The clamor within the ballroom began to quiet down a steady pace, but even Viran could tell that there was tension within the air.

“You should have gone softer on him.” Lord Idicium muttered in a frigid manner to the red-headed beauty that stood triumphant in front of him.

“Hoh?” Margrave Zora gaped in astonishment. “You do realize your boy just tried to kill your, how do I say this, legal son? This brat is just some bastard you picked off from the street and out of nowhere you make him the heir? Heh, you even off’d his family…”

Despite the malevolent pose Lord Idicium showed as he stared directly into her eyes, she never shied away for a moment, instead her own hostility increased. The temperature within the room steadily increased as they both stared each other down, waiting for the other to back away.

“You bitch.” Lord Idicium snarled. “You sure know how to piss me off.”

“Really? That’s weird, because I could say the same thing.” Margrave Zora barked back.

As the distance between the two lessened with every insult flung, Viran couldn’t help but wonder just how they were both Nobles. Viran didn’t know much about Margrave Zora, and he definitely didn’t know a bit about his own Father, but he felt as though that their current act of hostility towards each other was improper. They were Nobles after all.

“Lord Idicium, please.”

The sudden intrusion of a somewhat familiar face shocked not only Viran, but Lord Idicium as well. Standing alongside Margrave Zora was Count De Met, a Noble Viran knew for certain to be powerful. He held the second most influence and power within the Southern Faction, and his own fiefdom bordered the Idicium’s as well. Sir Leonard had clearly detailed how Count De Met was not simply the neighbor to Lord Idicium, but a friend as well.

“It’s best…. If we don’t start anything else here.” Count De Met advised.

Once those words were spoken was Lord Idicium finally freed from his rage once more, and the usual apathy that conquered his face returned. His eyes glanced through the Noble crowd whose attention he garnered solely, and the reactions were less than satisfactory for the old Noble. The snickering and insults he heard from the other Nobles was something that barely bothered him, the real problem was the sour looks directed towards him by the Nobles under his own faction.

“Don’t start anything else, that is if you don’t want them to lose complete faith in their trusted leader.” Margrave Zora whispered as she stepped away from Gregory once the physician finally arrived.

“Ahem… I do believe this banquet should be adjourned. Once we get to the root of the problem, I will be sure to send notice to the rest of you.” Emperor Clarus announced in a worried voice. “You may leave now.”

Steadily the crowd began to stagger out of the ballroom, most of their gazes were still glued towards Gregory as they all walked out in unison.

Those left in the room now were few in number, with Viran being one of them.

“Is… Is he going to be ok?” Viran asked as he looked at the unconscious Gregory.

The physician’s hands were glowing bright orange as they held deeply onto Gregory’s body. It was only when the light finally dimmed that the physician finally responded.

“Apologies, Lord Viran. But I’m unsure yet. His mana has multiple differences throughout his body, so it seems he may have ingested something that caused the mania.” The physician said cooly. “I’ll need to move him to infirmary to know for certain. Please excuse me.”

Gregory is gently placed on top of a cloth stretcher, and promptly pulled away by the physician and multiple Knights standing on guard.

Viran couldn’t help but feel unsettled seeing his half-brother being carried off, despite the problems he has with him. Lord Idicium was engrossed within his own thoughts, yet Viran could see a glance filled with hesitation thrown towards the Emperor from time to time. The Emperor himself held onto a cool smile as he walked towards Viran.

“My apologies for what has transpired here today. You should be off as well, your Father and I need to talk to one another.” Emperor Clarus said with a warm smile plastered onto his face. Yet despite the similarity his natural aura had with Sir Leonard, Viran felt fuzzy about the Emperor.

“It’s really no problem, your majesty. I will take my leave as well” Viran said plainly before bowing and quickly evacuating.

Once Viran’s small frame finally disappears behind the solid metal doors lined with innumerable wealth, Emperor Clarus’ warming smile and gentle atmosphere vanishes without a trace. He flicks his head towards the door as well as the rest of the guards there leave as well, now leaving only the turmoiled Lord Idicium and the Emperor himself.

“You heard what he said. He called Viran a Devil.” The Emperor said plainly with a hint of anger hidden deep within his voice.

“I… I know.” Lord Idicium’s voice cracked as he sputtered out, his hands reached towards his face as he covered his expression. His muffled voice is somewhat able to be heard by the Emperor. “I tried… I tried for years yet I was unable to save him.”

The Emperor’s nose wrinkled as he could faintly guess what kind of tears the man held behind those hands, yet it concerned him none. After all this was all a game to him.

“I allowed you to keep your son out of not only pity for you, but also out of hope. Craynor had already told the both of us what kind of genius the boy was destined- no doomed to be, and what would occur afterwards.” The Emperor feigned sorrow as he shook his head regretfully.

“Craynor furthermore warned the both of us what would occur to your boy, the infiltration of the Devils into our world and the manifestation of the Devil within him. The only choice was to end the boy’s life, yet you spared him. Unlike the wife that deceived you, and the mother of that child. It seemed, at the time, you would fully divulge yourself into protecting that child.” The Emperor continued.

“Although it was only true in theory, practice proved too difficult for you. Keeping the boy pressured, to hide his talents, yet not enough to the point where the Devil would notice. Yet it seemed the Devil noticed, and took advantage of the turmoil that the boy had. The turmoil you created.” The Emperor created, with his fury and emotion growing with every word spoken.

“It was simple Robert! Bend the knee and stop that political nonsense of yours! I would have saved not only that child- but the lives of those destined to die at his hands now.”

Lord Idicium’s hands shivered until finally, they dropped. Falling to his knees the ground became wet with the tears that fell effortlessly down, and Lord Idicium cried. The old man, filled with the strength and apathy of none other cried. A man Viran barely saw emotion, a man that never called Viran by his name cried in front of the Emperor.

“Disgusting.” The Emperor spat as he walked a step away from the fallen Noble before him, yet even the Emperor himself couldn’t extinguish the delight he felt when seeing the breakdown of his rival.

“Next time, don’t accidentally fall in love and FUCK a plane walker only to then disregard the advice of your Emperor and a LITERAL FUCKING GOD.” The Emperor yelled with a high pitch before kicking open a small door in the corner of the ballroom.

As the Emperor slammed it shut behind him his face distorted immensely, as though he attempted to keep himself from letting his thoughts spill out. The Emperor detached the woolen cape that hung to him as he ran away from the door before stopping a reasonable distance away, only to then…

“Bahahaha! That idiot cried!”

...Howl in a crazed laughter like a banshee. The hallways he walked through still was luckily devoid of life, his own crazed howls echoed off of the stone walls all throughout the area. His own face had changed completely, he seemed more like a crazed beggar on the streets than the Emperor of the most powerful Empire in the world.

His hands gripped the purple pendant that hung on his neck and a golden medallion hidden deep within his pocket. Taking both out, his hair is flung back as the divine pressure falls upon the hallway. His new look only served to create the picture of a truly crazed man, a man filled with insanity.

“Will this truly be fine? What if he cracks and does something unimaginable…” The God Fraus said in a worried tone, a tone truly unfit for a God.

“You shouldn’t have done that to him. He is my Champion after all, hurting him mentally in such a way may really break the old man.” Craynor paused slightly before continuing. “I did make the man kill his own wife so many years ago as well.

Faced with these critics in the same room the cackling of the Emperor stopped as a frenzy overtook his eyes. He stared directly at the medallion and pendant in his hands as though he attempted to burn a hole through both of the items.

“Don’t misunderstand me Craynor. You want that boy, don’t you? He was born of sin, as you say. Even if it meant losing all of the influence you’ve amassed within this Plane, you’d be willing to kill that boy. Just to end that bloodline you hate so much.” The Emperor shot back with fury leaking out of his eyes, even the Gods before him didn’t dare to disrespect the Emperor for whatever reason.

“...It’s truly a shame that your Champion had to meet that woman and sire a child.” Fraus said in a disappointed tone. “But I wouldn’t say that destroying your religion within this Plane just yet is a good idea. After all, the Era has just descended. Within the chaos that threatens to destroy this Plane and all life, there remains a chance for it to grow unbridled with riches.”

The Emperor’s face had been frowning deeply throughout the entire conversation with these Gods only for a smile to brighten immensely with the mentioning of riches.

“Yes, either death or glory. Destruction for all, or a Golden Age for all.” The Emperor smiled without any restraint.

Craynor’s medallion hummed fiercely as the Emperor held it, his wrinkled face moved as he relaxed the smile written on his face.

“That bloodline has sinned too deeply for it to be left alive. Too many of my own followers in other Planes were killed, I’d be willing to end my own divine existence in order to end that bloodline once and for all.” Craynor yelled in indignation. Blood began to flow down the Emperor’s nose as the pressure upon him deepened further.

“Ack!” The Emperor coughed out a puddle of blood onto the floor before the pressure lifted from him, Craynor was gone as the medallion hummed no longer.

“...Craynor loves to go by his own rules, I apologize in his stead.” Fraus said with sincerity, his own will was obviously less domineering as Craynors. Somehow the divine pressure that seemed to crush Emperor Clarus’ skull had a nice feeling to it, a calming feeling.

“It doesn’t matter, I’m willing to suffer this much pain as long as Robert doesn’t stand in my way.” The Emperor muttered darkly as he wiped the blood off of my mouth.

“But is it truly wise to betray Craynor and Idicium? Not to mention, Lucas and Sanguine may get in the way.” Fraus asked, evidently worried.

“They won’t get in the way at all. They’d be willing to sacrifice Craynor as long as that Primordial Spirit’s host dies.” The Emperor looks up, as though he attempted to look through the very Heavens to get a glimpse of the God he knew so well. “Stop acting so wary and afraid, Fraus, we both know who you really are.”

As the purple pendant dies down as well, the pressure lifts. But before the pressure dissolves completely the divine voice of Fraus fills the entirety of the Emperor’s head.

“I know. This is something you must learn though; only acting compassionate and gentle in front of people will never work. One of these days you will slip, and everything will leave your grasp.”

Emperor Clarus breathes out heavily, his own heart thumped with life as excitement filled him. As the insanity and deranged look cover his face once more, his hands are thrown up towards the sky. With a bright voice he whispers to himself.

“That may be so, but until then the play must go on.”

As the Emperor’s arms begin to shake in the air, they finally fall towards the ground. The insane look that clouded his face was once more covered completely by the calm and gentleness everyone knew him for, a truly frightening difference between the two.