Tenth author's journal 2: Mikhail

25.2_Sacrifical goat

Chapter 25.2: Blood moon ball

Andromalius walks away with a disapproving shake. It's unusual for me to be so assertive like that. It was the usual retreating and allowing the other to contribute appropriate solutions. Today does not appear to be a rational day; was it worth claiming this pride as my own?

The blood moon ball, as the dark bishop has stated, is an important aspect of demons. I might as well get ready before the ball starts. It was the waning gibbous moon in the sky tonight, so they will happen in a week or so.

I spent the following week studying the documents that the dark bishop had assigned to me. Never an evening has the dark bishop missed the presence of visiting to check on my progress while carrying those passive thoughts. Despite the fact that I have memorized them according to the time of day, my etiquette is still criticized as being unflattering and only imitating old books.

Andromalius has been extremely busy the entire time, as I didn't see him anywhere at the palace. Shin is occasionally called in to fill in for him as my caretaker.

"My lord was preoccupied with the village's conduct, I beg your majesty's pardon," Shin said on his first day as Andromalius' replacement. Only then do I comprehend what his brother meant by "shyness."

Shin was my caregiver for the entire time, and he rarely spoke or communicated with me unless I asked him to. It was difficult for both of us, but he would open up later when the opportunity arose. For the time being, having someone to catch me if I fall is reassuring.

The day comes without incident, and with Shin's silent farewell, Andromalius returns to the palace. It is concerning whether he will back down from his devotion due to the aftermath of my harsh declaration. The carriage is decorated in gold and black and is pulled by two centaurs.

The road is laid with telekinesis magic, so the only reason not to use teleportation is out of obligation, with the royal displaying their wealth and the strong displaying their strength, the simplest rules I can recall.

The uneasy tension remains as long as no one breaks the ice; do I have to be that one?" "Has the work in the village been completed or has it stalled?  I will make the time to do what you will ask," I ask. Neither of us is brave enough to continue with idle conversation.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your kind thought. There has been nothing to worry about." Andromalius responds so the village duty was merely an excuse to avoid me. I won't judge him for doing so, but it was a lame excuse to lump work and personal preference.

"Has Shin done his job well? I haven't seen him so relaxed in a long time." Andromalius asks abruptly, which is natural given that I have previously inquired about his whereabouts.

"He did well as a bodyguard but lacked wisdom in comparison to you. Concerning openness, I prefer he be so I don't like putting obligations on others," I respond grudgingly, "shyness" aside Shin was a well-thought-out caretaker. He has frequently made tea and supplements at the end of the night, for which I am grateful.

"Truly, you are so generous to him," Andromalius responds as this brief interaction concludes.

… For another hour, the ride is still silent; I don't want this to be a business module; I want to be between friends, not between a sovereign and a subject.

"Please disregard the formality, sir Andromalius. I don't want you to put on the escort act even when we're alone." I give the order. He was quite intrigued when I said.

"I'm not sure what façade you're referring to, but if you want me to be informal.  I'll say whatever you wish me to say, Mikhail." Andromalius laughs.

"Were you still enraged by your last meeting with the dark bishop, Sir Anromalius? I was afraid you would withdraw your support if you so desired." I'm not going to beat around the bush, so this may be difficult to hear. However, he shakes his head.

"Enrage? No, it was a little unexpected. In these hours, your determination is unwelcome, but you are not in the wrong. As you may declare, a sovereign never bows to others out of fear." Andromalius declares with a strong growl. Even the centaurs stray from the path of the impact.

The carriage ride concludes shortly thereafter. The majestic castle greeted us as we stepped outside. It was said that it was always hosted in the main palace of either seven demon monarchs, with the host being their descendants because the monarchs all vanished after the sealing. Only I knew where they went as they entered purgatory.

Purgatory was once an empty space where the Garden of Eden existed between many intervals of blank space. It is also the location of the unconscious souls of the seven demon monarchs and the ten greatest sepharims after the sealing.

Nowadays?... For no apparent reason, purgatory has evolved into a world where immortal creatures go after death because their souls are no longer bound to the simple death and life cycle, resulting in unique destructions. In times like this, it is inappropriate to continue this line of thought as we step into the monarch's castle. This ball is set in lord Abaddon's castle, monarch of Sloth.

Stepping inside the entrance hall, the rule is written as "State your name and the authority that you represent to the bell ringer. They will organize your announcement when you enter the mess hall." It is also up to the authority whether or not you cut the line.

"Where do your name and authority come in?" The bellringer stands guard outside the large golden door, which must be at least as tall as Andromalius' side. They haven't suspected what I am, or at least what I used to be, because my angelic appearance has been gone for a long time.

"You are Saudade's sovereign, Mikhail.  The authority of the third archangel." The bellringer's quill pen snaps in half when I make an announcement. She looks surprised as she scans up and down at me. Andromalius was registered as my caretaker, so his authority was irrelevant.

"So, the infamous betrayer. To meet you in this condition... I expected you to be more...authoritarian. Please come this way." The large golden door swings open completely. The banquet sparkled with gold decorations and lighting. They appear to be painting a realistic image of a typical banquet.

"Here comes Saudade's sovereign, Mikhail." The bell from the bellringer rings, bringing the crowd to a complete halt. As I walk in, whispers fill the hall, glittering slivers are no longer filled with food, and brimming blood-red wine arrives without a cheer.

"Is it the betrayer?"

"I thought ones like them ceased to exist long ago?"

"Ah, oh did they have taken the kingdom by force?"

"We should not have let it sullied our party. No matter whether it is a sovereign or not."

These whispers were so loud that they obstructed my vision. I can't think straight because I'm filled with rage... I need to stay away from it. After all, this is my debut with the demon royalties.

"Don't worry about them; I know you're upset with them but remember why you're here." Andromalius cheers me up, but he has to come around and be social as part of his job.

Standing alone at the table, I try to present the best version of myself. "Show no weakness because they will exploit you; declare your authority so they will cower before you." The dark bishop's lesson is still fresh in my mind.

Across the hall, there is someone at the banquet who is in a similar situation to mine. I'm not the only one who feels isolated and despised at this party. I have to fight my way through the crowd of royals to get to this one.

Bring me a glass of wine, and I introduce myself: "Greetings, my name is Mikhail." Would you like to share a glass of wine with me?"

"Oh, Saudade's sovereign. You appear to be more dignified than the previous ruler." The dull ruler looks over, his hand fidgeting with a small hell flame. He wasn't interested in talking, so it had to be a polite withdrawal.

"Thank you, and who are you?" In my opinion, he and I can bond over our disinterest in aristocratic matters and put on a front for an alliance against enemies of some kind. After all, the dark bishop isn't going to forbid me from having political relationships.

"You can address me as Rangorr. I am a demon "king," but no one recognizes me as one, so I must remain here. Would you distrust me if I am not one?" Ragnorr blurts out everything as if to see if I'm a friend or foe.

"There's no reason for that. You've known me as a Saudade sovereign, not just an angel betrayer. Why would I be suspicious of someone like that?" I respond with the title from before, whether he forgot or didn't care about defaming me.

"So you're much more likable than Kryos," Ragnorr adds his thoughts. The ball keeps going for so long that I've lost track of time as if it were enchanted by some kind of slowing spell.

"The ceremony is about to begin," Ragnorr says as the scarlet light begins to rise. "You should return with your caretaker; it is critical to have the ancient one by your side when this happens."

Farewell to the new friends, the hall quiets from the chit-chat, and the scarlet light rose replaces the glittering gold of before. The blood moonlight shines upon the unlucky demon to contribute to the world's meditator as the ceremony concludes. None of them survived more than two years before passing away mysteriously. I'm hoping I'm not chosen to be the sacrificial goat.

I rush over when I see Andromalius on the side. I didn't notice the scarlet light on the ceiling shining down on me. What should I be expecting? In hindsight, I should have known when I stepped into the hall.

"I had no idea you'd be the goat, or should I say the lamb, this night." As the line of demons splits, a voice emerges from the crowds; the voice is familiar, to say the least.

"Well, it's time for me to formally introduce myself." Ragnorr emerges from the crowd, clapping. So the formality and demeanor were a trap.

"Ragnorr Abaddon, host of the 13th blood moon ball. It's a pleasure to guide this blood moon's goat."

The end

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Roar as the earth shakes.

Scowl as the wind blow.

Birth of the new reign.

Start with a quill pen.