"And why is she allowed to sit at this table?"

"What?"

Jytha stared in disbelief, never expecting such a question.

"I mean, he’s an Otherworlder King."

White said, pointing to the brown-haired, chubby man.

"And he also is an Otherworlder King,"

pointing to the other blue-haired man.

"But she..."

He said, pointing right at Jytha. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Is an Otherworlder Duke."

"Was I locked up for too long in the darkness and didn’t know Otherworlder Dukes now possess the same authority that allows them to sit their lower ass together with mighty Otherworlder Kings?"

"You bastard!"

Jytha screamed and lunged for the mug, aiming to slam it onto White’s head, but the blue-haired man moved first, grabbing her hand inches away.

"Patience, Jytha. He’s an Otherworlder King."

He said, as she clicked her tongue frostily, snapping her hand back and sitting down, but then White spoke.

"Can she give some space? I want to talk to Otherworlder Kings in their right minds."

"Not an immature Duke enough to be forced into anger from simple words."

"After all, we all know suggestions from an angry man might as well be the braying of a donkey."

He added,

"Give us some space..."

The blue-haired Otherworlder King said to Jytha, who had anger and disbelief written over her face.

She had just been asked to leave by the same people who had treated her like an equal just because another Otherworlder King appeared.

"Just a minute."

The brown-haired Otherworlder King added, and she turned to White, giving him a death stare before storming off the table.

"Now that’s much better."

"To divide us from her...is that your goal?"

The blue-haired man asked the second she was far enough, as White took a sip from his cup.

"That...is a poor conversation starter."

He replied.

"It will lead to nothing but a defensive skirmish talk. I don’t shy away from such, but I do not do so for someone relatively unimportant."

He called out,

"Let’s rebegin with...I’m Viktor. An Otherworlder King from The Dark of Melyssia."

"The Dark of Melyssia?"

The blue-haired Otherworlder King mused beneath his breath, unable to contain his shock, and even the brown-haired Otherworlder King sat up straight.

"I don’t believe that."

He spoke.

"You have no..."

He was saying, but the words paused on his lips when space above White’s (A/N: Now Viktor’s) head fractured, and from the depths, sharp rays of pitch-black light appeared.

A circular halo appeared, radiating a darkness that seemed out of this world.

"Halo."

The blue-haired man completed just as the halo faded away.

"I hope that clears away the first distrust."

’An Otherworlder King from The Dark of Melyssia. This is more troublesome than I thought.’

"I’m Kaedal, an Otherworlder King from The Valley of Norris."

The brown-haired man introduced himself as his right eye glowed a deeper brown, and a rune appeared, giving the sensation of a powerful storm ravaging a desert land.

"Valley of Norris..."

Viktor mused beneath his breath, spinning his juice before he turned back and asked,

"Enlighten me, King Kaedal."

"Isn’t Norris the Patron Otherworlder who betrayed an Otherworld Emissary and, as punishment, was reduced to nothing but golden sand to be buried eternally at the Valley of Elverdoom?"

Viktor asked as disbelief flashed in Kaedal’s eyes.

"I’m surprised you’re aware of the story of the First and True Origin. After thousands of years, many have lost the truth of it. And yes, the Valley of Elverdoom was eventually renamed the Valley of Norris."

He said.

"I understand the need for a change of name after thousands of years of history."

Viktor replied, before turning to look at the blue-haired man.

"I am an Otherworlder King, and I have no reason at all to listen to your command."

He said, gaze lit in suspicion, as both Viktor and even Kaedal turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Tell me, King Kaedal."

White called to the brown-haired man.

"Was having that female Duke a suggestion of yours, or his?"

Viktor asked, and Kaedal turned his eyes back to the blue-haired man before a glow filled his eyes.

"Oh, I understand now."

Viktor said with a smile.

"Understand what!?"

The blue-haired man said.

"Look,"

Viktor said, leaning forward, his voice lower.

"I understand a couple of things about love, myself, but I have to say...when important matters are being discussed, love needs to be put in its place."

"It does no good for a King to have his mentality impaired by such a mundane thing. That’s undoing for a King’s image."

"What are you..."

"Besides,"

Viktor cut him off, continuing,

"Using such words as ’I have no reason to listen to your command’ can sound like an undermining of King Kaedal’s introduction."

He added as a gleam appeared in King Kaedal’s eyes, and he looked at the blue-haired man in quiet annoyance.

"Though we both understand what birthed those words, and for that reason can look over it. Isn’t that right, King Kaedal?"

"Just this once."

He warned in a thick voice, taking a sip of the juice to quell the annoyance.

’He has a slick tongue, capable of sowing distrust.’

The blue-haired man thought, his eyes hardening slightly.

Not only had the man concealed his commanding display by tying it to an earlier slight, claiming he was angered because White had asked the Duke to leave, then questioning who had asked for the Duke to remain, but he had also reframed it as anger born of love.

He had even twisted his own words about refusing to be commanded toward King Kaedal, who had already introduced himself, making it seem as though he were calling the king a fool for obeying White’s command.

Now he had turned the Duke’s back against both of them.

The lady would no doubt resent being shut out because of his arrival, ruining whatever rapport they had built.

He had also annoyed King Kaedal, straining the goodwill that had existed between him and the chubby Otherworlder King.

’He’s a smart evil...’

He thought, looking at Viktor, who quietly spun the juice in his cup with a polite smile.

’And if I don’t introduce myself, my relationship with Kaedal might as well be completely ruined.’

"Very well then."