Taming My Vampire Servant

It's spring time at last. Rubia Town is where merchants from different parts of the kingdom gathered. Because of the coldness of the winter season, there was a decrease in overall transactions and productivity in the town. Because it meant less profits for the merchants, they rejoiced when spring finally came.

The merchants could stay longer outside to do business! Several kinds of people visited the town's marketplace to buy goods. Most of them were shop owners who'd like to buy things wholesale because it would be cheaper than buying a few and being delivered to the buyers. Some of them were house servants and helpers of nobles tasked to buy a lot of things. 

The marketplace had a variety of different merchants. Although most of the products were food, there were also construction materials, tableware and kitchenware, house decorations, and jewelry. 

With the shift of the season, merchants had become more active in doing their businesses in their respective stalls. Unfortunately, not only the merchants became more active in the marketplace in this fruitful season. 

And then one day... 

"Miss Kimson! Mister Talonpierce! Help!" shouted a female merchant who had just seen a hooded thief grab two of her bags of flour. With only one helper, she couldn't observe all the passersby and customers in front of them. 

Good thing that they were given Qawiun Academy students to do their apprenticeship in the busy marketplace. Ever since they came, more thieves and pickpockets have been caught.

From standing nearby, the male and the female academy students from Blue Gem Section swiftly moved as soon as they heard their names. 

"The bags of flour are holding him back!" the female student said as she ran to try to catch up with the thief. She is a 22 year old lady with fair skin and bob cut hairstyle. Underneath her black leather sleeveless dress, she was wearing a three fourths sleeved shirt and pants of the same color. She also had a weapon belt on her waist consisting of a variety of daggers. 

Her Master partner ran beside her. He's two years older than her, and he's a tall muscular man with spiky short hair and long rattail at the back. He only wore his white ninja pants and brown boots, and around his waist was a light green waist cape. "I'll take a detour! See you later!" and then he turned to a corner, between two stalls.

The thief bumped onto people, not minding if they were hurt. The only thing in his mind was to escape and reach a safe hiding spot in the neighborhood. Afraid that the woman who was running after him could catch up, he threw one bag of flour towards her.

Several daggers suddenly flew from the side, piercing the upper part of the bag. But it was safely pinned on one of the corners of the stalls without any damage! 

As the people around them clapped their hands in amazement, Jokerion, a clown Spirit Servant, appeared beside her. The female's Spirit Servant had a jester mask on his face and his hair was covered with a red headscarf. He was dressed in a silver fitted muscle tee, silver gloves, pants, and leather pointed boots. A teal tattered cape was also wrapped around his shoulders. 

The Servant asked as he floated in the air beside his Master, "Master Josie, your orders?"

"The usual," she responded. 

"As you wish…" he slightly bowed his head then he flew towards the direction of the thief.

When the thief glanced back, he was terrified when he saw a smiling clown holding a dagger, floating fast towards him! He tried to run as fast as he could, until he almost reached the residence area.

Suddenly, a black horse with blue flames on the edge of its mane and tail and underneath its feet blocked his way. It made him panic, making him stumble backwards.

"You think you can escape from us? Dream on," Andrew looked down at him and smirked as he rode on Nightmarune, his shadow horse Beast Servant. 

The hooded thief trembled, until he just gave up on the bag of flour he held tightly. He dropped it, then ran away from them.

Jokeria followed him though, and just like a circus show, he threw several daggers at him, pinning the sleeves of his shirt and the sides of his pants on the back of one wooden stall.

Andrew and Josie approached the trapped thief who struggled as his clothes were pinned, like a bug on a spider's web. When they removed his hood, they were shocked when they saw who he was. 

"Aren't you… the eldest child of Miss Germaine?" asked Josie with shock across her face. She was referring to the single mother who lived beside their rented house. 

"Don't… Don't tell my mother…" he said quietly and pursed his lips. "Please-"

He was cut off when Andrew grabbed his collar, "You're already eighteen, young lad. You should know that stealing shouldn't be done! Be responsible as the eldest son!"

"You wouldn't understand!" his voice almost raised. "I needed to buy two bags of flour, but I lost the money... My mother's been saving our money for us to be able to eat! Mother will be sad and disappointed in me…" as he felt disheartened, he got teary-eyed, "You're not even the eldest, you-"

"But I am the eldest son," he responded. "So I also know how you feel." 

Andrew recalled the pressure of being the eldest. As the only one in five children bearing the birthmark of Destinia, he remembered how he was always told that he would get them out of poverty and to become nobles. This was because in the Talonpierce clan, there were only very few who had the blessing. It was the reason why he ran away from home. 

When the town guards arrived, Josie decided to remove the daggers pinning his clothes. With just a snap of her finger, the daggers turned into mud!