Ideals

King Eldran lounged lazily on his throne, his gaze lost in the distance where the setting sun touched the horizon. The warm hues of twilight reminded him of how long he had lived. His reign, unlike that of his illustrious predecessor Nathaniel Heaven, was destined to be shorter and perhaps less glorious. A sigh escaped his lips as he rested a hand against his face, his fingers beginning to glow with a faint, ethereal light.

In moments, his aged body underwent a miraculous transformation. The years seemed to melt away as his muscles regained their former vigour, wrinkles smoothed out, and his once-dull eyes gleamed with renewed determination. Where moments ago had sat an elderly king, now stood a figure reminiscent of a youthful, vigorous knight, seemingly untouched by the weight of nearly a century of life.

Below the throne, Violet Remoria, the second complete ethereal warrior, observed the transformation with cold disdain in her eyes. "So, doing it to the entire kingdom wasn't enough for you, was it?" she spat, her tone laced with contempt as she disregarded the reverence typically accorded to the king. "Face it, Alfred—you're a failure of a man with the most shameless ethereal arm, unworthy of your title and position."

King Eldran met her gaze with calm detachment, the chill in his eyes betraying none of the emotions that stirred within. Few knew the true nature of his ethereal arm, but Violet was among those who did. "I'm not sure what you mean, Violet," he replied evenly, "I don't recall doing anything to warrant such fury."

Violet's eyes flashed with anger as she rose to her feet, her movements sharp and forceful. "You know exactly what you did," she retorted, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. "You're just too much of a coward to remember it."

The king sighed again, this time with an air of resigned determination. "Very well. I know what I've done, and I did it for the kingdom—for the people. For the peace of this realm."

He straightened in his throne, his gaze never wavering from hers. "Isn't that what Nathaniel Heaven wanted? Isn't that what the people wanted? Isn't that what we all wanted?" His voice grew louder, his words carrying the weight of a fervent conviction. "The kingdom now enjoys prosperity and harmony—who cares how we got here?" Excitement seeped into his tone as he continued, "As a ruler, it's not always about making the righteous choice. You, more than anyone, understand what this kingdom would be like if I hadn't resorted to Nathaniel's 'shameless' plan."

Violet Remoria fell silent, unable to refute the king's argument. The truth in his words stung, even as she loathed to admit it.

"Violet," King Eldran's voice softened, "I told you the truth because I respect you. For the glory of Lordrixis, let this secret be buried deep, and rot in the darkness it belongs."

Violet turned on her heel and left the hall with determined steps, leaving King Eldran alone on his throne, once more.

... 

Emilia Cylus entered a dark, gloomy room devoid of any furniture or signs of life. The only object in the room was a massive black coffin lying in the center, an eerie presence that seemed out of place even in this somber setting. Despite the ominous atmosphere, Emilia's curiosity remained piqued, fascinated by the domain of Premier General Vergil Killer.

After a moment, the lid of the coffin trembled and slid to one side. A pale, delicate hand emerged, followed by the slow, deliberate movements of a figure stepping out. The lid fell to the floor with a resounding thud, revealing the Premier General himself.

"Premier General," Emilia greeted him with a solemn salute.

Vergil's gaze settled on her, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "Are you not afraid?" he asked softly.

"No, sir!" Emilia replied, standing tall. "Just fascinated and curious, sir!"

Vergil chuckled, though the sound was tinged with a faint sadness. "I've committed many sins, taken too many lives, disturbed the rest of too many souls," he mused quietly. "Treat it as a ritual of respect, a foolish action of guilt." 

His expression darkened momentarily before he pushed the thought aside. "But enough of that…" he said, refocusing on the task at hand. Today marked the first day of Emilia Cylus's training—a day that would set her apart from the other recruits. Unlike the common soldiers, Emilia was to be trained as a commander, a role that came with immense responsibility and a higher level of skill.

"Come with me," Vergil instructed, "It's time to introduce you to your seniors in the army."

...

Leon Ermy followed Vesanze Fortune through the opulent halls of the White Crane Manor, a place so luxurious it seemed to outshine even the royal palace itself. The brilliant jewels and ornate decorations dazzled Leon, but his focus remained on the task at hand.

Inside the grand chamber, a masked man wielded a spear with unmatched elegance and precision. The fluidity and grace of his movements captivated Leon, who stood in silent awe of the display. Vesanze watched as well, her confident and gentle smile never wavering.

The man eventually stopped, noticing their presence for the first time. He turned to greet them, his voice unnatural and resonant. "Mistress Fortune," he acknowledged her with a respectful nod. "Another one who's willing to join our cause?"

Vesanze nodded gracefully. "This is Leon Ermy," she introduced. "His intelligence stands out even among the brightest in the Manor, and with the power of his ethereal arm, I doubt anyone could outsmart him on the battlefield." Her smile grew as she added, "Leon, meet Ander Leo—the man you'll be working under, and the one who has the potential to change the world."

Leon remained composed, unfazed by her words. "What about my colleagues?" he asked, his tone neutral. "Surely, I'm not the only one."

Vesanze's smile deepened. With a subtle gesture, several figures emerged from the shadows behind Ander. As Leon scanned the group, his eyes widened in shock, unable to hide his disbelief.

Vesanze placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice teasing as she remarked, "I never thought I'd see such an expression on your face, Leon." Her smile brightened.

"But then again, maybe I did."

... 

Rin Dreamer drifted out of the front gates of the Belkarn Clan, her mind reeling from the overwhelming information Glynn Belkarn had imparted. Unlike her usual sleepy demeanor, she was fully alert, trying to process the massive amount of knowledge that could take weeks to digest fully.

Beside her, Ruby Rose hurried to catch up, her expression equally drained and exhausted. Both girls had been assigned to different sectors within the clan—Rin to the economy sector due to her exceptional ethereal ability in construction, and Ruby to the combat sector for her prowess on the battlefield.

Rin had discovered that the economy sector, headed by the emotionless 49th complete ethereal warrior, Olivia Merrick, was responsible not only for generating wealth but also for overseeing the clan's construction and development projects. Ruby, on the other hand, found the head of the combat sector, the 25th complete ethereal warrior Antonian Scott, to be more approachable and energetic. Despite Glynn Belkarn's long and dull lecture on the clan's ideals and goals, both girls were treated with an unexpected level of respect and care.

Though they struggled to recall every detail of Glynn's speech, one thing was clear: the ultimate goal of the Belkarn Clan.

"recreating the 0th complete ethereal arm with mortal competence, fulfilling the wish of the first grand head, Glenn Belkarn."