20 The Singing Sea

"He wanted you to inherit everything he commanded and owned," Leon says, standing in Liean's doorway, "That includes you inheriting his titles."

"That would make me the commander for the Ddjöfull. Leon,"

"Yes?"

"I will put you in command of the Ddjöfull from now on. Rename, whatever. Do whatever you want with it, I don't want it to be my responsibility to continue on with that group."

"Lie-"

"Don't debate Leon, it's my decision and as the new Grand Duke I will not allow you to reject the proposal. You can give the position to someone else if you want but that is your decision to make like mine. I will give the princess my condolences personally and I will look into the immunity protocol that was suggested by the Borealis Principle."

"Don't you want the curse? The curse culls all sort of immunities from the body including poisons so-"

Liean cuts Leon off again, "He was cursed when he was born not after. There have been theories that have been confirmed about the curse. If immunities are added to a person after the curse is implemented in one's blood they become vulnerable to more potent poisons but if immunities are applied before they will be immune and have the curse implemented into their bodies."

The look in Liean's eyes was of immediate understanding of his position. Leon could not fathom how it was possible for such a young man to be able to remain as calm as this when being forced into such an important position from a man he barely knew but it happened nonetheless. The yellow in yellow eyes. He was absorbing everything and placing it to the back of his mind for later, analyzing everything. "Why do you want to see the princess? Didn't you already say your condolences to both the king and princess Liean?"

"She was closest to Faust... it is necessary... I believe." This was the first time Leon had seen him unsure of himself though Leon didn't know him long at all. Leon could determine though that Liean was not someone to be unsure of something but... here it is. "Why do they call it a curse, the Lonmephis Mardin? If it was created by the religious doctrine then why is it a curse?"

"It is because most who take it lose free will, is it not reasonable to believe that it is a curse in that context?"

"Barely..."

"How has been the chemical dosages lately?"

"Using small amounts of it helps. My aging is significantly slower than before but all that means is that I will stay younger than most."

"They normally administer small dosages to royals who are traveling to another solar system, specifically those who are underage, but this is a different situation altogether isn't it?"

"I will be stopping my aging process at eighteen."

"That's when you want full dosages?"

"Yes, make sure to prepare a Mexe suit for me, I will test to see if I could use an Organic Miephal for the upcoming war with the Carrions."

"Why an organic one? Why not mechanize?"

"I've tried one before and though it is made with nanobot technology, it is still lacking in maneuverability, the organic ones are said to be able to do such so I will be using that in the future."

"You say you will like you are certain of it. There is no certainty with a Miephal, especially an organic one at that."

"If I say it is a fact then it will be... I need to start acting as my position after all. I'm not going to be like Faust either, who lays down and takes arrows in his back for the greater good. I give not one shit for the nobles who slander and bellow sweet pleasantries into my ears with word vomit they don't understand themselves. I am the strong and they are the weak and I will tear apart anyone in my way."

"Those nobl-"

"I do not care... they might be important to you but they are a nuisance to me. If they antagonize me, I will act! Don't even dare to tell them either!" Liean points at Leon with a glare in his eyes. "Leon... I will trust you since you were friends with my adoptive father's friend, but I will not stand by idly if you were to mess with me. This has turned into a game of survival so I will not tolerate any shit."

"Right." Leon grinds his teeth, a pained expression on his face. 'This kid's switch... how the hell did it flip so early.' He thinks to himself before leaving.

Liean looks to his Pauldron and calls someone, "Pick me up, I'm planning to be immune."

An "Affirmative!" cracks loudly through the Pauldron. Liean sighs, watching the door.

"Do not put backs to windows nor to doors..." He repeats this to himself, going around his desk and pressing his back against the of his room, waiting for someone to enter. After a few minutes of waiting, a man with pasty grey hair and grey eyes enter, guards standing beside him.

"I have come for the immunities experiment."

"How will the process go?"

"We will be tricking your body into being immune to a select few diseases and poisons. We cannot actually insert them into you for there is no direct cure but we can use simulation methods that trick your genes to be immune to them."

"Right." Liean crosses the room to the old man, "Lead the way."

The old man nods walking through the hallway as the two guards watch their surroundings cautiously.

Liean takes a deep breath and exhales. "Did you know, you should always have your gravity belts on in space?" The guards look at him with confused expressions.

"Yes?"

"Did you also know you should always have a shield generator readied on your belt as well? Along with your threxen blades and priorda morlantes?"

"Priorda morlantes?"

"Injectors..." Liean stops mid-walk, crouching to the floor.

"Why'd you stop?" The doctor asks, turning around to look at Liean.

"Tying my boot" There are no laces on his boots. Liean activates his shield generator and takes out a small threxen blade, slicing through the achilles of both of the guards. They drop to the floor, both of them attempting to stab Liean while they're at it but he has distanced himself significantly. "Guards in this facility are encouraged to have their shield generators on at all times... did you know that?"

The doctor takes out a pistol, Liean charges at him, grabbing him by the legs and slamming him onto the ground, slitting his throat and killing him.

Liean growls, "Of course its a fake!" Liean spins around to look at the guards, both of them attempting to grab the doctor's gun. Liean finishes them both off. Liean looks to his Pauldron, hitting an alert button, the mic of his Pauldron allowing him to connect to the castles speakers. "There are traitors among us! Find them and kill them all! If you do not recognize someone and the scanner cannot do the same, kill them!" Liean disconnects his Pauldron.