Arc#4 Chapter 1: A Small Favor (Patreon)

'Done.'

Reivan leaned back on his office's chair with a sigh. It ironically made him seem like he was tired, but he wasn't sighing out of exhaustion — rather, he was sighing out of exasperation.

'It's barely nine o'clock in the morning and I already have nothing to do...'

A part of him wondered if it was really okay for him to have so much free time. But then again, his duties mainly pertained to military affairs ever since his father reallocated the royal tasks amongst the royal family's younger generation, so he supposed having nothing to do was a good thing.

The biggest reason he had nothing to do was because he had obtained a highly capable right-hand woman. It was two years ago that they first met in an arena, and two years later, Reivan could no longer live without her competence by his side.

She made him feel extremely useless though. To the extent that he wondered why he even got up in the morning.

'I guess this is also a good thing...?'

Having good subordinates was never bad. No matter how irrelevant they made their bosses feel.

Reivan looked down and checked over the paperwork he'd just signed off, deciding to check it over once again. After all, with how little work he was doing, he would no longer have a face to show people if he still messed up. Once he was sure everything was in order, he looked up as a familiar presence made its way over to his office's door and opened it without knocking.

The newcomer wasn't being rude though. This was an arrangement they'd agreed upon because it was cumbersome to have to keep answering the door when she went in and out of his office all the time.

"Good morning, Your Highness." Dame Gwendolyn greeted him with a nod before closing the door behind her. Then she walked right up to his table and blinked at the contents on top of it. "You've reviewed and signed off on everything?"

"Yes. There wasn't much of it anyway."

"Wonderful. As fast as ever, I see."

"Only because everything was summarized so clearly." Reivan shrugged as he started making tea — using [Formless Will] to place tea leaves into an enchanted pot placed on the far side of the office. "Thanks for that, by the way. You can take them now. Tea?"

"I'm just doing my job. And yes, I would love some tea." Gwen impassively remarked as she took the documents and flipped through them. Her eyes scanned through the words meticulously before she nodded and stowed them away inside her storage ring. "Everything seems to be in order, Your Highness."

"Great. Now what?"

"I can handle everything else from here. Your time would be wasted on these mundane tasks." Gwen strode over to her own desk, which was also inside Reivan's office. A cup of tea floated over to her and she plucked it out of the air without looking, and then took a sip before placing it down on the table. Then she laid out the papers there and took out a pen. "Until tomorrow, your schedule remains completely free."

Reivan sighed. He'd expected it. When compared to Jiji who was now working as a pseudo-ambassador to Arkhan and a minister, or his older brother who'd recently been crowned king, his life was quite carefree — but not as carefree as Mimi, though.

That girl only had training and Hector to worry about these days.

Initially, when he'd proven himself to the entire nation, Reivan had thought he would grow incredibly busy with all the tasks delegated to him. Especially since solid proof of another non-monster race within the outlands was obtained two years ago.

But he had been wrong.

Since that faithful day, Reivan was assigned more and more to military matters — which should have theoretically piled a ton of work on top of him. But Aizen wasn't at war at the moment — not out in the open, at least.

Knights were generally very independent and hyper-competent, capable of taking care of themselves barring special circumstances. Each knight belonged to a department, and each department had a set amount of resources that it allocated between its members. It had been this way for a long time and much thought had been put into the allocations.

Reivan decided that there really wasn't a need for Reivan to fix what wasn't broken. That's why he left it alone after checking it a few times.

Lately, the most complicated decision Reivan had made was which restaurant they would rent out for a "Welcome Back" party. The knights who had ventured deep into the sea to clear out a monster infestation were quite satisfied with his choice, so that had gone quite well. On a separate occasion, Reivan threw a solemn ceremony for all the knights who had died in battle over the last couple of decades.

But in the end, his current set of duties left him underwhelmed.

Reivan wanted to do more. A lot more than now.

'Unfortunately, it isn't time yet. But it should be soon...'

A smile bloomed on his face when he thought of his little side project in the republic. If all went well, they would finally have a way to infiltrate the Sage King's spirit tower — though it would be a significant risk to Reivan. But he was quite capable in his own right, and if things went horribly wrong, then he could just use the Sword Star's bell to make a quick getaway.

'I hope my little rat passes the entrance exams.'

Reivan thought that perhaps he should make another trip to Arkhan so he could give his spy some motivation.

'Speaking of motivation...'

"Gwen." Reivan looked up while fiddling with the buttons of his shirt. "How is that matter that I had you handle?"

"Which matter are you referring to, Your Highness?" Gwen's pen rapidly moved across the paper as she asked, not even looking up from her work. "Is it the trap for those Pentagorian smugglers? Managing your schedule with potential concubines? Or the anti-esper matters?"

'Whoops. Almost forgot that she literally handles everything...'

Reivan internally slapped himself for being so vague before answering with a sheepish smile. "No. The guest from Arkhan that I asked to be treated about two years ago."

"Oh. That." Gwen nodded in understanding, setting aside the finished document and picking up another one. "I've been wondering when you were going to ask about her, Your Highness. Did you forget about her until now?"

"Well..." Reivan cleared his throat and thought better of lying about such a small matter, so he nodded with a tinge of embarrassment. "Yes."

"I see. It's as I thought."

"I'm very sorry..."

"It's fine." Gwen shook her head dismissively, now writing on two documents at the same time, a pen in each hand. "I've been following your initial orders and ensuring that her stay is as comfortable as possible. She has been incessantly pleading to send a letter to her son though. I've been ignoring the request, but she's growing quite anxious. What am I allowed to do about that?"

Reivan tapped his chin for a moment before nodding. "Right on time. I plan to head to Arkhan to check up on things there. Tell her that the letter's delivery will depend on her son's performance though. If he fails the entrance exams, then no letters. Oh, and have you been cooping her up in that safe house all the time?"

"No. She has been allowed to go out to the balcony and the garden during mornings."

'The safehouse has a balcony and a garden...?'

Reivan felt his throat tighten at the cost of renting a property with such amenities, but he silenced his thoughts when he thought of his private income stream and the enormous budget that he could now use due to his position. Money wasn't as much of a problem now that he was an adult.

"Give the poor lady a break." He looked out of his office's window, noting how pleasant the weather was today. "Maybe allow her to walk around outside. Just supervise her. I doubt she'd make things difficult for us at this point. She has no way of communicating with her son and he doesn't even know where she is right now. The woman struck me as sharp. She won't misbehave."

"Understood."

"How's her condition? She was pretty sick when we snuck her through the border. I hope she's alright."

"There's no problem. She's cured."

"Really? That's good. What was her condition, by the way?"

"It's something called tuberculosis. Do you know of it, Your Highness?"

Reivan nodded but then realized that Gwen might not have seen it. "Yes, I know of it. It's good that the church was able to help."

"It's a simple disease to get rid of, really." Gwen seemed to be finished with her work and was now arranging the documents with clips and other things. "Even I could cure it with light attribute elementalism alone."

"Wouldn't you have to see inside them though?"

Gwen shook her head and pointed at her eye, or more specifically, her sight. She said nothing else and stood up. "I will get going now, Your Highness."

"Right. Thanks for the hard work. Take it easy sometimes."

"I appreciate your sentiments, but I like working hard."

Gwen bowed low and then smiled at him, her bright emerald eyes glistening in the morning light. She then turned around and left through the door.

Once again, Reivan was reminded that he had such a beauty for a secretary. If he were a bit more depraved and morally bankrupt, perhaps her looks would have been something to celebrate. But Reivan had grown out of that phase in his life, and he valued Gwen more for her skills — the eye candy was just a bonus.

A big bonus.

"Well then..."

Left alone in the relatively big office, Reivan also stood up and made to leave. After all, it was pointless to remain in his office when he literally had nothing to do there. His time would be better served trying to find a place to be useful or training to max out his might.

But just before his butt could fully part from the cushion of his seat, his door opened just a little and an adorable pair of blue eyes peaked inside.

Reivan smiled and sat back down as he beckoned at his niece. "Lisa? You're here to visit Bubby? Bubby is so touched!"

A lovable little girl stepped into the office with a slightly hesitant expression, her silky black hair tied neatly in pigtails. Her cute frilly blue and white dress bounced with each step, and in her hand was a bunny doll dragging along the carpet.

Lisanna, Reivan's first niece and possible heir to Aizen's throne looked up at him and tilted her head. "Busy?"

Reivan shook his head and beckoned her again. "No. Come in. Give Bubby a hug."

"Okay!"

All hesitation was lost as Lisanna dropped her bunny doll and raced up to him. In preparation, Reivan dropped out of his chair and kneeled on the floor while hastily moving aside any obstacles with his [Formless Will]. Eventually, her pattering steps brought him into a soft collision with Reivan's stomach.

"Oof!" Reivan pretended to have the air out of his lungs beaten out of him as he hugged her back. Then he lifted her up and sat back down on his chair, placing the adorable girl on his lap. Alone with his bundle of cuteness, Reivan couldn't help but speak in baby talk. "Lisa~ Have you eaten? "

Lisanna nodded, her pigtails bobbing up and down with the movement. With a bit of a pout, her words came out with a bit of a lisp. "I did. But Bubby wasn't at breakfast... even though Lisa waited so long!"

"Ah..." Reivan felt his heart clench and his hand automatically clutched his chest as he hugged her tighter. Then he rubbed his forehead on her cheek. "Sorry~! Please don't get mad at Bubby."

"Lisa's not mad..." The little girl hung her head, her lips pursed. "Nobody likes having eating with Lisa anyway."

"Hey, hey... That's not true. I like eating with Lisa. Your mom and dad do too."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying. Adults are just busy sometimes." Reivan chuckled and rubbed his cheek against the girl's plump cheeks.

She giggled at the ticklish sensation but seemed to remember that she was supposed to be sad. So her shoulders drooped even as her cheeks were smushed. "That's what you always say..."

'I shouldn't be thinking this, but she's cute when she's annoyed too.'

"Stop sulking~" Reivan lightly pinched her cute nose then raised her up in the air — a feat that was oh-so easy for someone so close to reaching the peak of a mortal's potential. "I'll tell you what. Let's go down to the town and eat some ice cream. You like that?"

"Yes!" Lisanna nodded vigorously and beamed at him, her eyes shining. Her previous mood vanished so fast that Reivan thought that she'd been gunning for this result all along. The cute little girl squirmed in his hands as she yelled. "Lisa will go change! Lemme go!"

"You don't have to change. Lisa's cute enough already."

'And I'm going to cover you up with a cloak anyway.'

"Gonna change! Bubby! Let go~!"

"Okay, okay..." Reivan chuckled and shook his head with a sigh, placing the girl down on the floor.

"Wait here!" Lisanna ran toward the door with hurried steps but stopped to go back and pick up the doll that had fallen on the floor earlier. Then she looked up at Reivan with a grimace, trying her best to look intimidating.

She failed, however. Lisanna was nothing but adorable in Reivan's eyes.

"Wait here, okay!? Don't leave!"

"Yes, yes..." Reivan drew an X on his chest and smiled. "I promise."

Lisanna smiled happily at that, not even considering the possibility of him breaking his word. She turned around and pattered off, likely to her room.

Reivan closed the door behind her with his willpower and leaned back on his chair. Since he'd gone and promised his niece he'd wait for her, he couldn't very well leave. Even if the empire attacked the capital right now, he wouldn't get up from his seat. So he closed his eyes and prepared to go into light meditation.

But it seemed today was a day for interruptions since just as he began to feel himself sink into a state of concentration, he felt yet another familiar presence walking toward his office — and this presence didn't usually come there.

Still, there was nothing wrong with his brother visiting, so Reivan preemptively prepared the type of tea that his brother liked.

As utensils seemingly moved on their own, he heard a bit of a commotion outside his office as the guards probably saluted Roland. Since Reivan already knew who was there, he didn't wait for a knock on the door and simply opened it with his will, gesturing for his brother to come inside.

"Hey. Good morning." Roland raised his hand in greeting with a smile. By now, he had matured into a dashing hunk who would make even other men acknowledge their inferiority.

Reivan still thought that he looked a bit more handsome though.

"Your Majesty," Reivan spoke with reverence as he stood up in apparent haste and kneeled on the floor, his head lowered. "This humble subject greets the kingdom's guiding light. I feel blessed in your presence and—"

"Oh, shut up..." Roland interrupted with an exasperated. He rolled his eyes and walked over to the nearby sofa, dropping down on it with an annoyed expression. "By the Sun God, Rein. When will you get tired of joking about that?"

"It hasn't been that long since your coronation, so I'd say I have about... six months to go before I feel like stopping."

"I'll have your head chopped off."

Reivan laughed and stood up, lest he truly annoy the newly-throned king with his foolish antics. He abandoned his office chair and went for the sofa opposite the one his brother sat on. Two cups of appropriately warmed tea floated over and set themselves down on the table between them.

"So?" Reivan picked up his own cup and took a sip, taking a moment to appreciate the refined sweetness mixed with bitterness before asking. "To what do I owe this pleasure? You're the king now, so you could have just summoned me instead of going all this way."

"All this way...?" Roland raised a brow and chuckled. "It's a three-minute walk from my office. It's not that far."

"The point stands. Kings can't waste even three minutes, so I should have come to you, no?"

"Well, I suppose that's true. I understand that even more now..." Roland nodded in agreement but then shrugged. "You're my brother, so let's just say that you get special treatment."

Reivan scoffed and shook his head. "How is father, by the way? I still haven't heard from him."

"Who knows? I haven't heard from him either."

"I see."

"But it's fine." Roland shrugged. "Lady Vianna's with him. And they won't be leaving Aizen during their little honeymoon. Sir Bobby is also staying in the general area."

'He has a point.'

Deeming Roland ready for the weight of the crown, on a seemingly ordinary day, Rodin had suddenly declared that he would hold Rolan's coronation a week later, surprising everyone at the breakfast table. Everybody had thought it was a joke at first, but a week later, it really happened.

Roland inherited most of Rodin's duties, while Reivan oversaw most military matters — though he was all but a figurehead at the moment. Jiji also carried quite a bit of the royal burden when it came to internal politics and foreign affairs. If only there wasn't an age restriction as well as a minimum time served in the government, Jiji might have been given the position of Prime Minister. She was a lot more useful than a hundred Reivans at the moment.

Mimi was the most useless child of all though, as she was just allowed to do what she wanted outside of showing up in events from time to time.

Understandably, Roland freaked the hell out for the first few days in office. But just as Rodin said, Roland was ready for the throne. After accepting his fate, Roland quickly grew into his role and flourished.

That had been roughly six months ago.

As for the former king himself, Rodin had gone on a well-deserved vacation. Apparently, he intended to make a circuit around the country for half a year or maybe a full year. This was also a second honeymoon for him and Vianna. The couple remained as sweet as ever despite the passing years. If Ascendants weren't barred from having children, Reivan might not have needed to be so concerned about the repopulation of his warbeast bloodline; his mother alone could have accomplished the work of several people, becoming a living baby factory.

"It should be about time for them to come back," Roland remarked, seemingly enjoying his tea. "Unless they're extending their vacation."

"I doubt it. Mother already felt conflicted about leaving since it would distance her from the little ones."

"True." The young king chuckled. He set down his tea and seemed to remember something. "I heard Lisa was with you before I came. Where is she now?"

Reivan shrugged. "Changing into different clothes. We're going out for ice cream. That's okay, right?"

"A little fashionista, that one. I dare not think of how many storage rings she'd fill with clothes once I allow her to have them." Roland shook his head, exasperated at his first daughter's antics. But the warm smile on his face showed that he didn't really mind. "Thanks for taking the trouble."

"Don't mention it. I like little girls, so I'm having fun."

"Careful with your wording. I'll have you locked up."

Reivan rolled his eyes. He obviously didn't mean it that way. "Lisa's nothing compared to little Anna though. She can't even walk properly yet but she's already gone to every corner of her room. Just wait until she can actually walk."

"Goodness, don't get me started on that one..."

Reivan laughed at his brother's expense, recalling how energetic his other niece was. And if things went well, a third child was on the way.

'Stella's really putting in the work...'

Everybody thought she would go through with the ascension she'd been holding back after giving birth to her first child. But then she'd given birth to another.

And a third one was already in the oven.

'Is holding back ascension easier than I thought...?'

Reivan thought it would be worth a try when his time came — if it ever did.

'Speaking of Stella...'

"How is she, by the way?" Reivan raised a brow. "My lovely elder sister-in-law, I mean."

'She didn't look so well, the last time I saw her.'

Reivan would even go so far as to say she looked downright horrible. Her skin had always been pearly white, but it had taken on a bit of an unhealthy glow. Even her skin was starting to sag and her silky hair lost its shine. Obviously, her antics were taking a toll on her.

"Against everyone's advice, she's still holding back her ascension. I don't really understand how it works, but it can't be easy." Roland massaged his temples as his shoulders slumped. "I think she wants to give me a son before ascending. Even though I don't mind daughters..."

"Plausible."

"I've talked to her about it though. Even if our third child is a girl, it's fine. Nobody likes seeing her in that state. Especially not me."

"She agreed?"

"No." Roland shook his head, then smirked. "But when Lisa cried about how worried she was, Stella gave in and agreed."

Reivan smiled and nodded. "Good. I hope it's a boy this time. That would set her mind at ease. I prefer girls, of course. They're cuter."

"Should I call the peacekeepers?"

"Don't. I'm innocent until proven guilty."

The two laughed and joked, talking about a few more other topics before Reivan decided that they'd caught up and engaged in enough small talk.

"So?" Reivan set down his empty cup. "It's still morning and you've diverged from your busy schedule to come and talk to me. It cannot possibly be just to chat, right?"

"Can't I just have a chat with my handsome little brother who is only slightly less handsome than me?"

"You don't have a brother who is less handsome than you." Reivan shrugged with a smirk. "And you would spend time out of your busy day with me instead of your sweet daughter who has been complaining about you not spending time with her?"

Roland groaned.

"Out with it." Reivan snapped his fingers twice, gathering his brother's attention.

With a sigh, Roland leaned back on the sofa. "I have a small favor to ask."

"Very well. I'll do it."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"It's really troublesome, you know?"

"It's fine."

Roland scratched his head. "I haven't even told you about it yet."

"I'm not that busy anyway."

"Is that so..."

"Right. As long as it isn't impossible or morally bankrupt, I'll do it."

"I see..." Roland smiled sheepishly. "Thanks for helping me out, Rein."

With a mischievous smirk, Reivan said. "You're my brother. You get special treatment."

Roland's eyes widened for a moment before he chuckled. "You brat."

Reivan laughed and rested his chin on his palm. "You don't ever ask for help, so you must really be swamped this time. What kind of brother would I be if I refused?"

"Stop it. You're going to make me cry, here."

"As His Majesty decrees, I shall cease at once. It is with utmost sincerity that I ask you to please forgive this loyal—"

"Gods. You ruined the moment, you fool." Roland rolled his eyes and crossed his arms and legs. "Wanna listen to the favor now?"

Reivan nodded, still smirking in good faith. "Go ahead."

Roland cleared his throat and said. "I hear you've been spending a lot of time in the republic."

"...Yes." Reivan sat up a little straighter. "Elsa is there. I've obviously been going to see her from time to time."

"You don't go to Arkhan from time to time. The time you spend there is suspiciously long."

"I have very high stamina."

"I know. But we both know that you aren't there just to have premarital sex with your fiance, right?" Roland raised a brow and then shook his head. "Anyway, what you do in there isn't important to me as long as you don't do anything rash. It's just that my favor involves spending a lot of time in the republic and you already do that, so I thought of giving you some tasks to do while you're there anyway."

"Oh." Reivan nodded in understanding. "I see. By the way, it's not that I don't want to tell you about what I have planned. It's just that things haven't even entered the elementary phase, so it feels foolish to tell you. I'll reveal things once it has developed enough and I have some results to show for my efforts."

"Is that so? Very well." Roland's face eased up a bit and he rubbed his chin. "I'll look forward to it."

"Please do so."

"Anyway, the task is to run the embassy over on that side."

"An embassy? We had an embassy there?"

"As of a week from now, we do."

"Oh."

"Father focused heavily on internal development, but I see potential elsewhere." Roland shrugged as he gestured at his cup, nonverbally asking for more. "I understand him, of course. That place exists. And we have all sorts of other plans under the table. Aizen has taken numerous steps forward during his term, and that's just on paper. If we consider all the other things that aren't open to the public as well as the foundations he has set for future development, one can say that Aizen has flown forward under Father's regime."

Reivan nodded as he listened, using his willpower to prepare more tea while his brother talked.

"But looking at it in a different way, he hasn't done much for everything else. Our diplomacy is atrocious. Horrendous, even. International trade is minimal too. We could be so much more."

"And that's why you're starting an embassy there?"

"Yes."

"And you want me to be the Ambassador...?"

"For now, yes."

Reivan nodded in understanding. "I assume Jiji will take over for me after a while?"

"What? No. What is wrong with you..." Roland shook his head, gazing at Reivan as if he was an idiot. "That would be a waste of her talents. I absolutely want her as Prime Minister here one day."

"She's a bit too young for that position, no? The minimum age for Grand Ministers and above is forty. And you have to have served Aizen in some way for at least twenty years."

"That's why I said one day. She's not ready yet, but I don't want her to waste away in some other country on an endeavor that's experimental at best."

"...And you're sending me?"

"Rein. I love you. You're a great brother to have. I would fight the world with only a stick in hand for you." Roland leaned over the table and patted Reivan's shoulder with a serious expression. "But between you and Jiji, which one is more useful lately?"

"...Jiji."

"I'm glad that you know. Ah, and don't get me wrong. It's good you have nothing to do. It means everything is as it should be and safety isn't an issue. But..."

"Stop it. I understand. Stop attacking me with facts and sympathy."

Roland gave his little brother's shoulder one last pat before going back to his seat. "At least you're not Mimi."

Both brothers burst into laughter at that. They both loved their little sister, but the fact she wasn't suited for any desk job was an open secret that everyone — including the person herself — had accepted and joked about. Mimi herself knew her weaknesses, openly ignoring them in favor of developing her strengths instead.

"Anyway." Reivan rubbed the back of his head with a thoughtful grimace. "What does being a temporary ambassador even entail?"

"Nothing much." Roland shrugged. "You're basically there as a figurehead. A representative of the royal family and whatnot. You know, your presence alone shows that Aizen is sincere in building relations with Arkhan. That kind of thing."

"I see."

"I can't send just Jiji yet, nor can I send Mimi. They are adopted. And even if we have accepted them as family, others may not agree."

"That's true. Ah, but you'll send a bunch of diplomats and stuff with me, right?"

"Naturally. I don't trust you that much."

"...You don't have to say it like that." Reivan feigned sadness before raising a brow and bringing up a topic that occurred to him. "Can I bring some of my people too?"

Roland thought about it for a bit. "Dame Gwendolyn?"

"No. I was planning to leave her here to handle my matters."

"No need. Since you're doing something I asked of you, I'll take over some of your duties. It won't be too much trouble."

"Really? Thanks." Reivan nodded. "But I have private holdings here that I was planning to have her take care of while I'm gone anyway."

"Oh. That's true. Leave her here then. Or she can just make weekly trips back and forth. You've set up a portal that leads to somewhere within the republic, right?"

Reivan frowned in suspicion. "So you knew about that."

"I have my ways. Good work with that, by the way. We've been trying to set one up there for decades. To be honest, when you took over a criminal organization, I was a bit put off. But you were really on to something with that move."

"The portal's small and it's not complete and running properly yet. There's still a risk it'll blow up or something. I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up."

"That's still better than me and Father. Good work. I guess you weren't bleeding the treasury for nothing."

"...Thanks. I suppose I wasn't being subtle."

"Yes. You absolutely weren't." Roland chuckled and set his empty cup down with finality. "So? You'll do it?"

Reivan nodded. "I already said I would. I am nothing if not a paragon of honesty."

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You have used [Essence of Falsehood]

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"Bullshit. Even your ability wouldn't have made me believe that one." Roland shook his head with a smile. "Anyway, get your affairs in order. You can bring your people too. Just make sure that your estimated time of arrival is any morning before a week from now. The delegation is ready any time, though even I wouldn't make them leave today."

"Understood." Reivan also stood up. He already sensed that his niece was close by, so he would meet her halfway — those short legs weren't meant for long-distance travel, after all. "Should I go on my sky arc or yours?"

"You can use the Royal Arc. This is a time for showing off."

'Nice.'

Reivan smiled and followed his brother out the door.

Needless to say, when Lisanna saw her father, she immediately began pestering him to come with them, eventually winning against his excuses with innocence and persistence. Somewhere in the king's office was a pile of documents that needed checking over, growing with every minute.

But that would be a monster for tomorrow's king to vanquish.