"I thought you were this mighty reformist who was going to change the entire world with your ideals! But I see now, you're just another guy who wants prestige and money. Wherever it can be found, you'll flock towards it."
Rony folded his arms, understandably angry. In his defense, the person who gave him hope about equality just became an advisor to one of the useless higherborns, and he was all casual about it.
"Are you done now?"
Morvain asked, sitting on his bed and observing the boy pacing around his small room. With just three steps and a turn, the space didn't allow for much pacing.
"Yes! Yes, I'm done, dear sir. How about it? Should I address you as Sir also? Or is it 'mi lord?'"
Rony clasped his hands and mocked him.
"You told me equality was achievable! You told me we could reform this world! You instilled dreams about dragging the lords from their thrones and stomping on them. To spit on them. To make them beg for our mercy!" Rony stopped his pacing and stared at him. "What happened to that man, huh?"
Morvain sighed. "Look, Rony, I told you it's not as simple as it sounds."
"Bullshit! You're just like them. You're just a coward who will never do anything in your life! Just a useless peasant!"
"Rony, please, brief me on how you're going to reform this world? Tell me your grand plan!" Morvain stood up.
"I... uh..."
"Yeah, you can't."
"But—"
"No, Rony. You can't. You don't know how to. You can't simply overpower the Highlords. You can't just walk over them. Rony, my dear boy, there are officially only about twenty Ascended ones. And all of them are in higher positions. You know how a single physically-based Awakened can plow through a mob of normal people? Do you know how much stronger they are?"
Morvain was visibly getting agitated. This sweet summer child, born in the slums, didn't understand people and their characters? That's ridiculous!
"But I—"
"No, Rony. You can't."
"..."
"You have to plan your move very carefully. You can't just barge into their office and demand equality. That's not how it works. You need to corrupt them. You need to make them believe in you. Make them think you can help them. You need to be smart. You need to be ruthless. Then, you need to hit where it hurts."
Morvain snapped his fingers just in front of Rony, who stepped back quickly.
"Wh-what are you planning, then?" Rony asked, feeling a little ashamed now that he thought about it. This boy, likely about his own age, had saved his life just a morning ago. If it wasn't for him, he would've been shark food.
"Rony, there's nothing for us to do on this ship other than this one thing." He raised his index finger, and Rony waited in anticipation.
Morvain knew he had this boy in his palm. He's impulsive. He doesn't think before acting. He's an idealist. He can't see the bigger picture. He's just a kid.
But he was still useful to Morvain, and he needed a pawn. He couldn't do all the dirty work on his own. He couldn't speak in front of a hundred people without feeling embarrassed or even having a voice that high-pitched.
"To make the next generation of Highborns understand us."
This was the best option. If he were to eliminate the current highlords, the next generation would step into their roles. Entrusting such a influential position to someone shaped by the extreme and classist ideals of the Highborns wouldn't be wise. It should go to a person who shares the same ideals as Morvain.
"How?" Rony asked, confused.
Morvain sighed, 'Of course, he's confused. This boy can't think straight.' He shook his head and made sure Rony saw his disappointed face. This was a tactic, as Rony would feel bad for a little while. And he will be more prone to try to impress him in the future.
"The kids are the future, Rony. The kids. You need to change them. You need to make them understand. And for that, we have two whole months with us. We need to make them see how we are treated. We need to make them see that they and we are not different. We need to make them understand we are all the same. You and me. Lords and commoners. Highborns and lowborns."
Morvain had a small smile on his face. This is it. He was going to make Rony a reformer. Someone who changes the world, of course, according to Morvain's view.
"How? How exactly? We are just like... like some pebbles on the roadside. They won't care about us." Rony asked, looking down. His shoulders slumped.
"Of course, they won't care about us." Morvain put a reassuring hand on Rony's shoulder and patted it a few times. "We need to make them care. We need to be someone in their life. Someone so close to them that they can't get rid of us. We need to corrupt them from inside. We need someone who's smart among their suits."
Rony looked at him, and for the first time since he entered the room, his face lit up, as if he had just grasped the entire situation.
"Oh... You're his adviser to make him understand how we are treated," Rony smiled.
Morvain smiled and nodded. "Exactly. I'm his adviser to make him understand how we are treated. And when the time comes, I will tell him how we should be treated. But I need your help, friend. I can't do it without a strong, resilient, and a reformer like you."
Rony's face visibly lit up, with a tinge of redness in his ears and cheeks. Morvain understood that this boy had been in isolation for most of his life—no friends and no family to guide him. This was the first time he was being told that someone needed him, and that too by a peer.
"Anything, Eldric. Anything for you," he eagerly nodded his head.
The boy was ready to heed his words. The boy was ready to sow the seeds of reformation on this ship—the very first step to make a change in the world.