Chapter 5: Capriccio for the Dark Citadel

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◇Houghtow City—Flio’s House◇

The summer camp was over. For a while, the days passed uneventfully. And then, one day, a dire crow came flying from Houghtow City, landing on the road leading to Flio’s house.

“Thank you, Good Sir Caw-lins! That’s quite close enough,” said a cloaked man riding on the dire crow’s back. “Mister Flio’s house is outside the city walls, you know! He puts up a defensive barrier after dark. It’s dangerous to get too close!” The man dismounted, followed by an expressionless girl dressed in gothic lolita fashion. “Now...” he went on, turning to look in the direction of Flio’s house. “I just need to ask Mister Flio to let the barrier down for me.”

Suddenly, the cloaked man found a broom shoved violently in his face, wielded by a woman in a maid uniform standing inside the barrier. “This is the residence of Lord Flio,” she declared, regarding the pair with sharp eyes and violent intent. “What business do you have here in the early hours of the morning? Answer well, or I—Tanya, maid of Lord Flio—shall be your opponent!”

“O-Oh! Goodness, gracious me!” the man said. “Don’t worry! I’m no trespasser!”

“So you say,” said Tanya. “But you are dressed for stealth, are you not?”

“Indeed! That I am!” the man said, removing his hood. “Miss Maid, I’m terribly sorry to bother you, but I’m afraid I have some very urgent business to discuss with Mister Flio! I’m happy to wait until he’s awake, if you’ll give him a message for me! My name is...”

◇Later, in Flio’s Parlor◇

Flio’s house was built around a large living room on the first floor, big enough for the entire household to use at once. Separate from that were the additions Flio had built, including a number of guest rooms, and a parlor for entertaining visitors. That was where Flio was now.

“I had no idea what to expect when Tanya called me over here,” Flio said, smiling his usual easygoing smile at the Dark Regent Calsi’im, sitting across from him. “To what do I owe the pleasure so early in the morning, Mister Calsi’im?”

Calsi’im’s hood was down. To his left and right were the dire crow Good Sir Caw-lins and the magic doll Tia, both sitting quietly. Seated next to Flio were Ghozal, the former Dark One, and Uliminas, who used to serve as his confederate. They had come running when they heard who was here.

As Rys and Tanya placed cups of tea in front of everyone, Calsi’im looked over to Ghozal. “First, I must apologize to the retired Dark One, Lord Gholl, for accepting the post of Dark Regent without paying a visit to you first! That was a dreadful breach of etiquette on my part!” He bowed deeply, but Ghozal held up his hand, indicating for Calsi’im not to lower his head.

“That’s all right,” he said. “I abdicated the throne, you know. You don’t gotta pay me courtesy visits. I’m just an employee at a local general store.” Ghozal laughed.

“Well, that’s a relief!” said Calsi’im, his skull rattling as he laughed along with Ghozal. “I’m glad I don’t have to be on my best behavior!”

They kept chatting for some time, until the conversation hit a lull. Calsi’im cleared his throat and turned to face Flio directly. “Now, the thing that brings me here today, so early in the morning...” he said. “I’m terribly ashamed to say it, but I need your help once again, Lord Flio!”

Calsi’im had come here before to ask Flio for the Wolf of Justice’s help saving the Dark Army. At the time, he hadn’t known that the Wolf of Justice was Flio himself, but he noticed in his reports that the Wolf of Justice and his companions would appear almost every time they attacked a wagon carrying goods from the Fli-o’-Rys General Store. Based on those reports, he had surmised that Flio, the store’s manager, must have some means of contacting the Wolf of Justice.

“I see...” Flio said, his carefree smile not slipping in the slightest. “If there’s something I can do, I’d be glad to help!”

Calsi’im finished his cup of tea and sighed. “The Dark Army has been driven from the Dark Citadel!” he said. “And as much as it pains me, I’m at a loss as to how to take it back!”

“What?!” Flio, Ghozal, and Uliminas’s eyes all shot open at once.

“D-Driven from the Dark Citadel?” asked Flio.

“Hrm...” said Ghozal. “What... What happened?”

“Meowt are mew talking about?” said Uliminas.

Tia, who had been sitting next to Calsi’im, stood up from her seat. “Allow me to explain the details,” she said. “I am the magic doll Tia, minion of the sitting Dark One Calsi’im.” Calsi’im interrupted her, pulling her aside. “What is the matter, Calsi’im?” she asked.

“I’m not the Dark One, Tia! I’m the DarkRegent! Take care not to get them mixed up!”

“You’re running the entire army on your own,” said Tia. “I don’t think anyone would mind.”

“Not at all! It would be quite improper! You must use my correct title...”

“Very well...” Tia agreed, reluctantly. “If it is your will, Calsi’im.” She turned back towards Flio and continued. “After subjugating the rebels, the Dark Army signed a peace treaty with the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode. The treaty brought peace to the demons living in our territory as well, but many do not look kindly at the prospect of a treaty with the human and demihuman kingdoms. Many of our vassals have stopped paying tribute. As of now, our war chest is in dire straits.”

Uliminas was stunned enough to do a spit take. “Bleh!” she said, wiping the tea from her face. “H-Hold on a meowment! I handled the meowney when Ghozal was Dark Meown. We were getting regular tribute the whole time! There should be enough saved up to last decades!”

“Ah, alas,” said Tia, narrowing her eyes. “Many demons stopped paying tribute during the reign of Yuigarde, the previous Dark One, due to his heavy-handed and tyrannical ways. Furthermore, he wasted our resources on his fruitless expedition against the rebels. Our financial situation was already quite dire.” Once again, Calsi’im pulled her aside. “Yes? What is it, Calsi’im?”

“Tia!” chided Calsi’im, bringing his skull up close to her ear to whisper. “Lord Yuigarde is thecurrentDark One, not the previous! And don’t forget to address him asLordYuigarde, please!”

“He’s the idiot king whose failures are to blame for our current situation,” countered Tia. “I don’t see a need to address him asLord.”

“No, no! It’s very important to use the Dark One’s proper title!”

“Very well...” Tia said, even more reluctantly than last time. Her shoulders were quivering with suppressed anger as she nodded. “If you insist, Calsi’im...” She turned back to Flio. “And now Calsi’im is the Dark Regent, but we have very little money left, and almost no income at all.”

Ghozal sighed deeply. “Well, I can’t say I’m too surprised. All of the Dark Ones of history—myself included—used pure force to subjugate the demons they ruled over. You can call yourself Dark Regent or Dark One if you like...but with a weaker demon like you in charge, they’re not gonna feel inclined to do what you say.”

“Yeah... Demeown society runs on the purrinciple of ‘might makes right’...” Uliminas sighed, nodding in agreement. “But I still can’t believe they spent all of that meowney in such a short time! What was Phufun thinking...?”

“Phufun seems smart at first glance, with her glasses and everything,” said Ghozal. “But she goes with her gut on important decisions. And her gut has a terrible sense of judgment.”

“Meow’re not wrong...” Uliminas said, nodding again. “I guess that’s how she ended up with a meowron like Yuigarde...”

◇The Calgosi Coast—Meanwhile◇

“Achoo!” Phufun sneezed. “Ack! Where did that come from?!” Puzzled, she took out a handkerchief and wiped the snot off her nose. “I’m all recovered from the cold I got from visiting the north... I wonder if someone was talking about me?”

She put away the handkerchief and pushed her glasses up against the ridge of her nose. “Surely, it must be Master Yuigarde! I can feel it! Master Yuigarde must be close by! Oh, my Master! Today, at long last, is the day I find you!”

Squeezing her fists tight in determination, Phufun flew off for the beach, looking around every which way.

◇Back at Flio’s Parlor◇

“We spoke with Zanzibar, the former rebel leader,” Tia explained. “He offered us his own resources to use for the Dark Army. But someone has already stolen the treasure from his villas! Belianna and I are currently working to pursue the suspects, but the Dark Army’s coffers are still nearly empty. And then, a man appeared before us...”

◇Tia’s Memory—The Dark Citadel Throne Room, a Few Days Earlier◇

“So, you’re the human merchant who wants to do business in Dark Army territory?” Calsi’im sat on a cloth spread out before the throne. Tia had told him time and time again that he should sitonthe throne when visitors came, at the very least, but he refused to listen.

The man before him was accompanied by two women, who seemed to be his servants. He bowed deeply, the women lowering their heads behind him. “Dark Regent Calsi’im,” he said. “My most humble thanks for allowing me into your presence. It is a great honor.”

“Not at all, not at all!” said Calsi’im, waving aside the formalities with his honest humility. “I’m nobody important!”

“We are merchants, struggling to make our living in the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode,” the man said. “But I heard that you signed a peace treaty with the Magical Kingdom. With your permission, I would like to open a business on your side of the border.”

“Hm...” mused Calsi’im. “A merchant, eh? What precisely do you have in mind?”

“By your leave,” the man said. “A friend of mine told me that the lands near the Dark Citadel are rich in magic gems. I would beg your royal license to excavate them for sale.”

Calsi’im cocked his head. “Hmmmm... It’s true that there are veins of magic gems all throughout the valleys near the Dark Citadel. But the gems there have so many impurities that they’re hardly worth— Mnhfff?!”

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Tia clapped a hand over Calsi’im’s bony mouth. “Calsi’im!” she whispered. “These people are here because theydon’tknow that the gems are impure! It would be to our advantage to feign ignorance on the matter ourselves.”

“Mgghf...” Calsi’im whispered back. “B-But Tia! That would be a lie! Mfffhf...!”

“We need money more than anything right now,” Tia said. “Even a little bit would help. Please, just don’t bring it up...”

“Mhmhfff...” Calsi’im nodded, giving in. “All right. If you say so, Tia, I’ll go along with it.”

Tia turned to face the man. “Ahem!” she said. “I apologize for the interruption. Please, continue.”

“V-Very well,” the man said. “Our plan is to send the magic gems back to the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode for processing, and then sell the finished products. I will gladly offer up half of my profits as tribute to the Dark Citadel.”

“Halfof your profits?!?!?!” Calsi’im and Tia exclaimed at once. The two had been planning to ask for a tenth, but the man’s deal was better than they could have imagined.

Tia leaned in close to whisper again with Calsi’im. “C-Calsi’im!” she said. “That’s a very attractive offer...”

“It is...” Calsi’im whispered back. “But this man has a bit too much of a silver tongue for my taste...”

“I agree...” said Tia. “I was thinking the same thing. But...”

“If it’s real, it would be a tremendous help to our finances...” Calsi’im agreed.

Watching Calsi’im and his minion whisper away, the man snapped his fingers. At his signal, the two women accompanying him brought out a pair of large treasure chests and presented them to Calsi’im. “I am prepared to offer you this as a deposit, provided we can come to an agreement quickly.”

Calsi’im and Tia opened their eyes wide in shock. The chests were stuffed full of gold bars.

“T-Tia!” said Calsi’im. “We could solve our money problems with that!”

“Yes!” said Tia. “Yes, we could!”

Calsi’im and Tia hugged each other tight, breaking out into a spontaneous dance.

“Then,” said the man, smiling as he held out a piece of paper on which a contract had been written. “Could I trouble you for your signature?”

Tia read the contract over and over again. “It’s written very plainly,” she said. “Just as he said. It even mentions the money he paid in advance. Nothing about it looks suspicious...”

“Well, then!” said Calsi’im, putting his signature on the contract. “If Tia says so, then so it must be!”

◇Houghtow City—Flio’s Parlor◇

“And this is that contract,” said Tia, removing a piece of paperwork from her pocket. “There are two copies, and this is ours. It’s this contract’s fault we had to leave the Dark Citadel!” she shrieked, biting angrily at the hem of her own skirt.

Flio took the contract and looked it over. “I don’t see anything wrong with it...” he said, tilting his head. It was exactly as Tia had described in her account.

“Hmm...” said Uliminas. “Everything seems to be in meowrder to me too...”

The document had the following two provisions: one giving the man’s company mining rights within Dark Army territory, and the other promising fifty percent of the profit from sales of the magic gems as tribute to the Dark Citadel. They were exactly the terms Tia had been given. Other than that, all there was was the man’s signature and blood seal, and Calsi’im’s signature and the chip of bone he was using as a seal in place of blood, sealed in wax.

“I thought so as well,” said Tia. “But...” She flipped over the contract, showing them the reverse side.

“Huh...?” Confused, Flio and Uliminas looked where Tia was pointing to a line of tiny letters, too small to actually be read.

Flio enlarged the letters with magic so that everyone could read them. “With the signature of this contract, the Dark Citadel will become property of the Shadow Conglomerate.”

◇Dark Citadel—Throne Room◇

A man sat on the throne—the merchant who had appeared before Tia and the Dark Regent Calsi’im the day before. But the look on his face now was nothing like a merchant’s; he wore a wicked grin befitting a true evildoer.

“Bwa ha ha ha ha!” he cackled. “To think that I, a human, would be the first to sit on both the throne of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode and the throne of the Dark One!” For this man, in truth...was the Shadow King!

Once, he had reigned as king of the Magical Kingdom of Klyrode. But when his daughter, who was then the First Princess, discovered that he had been using his position to pursue his criminal enterprises at the expense of the country, he was driven from the throne and thrust into exile. Afterwards, he gained the loyalty of the demon fox sisters Kintsuno the Gold and Gintsuno the Silver, and continued to pursue his underworld business with their aid.

The Shadow King grinned as he sat on the throne. Flanking him to his right and left were the aforementioned Kintsuno and Gintsuno.

“The Shadow King’s done it again,” Kintsuno marveled. “To think I nearly killed you when you lost all of our money off the Calgosi Coast!”

“Yes indeed!” yipped Gintsuno. “I suppose letting you live was the right decision after all.”

“Bwa ha ha!” the Shadow King laughed again. “You’ll never find a man as competent as me, even if you search the whole wide world! Behold! I have lawfully obtained the Dark Citadel using nothing more than a contract and a chest of gold!”

The Shadow King and the demon fox sisters had gone to the Calgosi Coast intending to enjoy a rollicking holiday. But they were hit by a stray cannonball from the battle with the demon pirates and lost everything they had. Alive, but with nothing to their name, the trio heard that the Dark Army had been dealing with its own money problems and hatched a cunning scheme.

“But I can hardly believe the Dark Army would back off with just one piece of paper...” said Kintsuno.

“Don’t be a fool,” said the Shadow King. “This is no ordinary contract! This is a magic item from another world I obtained through my secret contacts while I was still king of Klyrode: a Blood Oath Contract!” A sinister grin spread wide across his face.

“I’ve heard stories about those...” said Kintsuno. “I didn’t realize they actually existed!”

“Tell me about it!” Gintsuno agreed. “I had no idea they were real, let alone that the Shadow King had been holding on to one.” The fox sisters smiled lasciviously as they pressed up close to the Shadow King from either side.

“But you used a false identity on that contract, did you not?” asked Kintsuno. “Would the magic still be effective?”

“Certainly!” the Shadow King said, proudly stroking his beard. “It isn’t the signature that matters, but the blood seal! Or the splinter of bone, in that skeleton’s case, seeing as he doesn’t have any blood. That’s what determines the validity of the signatures on the contract. I can use whatever name I please!”

“I see!” yipped Gintsuno. “No wonder your scheme went so flawlessly, with your knowledge and expertise!” She wrapped her arms around the Shadow King’s shoulders.

“Then I suppose we shall be proceeding with the plan?” asked Kintsuno.

“That we shall,” said the Shadow King. “We’ll auction off the Dark Citadel! The highest bid can be its master if they so please. Bwa ha ha ha ha! Imagine all the demons who would love to sit on this throne! Why, if the Dark Citadel was theirs, the title of Dark One might not be so distant a dream! Imagine what kind of price the Dark Citadel itself could fetch...”

“And once the money’s ours, we get out of here!” Gintsuno finished.

“Exactly! And we use the money to further expand the operations of the Shadow Conglomerate! The three of us will keep getting richer and richer and richer!”

“Oh, my Shadow King!” yipped Kintsuno.

“We’ll follow you to the ends of the world!” declared Gintsuno.

Wedged between the two sisters, the Shadow King laughed and laughed and laughed.

◇Houghtow City—Flio’s Parlor◇

“This is a Blood Oath Contract...” said Ghozal, tilting his head in surprise as he looked over the contract in his hand. “I’ve heard legends about these things, but I had no idea there were any in this world...”

“Meowt’s a Blood Oath Contract?” asked Uliminas, a dubious expression on her face. Uliminas had been one of the most knowledgeable members of the Dark Army during Ghozal’s day, but even she had never heard of such a thing.

“Hrm...” said Ghozal. “The Blood Oath Contract is a magic item from another world—the Celestial Plane. Any contract written on one of these will be enforced by a goddess called the Contract Executor. It’s called a ‘Blood Oath’ because you need to use a seal of your own blood to activate it. Or a bit of bone in Calsi’im’s case, seeing as he doesn’t have any blood.”

Suddenly, Calsi’im leaned his bony body forward. “Most gracious!” he said. “I had been hoping to ask Mister Flio to look into this Blood Oath Contract business for me. I thought a great man and friend of the Wolf of Justice like him just might have some experience with magic items from other worlds, or else be able to introduce me to someone who would! But I seem to have hit the jackpot!” Flio and Ghozal exchanged a look as Calsi’im nodded along to himself. “Tell me, Mister Ghozal,” he continued. “All I know is that anyone who breaks the terms of the contract will face divine retribution at the hands of the gods of the Celestial Plane, but what does that mean, precisely? Do you happen to know what the retribution would actually be?”

“Hrm...” Ghozal mused. “From what I’ve heard, the Contract Executor will appear and cast your soul into Purgatory.”

“Oh, is that all?”

Ghozal furrowed his brow. “‘Is that all’?! We’re talking aboutPurgatoryhere! Your soul would be purified through unimaginable torment for all eternity, never to be reborn again!”

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But Calsi’im seemed perfectly cheerful. “Pishposh!” he said, his jawbone clattering with laughter. “Why, then I could have settled the matter simply at the cost of my one soul! If I had known that, I would have never told my army to withdraw!” He turned to face Tia. “Come, Tia! Let’s rally the whole army and take back the Dark Citadel! I’ll gladly let my soul be cast into Purgatory!”

Calsi’im shot to his feet, but Tia grabbed him by the arm and forced him back into the chair, her expression resolute. “I won’t allow it! If you were to ordermeinto Purgatory, I would gladly obey! But I won’t allow you to speak of falling there yourself! Never!”

“N-Now, Tia!” protested Calsi’im. “You know I’m just an old skeleton. I’ll be gone sooner or later no matter what. What’s the harm, if this problem of ours can be resolved at the cost of one old man’s soul...?”

“I won’t allow it!”

“B-But...”

“I! Won’t! Allow! It!” Tia tightly clung to Calsi’im’s arm, refusing to let go.

Flio stared intently at the duo as they argued.Tia’s a magic doll like Minilio...he thought.I had no idea they were capable of expressing so much emotion!

“I won’t!” Tia insisted, pulling harder on Calsi’im’s arm. “I will never obey such an order, no matter what!” But just then...pop!Calsi’im’s arm came clean out of its socket.

“Gaaah!” he shrieked. “M-My arm! My aaaaaarm!”

“C-Calsi’im?!”Tia exclaimed. “Oh, no! I forgot myself!” She did her best to return Calsi’im’s arm to its proper place, but she, too, was starting to panic. In her haste, she stuck Calsi’im’s arm straight through his eye socket.