Shambala Sect

"Someone attacked the Egg Diggers and roasted them alive? How did he defeat them, using fire?"

"He must have had some Buzzy Good[1] with him. Or else, we have ourselves another crazy soul that stepped foot on the ship."

"All Egg Diggers are accomplished close combat fighters. For four of them to be taken care of at once, whoever that person is, he"s not ordinary. Are you sure this isn"t a Breeze News?"

"No, I swear it. Didn"t you hear that faint noise which came through the walls?"

"Yeah, I did. Guess it"s true then."

"Where did the ship stop at just now? I don"t even remember its name."

"It"s something called Helen, I think. I"m not sure either."

"Some random town huh... Any idea, how many got on?"

"Rumors say that there"s three of "em. Big and Bulky. As big as the Hardy Brothers."

"s.h.i.t. We must be careful. If possible, we must become friends with them before others do."

Be it a small gang or a big group or an individual — almost everyone had heard the t.i.ttle-tattle about Lirzod — though not by his name — and the other two who boarded the ship with him.

On a certain deck of Extensive Voyage.

The silhouette of a masculine man could be seen through the curtain. As he showered, he spoke, "n.o.body has ever messed with Egg Diggers on the 10th deck itself. What do you think, Pikolai? Is this a result of confidence or arrogance?"

"I can"t be sure, Master. But since the incident happened on the tenth deck, we don"t need to worry about it too much. However, we can"t fully neglect the incident either." A man wearing a butler suit, stood right next to the curtain, folding one of his hands. Sporting a french beard and an entirely pulled back hairline, he appeared cla.s.sy in both his dressing sense and posture.

"Just to be sure... Dispatch the Black Batch."

"Sure, Master."

Meanwhile, Lirzod and 777 just reached a room.

777 pushed Lirzod inside and locked the door from the inside. He was sweating a bit, unlike the other. "Do you have any idea of what you"ve done?"

"I just gave them a gift."

"A gift? That"s a freaking bomb you gave them!"

"Not a bomb. Only crackers."

"Crackers, my a.s.s. Now you"ve done it. There are many formidable guilds and gangs on this ship that you can mess with and still escape from the eyes off, but you just had to pick the wrong one. The members of the Googs Guild may hara.s.s the newcomers, but it"s a friendly guild that helps people in need. However, what they won"t tolerate is the lack of face given to their members."

"Relax. Those crackers make a lot of noise, but they aren"t life-threatening."

"That"s not how it appeared." 777 ground his teeth. "And don"t talk like you did a great thing. Does this thing you did help you in any way? I was thinking about being your Offsider but now, I"ll have to rethink my options."

"I didn"t do it for fun. You saw how those guys handled that baby horse."

"Yeah, but who cares what happens to that d.a.m.n foal? You got into a fight for it, but will that foal come and help you when the Egg Diggers come for your head?"

"You need to calm down, Triple Seven," Lirzod bounced the egg — he fetched from the Egg Diggers — in his palm. "I"m the one who picked a fight with them. Not you."

"I am calm! Aren"t I?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Anyways, you are right. This is your problem," Lirzod"s luggage was arranged accordingly to his wishes. Though the room was relatively small — a 250 x 500 cm room — there were quite a many shelves of different sizes to arrange one"s stuff in. "What"s all these packets? Are you thinking of raising a shop or what?"

"Ah, those are cocoa beans, cocoa powder, cocoa b.u.t.ter, cocoa nibs..." Lirzod named all the stuff that"s in 777"s hand at the time.

"Cocoa? You mean the ones they make chocolate from?" 777 sniffed the packets and his eyes automatically closed. For a couple of seconds, his thoughts drifted about in daydreams. (I have tasted so many of these types of stuff. Ah... I miss those days.) "This aroma..." With a surprised look, he glanced at Lirzod. "Will you sell these to me for a discount?"

"No, they aren"t for sale."

777 was disheartened a bit, but then resumed his work. This time he took out packets full of cashews, almond, groundnuts and what not. "Whoa, how many more of these nuts do you have?"

"Aside from few dresses, and fruits and meat, everything else is some form of nuts."

"You get fat from eating all these. Why don"t I — "?

"No thanks."

777 was piqued a bit. He arranged the packets in a nice fashion as he was experienced in doing that.

"How much are you paid for this work?"

"Nothing."

"What? Nothing?"

"I"m not exactly a worker. There"s no such profession as a worker on this ship. Either one is a Hollow, like me or is an Entry like you."

"Hmm? Didn"t the Snow White say she"s the navigator of this ship?"

"Snow White?" His eyes slowly enlarged. "By navigator... You meant that "Madam Stussy"?"

"Yeah, Snow White Stussy." Lirzod rubbed his nose. (If I can take her home, I can definitely make Primera jealous. Just wait... He-he.)

Chills spread across 777"s spine. "You idiot. Don"t say this in front of others. Who do you think she is? She can slice your skeleton into several sc.r.a.ps before you can blink once."

"Oh, I expect no less from my future wife."

"Y-Y-Your future WHAT?" 777 almost fainted. Lirzod held him from falling to the side. After blinking twice, he said. "The rushing blood of teenagers. I can understand the itching it brings. I wish I had your childhood. Not only did your parents send you so much food, they still let you dream about whom you want to marry." He stood straight and took a deep breath. "Not everybody gets to live a life like yours."

"What sort of childhood did you have?"

"Not as pleasant as yours. Definitely."

"You don"t know how my childhood went. Since you"re greedy, I can kind of imagine what it would be like, even without you telling me."

"You can imagine all you want," 777 finished laying out the luggage, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can you now tell me how Snow White formed a staircase out of thin air?" Lirzod remembered the scene from back when he"s at the sh.o.r.e. He asked 777 for more than five times, but 777 told him to wait until his work"s done. "That was crazy. Can all Martials do that?"

"All Martials can"t. But..."

"But..?"

"Music can control anything in this world."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, it melts our hearts, makes us fall in love, makes us dream, and much more."

"Oh, you are talking metaphorically when I asked you to answer literally."

"The margin between those two thins down as you become stronger and stronger as a martial."

"Are you a Martial Child?"

"No, I told you, I"m just a Hollow... Like you." He took out a small pocketbook. "Take this guide. It will help you understand the rules of the ship, and will clear most of your doubts."

"Whoa, this is small but thrice as thick as my palm!" Lirzod slid his thumb across the book, flipping all of its pages. "Do I have to read all of this?"

"That"s completely up to you," Saying that, 777 began to walk out of the room. "If you need anything, come to the staff dorms and find me."

"Yeah, sure," Lirzod put the book on the bed and walked behind 777. Just as they opened the door, an almost six feet tall majestic figure happened to pa.s.s by in the corridor. Thinner than Trirera, she was without a doubt, the slimmest person Lirzod ever laid his eyes on. Her long black hair reached all the way to her knees. Her thick eyelashes and black lipstick in contrast to her whitish skin, made her look like a bright brunette — like a creamy chocolate that any man would want to have a bite. Her beauteousness was further enhanced by the sparkling deep-red silk dress. Lirzod was left slack-jawed. "T-T-That"s... Who"s that?"

"She"s..." 777 blinked twice and paused a moment before speaking. "She"s the Miss World 4212, Clarenda Gazelle."

"M-Miss World?" Lirzod was at a loss for words. But tears instantly appeared in his eyes.

(What"s a figure like her doing here?) 777 made a weary expression. "Hmm?" Just then, Lirzod ran straight at her. (What is he —). "Hey, wait!"

Before 777 could do anything, Lirzod ended up reaching her and stopped right beside her. She halted and glanced to the side.

"Wow, look at these arms... They are so slender and long."

"You need something?" Her voice was a bit deeper than a usual woman, but it fit the sharp features of her face in a congruous manner. Her scent reminded him of fresh grapes, a layered fragrance that would enrich in its essence — the more the attention one paid. It alone sped up his heartbeat. The black rose studded to her cloth at the chest region, further contrasted her skin.

"Can I touch them?" Lirzod"s eyes locked onto her"s.

Clarenda stared down at him with a blank expression, but her eyes alone subtly spoke in her stead, that she wasn"t pleased with what she heard.

(That fool... He"s gone!) 777 stopped in his tracks and wanted to run away without looking back. But he held back his fright and stayed right there.

"Touch what?" Her voice was as calm as before.

"Your hands," Lirzod said, with excitement written all over his face. "I"ve always wanted to touch a model"s arm. They look so fragile and delightful."

"Are you praising or criticizing me?"

Lirzod startled. "Why would I criticize? The one who raised me was a model. But she"s not as lean anymore as you are now."

"... I"m not a model anymore either."

"You mean, you quit?"

"I did."

"Why?" Lirzod helplessly asked. "Don"t you like being a model? Don"t men swoon all over you just from knowing your profession?"

A corner of her lips curled up just a little, and she looked ahead at the distant end of that corridor. "Maybe, that"s why I quit the job."

"What? I don"t get it."

"The scar on your face looks real."

"Because it is. Can you tell me why you quit?"

"Can you tell me why you didn"t get that scar healed?"

Lirzod startled. "That"s... Well, I have my reasons."

(What the h.e.l.l are they talking about?) 777 scratched his head. (He doesn"t look happy. Is she ordering him to be his slave? I knew it. Something like this is bound to happen.)

"I"m the same. In all my days of the modeling career, I never once smiled from the bottom of my heart. I never once truly liked how I looked. I never once attended a party because I wanted to. I don"t recommend a modeling career for any young men or women, no matter how beautiful the person is. It"s not worth it to be judged only on how you look. We are beautiful just the way G.o.d made us. It is too easy to feel the need to compare yourself to other people. As long as we don"t get caught up in the comparison trap, we"ll be fine, and won"t end up like flies that get trapped in a spider web."

"Is modeling career that frustrating?" Lirzod couldn"t believe her words. He held a very high opinion of models, right from his childhood. But from hearing the words, it confused him. How can women who aren"t happy on the inside, still manage to appear so alluring on the outside? He just couldn"t get his mind around it.

"Every rose has its thorn," Clarenda poked her index finger on Lirzod"s forearm. Her sharp nail dug a little into this skin and made a red blood droplet surface out. "Even the brightest being at night — the moon, has dark spots on him. None of us are perfect. I"ve never met a model who ever thought they are perfect... Including myself. A model never feels perfect enough about their appearance." She turned to the side, which made her snake earrings swing like a pendulum for a couple seconds. "It"s easy to break their self-esteem. Lucky for you, the scar on your face keeps you strong." She started walking.

"W-Wait."

"Hmm?"

Lirzod paused and said nothing.

"What is it?"

"I... I have been following you for six months, just to tell you one thing," Lirzod couldn"t look straight into her eyes. "I think... I"m in love with you."

Clarenda stayed silent. 777 just happened to the last sentence that came out of Lirzod"s mouth, and it made him freeze.

"Will you give me a chance?" Lirzod hesitantly said.

Clarenda began to walk without saying anything. It left Lirzod with a puzzled expression that contained an expectation hidden underneath. "It"s only been three months since I boarded this ship."

Her last few words turned Lirzod"s face into a dismal dog that had just missed out fetching its favorite bone.

As he stood still, her image gradually made the distance until it turned invisible in time.

"The mystique, the money, and the magic of a model"s life in the West is truly a celebrated thing," 777 mumbled to himself. "Dare I say, better than most of the royalty of the East." He walked up to Lirzod, who"s still in a daze. "She"s long gone. I must say, you are lucky."

"Yeah, I know. Whom should I pick now? Clarenda or Stussy? I"m so confused. Both have the air of adults, but Stussy has a childlike face similar to Primera. Clarenda, on the other hand, looks scary like my mom, but she doesn"t talk like her. Why does G.o.d always put me in so much trouble? This is tantalizing me!"

"I"d say, forget about them both," 777 was no longer surprised by Lirzod"s words. "That Clarenda is a woman from the upper decks. We, the members of the lower decks don"t have the right to look them straight in the eyes."

"No right? What would happen if I look and that person didn"t like it?"

"If you do it without their permission, then they are free to punish you however they please."

"That"s..." Lirzod paused a moment.

"I know," 777 rested his palm on top of Lirzod"s shoulder. "It"s hard to digest after knowing you"ve barely escaped death."

"She... She didn"t do anything to me," A smile broke out of Lirzod"s face and his eyes showed great expectations. "Maybe, she likes me!"

A sudden chill crawled down 777"s spine, which almost made him faint and stumble. "You think you"re a king or what? Why would she like you? Besides, how can you like two girls at the same time? And girls of such reputation, nonetheless. Each one is leagues above you."

"What"s wrong with that? I just like them, that"s all."

"Oh? Then can you give one valid reason as to why you like them? Don"t give me stupid answers saying, "they are beautiful, that"s why I like them"."

Lirzod smiled.

"What"s that cheeky smile for?"

"Can you tell me why you like your mother?"

"Hmm? I"m the one who asked you a question first!"

"Just answer me."

"... Well, because she"s my mother."

"You don"t have any specific reasons?"

"No. I like her for who she is."

"See... It"s the same for me. I like girls for who they are. I don"t look for reasons to love them. When my heart reacts to the guise of a girl, I ask it no further questions. Knowing about the girl comes later."

777 tried his best to control his anger. "Why are you comparing the love for mother to the love for a stranger?"

"Love is love, Triple Seven," Lirzod patted him twice.

"That"s horse-s.h.i.t."

Meanwhile, on a certain deck.

An oval-shaped face resting atop a seven-feet tall torso exposed itself as the curtain was pulled aside, and a weighty man stepped out of the bathtub. His head was entirely shaved, and he didn"t have a single strand of hair on his face. Every vein under his skin was as evident as day. Water droplets slid on his muscles and got stuck in the valleys of his burliness. Wearing nothing but a towel which had designs of different types of eggs that had varied expressions he raised his left arm a little and Pikolai slid an orange file in between the index finger and thumb of that man.

On the cover of the file, the words "Black Batch", was painted in a shadowy ink, with two flowers on either side of it.

The man opened the file and there was but a single black page inside which had some information written on it.

Black Batch - Trial Report.

Subject(s): Lirzod Basha(14), Sariyu Basuvu(17), Burton Vesta(24).

Hometown: Helenia.

Clan: Faceless (betranked clan).

Specifics: The perpetrator was Lirzod. He used decorated paper blasts and took care of the four victims. He"s known to be a mouth breather.

Threat Level: First Petal.

Seeker: River Wind (Ghost in Lily).

Total Report will be delivered within the next twenty-four hours.

"A member of the betranked clan..." The man gave the file back to Pikolai. "These low ranking clans and guilds are greedier for power than we can imagine. We can never be sure if we are against a house cat or a holt cat..." He cast a sideways glance at Pikolai. "Who"s this River Wind?"

"This is my first time hearing his name too, Master. But I heard that he was never wrong with his research, not once in all of his twenty-eight subjects to date. That"s why he"s become a "Ghost in Lily", in a matter of a few months."

"Hmm... This private intelligence service is unlike any other we"ve made use of. We know nothing about their roots. Be careful when dealing with them from here on."

"Sure, Master," The file in Pikolai"s hand vanished into thin air. "What did you decide on that boy of the Faceless clan?"

"Since he"s the only one from his clan, that messed with us, I can"t yet come to a decision yet."

"Shall we wait until we receive the Total Report?"

"... No. Four of our members are hurt. We can"t stay silent for an entire day."

"Then what do you suggest, Master?"

"Benign Boil."

Pikolai bowed his head just a little. "As per your wishes, the bad egg will be duly dealt with." He then put forward an egg soup made from wispy whisked eggs boiled in chicken broth. It was swallowed in haste by that man, while still standing in a towel.

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[1] Buzzy Good: A good that has been enhanced by the electrical ent.i.ties. In general, these would include food or kitchenware, or gadgets, or any other home products. But only the licensed personnel were allowed to use them in combat.