Valerian, The Legendary

Chapter 16: Entrapped.

Valerian entered the room and approached Azula. The princess asked, “Did he come?”

The young boy nodded and with the sign language told her, ‘Left him outside, he still has that wretched expression, Your Highness. Why must to give him an audience? When I found him, he was using the servants of the palace to complete his work.’

He was very disgusted by the man. Azula smiled and said, “You can call him inside, you will know soon what my purpose is.”

Valerian was newly exposed to royalty and politics, he did not have any knowledge of how simple actions can destroy the enemy. Since the princess has spoken, he will follow the command.

As the young boy walked back to the door, Azula sat straight, and her calm and gentle demeanor vanished. She became the indifferent princess of the Lumen Empire. Valerian opened the door and gestured for the glaring toad to get inside the study room.

Causus put away his glaring face and bowed while he spoke with elegance, “Your Highness, you called for me?”

Azula nodded and said, “City Lord Causus, I found in the documents that you have a private estate built outside the city?”

.....

She was looking at him, taking note of all his actions. Hearing the question, Causus froze for a second, but then he said, “Yes, your highness. I wonder what the purpose of mentioning that cottage is?”

Azula smiled and asked, “Oh, so an estate as big as the city palace, is just a cottage in the eyes of the City Lord, either you are humble, or your acting skills are very good.”

Causus did not expect his tone to backfire, and he did not think this princess will attack him. In his point of view, this girl had just come out of the house to play. However, now he sensed something else.

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Azula used her hand which was facing Valerian to caress her hair but the movement of her fingers was a single-handed sign, meaning, ‘Watch his face.’

Causus was too occupied with anxiety to notice this. Valerian, however, was paying attention and after the sign he became alert. His gaze was glued to the city lord. The man thought of something and said, “Your Highness, that place, it has been made by the money from the taxes, it was my selfish idea to develop that place as a tourist spot for the nobles and merchants in the surrounding regions to earn even more for the empire.”

He was trying to walk away from the crime of embezzlement. However, Azula was not going to let him off so easily. She said, “Oh, but I do not see any of the income since you have made this vacation hotel, turned in, to the capital?”

Her questions made the fat toad look even uglier. Valerian was taking mental notes at this moment. He was very interested in what the princess intended to do after all this questioning.

Causus regained his composure and said, “Your Highness, I thought that the amount collected should be presentable enough for the throne to pardon me. Thus, fearing that it will be low or that I might have injured the financial chain, I was scared. Then I started to invest more in the place and until now, I have yet to open that place for public use. The luxury of that place is very high, thus I thought why not gift it to someone in the royal family, they can keep it and use it as they wish.”

Azula nodded and she said, “I see, then give I would like you to go to the place and prepare for my arrival.”

Causus heard this and he smiled, his body became light, and the words of the princess made him wish to fly in the sky. Valerian noticed this, he did not understand why this man was happy that the princess has taken away his property.

Causus bowed and said, “Your Highness, thank you for accepting the gift, I will rush over there right now to clean the place up.”

Azula nodded and waved her hand to dismiss the man. Causus hurried out of the room, leaving behind a sneering princess and a confused attendant. Valerian went over and closed the door.

He wanted to ask something when he heard the princess say, “Priscilla.”

Like a ghost, the lady with amber hair emerged from the shadows. She knelt down and asked, “Your highness.”

Azula said, “Go, follow the city lord, find those girls. If he tries to make a move on them, delay him. Do not harm him just yet. He is going to play a crucial role in laying the foundation of my governance.”, her tone was calm yet it carried a majesty that could not be defied.

Priscilla nodded and said, “As you command, Your Highness.”

The amber-haired lady vanished from the sight. Azula asked, “You want to ask me something?”

Valerian nodded and stated his question, ‘I do not understand, why was he so happy when you took his property?’

Azula smiled and asked, “How did he make that property?”

‘With money?’, said Valerian.

Azula shook her head and said, “He made that property with the money of the empire, to be precise.”

Valerian was not very well versed in terms of financial knowledge, he asked, ‘How?’

Azula said, “The empire needs government to work properly, the government needs money? If the royal family was to pay from their pockets, will they not run bankrupt? So every citizen pays a sort of tax. This tax is then used to pay the government. Causus took the money from this tax without any permission, which is theft. Understood?”

Valerian nodded, he understood a few things but a lot more questions were emerging in his mind. Thus, he asked Azula. The princess was very patient. She explained all that she knew to him, and she was even surprised that the boy would put up questions the way he did. He was able to understand the main reasons behind the laws.

Finally, Valerian asked, ‘Your Highness, if he is that big of a criminal, why did you let him go. You mentioned something about finding those slave girls to Lady Priscilla. I wonder what your intention is. After all, we can make him confess.’

Azula shook her head and said, “Wrong, this sort of approach will alert his accomplices, then they will try to cover the tracks. We need proof to catch these guys, and the best way is to get Causus in action.”

Valerian was shocked, he did not expect things to be as such. He thought about it and then bowed to the princess slightly, ‘Thank you for your guidance.’

Azula said, “Do not worry, by tomorrow morning, the city will be clean of dishonest officials.”

Valerian was shocked, he did not know how the princess was going to do it. However, Azula did not dismiss his doubts, she had a lot more work to do.

The young boy stood beside her and began to observe things again. This was how he was being taught, Azula was his second teacher, she was teaching him about official decorum, politics, and economics.

Quies would guide him on how to behave like an attendant. For example some tips and mannerism. If only Rectus was not busy and the princess had not told him to dabble with magic on his own, his magic classes would have also started.

...

Coming out of the city palace, Causus exhaled heavily, and then he told the coachman, “Head to Elisium.”, before getting in the carriage.

Elisium was the place mentioned by Azula earlier, his personal den. Inside the carriage, Causus saw themselves leaving the city palace boundaries, and finally, his temper exploded, “Bitch, Bitch, Bitch, you glorified blue-haired slut. What do you think of me? I was being so welcoming to you, yet you are looking down on me. Fuck your mother, you royal slut...”

It took him a long time to calm down his rage and an even longer time to catch up to his breath. Just when he was lost in thoughts he noticed the door opening. They have arrived at their destination.

Causus got off the carriage and gazed at the palace in front of him. The grandeur of this palace was even higher than the city palace and it seemed to have truly a piece of fairyland. The architectural design of the palace was unique, the whole building seemed to be waving as if made up of water.

Causus had some pride in his eyes, however, recalling what the princess had said he exploded once again, “SLUT. I made this place after years and you want it so easily. Humph, if only you had wrapped your tongue around my manhood, I would have let you be a maid here. Fucking bitch.”

Uttering atrocities he stepped inside the palace. This place had no maids or guards, it was completely operable by mana input. Even the royal palace was not so advanced. Causus made his way to the staircase which led him to a dungeon.

To get inside the dungeon one needed to pass through a cerulean blue metallic door. This door was not a simple one, it was covered with a mana pattern, to open the door, one needed to complete the pattern. Causus was the only one who knew this pattern. He covered his finger in mana and completed the pattern. Then with a click, the door opened to the inside.

Causus entered the place and closed the door behind him. The dungeon had no source of light, the wind was circulated by the vents made inside the thick walls. Causus said, “Luminare.”

A blob of blue light appeared from his hand. This ball of light illuminated the dark corners of the building along with a demon. In the corner of the dungeon sat half a dozen girls, they all wore clean clothes and their appearances did not suggest any sort of violence used against them. However, their eyes were begging, looking around praying for some sort of miracle to happen.

Causus smiled and said, “You lovely little ones.”, as he walked toward them.

The girls huddled even closer at this moment. Causus smiled even more delightfully, he said, “Do you know, the more you act like distressed sheep, the more I will savor you? You juicy little ones.”

He stood closer to the girls and was about to move when he felt his vision blurring and he fainted.

The girls sat there in the corner, with their eyes wide open.