Ebony Solarmaria looked like a mirror image of her daughter, minus the golden eyes.

Their house was about thirty-minutes walked from the city market. The gang counted themselves lucky people were more familiar with a talking badger than expected. Each member of Horizon Dawn took to Millian differently. Rem was indifferent. Cytortia went on a shopping spree. As expected of the girl distanced from all social dark-side, the town would have duped Luxinna in a hat-trick if not for Scathach.

At long last, they arrived at a small blacksmith shop owned by a lady who greeted Scathach with a glare.

“Have a good time, Ma,” Melody walked past her mother and into the house, sparing the gang no further attention.

“Dinner ready,” Ebony Solarmaria said with a hinted of worry. “Today is your favorite.”

“Rib-eye steak with special gravy sauce,” Melody’s eyes brightened.

Ebony beamed.

“Thanks, Ma,” the redhead couldn’t help but happily run to the table.

Ebony readdressed the gang — or in this case — Scathach.

“Long time no sees, traitor,” Ebony launched the verbal catapult.

“Er,” Scathach said nervously. “What is with this welcome?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Ebony said sarcastically. “Maybe the fact that you ignored me when I beg you to save my husband from his execution.”

“I couldn’t intervene,” Scathach protested. “We have to keep the balance.”

“That is how much our friendship worth? You let me, your friend, and my baby ran for our lives for the sake of your precious balance. What a good friend you are, Scathach.”

Luxinna and Cytortia glared at Scathach.

“You did what?” Cytortia said.

“It’s a long story,” the honey badger replied

“In my home, that is a lame response,” the elf remarked. “And I spent three-year living in Lightwell forest.”

“Scathach,” Rem said, truly fed-up with how an animosity magnet of a mentor. “Please stay outside while I fix your mess — again.”

“Again?” Ebony quizzed. “What did she do this time?”

“She drove Marley the Magpie into terrorism,” Rem said. “Honestly, he planned to do it anyway, but she could diffuse the bomb before it blew.”

“You must tell me that story,” Ebony beckoned them inside. Scathach was about to follow them in when the door slammed shut in her face.

Bang!

“How much do you hate me?” Scathach glanced up at the sky and asked the goddess who couldn’t answer. “You must enjoy this.”

...

“Then Bruno started kicking that guy while Marley apologized,” Cytortia finished telling her story. “The end.”

Ebony listened to the story carefully while Melody confidently smirked in the background. The young woman’s eyes glazed across the gang, trying to calculate their worth.

In comparison, the gang’s behavior was far less dignified.

Cytortia chatted about their adventure and a hundred-twenty random things to cope with her fraying nerves. Luxinna, the forest hermit, chowed down the food as if it would vanish in the next second. Meanwhile, Rem was not amused.

Finally, Ebony put her fork down.

“Interesting,” Ebony started by praising Luxinna and Cytortia. “Scathach found several gems. High-ranking alchemist with high-level divinity. An elf with noble lineage and lightning in her vein. Scathach surely didn’t drop her game.”

Meanwhile, Rem silently ate in the background.

Luxinna stopped eating. The silence was too awkward.

“Pardon me,” Cytortia blinked.

“Scathach loves doing that. She’s obsesses over raising the ultimate warrior. Names that will go in legend.” Ebony grandly described. “I think she hates to see natural talent being wasted. If we agree on something, it the truth that Phantasia is a tiny stage where only a handful of stars shine.”

Rem bit his steak in disdain.

Luxinna looked at the boy and shivered. The memory of her time as a corrupted flared. God, Rem was boiling. Her instinct screamed at her to get out. The last time she saw him like this, he destroyed a Paracis Corruptor’s army.

This house wouldn’t survive the battle.

Everyone in the room sensed the tension.

Melody stared at Rem. The shining glare in those eyes gazed into his soul. Instead of fear, she felt excitement. Her eyes glowed for a second before they deflated with disappointment.

“Hey, Ma,” Melody asked her mother, pointing at Remus Breaker. “What do you think about that guy?”

“Useless,” Ebony barely looked at the boy. “He is a foot-soldier.”

Cytortia’s face twitched, and Luxinna flinched.

Ebony sighed and started describing the situation.

“He is a pure human with no elemental affinity. That alone disqualified him from practicing any elemental spells. Human is also the weakest race in Phantasia, who relies on numbers to keep up. With no inheritance, unique physique, or any unique cultivation technique, he has no hope. His stat is also fairly average. I guess he probably annoyed Scathach so much that she kept him around as a punching bag.”

Cytortia admitted the evaulation was accurate, but then Rem threw the gauntlet.

“What’s the point of this assessment, Ms. Solarmaria?”

Ebony looked at Rem, feeling offended.

“I just wonder how much Scathach’s disciples are worth?” Ebony replied. “Aside from you, they can be a great help.”

“Help with what?” Cytortia said.

“Do you ever heard of Aztellic Dynasty?” Melody asked.

“What’s Dynasty?” Lux said. Luckily, Cytortia came to the rescue.

“Aztellic Dynasty is the Imperial family of Demonic Continent,” Cytortia explained.

“Ok, now that we talked about it, what is the Demonic continent?” Luxinna looked at Rem and Cytortia. “You guys never explained what it is?”

This question caught Ebony and Melody by surprise.

“Your clan never told you,” Ebony asked, frowning. “Lightwell and Aztellic have been waging wars since our founding.”

“Err no,” Luxinna said sheepishly. “My clan forbid anyone to teach me anything since I was nine.”

“Aztellic Dynasty was found 120 years on a tragedy.”

Everyone perked at Rem’s passionless narration. His eyes laced with total boredom and disappointment. The sentence attacked Ebony directly. Let us say the demoness wasn’t pleased.

“It is not a tragedy,” the woman’s face frowned with anger. “It’s a triumph.”

“I understand,” Rem replied calmly. “I’ve spent several weeks looking through the history of the Continent that’s butt-fucking my world. Know your enemy and all. I am sad for you, mother and daughter. Your dynasty must be an agony. The Demonic Continent fell from grace so bad. It’s just painful to look at.”

Melody’s hand clenched into a fist. She forgot the last time she was this angry.

“I warn you to choose your word carefully,” Melody’s face stiffened. Her rage simmered like molten metal beneath the Earth’s crust.

“Do I have to?” Rem said. “You must admit, Demonic Continent is quite a fitting name. During your founding, you purged all men, women, and children that wasn’t a member of demon-race from your side of the continent. That was how your dynasty found itself; on a swath of land filled with bloods and tears. To break into a new low, you even sold yourself to that clan.”

“Sold themselves?” Luxinna turned toward Cytortia. Expecting Rem to be neutral would be impossible. The goddess was the sole unbiased opinion in the room.

“Enma Enterprise is the only trading partner of the Demonic Continent,” Cytortia tried to shrink under the table. “The demon’s chief export is military force. Their economy ran entirely on plundering and warfare.”

“Okay,” Luxinna said innocently.

“She meant that the entire nation is a wage slave under the thumb of a cooperate mafia,” Rem added. “This assumes that wage slaves got so low they licked their master’s boot for overpriced food and clothing. The Aztellic Dynasty makes their living by being Enma’s attack dog — padding their wallet by slaving, looting, and raping their almighty overlord’s enemies.”

“That’s not okay,” Luxinna mentally ducked under the table for safety.

“Shut up,” Melody yelled. “You can act all high and mighty from that throne of yours! Do you know what happens to us? The elves, the humans, oppressed and discriminated against the demons. All because we shared some traits with the monster! Is it wrong for us to rise!? Is it wrong to fight for equality?”

“The demon deserves equal treatment,” Rem nodded. “Humans are terrible beings, misguided and territorial. I will admit this. But allow me to drag you from your victim complex and ask… what do you specifically mean when you said equality?”

Forget Melody, even Ebony got stumped by that one.

Seeing the advantage, Rem pressed beyond.

“Honestly, Ms. Solarmaria, I want to do the right thing,” Rem said. “My entire journey is all about doing the right thing. Please tell me what’s the equality you so obsessively desire. I want to help you get it.”

Melody was stumped. She was the master of identifying hypocrisy and flaw in the argument, but this countered was new for her.

“I want you to help Melody take the Imperial Throne of Demonic Continent,” Ebony cut to the chase to avoid Rem’s question.

“Say what?” Luxinna and Cytortia glanced at each other like deers in a headlamp.

Ebony sighed.

“My husband, Majesty, is the previous Emperor’s younger brother and his rightful successor,” Ebony luminesced, while Melody wistfully sobered down. “He was in charge of the Continent’s administration. It is a thankless job, but aside for him, no one can take it.”

“Wait a minute,” Cytortia said. “Isn’t Majesty executed for treason?”

“It is a false charge,” Melody slammed her fist into the table, cracking it. “The current Emperor was afraid of my father’s popularity and bribed the imperial guards and nobles to put him on the throne.”

“Majesty never has a chance,” Ebony said sadly. “Jekyll Aztellic, the current Emperor, bought the entire court. The people, those docile cowards, betrayed Majesty when he needed them the most or turned the blind eyes.”

Rem remained silent. His brain whirled for more ideas.

“Cytortia,” Rem said. “How did the Demonic Continent turn into this mess? I’d read several articles, and it baffles me. The corruption and bribery in the Continent are so high I believe there aren’t any checks at all. The execution sentence is also pointlessly cruel. Burning alive and drawing and quartering is an utter waste of manpower. They must realize by now that warfare economy is destructive in the long run. How did this happen?”

Ebony and Melody twitched from Rem’s comment. Melody prepared to say something, but a silent commanding wave from Rem cut her off.

Cytortia looked around for permission. With every attention on her, she replied with honesty.

“Honestly, I don’t know, but I believe it started with the Emperors. The first and greatest Emperor founded the Demonic Continent by driving off every race but the demon from his territory. Many believe he would attack Grand Empire next if the elves, led by Mia Alusto, didn’t capture and execute him.”

Luxinna ducked sheepishly. Once again, her family failed her.

“Things went downhill from there,” Cytortia continued. “The second Emperor asked the Enma Clan to back him the throne. After the 2nd death, Enma had the nation on a joystick. They appointed and removed the 3rd and 4th emperor. The fifth got poisoned by the royal guard. And the imperial family is—”

“Full of entitled idiots,” finished the voice of Scathach, who was eavesdropping behind the wall. “Their treasury is constantly being emptied to bribe the officials. The entire nation function on plunders — or worse, borrowing from Enma clan. The only reason they aren’t collapsing from the inside is pure propaganda. In my life, I have never witnessed a faction producing more entitled young master, and I toured the entire Phantasia.”

“Shut up, Scathach!” Ebony yelled.

The information was enough to clue Rem on the game.

“You want the power that is rightfully yours?”

“No,” Melody said. “I want to fulfill my father’s dream. I want my country to prosper.”

Rem admitted it surprised him, but that was within expectation. That was when Ebony started detailing her plans.

“Melody, by blood, has the strongest claim to the throne,” Ebony said. “She only has to survive and grow powerful enough to contest for it. The Demonic Continent’s prestige roots in strength. As long as we have enough ability, and powerful helpers, taking back the throne won’t be impossible. I want you two to help her.”

Ebony aimed this request at Luxinna and Cytortia, completely ignoring the fact that Rem was in the room.

Rem wasn’t angry. The young man calmly rose and announced.

“Give up on the throne.”

...

That mundane suggestion stunned melody. Then she felt angry. The boy in front of her was too arrogant. Giving up the throne was impossible; it’s her life goal. Moreover, he was a mere human. She had to admit that Rem wasn’t feeble for a human, but he was still trash compared to his companion — much less her.

He was only here on a fluke.

“What do you mean to give up on the throne?” Ebony looked at the boy in disbelieve. “You come here to recruit Melody for that goddess’s sake. Given that she has to face the like of Tai Hua and Chuang Tianshang, the next Emperor of the Aztellic is not something you can afford to lose.”

“I never care about power,” Rem said. “I already lost interest in this pity party when you put strength over everything. But even if you avoid the p-word, my advice won’t change. Give up on the throne. It is not worth it.”

“I dare you to say that again,” Melody eyed Rem with murder in her eyes.

“Your empire is mathematically unstable from its very foundation,” Rem replied, unafraid. “Your 1st emperor was a great conqueror, but a conqueror’s empire is his personality cult. Most collapses the year he dies. Yours already did. The current Demonic Continent is a walking corpse animated by a clan of greedy beast-men with god-complex.”

“A weakling like you know about rulings?” Melody said mockingly. “Sorry, but you don’t look like a ruler to me.”

Cytortia and Luxinna stood and back-stepped into the furthest corner of the room. The situation was turning bad fast.

“I have nothing on kingship,” Rem admitted. “I’m a student of history. And I will tell you this: your plan won’t end well for anyone. To sit on that throne, you need the key to power. How do you plan to persuade the nobles and factions in your Continent to side with the Princess they never see or trust?”

“If I am strong, they will back me,” Melody answered.

“Do being strong make you a good and wise leader?” Rem said. “Enma Enterprise is strong, but are they benevolent? Doesn’t this make Mia Alusto the just and wise leader you should aspire to be? I mean, she killed your ancestor back in her heyday.”

Melody’s word died in her throat.

Ebony stayed silent.

Rem chuckled.

“What is it about this is funny?” Ebony finally snapped. “My husband got drawn and quartered. I have to raise one daughter while running for my life. I had to teach her how to stand up for herself when everyone called her a demon spawn in a land that fears her kind. What is so funny about that?”

“Does a woeful sob-story prove me wrong?” Rem chided. “Emotion base argument is not an argument. Please save the soup and bring the potato.”

The room grew colder.

“The fact is that your economy is a stage-4 cancer patient,” Rem continued. “It will become critical the minute you start a civil war, which you will if you fight for the throne. Now, assuming we won with enough force to defend ourselves against the opportunist, then what next? Are you planning to execute all who sided against you?”

“Yes,” Melody couldn’t see anything wrong with it. “They deserve to die.”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

“Just like they execute your father,” Rem smiled and clapped mockingly. “The cycle continues! The leader we hate and fear everyone! The all-powerful debtor ruling over the empty nation of ashes and fears. Do you ask yourself what would happen when Enma didn’t like your policy? A prospering country can’t run on an empty bank account, you know? Oh yeah, don’t forget to kill those innocent babies and children too. Those innocent kiddos are all potential time bombs, don’t you think so?”

“I need to clean a slate,” Melody angrily yelled back.

“Wow, I don’t realize that saving the country means killing the innocent,” Rem replied. “Well, now they have a perfectly good reason to call you a monster. For all your protest, their prejudice and discrimination is sadly valid.”

Ebony tried to say something, but she couldn’t.

“All those sacrifices and nothing turn better,” Rem shook his head. “Sure, they will respect your strength, but they will never trust you. You will only resume the perpetual cycle. Still, after that terrible civil war, I don’t think you will have to worry about geopolitics. Emigration would be your major concern. Seriously, who would blame them from running away from the Bloody Melody?”

Clash!

A chair smashed to the ground.

Melody looked at Rem, her fist clench.

“Let take this outside, coward.”