Soon, they reached the docks at Sephyrine while everyone was still asleep.
Which was a relief for Cermin as the people would have panicked seeing three people come out of nowhere riding giant demon dogs.
They settled down, scouting the surroundings. Sephyrine had suffered the worst among all the kingdoms, as the damage had begun there. At the very center, the Academy.
Once a pillar for innovation and sophistication, it became a ruined and desolate wasteland.
They can't even tell if people still lived inside the dilapidated and broken houses. Even the Zafeiri family house's condition would be very appealing compared to what happened to some of them.
But soon enough, people did appear by morning. But they all looked gloomy, and the stirrings of chaos were in the air.
They passed by children being chased by a baker for stealing a loaf of bread, who eventually broke down and cried, saying that it's the only food he had left to feed his family for that day.
There were once Noble people selling their belongings, only to be blocked out and required to barter with actual goods. For what use were gold and pearls when you have nothing to eat?
Everyone was suffering, no matter the gender, status, or morality.
Cermin felt queasy seeing all this suffering around him. Every so often, he would falter and linger at watching someone begging on the street or nearly dying from starvation.
Ronin pulled on his arm. "We can't waste time and help every single person we see, Your Highness. It will only be temporary anyway as long as the Rift is still open."
"It's better if we find the weapon and defeat the Lord of Darkness as soon as possible. Then that could quickly improve things."
Cermin nodded as it makes sense. Still, the frown never left his face.
They thought of where to stay, and Ronin decided for the group to drop by the Academy first. After all, it was free shelter as everyone had left it behind, and there were many books to help aid their search.
As soon as they reached the Academy, however—
ZOOOOOOMMMMM!!!
A weapon came and flashed by, almost decapitating Cermin's head off. If not for Ronin reacting quickly and pulling him away, the golden prince would have really lost his head.
The weapon that passed by was a rapier.
"Welcome back, My Lord. Warmest greetings." Volken tilted his head to the side, wearing a wide smile.
They knew already about Ronin's 'possession' claim to Cermin, so it was alright for them to call him that out loud.
Beside her was Rabuka, Pavone, and...
Maellan.
"Ronin..." His eyes brightened.
He can hear him think and worry:
(Where is Zeuxis? I thought he was travelling with him, from what we could last gather after we lost connection with Espinella.)
Maellan probably does not know that the person who caused that lost of connection was just beside him, acting like a loyal lap dog.
Cermin went over to block him protectively. "My friend is not your lord, your Daemons!"
He went to attack them with the Sword of Solaire, activating all of his skills at once as he did with Zeuxis...
"Sleep."
Ronin spread his arms to catch him, and took the sword. He aimed it at the Daemons.
"You have traitors among you, Maellan." Ronin said. "Did you see that saber past by just now?"
"That was just standard security protocol. This is our current base after all." Volken said. "And I was aiming for that prince and that little child with you."
Kai made no reaction to this, not showing any fear. Or any emotion, for that matter.
He had become colder after learning about his past and accepting his desire for revenge. He merely stared at the Daemons with a neutral expression.
Volken looked amused. "Huh. That child does not seem human at all. Is it one of us?"
"I cannot allow you to hurt these two. Not when I still need them." Ronin said. "I want some place to stay for the night and rest."
Maellan bowed his head. "Of course. But….. has Zeuxis not reached you after all? I heard from Espinella—"
"We'll talk later in private, Brother." Ronin told him, eyeing the others. "I don't quite trust your company."
Maellan smiled and reassure him. "They have done well under your service. We have successfully taken control of the Celestus Realm's fear thanks to them."
Suddenly, a bump appeared on Maellan's cheek, and grew into a face.
"Is that you now, Young Master Ronin? You have grown so much!" The face spoke.
Kai was a bit surprised, but Ronin was not. He simply smiled back and greeted the face. "It really has been a while, Cholie."
"I remember when you were a wee babe and was a small as a kitten, not wanting to drink milk from your mother's breast—"
"Now, now, Cholie. Don't embarrass our King in front of his subjects." Maellan chuckled.
"Alright, alright. I'll just let you big men talk and talk while I just stay here and listen." She grumbled, and went back inside Maellan's skin.
"Please come inside. We refurnished some of this area to be more comfortable for our members and cohorts." Maellan said, as two normal human guards open the door for them.
They looked like high-ranking Sephyrine Palace guards. In order to survive, they have to serve these Daemons now.
Ronin dragged Cermin inside, and Kai followed. The others tailed them closely, looking at them with much malice.
Especially Pavone, who's revealed stomach showed permanent damage on his Obsidian core. The Obsidian had cracks and was chipped, thus lowering his power.
Still, his Erasure skill was still around, or else the Nobles and others with a stronger Mage Focus in Sephyrine would have been able to fight back.
That was part of the reason why Sephyrine was worse. There were no heroes to save them, not when Pavone was nearby and deprived them of their powers.
Maellan had led them to a guest dormitory room, much more luxurious than those for the students and meant for the most important people staying at the Academy.
The Council.
They're all dead. Even Head Councillor Verita.
Ronin did wonder if a certain old man stayed alive, one amnesiac Headmaster Yeshua...
But seeing the state of the place, it seemed that it was really just put apart and the remains were just embellished as best as they could.
The old man may not have survived and did alone in that house, or maybe not.
Ronin planned to check on him later, after he hide away Cermin and talk to Maellan.
"Are you hungry, Ronin?" Maellan asked sweetly. "There's some tea and marmalade that we can procure for you."
"Let's have tea, then." Ronin said. "By ourselves. Just two brothers catching up."
Maellan nodded and turned to the Triumvirate. The three most powerful Daemons that spread fear and torment to the realm.
"May you please allow me to converse with my brother alone?"
Volken was already out of there, focused on flicking his saber to any unlucky passerby near the Academy. "Enjoy your tea. Come, Rabuka."
Rabuka tugged as well at Pavone. "Come on, Pavone."
Pavone knew that the moment he leaves, Ronin will tell Maellan about the planned attack and how he lied about Sordido's death.
But there really was no choice, as blood was thicker than water. He'll just have to find a way to reason with Maellan later.
Maellan and Ronin went to have some tea again, after so many years. They went to the wide veranda of the room and sat on the table, with human servants handing out their marmalade and tea.
"So what was all this traitor business all about?" Maellan asked, sipping his tea like a true gentleman even as a Daemon.
"It's better if you see it yourself." Ronin wrote some runes on his whip.
The reason why he was able to show Hyacinth's 'Neverland' was actually through God Musae's powers. Lovushka's amber goo appeared...
And transported him and Maellan inside, where they can have tea to watch what had happened.
It showed the night when Pavone and Sordido had ambushed Ronin and Zeuxis in the Kingdom of Azurra, at the Duchy of Calegana.
Two pairs of brothers fighting. It was a long and grueling affair, but Maellan kept his eyes on it without saying anything. Only furrowing brows.
When it was over, he merely sighed.
"I am not naive, even when people believe I am." He told Ronin as he drank more tea.
"I have always been aware of Pavone's hatred for you, but I thought if I coax the boy enough, he would see your greatness."
Ronin nodded. "You'll never change his mind, Brother. It's better if you stop him before he starts a coup."
Maellan did not speak and looks troubled for a while.
He said. "Our revolution was already challenging enough without in-fighting. I was even lucky to manage to get Zeuxis on your side. "
"Where is he, Ronin?"
Ronin showed actual genuine emotion for the first time at this...
And with a heavy breath, showed Zeuxis in his dying moments.
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