Throne Room,

Riven, Rosendun.

1:32 p.m. 18th Banem 1092

Curses and angry shouts rained aloud in the throne room as several ministers let loose a hail of insults on Kashi, the hated daeben and paragon of all things evil. Surprisingly, however, contrary to expectations, Kashi remained silent throughout the abuses with a small smile on his face. Occasionally, he would turn to Leila or send an apologetic smile King Parissius' way.

The daeben was well aware of the newly crowned king's sensitive position. King Parissius could not afford to openly go against his entire court to favor a Summoned like Kashi. An act like that could easily be spun into dangerous libel by willing forces.

Kashi and the Hopeful Maggots would have to take care of this issue themselves, or at the very least, create an opening King Parissius could exploit.

"Silence, you imbeciles!" A voice shouted amidst all the shouting, drawing the attention of everyone to a balding 60-65 years old cerulean man with sharp grey eyes. "You are in the presence of the One and only King of Rosendun!" he sharply rebuked, causing the rowdy ministers to bow their heads in shame. "Your grievances may be justified, but we must use reason, not force, to prove our point. This is the difference between Residents and Summoned."

"Damn it," Leila cursed, realizing the mortal danger this man threatened. He had formulated the perfect opportunity to launch the first blow against the Hopeful Maggots in the guise of respecting the king.

"So, the true boss finally reveals himself," Kashi muttered under his breath, eyes narrowed as a snide smile slid up the corner of his lips. The daeben leaned into Leila and whispered, "Do you know him."

"Yes," Leila replied, brows furrowed in a tight frown. "Name's Lennoc Zitch, Minister of the Chamber of Commerce. We got into a row during a previous policy meeting when I suggested that those with a yearly income of 10 million Syros and above pay an additional 15% tax to help fund social projects and reduce the burden on the lower and middle class. He's had it out for me since. I did not anticipate he would hijack such an important moment to push his agenda." Leila turned to Kashi with an apologetic look, "I am terribly sorry. I should have planned for this."

"Forget it," Kashi said with a wave of his hand. "No one's perfect. Not even you." The daeben then smiled as he said, "Besides, I like to think of this as a free method of finding out who is truly trustworthy among the council."

"Kashi-dono, does the court amuse you!?"

Kashi lazily looked over his shoulder at Zitch, who was glaring at him with a challenging gaze. After a moment, he replied with a slight smile, "Not so, minister. I just happen to be a cheery person by nature. Please, do continue. I consider criticisms to be ladders that help me eventually avail over the endless obstacle we call life."

"Such sophistry laced with sarcasm so poisonous it could slay a gorgon," Zitch spat with a disgusted expression. "Indeed, you consider the sacred throne room of Rosendun where sits the one true ruler beneath you. And you dare claim to be an ally of Rosendun and her people?"

Kashi knew better than to engage in a verbal spat with these snake-tongued ministers. These people were capable of turning black into white and water into vinegar with their words alone. Therefore, Kashi shrugged and turned back to the front, awaiting whatever this Zitch character had to say.

"Undying Rose of Rosendun, King Parrissius Vermillion," praised Zitch as he stepped out of the ministers' line-up and walked up to the edge of the carpet. The wizened minister bowed his head and then pointed at Kashi. "This man has, on numerous occasions, shown contempt towards the Rosen court, spitting on the values that make our ancestors instilled while they fought to build this country. He is callous, proud, and full of ambition, without any intention of bowing to another."

Kashi raised a brow, pointing to himself in surprise. 'He's talking about me, right?'

Zitch continued his tirade of accusations. "I have proof that this man has, using the hard-earned coin of the Rosen people, sought out personal gain over the collective good of Rosendun. Not only that, but he is also a traitor secretly plotting to usurp the throne and has already begun laying the groundwork for his plan."

Kashi looked at Leila and then beyond to Lunette and Shadow with questioning in his eyes. 'I had such plans? Why don't I know about them?'

"Such a man is not only unfit to stand in the royal court," Zitch loudly declared with a passionate shout which made even Kashi doubt himself. "but should immediately be executed and his assets seized by the Royal Court to be shared amongst the people."

Kashi had to resist an urge to clap. This man's performance was Oscar-worthy. If Kashi was not well, Kashi, he might have bought what Zenith was selling. Such was the authenticity of the performance. Only after a moment did Kashi finally realize just what Zitch had proposed at the end. With a maniacal smile, he leaned over to Leila and whispered, "That vulture doesn't really think I'm going to smile and let myself be executed, does he?"

"There's no chance you'll get executed," Leila replied, eyes narrowed. Her tone was icy-cold, revealing her building rage as she said, "It's a common trick used by politicians. He's raising the bar ridiculously high to get something a bit lower. Maybe an exile? Or just asset forfeiture? Let's see how it plays out."

"I see. Cunning," Kashi remarked and then said, "Well, I'll leave this to you. You can handle this, right?"

"I'm unprepared, and this is an ambush."

"So?"

"So, it'll only take me a little longer than necessary," Leila responded with a chilly, thin smile as she stepped forward. She first glanced at Zitch, then briefly bowed to King Parissius. "The immortal phoenix who always returns stronger no matter the catastrophe, King Vermillion Parissiu—"

"You dare!" Zitch attacked, a glint in his eyes as he roared at Leila, "You curse our king to fall? You are an enemy of the state!"

"Is that how you interpreted it?" Leila responded with a cold smile. "Our great King Vermillion here fell from the highest of perches, was baptized in the fires of war, and returned to his throne stronger and smarter than ever. Rosendun as a nation has returned from the brink of destruction stronger and wealthier than ever." Leila's cold eyes bore into Zitch. "A protected son of a wealthy man who has never known hardship might not realize this, but every nation, regardless of strength or prosperity, will one day be tested. They will be pulled to the brink of despair, but that is when the character of its ruler has to shine through."

"Ask any warrior here," Leila said as she looked at the guards stationed around the hall. "Who would they rather have at their back. An undying rose, protected by a vase that has never known hardship—"

Realizing how badly this was going, Zitch panicked and shouted, "That's not what I mea—"

"Or," Leila interrupted, continuing her speech, "a ruler who has experienced countless fires and emerged stronger each time. The strength to get up, learn from past errors, and grow stronger is the sign of a truly great ruler, not an infallible existence." Leila's piercing gaze destabilized the politician's train of thought as she said, "No man is perfect. That luxury is reserved for the gods alone." Not that they are perfect either...

Kashi revealed a proud grin as he turned to and then winked at Lunette. "I said that. She just used my line."

"Leila is even more formidable in person indeed," Lunette praised as she admired the vice-guildmaster's strong figure. "I can only hope to one day be as confident as her."

"You and I both," Kashi stated and then looked at Zitch. "So, we won round 1. How will he counterattack?"

As if prompted by Kashi's words, Zitch cupped his hands, assuming a humble stance as he bowed to Leila. "Ms. Lightwood is as wise as ever. Your words have enlightened this old man stuck in ancient tradition. Your words have opened my eyes, and this shall serve as a learning opportunity for this old fool."

"No such thing," Leila coolly replied with an even facial expression. "Tradition is not something to be tossed away for the new, but built upon, laying the foundations for a brighter future. The old pass on traditions to the young that we may build an even better future. Nothing about that is foolish. I thank you for this lesson. I, too, shall use it as a learning opportunity."

Zitch's eyebrows twitched as he raised his head and stared at Leila. This Summoned was a tough nut to crack. She refused to fall for any verbal traps. However, if she thought that was the end, she was sorely mistaken. "I—"

"Zitch-san," Leila's cool voice rang out, drowning his own and forcefully seizing the initiative. "Earlier, you made several accusations against Kashi, guildmaster of the Hopeful Maggots and long-time friend to the crown, potentially severing a relationship that has fostered great growth and prosperity in Rosendun and inciting a civil war. I believe you must have strong proof to back up those claims, or I will have you tried for not only slander but terrorism against the crown and country."

'Civil war!?' Zitch's heart instantly skipped a beat as he understood what the wisben was trying to do. Leila instantly shot the stakes to the height of civil war so that in the event Zitch loses, he would not get away with a slight reprimand. This was blatant retaliation against his calling for Kashi's execution.

But wait. Maybe he could use this to his advantage, Zitch mused. "Civil war, you say. So, are you saying Kashi would rebel if he were sentenced to die?"

"Have you ever heard of an innocent man who willingly walks to an unjust death?" Before Zitch could pounce on the opportunity presented, Leila continued, "However, Kashi would not be the instigator of the civil war, as he would simply migrate to another country with his guild."

Leila revealed a cold smile. "It is the common folk of Rosendun who will start a riot when they see the livelihood of other countries drastically improved by the Hopeful Maggots' inventions, while they have to pay an arm and a leg for the same luxury. Imagine how they would feel knowing that all those could have been theirs. But a few rich politicians pushed out the Maggots to fatten up their already bulging pockets."

Leila's eyes flashed as she went in for the kill, "Tell me, Zitch-san. Do you care more for the people or your coin?"

"Nonsense!" Zitch snorted, choosing not to address the question. The trap was not in the answers but in the question itself. No matter his response, Leila would have a web ready to ensnare him. "Do not try to sway the court with hypotheticals and hearsay. Let us focus on the facts. The—"

"Facts?" Leila interrupted, once again stealing the spotlight at an opportune moment. "As you wish, I shall focus solely on the facts." Raising a finger, she said, "Fact Number One: The Hopeful Maggots has the highest dungeon completion rates and clears. Without the Maggots, Rosendun will lose a significant portion of its dungeon clearance force, which will greatly increase the danger for neighboring villages."

Leila then raised her middle finger. "Fact Number two: Be it through hunting, trading, or crafting, the Maggots are a vital aspect of Rosendun's commercial industry. Our industries create thousands of jobs for the common people, and a significant portion of our profit goes towards public welfare causes and the development of projects to benefit the people. Even now, construction on the islands south of Rosendun has provided roughly three thousand well-paying jobs."

Leila raised her ring finger as she continued in a flat tone, "Fact Number Three: The Hopeful Maggots serve as Rosendun's primary conquering force. We risk our lives on the frontline to broaden Rosendun's territory, thereby reducing the risk to Rosen's soldiers. Also, our involvement in the frontlines is unofficial, so it absolves the Royal Crown of any guilt if we were to fail in conquest or cause a disaster during an expedition. Getting rid of the Hopeful Maggots will vastly impact Rosendun's military might. Unless, of course, you already have a replacement lined up. One which was most likely bought with coin and would easily betray Rosendun for even more coin."

Zitch opened his mouth to absolve himself of the absurd claim, but Leila did not give him a chance. Once again, she went for the kill, "Fact Number Four: The Hopeful Maggots, through the efforts of its leader, Kashi has served as primary negotiators between Rosendun, Serisis, and Merriheim, culminating in an agreement to bind these three nations under Rosendun's flag. Tell me, minister, what exactly is your goal here? Do you aim to disrupt Rosendun's trust in her greatest ally moments before an achievement that every king has dreamed of since her inception?"

"What!? Unification!?" Several ministers shouted in shock as they stared at Leila. The stunned crowd quickly turned to look at King Xafier, but upon seeing his lack of reaction, he finally realized that Leila was telling the truth.

"No. No. No. Zitch, that bastard didn't say anything about this," Several ministers wailed in desperation and regret as they glared at the bald minster. "Are we doomed? No. No. He has to have a plan. I can't go out like this."

'Unification? So, he was actually telling the truth.' Zitch's eyes narrowed in thought. 'All the more reason I cannot let these Maggots have the glory for this.' Collecting himself, Zitch said with a warm smile and a soothing voice, "You raise some good points, but I never called for the Hopeful Maggots to disband or leave the country. Only for its leader, Kashi to be executed. I would never place the sins of the father on the son after all." 'Hmph, if you think this is over, think again.'

Leila folded her clasped her hands behind her back, gaze cold as she said, "We have heard enough of your intentions, Zitch-san. Now, please, lay out your accusations before the court so we may defend our honor and name, or do you wish to do so when Kashi is not here to defend himself?"

'This malicious viper!' Zitch inwardly cursed in rage. That statement had driven him into a corner. It didn't matter that he always intended to lay out the accusations here. Leila's accusation came at too good a timing, sowing discord in the neutral parties' hearts. Right now, defending himself would only appear weak, and he would remain passive.

As a result, Zitch finally decided to stop playing games with this woman. He had lost the pre-amble, but the game was far from over. "As you wish, Ms. Lightwood. I will lay down the facts as well. I pray that you let me finish without unnecessary interruption, a courtesy I showed you."

'Hoh. He's a spicy ginger all right.' Leila understood this was Zitch's method of eliminating one of her greatest advantages; her ability to effectively steal the spotlight whenever she wanted. However, to not come off as callous, she had no choice but to agree to his request. "Of course. I shall not interrupt your spiel."

Zitch grinned as he cupped his hands toward the wisben. "Thank you for understanding." Following this statement, he turned to address King Parissius. "Your Highness, I am a loyal subject of Rosendun and have been so since the day I was born. I would not lay these accusations before the crown if I did not have sufficient proof that they were true." Although he addressed King Parrisius, Zitch was really paying particular attention to the neutral ministers behind him.

When he noticed he had their full attention, Zitch stated, "As promised, I shall begin laying out the facts of this case. Fact number one: Despite claiming to be a vassal of Rosendun, Kashi has been amassing power behind everyone's back." Zitch's eyes narrowed as he glared at the daeben. "In fact, less than a day ago, Kashi secretly added the centaur race to his army, over five thousand strong calvary. He neither reported this news to the capital nor did he deign to supplement Rosendun's forces with this enormous force."

Kashi's brow rose, shock appearing on his face for the first time. How did Zitch already know about the centaurs? Kashi finished up just over a day ago! It made no sense that this politician's information network was that good. The only explanation was that someone had been following him. And that someone leaked information to Zitch in preparation for this ambush.

"Kashi!" Zitch shouted, pulling the daeben from his thoughts. With a snide grin, the politician demanded, "Before the crown and court, answer me this: Did you or did you not subjugate the centaurs?"

Caught off-guard, Kashi accidentally replied, "Well, yes, but not exa—"

"And did you or did you not report to the court?"

"There wasn't enough time to—"

"Not enough time?" Zitch exclaimed with an exaggerated scoff. "But you had time to induct them into your secret world, didn't you?" Zitch grinned as the court let out loud gasps of disbelief. "Yes, my fellow ministers. You did not hear wrong. This man here, Kashi, has a secret world which he aims to populate with Rosendun's men and women, our wildlife, our crops. He aims to cannibalize it all to build up an independent force of his own that does not answer to Rosendun or anyone else."

Kashi's eyes narrowed as he stared at Zitch. If he wasn't sure before, now he was certain. Someone was definitely leaking information to the minister. The only question was how much had been revealed and for how long?

"And if all that wasn't enough," said Zitch as he pointed at the daeben. "This traitor also conspires with the daeben to return them to power." Spreading his arms, Zitch proclaimed to his fellow ministers, "I am sure news of the Battle of Aygorzi has reached your ears. You might have heard of the many exploits wrought by Kashi to achieve victory, but what you do not know is that thousands of daeben also surrendered. Of these surrendered daeben, most were asked to work in Aygorzi, while Kashi had the rest carted off to the Maggots' headquarters to work in their runecrafting divisions."

Zitch's eyes narrowed as he pointed at Kashi and said, "You stopped the dwarfs from executing the treacherous daeben because you already had an agreement with the daeben, didn't you?"

"That was not the case," Kashi refuted with a sigh. "The daeben are an intelligent race, decades beyond the rest of the world in runecrafting. However, I chose to save those daeben not only for their intelligence but for the sake of peace. If the daeben in the enemy's troops see that there's hope they will not be executed, there's a higher chance of a peaceful surrender in certain situations and less bloodshed."

The ministers behind Kashi murmured among themselves, nodding their heads in agreement with the daeben's words. Indeed a cornered rat was most dangerous. However, if one left an escape route open, the rat would most likely choose that option rather than attempt to fight to the death.

Zitch's sneer widened when he noticed the gullible ministers' thoughts wavering. His eyes flashed as he pointed at Kashi and roared, "Sophistry and smoke mirrors! As expected of a deceitful daeben." The politician paused, taking in Kashi's stoic expression like none of his accusations affected the daeben. 'Hmph, let's see how much longer you can keep this up.' "You claim to have nothing to do with the daeben, yet whose side did you pick in the war eleven years ago?"

"The daeben," Kashi answered without any hesitation, causing the ministers behind him to let out gasps of disbelief. What? He picked the daeben to start with? Then he was certainly a treacherous man! "...However, I did my time for that crime," continued Kashi before Zitch could seize the opportunity. The daeben caught Leila's eye and soldiered on, "Eleven years in fact. While my fellow Summoned got good gear and starting locations, I had to rot in a dungeon. Through Aerith's guidance, I got out of jail and eventually made it to Kerta. I made many friends in my quest to free Rosendun from tyranny, one of whom happens to be sitting on the throne over there."

Kashi folded his arms as he defended himself, "Have I ever claimed to be a righteous person? No. But I am an ally of Rosendun. She will never have to see the uglier parts of me."

"So you claim," Zitch sneered. The old man harrumphed as he waved his hand and said, "Let's talk about your assets. You came into possession of a mine by murdering the mayor of Meilfour after signing an agreement to transfer ownership. Do you deny this?"

"Nope," Kashi replied with a straight face. "He was a terrible human being, and I would do it again given the opportunity."

"See! This man's trea—"

"Zitch-san," Leila interrupted with a cold gaze. "I said I would not interrupt, so please do not force me to do so again. We are not here to discuss Kashi's morality. Stick to the topic of Kashi's disloyalty to the crown."

"Ugh!" Zitch choked, having swallowed his spittle when he was rudely interrupted. The old man cleared his throat and then glared at Leila. "As you say. I went off-topic there. Let me get back to the point." The politician looked at Kashi and asked, "You've recently built many projects in Merriheim. Suvron's Tower, Suvron's Gate, The Emporium, The Coliseum, several top-secret inventions, and most recently, a new bank." Narrowing his eyes, he glared at the daeben and asked, "Why, if you're an ally of Rosendun, has Merriheim witnessed two [Apparition of the Gods] and yet Rosendun, your supposed host nation has not had a single one? Why are all your inventions based solely in Merriheim? If one did not know better, they would think you are harboring some very dangerous intentions."

Atop the throne, King Xafier's brows knitted as he clutched the chair's armrest.

King Parissius noticed his counterpart's distress and immediately sent an apologetic nod his way. Following this, the eyes with which he looked at Zitch grew much colder. This buffoon. In his greed, he had dragged Merriheim into this mess and called into question King's Xafier's honor. This was a matter that could lead to a giant rift forming between the nations!

Could it be true? Did Zitch really intend to derail the negotiations before they even began?

Zitch, oblivious to his king's thoughts, continued his tirade, "Furthermore, one only has to look at the company you keep to know the kind of person you are." Zitch pointed at Syèl as he lambasted, "Syèl Rifatora. How many of you know this vile person is a true-blooded vampire! He feeds off of humans every day just to keep himself alive. What's more, in the guise of bounty hunting, he violently slaughtered and drained blood from hundreds of men and women."

For the first time, Kashi's eyes twitched, a trace of discomfort appearing in them as he turned to look at Syèl.

Contrary to expectations, the vampire sported a wide toothy grin as he looked Zitch up and down. "Your information is out of date," Syèl joked, the whites of his eyes turning blood red as he clarified, "My numbers are in the thousands."

"See!? What vile spawn, boasting about killing the innocent in the thou—"

"Hey man, don't put words in my mouth," Syèl interrupted with a sly grin. "I've killed thousands, yes, but I haven't killed a single innocent person." The vampire prince released a lazy shrug as he lamented, "You'd be surprised how many bandits, murderers, and rapists are out there waiting to be culled. Oh, and there was the whole battle at Aygorzi. Kinda boosted my numbers by a lot."

Zitch ignored Syèl, understanding instantly that this was a crazy individual. He could not contend against someone crazy as he would not be able to predict their reactions. Instead, he walked up to Absalon and said, "Need I say more about this man? He dared covet the throne and was prepared to slay the rightful king for it. Yet, rather than have him executed, Kashi not only saved him but rewarded him with an army to conquer even more land." The politician rolled his eyes as he said, "However, even with all that, what concerns me most is his incompetence. Despite being in a city blessed by the gods themselves, he still managed to needlessly lose half of the troops led into battle."

"Take that back," Absalon's deep voice reverberated throughout the room as he raised his battle sharp gaze to meet Zitch's. "No soldier died a needless death. Every brave sacrifice paved the way for our eventual victory. I will not let you sully their noble sacrifices with a word like useless."

Zitch snorted as he glared at Absalon. "Hmph. Shameless words befitting the man who attempted to steal the throne for himself. I'd expect a coward like you to hide behind the death of his soldiers."

Absalon's brows furrowed, his eyes turning red as he struggled to hold back his rage. In all his life, both as a serviceman and a gamer, no one had ever called his honor into question. The gall of this politician to not only sully the deaths of honorably warriors but then use those deaths as a political weapon to shoot down an opponent.

Absalon had seen many of this kind before in the real world. He never thought he would have to deal with these types of people in the game too. Luckily, just before Absalon lost his mind, he looked to the side and caught Kashi's eyes. The daeben's expression was stiff, jaw set in stone as he slowly shook his head.

Absalon did not know why, but he could sense that Kashi was truly getting angry. He had never seen the daeben without at least some mockery or jest in his eyes. However, at the moment, it seemed like all he needed was a spark to set him off. Somehow, seeing the rage in Kashi's eyes made the proud general calm down. Absalon's fist relaxed, and he clamped them behind his back, resisting the temptation to punch the politician.

Zitch looked at Absalon's self-control with regret. Just a little more, and the warrior would have lashed out. The old man looked over at Kashi and grimaced. It seemed the daeben was the reason Absalon had regained his senses at the final moment. Fine then, there were plenty more targets.

Zitch then disparaged each Hopeful Maggot, calling Miote a corrupt swindler and Jade an evil scientist who was not afraid to use illegal means to complete her experiment. Stryke was a baby coward pretending to be a leader only because he was friends with Kashi—a clear sign of nepotism.

Soon, Zitch turned his attention to Leila and began throwing accusations after another at her. He insisted she had bribed countless officials and court men in the city to push them in her favor and manipulated the rise and fall of numerous guilds behind the scenes. He also let out dangerous insinuations by claiming that several witnesses could testify to seeing her walk out of officials' homes and offices late at night.

With each insult levied against his guildmates, Kashi's frown grew deeper, and he had to fold his arms to prevent himself from doing anything rash. Even then, by the time Zitch brought Leila's honor and reputation under fire, Kashi could scarcely hold himself back any longer, gripping his arms so tightly that he almost broke his bones.

Lunette noticed Kashi's distress, but because of their location, she could do naught but offer a quick pat on the daeben's back.

Kashi turned to Lunette, and upon seeing her beautiful blue eyes, somewhat calmed down. However, only so much so that he did not lose his mind. Zitch had already pissed him off, and he intended to make the snakey politician pay. "How many mana potions do you have on you?" Kashi asked.

"I have 20 level 150's," Lunette answered, brow raised as she wondered what Kashi wanted those for. "But they're in my inventory." Casting a glance at Zitch, she added, "I don't think it's a good idea to open it in this situation."

"You're right," admitted Kashi. Zitch could easily spin it into a potential attack.

"I have 5 Lv. 150 mana elixirs," Shadow said as he passed a bottle over to Kashi from behind Lunette. "I keep them on me at all times in case of emergencies."

Kashi gratefully accepted the elixirs, forming portals in his hand, so they were transported to Orez immediately he grasped them. "Why, though? You don't really use mana, do you?"

"No. But you do," replied Shadow as he passed over the last bottle. "You should really learn to stock up before trips. That self-regen is spoiling you."

Kashi looked at Shadow as the makings of a small smile cracked the daeben's stiff expression. "Thanks. You're always looking out for me."

"It's what Shadows d—."

"And you!"

Shadow paused, interrupted by Zitch's looming figure. Initially, he thought the old man was talking to him. But upon following Zitch's line of sight, he saw that he was actually pointing at Lunette.

"You claim to be a songstress, but you go up on stage half-naked to sedu—"

BAM!
CRACK!

It happened too fast for anyone but a select few to comprehend. One second, Zitch was on his usual tirade. The next, the old man was crumpled against the steps leading up to the throne, bleeding from a tear in his forehead and a torn lip.

Meanwhile, Kashi stood where Zitch was a second ago with a bloodied right fist. Just a step behind him, Shadow stood with his hand held out, revealing the hidden blade extending from beneath his sleeve, his frosty expression reminiscent of the God of Death.

"A pity," Syèl lamented with a sly grin as he looked at the crumpled Zitch. "Kashi just saved his life. Should've let Shadow finish the job."

"Don't say that," Shokō spat. "Shadow can't get in trouble over this waste of space. He's not worth it."

Syèl chuckled as he winked at Shokō. "You're only mad cause he did not mention you."

Zitch, meanwhile, shot to his feet, clutching his lips as he pointed at Shadow and pointed, "Arrest this man! Execute him! He dared to bring a weapon into the Royal Chamber and attempt an assassination in broad daylight. This affront cannot be forgiven. Guards! What are you waiting for! Arrest him immediately."

The guards hesitated, looking at each other and then their king.

King Parissius' face was red with rage, eyes bloodshot as he gripped the throne. It took everything he had not to jump off and strangle Zitch to death. These people he was insulting were not only his friends but the few people in the world he could unconditionally trust. Being forced to watch their names dragged through the mud without doing anything to help was the hardest thing that had ever happened to him. However, each time he could no longer take it, Leila's cautioning gaze would force him to retain his position.

Unfortunately, the royal guards misinterpreted the source of their king's anger. They thus ran toward Kashi and Shadow with their spears drawn. However, before they could reach them, a pair of twin guards suddenly appeared in front of both Kashi and Shadow. The twins donned black and red leather armor, with a pair of daggers as their weapons, making them look more like assassins than guards.

However, the other royal guards recognized the duo as the king's personal bodyguards, who never left his side, Narkis, and Alex, the Shadow Guards.

The guards stared at Narkis and Alex, unsure of what to do. The stalemate lasted for a few seconds until loud laughter erupted from somewhere in the court.

Everyone turned to the laughter's source, only to see Kashi walking out from behind Narkis and Alex as his laughter devolved to a sinister grin. The daeben paused for a moment next to the twins and said, "Thanks for the help. I've got it from here."

"Okay," the twins affirmed and then promptly disappeared from view.

Kashi turned his attention to Zitch, who had walked to the front of the guards, face flush red with rage, joy, and anticipation. "You said you wanted Shadow? I say you can have him... Over my dead body."

Zitch raised his hand, eyes wide with excitement as he shouted, "See!? This is what I mean. This man has no respect for Rosendun or her laws! His subordinate just committed attempted murder, but he is shielding him, going so far as to threaten an official in court. He should be tried and executed post-haste!

"Hahahaha!" Kashi laughed out loud, his body shaking as he struggled to push down his rising rage. He could feel the call of the old rush of anger, the allure satisfying feeling he had after beating whatever caused that anger into oblivion. 'No. That is not me. I am Kashi. I'll do it my way.'

Kashi's laughter ebbed, once again replaced by his sinister grin. "You are right about one thing. I do not care about Rosendun or its laws," said the daeben as an elixir appeared in his hand. He removed the stopper and placed the drink to his lips as he raised his hands and said, "You want to see who I really am? Fine, then I'll show you..."

Vwoom!

The court held its breath as three large portals appeared in front of the daeben, out of which stepped...