“A King? That’s utter nonsense! Besides, do they not see the actual King? He’s alive and well. The very thought of usurping the throne is simply stupid. How about the Crown Prince? Do they not respect his presence?”

Colt knew not what kind of drugs the Nobles were smoking, but it sure had to be strong to induce such stupid thoughts.

Neun, however, could not agree with Colt’s logic.

“Young Master, it may be common sense to think in such a manner, but that is not the case in the politics of nobility. Currently, the Kingdom is in a state of balance because both the Edgeworth and the Vera Family are balancing the status quo. There are people who sing praises to our name, but most of them are confined in wartime. We have influence all over the Kingdom, but we do not abuse them. You, however, are different.”

“Different? How so?”

“First of all, the war here had reached the ears of the Nobles. With the news that war may happen, many ambitious Nobles wanting to make a name for themselves prepared for weeks, trying to march to “help” us in our dire hours. But just as they finished and lined up to go, news of our victory, especially your act of slaying the enemy Supreme Commander swept the Capital. Your name had spread through many circles, calling you a Hero left and right.

“Second, you funded the production of the Evergreen antidote, which is now helping the people infected with the newly named disease known as Red Vein disease. Apothecary Jin also sang praises of how you were the one who brought him to your side and let him focus on the medicine to help people. Third, everyone also now knows of your connection to the Genesis Family, which I did not know. Fourth, your sacrifice for your daughters had basically become a much-beloved legend to many common people. Amid this calamity with an unknown disease, it had become a nice light and became a distraction for many. With all that, the common people on your back, the Genesis Family are supposedly backing you, and your engagement to the Vera Family, your influence is nothing to scoff at, Young Master.”

“Oh.”

Colt finally saw the light. They say that even the tiniest of attempts to change could amount to something huge. However, Colt’s steps were far from small, resulting in his meteoric rise.

‘I’ve been too obsessed with the future and the big picture that I seemed to have missed the smaller one.’ Not being a master planner, Colt couldn’t hope to grasp the entirety of his movement while thinking of every kind of thought appearing in the mind of others.

He may be able to predict some of the waves he created, but even those predictions were restricted to his narrow view of the world.

He was flawed, but even then, Colt showed a smile. Against all the odds, he smiled.

‘This is unexpected, but this only goes to show my influence.’ he was flawed, but he was also alive. Rather than mope about and curse about his position, he would instead make use of this chance than to sulk and be crushed by the pressure.

‘I had enough of dark thoughts. Heh, heh, like a wise turtle once said, the present is a gift.’

To be alive was to strive for higher heights, and without him knowing, Colt had already pushed the idea of retaining an ordinary life to the back of his mind.

As the Goddesses said, there was no such thing as Destiny. There were only the future and the past. And in the middle of that was the present.

“So, do you have any plans to go against this, Young Master?”

Colt turned to Neun, and with a shrug of a shoulder, he smiled, “Who knows, I don’t know where to begin.”

“This is a dire situation, Young Master. You can’t simply take this lightly; do you even know what is happening? If the Nobles makes any radical decision, then you might face a bad end.” Neun questioned with a calm tone of voice.

He was relatively surprised by Colt’s answer.

Colt looked at his sword and then at the moon, “One cannot control everything, and I once learned that I should break free of the illusion of control. I will face a lot of danger, but that’s the risk of living. I am already gifted as it is, I have a family and money, my life is in a much better position than a commoner in the slums. I tread on a tightrope with the Nobles eyeing me, but I have a far better escape route than an ordinary soldier who has a family awaiting his return.”

Colt swung the sword in his hand, the idea of conspiracies left his mind, “I can do nothing but prepare, with that said, Teacher, do you think I could finally use at least the first form of the Bloodbath Sword Art? I think I would need them soon.”

Neun had seen Colt’s passion before, but before that was more of a selfish endeavor. But now, it was different as Colt felt like he was a different person. He smiled as he answered Colt’s question.

“Hmm? Far from it, I only ever taught you the form and its flow. Do you think you can see through its essence already? You have yet to grasp the Heavenly Water Sword Art Ultimate techniques, and you’re already this impatient? You should temper your patience some more, my disciple.”

“I supposed you are correct. I may have also been too impatient because of what’s happening as of late.” Colt dejectedly agreed. He knew it was the truth. He couldn’t rebuke him. The Chick nodded its head in agreement.

“Don’t get too discouraged, Heavenly Water Art may be inferior to the Bloodbath Sword Art, but it was still based on the idea of the enlightenment my Master received. It was supposed to be used to slay the Monarch of Waters.”

Colt wanted to feel relieved, but then, a tiny voice reverberated in his ears.

“WHAT!?”

Neun looked down and saw a fuming Chick. It was trembling from anger.

“What’s the problem, little one?”

“What’s the problem!? You want to ask me! What’s the problem after uttering such blasphemy!? You, humans, had always been like this, full of hubris, too full of themselves despite having little to no actual strength!”

Pah! The newly awakened Fluff smacked its sibling on the back of its head.

“NYAW?” It angrily yelled as it asked what the hell was happening.

“They were badmouthing Big Sis, and…”

Pah!

“Why?” The Chick was confused.

It was smacked again as Fluff snorted out of spite. It spat on the ground from hate and disgust, “Meow, mew, nyuoo! (Tch, you just had to make me remember that blue bastard!)”

With a glare, Fluff felt its stomach rumbling and looked over at the Chick. Grabbing it by the neck, Fluff walked away, searching for a place to roast Chicken for a midnight snack.

“I wonder what kind of creature your sibling is.”

“Nya…(A piece of shit, that’s what.)’ Fluff answered while fuming with anger.

Colt thought of many things as he watched a flabby cat knock out the Chick with a chokehold and even start a fire by creating sparks.

Neun was on the side, with his mouth opened, ‘How did he do that chokehold? How?’