Chapter 4: Learning

Adelin entered Aizen's room, and her eyes went to the maids that were finishing up changing the sheets of the bed. Given the situation no other solution was possible, so they had to be moved in order to be cleaned. Of course, others would soon come to make the bed presentable once again. In her mind, she could only hope someone else would be tasked with taking care of the disgusting odor that filled the air, that even a full morning had yet to dissipate.

Being close to lunch time, the master of the house had tasked her with informing Amelia that the meal would soon be ready. Given the nights events, Amelia had decided to strangely spend most of the morning in bed. Something Adelin would never judge, but would have to admit that didn't make the job of making the room presentable easy.

Making her way to the closed door that lead to the bathroom, she knocked two times, before waiting for a reply.

"Yes?" Amelia asked.

"My lady, lunch is almost finished, and ready to be served."

No sound came from the other side. After all it wasn't needed, as shortly after the door opened, revealing a fully recovered Amelia.

"Lead the way." She simply said.

"As you wish."

Taking a small bow, Adelin did as she was told and led Amelia to the dinning room. As they walked, Amelia eventually spoke up.

"What did my father do with him?"

"I-I would not know, my Lady." Adelin replied, to which Amelia chuckled.

"You're such a bad liar. I know very well, that nothing goes on in this house without you knowing."

To this, Adelin momentarily looked back at her superior, before giving a muffled chuckle of her own, and speaking.

"Indeed. I know that he was sent to the library, and we were instructed not to disturb him till dinner time."

"Is that all?"

"I know that Eva, as gone there more then once today. After said order was given."

"I see…" Amelia remarked, falling into silence.

It was obvious her father was the one behind this. No one else could have given an order that the people in the house would follow. Then the real question was, why would he send Aizen to the library? Amelia's mind went through various possibilities, many of those she came up with involved her father having come up with someway to get rid of Aizen. Still, none of her ideas seemed to make sense. At least fully, but that was until she remembered her conversation with Aizen in the carriage.

She remembered that he seemed to be very confident in being able to learn their language from books alone. Could it be that her father allowed him to do so? No, she couldn't see him doing that. Especially after what happened last night. To be honest, she was just surprised Aizen hadn't immediately been thrown out. She could only conclude that her new acquaintance was skilled enough to even work around her father's stubborn mind. He truly was an interesting being.

Arriving at the vast dining room, the scene was the same as it was most of the time. A massive table, that could easily seat 20 people, was occupied by only one man at it's head. Amelia took her usual seat to her father's right, waiting as the other servants prepared her plate, with Adelin dismissed herself before leaving.

"I see you've finally decided to show your face. After the disgusting display you made last night." Gaius flatly remarked.

"Good day to you too father." Amelia replied calmly.

Silence fell for several moments, Gaius being less then pleased with his daughters reply, but not having the patience to say or growl anything back.

"So, I heard you sent Aizen to the library. I can't help but wonder why you did that, father." Amelia spoke up, breaking the silence.

"We made a wager." Gaius informed, his words immediately getting Amelia's attention.

"You've never risked leaving things to chance. What changed?" Amelia asked, genuinely curious.

"He believed he could teach himself how to read and write, till dinner time. It sounds like an easy win to me." Gaius replied, drinking from his whine glass.

Amelia couldn't help but eye down her father. He was too comfortable with this, especially since she knew her father would never leave such things to chance. He was a man who liked to be in control, and to feel the pulse of the situation flow through his grip. Making a wager was not something he would do so easily. Based on such a belief, a reason for this wager began to take form in her mind, and not being one to hold back, Amelia decided to directly ask her father if she was right.

"Could it be, you have seen something of worth in him?"

She spoke in an almost sarcastic tone, since her father admitting to this was a humorous thing in her mind. Her words got no verbal answer, but she did manage to get his attention, so she decided to continue speaking.

"Could it be, that you accepted this wager, knowing you could lose, father?"

"In a wager, the possibility of losing is present for both sides…" Gaius replied, taking another gulp from his cup, before continuing.

"However, what you said is not that far off from the truth. From what you said, and from what I saw of Aizen, he does seem to be a very complex individual. Someone like him could be of use to us, especially if there is indeed someone after you."

Amelia rested back in her chair, since moments like this were rare. Her father was a stern and distant man, and to see him speak like this was something that managed to catch her off guard.

"Are you concerned about the future of your business?" She asked, drinking from her glass.

"Among other things. Still, I will not accept any more acts of depravity in my own house!" Gaius growled, going back to his usual self.

"And your are not the only one to have taken a liking to him. Countess Victoria was here today…" The elder informed, just to be interrupted by Amelia.

"Was it because of her delivery?"

"Yes. But it was nothing that couldn't be fixed. She happened to cross paths with Aizen, and seemed very pleased with him. That being said, I think it is because of his natural looks. His charm if you will…" Gaius continued, drinking his wine once more.

"Something like that could be of use to us. More specifically to you, when I send you out to do business."

"I never thought you would be convinced so quickly, father. I guess his charm worked on you as well." Amelia said with a laugh.

"Hold your tongue, child! I thought you were the one that wanted to give him a chance. That is what I am doing with this wager. If he is indeed as good as he seems to be, then you will get what you want."

"How generous of you, father."

Eva used the small commotion in the kitchen, to place some of the food on a tray. Having given Aizen her word that she would get him some meals, she didn't want to fail him. Especially since she wanted to begin to make a good impression around the man. It would make it easier for her to get close to him.

Managing to exit the kitchen without any unwanted attention, she quickly made her way back to the library. All the while the maid named Red followed her. Arriving at the door that lead to the library, Red stayed behind while Eva went in.

Walking towards the table Aizen was still sitting at, she was now faced by a much larger pile of books than before. It truly surprised her how fast he could go through them. Especially the ones that were on top of the pile, which were of a decent size already. She also managed to notice a notebook that rested to his side, on which several letters seemed to have been crudely drawn.

"I have brought you your meal." Eva calmly announced.

Aizen raised his head from the table to look at her, and once more she was surprised by how lively he looked. It was her understanding that one would be tired from spending so much time studying.

"Thank you. Please place it here." The Shinigami said, motioning to the empty spot on the table.

Doing as she was told, Eva placed the tray on the table. Moving back to her initial position in front of him, she could now only wait for him to eat his meal. Noticing that he didn't decide to start eating right away, Eva took the opportunity to make a small joke. Her words weren't serious as she only wanted to see his reaction, but she would not mind if he said yes to it.

"I-If you wish, it would not be an issue if I were to help you eat your lunch." She announced with a slightly seductive tone.

A tone also used to show him, she was not pressuring him into having his meal, and hers was merely a helpful suggestion. Aizen once more turned his attention to her, and seemed to be perfectly unfazed by her words, which Eva couldn't help but find disappointing. Certainly, any man would eagerly take the offer to be feed by a woman as beautiful as her.

"I do hope you are being properly compensated for such diligence." Aizen remarked, putting strange emphasis on the word "diligence".

"T-Thank you." Eva replied, taking a small bow to hide her blushing face.

"There is no need to say such things. After all, as a simple guest in this household, I should be the one to be thanking such hospitality."

"I-I'm merely doing my job. We are here to serve, after all." Eva quickly said, giving her words a slightly seductive tone once more.

"Then it would be for the best, if I didn't keep you here for long. We wouldn't want the master of the house to be upset. Now, would we?"

"N-No."

Aizen went silent as he finally turned his attention to his meal, while Eva let out a low hiss. She was annoyed by how he had completely ignored her intentions. However, what he said was true, and it was a valid concern for her. She did not want to anger Gaius, so it was a better option to let him eat, and then try and make her advances later.

When the Shinigami was done with his meal, Eva picked up the tray with a bow, and made her way out of the library, where Red was still waiting, sitting on the floor.

"How did it go?" The smaller maid asked, getting back to her feet.

"The same as before." Eva hissed back, beginning to walk away.

"So, no progress…" Red mumbled.

"You should have seen it! He didn't even look at me lustfully." Eva spat, like a child throwing a tantrum.

"I mean, am I not pretty enough!?" She continued, looking down at Red.

"I-I'm not really into other women, sorry." Red replied nonchalantly, further angering her fellow maid.

"Which side are you on anyway!?"

"I'm just watching."

"Fine… This is not a problem." Eva said, regaining control over herself.

"Then, what will you do next?"

"Something bolder. I'll give him a reason to lust after me." Eva said with determination.

Night had come, and it was getting closer to dinner time, with Aizen's time was coming to an end. It was Gaius' intention for a maid to go and call him back, however Amelia volunteered herself to go and get him, doing so even before her father could say anything about it.

Making her way to the library, she walked through the door and was then welcomed by Walter. Giving the old man a quick word in reply, Amelia made her way towards the table Aizen was sitting at. It was surprisingly clean, outside for a few notebooks, pencils and pens.

"Your time's over, Aizen." She announced.

"I know. That is why I have already put every book back into place." The Shinigami politely informed.

"Walter, is this true?" Amelia asked, looking back at the old butler.

"Yes, my Lady."

Looking back at him, Aizen found himself met with an annoyed look, followed by Amelia placing her hands on the table to further showcase her current state of mind.

"Are you that confident?" She asked in a low tone.

"Should I not be? Your language is rather simple."

Amelia then straightened her posture and let out a sigh, which almost evolved into an annoyed chuckle. She couldn't fault him for his confidence. Her eyes went back to the table, and with her left hand she opened one of the notebooks. Flipping through several pages, until she reached one that was empty, and with a pen on her right, she quickly wrote something down on it.

"Then can you tell me what this means?"

Aizen looked down at the paper, and the only change she could see was his smile growing ever so slightly, before his eyes went back to her, with an amused expression.

"Such words are below you, Lady Amelia."

"It seems you have indeed learned something." Amelia remarked with a smirk.

"Perhaps you need further proof, to be properly convinced." Aizen said, getting back to his feet.

"Don't concern yourself with me. The one you need to convince is my father, remember?"

"Shall we go meet him then?" The man asked.

Amelia swiftly turned around to face the door and motioned the Shinigami to follow her, which he did. As they made their way back, the duo came across Adelin who seemed to be making her way towards the same direction they were coming from.

"Lady Amelia, your father, wishes to see you both in the dinning hall." She announced.

"Both of us?" Amelia asked back in curiosity.

"Yes. Please follow me."

The trio made their way to the dining hall, where Gaius was already enjoying his dinner. They stopped to his left, as Adelin placed herself behind the master of the house to his left, while Amelia and Aizen remained in front of him.

"What do you have to show me, Aizen?" Gaius asked.

Aizen materialized a piece of paper from one of his pockets, unfolded it and placed it on top of the table. Gaius looked at Aizen, then looked down at the paper. He quickly ran through it's contents, before letting out an angered growl, as his attention went back to Aizen.

"I see you don't lack for confidence." Gaius hissed, taking a drink from his glass.

"Is this enough proof?"

"Yes, it is. Congratulations Aizen, you've won your spot in my home." The master of the house replied, raising his glass to the Shinigami.

"However, try not to get too comfortable. I will not allow you to simply do as you please."

"I would expect no less from you, sir. I am very thankful for the opportunity, and I will do my best not to waste it." Aizen said, taking a small bow.

"I do hope so, for both your sakes." Gaius said, looking at Aizen and his daughter.

"Adelin, please take Aizen back to his room. He must be tired after such a long day. Amelia, join me for dinner."

"As you wish. Please follow me." Adelin said, walking away along with Aizen following behind.

Amelia took her seat, after a short while several servants came to prepare the table for her, while others brought the meal itself.

"What did the paper say?" Amelia asked, not bothering to look at the sheet that still rested on the table.

"Nothing important."

"Either way, you lost the wager, father."

"A valid result, from my point of view. I must admit I'm truly shocked by how fast he managed to learn our language. And to be able to perfect his handwriting to such an extent, it truly is…" Gaius began to say, however Amelia spoke over him.

"Frightening?"

"Exactly. This alone is enough to show us how great his potential is, and how good a find he is for us."

"It's good to see you finally admit it, father." Amelia remarked.

"Do not get too full of yourself, child. Men like that, are hard to hold down. They tend to be hungrier then those you would normally come across. He may be in our hands now, but he is fully capable of leaving whenever he wishes."

"Do not worry. I will make sure his interest is kept only on us."

"Since you were the one to bring him in, I think that is only fitting. However, refrain from any more decadent displays, while in my home."

"Understood."

Having finished dinner and desert, Amelia made her way to Aizen's room, opening the door she saw him sitting on the same chair he occupied in the morning writing on a notebook. Closing the door behind her, she began to approach him, this prompting Aizen to close the notebook and look up at her.

"You seem to have gotten my father's, temporary favor." She informed.

"Temporary?" Aizen calmly asked.

"He feels you are simply using us, and will eventually leave us behind once you've gotten what you wanted."

"I never intended to get his full approval with a simple wager. The wager was necessary to get his attention. Just enough for him to keep me around, and see worth in me."

"Was this situation, all part of some grand scheme of yours?" Amelia asked, taking a seat on the bed.

"Perhaps I should be the one asking that question. Since, it was in your best interests for me to cause a good impression with your father. Which, if that was indeed your intention, you decided to have sex with me, knowing what his reaction would be. Meaning you expected his reaction, and you also expected me to be able to deal with him. Am I wrong?"

"My father is no fool, Aizen. Even if your presence displeased him, he is not proud enough as to let that blind him from something that could possibly improve his business."

"Then, what do you think he will do next?"

"Against you? Nothing. For now at least. Enjoy your rest, because next time I'm sent out it is possible you will be told to come with me."

"I can hardly wait." Aizen said with a barely noticeable smile slowly widening.

Kalvyn Portio Ranoc moved around in his bed, his body looking for the girl he had brought on his journey for the sole purpose of keeping him company, and who had now seemingly decided to get away from his grip. Beginning to wake up, already with ideas of how he would teach her proper manners, he was meet with a black shape standing on top of him, and the sensation of cold steel resting on his throat.

"Wh…" he tried to speak, but the blade pressed harder against him.

"Be silent, pig." The figure growled.

"Let's get moving." Another voice spoke up, to his right.

Managing to move his eyes to the source of the voice, Kalvyn saw two other figures dressed completely in black, with only their eyes being visible. One of them was carrying the girl in his arms. Everything became obvious in his mind. They were here to rescue her. Not only that but they dared to threaten him, and so they would all pay for such an affront.

"Your lucky, Ranoc. If it were up to me, I would be gutting you right here."

With that, the figure jumped out of the bed and followed the others through the opened window, and almost immediately after Kalvyn sat back up, with his hand going to his throat.

"Logan!" He roared.

The trio escaped through the window and began to make their way through the city's rooftops, and they were soon joined by seven other people in similar outfits. Their role had been to take out the guards Ranoc had placed around the building he was staying at. They were making quick progress through the city, when one of the people in the lead collapsed, and fell into the streets below.

For a moment the entire group stopped, which was quickly followed by the man holding the rescued girl in his arms jumping back as a metallic toothpick landed in front of him. Just as they were about to get back on the move, someone appeared not to far ahead of them. It was Razor, one of the men in the employ of Kalvyn Portio Ranoc.

"Yo." He said calmly, passing his hand through his hair.

"Move on ahead. All of you!"

The one that spoke was the same one that had threatened Kalvyn. He pushed his way through the group, his dagger already in his right hand.

"A-Are you sure?" The one holding the girl hesitantly asked.

"Yes. Just get a move on!"

Doing as he roared, the rest of the group moved onto a nearby roof and continued on advancing, as Razor watched on as his target escaped. He prepared himself to go after them, but was then attacked by the one that stayed behind. Razor easily avoided the slash, jumping backwards, before sighing tiredly, knowing he would have to deal with this "obstacle" first.

"I'm not letting you go!" His opponent declared in anger.

"Ugh. Fine. You got a name, kid?" Razor asked.

"Horton."

"Razor. Come on, I don't have all day."

"Don't look down on us!"

Horton charged and began to slash at his opponent like a madman, his anger being fueled by how easily his opponent dodged every single blow. As he did this, he didn't notice the four toothpicks that rested in Razor's left hand. Horton continued his assault until he suddenly stopped.

His eyes were frozen, fixated on Razor who was looking back at him with a small sarcastic smirk. Horton's free hand went to his neck, finally realizing the four toothpicks sticking out of it. Falling to his knees, Horton's eyes once more went to his opponent. As he tried to speak, a fifth projectile landed right in between his eyes, killing him almost instantly.

Just like that Razor vanished from sight. Using his ridiculous speed he easily managed to catch up with the remaining group, and in both his hands were several of his metal toothpicks.

The group was making their way past a large empty square, when they were showered by several projectiles, which surprisingly only killed one of them. However, it forced all the others to fall down into the large square, basically boxing themselves in as a result.

Razor landed in front of them shortly after, calmly placing a toothpick in his mouth as he stood before seven cornered individuals.

"I'm going to need the girl back." He calmly announced.

"Never!" The one who was carrying her growled.

"What a shame. It always pains me to see young talent die." A new voice said as it echoed through the air.

Everyone, except Razor, turned to look at the source of the voice, which came from the only entrance to the square. Standing there were two men, with one carrying a large battle axe over his left shoulder.

"What's taking so long, Razor? Are these kids giving you problems?" Kevel said as he laughed loudly.

"What can I say? They've got a good pair of legs on them."

"I'm sure the boss would want to know about that." The larger man calmly added.

"Give me a break…" Razor said as he sighed.

"You two can argue later. We were ordered to deal with all of them. Except the women in the group. They are to be taken back for appraisal." Logan informed.

"Pig…" One of the remaining members of the group mumbled.

"Ray, take care of Olivia."

The one who was carrying the girl up to this point placed her on the arms of the one who had just expressed her disgust for the enemy.

"B-But, Crowther, we have to run." Ray pointed out.

Crowther however ignored her protests. Perhaps it was because he knew the hard reality of the situation as he walked towards the trio. Standing before him as the leader of his group.

"Do you have anything to say?" Logan asked in curiosity.

"Let us go. We have done nothing wrong. We simply wanted to save one of our own!" Crowther shouted back.

"One of your own?" Kevel asked, raising an eyebrow at them.

"Olivia, where do you think you are going? What will your master think?" Logan spoke, his eyes falling onto the girl.

Ray looked down as she felt her friend began to squirm in her arms, until she ultimately pushed herself away from Ray falling on the ground as a result. Her eyes darted around frantically, her breathing became labored and fast passed, followed by Olivia getting back to her feet and then running in the direction of the trio, much to the groups shock.

"O-Olivia…" Crowther gasped.

Olivia ran like a mad until she fell on her knees right in front of Logan. She then proceeded to take several bows, all the while pleading like something akin to a miserable dog.

"You mustn't. You mustn't. Master will be mad. I wasn't going anywhere, I swear." She pleaded.

"Then, these people were taking you away against your will?" Logan asked, not even bothering to look down at her.

"Y-Yes, that's it! They wanted to take me away. I didn't want to."

"I guess you were in the wrong after all. What a shame." The veteran said as he sighed.

"Ladies step aside. I don't want to kill any of you needlessly." Kevel announced, beginning to walk forwards.

"Take care of the men. I'll knock the rest of them out." Razor informed while walking forwards.

"Fine." Kevel said in an almost annoyed fashion.

Logan simply watched on as a literal massacre took place in front of him. It was always a marvel to see his two protegees at work. Even more so when they worked as a unstoppable duo.

Razor was frighteningly fast given his size. He was an expert rogue and assassin who had pretty much created his own style of killing via implementation of his own toothpicks. He was also an expert in many assassin variants of [Martial Arts] that boosted his already impressive speed and agility. Skills which in this situation he didn't have to use.

His opponents were younger yes, but outright lacked what was needed to even be a threat to him. Logan thought this as Razor then masterfully "danced" around those who attacked him, in order to knock out the women in the group.

Logan's attention then went to Kevel. The man was a giant and built like a house, with his regular strength above that of the average man by default. This allowed him to swing his axe as freely as he did. Even if that was an issue, he was competent in several [Martial Arts] that overwrote such limitations. These also complemented his also freakish speed for a man of his size.

If he had a weakness it was that unlike Razor and himself, Kevel was simpler minded and more straight forward, which made him speak and do things when the best option was to stay put. To be honest, till now he was lucky that his strength enabled him not to worry about such things. Well, that was until he came across Logan and Razor. Unlike Razor, Kevel presented himself as a tank, easily cutting through those that attacked him.

As the elder analyzed the scene, his eyes fell on a charging Crowther, who had gone past the rest of his trio and was quickly making his way towards him. However, Logan didn't even try to move, as his veteran experience having already told him how the situation would go. So when the younger man's blade made contact with his stomach it was all part of the plan.

As soon as the blade made contact with Logan's skin, it was sent flying into the air as if it had stroked metal, minus the sound.

"H-How…" Crowther mumbled in shock, staggering backwards.

"You are too young to be attacking me head on." The elder replied, with a bored tone.

Crowther gulped, trying his best not to run away like a coward. His eyes went down to Olivia who had the emptiest expression he had ever seen. As if her soul had been removed.

"I guess it is my turn." Logan spoke, getting the younger man's attention.

It was as if time had stopped from Crowther's point of view. The last thing he saw was Logan's right-hand clenching into a fist, which was followed by a single blow to the head. It was a blow strong enough to send the other's head flying several feet away from the body.

"Done!" Kevel announced, using his free hand to clear some of the blood off of his face.

"Me too." Razor added.

"Then, let's get moving."

Ray slowly woke up, her entire head hurting from Razor's knockout blow. Her slightly opened eyes began to examine her surroundings. She could almost immediately tell that she was in some kind of abandoned building. As her eyes began to fully open she saw that she was surrounded by several men. In front of her was the trio that had attacked them, and the bastard himself, Kalvyn.

Hanging to his leg, pulling slightly at his pants like a dog trying to get it's master's attention was Olivia, who seemed to have been visibly crying. This scene made Ray's heart break further. She would have never imagined her friend to have been reduced to such a disgusting state.

A sudden breeze of air brought her back from her thoughts, directing her eyes downwards, Ray saw that she was in fact naked, and on her knees and bound by rope. Looking to her side she saw the three other women of the group. One was crying, and the others were silent, with their heads hung low in defeat.

"I see that you are all awake. Then, I can now begin." Kalvyn said with a wide grin.

Having spoken, he began to walk around the group of women, his ever hungry eyes examining every inch of them. He didn't need to get too close in order to do so. Having spent many years in this business, he had learned to appraise a woman's body from a certain distance, since there could be some associated dangers.

"Young, seemingly in good shape, and no visible markings or scars. I will admit, coming from a group of street punks, I am surprised at their quality." Kalvyn said, looking at Logan.

"Screw you! You fat bastard!" Ray roared in disgust.

Like that silence fell upon all of them as Kalvyn stopped, and all those present waited for his reaction. The noble calmly straightened his posture, and walked up towards the rebellious Ray. Stopping at a safe distance from her, he took a moment to examine her rage filled face, before then speaking.

"I guess you will have to do. I was hoping to have someone of a… higher class to fill that role, but I guess someone of your level will have to do it. You see, I like to offer my costumers a challenge. Give them the opportunity to do some of the hard work themselves. With those words, you've just earned yourself that spot."

Ray felt a chill go down her spine at the sound of those words. She knew perfectly well what he meant by "costumers", and could somewhat understand what he meant by his statement. It made her feel both terrified and sickened just from thinking of it.

"Please, do not grow so pale. After all, soon enough you will be the star of the party." The man added, with a sadistic smile.

"Now, for the rest. The one that is crying, she is to become a utility, and I want her ready for proper use before the next event. The other two can actually be worked into a package. Double the experience for only half the pay."

With that, their fates were sealed and soon enough all of them were once more knocked out. Soon enough they would be transported out of the city, where their "integration" into the noble's business would begin.