Chapter 30: A Wonderful Dilemma

"…No Lowborns have ever been discharged from the Military, alive or without missing a limb. So, why risk your life, Rhys? Why?"

"..."

Rhys didn't really have an answer for the deputy mayor. He could say whatever he wanted to, but he doubted anyone could really understand what he wanted.

"Is it revenge…?" And so, since silence was the only answer he got from Rhys, the deputy just answered his own question, "Power…? If so, the chances of you attaining either of both are lower than the chances of winning the lottery. Sadly, the opposite is true for the chances of your death."

"I'm… aware of the statistics."

"You're a Lowborn, Rhys. You will be lucky to get out there missing a limb," the deputy still continued his little sermon, "And no matter how much you try, you'll just be a soldier at the bottom of the ladder, a grunt."

"Hm," Rhys grunted. Everything the deputy mayor said is true… for a normal Lowborn, that is. Wait, could he even be considered a Lowborn anymore? Granted, how strong one's blood was would already be determined by birth—but it is only when one goes through Awakening that one could know their true worth.

Even in the hierarchy of Lowborns, Commoners, and Nobles—there was an inter-hierarchy. Not all Commoners are equals, and some Nobles are stronger than their peers.

Maybe, just maybe—Rhys was the strongest of the Lowborns? Could that possibly make him as strong as the median Commoner?

"I see your habit of overthinking still has not changed," the deputy mayor then let out a small sigh as he shook his head, "Anyway, what branch were you thinking of applying to?"

"The Underworld Corps."

"I see," the deputy mayor nodded several times… before his eyes suddenly widened,

"The Underworld Corps!?"

The deputy mayor's assistant that was standing on the corner once again quickly rushed to catch the deputy as he leaned too far back on his chair. His screams of shock, however, did not stop even as his assistant pushed him back in place.

"So, you're just actually trying to commit suicide, is that it? Are you tired of life? If you are, then I might as well just end you here."

"No…" Rhys shook his head, "...I'm serious about the Underworld Corps."

"Crazy is what you are, boy," the deputy mayor could really only pinch the bridge of his nose to try and calm himself down. And after a few seconds, he seemed to be successful as he let out a long and deep sigh,

"I can't stop you," the deputy then breathed out, "And I can't not do anything as well since I feel like it will still fall on me either way if you die. So, I'm only really left with one choice…

…offer you my support."

"You… don't really have to do that, deputy mayor."

"I do, actually. It is in my best interest that you succeed," the deputy chuckled as he finally relaxed his arms, "I know the current commander of the Underworld Corps, I'll send her a message and tell her about you."

"That's—that will be a big help, deputy mayor. Thank—"

"Now go!" The deputy mayor started violently waving his hands before Rhys could finish his words of gratitude, "Go before I change my mind and just force you to go to college!"

"...Hm," And so, the only thing Rhys could really do was just nod before quickly making his way out of the office. And as soon as he left, the deputy's loud sigh hummed through the entire room—and lasting for several seconds.

"That… was Rhys Wilder?" And finally, his assistant that has just been quietly moving around in the office finally spoke; wearing a large pair of glasses that seemed to change the color of his eyes into red.

"Hm. What do you think of the boy?" The deputy mayor stood up and walked toward the window.

"He doesn't look like a Lowborn," the assistant followed.

"That's the very reason his life's a hell," the deputy sighed; his breaths, causing the window to fog, "A beauty comparable to gods, but with no strength to protect it."

"Should you be saying something as blasphemous as that? What if they hear it?"

"The gods?" The deputy laughed, "You think they even care about us?"

"I hear they are quite petty."

"Now who is being blasphemous?" The deputy shook his head as he stepped away from the window and finally went back to his desk.

"You should have just supported the sister," the assistant, however, seemed not done with discussing Rhys.

"My campaign's platform is all about helping Lowborns, his sister is a commoner," the deputy shook his head as he started signing the papers on his desk, "And besides, I don't think I can handle the more broken of the siblings."

"The sister… is the more broken of the two?" The assistant blinked a couple of times as he sat on the chair opposite of the deputy, "I thought Rhys received most of the trauma, wasn't the girl just 10 years old then?"

"Hm…" The deputy could really only let out a short but very deep sigh as he dropped his pen, "I was one of the people handling the case back then—and we managed to cut the stream before the worst part."

"...Worse than someone's stomach bursting open?"

"Hm," the deputy nodded before looking his assistant in the eyes, "Silas West didn't just kill Rhys's mother in front of him, Dan."

"What do you—wait…" the assistant, Dan, slightly widened his eyes as he realized what the deputy was insinuating, "You mean he…?"

"Hm."

"But wasn't he just 12?"

"13."

"...Why are they letting someone like that out? And the top guild in Amerka is even inviting them—what would the other countries say if we allow that?"

"We allow it for the very same reason why Rhys is risking his life—power. Because deny it as much as we want…

…power is everything in this world."

***

"I'm joining the military."

"...What?"

Rhys was now in a cafe, where Katarina and Lina were waiting for him—and suffice it to say, as soon as the staff realized he was with the two, the very first thing the staff did as he entered was beg for him to take the two away as they were disrupting the peace of the cafe.

Luckily for the cafe, Katarina and Lina stopped arguing as soon as Rhys joined them at the table.

"What do you mean you're joining the military? Are you… serious?"

And while Lina was completely and utterly shocked by the news that Rhys brought them, Katarina didn't really seem surprised at all. After all, she knew what Rhys could do and how much of a survivor he was—the military is nothing compared to the hell he had already experienced.

"Are… you sure?"

"Wait, you're okay with this?" Lina blinked a couple of times as she heard Katarina's words, "He can die there, Kat."

"Will you, Rhys?" Katarina looked Rhys in the eyes; adjusting her glasses as she did so, "Will you die there?"

"No…" Rhys shook his head, before he returned Katarina's gaze, before also looking at Lina, "I promise to the both of you that I will return."

"Rhys…" Lina closed her eyes, before just nodding several times as she held his hand, "...You can just return to me."

"..." Katarina looked at Lina in disgust, before just rolling her eyes and also holding Rhys's other hand.

Suffice it to say, every man within the vicinity just gritted their teeth as they saw this. Two beautiful women, both very different from each other…were holding the hand of a single man? Just what sort of sorcery is this?

"I know you'll return, Rhys," Katarina then sighed, "But which branch are you joining?"

"...The Underworld Corps."

"Ah, I see…" Katarina then nodded her head and smiled,

"...Do you want me to just kill you right now?"