The Dark Mage

Chapter 7: Nogitsune Protogen Fixes and Memories

     After getting a full night's rest and remembering what Inari had installed into the Protogens' augmentations, he was going to give his sister a piece of his mind. So, after he was finished with his morning prayer rule and daily readings, he marched into Inari's palace with the Protogens accompanying him. Inari then saw him and said, "You're arriving sooner than expected. What makes you decide to see me today?"

     But Victor was not interested in meaningless chatter. Instead, he asked his sister, "Is it true what these men tell me about how they are treated? Are their body modifications truly designed to torture them if they don't do everything you tell them? Have you not bothered to even know their names?"

     But Inari crossed her red fox arms and answered, "Nogitsunes owe a debt to society, so they get what they deserve. Nothing more. Nothing less. When they have repaid their debt to society, they will be allowed to return."

     Victor then stared into Inari's eyes. "And when is that?"

     "Never. Once a Nogitsune, always a Nogitsune. I could call you a Nogitsune if you weren't a paragon of virtue, because you reject okami Inari. Besides, these Nogitsunes come from pathetic impoverished families, so this is really a blessing for them and not a curse, even if they have to give up their freedom in the process."

     "This isn't right, and you know it. How arrogant do you have to be to deny their dignity as Kitsunes just like us?"

     Inari then laughed. "Arrogant? This is merely reality. They are less valuable than you and I. Plus they come from impoverished families which makes them replaceable. The poor are a strain on the economy because they don't spend money, so why not at least get some use out of them in other ways? This is not cruelty but merely wise investing, because the poor are merely a means to an end and a money pit otherwise. Besides, they're going to be dead weight once the coming economic depression happens, so it makes sense to cull the herd, so our now limited resources aren't wasted."

     Victor was then so shocked from what he just heard his sister say that he couldn't speak. Inari then continued, "Besides, I'm leaving Vixie in charge of running the clan for now while I find a way to destroy the Keys of Prosperity against my own desires. And fortunately, if Vixie fails, she'll take the blame while I take the credit if she succeeds. So, if you have any bright ideas to stop the economic depression from happening so I don't have to cull useless eaters, talk to Vixie."

     Victor then left seeing there was nothing he could do to change his sister's mind, so he went to talk to Vixie. And then Vixie asked while ruling the clan in Inari's place, "What brings you to me friar Victor?"

     Victor then answered, "It's the Protogens. I've discovered that their augmentations have been modified to torture them if they disobey my sister, so they live in constant fear of her. Is there anything that can be done to modify these augmentations so my sister can't do that to them?"

     Vixie then lit up with a violet flame floating above her head with an idea. She then answered, "There actually is. I've got some connections to a few engineers that design these Protogen parts in Szolsura. It may take a few days for them to get here, but they should be able to swap the parts so Inari can't control them like that. That's what Souzun Yako did, because he considered it a safety hazard if someone could remotely shut down his Protogen parts. I'll get on it right away now that I have the authority to do that as Inari's executor acting in her place. The only limitation is that under legal precedent, I can't do it for any one of them that has committed a serious crime. So, for most of the Nogitsune Protogens, I can have the parts replaced."