The Cruelty of Salvation — Chapter 1

SHE WILL BE BEHIND THESE DOORS.

OLIVIA.

NOAH!

OLIVIA.

OLIVIA!

I FEEL FULL, AS IF I'M FINALLY HOLDING SOMETHING I'VE LONGED FOR IN MY ARMS.

YOU FOOL, NOT AGAIN...!

NOAH!

WHAT A COMPLETELY ABSURD DREAM.

SHE WOULDN'T CALL ME NOAH. SHE'D CALL ME...

YOUR HIGHNESS.

IF SHE HAD TO.

OLIVIA LIBERTY.

I THOUGHT I WOULD FORGET THAT NAME IN A MONTH.

TWO YEARS AGO

I PRESENT TODAY'S SCHEDULE, YOUR HIGHNESS.

YOUR SCHEDULE HAS GOTTEN BUSIER RECENTLY.

THE MORNING HAS BEEN CLEARED, AS YOU ARE TO HAVE AN AUDIENCE WITH HIS MAJESTY.

AFTER YOUR MEETING WITH HIS MAJESTY...

...THERE WILL BE AN INTERVIEW CONCERNING THE AUTUMN BANQUET,

FOLLOWED BY A CHARITY GALA--

THREE.

TWO.

ONE.

GET OUT OF HERE THIS INSTANT!

AGH

LEONARD...

LET ME OFF JUST THIS ONCE, BROTHER!

LEONARD ASTRID KING OF HEROD

YOU FOOL...!

CALLING ME BROTHER WON'T GET YOU OFF THE HOOK!

WHAT'S SO HARD ABOUT HAVING YOUR DRINK IN PEACE AT A PUB?!

YOU JUST HAD TO THROW A TANTRUM REFUSING TO PAY, DIDN'T YOU?

AND YOU CALL YOURSELF ROYALTY?!

Y-YOU SEE... THOSE COMMONERS WERE RUDE TO ME FIRST.

WALTER LIGHTWING ASTRID A DUKE OF HEROD

YOU STILL HAVEN'T COME TO YOUR SENSES, HAVE YOU?!

I'LL BEAT THAT ARROGANCE OUT OF YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL!

NOAH!

PLEASE CALM DOWN, YOUR MAJESTY.

DO I LOOK LIKE I CAN CALM DOWN?!

LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW!

NO! PLEASE DON'T LET GO!

LET GO!

DON'T!

LET GO!!!

DON'T!!!

THAT'S ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU.

THERE ARE MANY EYES ON US.

HMPH

DUKE WALTER LIGHTWING!

Y-YES!

YOU ARE TO STAY WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF YOUR ESTATE UNTIL THE SCANDAL DIES DOWN.

NOT A SINGLE STEP OUTSIDE. AM I CLEAR?

YES, SIR!

HAVE YOU SEEN THE PAPERS?

YES.

THEN YOU'LL KNOW WHY I SUMMONED YOU.

AS YOU KNOW, IN TIMES LIKE THIS...

...WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE ARTICLES CLAIMING THAT WE LOOK DOWN ON COMMONERS SPREADING.

WE HAVE TO CALM PUBLIC OPINION.

SO--

DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO FILL THE FRONT PAGE WITH OTHER GOSSIP.

RIGHT?

YOU'RE TOO PERVERSE.

THAT WILL KEEP ME BUSY FOR A WHILE, I SUPPOSE. IF YOU WILL, ALLOW ME TO EXCUSE MYSELF.

NOAH. I'M SURE YOU REMEMBER.

YOUR BROTHER, USHER, IS THE CROWN PRINCE.

HE HAS TO REMAIN AUTHORITATIVE AND FLAWLESS.

AS A PRINCE, YOU MUST STEP UP IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS.

HERE WE GO AGAIN.

NOPHOK, THE LARGEST CONTINENT IN EXISTENCE.

OCEAN

THE KINGDOM OF HEROD REIGNED SUPREME OVER THE LAND.

HEROD

HEROLINGTON BAY

HOWEVER, WITH THE CHANGING TIMES, REPUBLICS BEGAN TO EMERGE.

POLDER

AND EVEN ACROSS THE NOPHOK CONTINENT...

... THE STIRRINGS OF REVOLUTION BEGIN TO SPREAD.

THAT'S WHY I HAVE TO PLAY THE CLOWN...

...TO COVER UP THE RUMORS THAT THE ROYAL FAMILY LOOKS DOWN ON COMMONERS.

YOUR HIGHNESS.

IT'S TIME TO MOVE TO THE NEXT EVENT.

HOW TEDIOUS.

MESON, HOW ARE THE PAPERS TODAY?

URM... IT'S THE SAME.

IT'S BEEN A WEEK, AND NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

OH, WAIT.

THERE'S ONE PAPER WITHOUT THE DUKE ON THE FRONT PAGE!

selected as Heroling niversity's Top Grad

THE YOUNGEST GRADUATE EVER FROM THE REPUBLIC OF POLDER'S HEROLINGTON UNIVERSITY...

...OLIVIA LIBERTY?

SHE TOOK THE FRONT PAGE? WHO IS SHE?

DON'T TELL ME YOU DON'T KNOW HER, YOUR HIGHNESS!

SHE'S THE FIRST EVER COMMONER WHO ENROLLED IN HEROLINGTON UNIVERSITY, AND THE YOUNGEST AT THAT.

SHE'S BEEN MAKING HEADLINES DAY AFTER DAY EVER SINCE SHE ENROLLED!

ON TOP OF THAT, SHE'S FROM HEROD,

AND AFTER BEING SELECTED AS THE TOP GRADUATE...

...MS. LIBERTY IS NOW THE MOST POPULAR FIGURE AMONG HEROD'S COMMONERS!

SO SHE'S POPULAR ENOUGH TO BURY THE ARTICLES ABOUT UNCLE WALTER...

AND LOOK AT HER FACE--

MESON.

TURN THE CARRIAGE BACK TO THE PALACE.

I CAME UP WITH A WAY TO RESTORE THE ROYAL FAMILY'S IMAGE.