We begin this story looking at two. One sleeps in a palace; the other sleeps on straw in a horse stable. One with beautiful blond hair and piercing blue eyes. The other: black, dirty, messy hair and dark crimson red eyes.
"Mathis. That's what I shall name the boy. His blond hair reminds me of his mother."
"Quickly, examine the boy," a man in luxurious robes commands, his hair a soft mix of blond and brown, his eyes noble and blue.
"Right away, my lord," says an old man in a white gown with gray hair. He places his hand on the infant's small stomach. "I sense immense magical connection... with the power of light."
Mathis's belly glows with a brilliant yellow hue.
"Fantastic!" beams the noble. "Of course my son is gifted. I shall train him into the next king."
"Wahh, wahhh!" cries could be heard from a filthy barn. A woman lies beside the child — the boy's hair is dark, messy, his eyes a deep red, his body frail and hungry. The woman swallows a pill marked HTM46. Her eyes turn bloodshot.
She goes still, almost entering a euphoric state — calm, relaxed, happy.
"Wahh!" the boy cries.
"Shut up!" she screams and slaps the infant.
The boy stops crying, almost like he understood — crying won't help. His skin is dark, his bones show. He lies there as people walk by, muttering only one word about him: "unlucky."
Days pass. The woman, dirty and scarred, hasn't fed him in four days. His stomach growls, but he doesn't cry. A rat comes close. He lunges. Bites into it. The flesh, raw and bloody, is like a feast to him. He chews the bones, teeth barely developed.
The woman wakes, sees the rat's mutilated body, shrugs.
{Oh well}, she thinks, leaving again.
She turns and whispers, "I'm sorry."
That was the last time he saw her.
More days pass. He closes his eyes — only the third time he's ever slept. He doesn't like sleep. Animals make noise, sometimes step on him.
He wakes up in a basement.
"What's wrong with this boy? He doesn't cry. He's so frail. I noticed him while on a mission. I know we're supposed to stay hidden, but I couldn't let him die," says a man — young, with a sharp voice.
"I understand, Regard," a pale girl with black eyes replies. "But we're killers. Is this boy ready for that life?"
"Better than dying without a chance."
"Fine, fine. Get him food," she says, sighing. {I hope this boy will be alright}, she thinks.
5 Years Pass
"Mathis! Swing your sword with more strength! Don't stand still — move! Use a light spell! Come on!"
{We're in a small tome. Only slimes spawn here. I'm five now. Been training since I was three. Father says I have to practice hard if I want to achieve big things.}
"Here we go, stay ready," a large man with a bear-like physique says, wielding a great sword and shield.
"Mathis!"
"LIGHT ARROW!" A radiant beam fires and strikes slimes at high speed.
"Reiner, your turn!"
Reiner charges and cleaves the King Slime. It dissolves.
"Mission complete. Good job, everyone," he says.
Mathis smiles. He completed his first tome.
At home, his father claps him on the back.
"That's my boy! I'm going to throw a party. Let the nation know my son's on another level."
"Alright, Dad."
"Get your sister and mother. Send invitations. A royal ball! A genius is blooming!"
Meanwhile...
"Boy. You see anyone around? Eyes open."
{We're breaking into nobles' homes, stealing items worth hundreds of thousands of ging. It funds our plan — kidnapping the Duke's kids at the royal ball, and seizing power.}
"I hear you, old man. I know what I'm doing."
Regard smirks.
"Good. Not my fault if you get hurt."
He raises his hand. "Oh mighty god Thea, grant me construction!" Earth forms into stairs. Then spinning blades. A perfect hole sliced into a mansion window.
Inside, the stone steps disappear.
"Phantom Steps," Regard whispers. No sound. Silent entry.
Regard glances at Xavier — calm, eyes sharp, too composed for a child.
{Most boys his age would be broken — mindless. But not him.}
"You remember your training in the hell chamber?"
Xavier's face briefly twitches. A shadow of pain.
"Phantom Steps," he says, voice steady.
They enter. Knights with swords and shields patrol. Mages on towers scan for magic or intruders.
Two guards block their next path.
"Boy. Your turn," Regard whispers, a twisted smile forming.
Xavier walks forward.
"This noble better pay well," one guard grunts. "Hey — is that a kid?"
"How did you get in here? You look—"
Before he finishes, blood erupts.
Regard is behind them. In five seconds, one's dead, a blade through his heart. In nine, the other falls, throat slit. Blood sprays Xavier.
He doesn't flinch.
They move. They pass the basement — human cages. Captives locked up.
Xavier stares at a girl. Cold eyes. Like his.
They reach the office. A hidden painting reveals stairs. They descend.
A treasury.
"Jackpot," Regard says. Gold, weapons, spell scrolls.
He grabs a sword labeled Evo and a scroll: Earth's Grand Spikes.
Xavier opens a chest. Five rings fly onto his fingers. A paper inside — he pockets it.
Time's running out.
Suddenly, Xavier runs back.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Regard yells.
He ignores him, grabs a hammer, smashes open the girl's cage and several others.
Screams erupt.
"Earth's Grand Spikes!" Regard chants.
Stone pillars crash through walls. Chaos. Alarms. Mages react.
"Shadow Transportation," Xavier whispers — vanishing.
He reappears near the horse.
"Haha! You're alive! You're something else, boy. From now on — I'll call you Xavier."
"Xavier..." the boy repeats. A name. A real one.
A fireball hurtles toward them. A tier 5 mage.
"Oh god of flames, Agni! Volcanic Eruption!"
Magma spews. Regard braces to die.
"Shadow Transportation!"
Gone. Only the horse burns.
Heavy breathing. They did it. Now — the plan begins.
A woman stands by a mirror. Black hair. Eyes like a void. Shirt and shorts. Confident.
Evangel.
She's orchestrated every step. The thefts. The breakout. The kidnapping. The chaos.
Next: the Duke's ball.
She'll take his children. Ransom then. Break the kingdom from the inside.
Her eyes turn to the shadows behind her.
"Alright, Xavier. Let me tell you the next part of our plan..."
The next step of this plan is for five people to break inside the Duke's ball. You'll each have a mission you must complete. Let me introduce you to the other three.
First, we have our Tier 6 mage—no expenses were spared. His job is to disrupt enemy communication and stall any support heading your way. We only have one shot—let's make it count.
Next, Regard will go along. He's been acting as a guard for the Duke for years, so he'll help with bringing the children to the carriage.
Xavier, your job is to eliminate a merchant who's been making massive trades with the Empire. If we allow him to continue, they may gain access to super weapons. Stay alert—you could lose your life.
We have the Horseman. He'll act as your getaway driver. He's a top rider and skilled in a variety of earth-based concealment magics.
And lastly, a suicide bomber. He'll enter the ball and draw everyone's attention by threatening to blow himself—and all of the nobility—to bits. His determination to stop the kingdom is so strong, he's willing to sacrifice himself.
And we won't let him down. I believe in you all to help our dream—my dream—
TO THE EMPIRE'S FALL! LET'S BEGIN THE BALL'S MASSACRE!
"The Horseman is almost in position, Evangel."
"All right, Regard. Let's do this, guys."
They are all communicating through Evangel's special power.
"The Horseman just entered the gate. We have to get this right the first time. I wish you all luck."
On the other side of the ballroom…
A blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy and a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl are playing together.
"Mathis, you're so annoying! Give me back my doll!"
"Come get it back, you big baby!"
"DADDD!"
"Mathis, give Rosena back the doll," said the Duke in a commanding tone, his outfit even more extravagant than usual.
"Alright, alright…"
"Regard, make sure to guard my children to the best of your ability."
"Of course, Your Majesty. You have nothing to worry about." A sinister smile beamed across his face.
The Duke couldn't help but be bothered by that smile… but he'd known Regard for years, so everything should be fine.
"Mathis, when we go out on the stage, everyone's going to be looking forward to meeting you tonight. You're the main focus, remember? Tonight, you're the star, son. Leave a good impression. I have two royal families coming tonight—my brother, his wife and children, and the family from the North. Even a renowned merchant is coming from far and wide—just for you, my boy."
Mathis smiled at the thought.Just for me…? They're all coming just for me. Today, I'm the star. I can't disappoint them. I'll become king one day and make this kingdom proud—end the endless tomes and attacks by other kingdoms. I'll prove what my dad says is true… and I'll really become king.
Regard approached the young boy as the Duke was called away for business.
"Mathis, right? You do remember me?"
"Of course, Regard! You're a fantastic soldier! I heard you once took on 150 men by yourself—and won!"
"Ho ho… that was quite a long time ago," Regard said with a calm, plain expression.
His face was always smiling—weird, Mathis thought. He almost never frowns.It's almost like a mask. A mask of a face…
"All right, you guys should get some rest so when the ball starts, you're ready for how long it lasts."
"All right, Rosena, follow me. We're heading to our rooms," Mathis said.Although before going to sleep, Mathis practiced his speech and swordsmanship.
A diligent boy… Regard thought. It's a shame what we'll have to do to him.
Back on the other side of the ball…
Xavier is hidden in some luggage in the carriage.
He crawls out of a sack covered in hay. Pfft—he spits out a piece of hay stuck in his mouth and begins walking toward the front of the carriage. He sees a middle-aged man named Yogh.
"Hey there, kid. You ready for this? If we're not careful, some of us could die, you know that? And you've got one of the most dangerous missions."
"Unwavering," Xavier says. "I don't fear death, and I won't die. I'll complete my mission and survive—just like I did in that chamber."
"Chamber? What chamber?" Yogh asks.
Xavier begins shivering at the memory.
"Whoa, whoa, kid. Don't cry."
"I'M NOT GONNA CRY!" Xavier screams, quickly covering his mouth, realizing he could risk the operation.
"It's all right. Look, if you're not comfortable telling me your story… let me tell you mine."
"I've always been a horseman. I'd ride nobles around for good cash. Me and my daughter… One day, I let a noble in my carriage. I knew he had a bad reputation—but he was paying top ging for an elite horseman with conceal magic. My daughter got tired of riding in the front with me, so she went to the back with that man… Douglas. He did something to her in the back of the carriage…"
Tears begin running down Yogh's face.
"She hasn't said a word ever since that day. I told the capital's warriors—but nobody cared. He was a noble. My daughter never got her justice… That's why I want to bring this Empire to its end. Sorry if I bothered you with my sob story." A fake smile covered immense pain.
"It was a year ago," Xavier said. "One year since then. One year… When I was 3, they took a bunch of us. We were all young—orphans or runaways with nothing left. They taught us how to wield swords, daggers, spears, bows, magic—anything we wanted to learn. For one year, they trained us to master it. And then—they made us fight to the death."
"I still remember being there with my two daggers. The two skills I learned were Phantom Steps and Swift Slash. There were 30 of us in Chamber 12. It was all about power and survival."
"There was someone there… gifted with a god's magic. Rare people, like Regard, who could borrow god's strength for a time. Me and him got close in that chamber. His name was Brice. We were top students. No one messed with us. We'd set examples with the weak—because being weak meant death."
"One day, when we all turned 5, they took us to an arena and said only one person could leave alive."
"It was a nightmare. People getting stabbed, blasted to bits. I had to kill people who attacked me. I slit 4 people's throats and stabbed 2 in the guts. Brice… he annihilated everyone who came near. He had the power of Hades. Blue, never-ending flames. When he borrowed that power, he looked like a god."
"While he was distracted fighting a group of five, I stabbed him in the back. Slashed him. Took off his arm. Then finished the rest who tried to team up against me."
"I won. But they took Brice anyway—they expected him to win. He was a god candidate. But I beat him. That ruined their plans."
"Regard seemed happy when I won… He always helped me. Taught me emotion was useless. That you do anything to win."
"Brice survived—one-handed. They trained him more than anyone. He could probably destroy me now. But… he doesn't speak to me anymore."
…
"All right," Yogh said. "Let's get this done."
"Here's a note."
"A note?"
"Oh yeah," Xavier said, digging in his pockets. "Can you read it for me? I can't read."
"Alright. It says:
'These rings belong to the Shadow Monarch, a false god. The more his name spreads, the more power the user of the rings gains. As an apostle of the Shadow Monarch, the five rings are called:'
'The first ring: Shadows – allows one to become one with the shadows and store things in them, as long as the user has enough faith and charisma with the shadows.'
'The second ring: Shadow Lord – allows the user to manipulate shadows into whatever form they desire, as they now command the monarch's strength.'
"The rest of the page is blank… wait, it says that if one wishes to learn more about the rings, they must spread more knowledge about the Shadow Monarch."
"Whoa… awesome," Xavier said. "So who's my target?"
"He's a top merchant. His name is Lupin."