Chapter 1

Hadronic Ocean, Fleur seaport, Kratom Continent, planet: Makatea, Year: 300

The high seas were fascinating, the sunlight was gentle, and small fluffy white clouds scudded through the sky. Overall, Kaemon found the day to have been a wonderful one indeed. It was their fourth day at sea, after having left the Fleur seaport before dawn to avoid the suffocating heat strangling the western coast of Kratom Continent.

Kaemon did not want to think about it too much. "So, what do you think of this trip, Marron?" he glanced at his manager with a faint smile. Marron Grint was a long-time acquaintance of his, one of the few he could trust with his back.

From past experience, if Kaemon ever thought about something unpleasant while enjoying a grand trip, something disastrous always occurred, and he'd get blamed for it, not an outcome Kaemon particularly cared for happening to him again.

Marron Grint stared around the ship without enthusiasm. "It's a nice vessel," he finally agreed very reluctantly. "How did you manage to swing this again?"

Since Kaemon wasn't part of the stellar famous writers' crew, Marron needed clarification as to how he'd managed to get a ticket. "I know you couldn't afford to go to that concert your fiancée wanted to attend with you."

Ugh, of all people to almost name it was her. He almost shuddered in revulsion and sighed. "Err, yeah, that wasn't affordable back then, that is true." Hmm, Kaemon scratched his jaw and stood silent. Terron Plaine had been pestering him to inform Marron about their relationship.

This was probably the best time to inform Marron. The problem was that He still didn't know about the cancellation of the engagement he'd been involved in earlier in the year.

Kaemon shrugged at last with a sigh. Well, it wasn't that bad of a deal to tell him. After all it wasn't as if he and Terron, who owned the vessel, were hiding their relationship or anything.

"I know the owner of the ship." In fact, he and Terron had been friends long before they entered a relationship. A sigh escaped Kaemon. "We're lovers and have been for quite a while."

Marron's jaw dropped when he stared at Kaemon, who watched him warily.

"Since when were you two lovers?" Marron shook his head in confusion. "Not that I have a problem with it or anything, but didn't you have a fiancée or something?"

Kaemon grimaced. "As for what my parents wanted, I did have one up until six months ago." He shook his head when he thought of that fiasco. "However, that ended in a massive fight between her and the new fiancé that she's been showing off around town."

Kaemon didn't want to think of, much less name, that demon woman who was his ex-fiancée. That could summon a calamity of the worst kind, and he didn't enjoy it, considering his current position.

Just the notion of it made his skin crawl, Kaemon grimaced. No matter where he was located, it was better not to mention that woman's name in conversation.

Otherwise, that harridan of a female would come back and haunt him. Granted, she'd found her own partner, and that man had known her for the same time as Kaemon. They suited each other better anyway.

Kaemon didn't have time for bullies. "She found someone else." He shrugged.

"Both of our parents agreed to call off the engagement." Kaemon found it highly insulting that his fiancée blamed him for the call-off.

Marron looked at him in amusement. "It wasn't you who managed to get it called off, was it?" He knew Kaemon's nature very well.

He disliked confrontations, and that type of scenario was the worst. However, Kaemon had nothing to do with the circumstances that made the cancellation possible. That had been the new fiancé's doing, and Kaemon wished him well with that wench.

"Nope, it wasn't." Kaemon was actually grateful upon discovering that her new fiancé had been working to cancel it the entire time. "It was her fiancé."

At Marron's sharp glance, Kaemon shrugged. "I'm not mentioning her name because if my luck sours again, she'll appear on this ship and ruin the good feeling."

So, what if he was superstitious about something like that? Kaemon was one of those guys that could believe in superstition even if he didn't believe in deities.

That's when Marron informed him about something that was Kaemon's worst nightmare, even more so than his ex-fiancée. "Oh, right, there's news that we're going to have some kind of religion officially become part of the government."

"You've got to be kidding me." Kaemon couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Marron shook his head. "It isn't just our country doing it, Frell." He sighed. "I heard it's like a wave sweeping all over Makatea." Marron hunched a shoulder. From the sounds of it, it actually started from one of the forbidden continents, Dethos."

Kaemon grimaced. "To think that is where we're headed as part of this trip." He shook his head wearily. "I knew there was something strange when Terron said he had to go there."

Now, Kaemon felt a little uneasy, to put it mildly. He didn't want any involvement in religion of any kind. His entire world had rejected belief in and worship of deities well over three hundred years ago.

Now, this was happening? Kaemon disliked anything that would ruin the current atmosphere.

Ding!

Dang!

Dong!

The megaphone crackled to life. "Greetings to all on the ship, we're about to serve the evening meal. Please check your interactive guest itineraries to learn where you'll be seated."

Dong!

Dang!

Ding!

There were no further announcements with that ending.

Kaemon grunted. He checked his and rolled his eyes. "Impatient man," He couldn't help but smile.

Marron glanced at Kaemon and shook his head. "Well, I'm actually with your table this time." He was bemused. "Guess it can't be helped."

The two men hurried to their rooms to get changed. While it wasn't a formal gathering, they had to wear something business casual.

Then they headed to the dining hall, one of four in the massive vessel.