Kasumi perked on sensing something by the door. "Oh, my! We have a visitor."
With that, the former eldest Tendou daughter moved away from Kagutsuchi and Mai as she walked to the front gate, just as the doorbell pealed to announce a visitor. On hearing that noise, Ranma and Yumi stood up, they shifting themselves to the porch so they could help the last of the HiMEs should said visitor be hostile. Opening the gate, Kasumi formally bowed. "Greetings, Kunou-sama. Welcome to Tendou-ke."
Standing beyond the walls of the Tendou home was a teenage man dressed in a formal white top and black hakama trousers, his handy bokken resting at carry arms on his right shoulder. "A most heartfelt good afternoon to you, fair Tendou Kasumi...!"
Kunou Tatewaki's voice trailed off as his eyes locked on the silk neck choker wrapped around Kasumi's neck. The enamel mon with the curled tiger holding the Imperial chrysanthemum in its paws -- it shamefully embossed with the perverted yin-yang symbol used by those barbaric Koreans as the centerpiece of their despised national flag! -- told him everything.
"Zounds!!" he gasped as he took a hesitant step back from Kasumi. "Kasumi-san, say it is not so!! Are thou now...?! Now a...?!"
"A slave?" Kasumi asked before she politely bowed. "Hai, Kunou-sama, I am a slave now. For the indefinite future, I will serve as a household servant to the most noble Hana Clan of Hokkaido, loyal servants of Their Majesties and the Dual Kingdoms of Japan and Korea."
Hearing that, Tatewaki visibly winced. While most Japanese, if they were asked, would respond that their century-old alliance with the Korean Empire was truly a beneficial thing, there were those select few who viewed the so-called "Dual Empires" arrangement as a hideous insult to all things which made the Japanese people the most superior race on Earth. Kunou Tatewaki was one such person. While his father and sister both had friends among the natives of the Land of the Morning Calm (both living in Korea and among those expatriates living and working in Japan), Tatewaki viewed Koreans as a whole as the scum of the earth, worthy of being nothing more than slaves.
Seeing Kasumi gaze expectantly at him, the Blue Thunder of the Fuurinkan School quickly recovered himself. Having noted the presence of the magnificent Kagutsuchi, the magical techno-organic "child" of that most beautiful and mightiest of all Class S mamluks, the truly angelic Tokiha Mai -- said Child now gazing at the strange male human from eight metres over the ground -- even Tatewaki had to realize that a member of that particular noble Clan of the northern isle of the Emperor's Realm had come to grace Tendou-ke with her lovely presence.
"I see, then," Tatewaki then declared. "Beautiful Kasumi, may I then ask which of the noble Sisters of Hana has come this day to grace thy former home with their divine presences? Is it the lovely Sakuya-sama? Perhaps the cool, mysterious Chikage-sama? Or...?"
"Kasumi, who is out there?" a voice demanded from the porch of the Tendou home.
Kasumi turned. "It is Kunou Tatewaki-sama, Mistress. The elder son of Baron Kunou Goodai of Nerima."
"I see. Let him come in. I will receive him here."
"Hai, Mistress!" Kasumi turned back to Tatewaki, waving him inside. "This way, Kunou-sama. The Mistress will receive you."
The kendou-ka quickly fell in behind the servant as they walked to the main doors of the Tendou home. Only Mai and Ranma stood on the porch to await the handsome scion of Kunou-jou; Yumi had gone back inside. Stepping onto the porch to remove his footwear, Tatewaki paused to gaze intently at Ranma for a moment before his eyes widened in recognition. "You, good bodyguard! Are thou Saotome Ranma, the so-called 'brother' of the dark servant of the Noir, Saotome Yumiko, she who tries to seduce the fair Tendou Akane to her vile ways...?"
"I am he," Ranma cut him off using his "soul of ice" voice, which made the visitor nearly piss himself. The look the mamluk was now giving the kendou-ka spoke volumes: If my Mistress so orders it, I can kill you without breaking a sweat. "In the meantime, the Mistress has granted you the privilege of a private audience with her. Do not take more of her valued time than needed. You may go in."
Tatewaki shuddered, and then he quickly passed through the doorway into the sitting room. Seated there was none other than the third of the Sisters of Hana, the fair marchioness Susumu Marie, accompanied by her equally lovely assistant Ami and...!
"Tendou Nabiki...?!"
"No longer," Marie declared as she gave Nabiki, the latter seated to the right and behind her new owner, a light glance. "Please make yourself comfortable, Tatewaki-kun. The master of this home is not here at the time being and I'm not aware of when he will return. You need to be made clear about certain events which have occurred concerning this household over the previous two weeks." Her eyes then locked on his. "Since I consider your noble father a friend and advisor in the ways of the House of Peers, I will spare you a trip to the Servant Registrar office here in Nerima and explain what has now happened." She then called out, "Ranma, come inside!"
Ranma stepped inside. "You summoned me, my Mistress?" he asked as he gave her a formal bow.
"Remain where you are. Nabiki, fetch some tea for our guest, please?"
"At once, my Mistress," Nabiki replied before she headed into the kitchen.
Stunned by the reaction of someone he knew preferred to be in as total control over her situation as possible, Tatewaki did nothing more than kneel on the floor across the sitting room table from Marie. Silence reigned over the scene as Nabiki shortly came back with a tea set and two cups. Once the tea was served, Marie nodded her thanks, and then she gazed on the visiting kendou-ka. "So, Tatewaki-kun? What brings you to Tendou-ke this day? No doubt, I believe you've come to visit the youngest of the daughters of Tendou Souun, have you not?"
He jolted before an empathic nod rocked his head. "Indeed it is so, Susumu-koosama! Wherefore is Tendou Akane, if I may humbly ask...?!"
"She is no more."
Silence.
Tatewaki's jaw hit the floor, his skin as white as a ghost's. "W-what...?"
Marie sighed. "Akane, come join us, please!"
Footsteps. Tatewaki turned to see Akane step into the sitting room, her head bowed low in deference to the...
No...
No! It cannot be...!
"Akane...!" he hoarsely gasped.
"You summoned me, my Mistress?" Akane demurely asked, she bowing to Marie.
"I did," Marie replied. "Attend me beside your sister."
"Hai!" Akane replied before she walked over to kneel beside Nabiki, she keeping her older sister between herself and the kendou-ka.
Marie took a deep breath. "Kunou Tatewaki," she then declared to snap the visitor out of his shock on seeing 'his' Akane now acting as her servant. "I will state this only once: As of today and until the day he dies, Tendou Souun no longer has any children to speak of born of him and his late wife, Tendou Kimiko-sensei. In conjunction with his surrendering the contract concerning Saotome Ranma's service to his family to me (thus making Ranma my servant), he also surrendered the freedom of all his daughters to me in return to monetary compensation which will be given to the Chardin family of Burgundy to answer for the debt Tendou Souun owes them." Her eyes narrowed as she glared deeply into his own eyes. "Do you understand this, Tatewaki-kun?"
Jolting, he stared helplessly at Akane. "B-b-but...!"
Marie's voice turned to pure ice. "Do -- you -- understand -- me?"
Tatewaki froze before he bobbed his head. "H-h-HAI!!!"
"Good." Marie then glanced at Akane for a second. "Furthermore, Tatewaki-kun, long before you first even met her within the gates of the Fuurinkan School, Akane made an application to undergo mamluk training with the academy of les Soldats in France so she, out of her respect and love for Saotome Yumiko, could become Yumiko's partner as per the ancient traditions of the Noir. That application was accepted by the ruling council of les Soldats. It was also accepted by the Lady Mireille Bouquet, the matriarch of the Noir. Furthermore, agreements between the Dual Empires and the Empire of the French permit this sort of cross-training to happen. Your attempts at convincing les Soldats through the Chardins to reject Akane so she could eventually be made your personal concubine have failed, Tatewaki-kun. As of this day, Akane is my servant and she will proceed to France to become Noir." Her voice became ice again. "NO interference from you will be tolerated, Kunou Tatewaki. Do you understand me?"
Chilled to the bone by the marchioness' words, Tatewaki did nothing but bob his head more. "H-h-HAI!!!"
Marie then smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, the others in the room quickly concluded. "Excellent. Oh, Tatewaki-kun..."
"H-hai...?"
"You should also know this," Marie declared. "Both Tendou Souun and Saotome Genma, Ranma's father, attempted to defraud me when it came to certain matters concerning Ranma's contract with me."
His jaw dropped. Two commoners attempted to defraud a marchioness?! "What...?!"
"It is true," Marie confirmed with a light smile. "Tatewaki-kun, I would consider it a personal favour if you will make sure that neither of those men attempt to defraud anyone else in the future, especially when it might concern Genma's son or any of Souun's former 'daughters.' Given the resources Kunou-jou has at its beck and call, I'm sure you'll be more than capable of dealing with them should they try to hurt any of His Majesty's loyal citizens." The smile widened just a fraction. "Believe me, Tatewaki-kun, I'm more than sure that His Majesty would look most favourably on this service I've asked of you should you render it."
Tatewaki blinked as his mind absorbed Marie's request, and then his head bobbed up and down. "H-h-HAI!!!"
Sometime later...
"Is it gone, Saotome-kun?"
"I'm not sure, Tendou-kun," Genma hissed as he and Souun looked around the corner to gaze on the front gate of Tendou-ke. There seemed to be no sign of that hideous monster Mai had summoned forth on Marie's command. "It's quiet."
"Can you look further?" Souun asked.
Genma blinked, and then he nodded. Quickly falling into the Umisen-ken, the master of the Saotome-ryuu tiptoed over to a spot close to the front gate. With a leap, he dropped himself into the Tendou property, and then he glanced around. There was no sign of anyone on the property at first glance. However, Genma knew that Ranma was fully trained in the Sen-ken forms. Extra caution had to be used.
Sneaking over to the front door, Genma quickly glanced inside. The sitting room was empty, save for a folded sheet of paper on the table. Realizing that everyone had cleared out finally, no doubt heading up north to Hokkaido, Genma then dropped his cloak of invisibility, and then he walked over to the front gate. Opening it, he called out, "They're gone, Tendou-kun! It's clear!"
Souun nodded as he jogged his way back into his home. Once there, both paused to take another quick look around the sitting room before they relaxed. The fading traces of ki energy from Souun's children told them plenty. "Now, all we have to do is wait for the boy to have a son with that stupid girl and then we can proceed to unite the schools finally," Genma then declared as he moved to sit beside the table, he adjusting his glasses. "There's no hope of Yumi giving Nodoka grandchildren given the ways of the Noir..."
"What's this?"
Genma paused as he watched Souun pick up the paper that was left on the table. Opening it, he then read:
Tendou Souun,
You lied to me about Ranma-kun's status concerning his service to me.
The contract you and Saotome Genma tricked me into signing is worthless.
A proper new contract will be made up to replace it. One that treats Ranma with the dignity he deserves.
Do not attempt to influence the new contract's outcome, Tendou. I'm sure you can imagine what will happen to you, not to mention Saotome Genma and Saotome Nodoka, should your attempt at fraud be exposed in front of His Majesty's Courts.
Further, remember that I can easily hold your former daughters indefinitely if I have to. Just because we verbally agreed that their service for me would last five years does not mean I am honour-bound to adhere to that promise.
Susumu Marie
"Wh-what...?" Souun stammered before his eyes focused on the post-script, written by Yumi:
Hey, Tendou,
To say your former daughters are pissed off at yours and Oyaji's worthless attempt at turning Onii-chan and them into simple breeders so you could unite your pathetic schools, is, putting it lightly, an understatement.
Mistress Marie accepted their service to her out of the kindness of her own heart.
You abused the Mistress' trust and you know it.
It stops here now, Tendou. If you keep charging on ahead like the idiot you are, you, Oyaji and Nodoka will be the slaves.
Yumi
Stunned silence fell over the room as we...
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Sun, 27 Mar 2005 09:12)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.