I've obviously had plenty of time to think and come to terms with the reality of the situation with the rats. While I've gone through many different thoughts and realizations since that point, as of late, I think I've settled on one final one.

I am arrogant.

It has become a part of who I am, ingrained deep into my being, and I suppose there is no getting away from that. It comes with the territory of being an Infernal Patriarch. I am a leader and a ruler of one of the most powerful races in the Multiverse. If such a person didn't carry a trace of arrogance, then who had the right to? I know what I am, I know what I was, and I know what I will be.

But arrogance doesn't mean being stupid. The second I realized that the rat people posed a threat, I should have sought to eliminate it. Of course, the rat man was an Immortal, so there was no way I myself could have taken care of such a threat. But based on my conversations with Elder Zal while I trained, if I had asked her to, she likely would have obliged.

Yet I decided not to. I put the potential conflict somewhere in the back of my mind. And the results of that decision speak for themselves.

So, with that being said, I am still arrogant, and to be called a peasant to my face doesn't sit well with me. Not only because no one has the right to dictate such a thing to me, but because I represent a clan of thousands of Infernals.

Even if my own arrogance wasn't part of the picture, I have a reputation to uphold, and that reputation reflects the thousands of others under me. Allowing a slight like this, one that I did not induce, one that I did not seek out, one that instead came to my front door with venomous words, I'm afraid an offense like that will not go unpunished.

I walked over to the crater, which honestly wasn't all that large, though it did ruin the courtyard a bit. Anyway...

"Lidaz, lift him up so I can talk to him."

He did as asked, but the second the boy was allowed to voice his thoughts once more, he immediately began yelling.

"Guards! Guards! Guards!"

Of course, with all the noise and commotion we had made, the entirety of the Black Dawn had gathered. My guards were here, and both Lirian and Frian were here as well. Every single one of us perked up at the mention of guards and immediately began looking around, expecting a battle to happen at any moment.

But no matter how far I looked or how much I listened, there were no signs that the guards this individual was screaming for would show up. In fact, I looked toward Lidaz when I remembered that his senses far surpassed mine, and as if expecting me to look at him, he shook his head.

Huh. Would you look at that?

While the guards weren't showing up, the fact that he called for them so confidently meant there was a good chance that, in a different scenario, they would have. Or perhaps he'd done something like this before, called for them, and they had, in fact, shown up. But this time they hadn't. How interesting.

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In fact, I watched his expression slowly change from one of alarm to one of realization. There was no help coming.

"What is your relationship to Laviesa?"

Once he heard my question, his face, which had been sinking into despair, suddenly burned with anger toward me.

"You dare utter the Princess's name? Who do you think you are?"

"Shut up."

Before he could say another word, Lidaz slammed him down again before slowly raising him back up. Anger still colored his features, but there was a bit more blood now than before.

"I said, what is your relationship with Laviesa?"

More curses resounded from the young man's mouth, and once again, Lidaz slammed him into the ground. In fact, I was quite proud that he was able to control his strength enough not to kill the man with any of these slams.

Well we will continue this exercise until he answers my question or is unable to talk, whichever comes first.

Meanwhile in a particularly lavish room far from the altercation taking place in Raizen's courtyard.

"Ancestor..."

"What is it that you want, child?"

"I ask that you please change your mind. It is your own flesh and blood that is currently being embarrassed by an outsider. It does not reflect well on our people or your Royal bloodline to allow this to happen."

"Child, I am a kind woman, and I am not fond of violence… but know your place."

The entire room quaked under the pressure of an Immortal for just a second.

"I apologize, Ancestor..."

"That child was warned, was he not?"

"He was, but children can be fool—"

"Enough. A warning was given. Everyone was warned. Do not antagonize the guest in the Emerald Estates. He dared to call him a peasant. A peasant! Listen, child, every single one of those people dressed in black robes are Infernals. You should know what that means.

"And to make matters worse, the young man your descendant dared to call a peasant is a leader, a ruler among Infernals. If he is a peasant, then what are we? If he chooses to kill him today, then it is your fault for raising an idiot.

"Leave."

A few moments later, in the same room...

"Are you sure that is a wise decision, Mother? Although he's a bit too arrogant for my liking, he's simply trying to defend your honor. Of course, he could have gone about it in a better manner, but he is defending you."

"How many Dominion Realm cultivators does our empire have?"

"What does this have to do with the situation?"

"Answer the question."

"We have three, Mother. Three cultivators of the Dominion Realm. All three of them are the pillars of our mighty empire. Why?"

"If one of those cultivators were to call someone you've never seen or heard of before their little brother, how do you think that individual would be treated within the borders of our empire?"

"… They would be treated like one of the High Princes or Princesses, practically untouchable unless by someone of similar station."

"I see. Then what if I told you someone stronger than a Dominion Realm cultivator called the young man in the Emerald Estates, the one that child, who supposedly defended my honor, called a peasant, their little brother?"

The man froze as his expression grew aghast as the reality of the situation settled into his mind.

"… I would say he is not defending your honor but inviting death and destruction upon our people."

"Exactly. So tell me, my son, how would you handle the situation?"

"I… suppose I would do as you are doing right now. Or perhaps I might be forced to offer the boy's life as compensation."

"Interesting. Then be thankful that I have built a good relationship with that young man. From what I know, he's not the sort to resort to mindless killing unless driven to do so. I asked him not to kill anyone that offends him if he's able to restrain himself, and he appeared amiable to that decision.

"Let that child receive his punishment and hope it teaches him a lesson… that there is always a bigger sky."

"I understand, Mother. Forgive me for speaking out of turn."

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