"Hey! I'm the young master of the Laga family! How can this matter just be brushed aside like this?"
The resort's guards held the wailing man back, blocking his entry into the main floor. To ensure the safety of the distinguished guests inside, letting a loose cannon like him pass was out of the question.
"Who inside isn't a young noble, Master Laga? Why can't you learn a thing or two from your elder brothers?"
"B-but Anya was murdered—"
"Young Master Laga... is this your first time hearing of such a thing? Surely you haven't lived entirely above it yourself?"
"How could I do something like that!"
The surrounding guards exchanged knowing looks, then shook their heads in pitiless amusement.
Sensing their pity, the young noble's fury only flared higher. "How dare you!"
Just then, a hand settled onto his shoulder as a gentle-looking man materialized behind him.
"What seems to be the trouble? This is hardly the place to cause a scene."
His voice was so calm and reassuring that Master Laga felt the hot fury inside him begin to cool.
"You look as though you've suffered a great injustice. I have a few means at my disposal—tell me what happened."
Laga's beloved had worked as a server within this grand luxury compound. Not long ago, she was subjected to brutal torture at the hands of a high-ranking noble and ultimately murdered.
He hadn't even been allowed to see her one last time; her remains had been carried out in a sealed bag. It was only by pulling every connection he had that he pieced together the horrific details of her final moments.
"Good heavens... what a horrific act. Who was the killer?"
"Amby... I heard it was Amby—"
Hearing the name, the noble's expression softened with even deeper sympathy.
"Sigh... such is the way of this world. These grand elites kill with impunity and face no reckoning. It is truly tragic. Even the Emperor of Mankind would burn with rage over such wickedness."
"The God-Emperor..."
Laga faltered in thought. Could the Emperor truly carry such a title? Why did He sit idle on His throne, watching innocent people suffer such horrific indignities? Why did his beloved have to endure such agony?
She was merely an ordinary girl who wanted a decent life. Did ordinary people hold no right to happiness?
"If it truly was Amby... given your standing and your family's modest influence, I fear there is little you can do against him. His faction is nothing to cross."
"I know! But what else can I do? This is the world we live in! I want that kind of status too—if I possessed that level of power and influence, I would change this world for the better!"
The noble comforted him softly.
"Do you truly believe this world can change for the better? If, one day in the future, that ideal world were to become reality... what would you be willing to sacrifice for it?"
Laga fell silent. He didn't know what he had to give up. In truth, he was merely a low-tier noble who wasn't even guaranteed to inherit his family's modest estate.
"If you were granted a single opportunity—where destroying this current Imperium was the price for bringing that beautiful world to life... would you do it?"
Laga's instincts flared in warning. Raised under strict aristocratic tutelage, the most critical lesson hammered into him had been to guard against Chaos corruption born of indulgence.
A noble's private vices could be overlooked, and even minor corruption could be swept under the rug. But absolute corruption was unforgivable. As long as the taxes were paid in full, the Imperium turned a blind eye to almost everything—except heresy.
"No... I wouldn't. There is no better place in this galaxy, and a ideal world won't spring into existence over such foolish fantasies."
The gentle noble clapped his hands in quiet admiration.
"Truly magnificent. I was just thinking that if you answered yes, I would have to find a way to turn you in. How wonderful that I won't have to."
"Forgive me... after all this time, I haven't even asked your name. You're different from those other monsters."
Laga believed it from the bottom of his heart. The noble before him had to be a magnanimous man, someone willing to listen to his grievances and condemn the cruelty of the universe beside him.
If there were more nobles like him, would the galaxy finally become a better place?
"Ah, where are my manners? My name is Amby."
...What?
Amby?
Wasn't that the killer's name?
Watching Laga freeze in sheer disbelief, Amby repeated himself with a pleasant smile.
"I am Amby. That vile monster who butchered your beloved."
"You... you are—"
The revelation struck Laga like a physical blow. The moment his mind clawed its way back to reality, he lunged at Amby on instinct, only to be shoved casually to the floor.
"You should thank the noble upbringing you so despise," Amby sneered, looking down at him. "If you had voiced the slightest treason against the Imperium just now, I would have reported you on the spot and had you executed. But alas, you held your tongue."
"W-Why?"
"Because it's fun. As a noble, you haven't even experienced this tier of amusement—what a utter waste of your bloodline."
Amby savored the waves of despair and humiliation rolling off Laga.
This was the emotion worth tasting. What had he been indulging in before?
Simply divine.
Laga remained slumped on the ground, staring blankly as Amby walked away, completely at a loss for what to do.
---
"A dreadfully amateurish performance," Fulgrim remarked sharply. "You should have first coaxed him into recalling the joy of their time together, then exposed the extra services she provided to other clients in this establishment to spark shame and fury. Only then do you offer comfort, solidify his faith, and reveal your true identity as the grand finale. You must shatter every last pillar of his reality."
Faced with Fulgrim's critique, Amby bowed his head obediently, all his prior arrogance vanishing into thin air.
Yuki and Yuno stood nearby, though both were visibly disinterested in the display.
"I'm leaving," Yuki announced flatly.
Fulgrim turned to him, eyebrows raised. "So soon? The finest act is about to begin—won't you stay to watch?"
"It's precisely because of whatever grotesque spectacle you're setting up that I have zero desire to remain."
Yuki truly had no interest in witnessing Fulgrim's definition of "art."
Amby, however, looked up with burning anticipation. "My Lord... what manner of spectacle will it be?"
"A breathtaking scene," Fulgrim purred, a dark radiance in his eyes. "Where mortals harness power through their own flesh, standing above the entire world. Merely contemplating it sets my heart racing."
Yuki lost the last shred of his patience. Scooping Yuno into his arms, he turned to depart. Amby reached out a hand, opening his mouth to speak, but Yuki's psychic aura slammed straight into his mind like a physical weight.
Don't bother, Yuki's voice echoed directly in his brain. I can already guess what you're about to say. Keep it to yourself, or my disgust for you will swiftly outweigh my desire to watch this farce play out.
With that, Yuki vanished from the suite.
Fulgrim raised a crystal glass, offering a mocking toast to Amby. "Ignorance truly breeds courage, doesn't it? Even I wouldn't dare speak to him like that."
"Does that mean... I have surpassed you, my Prince?"
"Keep dreaming, mortal."