55 CHAPTER 55- Number 1

Lothain Reeves.

Grandson of a mighty figure famous in the empire's history, and son of a man and woman who were quite famous teachers in one of the Empire's academy was currently facing a huge dilemma.

His parents had died when he was only twenty and from then he had followed their footsteps and started teaching in the academy.

However he had a new perspective on things. His brain was sharp from a young age and he could create strategies far greater than the senior teachers in the same academy.

When Ray's father became king after killing the previous rulers and the other important palace officials, he began looking for a new crown's instructor.

And while multiple people were applying for the position a certain masked man came and contacted him.

He was just an honest person, but being always called the grandson of someone great hurt his pride even if he was great at war strategies.

This masked man called himself Zero and introduced himself from an organization that would help him achieve greatness. Lothaine was skeptical but Zero asked him to apply for the position of the crown's instructor as well.

Lothaine had disagreed at first, he didn't know if he could ever do it.

However this man didn't lose hope in him. He appeared to be someone who genuinely admired his intellect.

He was slowly convinced that he could do it, and he didn't have anything to lose anyway.

Listening to his advice he applied for the position and surprisingly found the whole thing very easy.

Soon after, he got selected and got appointed as the crown's new instructor after a few background checks which were as a matter of fact more than clear due to his family history.

Soon after, Zero started meeting him secretly and Lothaine started confiding in him more and more.

Zero appeared to be like a genuine friend and even though he never saw his face which was masked due to his hidden organization identity, he trusted him.

AS time went by, the King got more and more into war and Lothaine became more busy then he could imagine.

Every day he was worked like a slave and because his strategies were so good at winning wars, the king always made him do most of the work and followed his plans without exception.

Then one day Zero suddenly told him something that he never forgot.

"Do you consider your current position as achieving greatness?"

He couldn't reply.

He was happy that he got such a prestigious situation that he couldn't complain but he wasn't satisfied.

Everyone respected him but that was only due to his position.

Every time it was his strategies that made the king win his wars, but the King took all the credit and was named as the great warrior while no one even knew his proper name.

When people remembered the Reeves clan, they didn't think of him but his grandfather.

He had failed to remove himself from his ancestor's shadow.

"What can I do?"

Zero had stroked his chin and then made a sudden decision.

"Why not join our organization?"

"Huh?"

"Join our organization… if you do…"

And what he heard next made him stop breathing.

"We can make you the king!"

He couldn't believe his ears.

His first instinct was to run away and remove all connections with this man for the fear of being beheaded.

However Zero didn't hesitate even the slightest bit and looked at him.

"Honestly, you are far better suited as a king than that fool…"

"…"

"And if it's your brains combined with a few back at our organization, we can truly become the rulers of a scale far greater than the Celestial Empire!"

Lothaine fell into deep thought.

And after thinking for a long time in silence, he finally came to a decision…

'Yes, it's me who should be the king! I can do it if I want to, no one is as intelligent as me in the palace either way!'

And like that he joined the organization and realized that Zero was the first member and him the second.

He was named Number 1 and given an important job of planning and spying on the empire.

He didn't like the vice leader at first, but after seeing his strength and aura in person, he couldn't help but be awed.

And from there it was a long term of pure planning and waiting.

Finally one day after a lot of preparations were complete, he launched his plan.

In a certain conflict that the king was about to go solve, Lothaine advised him to take the archbishops and launch an all out attack completely destroying the opposition.

The king as usual followed him without question.

However this was a set up. As the three were about to lauch an attack, they were ambushed by a lot of forces at once.

Finally they died and Lothaine saw his opportunity.

He also wanted to kill the Empress, but apparently Zero admired her beauty and wanted to keep her alive for his 'collection'.

But there came a variable.

The queen was found to be carrying the descendant of the empire and immediately sent under highest protection from the palace officials and dukes.

Even Lothaine's words had no effect on them. They were dead set on keeping her hidden and protected.

The association had faced its first setback.

However they didn't back down.

The vice leader along with him made a new plan, while Zero was out on a different mission.

If the new prince born was soft and easy to control, they would make him their puppet and control him from the shadows.

However if he was found to be trouble, they would eliminate him somehow.

And unlike what he had imagined the newborn was too much of a genius.

He proved too much trouble.

There were quite a few minor assassination attempts but they soon found it was impossible to harm him like that.

The crown's hidden shadows were always watching over the whole placed and anyone who did their bidding were caught and killed.

So they slowly gathered allies within and outside the palace.

They manipulated, controlled and persuaded people and slowly made a plan that would work without fail.

However Number 1 had failed to notice that he had become a complete traitor against the empire. Instead of becoming the emperor, he liked planning things with the vice leader so much that he decided that he would become the ruler of a much bigger empire than this.

He was definitely destined for greatness.

And standing here right now, with all his plans falling apart just because of this one young brat and a few other 'variables' that had unexpectedly occurred he felt angry beyond measure.

He was about to leave because he would have at least made Claire infiltrate the place, however breaking all his hopes once again even his disguise was seen through.

And once again it was that same brat.

Time and again he proved to be an obstacle in his path and he hated him for that.

And more than that he hated himself for feeling awed at this brat's aura that was slowly growing on him and making his legs almost tremble.

As he was about to make a run for it, he felt his body going stiff.

*Swish*

With a flash, Ray was standing in front of him with the same smile on his face.

"Good to see you enjoying the show, crown's instructor Lothaine Reeves…"

"What are yo-"

"Or should I say, the old man, the oldest of the cowards, Number 1?"

And he felt his mind go blank once again.

'How did he know? Why does he know?'

His shock slowly turned to frustration and fueled his fire of anger greater than ever before.

'If he has always known about the association and my identity… could he be somehow related to those variables?'

Even he couldn't confirm those facts he knew that since his identity was discovered, he would never be able to show his face again.

'If that is the case, I will kill you here and now before anyone else can interfere!'

"You should know that I was not an instructor of your father just on strategies…"

Ray didn't change the smile on his face as he waited for the old man to finish his dialogue.

"I taught him how to fight and how to use magic. I don't know how you found out about me, but approaching so close to me was a mistake you shouldn't have made…"

"What are y-"

But before Ray could finish, the old man before him spread out his arms as he shouted.

"Isolation!"

And suddenly everything around Ray faded away and he was standing in an empty blue space with nothing but Lothaine standing in front of him.

As Ray was looking around him with a 'shocked' expression, the old man was finally somehow appeased to see the smug smile wiped off his face.

Watching the shock on this annoying brat's face, Lothaine spoke with satisfaction.

"Now do you realize the mistake you have made? With this skill you are trapped here with me as long as I want. No one from outside can enter here no matter how hard they tried..."

Ray looked at him as he opened his mouth to speak.

"How…"

As Lothaine was thinking how Ray was awed and would ask him how the skill worked, he almost fainted after he heard his next words.

"How can you speak so much useless stuff?"