For one reason or another, Ryuma didn't want Mera to go outside. Not with a smile like that. It was as if she was trying to tell him something.
The townspeople gathered outside as a group. Men and woman alike with nary a child around.
Ryuma snuck up under the window and put his ear to the door. He took care to mask his spirit energy just as he did so in the academy.
"We deign to come all the way down here for you mongrels, and this is what you have to offer," Based off the context of what was said, he could only assume that this came from the tithe collectors. A voice in which he couldn't recognize.
"Really? Although I'm surprised at all we could harvest anything from this dump," Another of them said. The voices varied, but the attitude wasn't that much different.
Ryuma grimaced. How could proud priest of the Skylands act like this? It made no sense. If Ryuma only didn't have a bounty on his head, he'd march right up to them and report them right to the higher ups.
He sighed once he remembered even without the bounty, he wasn't an official member of the order. It would be his word against theirs. He stayed quiet and listened in.
"We beg your forgiveness. We didn't expect another visit so early," A villager said, albeit with a shaky voice.
"You blame us for your lack of harvest after we of The Order risk our very bodies for the safety of you ungrateful surface walkers?"
Ryuma's eyes narrowed. He recognized this voice. He couldn't pinpoint where it came from, or from whence it came. He's seen collectors aplenty, and none sounded so sinister.
"That was not my intention dear captain. Please excuse our transgression. We humbly ask for mercy,"
The man sighed "Ughh… what am I gonna do with ya? I'm too much of a softy for a job like this," The captain said. "Well… it's my fault for choosing this as my retirement plan,"
{retirement plan…}
Ryuma was already balling his fist and gritting his teeth at the audacity of how these tithe collectors was acting. Hearing that, he instantly lost all the color in his face. His eyes shifted around looking for answers. No… it couldn't be.
Ryuma didn't want to believe it, but that comment was the only thing keeping his mind on the one man that told him that being a tithe collector was his retirement plan.
Ryuma dared to look over the window, risking exposure, and sure enough, the man that helped raised his development in the Skylands. He grew up with him and saw nothing but jolly happiness whenever he seen him.
Captain Geneo Taku. The big bear of a man who would always crack harmless jokes. Always teased the boy with talking with females. The man who would always reassure him that everything was going to be all right growing up.
He was everyone's uncle up in Rebble. For him to see Mr. Taku out here talking to people like they were the worms beneath his boots. Ryuma couldn't fathom it.
But this was the reality.
Ryuma lost all the strength in his legs. He fell to his knees, knocking a pot on the ground and having it make a loud clang sound.
He hurried and stopped it from bouncing and making further sounds in hopes that the three outside didn't hear it.
It went silent.
"What was that noise in your house Castor?" Mr. Taku asked.
"It was probably a raccoon that found itself inside. We get that from time to time," Castor said.
There was another bout of silence.
"Whatever… You should get a better box than that coffin over there. It's depressing to look at. Not that I can't say the same for your wife," Mr. Taku said.
Ryuma snuck a peek again. The disgusting, perverted look this man had, staring at Mera and the fact that Castor could only turn a blind eye to it.
This is it… This was reason as to why Castor hated The Order. It's because they get away with this.
No matter how Ryuma saw it, this couldn't be Mr. Taku's first time acting like this in the lower world. He did it so calmly, and it came so naturally, he's had to have been acting like this at least the majority of his life on this. Question is… how far was he willing to take this behavior?
In truth, he wanted to deny this was even happening, that this wasn't Rebble's childhood uncle everyone grew up with. But the reality in front of him… how could he save anyone, if he couldn't even confront the situation directly in his face?
"Well, the High Edicts will be up my ass about being short on tithes from this village. They are meticulous about these sorts of things, but I'm an easy-going guy, I guess I can take one for the team,"
{Lies… all lies. The Edict doesn't give a damn about Rebble.}
Ryuma tightened his fist to the point it started shaking. Whatever respect he had for the man was gone. He was a lowly piece of shit this whole time.
Mr. Taku glanced his direction causing him to duck down. He instantly masked his energy again. His anger almost got the best of him and Mr… no… Geneo Taku must have thought he sensed something.
If he wasn't careful, he was going to expose himself with his spirit energy. This time, Castor wouldn't be able to pass this off as some mere racoon.
He skeptically turned his attention back towards the villagers. "Oh you guys have no idea how much we protect the common folk from the edicts wrath you know. I think me and my boys should be… rewarded," He licked his lips after saying that.
None in the village dare looked them in the eyes. It was a tacit compliance with their insinuation whilst not drawing direct attention towards themselves.
There were only three collectors here today, and an abundance of girls to choose from. If they don't attract their ire, there was a chance it wasn't going to be them.
"Nooooo!!!" Both boys went and roughly grabbed a girl of their choosing, dragging them off kicking and screaming the whole way.
Instead of annoyance, it only seemed like more of a turn-on for them. For out of all the people here, nobody lifted a finger to stop them.
Why???
It was the cold question Ryuma would ask himself. Why did they just take it? Girls as young as fourteen were being forced to pleasure grown men against their will.
Even as the screams and cries echoed from where the woman were dragged, the men of the village did nothing to alleviate the girl's lament.
He couldn't tell, whose soul it killed more. Their eyes seemed dead to the world.
"We… thank you for your kind protection, Captain Geneo Taku," Castor said.
Geneo walked up closer to him. "You're thanking me too soon Castor. Why if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to get rid of me,"
Even from here, Ryuma could tell that all the color drained from the man's face turning him pale blue. "Not at all. You're welcome to our village anytime you like," His voice autonomous, almost robotic. Like he knew what he was to expect next.
"Ahh, I see. A most splendid host you are. Then you won't mind that I'll be borrowing your bed," Geneo glared at him.
Castor said nothing. He neither refuted nor opposed the implications. He even refused to even look in Geneo's direction.
"I asked you a question… you won't mind me borrowing your bed now, would you?" Geneo asked again with a little more aggression in his voice.
Castor could barely keep his emotions in. His own fist was balled up to the point of trembling. "Not at all Captain Taku. You do us a wonderful service,"
The rest of the village was on edge from the tension between the two.
Satisfied with his answer, Geneo patted his shoulder. "Humble man I see. Thinks of the people first. Don't worry. I'll be sure to be gentle,"
He took hold of Mera's hand and led her toward the cabin Ryuma resided in. Castor, refusing to look in Geneo's direction, couldn't see the longing look Mera gave him as she was being dragged off.
Still hiding his spirit energy, Ryuma hid in the part of the attic that was right above their bedroom. Without even looking, he could tell that Castor was spilling tears from what he knew was going to happen to his wife.
And so he stayed silent and stealthy.
Never in all his life did he think he was going to use his stealth to hide from the order. He assumed he'd be using it to hide from demons.
Perhaps that statement was still true. He was still hiding from demons.
The door to their room swung open. There was a crack, wide enough for him to see through. Even though there was barely a wide range of vision, he got enough to see what was going on directly below him. He dared not move, however. Forget having his energy spotted, the wooden creaks of the attic would expose him enough.
Geneo shoved her in front of the bed. "Take em off," He ordered. Every hint of that false smile he had for the people, gone.
Mera hesitated, but slowly undressed. She removed every article of clothing and stood nude with a feint attempt to cover her exposed breast and womanhood. Geneo was having none of that. He shoved her on the bed, forcing her onto her back and started removing his own clothing.
Not a single tear was shed. Her eyes were dead and dried as if there were none left. She grimaced at seeing him exposed.
For a feint moment, Ryuma thought to himself how easy it would be to kill Geneo right here and now. Before the deed is done.
If he acted quickly, he could break through the ceiling and stab Geneo straight through all before he could even sense him.
Geneo may be stronger, but the element of surprise was in his favor. The question was… should he do it?
"Please… don't do it," Mera said. It was all she said. That's when Ryuma halted all thoughts on his assassination attempt
"Even if I don't at this point, what would it matter?" Geneo said. He put his hand on her stomach and caressed it. "That week I had you all to myself. We both know what's growing in you and to whom it belongs,"
Ryuma wanted to throw up but kept from moving. She was giving him a hidden message not to do anything. But to find out she was pregnant from a method like this.
It was too much.
Her lips trembled when he said it. A tinge of emotion that was left, and a sore spot at that.
"That bother you? Well know that when you finally give birth, I'm going to lock another week with you. You will never be having that man's child. I'll make sure of it," That was enough to push her over the edge causing tears to flow out of her eyes. "There we go, that's what I like,"
Excited and ready, he pulled her legs closer and slid himself in between her. Not making a sound, she just wrapped her arms around his neck for comfort as he kept thrusting himself in and out.
Here it was. That drudged up feeling of powerlessness from when he was a kid came spiraling up again. A trauma that still haunts him. Geneo's raping was making him feel that very same feeling as an eight-year-old.
He pushed in one final time and released everything he had into the young woman. She took everything he had without compliant or a cry. Just a moan of discomfort. The only sound left was the sound of heavy breathing.
But the only thoughts left, was the vow of vengeance. Geneo Taku was a demon in human skin. And if it was one thing the Skylands taught him how to do, it was to kill demons.