Taming Beasts in a Ruined World

Night draped softly over Black Tortoise City. The lanterns outside the City Lord's Mansion flickered in the wind, painting slow, trembling circles of light across the stone floor. Inside, the mansion's study glowed with a gentler warmth — the smell of parchment, ink, and faint star tea mingling in the quiet air.

Luciel sat behind his broad oak desk, papers spread in neat disorder before him. Across from him sat Mirean Moon and her daughter, Agni Moon. The faint shimmer of lamplight traced the curve of Mirean's hair, silver-blue as flowing water. Agni, fiery-haired and restless as ever, tapped a finger on the table, her eyes catching sparks from the flame.

They had been at it for hours, discussing the plans for the city's next great endeavor — trade.

Luciel leaned back, voice even but carrying the weight of command. "How is the customs clearance document model coming along?"

Mirean adjusted the fur-lined cloak around her shoulders and opened a leather-bound ledger. "Three hundred copies have been completed. The rest are being printed through the night. By tomorrow morning, we should have around a thousand."

"Good." Luciel's tone softened, approving. "We'll need them ready before dawn."

He turned toward Agni, who straightened in her seat as if anticipating his next question.

"And the commercial street? Were the changes I made yesterday implemented?"

Agni's lips curved into a proud grin. "Yes. The adjustments are complete. Shops dealing with food will keep real samples for travelers to see — and taste. I made sure the placement matches your plan exactly."

Luciel's eyes flickered with faint amusement. "Efficient as always."

Her grin widened. "You trained me well."

For a moment, the tension in the room eased, the three of them sharing that rare, quiet rhythm that only long cooperation could bring.

Then Luciel's gaze turned serious again. "Tomorrow, we'll arrive near Amestris City."

The name alone carried weight. Even the fire in Agni's eyes dimmed slightly. Mirean's delicate brows drew together. "You're planning to anchor close to Amestris directly?"

Luciel nodded. "It's the best way to make our presence known. If we're to open trade routes, we need to make an impression. One that lasts."

"Amestris is not a tenth-floor city," Mirean said softly. "Their lord is a seventh-rank cultivator. Their military alone—"

Luciel raised a hand. "No one will dare act rashly. We have the Black Tortoise."

His voice carried quiet confidence, not arrogance but certainty forged from experience. "That creature alone is enough to turn armies to ash before they lift a sword."

Mirean's expression softened but worry lingered in her ocean-blue eyes. Agni, meanwhile, leaned back in her chair, arms crossed and a mischievous smile tugging at her mouth.

"I'd love to see the look on their faces," she murmured. "Those proud lords of Amestris. The last time a city saw the Black Tortoise, half its people fled before we even reached the gates."

Luciel gave a faint, knowing smile. "Sometimes fear is the most efficient diplomacy. If people respect your strength, they're less likely to test it."

He paused, eyes distant for a moment — remembering a green-haired woman who had once come to him from Amestris, bargaining for trade routes and supplies. She had been shrewd, ambitious. Maybe, he thought, she could be the bridge between our two cities.

Mirean's voice pulled him back. "Luciel, what about that book you've been writing? You mentioned it could be part of the trade venture?"

Luciel blinked, then chuckled quietly. "Ah, yes. The stories." He opened the drawer beside him and drew out a neat stack of parchment. The edges were worn, the ink slightly smudged from long nights of writing. "Here. My latest work."

Mirean took the stack delicately, running a gloved hand over the rough surface before turning the first page. The bold title caught her eye.

"'Hong Huang'?" she read aloud, brow furrowing. "That's… an unusual name."

"It means 'PrehistoricWorld'" Luciel said, leaning forward slightly. "It's a story of the world before worlds — a myth, if you will."

Lucian copied this book from Chinese mythology from his previous life.

Agni tilted her head. "A fairy tale?"

Luciel smiled faintly. "Something like that. A tale of gods and chaos, creation and destruction. Of a being named Pangu who split the heavens apart with his own hands."

Mirean's eyes widened slightly as she scanned the page. The words were simple, but the imagery was vivid — the churning chaos, the clash of demon gods, the lonely struggle of Pangu as he forged sky and earth from his own body. She could almost feel the pulse of that ancient storm between the lines.

Her voice softened with awe. "This… this feels real. As if you've seen it."

Luciel laughed quietly. "All imagination, I promise you. Though it might sound true enough to believe."

He didn't mention how easily the story had flowed from him — as though something older than memory whispered it in his ear each night.

Mirean flipped through the pages eagerly, but as she neared the end, her excitement faltered. "Wait. It stops here? At the moment of creation?"

Luciel spread his hands, half-apologetic. "I haven't finished it yet. Writing the entire myth from scratch takes time — and I still have a city to run."

Mirean sighed but smiled. "You can't start such a story and not finish it, Luciel."

"I know," he admitted with a chuckle. "But the prequel alone runs thirty thousand words. I'll need another few nights at least."

Agni leaned forward, curious. "And you're planning to sell this?"

Luciel nodded. "It'll be the first book printed on the new presses. A symbolic beginning for Black Tortoise City's cultural trade. Title it Chaos — the origin before the world began."

Mirean raised her head slowly, her expression unreadable. "You truly think people will buy this?"

"I think," Luciel said, "that stories shape civilizations. Even myths."

She held his gaze a moment longer, then exhaled a small laugh. "Then print it. And when it's ready, I want a copy."

"You'll have the first one," he promised.

Mirean rose gracefully, gathering the manuscript. "I'll oversee the printing myself. Agni, come along."

"Wait—" Agni protested, still clutching the last page. "I haven't finished reading!"

"You can read it after it's printed," Mirean said, dragging her daughter toward the door.

Luciel smiled as their voices faded down the corridor. Outside, two silhouettes waited — Elara and Alina, standing patiently beneath the soft glow of a lantern.

Mino, the rabbit-eared maid, appeared moments later carrying a tray. "Will you leave without tea again?" she asked as Mirean passed. The elder woman smiled in passing.

"No, we have work to do," Mirean said, still moving. "Tell Luciel we'll have the books ready by dawn."

Mino bowed as they hurried off, then turned toward the study where Luciel still sat. Behind her, Elara and Alina waited quietly, silver hair shimmering in the lamplight like frost.

"You can come in," Mino said softly.

Elara shook her head. "He's busy. We'll wait."

But Luciel's voice carried through the door, calm and precise. "You two may as well enter. I know why you're here."

They exchanged a glance, then stepped inside.

Mino placed the tray on the desk — steaming tea, and a few roasted sweet potatoes wrapped in crisp paper. "Star tea," she said. "To keep you awake."

Luciel nodded his thanks, taking a sip before turning his full attention to the two women.

"You're worried about your companions," he said, matter-of-factly.

Elara inclined her head. "We are. We wanted to ask what arrangements you've made for tomorrow."

Luciel set down his cup. "Tomorrow, when the Black Tortoise approaches Amestris City, it will cause panic. That chaos is your opportunity. While their attention is fixed on us, you'll slip inside."

Alina's pink eyes gleamed. "Perfect."

"I'll send the three-colored lizard with you," Luciel continued. "Stealthy, powerful, loyal. If things turn dangerous, it'll ensure your safety."

Alina's face broke into an eager grin. "That beast could take down a Tier Six without breaking a sweat."

Luciel smiled faintly at her enthusiasm. "Exactly. Just remember — our goal isn't battle. It's to retrieve your people, quietly."

Elara's voice softened. "Understood. Thank you, Luciel."

He waved the gratitude away. "We're all part of the same cause now."

The study fell into a companionable silence. The lamplight flickered across the parchment, over maps of cities and rivers, through the faint drifting steam of tea. Outside, the wind whispered against the stone walls of the mansion, carrying the distant hum of the city that never truly slept.

Luciel leaned back in his chair, gazing through the tall window toward the night sky — a vault of cold stars over the silhouette of the colossal Black Tortoise resting beyond the walls. The creature's massive shell gleamed faintly under moonlight, like a mountain that breathed.

For a moment, the burdens of leadership — trade, diplomacy, invention — all fell quiet. He thought of his unfinished story again. Pangu fights the demon gods and tears open the heavens… Perhaps the story of Black Tortoise City was not so different — forging something new from chaos itself.

Mino gathered the empty cups, her soft footsteps barely audible. Alina leaned against the desk, staring into the night as if imagining the path ahead. Elara stood beside her, silent, calm, eyes filled with quiet determination.

Luciel finally spoke, his voice almost a murmur. "Tomorrow marks the beginning. For all of us."

They nodded.

And somewhere outside, the Black Tortoise stirred — a low, resonant rumble rolling through the earth, as though even the ancient beast understood what awaited at dawn.