Three years ago, Yuuichi made two promises. The first was to return to Bukijima when he has “done what needs to be done”, whatever that means. The second promise was when he arrived at the palace.

The funeral pyres had died down, and so did the crowds at the palace. The Council of Children were then left with the upkeep of a country, in the stead of their fallen parents.

“Morimoto!” The voice that called out was laced with pain and anger. The young Thaumaturgist turned his head towards the source of the sound, only for a fist to meet his face, sending him backwards. His head spun, and the taste of blood filled his mouth.

“Where was your father?” The boy who punched him asked, his eyes were seething in rage. Lord Ooyama was a mountain of a young man, even at fifteen. Adding to his bulk was the fact that his Awakening gave him exceptional strength and speed.

Yuuichi kept silent. He knew that his explanations for his father’s absence will fall on deaf ears. There were people who mistrusted sages - oddest amongst magicians. And Shin Rikoku is a hotbed for such people. In clinging to the Old Ways, they insist that while the magic of Sorcerers and Angyo Onshi and every flavor in between were a necessary evil; the Thaumaturgists in their warm coats conspired to end the world.

“Well? Was he too busy selling out to the Order of Kuusai?” Ooyama demanded. “Was he too busy getting our parents killed?”

The burly man was met with more silence, which inflamed his rage.

“Answer, you piece of shit!” He punched Yuuichi again, this time in the gut. The Thaumaturgist fell to the floor.

The commotion attracted the attention of the other nobility. Soon, there was a crowd around the pained magician, the lordlings jeering at him, calling him names, kicking him. Lord Morimoto’s white coat was soiled by dirt, mud, and blood. Soon the attacks included all manner of fire, ice, stone, and steel. Yuuichi curled up in a ball, not even allowed the breathing room to cast a spell to protect himself. He was a bastard, a traitor. If not for the disgraced Morimoto family, the Incident would not have happened. The Kingdom would not be in their hands.

“Die, bastard!” They cried.

Their parents would all be alive. This was their fault. They owed reparations… with their very lives!

A loud bang erupted from behind the crowd of attackers, and a gigantic white fox appeared in between them and Lord Morimoto, fending off the attacking lords with a snarl.

Ooyama reeled, behind him, a short, bespectacled girl was holding up a bamboo tube. Flanking her was a Sorceress, a Wardsmith, and a Priest.

“Stay out of this, Aoboshi! His family killed your family. All our families! Don’t you want revenge?”

“If it was somehow proven that The Morimoto Family betrayed us, it still is improper to mete out justice like this. It is against the rules,” the girl called Aoboshi replied, adjusting her glasses up her nose.

Ooyama cursed, and in a flash, he was right in front of the small lady, fist raised. As he was about to slam and hit her, however, his hand met a barrier, and cold steel was at his throat. Fujimori Miri was aiming a knife at his jugular, and Morita Kazuma was weaving wards around him.

He cursed. Half of the Eastern Keep was against him, and he couldn’t possibly pummel all five of them at once. He froze in place, in fear of Lady Fujimori’s glare more than her knife.

The priest, Lord Kazami Rai, moved among the stunned crowd, who parted in fear for what retribution he would bring. He brought none, and instead offered a hand to help up Lord Morimoto, who was still writhing in pain.

“The King shall hear about this,” Lady Aoboshi cooly said, bowing before leaving with her companions, with the beleaguered Yuuichi in tow. The King, it turned out, did hear about this, and chose to do nothing; saying something along the lines of “Under all current Oaths, a nobility sheltered in this palace cannot kill a fellow noble. Maiming, however, is permissible.”

Back at the Eastern Keep, Miri tended to Yuuichi’s wounds.

“We won’t ever let them push you around.” Miri told him as she wove healing magic around him. “From now on, you’re our family, and we are yours.”

From that point on, Yuuichi’s breath would hitch whenever all the Lords were present. Such as was the case now.

-

Skysteel tower, the largest building in the city of Reinaguchi, is the seat of the Council of Forty, the council that oversees the whole of Shin Rikoku. The heads of thirty-four of the noble families, as well as four other nobility who serve as co-heads of certain families, are seated in a semicircle facing the imposing throne of the King of Shin Rikoku. On the throne’s foot is seated the Prime Minister, second only to the king in terms of authority over the land. And since The Incident, that chair has been held by a boy no older than seventeen.

Ishikawa Hideyoshi, Lord of Aoda, High Priest to the Earth God, and Prime Minister of Shin Rikoku, is tall and pale: hallmarks of his mountainous ancestry mixed with the intense study associated with his upbringing. His eyes are like that of a hawk’s – intense, ever observant, never missing anything. In his field of vision, Lord Morimoto Yuuichi was eating a hastily put together meal at the Skysteel hall, which irritated him – the hall was meant for meetings of great importance, not breakfast. Next to Lord Morimoto was Lady Fujimori, who was wrapping a red sash around Lord Morimoto’s arm while iridescent pieces of healing spellcraft shimmered in the air around them.

“She-whose-eyes-watch-us”, he silently prayed to his god, “Why must I endure this?”

The whole hall was filled with the din of intense conversation, the nobility abuzz by the recent happenings within the palace. Hideyoshi clenched the staff in his hand: a brass rod almost as tall as he, topped with four bells attached through a loop. He channelled a smidgen of his qi – life force - into the staff, and slammed it into the floor, causing the ground to shake and the bells to ring violently, jolting everyone into attention.

“The Council is convened to discuss the intrusion this morning of an Order of Kuusai agent, the attempted abduction of Lady Watanabe Yuriko, and…” He hesitated, as if making sure the King’s instructions were clear. “…The appointment of Lord Morimoto Yuuichi as Royal Thaumaturgist," Hideyoshi proclaimed. The last sentence uttered in the quickest manner that was intelligible; as if it physically pained him to say it.

The nobility began to murmur again.

“So, it’s true that the Order has returned?”

“Must be a hoax, the Godtamer got rid of them!”

“Lord Morimoto? But his house is disgraced!”

“His mother is a criminal, and his father is a traitor!”

“That bastard? A royal office? What insolence is this?”

“Thaumaturgy is an evil! We cannot allow this!”

The King silenced the crowd with a wave of his hand. “Just this morning, my sister was the victim of an abduction attempt by a man who is allegedly from the Order of Kuusai. In light of these events, I find it prudent that my sister’s safety, and by extension, the safety of the Kingdom be placed in capable hands," He gestured towards the Eastern Keep table, insinuating that said capable hands were Lord Morimoto’s.

Lord Ishikawa glanced at the young thaumaturgist. It looked as if his heart had sunk. The Prime Minister stifled a chuckle. While he thought that the king’s insinuation was perplexing, he could see the gathering outcome as Lord Morimoto squirmed in his seat. Lord Morimoto was certain to decline, further disgracing his house.

A hand was raised, belonging to Lady Tanaka - a pasty, square-faced young woman with a more-conspicuous-than-she-would-like mole on her chin. Hideyoshi acknowledged her, and she began to speak. “Your highness, with all due respect, are we even sure that this is the work of the Order of Kuusai? Or would it be more plausible that this is an elaborate plot by the Eastern Keep to secure a spot for Lord Morimoto in the royal employ?”

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” Lady Fujimori went absolutely livid, screaming from across the hall. Lord

“Lady Tanaka, I would like to point out that forcing myself to vomit in front of His Majesty would be far too much for me to do for Lord Morimoto. I’m pretty sure Lady Fujimori could do that, but not me.”

That last comment did not go unnoticed by Miri.

“Besides, I personally don’t want him to be in any sort of danger as a proxy for any of us. Even if the threat was imagined, there’s no way we could reliably keep up the ruse, is there?”

“That doesn’t erase suspicion from you,” said Lord Rokuhara, a somewhat rotund lordling from the South Keep. “For all we know, there might be moles in this very council intent on selling the rest of us to the Order of Kuusai.”

This statement earned a roar of approval from a lot of the other nobility. Certainly, there could be a few who found the conditions set upon the nobility to be quite restrictive, and found treason an acceptable means of breaking through certain compromises. The Prime Minister banged his staff on the floor once more, shouting for the council to calm down. It was met with little avail.

A ghostly white hand raised into the air, and stayed there until everyone had acknowledged it. It was not every day when the very reserved Lady Katagiri Hanayo spoke. But as the Royal Angyo Onshi - a form of magician specializing in investigations - her office cannot be belittled, and her insight cannot be ignored. “Lady Fujimori and Lord Morita are not lying," Her voice was weak, almost whisper-like. The tables of the South and East Keeps had to strain to hear her.

“Furthermore, there is no mole in the council. That I can tell. The only valid conclusion is that we truly are facing a crisis from the Order of Kuusai," Lady Katagiri was gifted among Angyo Onshi, through the relative ease with which she could discern truth from lies, and uncovered any mystery with little effort. She was, however, a reserved and quiet wallflower, who often spoke in whispers. Not someone who would be effective leading a police force.

“So that would mean Lord Morita did a disappointing job on our protective ward," Lady Hibana interjected. “That means that the Order of Kuusai has broken through yet another barrier from the Morita family." Hibana Sakurako is High Priestess to He-whose-fire-enlivens-us, thus commanding much respect from the Council. Furthermore, it meant she knew a thing or two about wardsmithing, as some of the most powerful wards borrowed power from the gods.

“You may not be a shill to Lord Morimoto, or a mole to the Order of Kuusai, but you have put us all in jeopardy," She said, glaring at the direction of the Eastern Keep’s seats.

“All wards break, eventually. Not unless you invoke the powers of the gods, and the last time that happened, we had the Godtamer with us,” said a man seated next to Kazuma. “And no offense to her, and to her memory, but we didn’t exactly have an unbreakable one even with her around." Kazami Rai is a bespectacled young man who inherited the title of High Priest to the God of Wind. He often got into Lady Hibana’s nerves, as much as Lord Morimoto did.

“Besides, it’s not as if the priests in this room, myself included, can do a better job than Lord Morita. If the Order broke through three years ago, they can break through today.”

Lady Hibana simmered in her seat, her skin visibly emitting steam.

The arguments heated up, various lords were arguing again, with accusations of incompetence being thrown into the Eastern Keep, with Lord Morita in the fray of it all. Just about when things started to go out of control, the room suddenly went dark, as if dark clouds covered the morning sun. But the council knew it was something else. It meant that the King had started to become displeased, channeling his terrifying Awakening to still the crowd. Tongues of Blue Flame were floating around him, becoming the only source of light in the gathering darkness. The room grew silent yet again.

-

The King resumed his imperious tone. “I did not call this council to advise me. I have made up my mind, and the only thing that can stop me from enacting my will is the rites of office. Do I make myself clear?”

“Morimoto Yuuichi, Lord of Bukijima," Akira said, his voice without any hint of sarcasm or humor. “In light of recent events, I, Watanabe Akira, son of the Great King and the Godtamer, Lord of Reinaguchi, and King of Shin Rikoku, hereby bestow upon you the title of Royal Thaumaturgist. Your primary duty - at least for the time being - will be protection of my sister, Princess Watanabe Yuriko, as well as whatever duty deemed necessary by Royal Thaumaturgists before you. Do you accept this task?”

Yuuichi stood up, looking at the King, fear evident in his eyes. He hesitated, closing his eyes and meditating on the decision that lay ahead. Deep down, he wanted to reject this offer. He was already perfectly content completing the forty, even as his duty was to simply exist. If he were to accept, that would be an enormous, needless burden set upon him. Why did he have to protect the Princess earlier? Why did he fight back? No, this wasn’t supposed to happen, he thought. Wouldn’t accepting the Royal Office chain him to the Capital, even once he becomes free to come home?

Silence. Yuuichi shook. He barely survived the earlier battle, and he had no confidence that he would survive the next, should it happen. No. He wanted to stay with the way things are and read his books. He wanted to wait until that stupid Oath was lifted. He wanted to go back to his mother. Complete his training. If he chose to comply, he would accomplish none of that. In fact, he might even die… He did not want to die…

Besides, even if laying down his life were the good and noble thing to do, why do it for the same people who have made his life a nightmare for three years now?

Home. With his mother. That’s where he belonged. No. He will not accept this.

He took a deep breath, preparing to decline the offer. But as he was about to open his mouth, he was interrupted. As if oblivious that it was not her turn to speak, Lady Hibana raised her voice in protest. “Your highness, I recognize that this is a significant threat, so why would Lord Morimoto be given a title relevant to the situation? And why task him with the protection of the princess? Why not the Royal Guard?”

Of course! Hope flashed through Yuuichi’s mind. The Royal Guard! How could he have forgotten the very people meant to protect the residents of the palace?

The King looked at the far right of the semicircle. A muscular young man stood up. Lord Hyakuya Mamoru, captain of the Royal Guard, was considered a master combatant and tactician even at a young age. He was one of the few members of the council who was already in line for selection to be heirs of their respective posts even before the Incident.

“Technically, we already do, Lady Hibana” his baritone voice echoed through the hall. “The Royal Guard protects everyone in the palace. However, this situation gives us a problem. The Royal Guard is currently understaffed; understandable given that few people out there are willing to lay down their lives since The Incident.

“To devote resources to protect the princess any more than she is right now would compromise the protection of everyone else. Most especially the King, to whom we are under Oath to protect first and foremost.”

“Naturally, this Oath should extend to the rest of the Royal Family, but the conclave feels that my sister is unimportant, as do the rest of you," The King said. His face was crestfallen, as if he had betrayed his friends. “Of course, that is debatable. Should any of you be unable to fill your roles, the power vacuum could prove disastrous. Remember that some of us have no extended families to call upon… This includes House Watanabe. Having said that, The Conclave is more concerned about my safety than any of yours. After all, most of you are replaceable. I am not.”

This sparked massive outrage amongst the council. The Conclave of Elders and the Oathwriters in their employ had placed severe restrictions on the nobility. This revelation, however, was not completely unexpected.

Lord Hyakuya tried to calm down the crowd. “The Morita barriers are sufficient for most threats; so long as our Wardsmith remains vigilant, we should all be safe within the palace. However, Lady Watanabe does require a retainer."

Yuuichi had sat down. His time in the spotlight had passed, and gave way to the bickering of the nobility again. He halfheartedly wished they’d forget all about him in the commotion.

Home. Home is where he belonged, he reasoned. Not here. If the aristocracy had any problems from an ambiguous enemy, it was the problem of those who belong here.

Something nagged at him, though, chastising him from running away from something he knew was the right thing to do. What would mother say? What would father say?

A life without purpose is no life at all, his father used to say.

Yuuichi was raised to hold in high esteem his opinion if and only if it was logically consistent. And his reasoning did not make any shred of sense. If it was the problem of those who belonged to the Capital, then that would mean that he also had to eschew the safety of Miri, Kazuma, Rai, and all the others who were kind to him. Could his conscience accept that?

But then again, was he capable of protecting his friends? He was, after all, still a novice.

“If I may speak?” Princess Yuriko arose. This silenced the bickering nobles. Her voice lacked gentleness, as if another person was speaking for her.

“The enemy has plans for me. What those are, I do not know. What we do know, from the Incident, is that the Order of Kuusai seeks the destruction of this country. And if I am instrumental to its destruction than I should be ashamed to call myself daughter of the Godtamer. Lord Morimoto could have left me to the hands of the enemy, and save himself. But he used himself as a shield, and delivered me to safety. Surely, even that should be enough.”

Yuuichi felt her gaze at him. It felt as if an old friend was giving him all his trust. A strange feeling, he thought.

“I place my trust in Lord Morimoto. The Godtamer wills it.”

This silenced the Priestess. She looked to her friend, Lady Watanabe, who only smiled at her and mouthed, “don’t worry about me,"

Akira smiled at his sister, feeling the tide of dissent change. “In an effort to quell any more discontent, I will make sure that our security becomes tighter. Lord Morita, please create a new ward around the palace.”

“It should be up by tonight,” Kazuma replied. “I’ll continue to make improvements with frequent updates to the council. You can all hold me responsible.”

Kazuma was stepping up, Yuuichi noted. To add to that, the Princess placed her trust in him. Yuuichi felt ashamed of himself.

“Not until you’ve done what must be done. Promise me.” His mother told him.

“If I may speak, Your Majesty,” came Lord Morimoto’s voice, louder than anyone had heard him speak before. The King and the Prime Minister acknowledged him. “I understand that this is a terrifying position to be in. I am no less afraid than any of you. Say what you want about my parents, but they always taught me that fear comes secondary to what must be done. I’m not in this for anything other than it is now the duty entrusted to me.”

He shut his eyes, clenching his fists, bracing for impact. As if his next action was to kick a hornet’s nest that was sure to kick him back. “I accept.”

The King rose, and bowed to Lord Morimoto. “As I have said it, so too, must it be done.”

The customary reply to such a pronouncement, a threefold repetition of “so too must it be done”, was met with hesitance and skepticism from many of Yuuichi’s detractors, and even some worry on the part of the Eastern Keep members. But Yuuichi paid it no mind. He was going down the rabbit hole. What is done is done; One can make, or unmake. But not undo. There was no turning back.

He turned toward Yuriko. “I’m not a soldier. I cannot be your sword, or your shield. But I will do what must be done. I swear it.”