System in Assassin's Creed

Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Stop Being A Fucking Bitch... Bitch! (Revised)

[Current Balance: 11,634R]

---

[System Currency Updated]

[Reales Converted To Pound Sterling...]

[Conversion Fee: 18R]

[11,616R = £363]

Instantly, the Reales he had in his System disappeared, and the format changed to:

[Current Balance: £363 0s. 0d.]

[£ - Pound Sterling] [s. - Shillings] [d. - Pence]

[Pound Sterling Conversion][£1 = 20s.] [1s. = 12d.]

”...”

’Sooo...’

The other Kenways were walking, but Alaric stayed in a thinking position, ’Hmm... okay... Pound Sterling is valued thirty-two times higher than the Spanish Real, one pound is twenty shillings, and one shilling is twelve pence...’

’Got it...’ Alaric nodded and ran forward, catching up with the others.

’Let’s try checking the list of items in the [Buy] section...’

[Buy] [Sell]

’Buy...’

[Konoha Flak Jacket(1x) - Granted to Konoha Ninjas of Chunin rank and above. - 7d.](1 R)

[Shinobi Sandals (Blue) - Sandals commonly used by Ninjas - 7d.](1 R)

[Hyuga Clan Secret Ointment(1x) - 1s. 3d.](2 R)

[One Tailed Beast Jinchūriki Seal - £3,125](100,000 R)

[Mangekyo: Amaterasu - £312 10s. 12d.](10,000 R)

[...]

’Okay, I get it,’ Alaric thought as he mentally closed the system interface, ’I think...’

”Eleanor and I know a friend here,” Bernard stated as they all walked, ”We can stay at their house for the meantime.”

”They’re really accommodating, you lot won’t have to worry,” Linette added while holding Edward’s hand, ”Edward, stop dawdling, we have somewhere to be.”

Edward was silent but looked around in amazement.

’That’s really understandable, he’s fiv—’

Alaric’s thoughts were cut off. He widened his eyes as he saw something that filled him with disgust, making him grit his teeth.

Black-skinned men were walking with their hands behind their backs. Their ankles were shackled so they couldn’t run. Guards followed them, each with a small sword at the waist and a flintlock pistol at the side.

Alaric then looked at his father, mother, uncle, aunt, and even Edward... ’They’re not even reacting?’

’Fucking slave traders, I forgot I’m in 1697,’ Alaric fumed, ’This is all normal for them.’

He looked further and activated his eagle vision.

The guards turned red in his view, but one of them appeared with a gold hue.

’You must be the officer...’

Alaric deactivated his eagle vision and continued walking toward their destination. He took one last look at the slaves and the officer.

’I’ll remember that face.’

---

”And we. have. arrived...”

They arrived at a humble looking house that was pretty good.

’Exterior’s in good condition,’ Alaric checked, ’Not bad...’

Bernard turned towards Leonard and the others while Linette smiled and just continued towards the door and knocked.

There was silence for a couple of seconds, and finally... the door opened slowly and silently.

”Mornin’!” Linette grinned at the person inside.

”Linette!” A female voice could be heard followed by a loud masculine laugh.

”Hahaha Mornin’ Linette, where’s Bernard?” A bald man that seemed to be out of place in this city asked loudly.

”Right here, mate!” Bernard announced himself, him and the bald man shook hands, ”Is the spare room still available?”

”For you lot? Of course! Anyways,” The bald man got out of the door and showed himself to the Kenway family and smiled, ”This must be the Kenways!”

’Oh? This guy looks middle-eastern... Iranian maybe?’ Alaric thought, trying to figure where the guy came from, ’Sure as hell he can’t be Chinese... Damn, stop it ’Laric.’

”Oh my,” Bernard chuckled, ”Forgive me.”

”Everyone, this is Solomon,” Bernard started while motioning his hand towards the now named Solomon.

”Suleiman Al Rashidi,” He proudly stated his name, ”Or as Bernard said, you can call me Solomon.”

Excluding Alaric, all of them looked at him in awe, as it was their first seeing someone like Solomon, caramel skin, thick eyebrows and lashes.

”Suleiman Al Rashidi... I like that name,” Alaric stated at Suleiman’s eyes. ’Now... what’s an Assassin doing in this place?’

Why does alaric think so? Well... He was wearing an Ottoman outfit, and the Belt Sash he had? It was a very specific symbol every Assassin’s Creed players knew.

’He could be a Hidden One,’ Alaric thought while smiling at Solomon, ’Bah, Hidden Ones, Assassins, they’re all the same.’

”Oh?” Solomon raised his eyebrows while looking at Alaric, ”Who might you be, young lad?”

”Ala-” ”Forgive me sire...”

Leonard, who silent all the time, came forward, and cut Alaric off, ”He’s my son, he’s a little bit haughty especially now that he’s new in this city.”

”I’m not being haughty though?” Alaric rebutted calmly, ”I like his name and am having a cordial conversation... that’s not being haughty.”

”Silence!” Leonard hissed at Alaric.

However, everyone could see the calmness and confidence in Alaric’s eyes, it’s like he wasn’t afraid of his own father.

”Excuse us for a moment,” Leonard said and threw a quick glance at Bernard while dragging Alaric away.

”Anything wrong?” Solomon asked, unsure of what happened.”

Bernard sheepishly laughed, ”We don’t quite understand either, this was a first for us.”

All of them looked at Eleanor, who a worried.

Linette placed a hand on Eleanor’s shoulder, ”Don’t worry, that kid’s quite matured.”

”Why don’t you all come inside,” Solomon offered, ”I’ll make you all some chamomile tea, to welcome you here.”

---

Alaric allowed Leonard to drag him toward the cemented fence by the sea.

He did not resist at first.

Part of him was curious where this was going. Another part, colder and less patient, was already irritated by the way Leonard’s fingers wrapped around his wrist as though he were an ordinary five-year-old being pulled away from a table for speaking out of turn.

The sea wind cut across the street, carrying salt, smoke, and the distant noise of Bristol behind them. Carriages rattled over stone. Men shouted near the docks. Somewhere farther down the road, chains clinked softly enough that most people could pretend not to hear them.

Alaric heard them.

He still saw the shackled men in his mind.

He still saw the guards.

He still saw the one officer glowing gold beneath Eagle Vision.

And now Leonard was angry because he had complimented a man’s name.

When they reached the fence, Leonard released him with a sharp motion and turned, his face tight with frustration.

”What in the blazes made ye say that?” Leonard demanded.

Alaric rubbed his wrist slowly.

”Say what exactly?” he asked. ”That I liked his name?”

Leonard’s jaw worked once before he answered. ”Do not play clever with me, lad.”

”I’m not playing.”

”That’s worse.” Leonard stepped closer, lowering his voice. ”We are guests here. Guests. We’ve no house in this city, no friends beyond Bernard’s, no coin worth boasting of, and no room for you to be drawing eyes with that sharp tongue of yours.”

Alaric’s expression cooled. ”I was having a cordial conversation.”

”You were speaking like a grown man to someone we do not know.”

”I liked his name.”

”And the way you looked at him?” Leonard snapped. ”Like you knew something. Like you were measuring him. You do that with everyone lately. You watch folk like they’re pieces on a board, and you expect no one to notice.”

Alaric fell silent.

For the first time, the answer did not come immediately.

Leonard saw it and pressed on, anger rising because fear had nowhere else to go.

”You think I don’t see it? The coin appearing when we need it? The way you vanish and come back with food? The way grown men look confused after you pass them in the street? You’re five, Alaric.”

”I know how old I am.”

”Do you?” Leonard’s voice cracked slightly around the question. ”Because half the time, I’m not sure you do.”

The words struck harder than Alaric expected.

Leonard breathed through his nose, trying to steady himself, but his eyes were bright with something Alaric disliked seeing there.

Fear.

Not fear of him, exactly.

Fear for him.

That distinction should have mattered more.

Instead, it made Alaric angrier.

Because fear had been everywhere today. In the slave chains. In the way the guards walked like they owned the street. In Eleanor’s silence. In Leonard’s grip. In every poor man lowering his eyes so the world would not notice he had nothing.

Alaric was tired of fear.

”Behave yourself,” Leonard said, voice rough. ”We’re no longer at our own house. This is not Swansea, where you can slip through alleys and think yourself invisible. This is Bristol. Men disappear here. Children too.”

Alaric stared at him.

Something inside him, wound tight for too long, finally snapped.

”The hell are you talking about?”

Leonard blinked. ”Excuse me?”

”You heard me.” Alaric’s voice dropped, quiet and sharp. ”You drag me out here like I insulted the man, when all I did was speak politely. You call that fooling around? You call that the danger?”

Leonard’s face darkened. ”Mind your tongue.”

”No.”

The word landed between them like a thrown knife.

Leonard stared.

Alaric stepped closer, his small body almost ridiculous beneath the weight of the fury in his eyes.

”No, I will not mind my tongue this time. Not when you’re standing there angry at me for speaking to Solomon while men in chains were marched through the street and everyone kept walking like it was the weather.”

Leonard flinched.

Alaric pointed back toward the city.

”You saw them.”

Leonard’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.

”You saw them,” Alaric repeated. ”You all saw them. Mother saw them. Uncle Bernard saw them. Aunt Linette saw them. Edward saw them. And everyone kept walking.”

Leonard’s expression changed.

Not guilt alone. Not agreement. Something older and uglier.

Helplessness.

”Aye,” Leonard said quietly. ”We saw.”

”And?”

”And what would you have me do?” Leonard shot back, the anger returning because the shame hurt too much. ”Throw myself at armed guards with a farmer’s hands and no weapon? Get your mother killed? Get you killed? Get Bernard and Linette dragged with us? Tell me, son. Since you seem to know the weight of every man’s soul, tell me what I should have done.”

Alaric’s fist tightened.

That was the problem.

Leonard was not entirely wrong.

And Alaric hated him for it.

”I would have you stop acting like the world ends at your fear,” Alaric said.

Leonard recoiled as though struck.

Alaric saw it.

He kept going anyway.

”For years, you’ve been drowning. Crops fail, taxes rise, thieves take what little we have, and you stand there looking like someone already buried you. I watched it. I watched Mother cough through winter while you stared at empty fields. I watched Uncle Bernard count coins he didn’t have. I watched everyone pretend the next bad thing was just God’s will.”

Leonard’s eyes hardened, but his voice came out low. ”You think I did not try?”

”I think you stopped believing trying mattered.”

The silence that followed was worse than shouting.

Leonard looked away first.

Alaric’s chest rose and fell quickly. His body was too small for the anger inside it. The emotion came hot, childish in its speed, adult in its aim, and he knew... some distant, rational part of him knew... that he was cutting too deeply.

But he did not stop.

”Who brought coin home when there was none?” Alaric asked. ”Who put food on the table when everyone was whispering about selling the goat? Who gave Uncle Bernard enough money when he could not afford the passage?”

Leonard closed his eyes.

”Alaric...”

”No. Listen.”

”I am listening.”

”Then hear me.” Alaric’s voice shook despite his effort to keep it steady. ”I did not mind helping. I did not mind carrying more than a child should carry. Family is family. But do not drag me away and call me reckless for speaking politely when I have been the one trying to keep us from sinking.”

Leonard’s shoulders sagged.

For a moment, he looked older than he had that morning.

Alaric hated that too.

It made victory feel rotten.

Leonard wiped a hand over his face, and when he spoke again, the anger had drained from him, leaving something raw underneath.

”You think I don’t know?” he whispered.

Alaric paused.

Leonard gave a short, broken laugh.

”You think I don’t know my son has been saving us?”

The words stole some of the heat from Alaric’s chest.

Leonard looked at him then, really looked at him, and his eyes were wet.

”I know.”

Alaric said nothing.

”I know there’s coin I cannot explain. I know your mother eats more when you’ve been gone all day. I know Bernard looks at you like you’re the answer to a prayer he’s ashamed to have made. I know you are too clever, too sharp, too calm when you ought to be frightened.” Leonard swallowed. ”And I know I have failed you enough that you think all of that should be yours to fix.”

Alaric’s anger faltered.

Only a little.

Enough to hurt.

Leonard crouched slowly, bringing himself closer to Alaric’s height. He did not reach for him this time.

”I was not angry because you liked Solomon’s name,” Leonard said. ”Not truly.”

”Then why?”

”Because I am scared.”

The answer was plain.

Too plain.

Leonard looked ashamed of it, but he did not take it back.

”I am scared of this city. I am scared of the men in chains. I am scared of the men holding the chains. I am scared of whatever put that look in your eyes before you even lost your milk teeth. And God forgive me, sometimes I am scared that one day you will do something I cannot protect you from.”

Alaric looked away.

The sea crashed softly against stone below them.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then Alaric exhaled, slow and bitter.

”You should have said that.”

Leonard gave a tired smile without humor. ”Fathers are fools that way.”

”Clearly.”

A faint, reluctant breath escaped Leonard. Not quite a laugh.

Alaric looked back at him.

”I’m not sorry for being angry.”

”I know.”

”But...” Alaric’s jaw tightened. ”I should not have said all of it like that.”

Leonard’s eyes softened.

That made the apology more difficult, somehow.

”You were not entirely wrong,” Leonard said.

”That does not make it kind.”

”No.” Leonard shook his head. ”It does not.”

Another silence passed, less sharp than the first.

Then Leonard looked toward the street where Solomon’s house waited.

”Your uncle Bernard thinks you’re special,” he admitted.

Alaric’s brow furrowed. ”Special how?”

Leonard hesitated.

”He thinks you’ve got something about you. A mind for coin, for people, for... I don’t know. More than a child should have.”

Alaric stared.

Leonard rubbed the back of his neck. ”And after what I’ve seen, I cannot say he’s wrong.”

”I’m not some miracle child.”

Leonard looked at him with such weary affection that Alaric almost preferred the anger.

”To me, you are.”

Alaric froze.

Leonard’s voice dropped.

”Not because of the coin. Not because you’re clever. Not because you scare grown men without meaning to.” He swallowed. ”Because you are my son.”

Alaric had no answer for that. And for once, none arrived.

Leonard stood slowly and offered his hand.

Alaric looked at it... then at him.

”If you drag me again, I’ll bite you,” Alaric muttered.

Leonard blinked.

Then, despite everything, he laughed once under his breath.

”Aye,” he said. ”Fair enough.”

Alaric took his hand.

He told himself it was only so they could return faster.

Leonard did not comment on the lie.