[Two Weeks Later - Outside Ophally Hall, Located in Central Tondon]

Everything about Nally’s dress was magnificent.

It was the right shade of baby blue, complementing each and every one of her curves. It dropped perfectly around her legs, giving ample room to move while still appearing classy. Plus, it featured one of the latest trends in fashion of late – a wasp waist!

Getting her hands on the piece was difficult. It cost a whopping sixty ducats, enough to feed a family of ten for a week. But it was worth it. She was going to be the star of the show. Nobody would be better dressed than her.

“Are you done looking at yourself?”

She heard Hitto call.

Compared to his usual chaotic self, he was dressed rather well. His jet-black hair was gelled and parted to the right, and he wore a standard grey flannel suit. Ned, who was standing right next to him, wore the exact same outfit. The only difference was that his hair was parted down the middle, complemented by a pair of round spectacles. His expression, however, was dark compared to the cheerful Hitto.

“You know what they say,” Nally chirped. “The best way to view yourself is from a fountain! Plus, this plaza makes me feel like an important princess! It’d be a waste not to enjoy it!”

Ophally Hall is one of Tondon’s many great attractions. A grand marble plaza forming a checkered pattern leads up to a sizeable dome-shaped glass building encased by a granite cube exoskeleton. It is heralded as a feat of engineering, with law-defying construction needed to make it a reality.

Nally finally moved away from the fountain, twirling around as if she were a ballet dancer. Her movements were hypnotic and enchanting, timed to perfection. Eventually, she waltzed toward Hitto, extending an arm to her friend. He reached for it, and the moment they were about to touch, she pulled hers away.

Hitto fumed, stomping his feet on the ground. “What the hell!” he yelled.

“Haha!” Nally laughed. “Great reaction!”

“Are you guys done playing around?” they heard Rurah bellow.

He was off to the right, sat on a bench with ample shrubbery forming a little garden behind him.

He wore a white button-up dress shirt with khaki-coloured trousers. The trousers were equipped with black straps that wrapped around his shoulders. What stood out the most about his outfit, however, were the pink socks he wore. They were blatantly visible due to his trousers being cuffed at the ankle. To Nally, he was a fashion nightmare.

“Rurah…” she sighed. “Next time we’re attending a banquet, I’m gonna put your outfit together.”

…

The moment they entered Ophally Hall, Ned was whisked away by Dr. Scale and a contingent of his trusted invigilators. He wore a determined expression, seemingly ready to face his father.

Earlier in the week, Rurah told Nally about the inevitable meetup between the duo. When she heard this, she couldn’t help but compare Ned’s situation with that of her own. Both fathers were dismissive assholes who took their frustration out on their children. In Ned’s case, it was straight-up physical abuse, while Nally dealt with purposeful isolation. The sets of issues culminated in attempts to flee home, with the only difference being what was left behind.

For Nally, there was nothing, no baggage. She was free to run away with Hitto, and so far, her father hasn’t pursued or halted her progress. On the other hand, Ned’s fleeing meant he left his siblings behind, which, in his eyes, was abandonment.

That was the difference.

And it was a stark one.

Nobody can fathom the weight he felt when he made that initial decision. And now, years later, it’s coming back to bite him in a full circle moment. As his friend, Nally can only hope he’s able to deal with whatever comes his way during that discussion.

It was going to be decisive.

…

After parting ways with Ned, the trio was escorted down a golden hall lined with exquisite paintings and decorative furniture. They reached the centrepiece of Ophally Hall, an open dining area accented in emerald and gold. Renaissance art dotted the dome-caved ceiling, leading toward an enchanting chandelier in the middle.

On the ground, the party was already getting started. Well-dressed and well-mannered people mingled about at tables or couches. There was laughter, debates, clanging of drinks, and much much more. Indeed, a celebration for the ages.

Hitto tugged at Nally’s dress, directing the blonde’s attention to the back of the hall. Food was being served on two long rows of tables adorned by white cloth.

“Look at the line,” he snickered, licking his lips.

Rows of people with plates in hand eagerly awaited their turn at the table.

“Should we join?” Nally asked. “A long line means good food. Plus, I’ve been feeling pretty hungry since we got here. I could go for some hot cocoa with scones.”

“Only that?” Rurah chuckled. “I could eat a whole Ox right now. Let’s go!”

But the line proved tedious. Around ten minutes had now gone by, and they were still nowhere near the table. Nally finally caved. She was hungry, but not that hungry. She told Hitto and Rurah that she was tired of waiting. The duo laughed mockingly, with Hitto stating she wasn’t a true ‘food connoisseur.’ Nally simply shrugged off the comments and decided to roam around for a bit.

While exploring, she saw a few of the other successful candidates.

Jonah was off to the side, talking to a large group of older men. They looked eager to speak with him, butting into each other as they got their points across. Jonah, on the other hand, looked swamped by the attention. It was probably a tad too much for someone as meek as him.

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Stefon and Monica, the duo she and Hitto defeated during the quarterfinals, were also present. They sat at a large table with other familiar-looking people from the examination. Their section laughed a lot, which was completely warranted after such a difficult test.

Suddenly, Nally’s attention was drawn to a lady with a unique shade of light purple hair. It was tied neatly into a bun with a cute butterfly clip keeping it in place. The lady’s dress was also eye-catching, an all-black slip style with a slit on the right side revealing her leg. Her hands were fashionably covered in faux gloves – another new trend. Though Nally could only see her from behind, she could tell the lady was talking to a group of onlookers who looked quite upset.

That was when she remembered something Ned had told her.

“Members of the Vargas family are famous for their distinctly purple hair,” he had said not long after his fight with Lancer. “People say it’s been dyed by the toxins they use to harm others, reminding everyone that they’re a threat.”

Nally swallowed hard.

Was that Crystal? If so, why was she out of custody? She was supposed to be under house arrest and strict surveillance. It didn’t make sense to see her out and about mingling at the celebration. Nevertheless, there was only one way to find out.

After patiently waiting for the conversation to end, Nally approached her, tapping her on the shoulder. The lady turned around, revealing a beautiful face decorated by two beauty moles directly below her piercing purple eyes. Upon setting those eyes on Nally, her lips curled into a soft smile.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

“Sorry to bother you,” Nally replied. “Are you, by chance, Crystal Vargas? My name is Nally Stenner. I’m friends with Ned.”

The girl’s smile instantly disappeared. A cold, distant expression emerged in its place.

“I am,” she stated flatly. “What do you want? Go away if it’s nothing important.”

Nally smiled. She didn’t expect the sudden shift to aggression. Was it because she mentioned Ned? Or is it because Crystal has a short fuse? She wanted to know more.

“I was just curious. Your father. He tasked you and Lancer with stopping Ned, yet you both failed despite arguably being stronger than him. I know Rurah got in the way at times, but still. I don’t think you guys -”

“IT’S LANCERS FAULT,” Crystal practically yelled.

Their part of the room went silent as concerned heads turned to face them. Crystal’s jaw clenched as she stormed past Nally and the crowd surrounding them. She pushed everyone who stood in her way, beelining for an opening to the balcony on the other side of the room.

Once she was gone, anxious murmurs enveloped the crowd.

“What’s that girl’s problem?” one person spoke. “Those damn Vargas think they're untouchable.”

“You don’t say,” another added. “Doesn’t she know her families being investigated? Soon, she won’t be able to act like that.”

“You’re right about that!” a third laughed. “She’ll be stuck in Lawt Prison with that bitch father of hers! It’s only a matter of time!”

The comments were getting more and more aggressive, so Nally decided to take her leave. She headed for the balcony, where groups of people were fleeing with worried expressions.

Crystal was there, standing by the edge with her hands firmly on the railings. Tears flowed from her eyes, sparkling solemnly amidst the night backdrop. Periodically, she dropped her head excessively beyond the railings before lifting it toward the sky.

“You okay?” Nally asked softly. “Sorry.”

“I don’t care,” Crystal choked. “It’s whatever. I’m used to it. Most people hate me before I even speak, so it’s fine. This past year has just been difficult. I’m tired… tired of pretending, tired of competing, tired of existing. It’s just so difficult.”

“Just imagine… Today alone, whenever someone approached me, it wasn’t to ask how I was or anything like that. They only ever cared to interrogate me over something I know next to nothing about. ‘I. Don’t. Know…’ Each time, I’d tell them that. Yet still, they persist and persist and persist. It’s draining. Then, you come over and start critiquing the way me and Lancer tried to stop Ned. What for!? It doesn’t involve you. It doesn’t concern you. Shut up about it.”

“Sorry,” Nally repeated. “I didn’t realize I was adding to the pain you were already feeling. I was just trying to understand why you and Lancer didn’t work together from a neutral perspective.”

“Neutral?” Crystal scoffed. She turned to face Nally, wearing a mocking grin. “You're Ned’s friend. How can you be neutral!?”

"I meant it analytically. You see, my family situation isn’t the greatest. My mother died when I was young, and I don’t see eye to eye with my father. As a result, even though we both cared for the domain we were responsible for, we constantly got in each other’s way. I was just wondering if your situation with Lancer was similar. I’m sorry that my approach was poor. I didn’t think it through well enough.”

Crystal stood dead still, staring daggers at Nally. It looked like she was waiting for a reaction, but Nally did not budge. Finally, after what felt like forever, she eased up slightly.

“I don’t like Lancer,” she gritted. “I hate him. He was never supposed to exist, and for the longest time, that was the case. I think it happened a year ago… one of Dad’s closest advisors called me and my older brother Trox to the Chamber. It was there I met Lancer for the first time. Turns out he was the child of a prostitute my dad slept with years ago. I guess he was scared his political enemies would use that against him, so he hid the stupid kid. Anyways, none of that matters to me except for the fact that he was replacing me in the line of succession.”

Crystal bit her lips so hard that they began to bleed.

“I was mad. So mad. For my whole life, I was training to be second in command. I was okay with that. But now, a man who wasn’t even my dad was telling me I was being replaced by some bastard kid who came out of a whore. WHAT BULLSHIT. I wouldn’t stand for it. I demanded to see Dad, yet they said I couldn’t.”

“They didn’t let you see your dad?” Nally asked.

“Yup,” Crystal laughed. “It didn’t make sense. Dad replaced me and didn’t have the guts to tell me himself. I haven’t seen him in over two years now, and I don’t care to see him either. Fuck them all.”

“But the mission,” Nally questioned. “Was it your dad’s advisor who told you about Ned’s dad… Sven Sommers plan?”

“Nope,” Crystal spoke. “Sven came to us personally. I saw that mission as a way to regain my standing in the family. As you can probably tell, it amounted to nothing. Instead, I got interrogated by Dr. Scale and told him everything I just told you.”

It was all starting to make sense. Rurah and Ned knew nothing about Lancer because he was hidden from the public eye. And the reason why he and Crystal failed to cooperate was because of the latter’s hatred.

What was puzzling, however, was Mollox Vargas. Why hasn’t he seen Crystal? Is it because she’s third in line? Would that mean he’s still seeing his other children? The only way to find out is by finding either Lancer or the now-mentioned Trox Vargas. They hold the answers.

But in the meantime, there was something else Nally wanted to know.

“I also got interrogated by Dr. Scale,” she began. “I was accused of being a terrorist called Mask who attacked during the tournament examination. Thankfully, my name was cleared after some Mana and Incantation tests, but it was still scary.”

Nally shivered before continuing… her hands going cold.

“I was in pain from being impaled, yet that test administrator didn’t care. He forced me to answer all those questions right after going through that gruelling experience. And now, I also had no choice but to attend this banquet.

“Same,” Crystal sighed. “I didn’t want to be here. I hate it here. Dr. Scale said I had to come so he could keep a ‘close eye’ on me. I think that’s bullshit. I think he just wants me to see for myself just how much people hate my family.”

Nally frowned.

“That’s disgusting.”

----------------------------------------

[Back in the Hall – Near the Food Tables]

Hitto was back in line for his fourth plate… the food was just that good. He hadn’t had a meal like this since his time in the Stenner Grove prison cell. Who knew Sir Alfonso’s cooking would have such a lasting impression?

“You look like you’ve been enjoying yourself,” a man chuckled from behind. “If you haven’t already, I highly suggest trying the Beef Wellington. It’s cooked to medium rare with the perfect amount of crunch and creaminess. It’s not often that someone gets it this right.”

He turned around. A tall, lean man greeted him with a warm smile. His skin was tanned, and he had long, thick, wool-like hair that reached his shoulders. His golden eyes gleamed when Hitto made contact.

“Sorry, who are you?”

“My name is Isaac Lawt,” the man answered. “I’m the Warden of Lawt Law Enforcement, the keepers of rules and regulations within the Association. I also help run the Warrior Examination. Anyways, I’m here to offer you a proposition: I saw your strengths during the tournament. I believe you can help justice fight off those who wish to abuse a system meant to be fair.”

He held out a gloved hand, motioning for Hitto to take it.

“What would you say… to joining Lawt Law Enforcement?”