DECORUM

"No, now that the fight's over, let's now discuss other matters," Duke Philip said. They had all gathered in a summer hut.

"Right, there's going to be a ceremony held at the Capitol to officially name you as the champion of Dio'ri," King Gorges said.

"You're expected to be there as well, Sasha."

"As long as darling's going, I'm coming along too," she replied, hugging Kojo.

"Right, well, the thing is, I'm supposed to be there at the ceremony; however, an envoy from the Goblin King," Duke Philip said.

"Apparently, some goblins have banded together to protest the relations between goblins and humans. They call themselves Decorum. They believe that goblins and humans shouldn't be equals, as they believe their race is superior."

"That's terrible," Adriana said.

(I see.)

"Why do you always call him the Goblin King? Doesn't he have a name?" Kojo asked.

(Oracle: He's the highest-ranked goblin with quite the attitude. He's a Mogul, the highest form of goblin who boasts incredible abilities. Apparently, he views having a name as being bound, so he prefers to only be referred to as King.)

"I see. So basically, goblins have a beef with humans 'cause they feel superior. I'm guessing it's because they have a higher affinity for fire magic and are more efficient in extracting Mystium," Kojo said.

"Okay, now that you mention it, I haven't seen a single goblin since I got here."

"It's because of the activities of Decorum that a lot of people of any race are afraid to travel between cities. We were on a mission to strike one of their bases in a nearby village, and let's just say things got a little... out of hand," Mord said.

"That's why we called for reinforcements from the city. Sorry we weren't there for your match, bud," Mal said, punching Kojo's shoulder.

"I don't see why this is a problem. Aside from the politics involved, subjugation of a rebel group with low popularity on both sides should be simple," Koniko thought.

(It is rather odd. Even taking into account the possibility of an interloper in our midst, the issue shouldn't be at a standstill for this long. It seems there are more factors at work.)

Jack noticed Kojo deep in thought.

"Is anything the matter?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's just... This group, Decorum, or whatever they call themselves, should be eliminated by now. Let's assume there's someone leaking them information; dealing with extremists such as this should be simple. In fact, such a situation can be used to our advantage if we give wrong information and strike them all in one go."

Mal rubbed his chin.

"Ya know, that is a pretty concrete plan. Why didn't I think of that?" he said.

"You mean you've been taking the direct approach and using brute force all this time?" Kojo asked.

"Yep," Mord said with his hands behind his head.

(These guys...)

"Decorum, though a threat, has a quite predictable strategy. Wreak havoc while pointing fingers at either side in order to cause a war. At present, the situation is barely under control, but barely," Jack said, his voice suddenly becoming grave at the end of the sentence.

The atmosphere suddenly changed.

"Even though their numbers are small, there are always casualties on our side anytime we attempt a subjugation. There's this drug. They call it glamor. It boosts arcana flow to the point where they can refine the air a few inches away from them, significantly increasing all physical stats. Three of them took out a legion of a hundred men," Mal said.

"The downside is that they lose themselves, becoming berserkers. They kill purely for the pleasure of it and enjoy inflicting pain," Jack said.

"We heard there was an attack at a village in the south," Mord said, leaning forward and looking at the ground.

"We rushed over, but we were ambushed by the beasts they had tamed to carry out their vendetta. By the time we got there..." He clenched his fist so hard his nails cut into his skin.

"I can still remember the aftermath. The village was razed to the ground. Charred bodies, dismantled corpses, dismembered body parts, and..." He let out a heavy breath, his eyes were bloodshot.

"And unborn children ripped out of their mothers' wombs." Blood dropped from his hand. Lin gasped and hugged Koniko. Adriana covered her mouth with her hands, and Sasha frowned.

"That's horrible," Sharone said with tears in her eyes. She looked at Kojo and gasped out of fear. Kojo's eyes glowed, and his bloodlust caused those present to tremble.

Mord put a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm yourself. It's true that we're struggling, but rest assured, the perpetrators will be brought to justice. C'mon, Mon, trust us," he said. Kojo calmed down and sighed.

"You're right," he said, returning to his usual self. "I'm sure you can handle it." Mord's hand tightened on his shoulder.

Kojo looked up at him. He had a crazed look in his eyes.

"I swear I'll kill them all," he murmured.

"Yeah. And make sure you decapitate a couple for me too," Kojo said and smiled, stunning Mord. He collected himself and smiled back before walking back to his seat.

"The king will be returning to the Capitol in a few days, and in light of those events, you're going to be accompanying him. Consider it your first duty as Champion," Duke Philip said.

"Because of the discussion with the Goblin King's envoy, I won't be able to go to the tournament. Reynolds and Adriana will act as my proxies at the event," Duke Philip said.

"But Father, this is so sudden," Reynolds said.

"No, it's not sudden. Both of you were planning to go to the academy for your graduation, right?"

"But," Adriana began.

"Wait, what graduation?" Kojo asked, looking at Adriana.

"We graduated from Jewel Magic Academy this year. Our graduation was postponed because of the tournament. I came home early because I wasn't feeling well," she answered.

"That's great," Lin said, hugging her.

"But aren't you too young to be graduating?" Kojo asked.

"Um, I'm a year older than you," Reynolds said.

"Nope."

"Huh? Aren't you 17?" Reynolds asked, confused.

"I'm older than I look," Kojo said.

"How old?"

"Way older than 17," Kojo said, sticking his tongue out and crossing his legs on the chair.

"Of course you are. Are you even human?"

"Course I am," Kojo said.

"I'll also be going to the Capitol. I have to go to the church there to resolve some issues. Since you'll be in the Capitol, you should come too so I can introduce you to the church," Yukio said.

"Why, though?" Kojo said.

"It's procedure. Besides, the church is an autonomous body. You going there will signify continued cooperation between both sides."

"So it means I've reached a point where me scratching my head could cause a war," Kojo said.

"Yep," Yukio said, smiling at him. Kojo sighed.

Oslon saw all this happening through a crystal ball. He sat on a crate in a warehouse under the city. Goblins were carrying crates. They had human-like features aside from their skin. One of them tripped, and a vial of silver liquid went flying. A goblin caught it. This one, apparently the leader, was bulky and had a menacing face.

"Be careful!" he yelled. The other goblin hurried away. The lead goblin looked at the vial in his hand.

"You know what to do, Kron."

He looked at Oslon, who smiled sinisterly.