Rem faced the young Princess with a sinister smile. For him, the term ‘mean words’ never existed. There only opinion and fact existed. No sane human cared about opinion. But the truth, especially in its truest and crudest form, was painful. If there was a factor to measure a human, it was an ability to face the painful reality and bravely accept it.

Only by accepting and understanding reality could a person grow.

Complaining about ‘mean word’ used to convey how harshness of truth was the first sign of weakness. For a human, it led to ignorance. And ignorance in a leader translated to catastrophe.

Let it be known that Rem was the true follower of true equality. He would chew out any men or women regardless of age and position. External prettiness and position had zero swayed on his opinion.

And thus, Rem spoke with no intention of keeping prisoner.

“Hello there,” Rem said with a blatantly friendly and trustworthy smile. “And who might you be?”

“Princess Velnia of Starland.”

“I already know that,” Rem pointed at the two stooges sitting behind. “I am looking at the guest behind you.”

Behind her, Albert Starling and Mercia looked at each other. They came in a formal dress and tuxedo for the party, but the current mood was akin to a battlefield. Everyone opposing the boy sensed something crawling in their skin. It was like they were witnessing the spiral of creation. An omniscient presence was looking at them behind the mask.

“I am Mercia Auric.”

“Albert Starlight.”

“Yes, I know both of your reputation very well,” Rem said. “If you may excuse me, Princess, I need to make Ms. Tianshang feel worse. May you get out of the way?”

“No,” Velnia answered politely. “I think you’re her lecture is incredible mean-spirit. Isn’t it already enough? Ms. Tianshang made a mistake, so you please just let bygones be bygones.”

Rem smiled, trying to get a read on Velnia. She sounded sincere, but most people sounded sincere before they buried high-velocity lead in your skull. He needed to probe her.

“You believe that is it—lesson learn, and all is forgiven? Chuang have turned my friend’s life into a nightmare for most of her childhood. I can’t see why holding my punch will serve any purpose.”

Velnia looked at Rem with disgusted.

“She already knows she is wrong! And you are holding what happened many years ago against her? Isn’t that too unreasonable? Palma Creek already happened. Lady Chuang and Lady Chuang can still make-up! What is the most important thing in the world right now is to unite all of mankind against Tai Hua?”

Rem blinked.

“Are you serious? Is this April the 1st?”

Velnia looked at Rem like he grew a second head.

“What is wrong with you? Why can’t you accept the fact that everyone can be friends?”

“What about the two stooges behind you? I heard that one of them beaten an Earthling you take in half to death? And I also heard that Mr. Starling have a reputation as a scheming sell-out.”

“That is false accusation!” Mercia yelled. “As a noble knight, I would never do such a thing?”

Rem snorted.

“Really,” Rem said. “Every noble family here have to step over someone to get where they are. Let be honest with yourselves, those who brag about their nobility is the last person you expect humility from. The greatest act of nobility is the one make without a purpose for influence, something you make by risking the ultimate price with zero-benefit. We are selfish, so start realizing in said selfishness.”

Velnia calmly said.

“Please tell me what is wrong with you?”

Rem stopped.

“What?”

“Selfishness isn’t a good thing,” Velnia said with such innocent beautiful eyes. “How could you accept such a base emotion so readily? Isn’t such evil something we need to get rid? Everyone should pool their resources to build a better future—a perfect paradise where everyone is happy. Please, your petty criticism does nothing for that world.”

What Velnia said got Rem stunned. He never expected this to happen. In that moment, he finally worked out how LinLey infiltrated Starland. The severity of the situation dawned on him like a car crash, but Rem only smirked. He only found this amusing.

Thus, Rem Breaker cracked out laughing.

“HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!”

Rem couldn’t control himself. He struggled toward the drink, trying to stop himself from convulsing. He breathed in and out, much to the mixture of horror and curiosity of the guest. Rem wheezed toward a terrify waiter and swiped a drink from the tray. The boy sighed to heaven, counted to three, and gulped the alcohol down.

He turned toward Velnia and started the roasting.

“Princess Velnia, are you perhaps live under the notion that the word like ‘sorry’ and ‘let be friends okay’ is all it would take to solve the problem?”

“It might sound impossible, but that is my dream,” Velnia said.

Rem dropped his mockery somewhat. He could understand an impossible dream, but dreams were only achievable by incorporating reality. However, the princess was utterly oblivious to her situation. That was why he needed to be harsh.

“What you have is not a dream. It is a delusion. Not that you don’t try hard enough, but you don’t understand, or even want to understand, the obstacle up ahead.”

“What do you mean?” Velnia’s tone changed. The man in front of her pressed her nerve. 

“You said everyone could forgive each other,” Rem pressed. “What would happen if I kill Mr. Starling and Ms. Auric, turned to you, and say I am sorry? Would you forgive me then?”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

The question hit the bulls-eyes. The Princess wanted to convince Rem otherwise, but she could only manage one feeble reply.

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe one of Mercia’s men rape my wife, or Mr. Starling drive my father’s business to the ground, or I don’t like their politics. Whatever it is, there are hundred reasons for a random person on the street to murder you. If that happen, will you just let bygones be bygones the moment I apologize.”

“You are taking this out of context!”

“Do you think your people will forgive Tai Hua after what she did?”

“They will understand!”

“From the word of a princess who live in the tower of joy? Look at yourself, enter the room in a pretty dress, attend by two servants, shelter from the storm by your position. You are the last person they want to get a lecture from.”

Velnia said nothing, and Rem mounted the full-on counter-assault.

“Now let me ask you a question? Why do you think I am sure you are delusioning?”

“Because you hate me,” Velnia replied saintly. “You are enjoying conflict because it make you happy.”

“No, it is because the company you kept, in this case LinLey Tianshang”

Everyone froze. No one believes this man could be a human. He beat Chuang to submission with words, looked down on the Princess of Seven Continental Alliance, and now slandered the Heavenly Daughter of Water. Who was he? Did this man know the meaning of fear? How could any underwear contain his ball?

“What does this have to do with LinLey?”

“Aham!” Rem coughed. “Princess, it is an honor to meet you. I humbly apologize for my senior sister's action. As her junior, I cannot allow Tai Hua to implicate the innocent into the bloody regime, so I am humbly asking for your cooperation to deal with our shame. I believe this is the first step into uniting the world.”

Rem stared at her.

“This is probably what LinLey sold you, right?”

“Yes, because unlike you, Ms. LinLey know the meaning of cooperation.”

Rem pointed at the blinking Chuang.

“Can you believe it?” Rem snickered and nodded toward the Heavenly Daughter of Fire. “Do you have anything to say, O-Heavenly Daughter of Fire?” 

Chuang couldn’t help but cracked a pitiful smile. She might dislike Rem, but she respected his opinion, which was much more than she could say about Velnia.

“I am grateful you come to my defense, Princess,” Chuang curtsied while as she spoke with pity. “But I have to warn you: LinLey is the anti-thesis of honesty. That hell-spawn love pitting people against each other ever since she was five.”

Cytortia joined in.

“Chuang is right. Remember that time we tried to sneak into Kar’Dia’s workshop! That backstabber threw me out as a distraction, called Tai Hua, and sneaked inside herself while we were busily running into each other.”

“The Wednesday Massacre,” Chuang glowered nostalgically. “That bitch lied to us from the very start—underwater ruin my ass. All those efforts just to extort Kar’Dia’s dagger. Then that sword-idiot went ballistic after Kar’Dia started crying. The most frustrating thing is the two-face bitch somehow convinced the blockhead that I am also in the ploy.”

Cytortia cried at the memory.

“That fight set my lab on fire! Why don’t you do anything to her?”

“Shut up! Do you know how many blackmail materials she has? Don’t worry about her, shrimp! The moment I nail the traitors to the goal post you will get a turn shanking her in the gut as well! Seriously, woman, who the hell teach you to trust that underhanded bitch!”

“Underhand? She is downright malicious!” Cytortia cried in fright. “That laughter is damn scary!”

The audience stared at the two Heaven Daughters dissing the unpresented member. They watched as two seemingly out of reach figures  devolved into a vengeful ranting and questioned when did they get transport to an alternate reality.

“I understand you must feel frustrate about LinLey,” Velnia tried to calm them down. “You three are friends, right? Why don’t you just come to Starland to meet her!?”

She failed.

""NO FUCKING WAY!!!”” Cytortia and Chuang yelled.

In that moment of lost Rem struck the blow that ended it all 

“Princess, you said you want a paradise where everyone is happy,” Rem said. “But don’t you notice that, for a split second, I unite two people who never see eye-to-eye, while you fail. Doesn’t this prove that my selfishness triumph over your forgiveness?”

Velnia wanted to say something else, but the murmur of the entire room clouded her response. Everyone finally realized that Rem just do the impossible a second ago. He united Chuang and Cytortia—two people infamous for their mutual animosity—cohesively under a single banner. Velnia could claim anything she wanted, but the single moment of fact outclassed every persuasion she could line up.

If the last suggestion broke the debate, the following ended Velnia.

“Know yourself and not your enemy, your chance of victory is halves. Know both yourself and your enemy, you will triumph for eternity. Know neither, and your only fate is failure,” Rem lectured. “You declare your enemy is selfishness and evil, yet you refuse to respect it—stupidly, childishly call them unclean as you avert your eyes. Worse is the total assurance in the flawlessness of your ideal. Each words you uttered declared your inability to accept any contrary opinions.”

Rem continued.

“You refused to know the enemy and don’t realize your own flaw. In this aspect, you are far worse than Chuang. At least the girl respected her opposition. You dismissed them from the start. The ineptitude and naivety you displayed would be hilarious, if it isn’t so tragic. Who do you think you are? You are no commoner without responsibility. No. You are the crown Princess partially responsible for the well-being of your people. Your slip-up create corruption. Your ignorance led to tragedy. Tai Hua already fucked your country, and you still have a nerve to lecture a stranger. If you don’t like my wording, the door is over there — get moving. Don't you realize I can tell you one million lies for you to keep living in that happy bubbles? I can smile like LinLey and make you love me, but your people don’t have that luxury, so what coming from me will be the truth and only the truth.”

Rem glared at her.

“The truth hurt, but it strengthens you,” the boy said. “What will it be? Will you run to the door or will you hear what people really think about you?”

“Shut up, bastard,” Mercia came at Rem with a punch.

But Rem already saw it coming.

The boy moved to counter, but a magical wall abruptly flared between them.

Velnia stumbled back into the arms of a waiting gentleman. He was a man in a black church uniform and a white scarf. She blushed the moment she came face-to-face with her rescuer. Albert Starling, who was hanging out of the background in fear of a verbal bashing, suddenly leapt up at the development. The young minister couldn’t believe his luck.

“Incredible wisdom at such a young age,” the young man nodded toward Rem. “I have to ask what did Cytortia offer for your loyalty.”

“You seem to think to think I work for Cytortia,” Rem said. “I would to call our relation a partnership.”

“Ah, that explain it,” the young man said. “Mr. Lantern, is it? I have to say Green Lantern is quite an exotic name.”

“The Madam was jesting,” Rem said. “My name is Hal Jordan; an adventurer archaeologist. Green Lantern is just a title Madam gave me.”

Mercia snorted.

The young man ignored Mercia and offered Rem his hand.

“Orwell Mehest, lord Jordan. Please excuse the Princess, she is new to politic”

Rem shook his hand.

“No need to apologize. Beginners must start somewhere.”

Orwell winked at the blushing Princess and turned toward Albert Starling.

“You must be lord Starling,” Orwell greeted. “I have heard about your recent promotion. Congratulation on your new post as Princess’s personal tutors.”

Albert shook his hand enthusiastically.

“I am surprised such an insignificant news reached you, lord Orwell.”

“And you must be Mercia,” Orwell nodded toward the female knight. “I have heard the rumor about your ferocity and beauty and I cannot say how much of an understatement is those rumor.”

Orwell leaned over and kissed Mercia’s hand, causing the blushing young knight to light up with a mixture of shyness and satisfaction.

“Ahh, it is nice to reunite with my colleagues,” Orwell said. “How are you guys doing, anyway?”

“Good enough,” said Chuang.

“It is nice to meet you again, Mehest,” Shyme said politely.

Cytortia nodded, but refused to say anything else.

Mehest smiled warmly at his old friends. He held Princess Velnia by her hand and whispered warmly into her ears.

“Come with me, Princess,” Orwell Mehest sweetly said. “I believe Duke Lamington booked this building partly because its impressively view.” Orwell looked adoringly into the Princess’s irises. “I must tell you Venistalis’ light is something you will never forget.”

The blushing Princess gasped with sudden delight as the gentlemanly figure led her to see the glimpsed of the imaginary paradise. Mercia stared dreamily at the handsome gentleman, while Albert Starling barely contained his excitement.

“Cy,” Rem said when the figures vanished. “He is one of the 33 Stars, right?”

“Yes, Orwell Mehest, one of the noble mages from Ikle. He ranks 30th out of the 33 Stars.”