, there is food in the fridge." Felix sent her away with a wave, sparing her at last."Oka...okay!" Karra wiped her tears and bolted into the kitchen.The moment she left, Felix turned to Sekiro and asked him, his eyes as cruel as a ravenous wolf."Tell me more about those 'nobles' and how can they mistreatment their reputation to keep servants down...Most importantly, why?""A noble is a term given to only governmental officials with more than 4% property in the city.
Astral is considered the capital city of the divine realm.
A noble possessing an entire 4% of property implies that he is considered one of the most authoritative figures in the entire city."Sekiro frowned, "But this makes no sense as there is no way a noble of such high status will be an abuser or hire such a low-ranked spirit as a servant.""It does make sense if Karra used to be an orange-ranked spirit or higher and was forced to downgrade into indigo because of him." Felix stated coldly.Sekiro sucked a deep cold breath at his horrific statement, feeling shivers crawling down his spine.He wanted to retort, but he found no words as his defending the noble implied taking Karra as a liar...Her entire demeanor matched an abused victim to mistake her for a fraud.But at the same time, a rank fall from orange or red to indigo was unimaginable as it would require liquidation of close to a hundred thousand Lumus if not more, which translated to a million Lumus in reverse to regain the same rank!"He must have thrown her out and used his authority to keep her from finding either a house or a job to support herself." Felix uttered expressionlessly, "With the punishments imposed on a daily basis, she found herself at indigo rank.""If your theory is right, then we have offended this noble by hiring his blacklisted spirit." Sekiro uttered with a stern tone, "No wonder no one wanted to touch her even with a fifty Lumus a month's price.""Must be.""What do we do now?"Felix sat on the couch and turned on the tv...Then, he switched the channels with an indifferent expression."About what?" He asked.
"If we don't, we will suff.."Ring Ring!Before he could finish his sentence, the doorbell rang twice across the living room, causing Sekiro's scales to tighten in dread."Check who is it," Felix ordered indifferently, not bothering to even stand up from his couch."What do I say if it's them?" Sekiro asked with a stern tone."Bring them to me.""Mmm."Without delay, Sekiro went to the door.
The moment he opened it up, he was met with two pairs of ember-red eyes, belonging to two wolfish spirits, their forms hued a fierce, crimson red.They were tall and broad-shouldered, their human-like bodies muscular and intimidating, wreathed in smoky tendrils of scarlet energy."Are you the owner of this apartment?" the one on the right asked, his voice a gravelly echo that seemed to vibrate the air around them."Isn't polite to introduce yourselves first before asking such intrusive questions?" Sekiro said, his eyes unwavering.The spirit on the left chimed in, his voice a higher pitch, yet no less menacing, "We belong to the Red Fangs Organization that owes this entire apartment complex.
We have received news that a blacklisted spirit is being housed here.""So, please don't cause either of us any unnecessary trouble and kick her out.
Otherwise, you will be thrown out with her and get blacklisted as well."They prowled forward in unison, their ethereal forms casting disturbing shadows on the wallpaper of the apartment.Just as Sekiro wanted to respond, Felix's voice echoed from the depth of the apartment."Bring them in.""Please." Sekiro opened the door to the limit and welcomed them with an extended hand, not bothering himself to speak any further.Knowing that he wasn't the boss, those two ignored his existence and walked to the living room.When they noticed Felix chilling on the couch with an indifferent attitude, it got slightly on their nerves.But, they didn't come here to cause a scene but to deliver a message.But just as they wanted to repeat what they said before to Sekiro, Felix opened his mouth and disclosed."Before you say anything foolish, check the name of who leased the apartment."'Hmm?''What is he talking about?'ƥandasnovel.com The two red fang members glanced at each other and then at Felix with confused expressions.However, seeing his casual attitude made them somewhat nervous that he was a attendant of a big shot and they would be causing trouble for themselves.Thus, one of them swiftly brought up all the leases of his complex and pressed on the one belonging to this apartment.The moment he scrolled down the contract and saw the signed name at the bottom, his fur stood up, his slits widened, and his heart almost stopped beating at once.'What's wrong wi...Huh?'The moment his partner glanced at the name, he ended up freezing in the same manner."Now that you understand, beat it, and don't come knocking on my house ever again." Felix waved his hand at them and returned to watching the tv to educate himself...