“Now, a little surprise from our sponsor!” Miss Cosmica said, pointing to her left, where something was being hidden under a curtain. “We’re going to make a raffle, for those guilds that got from fifth to tenth place! That this prize can motivate you all to keep training!”

The curtains fell, revealing a magnificent Flying Mount, engulfed in bright fire, making Joana choke on her drink after seeing it.

“Are you okay, miss?” Troy said, holding her by the shoulders.

“What’s wrong with you?” Kathleen whispered. “Don’t embarrass me, you heard?”

“I-I’m o-okay. Thanks, Sir.” Joana gulped her drink and stared in shock at the phoenix in the room's corner. “Excuse me, Sir. Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything, miss Joana.”

“Where did you get that mount?”

“Do you fancy it? It’s unique, isn’t it? Astrid Bradford sold it to me,” he said, rubbing his chin. “It’s the least I could do after cutting ties with her guild. That gold won’t solve all of her problems, but at least she promised to don’t hold a grudge against me. Since I needed something for the raffle anyway, I said, why not? Business is business.”

“I see…” Joana muttered, glancing at her boss, who was unaware of the mount’s history.

“I said that I can’t hear you!” Emily was saying aloud to her sister through video chat.

“I said, they’re destroying my town!!” Clara cried while pointing her drone camera at what was happening around her.

Emily snickered. “What town? The one you auto-proclaimed to be its mayor?”

“I am the mayor!”

“And the winner is... Crusaders United!” Miss Cosmica’s voice was heard through the speakers.

Calvin rose and adjusted his suit before taking a step. “See? I still got it,” he said, getting Emily’s attention.

“No! None of that!” Emily cried, jumping out of her seat to tackle him, leaving him on the ground. “You’re not even a fan of her, jackass!”

“What lovely camaraderie,” Miss Cosmica commented while Emily ran to the podium, getting a chuckle out of everyone. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“I’m Emily Dominguez! Crusaders United’s Guild Master!”

“Co-leader!” Calvin could be heard shouting from his place. “We’re both the leaders!”

“Well, Emily,” Miss Cosmica continued, instructing an NPC to get close. “Your guild is now the owner of ‘The Emperor’s Messenger’, a legendary grade Flying Mount!”

“And the first step to conquer this world,” Emily said while receiving the Summoning Gem from the NPC. “Oh, Miss Cosmica, I could kiss you right now…”

“Okay,” the idol shrugged, and gave him a quick smooch in the lips, leaving Emily and the crowd speechless.

“You got it, Emily!” Carol cried, and the rest clapped and cheered for her.

“Did you kiss Miss Cosmica!” Clara cried from her video chat, still active. “I hope someone took a photo, so I can pretend it’s me!”

“Who’s that?” Miss Cosmica asked, leaning to Emily.

“Oh, this is just my annoying twin sister, alleging someone is destroying her town. It’s the Beginner’s Town, so who cares?”

“I care,” Miss Cosmica said, frowning. “Everyone in the Aerola region started there. It’s a place full of positive memories.”

“Well said, queen!” Clara cried from the video chat.

“B-but of course!” Emily corrected her posture. “Who could target such an innocent town, right? I’ll enlarge the video, so we can... If I can even manage to….”

“Do you need assistance?” the nearby NPC asked.

While everyone was sharing whispers, Miss Cosmica stepped aside and turned off the microphone to exhale.

“The way you treat your fans is so endearing,” Kathleen said to her while handing her a cup.

“You think?” the idol asked, staring at her drink.

“But of course,” Kathleen said, blushing. “I wish I could also…”

“Come on, sis,” Emily said to Clara. “I got you an audience, so don’t mess it up.”

The NPC projected a double-faced video in front of the podium, and Clara’s voice could be heard through the place’s speakers. “You did? Thanks, sis, I love you!” Clara cleared her throat before staring at the camera. "Viewer discretion is advised," she said in a deep tone of voice, grabbed the camera, and captured the dozens of buildings buried in a sea of darkness. "This is what happens when a High-Leveler thinks she can do whatever she wants. And this is only half of the story. Remember the Renovatio Caves? From where everyone respawned for the first time?" Clara focused in the distance and zoomed the camera to show Caeruleum Mountain, from where fire and explosions could be seen.

“This is horrible,” Miss Cosmica muttered through the microphone before Emily snatched it from her hands.

“Oh, what a tragedy! If there could only be a valiant guild that could help you beat those bad guys! Do you need the Crusaders United’s help?!”

Clara stared into the camera, with a concerned expression on her face, before grinning ear to ear. “There’s no need for that, for Unus Town has its own local hero. The Phantom Seekers!” The camera focused on a young man’s back, sitting on the ground, while a girl of platinum hair crouched in front of him. “See?! Their valorous Guild Master is right now accepting the enemy’s surrender terms! Oh, what’s this?!” A second later, the ghost-looking girl rose, while the aforementioned leader seemed to sink to the ground. “Oh, no! Could this be the end of Alan Warden?!”

While watching the video feed, Miss Cosmica gulped her drink in one go. “Another,” she ordered to an NPC, who swiftly brought her another cup.

“Someone’s thirsty,” Kathleen said to her, half-smiling.

The scene was followed by a burst of blue fire impacting the enemy and helping the young man escape. “Reinforcements have arrived, everyone! The gorgeous, the fearless Amelia Laflamme!”

“So... If those poor souls in Unus Town need help, I could send my men right away and get rid of the issue in a heartbeat,” Kathleen whispered. “What do you say?”

“Yes,” Miss Cosmica said absently, while not taking her eyes off the stream. “It’s clear that the Administrator of Conduct has not interfered yet, and it's wrong to only depend on them to solve every Novus’ issue. If we see an injustice or abuse of power and do nothing, then we’re no different from the offenders.”

Kathleen stared at her, captivated. “Such wise words, friend.”

“Y-yeah…” the idol said, taking a sip.

“My ‘Spectacle Senses’ are tingling!” Clara cried from the streaming and ordered her drone camera to get closer, at the exact moment Amelia approached her Guild Master to kiss him on the lips.

A synchronized sound was heard from two different places in the ballroom. Miss Cosmica had spat out her drink all over Kathleen’s face, and one of her bodyguards had done the same, all over Sir Troy’s suit.

Joana gasped from her seat and rushed to clean her boss with a napkin. “Let’s go change, Guild Master.”

“O-okay…” Kathleen muttered, in a state of shock, letting her protegé lead the way.

“I don’t know what I would have done if I'd come late,” Amelia’s voice was heard through the stream. “Maybe burn the entire Novus until finding you.”

“Amelia… You…”

“What is it? Are you hurt? If that’s the case, I’ll make this bitch pay too.”

“You took my first kiss!”

Alan’s reaction made the spectators chuckle.

“End the stream,” Miss Cosmica ordered to Emily, who frowned.

“S-sure.”

The idol exhaled, snatched the microphone out of Emily’s hands, and stepped forward. “Guys?” she said in a soft voice. “What are we doing here, mesmerized by such a show?! We should go help them!”

“Yeah!”

“Emily, share with us your sister’s streaming code so we can track the battle’s progress while we get there.”

“Right away, commander!”

“If you don’t hurry up, I’ll leave you behind, turtles!” the idol said joyfully before dropping the mic, causing a strenuous sound.

The majority of the guilds stormed the exit, while the rest remained in their seats. “The ceremony is over, right?” a bulky man said to his guild, folding his arms. “We don’t have to go.”

“Pussy!” Emily Dominguez cried to him while passing him by.

“What did you say, ‘Last Place’?”

“Let’s go, guys!” Emily said to her guild while devouring the rest of her dinner. “It’s a personal request by Miss Cosmica, we have to go!”

“Not so fast, Emily,” Calvin said, raising his chin. “Give me the mount.”

“No way! It’s the perfect opportunity to use it!”

“After the humiliation you made me go through in front of everyone, considering we’re going to help your annoying sister, and accounting for the little extra gift you received from the pop star, the least you can do is give me that mount.”

“Give it to him, Em,” Carol agreed, making Emily bite her lower lip.

“Fine, I don’t like it anyway, jackass!”

Miss Cosmica stomped out of the ballroom, making her high heels echo strenuously on the hallway. Her two companions rushed to her side.

“Are you okay, boss?” the dark-haired girl said, giggling. “You look concerned.”

“I’m fine,” the pop star said while forming fists. “Nebuline?”

“Yes, boss?” the blonde companion replied.

Miss Cosmica turned to her, showing a glare in her lit eyes. “Investigate what’s happening. Now.”

“That fucking bitch,” Kathleen muttered while watching the celebrity take off. “I bet she did it on purpose.”

“I-I don’t think that’s the case, Guild Master.” Joana tried to calm her by holding her by the shoulders, but Kathleen was already channeling something. Snowflakes could be seen hovering around them. “Don’t do it, Kat.”

“I wonder how much gold she’s holding right now. It would be a waste if she suddenly loses a fortune! Major Ice Crafting!” Kathleen stomped, and the floor in front of her frozen, before spikes of ice sprouted, traveling in a straight trajectory. “Winterknight!”

“Celestine?” Miss Cosmica called, and her dark-haired companion stepped forward, reaching out a hand.

When the ice spell finally reached its destination, Kathleen grinned wickedly, imagining their bodies impaled. But the ice melted at rapid speed like if something was absorbing the mana it was made of.

“What the…?”

I knew it, Joana thought, exhaling. Those are not regular dancers. They must be Max-Levelers.

When the last remaining snowflake melted away, the bodyguard chuckled childishly, waving at Kathleen. “That spell of yours is quite dangerous. But it was just a prank, right? You should be careful next time. You would have gotten in trouble if you hurt Novus’ brightest star.”

“What did you say?! Do you think I’m afraid of some--!” Kathleen did not finish her sentence, after meeting Miss Cosmica’s gaze in the distance. Those eyes were of someone who was not afraid of getting her hands dirty. Kathleen pursed her lips before falling on her knees, frustrated. “I won’t buy your singles ever again, did you hear me?! I’ll follow Pink Gold Unicorn from now on, you bitch!”

“But Kathleen…” Joana muttered. “She’s not as good.”

“Shut up!”