His mother would often say " life is only good when you have coin in your purse". These words are ones Mugen holds dear. In the early years when armories were still new, Nobles would seek out different types. Then have them birth new ones to collect. To be clear it's as inhumane as it sounds, but if you asked any nobles they would just say "it was a different time". This of course would be true if not for if not for the fact its how he was born. In the underworld the arachne family posses the aura weaving ability. Which is only born from their blood line. The second son of the Augustus family donated a large sum and signed a complex contact, to collect the 11 daughter of this family. This inadvertently resulted in him becoming the heir of the family due to the clause he has to marry her. Unfortunately for the family he could careless about it's prosperity. What made it worse is the underworlders stigma. Underworlders need my asthma to function without it. Their bodies start to fall apart. Strong underworlders can produce their own miasma but if the air is not full of the they stuff their bodies start to weaken. So for her to live in the manner a whole area had to be chartered off specifically for her and since miasma is toxic to you. Everyone else, nobody was allowed to past a certain point without proper equipment. Realizing this situation many people loyal to the family started to lose hope but what no one accounted for was the fact that the 11th the daughter was actually well educated last of Halley's prosperity was assured and then Mugen was born. Per the contact his mother mitsu named him Mugen but he keeps the last name August because his mother has to keep the family alive, she only managed to impart life lessons to him. Leading him to take up gambling since his parents are materialistic people. When his mother learned of his aptitude as an Amory she had mix feelings about sending him to a orphanage. She's saw it as bad for his development. When a potential partner was found in the sea of trees she didn't hesitate to send him hoping to enrich his world view. Arriving at the Sea of trees Morgan's first impression was this is clearly the boonies or something worse. All the people didn't use money which made him being here. All the more boring when he was finally introduced to the one who would be his paladin. It turned out to be a girl by the name of Lisa. From what he observed she seemed to be a girl classified as protected. Never left. The forest doesn't know better. Very curious, easily getting into trouble. He figured following her would just mean getting dragged into precarious situations, which he's fine with you get Coke as long as he can find opportunity to indulge in his vices. But then after his first use of her, he knew right away from his connection that she was a blood knight the worst class of paladin after being educated on this fact, his view of her at slightly altered. Now he desperately fears the day she accidentally murders someone and he's sent to jail with her because armories are only as good as their paladins and therefore are subject to any crimes or paladins commit, especially in normania. They don't joke around about this. Exciting to his fate. He could only hope for the best as he and her embark into the ship. Day one of the cruise, Morgan and Lisa spend the day associating with each other while in the comforts of their cabin. Lisa: I don't have money. She was rather disappointed. Mugen: we are on a cruise everything you need is covered in the deposit. He is trying to light a cigarette. Lisa: the guy in cabin 6 has a magic lamp, he says for 9 compound gold he will sell one of his wishes. Eye twitching he wacked her on the head. Mugen: 1. Wish granting items are illegal in most nations. 2. If such a item was found to be used and trust me it's not easy to hide every nations army would attack the offender with the wrath of god. 3. With all that being said the black market cost would be 8 mil pure platinum. So please don't fall for obvious scams. Exasperated he left the room. Day two of the cruise the casino has opened. The dealers are certain Mugen is cheating, to be clear he is not on a winning streak he won hands and lost hands but no matter what barley shrinks. But their confidence comes from the fact that the game is rigged. Specifically, it's designed so that anyone playing is likely to lose more money than they gain. Yet Mugen has steadily at a subtle rate, increased his pile. Meanwhile across The hall in the dining area. Lisa was enjoying his steak. This was something she was enjoying to the fullest considering no one really uses meat dishes in the sea of trees. Not because they are vegans but because refrigeration is not really something that they've mastered they usually focus on more agricultural matters that do not require that much refrigeration or preservation of meat-based products typically speaking. If there is anything related to me that is you. It's usually dry jerky and things of that nature, but effectively no one really did things like cut up a poultry or slaughtered cows or swines typically because you would need a way to maintain the freshness of the meat after you've cooked it. There were one or two groups that have been rumored to raise animals and then kill the animals that they would eat for the day and then sell off the leftovers to another family for easy trade. But you never met any of them. But yes, the steak was wonderful and bloody just the way she requested it. Of course when moogan heard her order he immediately repulsed medium rare. He muttered to himself but anyways as she ate her steak she's subtly watched him play his game across the way winning hands and losing hands. Trying not to give himself away while also simultaneously earning up enough funds so that they can continue their travels without much worry from her perspective, she can sense all the magic the dealers we're using to try and pick up one what he was doing that was allowing him to make so much money in order to prevent the cheating or to call him out on it if they accuse them of cheating with that much evidence or if they tried to search him for it without much evidence and it's proven that they cannot verify he's cheating. He could demand a lump sum for being offended. At least that's what he told her. Funny enough, the only other person who could know what Morgan is doing is Lisa and she doesn't even understand it ta boon of her partner Mugen allows him the ability to manipulate luck or as its actual name, the field of causality and ability that allows him to expand his aura around a area and within the set area he can adjust the present level of karma within the people under his influence. He can then either lower or raise said karma to gain favor or lose favor. The problem is no one can be excluded from the field, meaning that if he lowers, for everyone that includes him or if he raises karma for everyone that also includes him. So of course you'd think that means that he would lose a game and then win a game only by pure luck. And even still it doesn't do anything. But in reality by lowering one's karma or raising one's karma, it causes the world around them to act in ways that are either favorable or unfavorable for the people affected. In this case, the dealer losing so many hands is unfavorable for him, but Morgan losing a couple of coins is unfavorable to him on the same level. The same can be said of raising karma. The dealer winning back as coins as possible would be favorable to him but for Mugen gaining a couple of extra coins is pretty favorable to him. Hence the love. Causality it's very confusing which is why Lisa has yet to wrap her head around it. Even though being his partner, she also has the exact same ability and since Aura isn't magic, no amount of magic detection skills will work on it meaning that the only way they could detect it is if someone was a skilled enough or a user. Unfortunately, no one expected that of exact moment that Mugen won his 67th hand and unexpected boarding would happen. Well to be precise, not exactly pirates per se entering in from all across the ship off of small boats that have appeared from seemingly almost nowhere are a bunch of white-haired dark-skinned red-eyed individuals that everyone knows as drakians specifically those of the Leviathan tribe, the Leviathan tribe who typically operate on from or around bodies of water like any other trackie and they eat bones, but they prefer to eat fish bones or at least their native diet consist of fish bones of all kinds. Sometimes when they hear about larger creatures like sea serpents or whales, they typically go on the hunt for it and use the materials for days on end. But of course, there have been recent rumors that some Leviathan members have taken to piracy in hopes of gaining riches to better enrich their tribe members. But only some tribes tend to fall into these habits aren't a fan of grade, so those who do fall into greed tend to be shunned upon it or exiled outright a buff looking drakian with Stern looks and only a blue vest padded with fur and loose bag of pants as well as a necklace with fishbones strung across it. Enters the dining area demanding the cooperation of all its occupants. It would appear that the dragons have already occupied different areas of the ship, even the captain's area. From what it sounds like over the intercom the tracheans start to survey the room seeing all the potential valuables to be stolen and all the people that they can possibly barter lives for to make more money. As the leader surveys, he couldn't help but notice the young foliage girl. He couldn't help much keep his eyes on her for a while. It's common knowledge that foliages and dragons have a mutually unspoken non-aggression treaty which causes him to skip over her. But you couldn't help but feel curious at her eating a steak with only a fork, a whole steak, no knife whatsoever. Does she not believe in knives? He himself isn't ever really interacted with them out of respect for the non-aggression treaty but the way she eats the steak with that fork is unnerving. She's almost engulfed in her determination to bite off a piece of the steak. Frankly, speaking kind of reminds him of when you give a steak to a cat breaking off small pieces but not really doing much damage to the whole thing. Adorable but pointless with that. He focuses back on his task looking at all the sleazy Noble's Rich falcons scamming half-wits. Leader: all right ladies and gentlemen. I'm sure many of you see-faring folk know how this goes. Hands up away from the table. When we come around. Give us what we want. We will hurt you if you value your lives. Don't try anything funny. Shining at the top of his lungs to make sure he gets the attention of everyone from the dining area to the gambling area as he walks through eyeing people to intimidate them to the fullest of his potential. He couldn't help but notice the aura field covering a small portion of the gambling. Den, in the moment it draws his attention. He reacts being startled but the field itself being Mugen's causes him to trip on nothing and fall before his men being the most unfavorable thing for him. With such low karma, frustrated and embarrassed, he decides to make a show of the fool who decided to openly use his aura. When he told them not to try anything, glaring at moogan. He walks over to call him out. Leader: you think you're so funny huh I'd be courteous and offer not to rough you up and have you willingly hand your stuff over to me and all I ask is you don't do something funny then you have to go and be a wise guy and use your aura to trip me. The leader shouts with veins throbbing all over his face to emphasize his frustration he takes out the bone of a shark. He had stashed away and bites into it breaking the bone in front of Mugen in response, the caref armory puts out his cigarette on the dealer's table. Zane, he proceeds to reach into his breast pocket pulls out a new box of cigarettes with a black band wrapped around the center. He opens the box, pulls out a cigarette with a black chip instead of a yellow one puts it into his mouth and before he even attempts to light it, the leader jumps away. Leader: the f*** you doing with that stuff you crazy suicidal you trying to die? You trying to take us all with you? What is wrong with you. While looking at the flustered bandit leader Mugen pops a smirk while lighting his cigarette. Mugen: I don't see what the problem is. A big guy. I got a medical condition I need to have at least four of these a day or something bad happens. He manages to let the cigarette then pucks out a smoke getting a whiff of what he Puffs the dealer immediately. Flinches backwards. Leader: who in their right mind has a medical condition that requires them to inhale myasthma like that you think I'm going to buy that BS. Exasperating a bit realizing it's getting on the guy's nerves. He takes the cigarette out of his mouth holding it between his two fingers. Well, casually puffing out a rather large purple cloud from his mouth creating a very potent cloud that even bugs the dealer of course nearby drachian's also make an effort to clear the way from him for good reason miasma is a very potent toxin that is produced from stagnant air. Typically capable of killing even dragons. It's toxic to every species except one. Mugen: I do apologize being part underworlder I can't go without my asthma for too long. Otherwise, my body starts to decay and produces the stuff on my own to survive, thus killing the non-underworlder part of myself, which I'm sure a lot of people would rather not be inhaling the stuff on a deadly level, especially in this closed in space. All of the bandits gave a large birth from him as if he had the plague for good reason. Besides the fact that it's a very deadly poison that most people should not be inhaling, it's only toxics and large doses. In the amount that Mugen is producing, it can only cause lightheadedness wheezing and the occasional rash. Hence the reason why the dealers only slightly backing away from it effectively. It's the same as a typical cigarette in terms of toxicness when only handled in small doses, but even in small doses those with the stigma that the drachians have make it impossible for them to be anywhere near the stuff because of miasma is a pure cloud of curse and energy and drachium bones are susceptible to all forms of curses which can cause them to develop a curse on their bodies and once a curse sets into their bones, it cannot be purged. Realizing the threat, the bandits all decide to leave the crazy lunatic underworlder alone and just stealed from the less dangerous folk as they continue looting it is brought to Lisa's attention that the ship is being robbed. Yes, she had successfully broken off a piece of a steak after chewing for so long. Mugen had forbidden her from picking up a knife because it's too dangerous with the threat of her class. She didn't really understand but he said that once they get to the mainland someone very important will explain to her are what that all means. But back to the steak it was wonderful! In her opinion, especially the blood juices the moment they gushed into her mouth as she swallowed the chunks of meat was a wonderful experience, especially with the garlic butter. She attempted to go for another bite but at some point noticed that there was a commotion going on around her looking around. She saw that dragons had taken over the shed. Leviathans to be exact is her first guess, but she notices that a few of them while they all wear blue clothing. They also have hints of black markings on them both indicating that they are exiled. So they're all criminals or something of the like, making it much much worse. She contemplated what to do and remembered something. She's a paladin. She's supposed to stop things like that. Of course. Her being from the sea of trees. She's not aware of this though, but in most Nations you need a permit or a license to operate as a paladin legally. Otherwise, your actions will be seen as vigil anti-justice and therefore a threat to natural order as she stands up to intervene it's brought to our attention that she only has a fork and everyone else has bigger scarier blades. So in an attempt to slightly even the field she picks up a knife from the table once over that's slightly vacant due to the fact that the guy who was sitting there is hiding under the table. Hoping that no one steals as riches though he is doing a poor job of it. The tablecloth is clearly quivering and his feet can clearly be seen from underneath the chair. All it takes is a little perception and he's doomed casually. She walks over and snatches up the steak knife wielding it she gets a strong sense of euphoria and an uncanny me to stab something with it. She doesn't understand why that is. She remembers the same feeling every time when her father and brother would take her out hunting and then they'd stop doing it saying that it's better for her health. Is she practices politics instead? In the back of her head, she hears a kind, gentle and loving voice. Voice: with an aura for battle Lovers at the vanguard. I shall bless you, but should I brand you for those who love conflict? Love company and boy do I love company. As the voice titles on Lisa feels something strange happened to our soul like something that wasn't supposed to be there was added on. God of conflict: for now I shall hold back nobody likes a new friend oversharing on the first day I shall grunge you a word of power. It is only a simple one, but it shall help you in times of need or in this case. Help you get along with the best of the best Mayo red Aura grow and may my people know your name. God of judgment: oh no, you don't giving words of power like that is not okay. At least that suddenly feels that the thing that injured her soul has been revised. God of judgment: there is balance in all things and you cannot and will not give such a dangerous word of power to someone without just cause. The two voices vacate her mind and before she can think about it, she feels an overwhelming amount of her red Aura flowing out of her, not as much as before where she just acted on instinct, but enough to where she could feel her movements with the knife being refined smiling. She lunges at one of the trackian soldiers making his rounds startled. He tries to guard with his blade not expecting to be attacked even though it's just a girl with a steak knife you lucky for him. He did the moment the steak knife touches his cleaver of a blade Sparks of red Aura flew off of the edge of the knife denting and potentially cracking his blade with a mighty thrust. Her Aura pierces through the blade breaking it in half and although the aura wasn't sharp enough too by second by touch alone, the sensation of the touch caused him to fear his own death. Seeing this the other drackians in the area please send it on to her. Trying to stop her but feeling her love for conflict. She smiles with the joy of a thousand sons while carrying one downward/and gouging out the stomach of another from one of the two drakians feeling her aura and also feeling weakened from his wound. He passes out the one with the destroyed blade also passes out due to the overwhelming sensation of her aura. The remaining jackian near her slowly tries to back away to see if you can get more guys to jump her while feeling conscious. But disgustingly toxic Aura of blood blows outwards towards him. He can feel her wanting to stab her. It's so potent that every time when he comes into contact with that Aura he can see visions of him being stabbed by her. The moment he drops his guard causing him to feel restless. The more he backs away, the more she pushes forward until eventually she dashes he tries to swing at her hoping that either he hits her or he catches her off guard and can disable her. But the moment he swings she blocks with a knife backhanded then it sends with the blade using enough Force from her Aura to compensate for the difference in size unarming the man. Then with a twirl of the blade she holds it in a slicing position creating several cuts on his body. Seeing what happened? Another couple of dragons that were on the other side of the room immediately enter the fight as well as the leader Leader: the f*** is happening here. I thought we had an understanding. Foliage or do you not honor the unspoken treaty. For a moment, Lisa stops smiling and frowns. She tilts her head then she smiles again. Even happier realizing something. Lisa: I know the treaty you speak of. Yeah, that unspoken treaty thing only works for non-criminals criminal foliages and criminal drakians are fair game. After saying that a blast of her aura engulfs all the men in front of him and want it cleared. She was standing before him ready to stab him. He blocks it with his own jagged sword while all the men fall to the ground with slashes all over their body. Leader : s*** a blood night why that of all things. He mutters to himself as he pairs her blow sending her launching halfway across the cabin of the dining hall instead of crashing into a wall. She maneuvers herself so that she stands onto the wall crouching and then lunges back at him with even more Force like a slingshot. Realizing he f***** up he angles his blade to counter her strike then feels her bloody red aura trying to overpower his blade with her tiny one. Not wanting to let that happen. He let his deep blue aura code his own blade as a counter measur hoping that'll be enough feeling. Another's Aura Lisa has no choice. I'm about to back off. She contemplates fighting him with a knife and her own aura. She has no real skill with this knife. Then she looks over to Mugen who somehow managed to get the game going back with him and the dealer. The other players had already vacated the table and are trying to get out of the dining hall and back into their rooms protect themselves and their property from further thievery. Lisa : Mugen!! She says with a honey-dripped voice sounding like a child has found her first love for the second time. After 20 years. Logan glances over to her then pretends like he didn't see anything and gets back to his game. Feeling more eager but not willing to put up with him pretending not to see her. She thrusts her aura with an unimaginable amount of vigor flooding the entire cabin and almost overtaking his own aura Mugen's eye twitch as he tries to pretend like he doesn't sense it, but eventually the dealer faints not able to continue the game. He sighs slams his hands against the table walks past the leader, who for all intents and purposes would not touch him with a 10-ft pole and therefore gave a wide birth to him passing through. He then let's out a sigh as Lisa's puts her hand on his shoulder. In a flash he transforms into the familiar cumberbun that resembles a spindle along with the katana hanging from a thread by a sheath him from his blade and engages once more, the bandit leader's eyes bulge wide open Leader: great a paladin of course it had to be a paladin. The one job that had to go wrong. It had to be the one with a paladin who does not want to just let things be. Using the full strength of his aura he tries to counter her but for some reason it's not working. Not only that, but mysteriously strange threads keep appearing every time she tries to get him, but he counters and if that's not enough, the toxic aura of the blade itself made his instincts very aware that one touch from that and he would have more than a few curses on his bones. He curses to himself under his breath while trying frantically not to get hit by that blade. Lisa, of course filling the thrill of the hunt continues to strike him attempting to land, at least as many cuts as she can deem worthy of her time. With each failed attempt she becomes more and more happy realizing just how satisfying that first cut will be, but the man just wouldn't give it to her. Both her happiness, excitedness and frustration at not being able to fulfill the one thing she wants keeps heightening until something surfaces in her mind. She suddenly stops moving. She lets out all the air in her lungs creating a cloud of a noxious purple Aura that seeps from her mouth she readies her grip on mugen's hilt. Lisa: great equalizer Without realizing it words that fill with Divine authority and gruesome vigor spew from her mouth contouring both the fear of God and great uncertainty The sensation alone was so overwhelming. Anyone and everyone in the room that was still conscious was barely hanging on by a thread. She then readies herself into a peculiar stance as she moves her body through sword motions of a specific fighting stance for swordsman who use one-sided blades. Her aura steadily transforms into threads. Upon making contact with the blade, the purple threads start to form a wall between the bandit leader and Lisa a wall of thread that doesn't appear designed to block attacks but designed to and snare. The odd thing is you could not fathom how anyone would fall for such an obvious trap realizing he has no chance of winning and feeling. Sorry for leaving his man behind. He decides to vacate the cabin and jump overboard to save his own skin but the moment he runs it's too late. Lisa: predator arts triangle Weaver spider. All the Oris spewing from her mouth convinced itself into her blade. Then with a single thrust, a net of Aura threads sling from the blade upon thrust christan a triangular spider web shaped net which captures the bandit leader, engulfs him and then imprisons him and thousands upon thousands. Upon thousands of slashes made from Aura, that's convinced to the point that it's a microscopic thread. When the aura dissipates the bandit falls to the ground in a pool of his own blood, though it would appear from any angle that he was dead. He violently twitches indicating that he is either still alive or his brain just hasn't vacated his body. Day three the final day of the cruise. The bandits all made it out alive. All those a lot of them were worse for wear. They had been imprisoned into the Briggs of the ship on the lower levels the captain thanked the two for their service in aiding them and he offered to speak on her behalf in a court of law. Should her actions be brought into question since it's the final day Logan spent all of it at the casino. Still trying to hustle. The dealer who for some reason hasn't just fathan the idea of just banning him. They clearly suspect something and as both parties are aware both parties are cheating but neither party is willing to confront the other one. Party knows how the other party is cheating but the other party doesn't know how the first party is cheating, thus creating a need to continue. Or at least that's how the dealer has justified it so far. Plus the man did aid at the end in stop ping the ships valuables from being taken as well as the customers valuables which makes their credibility as a cruise more respectable. Meanwhile Lisa got another steak. She also made one more attempt at trying to haggle for that. Wish from that one guy in cabin 9 but the moment she tried to make a beeline for the cabin she was stopped by who then proceeded to lock her in the cabin for The remainder of the day to protect his wallet. Arriving in the Capitol. He heard some interesting news. Apparently there may or may not have been sightings of the empresses inner Chambers on the mountains, causing a troll stampede but of course, since there's no evidence of the pillar of the empress being present on the mountain, it's all conjecture among nobles and military folk moving. Got Lisa to her class exam and upon arrival she proves anted the red card given to her to her by the sage of the Sea of trees. Upon receiving the red card, the receptionist immediately had a panic attack. She then told Lisa it'll remain there while she proceeded to leave the room and then come back with 17 guards. No clue where they came from but they were there both the receptionist as well as the 17 guards and an on duty. B-rank paladin and if that wasn't enough, three acting staff members who all have had at least 10 years of combat experience all within regulations when dealing with black knights she was escorted to a room in the room was only one thing and one thing alone. A very long table with several instruments placed across state in order at the very end of the table for one side is a hammer and at the very end of the table on the other side is a sword the blood Knight test is very simple. Anyone who is identified as a blood knight is considered a hazard to both them and the people around them to understand the threat they pose. Two things must be done first and or appended is placed on there person. The your appendic can detect the color and potency of one's Aura. If the Aura pendant turns red, it confirms that they are indeed a blood night. Only blood knights have red auras. Zane, then they start at the very end of the table with a hammer and work their way up to a sword testing. 20 items in total in order to understand exactly where their blood read or reacts for Lisa. It seems that she can handle anything that classifiably blunt Hammer to spoon after it hit spoon she starts to get volatile at fork but not vicious. Then when it hits knife she starts to get more terrifying and then the sharper the knife. The more she starts to actively look for violence according to the reception as she's actually got a healthier blood or than most. She once tested a guy with a blood Aura who upon immediately touching the hammer, it turned a deep red wine color and he started to bash the skulls of the paladin it took everyone in the room at full strength to stop him the whole point of the test, a part of the law. Another thing and this is very important. Is anyone who is identified to have the class of a blood knight even if they are a civilian, they must wear an orapendant 24/7. The ora pendant can indicate when if their Aura flares up in order to alert those around them so that they won't die when they throw a tantrum. Inevitably blood knots are taking time moms and Lisa's case. Since she's got a mostly mellow personality, they don't see their her as a potential threat but giving her affinity for violence. She is still on a watch list as are all blood knights. It's a precautionary measure for everyone and thus her class exam ended and she could then spend the rest of her days until her paladin deployment training starts.