"Is that Gratlan?" Aider asked, his eyes widened as he stared at the floating island in the distance.
"Yes, that island is actually bigger than you could have imagined. Millions of people could live leisurely because they can harvest the most delicious fruit, vegetables, and at because of the climate and the soil that had been modified to their perfection," Carrion answered, his arms crossed and expression stiffened. "To think that place will soon be out of reach by anyone, it’s a bit disturbing," he muttered.
It was as Aurelia and the others had agreed upon that Gratlan would be the place where all the candidates for the future High Regent lived. All of them would be nurtured, taught, and even experienced first-hand about the world they would soon contribute to.
"It’s not just cattle that they raised to be butchered. Soon children would be raised to be sacrificed for humanity..." Erlina rested her chin on her palm, staring at Gratlan with a distant gaze.
"We are raising cattle, removing their freedom, believing they live a peaceful and joyous life until we butcher them for their at. It’s similar to those candidates, but they don’t an to harm the candidates at all. I believe it’s not the worst thing that can happen to a human. After all, all nobles raised their children similarly, right?" Daryus asked as he looked at everyone, knowing they all understood it as much as he was.
"That kind of logic makes it hard for to argue, Doctor," Erlina chuckled softly as she looked at Daryus. "I’m not condemning their thod to be wrong, it’s just a bit pitiful to imagine those candidates’ lives," she sighed, tapping her cheek with her index finger.
"I think you should pity those children who are crawling on the street begging for re crumbs of bread," Aider giggled manically. "Your pity doesn’t make you sound any wiser," he laughed as he looked at Erlina with his jester makeup.
"Hmm, guilty as charged. I don’t actually care much about all this," Erlina chuckled as she looked at Aider, still couldn’t believe Rasmus had brought in a mad man.
Although Aider said those words, he didn’t have a slight empathy toward the cruelty of the world. On the other hand, Daryus who found the system to be working fine was actually the ones who felt pity toward those candidates.
"Well, we’ll see if it works or not. It’s not like any of us care much about it. As long as they want what’s best for humanity, who are we to judge?" Carrion yawned as he leaned back, trying to enjoy the journey to West Neva in the blimp that would take them at least a week.
Serena, Aris, Rullein, and Yur were playing cards, sothing they learned from the soldiers. They were playing a liar card ga where they lied about the quantity of the cards with the sa numbers.
"Liar..." Aris said as she stared at Rullein.
Rullein gritted her teeth and suddenly exploded, throwing the cards in the air. She looked frustrated and it was enough to say that she was indeed lying.
"I hate this ga! And you’re not playing it right either, Aris! You’re playing this ga without even lying once! How did you always have the cards that were needed anyway!" Rullein raised her voice as she pointed at Aris, frustrated by Aris’s honesty.
"But you always lied, and I just know when you’re lying," Aris said with a flat expression as she stared at Rullein. "You’re just really bad at this ga," she added.
Serena laughed because Rullein was mad at Aris even thought Serena was the one who always won the ga. Yur on the other hand, scared that Rullein and Aris might fight that would endanger everyone in the blimp. Although amidst the argunt, nobody was worried because it wasn’t the first ti those two had argued for sothing trivial like this.
Javi and the Blackhands were on the lower deck, checking the continent of West Neva. They were sharing and discussing information about what they needed to do as soon as they landed. Rasmus didn’t tell them what to do, but they were trying their best to provide valuable information for him.
"So of us must have arrived at the port by now, and we will gather at this small village here," Erdinand said as he pointed at the map. "They have a week to gather information about the current situation in West Neva. That’s more than enough," he added as he looked at Javi’s calm expression.
"Count Blackheart is going to stay in the Brithia Kingdom, one of the mbers of Council Neva. Since the Council is currently losing its value, power, and authority, we need to gather information about them ever since a third of Council mbers resigned from the position," Javi said with a stoic expression, staring at the Brithia Kingdom’s territory. "They’re quite close from the Efiva Mountain as well, so find out how bad the situation there," he added.
All the Blackhands nodded with understanding without questioning his decision.
Ever since Javi took the leadership position of the Blackhands, there was no conflict or dissatisfaction with Rasmus’ decision to choose him. Javi also taught them the art of assassination, infiltration, and gathering information like how the Sand Tower taught him. Ever since then, all of the Blackhands beca skilled assassins and slowly they could master all kinds of weapons, especially martial arts from East Neva.
"For now, let’s rest because as soon as we landed, we are going to work tirelessly," Javi said as he looked at everyone around him, a big group of people wearing an all-black robe that hid the weapons beneath it.
All the Blackhands were dismissed and went to their own spots to sharpen their weapons or ward up their bodies by doing light training. Javi never had underlings and always worked on his own no matter how hard the missions were. He believed it was troubleso to have underlings, but after he got to know the Blackhands, he realized that they were called an elite unit that only a handful of people knew about their existence for a reason, and thought that he could work really well with them.
Rasmus was in a private room, alone with Videl who was enjoying the glass of wine. There was nothing but tension between the two ever since that day when Videl brought Rasmus to hell and tortured him endlessly.
"Letting them go, letting them summon those archangels..." Videl muttered with his brows raised. "I’m against it, but knowing that Satan is powerful and the fact there’s a chance that Lucifer is by her side, we don’t have much choice," he swirled his wine glass, staring at the wine sloshing.
"You’re against it for what reason?" Rasmus asked, glancing at Videl who enjoyed his sixth bottle of wine.
"For what reason? You have no idea how dangerous it is to bring even a re angel to the world of the living," Videl scoffed and emptied his wine glass. "Even an angel can cause the masses to lose their reasoning and follow every word the angel said. They’re carrying the light that God bestowed upon them, the light that could turn any creatures like moth to a fla," he explained as he poured his wine glass full again.
"And what about archangels?" Rasmus asked. He had zero knowledge of the hierarchy of angels.
"Well, to understand the archangels, you need to understand what Lucifer and his brethren did first. Why they were banished and eliminated by God’s will, sothing that had never happened before. That event was one and only event where God chose to get rid of His own creations," Videl answered, staring out the window with a distant gaze filled with so many mories of that ti.
"We have all the ti to talk about it," Rasmus said, staring into Videl’s eyes.
"I know, but I need to rember it thoroughly first because that event was overwhelming even for that I tried to forget it," Videl answered with a serious expression. "Even Satan at that mont had to look away," he scoffed and smirked.
Rasmus furrowed his brows slightly, curious and a bit unsettled when Videl said that even Satan had to look away. Two of the Sovereigns had the sa reaction, aning that God had done sothing that terrified both of them.
(At the sa ti inside a cave)
A muscular and bearded man walked the long tunnel toward the bright light with a staff and an axe in his hands. He yawned loudly when he walked out of the cave, staring at the distance before a wyvern landed above the cave and folded its wings.
"You’re finally awake, you cave man," Marina said, her arms crossed and looking a bit annoyed because she was waiting for hours.
"Your words always harsh to your husband. Just because I look like a giant, I have a soft heart," the bearded man said as he laughed and scratched his hairy chest.
"If you want to be nice, then you should act like a husband, not like a cave man. Living in the wild and doesn’t even rember your wife at all," Marina sighed as she shook her head. "But that’s not the case. Her Highness is summoning you," she said with a stern expression.
The bearded man humd, his expression showed disinterest.
"Let’s go," the bearded man said as he walked past Marina.
"You’re not seriously wearing those ragged clothing to et Her Highness?" Marina arched her brows, disappointed by her husband.
"I’m Doloran the Beastmaster, how else I’m going to wear? A fancy attire and a hat?" Doloran asked as he laughed. "Let’s ride my friend here. It’s faster that way," he said as he turned around and looked at the wyvern. "Co boy, let’s take a walk," he grinned as he stared at the wyvern.
The wyvern roared, and then suddenly more wyverns appeared from behind the mountain, flying around and following the wyvern’s command.
"It’s been a while since we ride a wyvern together," Doloran smirked as his hand reached to Marina.
Marina sighed as she rolled her eyes before she took Doloran’s massive hand and let him guide her.
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