14 The Escape

I spent the next few days diligently practicing the [Flint \u0026 Steel Art]. My Devil qi grew stronger from the repetition and I had gained a glimpse at the Fire Dao. If I had some fel shards to absorb, I could have much more Devil qi to temper daily. I must swindle my father out of some resources! Then no one can stop me!

My vision was still very grainy and the distance I could see had not improved. My progress was not as quick as I had hoped. To improve my vision would take much more time and effort than I had expected. If I want to see beauties again, I will have to practice devilry!

My meager improvements only solidified my foundation at the low-Esquire realm. This Devil Art seemed to excel at tempering qi. It was the perfect thing to solidify my foundations, but it could not improve my devilry fast since I did not have any fel shards to absorb.

For the next week, I played the waiting game, tempering my qi secretly daily. I told the servants attending me that they should not alarm the Devil Ancestor of my slow progress.

You say this young noble is slowly recovered from qi-deviation, then this young noble will slowly recover!

It was about two weeks after I began tempering my qi when I finally found my chance to escape! The Devil Ancestor had to deal with the spies found in the clan personally, so he had headed out from the mansion.

I was ready; I had run it through my head millions of times how I would make it out of the mansion. I only had to head out to the foyer and slip through the back door.

My hopes were dashed when I slowly crept into the hallway. I could not tell which direction was which. My vision only allowed me to see around a foot in front of me.

Legally blind, I fumbled my way out of the mansion, knocking over many things in my wake. Hopefully, I didn't break anything expensive. I quickly put those thoughts to the back of my head though. I was finally free!

The servants ignored James and cleaned up the mess he had made. It was not their job to question the actions of noble devils. Crossing a noble devil as a servant was seeking death. The experienced servants dutifully looked the other way, returning the mansion to pristine condition.

Once I had made my way out of the mansion, I began planning out the rest of my plan. I really didn't plan this out so well. My plan only got as far as making it outside the mansion. But I was a rambunctious youth with a goal. Nothing will stop me from swindling poor father.

I was fearless in my quest for fel shards. Fumbling my way through the entire Hudson City would be impossible with my vision. For this task, I need my young noble facade! I noticed an object moving quickly in front of me on the road and flagged it down.

"Stop right there! I need your carriage for the Hudson clan!" I said loudly.

"Noble devil, how may this humble farmer's carriage be of service?" said the farmer. The farmer was quick-witted. To survive as a commoner in the Xertzul Abyss took common sense.

"Why have you not escorted me inside the carriage yet? Do you not respect the Hudson clan?" I said.

I must keep my air of noble entitlement high. Only then will this commoner do my bidding.

It dumbfounded the farmer. He was hauling manure on this carriage. Did this young noble devil have some kind of poop fetish? He knew noble devils were weird, but he didn't think they would just go around rolling in poop.

"Noble devil are you sure you want to enter my carriage?" said the farmer.

"Yes, quickly, escort me to the Hudson clan patriarch's hall! I have important business to attend to," I said.

"I'm just confirming for the last time you want me to help you into this carriage in front of you right?" said the farmer.

"Are you hard-of-hearing farmer? Escort me into the carriage immediately, then take me to the patriarch's hall! This young noble does not have the time to spare and chat with the likes of you!" I said.

"Yes sir, young noble! My name's Kyle and I will fulfill the young noble's needs," said the farmer.

"Good, if you do your job well I might have a position for you, farmer," I said.

I found myself escorted by the farmer inside the carriage. After sitting in the carriage, my face quickly changed several shades from red to green to blue. I was furious! Steam rose from my head.

"You sat this young noble next to shit!" I said to the ignorant farmer.

Kyle was at a loss.

'I asked you several times did you want to be put in the carriage; it was you who told me to do it!' Kyle thought.

"Yes, I followed your orders to the letter young noble," said Kyle like a loyal lackey.

"Perfect take me to the patriarch's hall," I said.

I could only accept my fate. Shit happens. I had shit to do. Shit was going down. I couldn't wait around for shit.

The carriage made its way quickly through town towards the Patriarchs Hall.

"Is that James, didn't he suffer from qi-deviation?"

"Yeah, but why's he covered in shit?"

"It must be some new-age medical technique to help him recover from qi-deviation."

"That must be it, I think I heard about this one. I think it's called a Shitty Art, it's the perfect Devil Art for trash."

I ignored the peanut gallery. They know nothing of this young noble's ways. Unfit to comment on what I am up to.

I had important business to handle. I exited the carriage in front of the patriarch's hall.

"I am First Esquire James, of the Hudson clan, If you have any issues to come see me," I said to the farmer before walking off.

I didn't spare him a second glance and walked into the Patriarch's Hall and navigated to the desk of my father's personal assistant. I had made this walk many times before, so it was simple.

"I need to see my father immediately!" I said.

"He will see you in about 15 minutes," said the assistant after he glanced over the stinky James with a clear look of disappointment.

'Everyone in the Hudson Estate knows you are trash you don't have to go around smelling like it!' thought the assistant.

"Come into my office James," said a familiar voice.

Samuel worried about his son, after the Fel Awakening Ceremony. Why would he make him wait? He immediately dropped what he was doing when he heard him outside.

"Son, It's been weeks since I've seen you why are you covered in manure? And what's with the wraps around your eyes? How has your recovery been with Devil Ancestor?" said Samuel.

My father was a concerned father, the perfect target to my schemes.

"It has been awful father! You must seek justice for me! Devil Ancestor is tyrannical making me do all kinds of Strange Arts to recover. He refuses to even give me any fel shards, saying trash doesn't need resources! He is out of touch, your son has suffered," I said.

"I could only slip away today while they preoccupied him risking life and limb traveling across the Hudson clan with my lack of vision."

I quickly inverted black to white, painting my Devil Ancestor as some kind of heartless old foggy. To swindle my father properly, I needed to evoke sympathy for my plight. All young nobles must become talented actors to move ahead in the world!

"Your son can not see at all, the clan plans to take away my resource allocation because of my disability and Soul Dao."

"I will need an income stream to live a comfortable life father! Please deed me a property before the elders casting me out of the clan!"

"That way your son can have hope. Wouldn't mom want me to have hope, father?"

I laid it on thick, even using his mother's stance against my father. My father definitely would not go against my mother's wishes. My father suffered from a terrible ailment, something a young noble should never catch!

My father was henpecked. I used this knowledge against him. I had cast the die. Soon this young noble shall have what he needs!

"Son, don't worry too much about internal clan struggles your father will handle them. The clan would never cast my son out of the clan," said Samuel.

"I can give you an unused property of mine. It lays within the slums of the city, no one will complain about you owning it."

"There are many departments in our Hudson clan. You'll always have a place here. Just because you can't see right now doesn't mean your vision won't improve later. Use this setback as motivation to work harder, only then can you make our Hudson clan proud."

My father handed me the deed to the property and a bag full of low-grade fel shards.

"Thanks, father I will recover quickly. I definitely won't let down our clan Ancestors," I said.

Samuel didn't have the face to look at his shameless spoiled son anymore. It is you who is letting down Devil Ancestor by coming to see me now, James. I can easily see through your simple tricks. However, I would offend your mother if I did nothing to help you in your time of need!

"First clean up and visit your mother before you return to Devil Ancestor to complete your recovery. She hasn't seen you in weeks and is worried sick about you," said Samuel.

"Father you know distance makes the heart grow fonder," I said as I tried to sneak away.

"Clean up James then take him to my home," Samuel said to his attendants.

"No!" I said as the attendants apprehended me.