It was amazing what a little bit of makeup could do. That, and a good night’s rest. Sure, she could recognise him, but he was different, somehow. On the way to the parade square, they made contact. The entourage was with her, all with their formal uniforms and weapons at the ready. For some reason, it was tradition for each person to be accompanied by a security escort of their own choosing. Though, perhaps this was a case where it really was required. In the history of the emperor competitions, it was common for the strongest and most proficient to win. Noble knights, and the sort.

Iris peeked through the windows of the palace. A sea of people squeezed together, and trying to take a look. Francis sighed, and rubbed his chest. Indeed, he did look weird.

“That doesn’t suit you at all,” Ms Kim said before Iris could say anything.

“I know. But you look dapper. Like a true Kingsman.”

“Heh. Good movie, though.”

She offered a handshake with her dark gloves. Francis took it, and she pulled him into a hug. What a Kingsman was, Iris did not know. Or what a movie even was. But it must have been an otherworlder thing.

“My Lord, you shouldn’t be seen doing this,” Katalina interjected.

Truly, it was a strange combination of uncoordinated outfits. Was this his revenge? A woman in a suit of armour, another in what looked like a formal business suit, and Iris in a regimental military uniform.

Ms Kim let go, and chuckled. He smiled. Though, despite their laughter and beaming, there was a tense air that settled around.

“Well, are you guys ready?”

“Of course, but I’m still not quite sure why I’m included here.” Iris eyed him from head to toe. The two were vaguely matching, far more than the other pairings.

“You’re an important part of my life. You and I are bound by fate.”

“That is true, but it's not that type of fate.”

“Fate regardless. Just be there for me, will you? You’re already here anyway. Just stand there and wave.”

The trumpets blared outside. That was their cue. Iris shook her head, and prepared herself. If simply being part of the escort group put a whole colony of butterflies in her stomach, she could only imagine what it was like for him.

The doors opened, pulled by two faceless guards. The sea swarmed and parted, a path of cobble revealing itself as the tides shifted. She was all too aware of the looks that they were getting. Iris wore a ceremonial sword, the leather of the scabbard still polished and shining.

On an elevated platform, the two opulent thrones stood in their full majesty. The people on said thrones however, were far from majestic. A sickly emperor, scrawny and bald, his arms thin and frail. And an empress that didn’t look much healthier. It was obvious that she let herself go. To think that the woman once considered the most beautiful person in the empire was reduced to a pile of fats and oil. Makeup caked her face, making her look more like a clown than anything.

“Francis Zesti Rayleigh.” The emperor coughed in between his words. “As the winner of the Arcleus competitions, you are hereby- Hereby crowned as the new emperor of the great Varexian Empire.”

Under normal circumstances, the ruling monarch would have had to give a long speech, recounting the empire’s rise to power and might, before finally handing the throne over. But it seemed like the pitiful diseased king had no intention to waste what limited time he had.

The trumpets played a triumphant tune, the loud and low brass drowning out much of the crowd’s clamouring. Several young ladies near the front of the crowd threw flowers at the new emperor, and shouted for his attention. With a sharp note, the door behind them opened again. Though the old ruler had nothing to say or do, and had hastily vacated the premises, the new empress was nothing like that.

The crown princess, actually just Empress Haein now, walked out. The flashy purple dress she wore had a high slit up the side of her leg. As the inheritor of the throne, she made her way towards Francis, and turned on her heel. Looking right at his face, they exchanged a few words. It wasn’t hard to see them together. She smiled, a genuine one. But, with an exhale, she nodded and got down to a knee.

“My dear. My soulmate. My lover. This is merely a formality at this point, but...”

The crowd went silent with anticipation. Everyone knew what was coming, yet everyone wanted to watch it. The newspapers had sowed rumours and tales of their long romance. Much of it was fabricated, of course. Even Iris knew that much. Just greedy journalists and publishers trying to milk this cow while it lasted. And the topic of royal affairs was always popular for gossip. Rumours of cheatings and affairs, as well as wholesome stories dominated the news.

“Will you marry me?”

The empress revealed a velvet box and popped it open. A modest ring, not a jewel too big. Even from that distance, Iris could sense the magic flowing off of it. Was the gem a mana stone? A deep red with a circular cut.

“Yes, yes! Of course I will.”

Empress Haein opened her mouth to talk, but every word that left her mouth was drowned out by the cheerings of the crown. But it seemed like she received a response, if her embrace said anything. Still, Iris did not let herself lose track, or get swept up by the crowd. It was all a farce. Her time spent with Francis and the quiet conversations they shared over a glass of wine and beneath the stars told her so. That was a man that did not love. At least, not currently.

“Come on, let’s join them,” Ms Kim shouted over the crowd.

“I suppose so.”

In the distance, above the crowd, she could spot the special guests of honour. Of course, the family of the betrothed was there. The raven black hair was easy to spot, that and their red eyes. Evidently, the ever haughty leader of the theocratic, diplomatic nightmare of a nation that is the church, was absent. She never expected him to come.

Iris waltzed towards the newly engaged couple. Most of the crowd was celebrating, if in different ways. Several brandished bottles of champagne, others cheered. But that did not apply to all. Dressed in loose grey robes, they resembled the footsoldiers of the destroyed Last Order.

“Wait, you see that?” Iris pointed at that group with her index finger.

“See what?”

When Ms Kim turned her head, they had disappeared. Sunk into the sea, like the tears of a crying sailor. The shouts from the crowd weren’t helping either. She scanned the horde for any sign of those cultists. Had she imagined it? No. No, that would be impossible.

“They’re gone.”

“Who's gone?”

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“Those ash robes.”

“Oh. The Last Order guys? Pretty sure I killed most of them.”

“I just saw a few of them.”

“They’re dead. I killed them.”

“Hrm. Okay.”

That was a dead end to pursue. Ms Kim seemed adamant in her belief. Did Francis notice, then? No, he didn’t. Neither did Katalina. Did she imagine it? No. But she kept her guard up.

When the crowds cheered again, Iris snapped back to reality. She turned back to the main scene playing out. Wrapped in a tight dance, the new rulers were locked in a deep kiss.

“Well, congratulations.” Iris clapped.

“I’ll tell you right now that it's purely a show,” Ms Kim said bluntly.

“Fairly obvious to anyone that knows them.”

“Tell that to her.” With her head, she motioned towards the lady in armour.

Answering the claps and cheers of the crowd with her own, it felt wholly fake. Hollow cheering and thin smiles, it was evident to anyone perceptive that the lady knight was not pleased. Her lip twisted, and her eyes downcast.

“Not really a perceptive one, huh?” Iris commented.

“No, she’s really not. I tried telling her many times but evidently my words fell on deaf ears.”

Once the celebrations and speeches wound down, all of them returned to the imperial palace. Francis groaned as he stretched, his bones and joints popping as he moved his body. He let a moan slip.

“Congratulations on your engagement,” said Iris.

“Thank you for being here for me,” Francis replied.

“So when’s the wedding?”

“We’ll probably be holding it next year. Then there’s the whole headache of an heir and succession.”

“Yes that’s right, dear. I was thinking that we’d hold it after the Hunters Festival?”

“That works. Also, I’m open to you having concubines and other lovers,” Francis said out of the blue.

“You shouldn’t be saying things like this in front of them,” the empress motioned to Iris and the other members of the entourage.

“They’re good friends of mine. I trust them with my life, so you can believe them and rely on them. As well as them not spilling anything.”

“If you say so. But I trust that all of you present are aware of the consequences that will befall upon you if I hear about any betrayals,” Haein said.

“I’ll see you later. But I wanna talk to them first.”

“Hm.” Empress Haein eyed them over. “Alright. But we’ll have to try again later. And the same applies to you, if any lady happens to catch your eye, feel free.”

“Good to know I suppose.”

The empress walked away, her long dress flowing behind her. Outside, through the stone walls of the palace, the noise gradually died down. Francis turned towards his entourage, and motioned for them to follow. Iris went along, with an inkling of what he wanted to showcase. If her suspicions were right, then undoubtedly Ms Kim would have had a hand in it, and knew what was going on.

“He showed you, right?” Ms Kim asked as she went to Iris’ side.

“What do you mean?”

“The gun.”

“Ah, that. Yes, it's amazing. Did you help develop it, by chance?”

“Heh, of course. He’s helpless without me.”

“I wouldn’t quite say that. He’s developing something else too.”

“He is?”

“Indeed he is. Did he not tell you?”

“Never. What is he working on?”

“Hm.” Iris furrowed her eyebrows.

If he didn’t reveal it, he definitely had a reason for it. But what could it even be? He wasn’t the type of person to withhold something just for the sake of holding it. And Ms Kim would have been a valuable asset in whatever he was doing. Iris would go so far as to say that she was his most valuable person on his side. Not Katalina, not Iris herself, but Ms Kim. So there must have been a reason.

“It's nothing. Just modifications to the guns.”

“Is that so? Certainly, a silencer would help. But personally I’d rather get started on making automatic weapons. Right now, it's just semi-automatic.”

“Sorry but I have no idea about any of the words you just said.”

“Oh, right. So basically, a silencer helps with suppressing the noise when you fire it. Of course, it’ll still be really loud, but it's something. He gave you ear plugs, right?”

“Even with those ear plugs I could still hear the shot.” She could recall the ringing, and shook her head.

“That’s the kind of power we’re working with. Though, maybe you have it worse than us. Your hearing is probably at least three times better right?”

“Certainly better. Not sure about the number though.”

Up ahead, Katalina and Francis exchanged words of their own. From afar, the two could be mistaken for a cheating man and an opportunistic woman. But close up, they seemed more like close friends who shared a deep history with each other. And Iris didn’t doubt that. Katalina served the Rayleigh family as their shield and sword for a long time, even if the knights’ goal was to defeat the same family that they served.

“What did it feel like? Firing a gun for the first time in your life?” Ms Kim asked.

“Before that, I’m curious about your history. A normal person wouldn’t know how to develop such dangerous weapons, right?”

“Well that, unless you’re a person living in a place called the United States. But that’s a mess to talk about. I guess in a sense, I’m not a normal person? I wouldn’t expect anyone brought here to be normal. Being somewhat unhinged might be part of the job criteria.”

“Are all the otherworlders like you two?”

“Have you met Amelia? She’s a ruthless capitalist that sources the materials for the weapons we make,” Ms Kim explained.

“That makes too much sense. The gods don’t look for normal people.”

“Makes you wonder how much the gods have influenced our lives here.”

“Every part of your life has been affected by the gods. The very reason why you’re here is because a certain pair of gods likes to see women surrounding a man and vice versa,” said Iris.

“Hoo, fascinating. Makes you wonder if they have a reason other than pure entertainment.”

Iris contemplated the motivations of the gods. What could they see from their eternal perch from the heavens? Or rather, why would they even bother with entertainment from mortals like her? Would it not be like watching an ant crawl around?

“Hello? Iris?”

“Oh, sorry. I spaced out. But the gods just treat us as toys. But you stood on equal grounds with a god before, no? When you were negotiating?”

“Yeah. Did you know that they are very, very stubborn people?”

“But you’re stronger.”

“Yeah. I outlasted her.”

“The goddess of magic.”

“Francis didn’t have the privilege to even negotiate, though.”

“I fear the world where he gets his hands on divine power.”

They stopped in the tracks. In front of a quiet room tucked away in a distant corner of the palance, Francis turned around. Right on his heel, he motioned to the area around him. Dust covered the windows. Francis’ nose turned slightly red from the irritation. But the dust probably shouldn’t have affected his ears. The edges of his ears were red.

“This is our base of operations. I trust everyone here with my life. Do you trust me with yours?” Francis started.

“I exist as your sword and shield,” Katalina said simply, as if that was all she had to say.

“You’re fun to be around, and I want front line seats to your romance.”

“And Iris wants to kill me. Alright. And everyone here wants to help the world, yes?”

There were various acknowledgements and half answers. It sounded more like a cult than anything else. As Francis twisted the doorknob open, Iris braced for the worst.

Instead of bodies hanging upside down, or jars of eyes, it was something far more innocent. A dusty room. A small round wooden table was in the middle of the room, the singular window providing the only light that leaked in. Several books of varying colours lined the shelves, though much of it was empty. Around the table, there were 5 chairs, all arranged in a circle.

He took a seat in a chair and crossed his legs. Francis motioned for the others to do the same. When Iris tried to sit down on his right, he waved his hand, as if saying no.

“That seat’s taken.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Now that we’re all settled down, I present to you...” He produced a brownish yellow folder form beneath the table and slapped it onto the table.

“You work for the CIA now?” Ms Kim commented.

“First rule of this group, don’t talk about this group to anyone. Second rule is that you don’t ask anyone here questions, nor should you lie. As such I will be perfectly honest from now on. This is a classified dossier of the scum that is within the nobility. I plan to dispose of them, as the empire has no use for these worms. Any objections?”

“You really are acting like a CIA agent. So are we gonna eliminate and topple governments?”

“Haha, we’ll see about that.”