That night, Kotori was awoken by a commotion at their door.
Her father with sleepy eyes walked to the door and wondered who would knock on at this late an hour.
When he opened the door his body stiffened when he saw the visitors were. Standing at the door was a group of men with swords at their hips.
Her father audibly gulped.
"Hello, do you men need anything?"
One of them smirked and spoke
"It's tax time"
Her father looked confused.
"Taxes at this hour? You must be mistaken"
The man looked bored
"No mistakes here, it's tax time, Unless of course, you aren't going to pay"
He threateningly waved his sword hilt at Kotori's father
Her father balked at the gesture.
"O... Of... Course we'll pay. how much?"
His face was filled with worry. They had spent much of the money they had on supplies yesterday and were waiting for the spring harvest. This sudden need for taxes was unusual considering that tax season was typically in early spring.
"Ten gold"
Her father's face which was already unsteady went completely white in shock.
"C-can we take some time to gather that amount." he stammered
Kotori knew that the amount the guard gave was completely unreasonable. For, one her family usually only used copper coins in basically all transactions. The most money she ever saw was the one silver coin her father used to pay their yearly taxes. She knew that her family had nowhere near enough money to akin to gold coin levels of value. Let alone the ten gold coins the man was asking for.
"M-Might I ask what the new count would need this money for"
"Restitution" the man answered "A small little bird hurt our plaything"
With this line, Kotori and her family instantly knew that the purpose of these men's visit was not about taxes at all. Apparently, Kotori's actions in the village had angered the count to the point where he wanted to make an example out of her and her family.
Kotori herself felt a lot of guilt. She was only trying to do the right thing. But it seems that her actions had caused more harm than good.
Her father tried to protest
"You must be mistaken, we didn't do anything that man"
The man snarled
"You're calling me a liar! That man escaped tonight"
"We promise we didn't touch him" Her father argued
"You sent your spawn to loosen the bindings! All of you trash are in on it."
Kotori could not understand these claims, All she did was feed him a little meat. She didn't do anything to his bindings.
Her thoughts were interrupted by her father being pushed out of the doorway and thrown to the floor.
Her mother screamed.
"Please!" Her father pleaded "just give us time"
The man scoffed
"Just for you to not pay?"
Her father was silent. He had no response to that fact. He himself had realized that this was never meant to end well for them.
He pulled out his sword
"Filthy peasants who can't pay deserve to be punished." The man stepped towards Kotori's mother and her brother his sword held menacingly.
Her father stood in their way trying to block him
"Hana take the kids and run," he said trying to push away the man
The man slashed Kotori's father. He collapses in a heap next to Kotori. A wicked crimson gash laid across his chest, from his nape to his waist.
"Run" he whispered, right before life flickered from his eyes.
Kotori watched this senseless scene of violence with horror. She watched as the life of the man who taught her the flute and the man who often gave her piggyback rides was extinguished so easily. Like a pig to slaughter.
Her body felt paralyzed as the man and his cronies approached them.
She had to do something fast
Kotori grabbed the small reed flute her father gave her and began to play. She didn't know what she would be able to do. But this was the only way she could fight.
She began to play a song, a song she didn't understand quite yet but a song nonetheless. It was a song with no rhyme or reason. A song that she was never taught, but still she played it.
She felt her mana explode out from her and a shrieking tone was played from the flute
The men all held their hands to their ears obviously in pain.
The tone only lasted for a few seconds before Kotori's mana reserves were completely exhausted.
A voice resonated in her head
Skill acquired! [Magic Musician] has become permanent!
Once it ended the men slowly removed their hands from their ears in bewilderment for a moment they were stunned. Shocked at what she just did.
Only for a moment though…
They approached Kotori again at which point her mother attempted to get in their way as her father did, and she was cut down in much the same way. Now with both their parents lying in a heap on the floor the men got even closer.
Kotori feebly raised the flute to her mouth again.
This gave the men some pause. But once they saw her condition and the fact she was physically trembling they carefully approached.
Kotori, feeling her body screaming at her, used every ounce of will to once again play her flute, and was able to make another screeching tone, at the cost of all her strength.
She felt her legs give out under her and saw her brother grabbed by the men.
Kotori was starting to feel her consciousness slip as a result of extreme mana exhaustion.
As her vision blackened the last thing she was was the prone body of both her parents splayed on the ground a small trickle of red blood coming from them. Staining the floor of their family house with a crimson red.
A sense of great sadness overcame her and then she heard a voice.
"Potential Skill gained [Desire of Monte Cristo]"
[I don't care about my skills]
Her hand gripped the reed-flute her father gave her
There would be no more flute lessons,
The only thought in her mind was the image of her parent's bodies.
She cursed the world.
She cursed the new counts.
She cursed herself for not being strong enough.
She felt her heart boil with anger, as her consciousness slipped away from her.
"Potential Skill [Desire of Monte Cristo] removed!"
"Trait gained! [Monte Cristo]!"
Sato Kotori
Race: [Human] Age: 5
HP: 10
Mana: 10 (+5)
Agility: 6
Strength: 5!
Defense: 2
Karma: -100,009,972 (-10,000)!
Skills: [Magic Musician] (New)!, [Desire of Monte Cristo](Removed)
Traits: [Spirit Seer], [Monte Cristo](New)!