L'Empereur ch 5 preview (Patreon)

+++

Pastah!Cardin

And with some wrangling, an agreement was signed. 

Menagerie would provide the people, I would provide a place where they could do business. All in all, a completely fair agreement in my view and the favor still completely with me. As far as anyone could see, the faunus were the ones that relied on me and not me them. Even if Menagerie would refuse sending workers off to me then I could have always gotten them somewhere else. The dangers of the frontier was always present but the pull of money and the desperate needing employment, that made everything worth it. 

I suppose there was some moral qualms to my pulling of faunus specialists. One could argue that I was exploiting Menagerie's lack of industries and taking away much important skills and labor when Menagerie could do it itself. The problem however was that Menagerie was dirt poor, poorer than Vacuo even and that was something. Menagerie wasn't a recognized kingdom nor did it have much to build itself up. 

The difference between the Kingdoms and I was that I was giving the Faunus an in, on equal terms. That was how I was going to justify it, at least. 

There was going to be some snags to it however. The faunus weren't idiots. They more than likely had the same offers before and got scammed. It's only sensible that they wanted to make sure that they weren't just sending their people here to get exploited. 

The White Fang wanted a representative here to make sure that I wouldn't be abusing the faunus, not that I planned to do that. Good governance and good treatment of the people under you, that wasn't so hard to do unless of course one was a cruel and capricious tyrant with a penchant for sadism. 

I agreed on the White Fang being here on the condition that they would not be bearing arms and if I did find them trying to do illegal shit, I could kick them out at will. That didn't particularly go well and I was promptly accused of taking away their abilities to defend themselves. And so, I had to compromise that only the White Fang members that was officially with their office here could carry arms and anyone not on the list so to speak would be kicked out. 

And so, the agreement was finalized and I was due to get new arrivals soon, as well as the White Fang representative. 

But before they could arrive though, I had to make sure that Winchestown was going to be ready. 

Hence, I was now on a bullhead heading back to Vale to get a construction company to build for me. Luckily, I already had a place in mind for my construction needs. "We are about to land, sir. You best get ready," the pilot announced from the cockpit. I nodded, feeling the bullhead lurch. Not a second alter, the VTOL shook, telling me that we had landed. 

My seatbelts were unbuckled as I took in a breath. Beside me, Mazarine did the same. "Thanks for the ride, Iceman!" Mazarine praised him, her fluffy feathery hat blocking out the interior light form my eyes. She stood up from her seat, stretching her arms and hips after being made to sit for hours.

"Don't mention it, Pothos," replied the pilot, his fingers clicking off certain buttons as the Bullhead powered down. ''Just make sure to leave me some beer when you and the Young Master get back, yeah?"

"Don't worry, Iceman. We'll be quick," I took the moment to interject as Mazarine pressed for the sidebay doors to open. With that, I took the first step outside and the noise and smell of Vale hit me. All around me, bullheads and other aircraft, both small and large, moved here and there ferrying both passengers and cargo. The Vale International Airport was a massive and sprawling thing, filled with terminals and hangers and all the buildings that you would need to make an airport. It had no runways though as all of Remnant relied on VTOL technology to get around in the air and plus, the Earth idea of planes needed space and there was only so much space Vale could fit inside a city.  

The landing deck that my bullhead plopped itself on was one of many that serviced privately owned aircraft and of course, it was swarming with the sort of people you'd expect servicing that clientele. I paid little attention to them however, intent on getting on with my business as soon as possible. After paying the usual dues, we exited the building and flagged a taxi. 

"So, where to?" The taxi man asked. I blinked, the taxi guy looking rather familiar. Then, it clicked. 

"Hey! You were that taxi guy I hired way back!" I said in recognition. To that, the taxi man blinked then, recognition filled him. "Ey, I remember you too! You were that Winchester kid, yeah?" 

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah, the one and only, no substitutes." 

Mazarine looked at the driver then back to me. "You two know each other?"

''Just that one time from when I hired him," I confirmed. The driver laughed. "Well, it's kinda difficult to forget about you, kid. Who hires a taxi for a leisurely cruise through the worst parts of Vale?" 

A heavy presence suddenly filled the taxi as Mazarine slowly glanced at me, a strained smile on her face. "You what?" she mouthed. I liked to think that I was someone that couldn't really be scared so easily but seeing the look on her Mazarine's face, I had to admit I felt intimidated. "Hey now, you know I can take care of myself and besides, it happened a long time ago," I coughed. 

"No more stupid adventures without me, capisce?" Mazarine not so subtly threatened me. 

"Crystal," I nodded, coughing once more. "Anyway, Baptiste, wasn't it?" I asked, turning to the driver. 

He nodded, his eyes shining with delight. "That I am. You got good memory on you, kid. So, where to?" He asked, his hands resting on the wheel. 

"Take me to the Industrial District. I need to speak with a friend there," I ordered. Baptiste nodded and the taxi lurched forward. At that, I took the moment to glance outside the window. The airport was connected to Vale proper via a massive overpass, much like the one we saw RWBY fight Torchwick on. That was how Vale was made, to be frank. Each sections of the city surrounded by it's own little wall and connected with overpasses, like tendrils to a hive. In that way, if one such section was breached then Vale could quickly close that section off and the other parts of it could be made safe. 

Breaching the walls is still absolutely disastrous though. No one needed a repeat of Mountain Glenn. 

"So, how has Vale been?" I asked the driver. ''I haven't been in the city for awhile." 

"Oh, the usual," Baptiste replied, his eyes on the road. "Housing prices are still an issue, some councillor got caught in a scandal and they're burying it. Same shit, usual day." 

"Ahem," Mazarine coughed. 

''Oh shit, sorry." The driver corrected himself. "Same crap, usual day." 

My bodyguard glared at him. I laughed at that. "Jeez, Mazarine, don't worry about it. What's a little swearing here and there? Makes people more honest, don't they?" 

She looked at me, scandalized. "Cardin!" 

I chuckled. turning back to the driver. "So, any interesting news?" 

"Oh yeah," the man nodded. "Apparently, that fancy schmancy school for pretty little ladies got exposed for illegal stuff, espionage or something. That Lavender reporter made a story out of it and the police are combing all over it like shit to flies. Boy, you'd think that the Kingdom would have eyes and ears everywhere but no. I won't be surprised if the ladies that graduated from that school would be ostracised." 

I blinked. 

Now I hadn't been updated with RWBY for awhile. I stopped watching at the fourth volume, with occasional checking in of some scenes and reading fanfiction of it but I swore that with a detail like that, it had to be important, somehow. 

At that, Mazarine's eyes opened. "What do you mean illegal stuff?" 

Baptiste extrapolated. "You know all that fancy schmancy stuff that school taught the little ladies? Turns out that the school was turning them into spies and that the mistress of the school put up all these hidden cameras in their pins to record everything. Heh, used some of it to blackmail politicians and the like. In hindsight, it should make sense that school was suspicious. Sounds like something out of a spy novel." 

I nodded. It did sound like something from a spy novel. But then, we were in RWBY where every legend and fairy tale and story was real. "I suppose. What happened with the mistress?" 

The taxi swerved slightly as we turned into a corner, the scenery shifting into a more industrial look. "Gone like the wind. Some of her staff weren't so lucky though. They're awaiting trial for espionage. I think they're going to get the death penalty for all the spying they did." 

''As what they deserve," Mazarine nodded, her arms crossed underneath her bountiful bosom. 

"Or it's better that they die so that they won't be able to tell people the dirt they dug," I added cynically. Adding with that espionage is a treasonous offense, the fact that they know stuff that shouldn't be known about was good enough reason for Vale's justice system to throw the lot of them into death row. It would be a good idea to take those people under my wing but the trouble of getting to them and hiding them would be too much trouble. 

"Exactly," Baptiste nodded. ''Who knows what those people know?" 

"Nothing good if the death sentence is going to get thrown at them," I spoke up. "They might even know some of the judges themselves." 

At that, the conversation died down as the taxi continued in its merry transit. Finally, we arrived at the place I wanted to go to. It was a quaint building, modern in its aesthetic yet clearly traditional in certain senses. A blend of future architectural styles with the robustness of the past. A sign to all that while the Thrush Construction Company marched with the future, it would never forget its past. 

The company I wanted to go to was the Thrush Construction Company. It was as it said, it did construction and its heir was a good friend, Russel Thrush. 

''Stay here, I'll need you in getting back into the airport," I t0ld Baptiste who nodded. 

"I'll be staying here at the side," Baptiste said, indicating to a free corner. With that, I opened the taxi's doors and took a breath. 

"So, what's the plan, Cardin?" Mazarine asked me, joining my side. "We walk in, ask for Russel and get men?" 

''Pretty much. I already called Russel in advance and told him I was coming. That's why we're here," I said, my eyes closing slightly as a gust of wind came to blow at our faces. Mazarine held onto her hat, protecting it from the thieving wind. "Let's get in," I told her. 

We walked forward, the glass doors of the building stopping us in our tracks. On the glass door was the symbol of the company, a bird building a nest. Mazarine opened the door and in we walked. The etnrance to the building was spacious, a great red carpet leading to a front desk. On the sides were couches and chairs for customers to lounge at, potted plants flanking the spaces between the chairs and paintings adorning the walls. There were some people there but I paid little attention to them, intent on reaching the front desk. 

The receptionist was a small woman with orange hair like mine. Similar hair aside, we were practically different in status. She looked up from her computer, turquoise eyes looking up at me. "Welcome to the TCC," she greeted us, her voice welcoming and pleasant. "My name is Alani. How may I help you Mister...?" She trailed off. 

''Winchester. Cardin Winchester," I introduced myself. "I am here to see Russel Thrush. I already booked an appointment." 

At that, Alani glanced into her computer and began to type. She nodded. "Ah yes, Cardin. Mr Thrush is in his father's office. They've been expecting you. Please, follow me." She said as she stood up. At that, we went after her, the woman leading us into a corridor. 

''Nice place," Mazarine commented, glancing at the floor, the rugs, the chandelier lights.

''The TCC has been in business ever since Vale was an entity," Alani revealed. "And the family that owns it has made everything from small apartments to the palaces of Vale's ancient kings." 

And with my family, they hope to have those fat royal stacks to show off what they could do, I silently voiced to myself. With some of my family's contacts, there was that old feudal loyalty you could think of. But there was also the scratch my back and I'll scratch yours relationships, like what mine had with the Thrush family. 

"And we are here," Alani declared as she stood before a set of great and stylized wooden doors, the Thrush emblem etched onto them. 

"Thank you, Alani," I smiled at her. "I'll take it from here." 

She smiled at me then opened the door. With that, I walked in, Mazarine trailing after me. 

The head office of Thrush senior was absolutely bedecked with the comforts of a high-class company. Awards and other accolades adorned the wall or on some shelves, a marble bust of the company head standing on a nearby table. However, my attention was focused firmly at the desk as behind the table sat a middle-aged man in a Gendo pose. Behind him, Russel Thrush stood straight with his hands behind his back, his eyes looking at anywhere but me. 

My stomach fell but I kept my face impassive. "Mister Thrush," I greeted him neutrally. "I wasn't expecting to see you." 

"Cardin," the man acknowledged me. ''You were expecting my son, weren't you?" 

I nodded. "I was." 

He gestured to the chair in front of me. "Please, sit." He invited me. With that, I walked forward, the sound of my boots striding making Russel flinch. I promptly sat on the offered chair. While it was comfortable to the body, it did not exactly give me the same comfort. 

"So, what was it you wanted to ask my son?" Thrush Senior asked me. 

''I was going to ask him to help intercede on my behalf with you,'' I admitted. "I'm handling one of my families properties in Western Sanus and I wanted to develop it. So naturally, I thought of you. After all, the TCC has not also worked here in Vale but has history in development outside of Vale." 

"That we have. The TCC has prided itself on the abilities of its engineers and crews." Thrush Senior said with a nod, a flicker of pride in his eyes. 

"Then you understand why I wanted to approach you?" 

With that, a certain silence descended in the room. Thrush Senior sighed as he leant back on his chair. "Mister Winchester. How well do you know the relationship the TCC has with your family?" 

The pit that was in my stomach fell even deeper. "I know that both of our families worked well in the past." 

"That we did," the green-haired patriarch nodded. "In the fading days of the Color Revolution, there was a scandal that happened with my father which resulted in the TCC losing a lot of its reputation and money. Before the business could get under however, your family stepped in and saved us from bankruptcy. The one who was responsible for that was your father, Francis Winchester." 

I quickly got to what he was saying. "So you cannot help me," I said simply. 

To his credit, there was a level of regret in his eyes. "Understand that in normal circumstances, I would have been more than happy to assist you. However, your father made it clear that you are...unwelcome. Lord Winchester, he did not exactly say I couldn't help you but he made it clear that to do so would earn his displeasure." 

I resisted the urge to swallow the lump in my throat. It would be pointless now to argue or make any sort of case. Instead, I stood up from my chair. "Thank you then, Mister Thrush. I would like to thank you for the opportunity to chat." 

"As you are, Cardin." The man said simply. With that, I turned on my heels, not bothering to even glance at Russel. Mazarine silently followed me, her bootsteps echoing in the room and later, in the hallway. 

I kept my voice neutral despite the pit in my stomach. "If the TCC won't help me then it's safe to assume that other construction companies aren't going to do so. My father has a long grip with the force to back it up. It's also safe to assume that the contacts my family uses are no longer available to me. In essence, the only things I have to me are Winchestown and the hammer I carry in my belt." 

Mazarine looked sick. "Cardin, I..." 

"Later," my voice brook no argument and Mazarine closed her mouth. We silently left the building, my path leading me back to Baptiste's taxi. Said man was having a smoke break, his back leaning against the taxi. He raised an eyebrow seeing Mazarine and I approach. 

"So, business went well?" 

"Drive," I said curtly. He looked like he wanted to talk more but he noticed the tone of my voice and the look on Mazarine's face. Baptiste nodded, tossing his cigarette on the floor. "Where to?" he asked, his voice softer. 

"Anywhere," I said simply. He gave me a look. 

"I'm going to need more than that, kid." Baptiste replied. While he was going to be sympathetic to what I was feeling, he wasn't going to put up with lip. 

I forced myself to focus. 

"I'd...I'd like to relax, cool my mind a bit." I admitted. "Where do you usually go to unwind?" 

"Ah, then I know a place. Come on in then,'' he said. 

"Cardin, wait!" a youthful voice cried out from behind us. I turned to see a panting Russel Thrush run after me. He stopped running, his face wet with sweat. I greeted regarded him neutrally which made the boy wilt under my gaze. 

"Russel," I greeted him curtly. 

"Cardin look...I..." He took in a mouthful of air. "I want to help you, I really do. But you got to understand, ever since you were gone, my parents monitored my scroll to check if I was keeping in touch with you. That's how my dad found out you and I talked. I did not tell him about that, I swear on the Brothers, I did not." Regret and guilt were on his face. "I'm so sorry, Cardin." 

I closed my eyes and sighed. "It's alright." I said, opening them again to look at Russel. "I should have known that with my exile, my most dearest father will ensure that I am also exiled from the circles we used to hang with." 

"That's true," Russel nodded. "Your dad...all the old families have been told to distance themselves from you. You know your brother tried to sneak out of your house to meet you?" 

"He didn't get far, I suppose," I chuckled, my spirits lifting at the mention of Henry. Russel chuckled as well. "Yeah...your dad's dragging him along wherever he goes." 

At that, a certain silence descended. "Well, I should be going then," I said. "I don't want to bring father dearest's ire on you and your family." 

"No wait! Before you go!" Russel cried out, reaching into his pocket. From it, he pulled out a card. Glancing down, it was a plain card with a bowler hat, crisscrossed with a cane and a umbrella. Below it was a simple address. I looked up and Russel was leaning in, his voice a whisper. "This...this guy. He'll help you out. He doesn't really do a lot if stuff like what you wanna do but he does know people who could work with you." 

"Where did you get this?" I asked him. Instead of answering, he motioned with his head back to the TCC building. I glanced up at the windows where I then saw Thrush Senior looking down at us. When our eyes met, he vanished as his window was quickly covered with a curtain. I glanced back to Russel. "Tell your father that I will remember this," I said, the card still held in my hand. 

''We...we know. If something does happen in the future, we hope that you'll remember what we also did for you," Russel said, pulling back to return to the TCC. Mazarine leaned in, her eyes set on the calling card. 

"Fascinating choice for emblems," Mazarine said, her voice not really at all fascinated. "Do you know who this is, Cardin?" 

"I have a vague idea of where we are going," I said flatly. "And we are going there." 

"Cardin," Mazarine said, trailing my name. I turned to her and found concern glinting in her eyes. "I don't know about you but I feel that address isn't going to be safe. Are you sure you want to risk that?" 

I understood what she meant considering that address pretty much was Vale's equivalent of crime city. "I don't really have a choice now do I, Mazarine? The contacts which we could have used is locked away from me. I have no choice in this." I said with finality. "I am going. Are you?" 

Mazarine took a breath then, she sighed. "Your father ordered me to protect you, wherever you will go. Le Mousquetaires de la garde follows the king, through victory or defeat. To heaven or hell." 

I glanced at her. Despite our friendly relationship, she was still a creature of my father. I could certainly trust her enough to protect me but I knew for certain, her loyalty was not to me. At that moment, I had to wonder how long she was going to play along with me until the hammer fell. Until I could build a Guard of my own, I was going to have to rely on Mazarine. I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat. 

"Let's go then. R & N Associates ought to be interesting." I said, glancing at the card. 

+++

A/N: Time to see Toman Rorchwick and his murderhobo partner.