A brief yet powerful storm just hit Damorga. Lieutenant General Moranzo Hanning of the Imperial Guards pushed the huge floor-to-ceiling window in his office wide open, and the intoxicating, fresh air after the rain gushed into his office that was filled with the suffocating smoke of Kuban Cigars. If you were wondering why one would smoke Kuban Cigars so much, then the Captain of the Guards, Vick would definitely tell you this in the most direct way. "Fuck off, okay! Lieutenant General has had a really bad day today. Do you want to be sent to the labor camp or the ‘coal pit’? If you don’t want that, then fuck off! Fuck off as soon as you can!"
Captain Vick had always had a foul mouth. This was the underlying reason why he did not get promoted in rank even though he had been the confidential secretary in the Lieutenant General’s office for five years now. The Captain did not care too much about this matter. If he really wanted to, he would only need one word from his boss to get promoted into Major or maybe even Colonel. However, whenever his wife complained about this matter to him, he always habitually gave a big eye-roll to his Madame. "If I wasted this one chance to ask a favor from Sir Lieutenant General on this small matter, then that might as well mean I would have a dull future for the rest of my life!"
Captain Vick’s logic would surely prove its value in the near future. However, if his Boss and he were not able to deal with this emergency in the right way, then everything would just be a wishful daydream. The Sir Lieutenant General and he might as well become the new members of the prison they were managing now. In this case, the convicts would surely be more than welcoming to them.
Being one of the Lieutenant Generals of the Imperial Guards, Count Moranzo Hanning was one of the few generals that had never been to war, yet had made significant contributions to the Empire. But the Sir Count knew it very clearly himself, without the attention, care and favor given to him by His Majesty the Emperor and the good Sir from the East, there was no way he would have the status he had now. Speaking of his contributions towards the Empire, that was simply the official statement in the document. Lieutenant General Moranzo’s true identity was simply a prison warden. He was the prison warden of the largest prison in the Titan Empire, or even in the whole West World. In the sixteen scrolls of the memoirs of this Sir Count, we could clearly see how much pride he held for his prison. Of course, if he could not manage this list in front of him in an appropriate way, his memoirs would not even exist.
Oh yes. It was a name list on top of Sir Count’s red pinewood office desk. To be more specific, it was the name list of people who applied for special amnesty. If this list was put on the table of the Minister of Justice of the Empire, then its fate would be it ending up in shreds and thrown out of the window. However, His Majesty the Emperor of the Titan Empire gave the blank, still empty Amnesty Order, without words to Count Hanning in a rather heroic way in order to compliment the Sir Lieutenant General’s hard work in these past ten few years. At first, Moranzo was truly elated by the great honor of this job. But if he knew this was the situation that he had to face, surely the smart Sir Lieutenant General would plead for His Majesty the Emperor to take back his order no matter what. However, these were simply all the things that were happening in the Sir Lieutenant General’s brain. And the name list was still peacefully lying on the Sir Lieutenant General’s office desk, seemingly clueless of what chaos it might bring to the Titan Empire and Morisette Dynasty.
The Lieutenant General once again lit an extra-large Kuban Cigar. The pungent smoke lingered unwillingly in the air. The chilling, after rain breeze did not freshen up the Lieutenant General’s mind, but instead caused a stinging throb in his head instead. No matter what, he had to finish up this work. Finally, the Lieutenant General’s hopeless gaze fell once again back onto the few pages of paper that had a long list of names on them.
The first was the Number One enemy of the Empire. It was Wozakad Elladan, one of the generals in the Persian Empire in the east that were controlled by pagans. As a soldier, the Sir Lieutenant General was really impressed by this pagan general. But this did not mean that he would forget how dangerous this guy was. The reason behind this was the name of this general. Only the fiercest fighter that was recognized by the Pagan God of Battle could be granted the name of Elladan. Moreover, the Lieutenant General also knew that there were only three to five General Elladans in the faraway Persian Empire. If he let this General Wozakad out, it was basically the same as welcoming ten thousand cavalrymen into the Empire.
"Vick!" Sir Lieutenant General exclaimed. Oh God! This was only the first one.
"Yes! Sir, can I do anything for you?"
"Please help me prepare a cup of coffee. Black!"
"Sir, this is already the fifth cup today!"
"Yes, you are more aware about this than I am. Now Vick, please tell me, if I were to drown in anger and fear, what would happen?"
"Hmmm...Sir, I will prepare it for you right away!"
Vick slipped away in a seemingly embarrassed state. This was because he knew more than anyone that the people on that list...Oh! No, these dudes were not even human! With only one look at them, he would be forsaken by the God of Light Sapriuses.
Then, the second one was Doramy Basinger. Oh My God! It was Doramy Basinger! Wasn’t that the King of Sins? When sorting out his crimes, the Ministry of Justice of the Empire made more than six hundred different allegations. Without exaggerating, he had done all the things that the Titan Code of Law forbade the citizens to do. He was truly the King of Sins in the underworld. Can this kind of guy be let out?
For the third one, an extremely handsome yet strangely earnest face appeared in the Lieutenant General’s mind. It was the young grandson of the fallen family of Prime Minister Crete. He was a trickster by nature. A genius trickster by nature. His most ‘glorious’ trick was organizing an imposter diplomatic corps, going around every country in the west and spouting lies. He almost tricked the princess of the powerful Faran Empire. Could such scum that blasphemed the God of Light with his perpetual lies be let out into the rich, free world?
As for the fourth one, the Lieutenant General had never even heard of such a guy. Fourteen paladins were sacrificed in his arrest. The thing that caused the most trouble to the Ministry of Justice in the Empire was that they could not carry out the allegations against him. This was because all the evidence in his crimes were unclear. Moreover, he had no name, no nationality, nor even religion. There was no one who could prove his existence except for himself. Only his yellow skin and dark brown eyes could prove that he came from the faraway land of the east. It was a great civilization and wealthy land that was always blocked by the dangerous mountains and endless desserts. But this man from the east was not worth the respect of the people as he stained his hands with the blood of at least more than hundred lives. The reason why he was not executed in secret was because His Majesty the Emperor of Titan and a few powerful ministers of high status were interested in him. To be exact, they were interested in his occupation. He was an assassin. A top-rated assassin that came from a certain mysterious country in the east. Should this guy be released into the real world that was full of hot-bloodedness and money?
Alright! The fifth one! The respectable Sir Duke Cara Siva. He was one of the rare convicts that were sentenced to imprisonment in Damorga Prison but still kept their title. Moranzo very much respected this ex-Secretary of State of the Empire and infamous scholar. He could still recall the advice he received from this Sir when he served in the State Council. This was the person the Lieutenant General hoped to release the most in private. But would His Majesty and the Sir that now serves the State Council agree to this?
Then, the sixth one...
...
"Is Brother Oscar here?"
"Who is this?"
"It’s me. Domingo from the labor camp."
The heavy prison door swung open. Take note - It was swung open from the inside. The one who opened the door was a Madame that had an extraordinarily beautiful face and slim figure. "Oh, Domingo! Oscar’s been waiting for you. Quick, come in!"
Domingo respectfully saluted the noble Madame, then went into the huge cell. This Madame flashed a smile at the two soldiers who escorted Domingo. Their expressions were flattered.
This cell was at the top floor of the second fortress in Damorga Prison. Every time Domingo paid a visit to his friend, who was also his patron as well, he would exclaim wholeheartedly. This was the life of a noble! This cell was exceptionally huge. The master here even used limestone and planks to separate the cell into four different rooms. The furnishings in the room were all the most trending designs in the city now. The famous paintings on the wall and the exquisite porcelain on the shelf were all screaming of the uniqueness of the master of the cell. Even though this was a cell, this place was as sacred as the Dulin Scott Cathedral in the eyes of the many prisoners in the Damorga Prison!
Domingo respectfully saluted the master. This was Domingo’s habit. He was always polite and courteous, even when he beat up the prison guard that bullied his brothers in here. But the person he was meeting now was definitely exceptional. The one who sat comfortably on the reclining goose feather chair opposite of him that was little Oscar. He was the true King of the Damorga Prison! The boss of the Prisoner Self-Management Committee!
"Boss! I am here as a representative of all my brothers to visit you. Also, I brought you the last wish of one brother before his passing!"
"Ola! Domingo, I have no idea when you are going to stop being so careful around me. Thank you for all the good thoughts from the brothers. Please send my regards to them later. Now, we shall talk about the last wish of that brother, but you don’t have much time! You know, we are leaving this place real soon! There are so many things I haven’t even dealt with yet. Even Sir Count is not as busy as I am now!"
Domingo saw the smile in the young man’s eyes slowly spread. He wanted to be happy with the ‘Boss’ in his heart as well, but he would not dare to do so. The boss’ unpredictable moods and cunning nature were well-known throughout the area. Six years ago, he became the underling of this ‘boss’ who was six years younger than he was. But even until now, he still could not get a hang of his true thoughts and intentions. He could only look for signs of his emotions from some hints. So, he could only keep calm. At least, that was what seemed to be the case.
"Boss, you actually know this brother."
"Oh?"
The cautious Domingo realized that the good mood of Boss Oscar immediately disappeared!
"Uncle Cage. Uncle Cage had a heart attack last night. He only managed to give his last words before he passed away."
"Oh, heart attack huh?" Oscar pondered. He thought of his treasure chest. Inside were all the things Oscar had when he was young. He was still unwilling to throw them away even if he had grown up now. With his exquisite craft, Uncle Cage had custom made countless strange yet rare toys for Oscar. This kind uncle who had given his colorless childhood unexplainable happiness had now passed away. Oscar was reminiscing. The only thing he could was to reminisce. Ten years in this prison had made this fifteen-year-old young man lose worldly emotions such as grief, pity, sympathy and more. What he was familiar with were things that were even scarier than death! In comparison, Uncle Cage left this world peacefully.
After taking a deep breath, little Oscar resumed his confusing smile, not showing whether it was pleasurable or hateful. "Say, what did Uncle Cage wish for in the end?" At this moment, little Oscar was in his usual self: his chubby face brimming with confidence.
"Uncle Cage hoped that you would be able to grant his daughter, Miss Fenrar, her freedom!"
"Well then, my dear Domingo, do you think this request is asking too much?"
Domingo became more cautious. "Boss! I do not know what you are getting at, but surely you will understand. Uncle Cage did not have any exceptional wit or talent in martial arts. He can’t even get all the letters correct. He cannot be compared to the friends and alliance partners that you have."
Oscar smiled and waved at this loyal and cautious underling, indicating the end of their meetings.
As the true King of the Damorga Prison and the boss of the Prisoner Self-Management Committee, Oscar knew everything that transpired in this area. So obviously, this hinted at something fishy because he had just received the news of the passing of Cage Donaute, the master craftsman from the Norman Province. This was because there was no report of Cage having heart problems from the monthly health check-up. It seemed that there was a need to talk to Mr. Percy, the doctor in the Prisoner Self-Management Committee. To be specific, he was known as the "Poison Doctor".
Welcoming his guests in the same position, little Oscar, for some reason, really liked the reclining chair. As the rumor went, Oscar killed an opponent while he was sitting on this reclining chair in a casual and calm manner during a duel which was observed by the Prison Warden himself, Lieutenant General Moranzo Hanning.
Mr. Percy was a doctor. A doctor who had once misused a medicine and killed a lot of people. His doctors license had long since been void by the Supreme Court in the Empire, but he still claimed to be a doctor. "Poison Doctor" was simply his nickname. He personally did not care too much about this nickname and the allegations made by the Supreme Court. He was just one of the many other sinful criminals in Damorga Prison.
"Dear Doctor, will you be so kind as to explain to myself, the boss of the Prisoner Self-Management Committee, about what happened to Uncle Cage? Don’t act dumb about this, dear respectable Doctor. Anyone here would know that the number of people that were poisoned to death by your medicine much exceeds the number of people that you saved." Little Oscar smiled confidently.
"I am not lying to you, Boss. I am to be responsible for the death of Cage, but he drank the medicine on his own free will. Please take note of this, my respectable Boss. He was the one who asked me for all of this and I had no single reason to refuse him." Mr. Percy wiped the sweat off his face. He could easily kill a person without leaving a trace, but this did not mean that he was not afraid of death. When he heard Boss Oscar emphasize the Prisoner Self-Management Committee, he knew instantly that if he said one word that did not please the Boss, he would never see his beloved medicine again.
"What right do you have in Damorga to take the life of a prisoner? Do not try to get your way out of this with words, alright?" All of a sudden, Oscar became really furious. This was his special right. Except for the Juries in the Supreme Court of the Empire, anyone in Damorga who had the right to determine a person’s life or death, even God, had to give way to him. Even though Mr. Percy had more than once saved him from the verge of death, it did not allow him to violate Oscar’s nickname of "Balance".
Percy was really perplexed now. Now he finally believed that this young man whom he had saved countless times truly wanted to take his life, yet he did not know in what way he could defend himself. That was correct. He did pass the poison that was the mixture of many expensive medicines to Cage. He even taught Cage how to drink this medicine. "But, was it so wrong to fight for the freedom of his only daughter? I also had a daughter. If she was in Damorga, I would’ve done the same thing. Was it so wrong to sacrifice one’s life for the freedom of one’s beloved? Moreover, this completely was in line with the rules that you have made." Percy seemed to have put the matter of his life and death away. But, in truth, he could clearly feel the cold sweat dripping from his hair to his neck. This was simply uncomfortable. Standing in front of the young man, he did not dare move a muscle.
The young man’s full fury was about to explode. His pupils contracted and his body was twisting impatiently in the large reclining chair.
A Madame came between these two right at this moment. On her tray she held a red trout, a special dish from the North Sea which was thousands of miles away. Percy breathed a sigh of relief. And so did Oscar.
If there was one person who could stop Brother ‘Balance’ Oscar from doing anything, it would be none other than Antonia.
The Madame flashed a smile at this child whom she watched grow since young. Her smile that seemed as if able to forgive and accept anything in this world immediately resolved Oscar’s anger. This beautiful Madame who had stayed with him in Damorga Prison and cared for him wholeheartedly for so many years was Oscar’s lighthouse. The place where the Madame’s smile shone would forever be Oscar’s harbor. In Oscar’s heart, she was his mother and even lover. In fact, she was his lover.
Antonia had never interrupted Oscar’s conversations with his subordinates. Sometimes she even avoided them because what they discussed were mostly things that hurt others. But this time, it was different. This was because Antonia knew that there was nothing more important than freedom and great morality in this dark Damorga where the lines of right and wrong blurred.
Oscar thought it was funny. His performance was spot on. No one understood how much a doctor with exceptional skills meant to a big-shot. This was also the reason why Percy’s position in the Amnesty Order was much higher up than the others. But now, this guy whom he would never give up upon actually believed that he would take his life. The worst thing was that he enjoyed his fearful expression, as if he was a mouse that met a bobcat.
"Then, Percy, I don’t want to think any further about this matter! Give me a last reply!"
"Oh God of Light!" Percy was screaming in his heart. "The last reply! This...What does this mean?"
Oscar looked at Percy who was almost driven nuts by himself and finally burst into laughter. "Ola! My dear beloved doctor! Do you actually believe that I would ignore the final wish of a great father and frame you into this? O God of Light! Am I such a despicable devil to you?"
Percy did not know if he was supposed to laugh or to cry. "Little Oscar! Oh my god! Little Oscar! Did I give you the wrong medication during one of your treatments? For you to prank me this way."
Oscar delightfully waved his hands. "No! I am simply reminding you that it is you who made Uncle Cage die even though he asked for it. But his daughter, Miss Fenrar, will now become part of your responsibility. I do not know if she is willing to become a doctor even if it is a ‘poison doctor’. This way, I won’t have to worry about adding another maid around me."
Percy became serious all of a sudden. "I believe there is no one as fair as yourself! Your servant, Percy, in the name of the God of Light, will assume full responsibility of teaching Miss Fenrar Donaute. I will make sure that she becomes a qualified doctor. I swear that I will not fail your expectations and the fairness that you have shown today."
Oscar happily laughed. "Oh my god! Annie! Did you hear that? The biggest failure in the world of doctors wants to teach a person to become a qualified doctor. Am I hearing this wrong? Hahahahaha!"
Percy’s face instantaneously turned red. He was close to getting furious, but he would not dare to fight back. He never knew how to deal with this lunatic. He should leave. He would probably die if he continued to face this dude who was able to drive the usual cold and cruel ‘poison doctor’ crazy. Percy could only fight back in his own way. "Fine! Say what you want. But as the biggest failure in the world of doctors, I can only give you my sincerest advice: if you do not start to control your weight, you will soon be slaughtered by the Lieutenant General Hanning’s food department."
Percy must be really thick. The cold sweat on his body had not even completely dried, yet here he was trying to joke around with Brother ‘Balance’. Of course, Oscar who was also insensitive and bigger sized did not care too much about it. He reached out his left hand and let Percy kiss him on the back of his hand in a devout way. This was the chance Brother ‘Balance’ gave him to show his respect. After chatting for a moment, Percy who was pranked badly by little Oscar went back to his own cell.
"It seemed like the incident today had come to an end." Oscar comfortably stretched his limbs on the sling chair. Antonia was considerate enough to cut the red trout into thin slices and also picked out the bones in them. Then, she watched as the fish slices disappeared into little Oscar’s mouth. Oscar was chewing in an exaggerated way like an idiot. "Delicious! This is really delicious! Annie! My dear Annie, I am slightly reluctant to leave this place. It’s true!"
"But I don’t want you to stay in this place anymore! Your father would be embarrassed for you to have this thought. Everyone here is a criminal. Aren’t you..."
"That’s enough! Annie! Say no more! You are an angel. The only untainted angel without any sins in here. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have stayed in this hell-like place. Oh my god! How could I ever show my gratitude towards you? If it wasn’t for you, I have no idea if I could stand this loneliness and so..."
Antonia used her hand that was white as snow and covered Oscar’s mouth. "Don’t be like this! Young Master Oscar! You are not alone. Your father, your brothers! They had never forgotten about you. When you leave this gateway of hell, you will realize that there are so many people who love you deeply in this world."
Upon observing that Oscar was still unhappy, Antonia who knew Oscar very well had no other choice but to change her way of speaking. "Alright! Even though you have not much of an impression of your father and brothers, but you should think about your little sister right? Miss Sasha’s fourteenth birthday is around the corner! She is already on her way to Dulin. Wasn’t she the sister that you vowed to protect for the rest of your life? The only thing that you should be thinking about now is to leave this place and celebrate the birthday of our little angel!"
Oscar kissed her hand that smelled like daffodils, and did not want to release it. Yes! Father was such a conceptual thought. He already forgot what that old dude looked like. Well, it had already been ten years. He had already been in prison for ten years! That brother had never come to visit his youngest son. Brothers? He had no impression of them at all. He was only able to get information about his three elder brothers from Annie. Only little Sasha. What kind of girl was she? An angel? Even the word ‘angel’ could not describe Sasha’s purity and beauty! Ten years! Sasha, do you still remember this brother who had committed such heavy crimes before? Brother Oscar who had sworn under the foot of the God of Light that he would forever watch over your whole life. Can you still remember? My little Sasha.
Oscar imagined Sasha in his mind. He knew these kind of thoughts were dangerous, but he could not help but feel distracted and dazed. He brought her hand down lower. Annie’s blush on her face immediately spread to her whole face just like an explosion. She shyly held his thing, so dangerous and yet so dazzling.
Was she crazy? The first time Annie showed her naked body to the Young Master who was eleven years younger than her, she knew that she was different from those dirty women who let the men did whatever they wanted to them. Even though they were different by nature, but she was definitely crazily obsessed with the feeling of the Young Master entering her. Let him enter, let him release, let him do whatever that he wanted. This was how the Countess Antonio Horman, who had an excellent bloodline and education had become so crazy. The Young Master’s excitement was what excited herself and made her weak.
Was it her weakness? She watched as her perfect boobs were squeezed and kneaded in different ways. She watched his thing enter and leave her body in short, quick strokes. She watched this child work hard on her perfect body. Wasn’t this exciting? God of Light, I thank you!
Oscar was focusing on studying her body. He already knew this body really well. But was this love? Could love make him so obsessed? Annie could always make him fall crazily deep. It was indulgence that had no return. Those pair of legs that were as white as snow seemed like they were dancing. He should really get on a diet. According to a certain reputed expert, he could enter more deeply this way. Ah! Oh god! Who cares! His body felt like it was going to explode!
Oscar really exploded! He exploded crazily in Annie’s body!
"Thump...Thump....Thump" The knock on the door was short, crisp and yet strong. Lieutenant General Hanning was familiar to this kind of sound because he had a brilliant secretary. A brilliant secretary would not come to disturb his boss once his boss had made it clear he did not want any guests. Therefore, the only explanation for this was that some goddamn, unavoidable incident had transpired. From this understanding about his confidential secretary, Lieutenant General Hanning had to struggle to pull himself out of his excruciating thought process.
"What’s wrong? Vick! If this incident is not worthy of disturbing my thoughts, you’d better be prepared to not have your salary for this month!"
"No! Sir, this is an urgent matter! This is a letter from Sir O Neil Andrew Morisette that was just delivered over. He clearly indicated that you deal with this matter in the shortest amount of time possible."
"Oh! No..." The bitterness of Lieutenant General Hanning now was indescribable. Why did they have to send that fat kid into my prison? Even though a few days ago, he greatly complimented the little rascal when he invited him over to taste red wine. However, since yesterday afternoon, after he saw that little rascal’s request for the people to be on amnesty, he had forgotten all the praise about this little rascal. For almost one day and one night, he spent every single moment searching for choice curse words for this person’s family and relatives and cursed this Sir O Neil Andrew Morisette in a bad way.
"What did he say?" Vick had already gotten used to his boss’s sour face in these past two days.
Even though Vick’s question had already exceeded the job scope of a confidential secretary, but as Moranzo Hanning’s most trusted person, the Lieutenant General still explained to this Captain that had no nobility, title or whatsoever.
"Oh! It is like this. Our Sir Duke, the nephew of His Majesty the Emperor, requested to add another person in the Amnesty Order. It seems to be a normal girl who had no previous criminal records and came into this prison because of her unfortunate father. How lucky she is."
"Yes, she is so lucky." Vick could not help but sighed in relief after knowing that this girl who had been granted amnesty had a clean record.
"Alright Vick! Since this Sir had requested us to deal with this as soon as possible, then let me entrust this to you. Deal with all the procedures needed for this girl and move her to the Outer Camp. I will pass you the Amnesty Order tomorrow, then... er... Then...."
Lieutenant General Hanning did not figure out what would happen after that after all. When the only one left in the empty office was him, Lieutenant General Hanning had no choice but to go back into his cage of thoughts! But, as he looked at all these names, thinking that either one of them could make it to the outside, free world, he shivered in fear. He finally lost his shit. He madly tore the collar of his uniform and cursed loudly. "O Neil! You damn fatty! Fat pig! You devilish dude. You son of a bitch that eats shit. Do you want to fill the world of the God of Light with sin? You are the most shameless, the dirtiest and the most disgusting trash I have ever seen! You... You... You…... What you really want is my life! Oh god! Do I have to turn my back on you now?"
After taking it all out, Moranzo slumped onto the comfortable sofa and panted, out of breath. As a qualified prison warden, he knew every single prisoner in his prison in depth: the King of Sins, the Pagan General, the King of Assassination, the Ultimate Trickster, the Poison Expert, the Perjury Expert, the serial killer, the head of the mafia family in Cecil Island, the opium seller in Amber Sudan, the SQ enthusiast, the pickpocket, the pimp, and also those psychos whom made it hard for him to determine whether they had committed a crime or not, and yet they had countless bloodstains on their hands! Even though there were only slightly more than twenty people out of the sixty on the list that were truly dangerous, but these twenty pieces of scum definitely had the ability to put the whole law system in the Empire in a state of chaos! Oh god! Oscar! Are you starting a war now?
Lieutenant General Hanning seemed to age a lot in just one night. He had already begun to think about his retirement.