Filed to story: A Bullied Boy Died: A Mafia King Woke Up In His Body
With the Ardent Cretins having their eye on him now, any sort of aggressive expansion or scaling up would be heavily scrutinized. The moment Sebastian detected a threat, Kyle knew he was the type to use everything he had to eliminate it immediately. That was the privilege of the strong, after all. Kyle used to do that in his former life.
“Keith, call Damian in. We will have to restructure the plan moving forward.”
*****
The Central Sector of the city was the most prosperous. Buildings made of arcia-infused glass towered over streets filled with automatic carriages, guided by the roads as they ferried aristocrats, nobles, and the general upper class to and fro.
An opulent and intricately detailed building reminiscent of a temple was one of the key features of the sector. While many of the locals and tourists would admire it as a work of art, it was equally feared by many of the gang leaders.
A lone girl walked up the marble steps, clearly excited as her cobalt-blue eyes darted around. She checked her pearl-white cloak, rubbing a small stain off the shiny, silver pauldrons. The golden hems of the cloak fluttered as she continued climbing, her straight dress pants and a buttoned shirt peeking from underneath.
“Inquisitor Kitana, here under orders from the archbishop.” She bowed to the guards at the entrance, who respectfully bowed back. They performed a simple check on her belongings before allowing her in.
She entered the vast temple, the ceiling and pillars adorned with paintings that had been completed over generations. At the height of it, all in prime view, was a portrait of Yual, the Emperor of the Yual Dominion that ruled over the city of Raktor and others.
As she walked, she could hear whispers from enforcers and clerks who stared at her, their echoes bouncing off the concave ceiling and domes.
“The inquisitors are here? Finally, we get some much-needed help.”
“Yes, the bloodbath in the West Sector between the Veiled Angels and the Violet Demons is escalating far beyond our control. If the inquisitors didn’t show up, we might have had to call in the military.”
“The military would never agree to intervene in civil affairs unless ordered by either the duke or the emperor.”
A servant led her to a smaller audience chamber, where an old priest was kneeling in front of a statue of the emperor. There were already nine others like her standing behind rows of pews and praying. Kitana quickly took an empty spot, clasping her hands in prayer as well.
After five minutes, the priest finally stood up, turning to face them. “My fellow priests and priestesses. It is with great honor that you have come before me and the emperor today to be given a special role.
“Crime has infiltrated the streets of Raktor, defiling the empire-wide bans set forth by the archbishop. Alcoholism, prostitution, senseless violence, and the proliferation of weapons are just some of the infestations that choke Raktor by the gut. The citizens of this city do not know what true purity is and are unwilling to adhere to the law. While the archbishop has turned a blind eye to it in the past, he can no longer divert his eyes from the stray sheep that are running amok.
“You shall act as the eyes and ears of the Sanctum of Yual. You are the arbiter, the judge, and the executioner of our will and our beliefs. Those who claim to be citizens of the Yual Dominion but do not uphold the same values must be taught otherwise, by words or by fear of death. For it is only through fear that they may learn to love the encompassing embrace that is our emperor.”
The priest retrieved a scroll, unrolled it, and read it. “As such, under holy appointment and orders direct from the archbishop himself, you are all now appointed as inquisitors of the Sanctum of Yual. Go forth and cleanse this city of filth and bring glory to the emperor!”
“Glory to the emperor! Glory to Yual!” The ten inquisitors bowed.
They remained bowed as a few servants brought out a series of peaked caps, with the priest bestowing each individual with one, the symbol of the inquisitors clearly visible. The inquisitors solemnly received it, with one even bearing a grim expression as though he were about to be sent to the gallows.
Contrary to the others, Kitana received the cap excitedly, a fire lighting up in her eyes as she bowed in respect. The old priest chuckled before placing his hand on Kitana’s shoulder. “Keep that enthusiasm strong and steadfast. You’ll need it to face down the evil lurking in the city.”
“Yes, Bishop.” Kitana bowed even lower.
Soon, the ceremony was over, and Kitana was already ordered to head toward another room to meet the department that she would be in charge of. Each pair of inquisitors was to oversee the assistance of a different sector so as not to clash with each other. They were not working alone-they would be reporting to the overseeing bishops of each sector and working with local enforcers.
The inquisitors talked among themselves as they walked. “I sure hope I get assigned to the Central Sector. If I get sent to the West, I’ll die.”
“Why did the Sanctum even assign me here? This has got to be the worst place to be stationed right after graduation!”
While the inquisitors lamented the results, they barely noticed Kitana’s absence. Instead of following them, she had headed to a secluded area, grinning as she placed the cap snuggly on her head. She then glanced around, making sure no one was near. As she hunkered down, she whispered to herself, “Statistics.”
Corruption
The arctech enforcer wagon rumbled as it crossed rugged and poorly maintained cobblestone streets, a far cry from the pristine capital of the Yual Dominion where Kitana had lived during her training. Her inquisitor partner found amusement in her uneasiness as he puffed a Euria pipe.
The blue smoke drifted across his gray beard, with each breath relaxing his tired wrinkles that seemed to mark every inch of his face.
“First time out of Tryas?” the old inquisitor joked as he stuffed more Euria Seed Powder into his pipe.
“I’m afraid so,” Kitana grumbled in reply, glancing through the back of the covered wagon. A grimy street trailed behind, with squatters half-drunk on the side of the road.
The pavement was half-covered in piss, vomit, or some other liquid. Gangs of young teenagers roamed the streets, harassing others, while dejected factory workers languished in piles of trash, blacked out from overdoses of various black market concoctions.
It was vastly different from the prim and proper feeling of the Central Sector. Here in the south, the fumes of the factories ballooned high above, while the dense streets were full of travelers, traders, mercenaries, and exiles from not just the Yual Dominion but other nations past the border as well. It was a pure melting pot of cultures, people, and the lowest of scum.