Leonardo walked into the stall, at least slightly confident.
'Well, I may not have convinced them all, but I think that I've done a reasonable job at convincing them that I am the only trustworthy person, with no possible alternative motives. I mean, it should be obvious. I'm the only one who has no reason to save the orphans! It shouldn't matter to me whether or not we fail, as it won't really effect my status or position! It will effect all of them much more than for me!'
Leonardo looked around as the door to the stall was closed, to see the list of options in front of him.
"It's obvious that I'm going to be the one who they will decide on eventually. Even if it isn't this round, it will be the next or the one after that."
Leonardo pressed the 5 and submitted his answer.
"Heh heh.... little do they know, that I have no intention of saving them. I'm only here because I want to impress those women! If I save some orphans and make it out alive, then I can reap all the popularity and glory from doing so! It's a win win for me! They don't realize that, but it will be their downfall, and there's no way they could find that out!", Leonardo whispered to himself.
A large amount of time passed before the voice on the speaker then came on. He seemed to be somewhat irritated.
"Ah, you know what. I'm done with this. I don't even need you to select your answer at this point. It's too obvious. Not a single person here is decent enough to sacrifice themselves for the sake of another. Every single one of you is relying on deception, only to further your own goals and betray those you've made promises to. Even if you all decide to save the orphans, it's only because you gain something from it! Something more than saving the other four! To be honest, I'm sick of watching this. I won't claim that I'm better than any of you all, or that I wouldn't want to save myself if I were in your position, but COME ON! Not a single one of you has a decent motive behind your actions, and you've selected to save yourselves without a second thought! I'm done with this. Die, scum."
Leonardo looked around in fear on hearing this response from the announcer.
"Eh? What? What's going on? Is this some sort of malfunction? Or a trick?? Is this some sort of test?? Hey, listen to me!!! What's happening??"
"Maybe asking people to give their lives really was too much. I'll take that into account for the next round. Don't worry. Your responses have been invaluable data which will be used to improve the system from here on out."
"Hey, what are you talking about!?!"
Leonardo tried to open the door to exit the stall, but it was firmly locked. He rattled it back and forth, trying to escape, yet could not.
A cold sweat beaded down his neck, as he heard a mechanical vibration.
It was the sound of an extending tube. Leonardo looked up to see the tube entering the room.
"What is that? Wait!!! What's going on here!!! Tell me!!!!"
"Do you think that your women would stay with you if they found out what really happened in here? I don't know myself. Depends on what type of people they are. I guess there are some women who would stay with a good looking guy, regardless of how shitty a person he is. But don't worry. You won't live to find out anyways. You'll never know if your women are loyal to your precious looks and would follow you to the end no matter what you do, or if they would fall back in disgust after seeing your true self! Of course, there's a third possibility as well, but there's no way that anyone would be loyal to your shitty personality."
"WAIT!!!! STOP THIS!!!!"
"Tsk tsk."
Once more, poison gas filled the room.
A thud was heard as the body hit the ground.
"Next time, we will go for something more simple. Something a little less extreme, to test the motives of people when their lives aren't on the line. This entire thing has been such a disappointment."
The five men who had entered the room all lay dead inside their respective stalls.
Poison gas filled the air, so deadly that not even the insects could live after breathing it.
Not a single one had been able to sacrifice themselves for another.
Not a single one had even been able to put their trust in another.
Every single one had only wanted to further their own selfish motives, and Nathan didn't want any part of that. He was asked to determine if they were worth saving, and Nathan felt that he had learned enough about these men to firmly place his answer.
No.
None of them were worth saving.
Regardless of whether it was understandable to want to save ones self, not a single person had so much as considered doing anything but this. They were all human garbage, no matter what they said.
Leonardo would never again be able to show off to the women who he spent his life trying to please.
And at this, the speaker turned off, leaving only a static that played within the dark room.
----
[Still the same day, 8:00 PM. The 2nd day of the Campaign, after which the antiheroes have won and are celebrating their victory, while Coran is in the midst of testing the people of the village of Porta.]
Percius V, the young Emperor who was currently in charge due to his father's absence, lay in his bed surrounded by his harem of women.
It had been a long day.
So many citizens of the Empire had come to him, begging for allowances, loans, approval of documents, and so many other things that he couldn't even count them.
During the hearings of the day, the minister, Longitudinas, stood at his left side, and Senator Brutus stood on his right.
They were valuable subordinates, and were able to guide Percius in his new work. If Percius listened to their advice, he didn't run the risk of being removed from his position as the heir, as he could merely shift the blame over to them if anything went wrong.
Whether they made good decisions though, was another matter.
Percius could care less about each and every situation and citizen of the Empire.
To be honest, they were all so self centered.
Why couldn't they just keep to themselves? So many had come asking for land and money with vast proposals for projects and such, but this was so much effort.
'If I had any real power as Emperor, then I would simply have all these men sent away. They shouldn't be bothering the Emperor like this! I need to be attending to more important matters! But for now, I am nothing more than a puppet.'
One of the women leaned in on Percius.
"Hey, when you become the real Emperor, you'll make me the Empress, right?"
Another one leaned in from the other side.
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"No, it will be me! Right, young Emperor?"
Another one poked her head out from under a sheet.
"I think it will be me. Right?"
Percius however, was not concerned with these women.
Right now, he was busy thinking. He wasn't in the mood to be wasting time on them.
"Will you all be quiet? None of you will become the Empress if you keep annoying me while I'm trying to think!!"
"Yes, young Emperor...."
"I understand...."
"We're sorry.... don't stay mad at us for too long...."
Percius ignored their halfhearted statements and continued his thinking.
'I have so many ideas.... so many policies to implement and so many large scale projects and campaigns, but I'm nothing more than a puppet right now! Those ministers seem bent on keeping things the way they are, and that's fine for now.... but as soon as I really come into power, I want to make some big changes!'
A smile came upon the young Emperor's face.
'Yes!! Big changes!! My father is widely known and respected for his wisdom and policies, but what if I were to apply my own wisdom to the ruling of the country? I could become a legend!!! A legend as an Emperor, and as a ruler!! Haha!! What if..... what if I were to be the one? My father always seemed to have a dream.... a dream to take over the monster realm, but what if I were to fulfill that dream? No, even further! I can do more than just that!'
The young Emperor grabbed the women around him, bringing them in closer while still remaining deep in thought.
'I can do it.... if I become the Emperor, then I can take over not just the monster realm..... but the human realm!! I can be the one who takes over all four countries of the world, uniting them under one great and charismatic leader- myself!!! It's perfect! All I have to do....'
Percius sat up in his bed, looking over to his desk.
"You. Grab me the map from over there."
"Yes, young Emperor..."
One of the women got up wearing a bedsheet, grabbing the map and bringing it back to the young Emperor, who began glancing over it.
'All I have to do is put our country on full military status.... our five legions are the strongest military in the world! The elves and dwarves may have strange magical practice and strong warriors, as well as high quality equipment... but that is nothing compared to our 5 legions! If all 5 of them were to set off together to take over the world... it can be done!'
Percius set down the map, and continued thinking.
'But, I must be patient. I cannot risk making a move right now, lest my father return and strip me of my title before I come into power. That is the one thing I absolutely cannot allow to happen! Absolutely not!! I have to keep a low profile, and not cause any problems while he is gone. When he dies, and I take over as Emperor.... that is when my plan to take over the world will begin!'
Percius then recalled the entire mercenary system which his father had created, and smiled as he thought of this.
'Through all those mercenaries, our country has warriors even from all the other four countries! They are the top warriors in all of humanity, and they have been gathered here in this nation. Their knowledge and skills are now ours! If we focus completely on military strength and production, further bolstering our national power, then we will become unstoppable!! Haha! It's perfect! But I must be patient. I can plan, but I can't make any moves. Not until I take over as the Emperor....'
Percius then made himself comfortable, and proceeded to relax for the rest of the night.
Little did he know, that the next morning, a messenger would be sent.
No, not just a single messenger.
But 4 messengers.
All bearing bad news about the current state of the Empire.
----
Kyle found himself sitting in a throne.
Looking around, he saw a magnificent sight before him.
"Ah... perfect."
It was beautiful.
Sitting in the most esteemed seats of the noble court, were none other than his 7 mothers.
The other nobles, who had fled for their very lives that day when Kyle took over as king, were nowhere to be seen.
Of course, this was obvious.
Such filth did not deserve the title of noble.
Just what did it mean to be a '''noble?'''
It was such a pretentious title, and an even more pretentious position.
Every noble which Kyle had met was so obsessed with their own reputation that they would not so much as make eye contact with him when he admitted that his mothers were whores.
They ran, and refused to answer his questions when he asked what they would do if a whore were in front of them.
They were like insects, flocking from one pile of dung to another.
Kyle had chased them out of the throne room, and removed the king from his position.
The entrails of the king, as well as the blood around the room had been swiftly cleaned up as soon as Kyle had given the order.
Not a soul dared to disobey him. The maids and servants were at his command. His new 'brothers' and 'sister' did not so much as breathe without his permission.
His first orders to the guards were to take care of any remaining issues, and restore the peace in the palace.
Ryan was a man that Kyle felt he could trust.
"I am leaving control of the guards up to you. Spread the word that the evil tyrant King Ruthobold has been relieved from his position, and the hero has personally taken over the country as the new ruler. From this moment onward, I will lead this kingdom to justice."
"Yes, Hero!"
Ryan ran out to spread the word among the military of the Kingdom.
"You. Female soldier."
The woman who had fought with Kyle just earlier turned to him, saluting.
"Y-yes, hero?"
"You must be exhausted. I relieve you of duty for today. Go get some rest, and I will take care of things from here. There is much work to do, but I will need able people who support my ideals if I am to get it all done. Do you understand?"
"I understand! Thank you very much, hero!"
"Ah, what is your name, so that I may remember it?"
"Mackayla, hero!"
"Thank you, Mackayla. I can tell. You have a strong sense of justice. I look forward to fighting alongside you in the future."
"Your words flatter me!"
"I'm not trying to flatter anyone. I'm the son of 7 whores. Look over there? You see them? I'm a piece of scum, the filth of this earth, raised by those whores. These nobles, and this king.... they would never accept someone like that."
Kyle had ordered that his mothers were retrieved from the brothel immediately as his first order when he took the throne. He had left Ryan and his unit to the job. That was why they had been brought here.
"But why? Why, due to their own false ideals and standards, would they look at such wonderful people with disgust? Those woman cared for me. They raised me. They gave their very lives for me at times. They gave me the last piece of bread while they starved at times, and we all scraped by in the dirt. Yet, while we were doing so, these nobles didn't life a finger for us. Tell me, Mackayla. Does that make me the scum? My birth? My status?"
"No, of course not hero! The fact that you've come from such a low background only goes to show that anyone can become great!"
"But what about these people who noticed this, and allowed it to happen, even when they had the power to change it. They feared political repercussions. They feared being looked at strangely by the other nobles. They feared what would happen if their prestige were to decline. But most importantly, they didn't care what happened to the grime underneath them, so they did nothing to change the status quo. We don't need nobles like that. Nobles, who will flee for their lives, pushing and shoving others down to save themselves. How can they call themselves noble? They seem to be so proud of their sons, of their grades, of the way they raise their children, of their etiquette, of their wealth, of their status, of their tradition, of their lineage, of their legacy....."
Kyle spoke with a burning passion, and Mackayla, the beautiful female soldier, was encapsulated by his fiery desire for justice to those who were less fortunate.
"But all these things are merely pretension!!! All these things are material! They are not worth anything, if it is someone who would betray and lie through their teeth to appease others who has these things! Scum, who would shove others down while trying to escape and save themselves! I've come here as a hero to realign this system. To put this country back on the path to justice."
"Well said, hero! I.... may I speak freely?"
"By all means. I'm a commoner. Speak as if we were just two commoners having a conversation on the street. All these formalities, I think I am going to get rid of them while I am king."
"Well.... I just wanted to thank you..... I haven't met anyone in my life before who has been able to project their justice so boldly! To go directly against everything that has been established, and uproot everything to start it from scratch! I will serve you, hero!!"
Kyle smiled at this.
"Thank you, Mackayla. We need more people like you in this country. People willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. It is for that reason, that I think greatly of you. Now, go on. Rest."
Kyle then looked towards his 'brothers' and 'sister'
"What's wrong, dear royal siblings? Is there something that any of you would like to say to me? You all are giving me the same face that those nobles gave me. Don't tell me you all disagree with me as well? Hm? Is there something you all want to say to me?"
"N-no.... nothing of the sort.", Reginald said while averting his eyes.
"We would never say anything against your methods, hero....", Sylvester proclaimed quietly.
"Indeed....", Arctus agreed.
Reagan simply stated silent.
"Ah, I see. Very well then. So, I've been doing some thinking, and I think that those nobles don't deserve to call themselves nobles. I mean, just look at their responses! Anything but noble, if you ask me. I think that we need to replace the noble families with a new set of nobles. Nobles who are not bent on wealth, power, prestige, or politics. Rather, nobles who are simple. Nobles who use common sense, and do what needs to be done. Nobles who ignore these.... disruptions.... these distractions that take them away from truly assisting in the ruling of the country!"
Kyle grinned as he watched the concerned expressions- especially those of the two older brothers.
For they could do nothing against him. Whatever he said was law.
Whatever he said was just was. Whatever he said was evil was. This was what it meant to be the hero.
"I mean, look at the feud we had here in the noble court just recently! Nothing was getting done, because of two self serving factions, while people were suffering! We need to stop focusing on ourselves, and focus on the country as a whole. And the only way to do so, is to ask the commoners."
Kyle then turned to his mothers.
Irene seemed confused and concerned by the chaos around her.
Some seemed excited, whereas others were worried.
Riley seemed to be eating up the people around her with her fierce eyes.
"We will now, from this point on, have 7 nobles in this country. All final decisions will be left to me, the monarch. With this, we will finally be able to perform true justice, throughout this land."