Vol 1 Chapter 2 (1/2)
Chapter 2 - Pedigree
Episode 02: Crossbreed
Part 1
A pub near the rail station was currently croith people wanting lunch
Dishes, of which only the portions were good, were lined up on the counter and the bearded host was busyaround
Al plain clothes and seemed like workers
Many of them looked rude and there were also ones within the mass that already reeked of alcohol
In the corner of this pub, there was a party of tith an atmosphere different from the rest
A youngblack hair
The young
His sincere features ih, he didn't seenorant of the ways of the world One could feel the atmosphere of a well trained soldier in every one of his movements
”Let's go, Dalian It'll be time for the appointment soon”
Taking out an arirl
The black-haired girl called Dalian looked expressionlessly up to hihtiness that didn't fit her cute looks,
”Wait, Huey I am still in the middle of my meal”
”In the middle of it? Do you still plan to eat more?”
The young man called Huey asked, a bit amazed Lots of cleanly licked plates were already piled up in front of the girl On the plate she was currently eating were things like fish and chips, lossy fried bread
Only fatty dishes which one could al
”Why do you need to ask such an obvious thing?”
However, Dalian pointed to the counter undisturbed, while biting into those dishes,
”This foolish pub offers an all-you-can-eat for their fried breads! The price is the saly more profitable when I eat a lot Are you so dense that you can't even do such simple math?”
”No, I know that much even without math”
Huey sighed lightly The black-haired girl looked up to him and said
”In that case, quickly bring , you dunce”
””
While shaking his head, Huey stood up as ordered and walked towards the counter
Noticing Huey's sour face, the host of the pub raised a doubtful eyebrow
”An unfamiliar face Are the two of you outsiders?”
”Yes We just arrived on the previous train”
Huey s around in the crowded pub, he added
”Quite lively in here I expected this town to be a bit calmer”
A group of about fifteenaround all the time in the centre of the shop—a noisy bunch who see like hunters or ex-soldiers
The host looked at the to himself
”It is actually a calm town, you know If it wasn't for the incident”
”incident?”
Huey inclined his head The host answered while cutting the roast beef in front of him,
”The Beast of Ashwell Didn't you come because you've also heard of this rumour?”
”No What is it about?”
Seehtly
The host took out a newspaper froround and presented it to him A thin tabloid sized local paper It was the last week's issue
”It's big on the first page A lawyer that opened his business in this town got murdered”
”A lawyer?”
While looking through the creased newspaper, Huey narrowed his eyes Ashas the nae at death; 40 years
”Mr Ashas a famous barrister in this town, you see He accepted cases for low prices, proceeded against corrupted policemen or sued landlords that abused tenant farmers For us common folk, he was like a hero”
”This hero was murdered?”
”Yeah,” the host answered bluntly
”Not just the lord His wife and daughter were all ”
”what about the culprit?” asked Huey
”Huh?”
”Is it still unknoho killed the to what you've just told me, he seemed to have many enemies”
”Ah, well yeah Surely the bunch that shunned him wasn't all that small”
The host said hazily It was in a voice tired fro
”But we knoho the culprit is And there's the big problem”
”Who is it?”
”It's not a human It's a beast”
”A beast?”
”I've heard it's taller than your common cow and looks like a wolf”
Huey kept quiet for a while and gazed at the bearded face of the host Then he lost his focus and breathed out,
”Err Can you tell me more about this?”
The host sighed deeply
”A servant of the Ashwells witnessed it How this beast killed the whole fah theafter it ate a bit of them”
”For real?”
Huey asked back, perplexed The host nodded deeply,
”Well The servant collapsed right after the police arrived and the thing about it being bigger than a cow probably is not true But I also don't think it's all a lie, since there actually were corpses eroded by a beast And there were also strands of hair and footprints”
”I see”
Huey dropped his gaze to the newspaper The contents of it were clearly substantiating the host's words
”So the people gathered here are planning to hunt the beast?”
Huey asked, gazing at the main street, which one could see from the entrance of the pub
There were about 4, 5 dogs, which looked like hunting dogs, fastened carelessly to the street light And the long and narrow luggage several guests of the pub were carrying, were probably their hunting guns
The host continued in an indifferent voice
”Vengeance for the Lord a lot of people got support from him, you see Especially the townspeople involved with this da Hurston family”
”Hurston family?”
Huey inclined his head once again This name wasn't written in the newspaper
The host nosed displeasedly
”Didn't you notice when you arrived? This fucking big fertilizer factory”
”If you're talking about the building I could see from thein the train”
”Yeah, that's it The city councilthis factory, but this dao - unilateral, just because he brought in a new machine!”
”Dismissal? But what happened to the workers?”
Huey asked in a serious voice The host shrugged his shoulders bluntly,
”See, there's no other industry coe of hanging the criminals, Mr Ashwell came and rescued them”
”Rescued them?”
”It's called 'class-action' He stirred up the press and caused an uproar with this It seeot back support of the noble and wealthy people of the capital Thanks to this, that Hurston greenhorn got severely criticized in court Everyone was delighted when he won the lawsuit right in the first instance”
”I see,” Huey nodded Ashwell surely could be called a hero
”And now the fore him?”
”They seeether with the hunters and ex-serviceathered fro thisto this bunch I ht?”
”No I was just a pilot”
Huey shook his head with a smile
The host looked wonderingly at Huey
”H for the beast, then why did you come to this town?”
Huey lightly stiffened his cheeks and nodded
”Well I have an appointment with an acquaintance of an acquaintance This bread, I'll be taking this with ht?”
”U, Uuh?”
Huey hurriedly wrapped up soazed in wonder at him for a while Huey pretended to not notice this and returned with fast steps to his table
Dalian was already on watch for hiar pot
”You are late! How long does it take you to get some bread, you lame duck?”
Even before Huey could sit down, Dalian started berating him Huey made a tired face and said,
”let's go, Dalian”
The girl looked up, befuddled, and held out her hands covered with protectors
”What are you talking about? I will be eating this fried bread now Hurry up and hand it over”
”The family of your acquaintance seems to be pretty unpopular in this town if they find out that our destination is the house of the Hurston's, then they'd probably cause quite an uproar”
Saying so, Huey started to put together their luggage Seeing this, Dalian panicked While standing up hurriedly, she reached out her hands and said,
”Hey Huey, why are you stowing the bread away? I've not put sugar on it yet Huey!”
”It also seee nearby It can't be helped We'll have to walk for a bit”
”Hey! What are you doing? Let go ofme? Hod!”
Huey took the kicking and struggling little girl, ale, under his arms and left the shop
Beholding the sugar pot left on the table woefully, Dalian muttered in a tearful voice,
”Sugar”
Part 2
While the Hurston Faentry family with equal fortune and authority They owned land around the town and employed several tenant far in ies or as committee members
Their residence was a big round with a view of the town
There was a wellin profusion and in the adjoining far itself was also impressive and let one feel the assets of the family
There was just one thing ruining this scenery, which was a group of about 40 to 50 people encircling the front door of the e of the factory employees
Gazing at theh theof the parlour, Huey sipped at his black tea with an unco on a couch, absorbed in reading as she freely took books from a bookshelf in the mansion She was expressionless as always, but looked amused in a way When she could read a rare book, she was alood temper
”Thank you for waiting”
Some time had passed, Huey's tea cup was already half-euided in by a butler and entered the room
His age was likely in theman not so much older than Huey
Seeing Huey looking back to hiue smile But then instantly seemed surprised and stopped
Staring at Dalian ordlessly reading a book, he spoke, lightly bewildered,
”Err are you the Black Biblioprincess?”
””
Dalian gradually noticed his existence and raised her face The uard
But his bewilderment was reasonable This is because Dalian was a beauty that gave off the impression of a doll Furtherma
Cloth decorated with jet black laces A skirt bulged up by several layers of frills These outlines of her were enfolded by metallic protectors on the back of her hands and a rustic tasset
Her looks hts; an odd mixture that couldn't be called dress or armour
And finally, in place of a ribbon, she earing an old, metallic chest
A big lock, tied to her with silver chains
Even so, the irl
”Please forgivesuch a beautiful lady”
The corners of Dalian's mouth twitched when she heard his words If she was a cat, she'd surely be purring now, pleased
For solance and tugged at his sleeves Then she muttered in a low voice,
”This greenhorn is quite proht to follow his example a bit”
Huey sighed amazed
”Wasn't this a mere phrase of civility ah”
He got his shi+n kicked by Dalian's metallic boots and frowned
The ti in confusion
”Thank you for taking on this far journey I'm relieved you arrived without problems”
Finally, he could pull hiether and said so
He then shi+fted his glance in the direction of the front door of the mansion
The workers gathered in front of the door were still hanging out banners across the street and were still raising protesting voices There, soh the circle of thiscrowd
”Well, somehow”
Huey nodded with a bitter smile
”But I pity the carriage driver who got hit with rotten eggs”
”Is that so”
The hed
”I will provide this driver with a servant later, as an apology”
”this group seeht?”
Huey asked nonchalantly
The man cast down his eyes sentimentally
”Yes The protest o it's like this again do you already know about the barrister Ashwell?”
”I've heard about it underway from the host of a pub ent to a beast has attacked him?”
”W-Well yes such rumours also seem to be in circulation”
The man's voice trembled
”With the death of their barrister, the judgments from now on are in the wind I think that's also a reason why the forreild now I just hope nizes that they do have lives and families to protect”
”By 'brother' you mean?”
”Aah, I forgot to mention this My name's Chez Hurston The head of the factory is my older brother, Roy Hurston”
Again with a tiht hand
”My nah Anthony Disward - you may call me Huey And she's Dalian”
With these words, Huey grasped back his hand Then suddenly, he see unexpected
He noticed that the palh he looked very timid
Rather than the son of a rich gentry faroom, who fosters horses
”Er I've heard you caive my rudeness, but what kind of business?”
Chez didn't notice Huey's bewilderment and asked so reluctantly
Not Huey, but Dalian answered to this question
”We came to hand over a book The old Phantom Book ere entrusted with by your ancestors”
”Phantom Book?”
Chez inclined his head Dalian gazed at him expressionlessly
”I've heard it's considered to be the proof of the current head of the family”
”Is that so? I see So grandfather is”
Chez
It was right after this, that rude footsteps could be heard from the corridor and the door to the parlor opened violently
Part 3
”Chez! Is Chez here?!”
A stern-looking man with sharp eyes entered the parlour
He looked around arrogantly in the room and seemed obviously unpleased when he noticed Huey and Dalian
”Brother”
Chez moaned weakly
Huey and Dalian compared the two of them with their eyes wordlessly
Apparently, the man, as called 'brother' by Chez, seemed to be the city council member Roy Hurston
His age was likely in the latter half of his twenties He could probably be classified as a young public official He was just about 4 or 5 years older than Chez
However, the impressions of those brothers were quite different The appearance of the younger brother was helpless, but polite and gentle, whilst the older brother was brihtiness In a sense, their relation was obvious
”What is this bunch outside the mansion? Didn't I tell you to drive away these riffraff?”
Roy rebuked his younger brother without restraint in front of Huey and Dalian's eyes
Chez chewed his words,
”But look, brother They aren't trying to do us any harm They just seek an employain So please”
”So what?”
Roy asked hiant voice
”Don'tto discuss with those lower classes What a waste of time”
”isn't it this one-sided attitude of yours that makes them revolt like this?”
”Don't be absurd Are you telling me to bow my head to those lowlifes out there?”
”What nonsense,” Roy added,as if to spit
”To begin with, wasn't their incapability the reason they failed keeping a job? Why should I, Roy Hurston, bear responsibility for this? Listen Chez, the ability of us humans isn't equal Superior people have a role appropriate to their ability and incapable people aren't allowed to hinder them”
”Even so, suddenly disreat effort for the factory up to now?”
Chez tried desperately to convince his brother
But Roy just looked down on hiaze,
”However ainst a person with true ability Aren't you, more than anyone else, aware of this fact, Chez?”
The younger brother hung his head powerlessly to thewords of his brother
Chez looked down miserably, but Roy didn't care and asked him rudely,
”By the way who are those guys?”
Roy gazed suspiciously at Huey and Dalian
”They are our guests! The two of therandfather Sir Disward and Miss Dalian”
Chez said to his brother in a reproving voice
A light astonishment skimmed over Roy's face
”Sir Disward? A relative of Wesley Disward?”
”Pleased to meet you”
Huey sreeted him politely
When he recognized that the out-of-place looking guests were related to a noble faed his attitude abruptly He drew near as if they were intimate and smiled unnaturally
”Welcome, Sir Disward! I am Roy Hurston”
”I've heard you are a member of the city council? You seem to be a very busy person!”
A bit of cyniciseratedly
”You see, the Hurston fae in this town So we have to do reputable work”
Then he turned around to his younger brother,
”Are you planning to lead therandfather's room hereafter?”
”Yes, that's what I thought”
Chez answered in a subdued voice
”Got it I shall accompany you”
Roy said so, interrupting his brother
”Pointless”
A hoarse voice could be heard from behind Roy
An oldmetallic wheels He looked terribly pale
”This won't be necessary Roy”
”Grandfather?”
Roy turned around to him surprised, while Chez rushed over to the old man hurriedly
”Grandfather what about your health? Please don't overdo things”
”I'm fine, Chez”
The old ear
”It is against good manners to invite the Biblioprincess to our house and then summon her to my bedroom”
Dalian stepped up to the old man
She elegantly spread the sleeves of her jet black dress, stopped and then proclaimed with a face as expressionless as the one of a doll Her voice seemed lonesome in a way
”You've gotten old Haven't you, Boyd Hurston?”
A smile floated over the stale cheeks of the old man He kissed her hand that was covered with a metallic protector
”You are without change, Black Biblioprincess I arant my wish”
Dalian nodded silently
”Based on an old contract, I've come to hand out a book The Phantom Book sealed by your ancestor in the distant past 'The Pedigree of All Creation'”
Upon the words of the black-dressed girl, Roy's look becarim
”Phantom Book? Grandfather, what does this?”
The old lance towards his two grandchildren
”It's an ancient book the new head of the Hurston family is allowed to read it only once in his entire life The proof of the present head of our family”
”So that means you've called them today because”
”You two should be aware of this but I won't last so long anyI have to pass on to the new head before I leave this world”
When the old hed up blood during his fit, but it didn't see down
”Grandfather!”
Chez patted the back of the old man In the meanwhile, a servant poured out water frorabbed the glass with treers
”Tonight coes there I shall conduct the inheritance is this all right for you Black Biblioprincess?”
The oldpainfully
Dalian proclaie in her expression
”I've heard your wish”
Part 4
Huey and Dalian decided to spend the rest of the tiarden, since the parlour was a bit noisy due to the protest arden was far more beautiful than it seemed from afar; countless roses were in fullness of bloom inside the lovely manicured flower beds
However, Dalian didn't rejoice at this view, but instead sat down on the bench at the bower and continued to read a thick book wordlessly Huey didn't seeaze to the meadohich a water fountain was positioned
Chez could be seen on the rass and frolicked around with several puppies Apparently, he had let out the hunting dog puppies they were raising in the dog kennel of the mansion in order to look after them
”Dogs I see, so he's looking after the dogs”
Hueyaround with the dogs He had remembered the solid and trained palm of Chez's hand when they did a handshake
It was unlikely, that this could cos It could be said for sure, that he was always looking after them with a lot of enthusiasm
”The Hurston fa hunting dogs Even the Royal dog kennel is taking in sos that were raised here”
Dalian said, disinterestedly without looking up from her book
”Aah, I see there are quite a few dog lovers, even in noble and royal fas raised by a fah prices”
Chez seelance and waved his hand, eether with the puppies
Seeing this, Dalian contorted her face She closed her book and sneaked to the back of the bench
The puppies followed behind Chez in order and, when he stopped, they laid down as if to join up with him It was an impressive relationshi+p of mutual trust One could see that this didn't just result fro; the puppies also adored him
”They seem pretty attached to you”
Huey said in admiration
Chez shook his head, troubled, while blushi+ng
”This is because I was looking after the”
The speckled hunting dog puppies looked like stuffed toys and seemed extre up to him and stroked their back
”Dalian, don't you want to try touching them, too? Dalian?”
Huey turned around still holding a puppy in his arms and was stunned
The black-dressed girl had hidden herself behind a post of the bower and peeked out with caution On top of that, she held the thick book she read before in front of her like a shi+eld
Huey asked in a lightly amazed voice,
”what are you doing there, Dalian?”
”Do not worry about it I am now interested in this flower”
Dalian said so with feigned ignorance and observed forcedly the rose bed in front of her She was clearly acting unnaturally Huey now see,
”Don't tell s?”
”What?!”
Dalian's smooth white cheeks blushed crimson Then she added in an unnatural voice with no intonation,
”W-What are you saying? Why should I be afraid of such a wild beast who can't even read letters right? H-How foolish”
””
Huey stood up wordlessly, still holding the puppy in his arround
Dalian see's interest by her stare, so the dog wagged his tail joyfully and ca to her in full speed
”I-iih?!”
Dalian shrieked effeminately Because she froze on the spot in fear, she couldn't even escape
”Hey, what are you doing you pooch? Stop it I am not tasty!”
”Hey, what are you doing you pooch? Stop it I am not tasty!”
The black-dressed girl stuled and ended up with the book and the dog on her while she waved her hands and feet about Dalian's face was blue and contorted, but fro around
Huey's shoulders were tre, but Chez couldn't overlook this scene and so approached Dalian and pulled the puppy apart
”Forgive ht?”
Chez asked caringly, upon which Dalian nodded aardly
”Haa haa t-this will have consequences, Huey”
She said so to hi up at him resentfully Then, at last, Huey couldn't suppress it anyh out loud
”E-Excuse me I will now take them for a walk”
After he bowed down several tis with him
There was, however, a person that approached them in place of him Roy
The eldest son of the Hurston fa innocently, surrounded by the dogs, a dirty look
”Geez! I guess he is beyond hope Playing around with dogs in his age”
He said so with a criticizing tone
Huey looked up to his face in profile, seely surprised
”You don't assist in raising the dogs, Roy Hurston?”
Roy shrugged his shoulders with a smile
”Of course I a, too But only in the shape of work It doesn't suffice to just pas with no er brother doesn't seem to understand this Do you know the difference between superior and inferior dogs?”
”No what is it?”
”It's the lineage”
Roy s the corners of his mouth
”A dog that inherited the blood of superior parents will gain even more superior abilities Furthermore, he will leave evenof the opposite sex This is the foundation of breeding A superior individual is from birth different from others It's the same for humans”
”Humans as well?”
”Yes To tell the truth, I'randfather The same applies for Chez”
Huey scowled upon Roy's sudden revelation But Roy added in a proud voice,
”Grandfather looked for e, paired therandchildren in order to bequeath a e to the Hurston family”
”so you don't know your true parents?”
Huey asked reluctantly and expressionless
”Right But I'randfather! Thanks to him I was born with superior abilities than others I'm able to achieve better results than others with the same effort and am successful in business Grandfather's decision was correct But then there seem to be exceptions”
”Exceptions?”
Roy pointed with a scoffing and bitter smile as Huey inclined his head
”Just look at Chez! Even when you cross breed two excellent racehorses - it's possible that a useless horse, that can't even run right, gets born Even the most superior breeder produces failures That's what I' to say”
One could not see any hatred or ill will in the face of Roy when he spat out these sharp words He was just stating what he considered to be facts