Chapter 21: Black House Emblem

On the other hand, Jiro returned home, feeling triumphant. He knew there was a meeting in the house, and as the son of the city lord, he was expected to attend. Hurrying towards his father's study, he entered the room filled with stern-looking men. However, a palpable sense of tension filled the air when one of the men suddenly spoke up.

"Lords, does anyone here belong to the Black House?" he asked, his eyes scanning the room warily.

The city lord denied any affiliation, but the man persisted, his gaze fixed on Jiro who had just entered the door. "I told you, there is someone who belongs to the Black House, and this is a commander-level emblem," he said, pointing to the emblem in Jiro's hand. "Congratulations, lord, for becoming part of the Black House."

Confusion clouded the city lord's face as he turned to his son. "Where did you get this emblem?" he demanded, his voice laced with suspicion.

Jiro, now nervous, stammered, "I got it from a master who took me as a disciple."

Suspicion grew among the men in the room. The city lord asked again, more forcefully, "Where did you really get this emblem?"

Jiro, terrified, finally confessed, "I got it from a girl who was wearing a maid outfit. She said she got it from her master. And getting it from a maid means it's a fake one, father."

One of the men stepped forward, his interest piqued. "May I inspect it?" he asked.

Jiro handed over the emblem, and after careful examination, the man confirmed, "It's real."

A heavy silence filled the room. Suddenly, a figure descended from the ceiling, landing gracefully in the center, breaking the table beneath her. The figure, a woman cloaked in dark robes, stared intently at the man holding the emblem.

"Now, if you're done checking, return it," she demanded, using her qi to retrieve the emblem from his hands. She then turned to the city lord. "City lord of Leogon, see you soon," she said before vanishing as mysteriously as she had appeared.

Everyone in the room was frozen in shock as the mysterious woman disappeared. For a moment, there was complete silence, the weight of the situation pressing down on them like a heavy shroud. The men looked at each other, their eyes filled with unease and uncertainty. One by one, they began to voice their concerns, their whispers growing louder as they discussed the implications of what had just transpired.

"This changes everything," one man said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We can't be associated with the Black House," another agreed, his tone urgent. "If we do, it will bring down bigger problems upon us. Their enemies are powerful, and their reach is long."

"He's right," a third man added, nodding emphatically. "Aligning with the city lord now is too risky. Our own families and holdings would be jeopardized. We have to sever ties for our own safety."

The city lord, his face contorted with a mix of fury and despair, listened to their muttering. "Gentlemen, please," he implored, trying to regain control of the situation. "Let's not act rashly. We can find a way to resolve this without severing our alliances."

But the men were resolute. "I'm sorry, my lord," the first man said, shaking his head. "We cannot be allies now. The stakes are too high. The risks too great."

One by one, they echoed his sentiment, expressing their inability to support the city lord any longer. They all left the room, leaving the city lord and his son alone in the now eerily silent chamber, the echoes of their footsteps lingering like ghosts.

The city lord turned to his son, his expression a mix of fury and despair. "My fame, my power, my dominance, my status—all jeopardized by your reckless actions," he said, his voice trembling with rage. Jiro, terrified, tried to stammer an apology, but the city lord silenced him with a glare. And shout loudly ,"No one is allowed to enter this room," he commanded the remaining guards outside.

The guards exchanged uneasy glances but obeyed, closing the door behind them. The city lord, his face twisted with anger, grabbed a large stick from the corner of the room. His knuckles whitened as he gripped it tightly. With a cold, deliberate motion, he turned back to Jiro.

"You've brought disgrace upon our family," he snarled, raising the stick. "And now, you will pay for it."

He swung the stick down with all his might, striking Jiro across the back. Jiro cried out in pain, his body recoiling from the blow. But the city lord was relentless. He brought the stick down again and again, each strike more brutal than the last. Jiro's screams echoed through the room, a haunting symphony of suffering that no one outside dared to answer.

"Please, father, stop!" Jiro begged between sobs, but his pleas only seemed to fuel his father's wrath.

The city lord's eyes burned with a cold fury as he continued to beat his son. The strikes were not just physical but filled with the weight of his disappointment and the collapse of his ambitions. Jiro's cries grew weaker, his resistance fading with each blow. His body crumpled under the relentless assault, blood seeping from wounds where the stick had broken skin.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jiro lay on the floor, barely conscious, his breaths shallow and ragged. He was beaten to the point of being half-dead, his body a tapestry of bruises and welts. The city lord, breathing heavily, stepped back, looking down at his son with a mixture of disgust and disappointment.

"You have disgraced our family and endangered everything we've built," he spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "Let this be a lesson you never forget."

He turned towards the door, opened it slightly, and and move towards the hall .

He summon the whole household in the grand hall. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with worry and fear. His wife, Lady Akiko, stood by his side, her face pale but composed. His daughter, Yuna, clutched her mother's hand, her eyes wide with concern.

"The second young master has brought us a trouble,which will occus anytime. And this is the black house" the city lord began, his voice heavy with frustration and anger. "Our allies have abandoned us, fearing from the Black House. Our position in Leogon is precarious at best. But now it's will collapse anytime."

Lady Akiko looked at her husband, her eyes filled with worry. "What are we to do, my lord?" she asked softly. "How can we protect our family from this threat?"

The city lord took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "We must be vigilant," he replied. "We need to tighten our security and prepare for any attacks. I will reach out to our remaining contacts and see if they spares us though I fear ..."

Yuna, her voice trembling, spoke up. "Father, what about Jiro? He didn't mean for any of this to happen. Can't we find a way to make amends with the Black House?"

The city lord's expression softened as he looked at his daughter. "Jiro's actions, however unintended, have put us all at risk. But you are right, Yuna. We cannot simply abandon him. I will do what I can to make amends, but it will not be easy."

Lady Akiko placed a reassuring hand on her husband's arm. "We are a family, and we will face this together. Whatever comes, we will stand united."

The city lord nodded, grateful for his wife's strength. "Indeed. We will face whatever comes, together. But we must be prepared for the worst. The Black House is not known for its mercy, and we cannot afford to be complacent."

As the family members exchanged worried glances, the city lord's resolve hardened.