The New Royal Guards: Enter, Fii! The Resistance's Strongest Asset! (1/2)

Lyon POV:

One month later.

A public announcement had been made regarding the vacant Royal Guard positions. For ranks 1 to 10, I had decided to choose them personally; I needed to make sure the right people were around me.

As for Jasmine and the others, it took me a couple of hours to convince them to go back to District 4. I didn't want to burden them with any responsibilities; I simply wanted them to be happy. In the end, they only agreed to leave under a certain set of conditions.

'...'

I smiled to myself while recalling their faces. I turned my attention toward the list of names in front of me. Out of the hundreds of applicants, I had cut them down to 50, and today I would be meeting them one by one.

A large black cloth hung across the middle of the dome, acting as a screen that blocked the applicants from seeing the throne. Ursula aided the Vices, helping them direct the applicants to the stairs on the right side of the dome whenever their turn came.

The narrow set of stairs lead to a long corridor that contained several rooms on either side. I was currently waiting in the last room, which stood directly opposite the entrance to the passageway.

*Knock, knock*

"Come in."

An attractive woman entered the room and closed the door behind her. She had bright lilac eyes with long eyelashes. Her nose was small, and her lips quite plump. Her black hair was tied up in a bun, adorned with a light purple ribbon that wrapped around it.

She slipped a loose strand of hair behind her ear and delicately sat down on her knees. Her two hands stretched out in front of her while she pressed her forehead against the floor.

"I swear on my life that I will serve you forever."

That was the first thing Fii ever said to me.

In my meeting with the Resistance Leaders, they had made it clear that they wanted her to be a part of the new Royal Guards. She was their strongest asset, possessing power that eclipsed that of Baekan. However, this was my assessment, not theirs.

I examined her closely before parting my lips.

"Please raise your head. This interview isn't about showcasing devotion or loyalty."

She reluctantly lifted her head from the floor. I watched Fii place her hands neatly on her lap and was about to ask her a question when she stood up.

"!"

Fii suddenly started taking off her clothes. My eyes widened in shock at the abrupt shift in her behaviour.

"W-wha... S-stop!"

I jumped to my feet, ignoring the heat rising from my cheeks as I stared at her well-defined body. It was like a mixture of Marina's stunning curvature and Jasmine's well-developed muscles. Her skin was flawless, smooth and beautiful.

"...I-I thought you wanted my body... I'm still... Inexperienced..."

"What?"

I sighed inwardly as I stared at her face that went a deep shade of red. She turned around slightly, revealing a long diagonal scar that ran across her back. Fii noticed my gaze but didn't try to hide it.

"This scar brings back memories. Would you like to hear some of my past?"

It was a question that I planned on asking, but since she took the initiative, it was better to let her go on. I nodded my head, signalling for her to continue as she opened her small mouth once more.

"My father was a meek man and often suffered abuse at the hands of my mother. She degraded him on a daily basis, constantly complaining about how she made a mistake marrying someone as worthless as him. In her eyes, he wasn't 'man enough' for her."

I listened closely to the story she was telling.

"The verbal abuse soon turned physical. She would lash out at him, beating him for no good reason other than to vent out her pent-up stress. Despite all of this, my father tried as hard as possible to hide it from me. Whenever she came home, he would quickly send me to my room, promising to play with me again later.

It didn't take long for my mother to start bringing home what she called 'real' men... She would entertain them at night, forcing my father to think even less of himself as another man had their way with his wife.

He would always dash into my room, covering my ears from the vile sounds they would make as he pressed my small face deep into his chest. He would apologize to me repeatedly for losing his job while blaming himself for the current state of his marriage.

He couldn't turn to anyone, because they would laugh and ridicule him. He was a 'man,' yet his wife beat him till his blood splattered across the carpet. He was a 'man,' yet he had no say in what went on at home. He had no one to confide in, yet he still tried to smile for me.

One day, my mother's abuse reached its peak. She grabbed a sword one of the men she slept with left behind and swung it in a fit of rage. I saw that moment happen in slow motion; the look of utter fear and embarrassment on my father's face as he noticed my gaze. The look of delight and joy on my mother's face at punishing someone who didn't fit her ideal image of what a 'man' should be.

In that small span of time, everything within me moved in harmony. I pushed my father out of the way, taking the lacerating blow on my back in the process.

I remembered her face looking down at me in disappointment while blood gushed out of the open wound. She packed her bags and left with some other man as my father quickly rushed me to the nearest hospital.

From there, we ended up meeting the Resistance, and they accepted us into the fold. Ultimately, I've never thought of my father as a weak man—he was strong. So I wear this scar on my back with pride.

That day, I could have pushed my mother out of the way instead; however, I wanted him to know. My father believed he had no one, but he had me."

My lips curved upwards while I flickered forward. I grabbed hold of her lowered dress, stopping it from falling any further.

"I hope your father is doing well now."

The corners of my rose until they formed a bright smile as I threw my cloak over her back. I didn't want blind devotion or loyalty. I wanted us to understand one another; that was the basis for forming true trust.

"He is. I made sure of it."

Fii gripped my cloak tightly, and her lips formed a content smile. I sat back down opposite her as she adjusted her clothes.

"The Resistance aside, why do you wish to join the Royal Guards?"

I shifted my gaze back to the pieces of paper laid out on the small table in front of me.

"It's not the Royal Guard position that I want—it's you. Your approach to handling the Pit and Range was unexpected. I assumed you would get rid of it completely. Instead, you're trying to alter its perception."

"..."

I remained silent, prompting her to continue.

"The violence has been replaced by friendly competition with people watching over them to make sure it never goes past that. You're aware of the fierce competitive nature many people of District 1 possess and try to cater to it in a non-destructive way.

You pulled down the barriers isolating those in the Range, allowing a more harmonious environment to develop through social interaction. You restructured the Organization according to your own in District 4. Once again, solidifying your belief in being one as a community."

She shuffled forward; her lilac eyes staring deep into mine.

"I can feel it: you are a true King. I must protect you at all costs."

Fii bowed her head again, and I pondered for a while over her words; I really couldn't envision myself being a king. It felt a lot more comfortable being the leader of a district than sitting on a throne.

"Protection works both ways. I will do my best to make sure you stay safe."

I stretched out my hand towards her. Fii raised her head, revealing the red tints on her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled, and she grasped my hand with both of hers.

"I am yours."

Fii placed my hand against her chest for a few seconds before moving away. We discussed a few more things after that until I was ready to end the interview. I opened the door for Fii, and she bowed her head. She gripped the cloak over her shoulders as she disappeared down the long corridor.

'...Rank 1.'

I made a note next to her name and sat back down, waiting for the next applicant to come.

***

"There's nothing more satisfying than piercing the heart of a man who loves you. It's an exhilarating feeling that can't be described—I love that moment!~"

I stared at the deeply flushing face of Lucy as she spoke about her... Disturbing interests. Her red snapback sat comfortably over her head while an intricate tattoo of hearts ran along her left arm.

"...That was until a month ago."

A solemn expression washed away the euphoria. There was a slight glint of light in her amethyst eyes as a small sigh escaped her lips.

"I met this guy who transcended my expectations. I wanted to pierce his heart over and over again, in a never-ending cycle! He was strong; he was hot, and he listened to everything I said, never laughing at me! I wanted to feel it... But I lost that fight."

'Who is she referring to?'

I pondered over the person in question as I made a few mental notes on Lucy's story. I wrote down a couple of points next to her name while Lucy continued.

"I met him again at the hospital, and naturally I tried to pierce his heart again."

'That's not normal.'

Her pupils dilated, followed by the return of another deep blush as she recalled that memory. I examined her, continuing to assess whether she had what I was looking for.

"I failed and we ended up hugging. His embrace alone made my body tremble as I felt connected to him in an indescribable way. He told me I could try as many times as I want, and then a sudden thought hit me. What if I tried to pierce his heart in a different way? Crazy, right?..."

She cast her gaze to the floor, and her eyebrows quivered.

"Turns out I was months too late. He ended up getting a girlfriend a couple of days later. It left me with a lot of time to think, and I realised that there's no guarantee their relationship will last, so... Maybe I should try changing a little... Maybe he'd like me more if I wasn't constantly trying to rip his or other people's hearts out..."

'Isn't that obvious?'

No, in her mind, it probably wasn't. Everyone here had different experiences, so what was common sense to one person could be a whole new world to another.

"Is that your only reason for wanting to join the Royal Guards?"

She suddenly folded her arms and pouted like a little child.

"I can bake cakes! I'm good at that too!"

I smiled at the innocent look in her eyes. I rose from my seat and sat down closer towards her.

"What do you think of District 1 now?"

Lucy closed one of her eyes while looking down at me. It seemed like she was assessing whether she should compliment me or not.

"...You are doing good, but you need to be careful."

The innocence vanished as her eyes narrowed. I looked up at her, unfazed by her warning.

"Then tell me the real reason you were demoted from rank 4."

Her eyebrows twitched, and the corners of her mouth gradually rose. The air became heavy, and the room shook from the pressure she was emitting.

"A perceptive king..."

The tension in the air faded as Lucy leaned back. She pushed the snapback deeper over her forehead before opening her mouth.

"The first reason wasn't a lie; it did play a part in my demotion. But like you guessed, the main reason was because I heard something I shouldn't have."

"What did you hear?"

We locked eyes, and Lucy's lips parted slowly.

"Baekan was planning to offer Outer Astril to Chaos."

"!"

My eyes widened, followed by my teeth clenching. Chaos may seem like an up-and-coming organization compared to Enigma, but that was false; they were simply more active in other areas of Idora.

"So you understand the danger behind it too..."

That would explain why Baekan dared to go against Enigma and why he was so confident in going up against Inner Astril. But why would he offer up the very place he was trying to liberate? Did he plan on moving everyone to Inner Astril? Wasn't that a contradiction of his whole ideology? And why would Chaos want Outer Astril?

I had too many questions and too few answers.

"Whether he would have went through with it or not... I don't know. Anyway, I got demoted and permanently banned from being anywhere near the Royal Guards and Organization."

She pouted again and let out a frustrated sigh. I interlocked my fingers; her words no longer reaching me.

'I made a mistake. Baekan is truly far too dangerous to be left alone, even if she is with him.'

"..."

There was nothing I could do about it right now. Defeating Baekan should have severed his ties with Chaos, given the fact that no one from their side had made contact with me yet. However, it was still too early to say.

The number of people I was responsible for protecting kept on growing, and I needed to do right by them. Right now, getting through the immediate tasks at hand was more helpful than worrying about a potential non-existent threat.

"Rank 2. Can you handle it, Lucy?"

I glanced at Lucy, who looked at me with surprise. Her eyes sparkled as she quickly bowed her head.

"...Yes! Thank you for the opportunity!"