"Marquess Gridon! I beg you, if you raise the tax much higher, we will starve to death for the coming winter!" Huston bowed several times on the white marble floor. His head was already bleeding, but he would not stop. As the representative of their Sulkira village, this was the only thing he could do.
Many young girls had already vanished from their village. Many parents were suffering from depression as a result of this. Not only that, but the tax they used to pay once a week was reduced to once every three days. And the price kept rising with each tax deadline! At this rate, forget about starvation; they would be dead long before winter arrives!
"Please, I beg you!" He pleaded and cried some more.
Marquess Gridon sneered at the scrawny men in front of him. He took a big bite out of the roasted chicken leg in front of him, then spitted the bone at the man.
"Who allowed this destitute to enter my noble residence?" The Marquess' words jolted Huston. But he clenched his fist even tighter and kowtowed even more.
"Please have mercy on your people!" Huston's voice became more desperate.
"Have mercy, you say?" The marquess snorted. "You peasants should be grateful that I let you live peacefully here. We protected your small village from monsters and bandits. And you should be appreciative that you were able to contribute to the empire even with a pittance."
"Hahaha, I see again with this dumb royalty and this useless empire," Huston's voice became severe.
"What did you say?! Pauper?! Who do you think you are speaking to the empire these treacherous words! Knights, seize this man and put him on the gallows this instant!"
The knights had already begun their moves to seize Huston when the massive door opened. Another knight entered, panting heavily.
"My lord! My lord! The dark dungeon got infiltrated!"
"Incompetent unworthy knights! First, lock the man!" As he stood up, Marquess was smoking. The girls on his side trembled as he looked ready to erupt sooner or later. His face was full of fury.
As the knights got closer to Huston, he burst out laughing. "Hahaha! I can't believe it, the young girl actually performed what she claimed."
They all stared at Huston, who laughed like a lunatic. "I can't reject her now for the construction of the ship."
"What are you waiting for?! Take that man in an instant!" The Marquess became enraged. With that said, the knights awoke from their stupor.
"Just come with us silently!" They demanded.
But then Huston pulled something out from his sleeves. It was a black card with silver linings. "Ahh, my lord, you've got the wheel of fortune turned around." Huston's torn brown shirt and soiled brown slacks began to fade. It evolved into a crimson-red striped, slim-fit suit with a two-button jacket and red tapered pants. His inside outfit changed to a white club-collar dress shirt paired with red lace-up leather shoes.
"Marquess Gridon, you seemed to have poor luck today." Huston's brown hair turned black, and his dull brown eyes changed into a vivid shade of green. He held a crimson top hat in his hand and donned it.
"A shapeshifter?"
"No, a Conceptor! He's a magician! Everyone, be cautious!" The head of knights yelled as they unsheathed their swords and pointed towards him.
Marquess Gridon turned to face the guy in front of him. "You're not the scrawny pauper from before. Who are you?"
"Oh, fascinating. I thought you were already jaded by all your pleasures. But, as you could expect from a former Taleba general and Blue Tiger of the Tigris Tribe, you can already know that I'm not Huston."
"Your scent has altered," Marquess Gridon's hand began to develop claws, and fangs emerged from his lips. He is a shapeshifter who can transform into a Tiger.
"Hah, the beast tribe's famed keen sense of smell, huh?" The red man adjusted his hat.
"I've already returned Huston to his town. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nicholas Grandez." The red-clad young guy bowed. "I'm just a normal magician who enjoys tasting the anguish of corrupted individuals like you," Nicholas' aura grew ominous, causing the knights surrounding him to break out in cold sweat. With madness in his eyes, he gazed at the marquess.
'This sensation...' Marquess Gridon felt as if he was gazing down at the terrible reaper. His instincts as a shapeshifter beast told him that this man was deadly. 'How can it be, he's already a 6th Tier Shapeshifter! He can't possibly be stronger than this unknown person!' But, as a seasoned commander, he knew better than anybody that the lack of certainty is what makes things difficult and dangerous. 'But, whatever you do, don't exhibit any signs of weakness in front of an enemy!'
Marquess Gridon lunged the first attack. With his claws, he intended to stab the red-clad. But Nicholas evaded him swiftly.
Nicholas took out a second card from his sleeves. "You're quick, but I'm a little disappointed. I expected you to show me more than this." Nicholas took a couple of steps back. "The Ten of Swords is your second card. Marquess, you will be beaten today."
A deck of cards whirled around him, Marquess Gridon was unable to move quickly. "You're a Manipulator as well!" The Marquess gritted his teeth.
"That's correct, I'm both a Conceptor and a Manipulator," Nicholas said flatly to the Marquess.
"Marquess!" The knights yelled. "Grab him!" The leader of the knights gave the order. They charge at him all at once. Their blades are only an inch away from Nicholas, but they are held back by his cards.
Nicholas shook his head in dissatisfaction. "When did the empire's knights sink this low, banding together against one person?" He let out a long sigh and flicked his fingers. The cards that were blocking the knight's sword began to shine in a bright violet light.
"This is not a possibility! He's already a 7th-tier mage! Arghhh!" The knights were thrown all over the place as the cards deflected their swords.
"Damn!" The Marquess attempted to free himself from the cards that encircled him. He assaulted it, but it was like an iron wall of cards that was impossible to shatter.
"Now that they're gone, it's time to lay the tiny kitty to rest." In reaction to Nicholas' words, Marquess Gridon shivered.
"You! Please let me go! And fight me in a fair and square combat! You already said that you were unsatisfied with my previous attack; if you release me, I'll show you what I'm capable of!" said the Marquess.
"Sorry, Marquess, I'll retract my statement. Shapeshifters' sheer strength will put me at a disadvantage. So just accept your fate and go on." Nicholas gestured with his index finger over his head. When the Marquess glanced up, he saw hundreds of cards above him.
"Those cards are as sharp as a genuine sword's blade. I'm curious what would happen if it poured on you? You know, if you need to defeat a beast, traps could always work too." When he heard what Nicholas stated, the Marquess' eyes widened in terror.
The Marquess directed all of his Lifa to his claws. It shone brightly with Lavender light. He intended to block all of this. But his heart trembled at the sudden thought that came from his mind. 'Will this be my death?'
'This is the end, ah the terrified look of someone like him is really the finest, I wanted him to suffer more in the end but...' Nicholas needed to calm down. He clutched the left side of his face. 'I think I should call it quits for the time being.' He took one more card from his sleeve and froze when he realized what it was.
"Eight of Swords?"
The door swung open again, revealing three hooded figures.
"Ah, what a wreck," said the person in the center. Because of her voice, people could tell she is a female despite her cloak.
"Enough, Sir Nicholas; that man will be apprehended shortly by someone, and we have fulfilled our end of the agreement; all the girls are now free. Thank you for providing us with a diversion."