章節 50: Chapter 50: Foreboding Dream
Two days later,
In the throne room, where the walls were adorned with serene and breathtaking details, all eyes were inevitably drawn to the magnificent golden throne that reigned supreme over the splendor around it.
On this throne sat a beautiful woman, leaning on her hand as she gazed calmly at a man bleeding out on the luxurious floor beneath her feet.
"You will never win-AHHHHHH!" The man stubbornly uttered a few words before a dagger suddenly plunged into his side, twisting deeper as a pained screech tore from his lips.
"Oh, must you torture him when we're conversing?" The woman asked, though if one listened closely, they would catch the subtle hint of annoyance in her tone.
"I apologize, but chivalry makes me want to vomit." A man sneered as he stepped over his victim as a pool of blood started spreading all around the man.
"Where is the blade-" The woman quickly got to the point, raising her gaze while the man raised a smile.
"I've already cast it away." The man snickered with a lasting defiance, seeing first hand the woman's face contort in rage as she stood up.
"Where am I?" Ricky suddenly spoke up, his words completely out of place as he looked around in confusion, standing awkwardly to the side of the very dramatic scene.
*WHISTLE*
"Hello beautiful~" Ricky let out a low whistle as he watched the woman angrily descend the stairs.
"If you wanted my attention, a hello would've been enough however now that you're here-huh?" Ricky immediately started to put on the moves, but as he stepped forward, he seemed to pass right through the woman, as if she were merely an illusion.
"ARCK!" The man, slowly bleeding out, was suddenly lifted up by a black mist as the woman angrily held him up.
"Tell me, where is the blade-" The woman once again asked though the man simply smiled at her.
"I shall not." The man spit at the woman's face as she froze for a moment before slowly wiping the blood-filled spit from her cheek.
*BAM*
Pushing her hands forward, magic power manifested without even the slightest incantation, sending him to the backside wall before he tumbled weakly to the ground.
"You say I won't win but unlike you, a mere mortal who is confined by their own mortality, I can wait for as long as it takes to take what's rightfully mine." The woman slowly strutted forward, her hips swaying with each step, and Ricky couldn't help but admire the graceful, hypnotic movement.
'That's the type of ass one goes to war for.' Ricky nodded, slightly annoyed by the realization that he was trapped in a lucid dream, unable to change a thing.
"Although my life will fade here today, my blood will still flow and be a raging river that floods and foils all your treacherous plans." The man's conviction showed forth as the woman scoffed.
"Then I guess I shall give your little descendents a present." The woman then closed her eyes, and the man began screeching in pain before his head fell lifelessly to the ground.
In his final moments, the man didn't gaze at the woman but at Ricky as he glanced around, realizing the man's dying eyes were fixed on him.
"You must prevail, you must find the ebony-"
*GASP*
*HUFF*
*HUFF*
*HUFF*
Ricky sat up, looking around in confusion, before realizing he was drenched in sweat and upon putting a hand on his forehead, he felt the cold dampness.
As he patted himself down, the cross gifted to him by Father Sebastian swung on his neck as he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts.
After receiving it, Lucky had grown paranoid, constantly worrying that Ricky might lose it as the tension became so intense that Ricky started wearing it around his neck just to put the mobster at ease.
'What the f*ck.' Ricky let out a sigh, falling back onto his bed while still huffing out breathes.
Ricky wasn't able to go back to sleep that night, trying to shrug it off as a mere bad dream but simply laid on his bed while not being able to forget the details of it for the life of him.
Morning came yet Ricky was wide awake, rubbing his eyes he put on his clothes before staring at the mirror.
As he blinked, the image of a knight appeared before him, and with his next blink, it vanished just as quickly, causing him to flinch in surprise.
'Huh-'
"Young Ricky, today we will change your formal training to center around your bowmanship." Alexander informed, Ricky dazedly looking to the side before slowly nodding.
Alexander had given him a break to heal from his wounds. However, now that he was seemingly perfectly healed, Alexander decided to strike while the flames of his spirit were still ignited.
"Then what about the other weapons-"
"You will still learn other weapons since a true warrior is proficient in multiple weapons." Alexander puffed out his chest with a proud air as Chester pulled out the deck of cards.
With Chester's sole duty being using his genjutsu to keep Rockefellar's suggestions prominent in his mind, he didn't have much to do anymore.
Although Ricky had only just started utilizing him, Chester was sidelined once again which made him slightly lonely.
Alexander had seen this in his friend which is why he always insisted on playing card games to help Chester and although the crow knew it, he still didn't say anything since he quite enjoyed their games.
"Well, I'm off." Ricky waved as Alexander waved before turning to Chester and rubbing his paws together.
"Now, let us indulge in the war of go fish."
"Nuh uh!" Isabella suddenly said to Ricky right as he was about to leave.
"Isabella-"
"You're already so skinny and now you want to leave without breakfast, Slick, do you hate me?" Isabella started being slightly over dramatic as Ricky sighed.
"But I-"
"My poor heart~" Isabella stumbled before catching herself as Ricky gave her a plain expression.
Isabella, a seventy-three-year-old woman, served as the personal maid and cook for Ricky and Lucky.
She had emigrated from Sicily at the age of fifty-nine, having worked tirelessly to send her entire family to America before her.
Of her seven children, three were part of the Luciano family, and as a gesture of loyalty, Lucky arranged for Isabella to be brought over.
Despite this, Isabella, a stubborn Italian woman, refused to accept charity and instead, she chose to work as their maid, determined to repay the perceived debt she felt she owed.
*Sigh*
"Fine." Ricky shook his head as he walked toward his breakfast, while Isabella perked up as if nothing had happened, casually heading toward the dishes.
Ricky began eating the breakfast laid out before him just as the door opened and Jake walked in.
"Aye, what's taking so long, didn't you say we'd talk about the club-"
*Snap*
*Snap*
"Even your friend, skinny, come and eat!" Isabella demanded, and Jake, caught off guard, realized he had already sunk into a quicksand of awkwardness.
"No I-"
5 minutes later,
Soon, Ricky, Jake, Chores, and Barko were all eating as the three men sat at the dinner table, while Barko contentedly ate from a plate on the floor.
"Fill me in on what's been happening." Ricky wiped his mouth while gesturing to Jake who had Isabella put more servings onto his plate.
"Thank you, Isabella." Chores thanked her politely, and she responded with a warm smile, patting his broad shoulders before playfully pinching his cheek.
"You're welcome, such a nice boy." Isabella complimented before ruffling Barko's hair and walking back to the kitchen.
"Well after your pops torched the entire jewish mafia to the ground and took over their operations, me and my brother Meyer had been dealing with the jewish community in Manhattan." Jake let out a tired sigh, and Ricky couldn't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes.
"We already assured them of their safety, however, since we're the only connection they might have to the Lucaino family, they've been blabbering in our ears about tedious things like if we'll raise the protection fees and similar things like that." Jake cut up a portion of pancakes and Ricky raised an eyebrow.
"Jake if running the clubs are too much-" Ricky, thinking it would be best to ease the load on his plate, calmly asked until Jake's head snapped over to him.
"It's not!" Jake crashed his fork into the entire pancake, almost screaming at Ricky who was a little taken aback.
*Ahem*
"I mean, I'm fine." Jake quickly dismissed Ricky's train of thought, regaining himself as the stress slowly seeped out for a brief moment.
"Slick, believe me when I say that it's nothing, I can do this." Jake assured Ricky as he stared at him for a while but nodded.
"Alright." Ricky had learned from Lucky that trust goes both ways so he decided to believe his words.
"How are you settling in Chores?" Ricky then turned the conversation to Chores who showed a smile.
"I won't lie, it's been a little rough but Jake has really taken me under his wing." Chores didn't hide how hard it was settling in a new environment but gave credit to Jake.
"Barko?" Ricky leaned to the side to see Barko greedily eating the eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns.
*GULP*
"Love it here." Barko quickly said before resuming his feast since for the last two years he's been eating dog food and scraps which isn't to his preferred taste.
"Is there anything you need?" Ricky asked Jake, who nodded and pulled out a list.
"'I've highlighted multiple things that need to be replaced and I wanted-" Jake tried to ease into it, but Ricky calmly laughed at this and shook his head.
"Jake I trust you, just tell it to me straight." Ricky saw Jake getting slightly anxious as he calmed him down as he took a breath.
"I need twenty five grand for repairs." Jake let out a sigh as Chores and Barko choked on their food, astonished by the sheer amount.
"Clean or dirty?" Ricky asked, standing up and pulling out his key from his inventory, while Jake wiped his face.
"I don't want to waste your clean money, Slick, so I'll wash the dirty money we got from the Jewish stash house," Jake said boldly, causing Ricky to turn back in shock.
"Didn't you say it would take some more time to wash the money?" Ricky asked curiously, though he continued pulling fifty grand from the four hundred thousand taken from the stash house.
"The traffic we get is more than enough to keep the books from looking off," Jake assured Ricky, who nodded in understanding.
"Madden had been cutting corners with the management of the clubs. Even though he owned the buildings, he didn't keep them up to code," Jake sighed, frustrated at how horrible the deceased Madden was at maintaining his assets.
"With that nark Dewey sniffing around more frequently, I don't want to take any chances." Jaken then got to the point, thinking they could be in trouble if an inspection happened as Ricky frowned at the mention of Dewey's name.
The moment the Luciano family confronted the Jewish mob, Dewey made his move, ready to swoop in while they were preoccupied.
However, as Lucky was receiving this intel and issuing orders to the dirty cops, something unexpected occurred.
Dewey betrayed his own, revealing his true motives by leaking various pieces of information to suspected corrupt officers.
Instead of quelling the chaos in Manhattan, he first extinguished the fire in his own house, allowing the city to burn as a result.
This maneuver finally exposed why he had remained inactive during the Luciano family's conflict with the Jewish mob.
Fifty of the cops on Lucky's payroll received sudden transfer orders, not only to the Brooklyn police station but also to stations in Harlem, Manhattan, and other areas as Dewey had finally declared war on Lucky.
*Thump*
"And here." Ricky unexpectedly dropped the duffle bag on the table, along with the dirty fifty thousand, causing Jake's eyes to widen in surprise.
"I want you to use this money I got from that old man to start financing more clubs." Ricky decided to put a little more on Jake's plate but instead of showing distaste, Jake was enthusiastic.
Ricky had given his father the guns and counterfeits, keeping the money, alcohol, and dirty money for himself, as he needed them for his club.
His club had slowly become one of the central points of the Luciano family, as it was incredibly easy to sell bootlegged alcohol and drugs not only in the Cotton Club but also in the Stork Club.
In total, now that Ricky had given some of it to Jake, he had around four hundred and seventy-five thousand in cash, with a hundred of it being clean, which he planned to use to buy up more property.
"You can count on me, Slick!" Jake boasted as Ricky nodded as he went to drink his OJ.
*BEEEEEEEP*
A car horn blared outside, making Ricky stop and glance at the three people with him.
They shrugged in response, and Ricky peeked out the window, a smile slowly spreading across his face.
"I got to go, keep me in the loop, alright?" Ricky told Jake who held up a thumbs up.
Swiping his backpack, Ricky headed toward Henry, who greeted him with a broad smile.
"I don't know how you did it but she's gone." Henry said to him once he got in the car.
"And hello to you, Henry." Ricky joked since he thought he would have this conversation at school.
"Also how did you even get in here-oh." Ricky asked, and Henry responded by flashing the card he had given, which made Ricky understand immediately.
"Ricky, I know I could've waited but I need to start prepping you now." Henry said as he started driving while Ricky gave him a weird look.
"For what-"
"Obviously to take Ruth's seat." Henry turned out the gate as Ricky looked surprised.
As they drove, Ricky felt himself being pulled forward by the powerful mechanical beast of a car as an itch formed at the back of his mind, and he found himself increasingly entranced by the vehicle.
"Now that Ruth is gone and Jerry named you to take his spot, you're guaranteed next in line to join the council." Henry informed Ricky, jolting him back to reality as he pulled out a bottle of pineapple cologne from his inventory.
"First of all, those piranhas are going to drag you down in the meeting later today and-....what is that?" Henry started to inform Ricky until he saw the pineapple cologne.
"Cologne?" Ricky said as if he was dumb as Henry gave him a weird look as Ricky sighed.
"No, I mean, why do you have it?" Henry asked, sniffing the air as the fragrance of pineapple cologne permeated around his nose.
"A guy can't try something new." Ricky explained that he had a bunch of items in his inventory and wanted to use at least some of them.
"Anyways, I need some help." Ricky asked just as Henry was about to say something.
"What do you need?" Henry asked, raising an eyebrow since this was a first for him.
"I want your opinion on how to invest." Ricky scratched his head as Henry erupted into maniacal laughter.
"Well of course you wouldn't invest, but your trust would." Henry spoke as if Ricky should know, but upon seeing Ricky's blank expression, he also became momentarily puzzled.
"Oh you were serious, you don't have any trust!" Henry yelled, almost swerving into oncoming traffic.
"I don't even know what that is!" Ricky yelled as a car horn blared in response to Henry's reckless maneuver, only for him to swiftly swerve back into the right lane.
"YOU SHOULD-UGH!" Henry felt as if he was going to have a migraine but started calming down.
"What's the big deal about trusts, I just wanna invest this money?" Ricky asked, not understanding how wealth really passed over to another generation.
"Alright listen closely, Wealthy families like mine and everyone else at our school often use holding companies to protect their assets and to achieve greater flexibility and control over their wealth." Henry explained, still a little baffled that Ricky went to their school and didn't know what a trust is.
"Another one you could use is holding companies, which are separate legal entities that own and manage the assets of a family, such as stocks, real estate, and other investments. However I'd recommend a trust since it avoids the probate upon the death of the business owner. Reduction or elimination of estate taxes. Business continuity when the owner dies or becomes incapacitated." Henry summarized while Ricky's head started turning as he didn't register these words at all.
"My family uses an irrevocable trust that cannot be changed or modified without the beneficiary's permission. Essentially, an irrevocable trust removes certain assets from a grantor's taxable estate, and these incidents of ownership are transferred to a trust." Henry informed him as Ricky nodded though still didn't understand.
"I'm sure your father knows about trusts since he'd have to know about that stuff if he wanted to start a bank especially if your working with negros." Henry said, causing Ricky to look at him in surprise.
"Wait, how do you know my pops is starting a bank?" Ricky asked as Henry raised an eyebrow.
"Ricky it's not just me but almost everyone in the school knows about it."
30 minutes later,
Ricky understood what Henry meant as he noticed the constant glares from a good number of students, which made him feel uneasy.
"Why are they staring like they want to rip me apart, the process literally just started and they shouldn't even know about it, I don't even know about it?" Ricky whispered as he walked with Henry toward the school.
"I mean, it was easy for us on the council to find out about your father's bank, but after they filed the paperwork a couple of days ago, now everyone with half a brain knows about it," Henry informed, starting to dial the combination on his locker as Ricky leaned against it.
"Is it cause we're opening it in Harlem?" Ricky asked and Henry nodded without looking at him while shrugging.
"Honestly my family's company employs countless black fella's so it doesn't bother me as much but a lot of the people aren't from here but also down south." Henry informed him but Ricky rolled his eyes.
"Here, people are tolerant of black folks but don't really act against it, but the south is in a whole different league." Henry explained, a little puzzled as to why his family suddenly cared about colored folks all of a sudden.
"Whatever, it's not like I'm trying to be some civil rights activist." Ricky shook his head, but Henry gave him a weird look.
Although Ricky often acted on a whim, not everyone saw it that way; some viewed him as disrupting the natural order.
In fact, if it weren't for his mafia ties and the demonstration of their power, more people might protest against him or try something even worse.
"Uh huh." Henry thought since Ricky's actions recently went against it.
*RING*
The bell rang, and students began heading toward their classes as they both walked in opposite directions towards their own classes.
"Seriously." Ricky rolled his eyes at the sight of his usual seat, which was isolated from the other desks as if it were infected with some disease.
"Well if yer don't wanna support yer own kind then-ah!" A teenager with a thick Southern accent, who had instigated the situation, spoke up.
However this underhanded jab was suddenly interrupted when Ricky cocked back his fist, causing the kid to flinch and cover his face, bracing for a punch.
Though it never came, Ricky shook his head at him before looking at the sea of glares now surrounding him.
"Alright let me make this clear, I honestly could give a rat's ass about whatever the f*ck you guys think I'm doing nor do I care what you think. However I'll warn you now, if any of you try something because of sh*t I did on a whim, then i'm going to kick all of yer asses." Ricky purposely spoke in a southern accent at the end and received a one last glare from the southern guy before setting his bag down next to his seat.
"Good morning class-what is this?" Ms. Collin wore a smile until she noticed how the other kids were isolated and spaced out compared to Ricky.
"I see." Ms. Collins, understanding the recent gossip nodded her head before squinting her eyes.
"Is this how we treat our fellow-"
"Teach, it's honestly fine, I really don't care." Ricky sighed, covering his face, already anticipating the barrage of problems this would bring as he knew this was only the tip of the iceberg.
"Ricky-"
*SIGH*
"Alright, today's class will be on physical science-" Ms. Collins was hesitant but after seeing how much Ricky didn't care she went on with her lecture.
The other kids would steal glances at him but Ricky simply decided to doze off and think about Alina's tit's instead.
'God I need to pay her another visit, maybe Dolly.' Ricky thought as he had been a little stressed and thought to get some help, completely forgetting he wasn't on speaking terms with either.
*RING*
The lunch bell rang as Ricky's thoughts of Alina and Dolly's naked bodies crossed his mind as he yawned and stood up.
Ms. Collins hesitated, wanting to say something but closing her mouth, still feeling anxious about her "accident" last time she singled him out to talk to her.
Walking to lunch, everyone avoided Ricky like the plague as he continued down to the cafeteria and got his lunch.
Sitting at a table, all the surrounding tables evacuated as Ricky started smiling.
'I could get used to this.' Ricky was initially annoyed by the blatant gestures, but the prospect of not having annoying teenagers trying to get in his good graces all the time made him pleasantly surprised.
"If it isn't the man of the hour." Jerry sat across from Ricky with an amused smirk as he sighed.
"What." Ricky asked with annoyance, downing a spoonful of mashed potatoes as Jerry chuckled as seven more people sat at his table.
Haroldson, Josh(Haroldson's brother), George, Arthur, Randal, Robert, and Henry all sat at his table as Ricky scratched his head.
"Am I going have to kick all of your asses or-"
"Oh god no." George seriously held up his hands as the other guys immediately showed dissuaded faces.
"We're just sitting here to show our support, that's all." Henry smiled, and Ricky shrugged as he prepared to eat his mashed potatoes.
"Ricky, everyone is talking bad about you-oh hello." Maria plopped down next to Ricky, only to realize that he had friends sitting beside him.
Ricky used to sit with Rocco, Jake, and Eddy, but after the accidents, they stopped coming to school with two of them unable to attend and Jake busy managing the clubs.
He usually sat alone or with Maria yet here he was, surrounded by actual friends which surprised her.
"Hello Maria." Jerry flashed a smile but quickly retracted his wave when he saw Ricky raise an eyebrow.
"Hi boys." Maria waved at everyone, and Ricky responded by sliding his hand around her waist and pulling her closer.
"Good morning." Ricky kissed her reddened cheek before taking a bite of his mash potatoes.
"Good morning." Maria twirled a curl of her hair with a warm smile.
Although she was still a bit shy about being kissed by Ricky, she was slowly getting used to it.
"Is that pineapple?" Maria asked curiously only to receive a kiss on the cheek which made her smile.
"Wow, you really don't care about your public exclusion." Josh widened his eyes as Ricky shrugged.
"Who really cares, it'll blow over soon-"
"Oh, I don't think Joseph is gonna let go of this that easily." Randal chuckled softly while the others displayed uneasy expressions while Ricky felt a piercing glare on his back.
Turning around, Ricky saw Joseph giving him a hateful stare, surrounded by his friends, all of whom shared similarly hostile glares.
*Sigh*
"F*cking hell."
3 hours later,
The bell rang as Ricky rubbed his eyes, having just woken from a nap while Ms. Collins gave him a concerned look.
"R-Ricky, are you alright?" Ms. Collins asked with clear concern though when she was about to touch Ricky's hand, until she instinctively recoiled back.
'Hmmmmm.' Ricky thought to himself, a smile almost blooming on his face despite the sad look he wore.
"Well now that you mention it, I could use a hug." Ricky shamelessly stood up, spreading his arms wide as Ms. Collins displayed an anxious expression.
However after seeing the isolation, Ms. Collin couldn't let her student suffer so she carefully leaned in as he slowly wrapped his arms around her.
'Wet to the touch.'
"Mmmm~" Ms. Collin leaned into Ricky's chest as she let out a muffled moan, her panties flooding in her own sweet nectar of pleasure.
"This is nice." Ricky played dumb, rubbing her back gently as Ms. Collins' knees began to wobble.
"Thank you so much Ms. Collins, I really needed that." Ricky gently pushed Ms. Collins away while still holding her shoulder.
Her face blushed like a tomato, unable to make eye contact with him out of shame as she tried to keep a stern face.
"Well, I best get going." Ricky patted her shoulder, sensing that she would take considerable time to wear down, and then walked out of the classroom.
This was part of Ricky's three-step plan to get close to her as the first step was to loosen up her defenses, the second was to consummate the encounter, and the third was to reap the rewards of his victory.
Ms. Collins wobbled to her seat, but once she sat down, she collapsed, burying her face in her hands.
Ricky calmly walked to his locker, reached inside, and put something in his backpack before closing it as Maria's bright smile greeted him from within.
"Ricky~" Maria giggled, leaping into his arms as Ricky twirled her around.
Ricky had noticed that their bond had heightened after their small time apart as Maria was much less nervous with physical affection.
"Are you ready to go to the meeting?" Ricky slung his arm around her and asked as she immediately became nervous.
"Will they be as mean to you as today?" Maria asked, but Ricky shrugged, indifferent to the concern.
"I don't know, maybe?"
Walking to the meeting room, it was exactly as Maria had predicted, though only partly so, as only around half of the Skull and Bones club avoided his area.
"Settle down, settle down!" Henry banged the gavel, and sneering words began to seep out as Ricky took his place on the council.
Joseph, holding himself back, stared intently at Henry, as if waiting for something.
"I know you've all heard the news of one of our members entering a new venture-"
"HE'S TRYING TO BRING US DOWN, OUR LIFESTYLE-"
*BAM*
"I SAID QUIET!" Henry slammed his gavel down, causing someone to hop to their feet, only to freeze under Henry's deadly gaze.
"Now-"
"Can I say something first, Henry?" Ricky asked, and Henry thought he was going to give the members a speech, to which he gestured for him to go.
Ricky nodded; since Henry was right in a way.
Ricky wasn't the type to make subtle, underhanded speeches to gain support and was more blunt and way more intimidating.
"I know that I won't be able to convince you to change your ways of life however, I've brought something with me today that will make you reconsider your blatant hostility towards me." Ricky said gently, as the other members looked at him with questioning gazes.
"Oh, Jesus Christ Ricky." Henry whispered after catching sight of what Ricky had hidden below the table.
"This is a smith and wesson model 10, custom tailored for my specific grip." Ricky revealed a literal gun, prompting a range of gasps as many of the members, including Joseph, stood up in fear.
"She's a beauty, am I right? Six shots with a steel outline, this gun was made for nothing other than killing another man." Ricky spun the loader with a maniacal chuckle, Maria facepalming all the while the other members became pale.
"Alright now that I've said my peace, if anyone would like to say anything then please do, but don't say it to me."
*Click*
"Say it to her." Ricky pointed to his now fully cocked gun as Jerry started laughing crazily, while the other members questioned the effectiveness of his display.
"...."
The members, all distasteful of his appointment to the council, kept their mouths shut, including Joseph.
"Joseph, anything you want to say?" Ricky pointed the gun right at him before he instinctively ducked behind his fiance Betty.
"JOE!" Betty let out a horrified gasp at his action as he shot right up.
"N-No it's not what you think-" Joseph tried to explain, but Ricky didn't care to waste even a single second on their problems.
"Then if no one has any other thoughts, let's continue." Ricky set the gun on the table as Henry finally finished massaging his temple.
"Then Ricky Luciano will be the next member of the high council effective immediately, any objections, no, alright." Henry said in a dull manner, side-eyeing Ricky who shrugged.
*BAM*
The council proceedings were a snooze fest, but Ricky never took his eyes off that darling girl on the table, and all the members had a front-row seat to her beauty.
However, as he focused on the revolver, his mind quickly dissected its workings, seemingly entranced by the mechanism before him.
*BAM*
"Then without further ado that concludes this meeting."
Ricky flinched, his trance effectively broken as he looked around and realized he had been staring at his revolver for the past two hours.
Noticing Maria's worried expression, she hurried over, leaning down to rub his back comfortingly.
"Are you okay Ricky, you didn't even blink for the entire meeting." Maria asked only to see Ricky pull out a pocket knife which surprised her.
Ricky wanted to ease her worries, but the persistent itch at the back of his mind suddenly intensified and driven by the sensation, he pulled the revolver closer to him.
"Ricky?" Maria became increasingly worried as she saw Ricky start to use the pocket knife to dissect the revolver.
"Betty, BETTY!" Joseph ran after his fiance though she pushed him aside and hurried out of the meeting room.
"What are you doing?" Jerry strolled over to Ricky and looked at him curiously taking apart the revolver.
"Skewing the balance of the revolver to counteract the recoil." Ricky said it as if it were the easiest thing in the world, yet both Jerry and Henry, overhearing him, were left baffled.
"What do you mean-.....is that pineapple?" Jerry was about to lean over Ricky's shoulder only to ask though he was being ignored.
Ricky was seemingly scrapping all around the revolver before knocking other edges until he slowly started to put it back together.
Only when he did, Ricky's old revolver had become littered in scratches and chippings as Jerry tilted his head.
"Well that was weird." Jerry commented, and Ricky nodded, though he couldn't identify the culprit.
Ricky had essentially multitasked, scanning his system and realizing how frustrating intuitive genius could be for him.
'Damn intuitive genius.' Ricky thought, standing up in grief and grabbing Maria's hand.
"Anyways, let's go Maria." Ricky smiled as Maria melted at it, nodding before walking out with him.
"You can't just do something that weird and not explain yourself!" Henry yelled behind him though he only waved in response.
"LET ME GO!" A screech was heard as the two turned their gaze to Joseph holding Betty against the lockers.
"How was your day today?" Ricky ignored the obvious red flag since it was none of his business as he tried to walk the other way.
"Ricky~" Maria whined while pointing at Betty while Ricky sighed but relented and walked over.
"Betty it was an accident, I didn't mean-"
*BAM*
Joseph hurriedly tried to explain to the livid Betty only for Ricky to shove his face into the locker as he slid it down weirdly.
Ricky turned towards Maria, who had crossed her arms as he sighed, then looked down at the confused Joseph and the surprised Betty.
*BAM*
*COUGH*
Ricky wound up his leg and drove it into Joseph's stomach, causing him to lose any foothold he might have had.
'I mean, might as well.' Ricky thought to himself as he began patting Joseph down, eventually retrieving his wallet.
"What are you doing?!" Betty asked incredulously as Ricky began pulling out one hundred and twenty-seven dollars from the wallet.
"Saving you." Ricky said as he threw the wallet back onto Joseph's body before turning back to Maria who was sighing.
"What, it was just there like-.....taking candy from a weirdly overgrown and angry baby." Ricky tried to find an analogy to explain himself but it came really weird.
"Seriously Ricky~" Maria walked over to Betty, slinking her arm around the confused and slightly distressed girl.
"Are you okay?" Maria asked in a sincere tone, and Betty's face almost cracked, while Ricky frowned at Maria seemingly being taken away from him.
They walked out of the building only to see double the amount of black cars than usual.
Maria always had a trail of cars waiting for her; however, when Ricky gazed at a particular car, he raised an eyebrow.
The window rolled down as Lucky looked out with black shades before tipping them down ever so slightly.
"Get in."
Meanwhile at the New York senate offices,
"Robert, you can't be serious!" Dewey looked as if the vein throbbing on his forehead might burst at any moment.
"Watch yourself Mr. Dewey." A slightly old man with a protruding beer gut, covered from head to toe in a fine blue suit with an American pin on his left chest, threatened without a care.
"But this-"
"Mr. Luciano has all the right paperwork as well as the funds to provide for this particular area of investment." Robert announced, his appearance bearing a slight resemblance to someone Ricky knew.
In fact, this was the third class senator Robert F. Wagner and the father of Robert F. Wagner ll.
(Ima call his dad Wagner from now on.)
"He's a gangster!" Dewey yelled at Wagner, who stopped walking and turned around.
"Everyday, banks are failing and it's always the banks that support the little guys." Wagner said something, and Dewey's eyes widened with realization.
"You're doing this because it's your re-election year, isn't it?" Dewey wrongly assumed since it was indeed Wagner's election year.
The real reason wasn't just because it was his election year and he might boost his poll numbers, but also because of his son.
Robert had informed him about Ricky. Although he wasn't initially keen on Ricky, especially given the trouble he caused, his son's persuasion changed his mind.
He decided that Ricky would be a valuable aid for when his son took office one day and resolved to get on the good side of the Luciano family.
"Mr. Luciano has put up two million of already taxed money and unless you have any proof, that says his already double the required amount of seed money I might add, might be dirty then please tell me right now." Wagner spoke, and Dewey began to respond but then closed his mouth.
Lucky might be a notorious gangster, but unlike Al Capone, he paid his taxes, at least as far as the government knew.
Lucky was very cautious in that regard and was almost paranoid about using dirty money in anything but the underworld operations.
Everything Lucky owned that could be seen in public was bought with clean money and that includes his 500,000 private mansion.
"Then Lucky Legacy Bank will open its doors next October." Wagner turned around and continued walking, leaving Dewey gritting his teeth in frustration.
"Dammit!" Dewey threw his papers on the ground, and although passersby gazed at him, they continued on their way.
'I cannot believe he'd get away with this!' Dewey roared in his mind, astonished that Lucky had managed to get away with this.
This was honestly the biggest gamble that Dewey understood from Lucky's perspective, since unlike the others, he knew that Lucky was putting all of his clean money into this bank, but once it opened, it wouldn't be a problem for this bank to become successful.
Laundering money would be a cakewalk in these times of crisis, since the government isn't entirely interested in how the money is there but whether they can tax it or not.
The depression had made the American economy take a couple of steps back, and one way to speed up the trench that the economy plummeted into was to accept any upstart banks.
Now, from Dewey's perspective, it didn't matter that the establishment's main attraction was allowing African Americans to store money; what mattered was that it expedited the Luciano family's money laundering operations.
'He's just so damn Lucky!'
章節 51: Q&A/Critisms/Suggestions
I thought it was appropriate to do a Q&A after reaching 50 chapters, especially since I'm honestly surprised I made it this far. I never thought I'd stick with it, but here we are, and now it feels necessary to open up this kind of thing since I finally got to the Marvel part.
First off, I get that it might have been frustrating to read up until now. You probably clicked on this story because it mentioned Marvel, and instead, you've been met with a lot of world-building. But like I mentioned in the introduction chapter, I'm using this as a practice story to test out some of my other ideas and see if they work.
I'm also aware that I'm still not great at the whole system aspect of the story. I know it's not the best and could be better.
I wanted to take this chapter to really hear from you all because while I do see your comments, my profile keeps glitching out for some reason, and it literally doesn't show my f*cking replies sometimes even when I've tried like fourteen times.
For example, both IntrusiveThoughts and literl010 have left detailed suggestions, but Webnovel doesn't show anything from my end when I try to respond. IntrusiveThoughts gave some really detailed feedback, and literl010 commented about the accounting books, but my responses just aren't showing up.
So, if you have questions or suggestions, I do see them all, but Webnovel's system is really frustrating sometimes and doesn't f*cking show my reply. It's gotten to the point where I had to write all this out just to show how annoyed I am about trying to respond over and over with no success.
Anyway, for criticisms or suggestions, I'm breaking it up into four categories: Story, Smut, System, and Others. Basically, let me know what I could improve, what you'd like to see more of, and anything else.
Story
Smut
System
Others
For the Q&A, you can comment on this chapter, and if you want to be specific, just post your questions here.
Questions.
I'm also really lazy and Webnovel can be slow, so I might not respond immediately, but I'll get to it.
Thanks for liking my degenerate story so far - LaughingFiend
章節 52: Chapter 51: Integrating into the family
"Are you sure you're alright-"
"I'll be fine Ricky, I'll see you later." Maria kissed Ricky's cheek before returning to Betty's side, sighing at this and turned to Lucky waiting in the car.
Walking around, he opened the car door and got in before the black cars immediately sped off.
"We are heading to management." Lucky spoke, subtly informing Ricky that he was about to be introduced to the family's internal matters, signaling a deeper level of trust and involvement in the Luciano operations.
"Holy sh*t, really?" Ricky, still surprised by the notion despite their heartfelt talk, asked for clarification as Lucky patted his shoulder reassuringly.
"Really." Lucky's smile lingered as Ricky nodded, but a sudden thought from his earlier conversation with Henry this morning flashed through his mind.
"Hey pops, do you know about trust and holding companies?" Ricky inquired, a hint of curiosity creeping into his voice.
He'd never given much thought to trusts and holding companies until Henry mentioned them, and now the unfamiliarity gnawed at him.
"Of course, I'm not an idiot." Lucky brushed it off as if it were nothing, but Ricky gave him a puzzled look.
"Listen dumbass, I want our family to have generational wealth so of course I made a trust for you." Lucky shook his head, a hint of frustration crossing his face as he was reminded just how clueless his son could be at times.
"You did?" Ricky asked, his confusion evident, but Lucky only nodded in response.
"I set up an irrevocable trust with me as an advisor to operate it until I deem you ready to control it fully. All my assets are already in it, including the ownership shares of the bank, along with others, are all located in the trust." Lucky informed Ricky, explaining that he had been self-educating on these matters ever since he adopted him.
Initially, Lucky had been prepared to let his last name die with him, but with Ricky now in the picture, he was determined to ensure that his family legacy would endure and thrive for generations to come.
"What about my buildings-"
"There in your name so I couldn't touch them." Lucky, already knowing where this conversation was heading, interrupted Ricky.
"Well, what do you think I should do?" Ricky asked, his curiosity piqued, while Lucky shot him a sidelong glance.
"Well, what do you want to do?" Lucky first asked, needing to ensure Ricky had some level of understanding and involvement.
"I wanted to invest in a company with the clean forty thousand-"
"What companies?" Lucky interrupted, but Ricky responded with a blank expression, clearly confused.
"Ford?" Ricky instinctively said, Lucky rolling his eyes at his naive son's amateur business skills.
"Listen-"
*SIGH*
'Y'know what, no, you'll have to learn failure.' Lucky thought to himself just as he was about to lecture him until he had another idea.
Lucky had originally set up a holding company to invest in the volatile market during the Great Depression.
However, after seeing the opportunity of creating a bank, he decided to put his chips in that basket instead, so the holding company's funds were just sitting there.
"I already made a holding company called 'Luciano Financial' and I'll let you use it to invest your forty thousand in the stock market. Hell, I'll even do the paperwork to get the bank to transfer that money into funds to the holding company." Lucky gave him an opportunity since he thought of this as a learning experience.
Lucky knew Ricky wouldn't be a business genius overnight, but from his observations, Ricky seemed to learn more from failure than from success.
Deciding to accelerate Ricky's growth, Lucky resolved to push him through some deliberate failures, hoping it would force him into improvement.
"Wow, thanks pops." Ricky thought about Lucky's offer and saw no reason to refuse it.
"Also, your clubs are businesses that need constant oversight. It would be better to place them under the holding company within the trust rather than the trust itself. I'll make you the controller of the holding company," Lucky patted his shoulder, reaffirming himself that this upcoming failure was for his own good.
"Boss, we're here." The driver instructed, but Ricky looked puzzled, as they were parked across the street from Italiano's.
"We moved our operations to this building." Lucky anticipated Ricky's question as they both exited the car and walked side by side.
"Listen up, your rank is Caporegime and a meeting is being held today on which operations you will be handling for the family." Lucky spoke quietly so only Ricky could hear.
"There will be plenty of options, but you should focus on protection rackets in Harlem. It's straightforward, and everyone down there already holds you in high regard," Lucky advised Ricky who frowned slightly, considering the implications.
'That seems boring.' Ricky frowned, Lucky frowning at his son's frown.
"I swear I'll beat the living sh*t out of you if you pick something like drug smuggling-"
"Slick!" Genovese smiled as he stood, opening the door and extending his hand for a handshake.
"It's good to see ya, I'm glad you're finally coming into the family." Genovese said warmly, though Ricky's raised eyebrow betrayed his suspicion of the clear insincerity as he detected it as a lie.
"Y'know, I'm really proud of what you've done for the family so far and I've been itching to see you enter the fold." Genovese spoke with apparent glee, but Ricky's confusion deepened as he struggled to grasp the underlying meaning.
'Does he not like me?' Ricky thought about his limited interactions with Genovese, realizing they hadn't had any conflicts for him to have anything against him
However Ricky's assessment was spot on; Genovese had indeed started to harbor animosity towards him.
Genovese was originally positioned to inherit leadership of the family from Lucky once it was his time to pass the torch.
However, Lucky's clear favoritism towards Ricky had stirred resentment within Genovese over the years.
In Mafia families, the leader's position holds immense power, not just in authority but also in preserving the family's name and legacy.
While the family's name might change over time with its leader, the core identity and values remain, often passed down through generations of leadership.
Genovese's ambition to have his name on the door and lead the family was increasingly threatened by Ricky's sudden rise and Lucky's overt favoritism towards him.
Initially, Genovese didn't harbor resentment towards Ricky, but as Ricky began to demonstrate his value to the family, Genovese's wariness grew.
This sentiment escalated to full-blown resentment, especially when Lucky highlighted Ricky's connection to the Vatican, which garnered significant respect and support within the family.
Despite any personal feelings, members of the family couldn't even openly oppose Ricky without going against the church, which tilted the balance of power further in Ricky's favor.
'You damn f*cking runt, I'll show you your place just you wait.' Genvose thought through gritted teeth as he purposely led Ricky into the room before Lucky could warn him anymore.
Upon entering, Ricky noticed about fifty high-ranking members of the family gathered in the room.
Lucky had been aggressively recruiting members over the past two years, a strategy that some of the other dons viewed with skepticism.
While it increased their manpower, it also meant spending a significant amount on their pay, which could have been allocated to other ventures.
It also led to the family being stretched thin, and maintaining close-knit relationships was crucial for the success of their operations.
While family loyalty was essential, an exceptionally tight-knit group was considered vital above all else.
Despite the tension surrounding Ricky's introduction and the looming division between factions, the high-ranking members knew the stakes were high.
When Lucky entered the room, he raised his hand, signaling for everyone to take their seats though their gazes remained on Ricky.
"I'm sure you all know my son, so let's skip the pleasantries. I'm announcing him as the newest Capo in the family," Lucky declared, gesturing toward Ricky as the other high-ranking members nodded in acknowledgement and respect.
"Now, due to his numerous achievements, I've decided to let him decide what field he wants to focus his efforts in." Lucky then gave him the floor as Genovese widened his eyes though before he could say anything, Ricky moved forward.
Then with a dumbest smile, Ricky walked in front of all these members as Lucky had a sudden foreboding feeling.
"I will be focusing on drug smuggling." Ricky spoke the very thing that Lucky told him not to say.
"You motherf-" Lucky held his cane up only to have Genovese suddenly step forward.
"Of course Slick would want to go after one of our most risky fields!" Genovese announced as the other members were confused since they expected him to pick something easier, like the protection racket.
Ricky selected drug smuggling, partly because it was one of the things his father had explicitly advised against.
It was as if he was drawn to the very things Lucky wanted him to avoid, finding them more intriguing than anything else.
Or at least, that was what he would tell people when asked.
In truth, however, Ricky's choice stemmed from a deeper motivation: he wanted to prove to Lucky that bringing him into the family wasn't a mistake, and that he was worthy of all the trust placed in him while being able to bear the responsibility always held in high regard for him.
"Aye Slick, I know you're young and all, but are you sure bout this?" An older fella asked with slight concern after seeing the maddening glare from Lucky.
"Yeah why not-" Ricky shrugged light heartedly, Lucky's vein almost snapping on his forehead.
"IMA KILL YOU!" Lucky rushed at Ricky only to have Genovese hold him back as the other members immediately stood up.
"Oh come on pops." Ricky sighed dodging backwards as Lucky tried to swing his cane at him.
"You know what, fine, FINE." Lucky stopped while adjusting his hair as Ricky showed surprise.
"You think you're hot stuff just because you've had a few lucky breaks?" Lucky's voice was edged with a dangerous amusement.
He laughed maniacally, his eyes glinting with a sinister light as the room fell into an uneasy silence, with even Genovese visibly tensing at the volatile mood.
"We've been having trouble getting our product from Mexico to here, thanks to the government cracking down on the border." Lucky's tone grew more intense, his frustration palpable.
The other members exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes widening at the gravity of the situation.
"Cool." Ricky smiled with some light hearted mannerisms as Lucky burst out in a sarcastical parade of laughter.
"Oh it's cool, it'll be very 'cool' when I get to bail you out of a Texas prison!" Lucky pointed his cane at Ricky.
"You really don't believe I can do it, do you." Ricky slowly started to loss his smile as Lucky had a vein form on his forehead.
"Slick, we've been cut off for the last year and have lost well over 700,000 in cash alone while trying to get the weed over the board." A member, who was previously involved in the smuggling ring, informed him.
"Fine then I'll bring back 700,000 worth of it." Ricky boldly proclaimed his readiness to tackle the challenge, his confidence unwavering.
Genovese, sensing an opportunity to gain favor, grinned from ear to ear, while Lucky, overwhelmed by the mounting pressure, clutched his head in frustration.
"I need a drink." Lucky pulled out a flask as the others were reeling in from what he was saying.
"Slick you can't-"
"Alright Slick, we all believe in you so I'll even help you out and contact our guy Guerra." Genovose smiled though Ricky could feel it was the truth as he shrugged.
"Great."
Later that day,
Lucky and Ricky were driving back to the house before Lucky finally turned towards his idiotic son.
"Why do you always do this, huh?" Lucky was on the cusp of starting his lecture as Ricky sighed.
"What happened to respecting me?" Ricky turned back to Lucky to freeze before shaking his head.
"No, no, no, don't act like-"
"Listen pops, I know you want to help me succeed, but when you were my age were you simply trying to make ends?" Ricky asked as Lucky immediately shut his trap since he'd be lying.
Lucky paused to reflect and realized the hypocrisy in his own stance.
When he was Ricky's age, he had been robbing cargo ships and trucks with nothing more than a beat-up car and an old pistol.
Now, here he was, judging Ricky for stepping into the same treacherous world he once navigated with far less.
"And I get that you're only trying to protect me, but how many times are you going to say you're going to include me before trying to immediately exclude me." Ricky said as he was beginning to feel a hint of frustration.
Although Lucky included him in various activities, he would often turn around and attempt to isolate him, claiming it was all for his protection.
Lucky opened his mouth to retort but slowly closed it as Ricky made another compelling point and with a reluctant nod, Lucky conceded the argument.
"Fine, but let's make a wager." Lucky suddenly proposed a bet, immediately making Ricky intrigued.
"If you win, I'll let you do f*ck all in the family and hold the reins freely but if you fail, you're gonna be on my leash, capish?" Lucky gave the conditions, holding out his hand as Ricky grabbed it immediately.
"Deal."
Ricky had unwavering confidence in his own abilities, while Lucky feared that Ricky's arrogance would ultimately lead to his downfall.
"You know who you remind me of." Lucky suddenly spoke up after releasing Ricky's hand, causing Ricky to tilt his head in curiosity.
"You?" Ricky presumed but Lucky started out laughing hysterically.
"No way, you're an idiot." Lucky shook his head before wiping his eyes.
"No Capone, you're like a spitting image of him when he was younger." Lucky spoke, prompting Ricky to raise an eyebrow in response.
"Y'know Capone was even richer than you, right?" Ricky taunted but Lucky scoffed at this well known fact.
"And look where he's now, in the slammer." Lucky waved Ricky's notion aside.
"Capone was trying to get rich quick, I'm trying to build something real." Lucky pointed at Ricky as he looked out the window.
"I'm trying to build a foundation and that Capone always prioritized short-term gains while I'm always looking at the long-term options." Lucky shook his finger in a lecturing way but Ricky shrugged his shoulder.
"Anyways forget about everything, tell me about your day." Lucky smiled as Ricky then started recounting the day before he let out a boastering laughter.
"You really pulled out a gun on them, that's hilarious!" Lucky slammed his hand on his knee as Ricky nodded while pulling out his revolver.
"Why does it look so beat up?" Lucky asked after seeing the chippings and scratches Ricky caused modifications.
"I took it apart and made it better." Ricky simply said though once he did, Lucky snatched it from his hands before reaching into his coat.
"No way, Slick." Lucky went full dad mode and handed his pistol to Ricky while holstering the one he just took.
"Ain't no way you are gonna convince me that you simply took this revolver and made it 'better'." Lucky spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, aware that if people didn't know of his skill, they might not fully appreciate it.
Ricky frowned, feeling an unsettling itch at the back of his head as he held the gun but this time, it was stronger, more insistent than before.
"Oh don't be like that, you can play around with chicks but guns, guns is where I draw the line." Lucky said as he opened the door to see Ricky's gerbil wearing his armor.
"YOUNG RICKY, OUR TRAINING CONTINUES!" Alexander roared outwards, Chester flapping his wings while Lucky shook his head.
"I swear that kid's like a magnet for weirdness." Lucky simply walked by the gerbil as Ricky wasn't paying attention to Alexander but the pistol in his hand.
"Oh hey Alexander-"
"CEASE YOUR WORDS, WE START NOW!"
Later that night at the Cotton Club, Jake was snoring at his desk, buried under a mountain of papers, when the door suddenly swung open.
"JAKE!"
"HUH!" Jake's sleeping face jerked upright, a paper stuck to his cheek, as he looked up groggily at Ricky.
"PUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ricky erupted into maniacal laughter as he saw Jake reach for his gun.
Unfazed by the threat, Ricky strolled over to the seat in front of Jake, who was still a little out of it, and took a seat.
"S-Slick!?" Jake was confused and shocked at his arrival as Ricky saluted.
"How was your nap?" Ricky asked, his amusement evident, as Jake hurriedly peeled the paper stuck to his face.
*Ahem*
"I was simply taking a quick power nap." Jake scratched his chin knowing his excuse was poor but Ricky didn't care.
"Whatever, you want to come with me to Mexico?" Ricky asked with anticipation but Jake gave him a weird look.
"Why Mexico?" Jake asked, then paused as a realization hit him, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Slick no-"
"Yes."
"You can't-"
"I will."
"SLICK!" Jake yelled at Ricky who started laughing knowing he couldn't stop him.
"So you in?" Ricky asked, but Jake sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"No Slick, I'm not 'in' since I got to do all of this." Jake spread his arms while Ricky rubbed his chin, trying to think of a solution to bring him along.
*Snap*
"Then delegate it." Ricky came up with a brilliant idea and Jake rolled his eyes.
"It's not that simple." Jake said to Ricky, who frowned, realizing that it really was that simple.
However, upon seeing Jake's expression, he merely shrugged while knowing that this tough cracker wouldn't relent.
"Welp, tell me if you change your mind and do you want some help with- '' Ricky left the door open as he picked up a piece of paper, only for Jake to quickly snatch it away.
"I can handle it Slick, I don't need any help." Jake scratched his head while setting different papers in different areas as Ricky walked to the door.
Looking back, Ricky saw Jake absorbed in his work and although he frowned at the sight, he didn't want to be as controlling as his father, so he simply turned and left.
"Aye Chores, Barko." Ricky dashed up to Chores, who was working as a bouncer, and Barko, who was there for moral support.
"Wanna go to Mexico?" Ricky asked Chores who went to reply with a hard 'no' but stopped himself.
"You know what, I will." Chores said calmly, surprising both Barko and Ricky with his unexpected initiative.
"Really?" Ricky asked since he thought he'd have to at least convince him.
"Usually I wouldn't simply be swayed by your statement, however, I've never traveled unless it was against my own will, so I want to travel on my own volition." Chores poetically said and Barko nodded his head.
"Then if Chores is in, then I'm in." Barko agreed, making Ricky smirk while patting his shoulder along with scratching Barko's head.
"Alright then, I'll come get you when it's time." Ricky left without even giving a set date, a signature move of his, though neither of them seemed bothered by it at this point.
He rubbed his eyes wearily as he headed back to the mansion, collapsing onto his bed without bothering to remove his shirt.
The necklace around his neck glinted in the faint moonlight but the circular black stone, at the center, remained untouched by the light, appearing completely hollow.
Until a pulse of energy radiated from within it.
Meanwhile At The Vatican,
"Are we seriously doing this, he's just a brat-"
"You violated the rules and you need to pay the price, Abraham." Father Sebastion cut him off as they walked down a long hallway towards the inner council.
The hallway was lined with paintings of historical figures, each rendered as heroic icons, their legacies immortalized through the gaze of the Vatican.
*Sigh*
"Rules schmules." Abraham scoffed, walking past a particular painting though instead of continuing as he usually does, he stopped.
"You've gotta be sh*tting me." Abraham's jaw dropped as he paced backward, his incredulity evident from what he glimpsed in his peripheral vision.
Meanwhile, Father Sebastian scoffed, his disdain clear while thinking Abraham was about to make a fuss over nothing once more.
"Must you use such vulgar language in such a holy place-"
"LOOK!" Abraham screeched, prompting Father Sebastian to angrily turn toward him, his ire focused on the man pointing at a large painting.
"WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT-by the grace of the gods." Father Sebastian exhaled a small breath of cold air, staring at the painting in a daze.
"I KNEW IT, I KNEW HE SEEMED FAMILIAR!" Abraham put his hands on his head, showing an ironic smile while they were in complete shock.
"This-...this explains everything." Father Sebastion whispered to himself as Abraham started laughing.
"Of course it was that damn bloodline, it's almost as cursed as mine!" Abraham covered his eyes as he shouted in a hysterical manner.
"We must make haste; the inner council needs to know that another candidate for the position has appeared," Father Sebastian said urgently, rushing toward the room without a second glance at Abraham, who flinched.
"H-Hey wait for me!" Abraham, who was at first unwilling, eagerly rushed knowing chaos would unfold.
The painting, however, remained steadfastly mounted on the wall, as it had for centuries, with the figure within it presenting itself boastfully.
A knightly figure emerged for anyone who gazed upon the masterpiece, his armor clad in deep black with striking red undertones.
The man in the painting looked eerily similar to Ricky, almost like a twin as their resemblance was uncanny.
However, while Ricky had short, slick black hair and green eyes, this figure sported long blond hair and light blue eyes.
Beneath the magnificent mounted painting was a carving ingrained in solid gold, the inscriptions of his name commanding respect as if by divine decree.
'Sir Percival, The Black Knight.'
Author Note: I've seen all your comments, questions, critisms, and suggestions, but I'm in a bad mood after dying in RLCraft and losing all my sh*t. I don't think I'm in the right mindset to respond right now, so I'm going to take some time to cool down and will address most of it tomorrow.
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