"Wait, I thought Lady Roydon hired you because you were allied with them in the first place? Why is the enemy claiming otherwise?" questioned Rina, tilting her head in confusion.
"Allies? That stickman tried to kill Mavislin the first time he stepped into this place! Had it not been for Minwoo, I think the Five Kings wouldn't have been made. And Mavislin would've burned human meat for that day's dinner. But I never got to ask you about your choice to join us."
"You even went as far as to turn your back from the Mafia since that organization hated Mages for some damn reason. Your name was on the wanted list by the Mafia for quite some time," explained Gillian, raising an eyebrow.
"The Mafia hated the Mages for political power since most leaders within the Five Domain were Mages from the Congregation. The common masses wanted the protection of someone as powerful as a Mage compared to the Mafia, who can only do so much since they're only human."
"The Mafia saw them as rivals and acted accordingly. So all was peaceful until Magecraft came into play and tipped the balance of fairness. Remember, the Mafia was here long before the Mages came in, so they were pissed when there was a new group in town."
"However, on my side, I hated the Mages because of my family. As I've mentioned during my fight with the imposter, I was thrown out of the house for protesting against my father's alliance with the Mages. So that's when I associated Mages with Nobility."
"Another bonus is the wreckage your Magecraft can cause when out of control. I witnessed an entire town get burned down because a Mage was having a bad day. And when it comes to taking down rivals on the leadership board, we stood no chance against the Mages. Thus, I hated you all."
"But now, all I'm afraid of is Mavislin turning me into a pancake the next time she falls on me... And maybe the future generation like Bryan or the training Pillars. Especially the twins since they are using the powers of Gods and Heros. The younger ones scare me..." said Ashley, shuddering.
"So what did you reply to the dying person? I'm curious to know why you would join this group if you hated Mages so much..." asked the Headmaster, resting his chin on his palm.
"Well, the guy vanished before he could hear my full explanation. But I will never forget the face Vanoss made when I answered his question... I told him I had been interested in the Valkyrie since she was a child. Now, before you start calling me a pedophile, let me explain."
"Keep in mind that I have always been tasked to hunt down adults, and the Mages I've met are always grown adults. But that day was different as nothing in my report stated the Valkyrie to be a child. Thus, I thought it was an adult and wanted to kill her."
"However, when I got there, I was face to face with a young girl still hugging her soft toys. I still remember that encounter as clear as day... The face of pure innocence, when Mavislin hid behind her prince charming, would forever be burned into my heart."
"I may be a trained assassin, but I'm not heartless or cold-blooded enough to kill a child. Mage or not, human or otherwise, there's a limit on who I can kill. So I fought against Mavislin to see if she had been the correct target on my report."
"Lo and behold, the Valkyrie's powers and appearance perfectly matched all the evidence. A single girl with amber wings and eyes with the affinity of the Fire Element. Even that grin she showed me was the same as the numerous reports of the fallen villagers."
"And that was the same day I learned that Magecraft used by a Pure Mage is nothing to insult and belittle because the Valkyrie could've sent me on a one-way trip to the pearly gates. If it hadn't been for the High Queen, I think I would've been a memory now."
"I was so full of myself, thinking that my bullets would defeat arrows coming from a Mage. I might as well have said horses are cows since they've got four hooved legs... And the instant my rifle got destroyed by Mavislin's arrow, I knew I was going to see my ancestors soon."
"You bit off more than you can chew that day... It was the first and only time that I saw you fear for you life. I don't know if you had that same face when you died but it would be a great memory to keep... Even Minwoo had to support your back so you wouldn't pass out," replied a smiling Gillian.