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"I will make you feel this pain a million times," said Kirk with his forearm making a sharp angle, his eyes bloodshot. "You have attacked the heir of a kingdom! Are you confident about becoming the enemy of the world's greatest assassins?"

"The world's greatest assassins cannot even get close to me if I don't let them," said Arthur as he crouched and flicked Kirk's forehead. "You need to understand that you are a prisoner here. I can kill you without even moving."

"...you have changed," said Kirk as he held his forehead. "I wonder what broke that little boy who wanted to save the world. I watched you from the shadows as you got stabbed in the back. Was that all it took for good Arthur to turn ruthless?"

"I cannot care less about the world anymore, but it just so happens that the people I care about live here," said Arthur. "I will do whatever it takes to ensure my identity is not compromised."

"And are you going to keep me imprisoned forever?" Kirk forced a smile with a sweaty face. "There will be a day where you regret this."

"As soon as half of my plans are done, there will no longer be a need for you," stood Arthur from his spot. "You know what they say. Useless hostages die first."

"...you are the only person who says that."

"Well, it has always been the case for me," said Arthur as he adjusted his robes. "How do I look?" his question was unanswered as Kirk glared at him while holding his broken arm. "Let me heal that."

Arthur twirled his fingers, and bright light covered Kirk's arm. After a few seconds, the arm twisted back into place without any pain, and the bruise disappeared. Kirk stared at the scene with amazement.

"A bloody sorcerer," spat Kirk as he leaned back. "As much as you hate the guardians, they live within you. You are a hybrid of every power out there that you have nothing unique about you."

"And that makes me powerful enough to close your mouth," said Arthur as he walked away. "Let me change the scenery for you too," he paused and waved his finger.

The world was nothing but colors earlier, surrounding a platform of bricks. Then, however, it began to change into a room with a bed, a desk, and a lot of books. Arthur opened the door which appeared in front of him before turning toward Kirk.

"This is a chance to leave a good impression, so make use of it."

***

Julia was beaming with pride as she walked Arthur toward the ball. However, the returning prize she was holding onto looked like he wanted to die at any moment. Yet, it did not bother her at all, as long as he was here.

"There are four families in Runera, each specialized with their fields. For example, my Vinera family is specialized in illusive, defensive, and barrier runes. The other three families will be here as well, and you will get to meet them."

"Shouldn't I learn all of them before meeting them?"

"They are unimportant," she said with a tug as they reached the stairs. "You just have to remember that my family has a lot of influence."

"I doubt my opinion would make the Ghost Ruler like your family more," said Arthur with a sigh. "I don't have the energy to deal with trivial politics."

"These four families rule the runic world, and you cannot call their disputes trivial. As long as a family gets more energy allocation, they can produce more artifacts than the rest and gain more wealth and connections."

"I guess this is the real appearance of the Runes Association," sighed Arthur. "Every runemaster listens to the figurehead, Runera, who is torn between four ancient families."

Arthur had no idea how these families formed, but it made sense that Runera does not retain single ruler overtime. Furthermore, it is safer than Runera falling into the hands of an incompetent ruler who brings it to the ground.

The four families were competitive enough to keep the wheels of advancement rolling, and Runera would not be in the wrong hands. It has made it this far without a rightful ruler until that ghost came along.

"This reminds me," muttered Arthur. "Who is that person in the cloak and bony mask? It does not make sense for Runera to follow the steps of any stranger who walks in, does it?"

"I cannot reveal such information to outsiders," frowned Julia before she kept going. "However, if you forgive me and tell no one of this, I will tell you."

"You want forgiveness for what you did?" asked Arthur with surprise. "But I am not the one who was wronged, but a dead man who's nothing but ashes now."

"I know that Arthur Silvera is never coming back to life," she said while looking down. "I cannot ask for his forgiveness, but you are here."

"This sounds like another scheme to get close to me."

"If I did scheme even this, doesn't that show you how much I want to befriend you?" she asked with a sigh. "Tell me what to do to win you back."

"Treat others with kindness," answered Arthur with a blank face. "I know that we are inherently evil, but try your best to be kind."

"I... will," she replied before offering her hand. "I don't need any help from you too. Even if I beg for help in the future, don't help me. Even if I am about to die like before, don't save me. This friendship is with no strings attached."

Arthur stared at her hand and then at Julia's face bathed in sunlight. Her brown hair was tied back with a hairpin, allowing Arthur to stare into her dark eyes.

"This is a bit childish, is it not? Aren't you in your thirties?"

"Twenties!"

"Late?"

"...mid," she blew her hair away. "This is getting embarrassing."

"It proves how far your sincerity goes," said Arthur as he circled her. "I cannot say that I'm not surprised with this gesture of yours. However, you must understand my cynicism after everything that happened."

"I have not been the best friendship material," she said, her hand still outstretched as Arthur circled her and stood in front of her. "However, everyone deserves a second chance, right?"

Julia stared Arthur in the eyes, and she did not try to seduce him or act coy. This time, her only weapon was sincerity, and Arthur knew that some people did what they needed to survive.

"A friendship with no strings attached," he repeated while shaking her hand. "I like the sound of that. However, I would be extremely disappointed if that turned out to be a lie."

"I will make sure that you are never dissatisfied," Julia said with a beaming face, and Arthur rolled his eyes before jerking her hand away. "What did I say?" she ran after him as he walked off toward the ball. "I did not mean anything!"

Arthur entered the ball with Julia, barely keeping up with him, and it seemed the party was in full swing. The aroma of food drifting as soon as they walked in, the sounds of laughter mixing with the music, and the bright lights hanging from the ceiling all screamed pretentiousness.

"I want to die," muttered Arthur as he stood at the door. Julia wrapped her arm around his before adjusting her stance. "I want to die more now."

"Be quiet and suck it up," she said while putting on her best smile. "This is good for the future of Ascent. Any guild in the world needs artifacts, and even if you create your own, Runera controls a lot of the rare resources."

"You suddenly care about Ascent now?" asked Arthur with a smile as the two began to walk on the light blue carpet.

"I care about my friends and their future," she said while tightening her grip on her arm. "Believe me, Alexie. Being everyone's enemy is easy. The real challenge is being their friend. Furthermore, enemies will find you no matter what."

"That is a great relief," said Arthur as he picked a glass from one of the waiters before nodding to him in thanks. "So, it is best to befriend all the families in Runera and not just Vinera?" he asked to probe Julia.

"You are testing me already," she smiled at him before nodding.. "I will make sure that every family gets a piece of the golden boy, but I will never let them take advantage of my friend."