"Are you a pawn, Kazuo… or a player?"
Cedric stood half-turned, the golden light of morning cascading through stained-glass windows, scattering fractured rainbows across the polished floor.
Kazuo didn't answer.
Cedric turned slightly toward him."Not that it matters," he said softly, almost thoughtfully."Because in the end, even players can be sacrificed."
He nodded toward Setsuna, expression unreadable."You'll join the Royal Guard under his command."
Kazuo's brow furrowed. He glanced at the man, then back at Cedric."This Setsuna guy? Is he like a special knight?"
"The strongest in Yurelda," Cedric replied.
That answer hit harder than Kazuo expected. So that's why he talks to the king like that.
Someone so powerful is under the king's direct command?
Kazuo's voice hardened. "And if I refuse to play along?"
"Then your precious Gramps will die."
Kazuo's breath caught. The mask slipped for a moment — Cedric saw it and smiled faintly."Shocked? Did you think I wouldn't do my research?" He stepped closer, voice colder. "I know everything."
Kazuo clenched his teeth.
"But a threat alone won't be enough," Cedric continued. "Like you said, Setsuna, this has to be public. Controlled. So we shape the story."
He moved toward the high dais, each step a drumbeat of inevitability."You will enter the Tournament of Nobles."
Kazuo blinked. "…The what?"
Even Setsuna's posture shifted."Isn't that a little early to be held?"
"Which is why I'm holding it early," Cedric said. "The people are restless. We give them a distraction — a new face."
"I don't want to be part of your circus," Kazuo shot back.
"You don't have a choice," Cedric replied.
"You think showing me off like some political puppet will stop anything?"
"Not stop. Delay. Misdirect." His golden eyes didn't waver. "It's a gamble — but the safest one we have. They'll see you but won't know what to make of you. Some nobles will grow uncertain, others resentful. Division starts with doubt. And the lowborn will whisper… maybe you're a sign of change. But as long as you fight under the Crown's banner, those whispers stay whispers — easy to silence if they grow too loud."
Kazuo exhaled sharply.
From the corner, Setsuna smirked. "Hey, at least you get a cool uniform. Might even impress a girl or two."
"Do you ever shut up?"
"Nope."
Just a pawn in a game I never agreed to play.
All he'd wanted was a quiet life. Now Gramps was a hostage, and he was being used — not as a man, but as a mask to pacify the nobles. Then a thought struck him, sharp and sudden.
Wait a minute… if this is all about eyes… what if—
"Fine," Kazuo said. "I'll enter your tournament."
A beat.
"But I want something."
Cedric blinked once, folding his hands behind his back."Why should I entertain a request from someone with no options?"
"Because," Kazuo said calmly, "you called it a gamble. Even if I play along, you can't predict me. So why not reduce the risk? Give me a reason to cooperate without resentment. I'm not asking for power — just one concession."
"I'm listening."
"There's someone. A friend. Brown eyes. Commoner. Name's Rei."
Cedric raised a brow.
"He's a skilled merchant. Sharp, adaptable, trusted in the lower crescents. I want him promoted — given an official position. Low-profile but real. Government informant. Courier. Liaison. Someone nobles overlook but who can move between circles. It'll show goodwill — that even a commoner can be acknowledged under the right conditions."
"And in return?"
"You get my full cooperation," Kazuo said. "No resistance. No trouble. No games."
Cedric glanced at Setsuna."Doesn't hurt," Setsuna said. "If it keeps him in line."
Cedric's gaze returned to Kazuo — thoughtful, calculating."A brown-eyed commoner? That kind of inclusion would stir more trouble among nobles."
Kazuo didn't blink."Then here's another reason."
A faint smile touched his lips."You can't kill Gramps."
Cedric tilted his head. "And why is that?"
"I don't care if I die," Kazuo said quietly. "But you wouldn't risk killing someone tied to nobility — not unless you wanted the entire bloodline unraveling."
Cedric's golden eyes narrowed. "You're bluffing."
"He's nobility… isn't he?"
The silence pressed down like the weight of the Crown itself.
After a long beat, Cedric exhaled slowly."The one thing I respect about you is that you're not a liar. You mean what you say — and that tells me you're taking this seriously."
He stepped forward, lowering his voice."Very well… but understand this. I may not be able to touch your old man without consequences — but a brown-eyed commoner like your friend?" His gaze sharpened. "I could erase him from the streets before sunset, and no one would even ask where he went."
Kazuo's jaw tightened.
"So here's how this works," Cedric continued. "From this moment until the tournament ends, you will abide by my terms. You will not leave the upper city without my consent — and you will not step into the lower crescents under any circumstances. You train where I say, speak to who I approve, and attend every match as scheduled. Any deviation from these orders, and Rei disappears before you even realize he's gone."
He let the words settle like the closing of an iron gate."Follow those rules, and I'll see what can be done for him."
A flicker of gratitude crossed Kazuo's face.
"But don't mistake this for mercy," Cedric said sharply. "Or agency. Don't confuse this illusion of choice with real control. This isn't for you. It's because there are stakes in this game bigger than you, your friend, or even me."
Kazuo's smile faded. He believed him. This wasn't kindness — it was strategy. And he was just a piece being moved into place.
Cedric looked to Setsuna."You'll watch him. Guide him. Kill him if you have no other choice."
Setsuna gave a lazy two-finger salute. "And miss out on all this drama? Wouldn't dream of it."
Cedric walked to the door, paused, and spoke without turning back."Preparations must be made. The tournament awaits."
And with that, the king left the room.