"I... what?" Gruen looked at the sword in confusion after he was released. Finally, he snapped out of it and ran toward Aimee, who was on her knees as well but found her unharmed. "You are safe, you are..."

"She is, thanks to you," Arthur said with a smile. "You bent the sword away from her. No. The sword refused to strike what you love. This is your power, Gruen."

"You did this on purpose?" Gruen asked as he hugged Aimee, his face covered in dried-up blood. "So, it was a lie? You won't want to kill us?"

"Kill you? Of course not. I'm just surprised that you believed it."

"The noble back at the mansion was..."

"He wasn't a friend of mine," Arthur said as he crouched in front of them. "I'm genuinely sorry for making you go through this experience, but it had to be done for you to awaken."

"So that he can create weapons for you," Rosa said as she held her trembling arm. "Don't try to sugarcoat it."

"I'm not. That's why I apologized." Arthur stood up. "I'll leave the decision whether to forgive me or not for you two. Take Lady Aimee home. She deserves some rest."

Gruen nodded absent-mindedly and carried Aimee out of Arthur's house, leaving only Rosa and him. As he sat down in his chair and sighed, Arthur turned toward the blacksmith apprentice.

"That was manipulative." The young woman said with a frown.

"Was it?" Arthur shrugged. "Everyone got their happy ending, so why should we care about the means?"

"The end doesn't justify the means, Seika. The amount of despair you've placed him in..."

"It wasn't enough back at the mountain because this fool doesn't care about himself as much as he cares about his lover."

"What if he didn't awaken again? What would have happened then? Her death would be another lesson you would use?" Rosa said uncomfortably. "Please don't treat people like objects,"

"We have different ways of thinking. So it seems," Arthur said with an amused smile.

"Are you going to fire me for everything I said?" Rosa said with a smirk.

"No, it's the opposite. I'm keeping you because you said all of those things." Arthur tapped his finger on the table. "I'll see you again tomorrow."

"...why?"

"I used to tell myself the things you said." Arthur looked away toward the window. "I stopped doing that because the world is different from what I believe."

"So, you know that your methods are wrong?"

"My methods work. I'll just keep you as a safety net to never go too far." Arthur turned toward the blacksmith. "Make sure that I don't turn into a monster."

***

There was something about the Seika of Living Beings that gravitated people to serve him. He was not the kindest, nor was he the most handsome, but it was something entirely different.

The way he did things was different. There was no limit to the things he could pull out of his bag. On an uneventful morning, the workers of the city woke up to witness a miracle.

They slept in their camp like usual, entrusting the guards with the responsibility of protecting them. They woke up today, however, with something new in their sight.

The forest beside them always looked as if it touched the sky. But today, there was something that rose taller than it. It was a giant tree that extended its branches over the plain the camp lived on.

"Did this... exist before?" Another blacksmith apprentice muttered beside Rosa, who was equally shocked by the appearance of the tree. "Where did it come from?"

"I don't know."

He asked her because she was one of the 'chosen' by the Seika. People who the mysterious Lord trusted enough to allow them into his house where decisions were made.

Rosa herself didn't know why she was given so much authority as Seika's assistant. She would simply stay by his side, and he would ask her to either write stuff down or call for someone.

She understood that every Lord needed someone to do the chores and the mundane stuff for them, but why choose a blacksmith? Furthermore, a blacksmith who hated the Seika.

Yes, Rosa hated him and everything he represents. He's violent and ruthless even to his people. She could never forget the incident of two days before with Aimee and Gruen.

The Seika placed them in a traumatic situation just to awaken Manager Gruen's powers. He got what he wanted, but at what cost? Never allowing them to rest easy in their lives because they fear losing each other,

'My Voice of Conscience,'

That's what the Seika jokingly called her yesterday after her objection over the matter of refugees. The details of the marketing campaign that Ma proposed made sure to highlight safety in Hidden City.

That wasn't the actual case, as they didn't even have walls yet. The Seika might be powerful, but he wasn't a god. Even the Knight of Courage should be stronger than him.

'But he's a spellcaster.'

The way he took out new abilities like it was nothing made her suspicion stronger. The spellcaster fairy tale wasn't known to many, but her grandmother told her about it—a human who used knowledge to create abilities.

In the end, the spellcaster used his army of followers and the people who trusted him to save the world from monsters. Of course, it was a childish tale, but Rosa couldn't shake the feeling off.

'Can he truly be the savior of the world?'

Rosa pondered as she walked toward The Seika's conference hall. There was only the Knight of Courage in it, writing down something.

"Oh, Rosa." Courage glanced her way and pushed the parchment her way. "The guards need new armor and weapons; can you get the Seika's approval to place them as a priority?"

"I think that he would listen to you more." Rosa was hesitant. "If you want something from the Seika, I'm not the best person to ask him."

"He called you Voice of Conscience, so I think he cares about your opinions."

"It's the opposite. The Seika simply wants me to voice out my opinions for him to shoot down, proving that things work better using his methods."

"But he still wants you to voice them out," The Knight of Courage smiled. "This is a privilege that none of us enjoy, as the Seika seems to have plans of his own."

"Do you trust enough not to question what those plans are?" Rosa was confused as she knew that the Knight of Courage was the closest to the people.

"He promised a kingdom that doesn't need its nobles," Courage said as she stood up and handed her the parchment. "I'm willing to follow him until he delivers."

"What if he used methods you don't approve of?"

"Then I'll be relieved because politics isn't a game played with a conscience," Courage smiled. Rosa took the parchment and nodded.

"Well, I never thought you two would be friends." The Seika walked in with his left sleeve fluttering. He had sweat rolling down his face, and he wiped it away.

"What were you doing?" The Knight of Courage asked with interest.

"Training, mostly." The Seika responded as he looked around. "Where is Gala?"

"Here!" A voice answered from above them as the witch descended with grace. The two looked at each other with a knowing grin.

"It seems Merlin succeeded." The Seika said with a grin. "It's earlier than I thought."

"Did Rega arrive?" The witch asked.

"No, I think I need to go there. Bring your apprentice along with seeds of the herbs you want. Rosa," The Seika turned toward her, and Rosa felt her stomach turn. "Come along too. I want you to see this."

What could she do but obey?

The witch gathered her people from the workshop, and their new adventure began. Despite being reluctant, Rosa followed the Seika and his people deep into the forest.

She was also curious about the giant tree. The witch mentioned the name 'Rega,' but there was only one entity with that name in the kingdom.

Mother Rega of Shades.

The divine tree was the only reason they had enough crops to sustain them. However, Rosa didn't understand what Rega had to do with the tree in their forest.

They passed by countless trees before they reached a giant enclosure of green. Finally, the trees parted in front of the Seika, and he walked in.

"Merlin!" The Seika shouted with joy as a druid welcomed him. "I'm glad you made it out alive."

"It's all thanks to the Seika," The druid, who the Seika called Merlin, answered with a smile.

Even though she was a blacksmith, Rosa could feel the powerful life force that the druid had. She looked around and found countless druids surrounding them with bright expressions.

"Did anyone fail to make it?"

The Seika asked, and Merlin's joyful expression was dyed with sadness. He nodded and guided them toward a plateau where a single druid lay.