A man with golden hair rode in a similarly golden carriage through the streets of a city which, by every definition of the word, represented refinedness.

The peasants of this city carried themselves high with pride, and wore high class clothing. Not a single person within this city seemed to be lacking in spirit.

This was because Touchette was the city that marked the boundaries between the three human nations.

As a historical landmark, this city received funding from each of the three nations which controlled it, though this funding was allocated to the respective sector which each nation controlled.

Many tourists would often come to visit the city of Touchette in order to experience the unique culture, the magnificent sights, and the high class food.

In particular, one achievement was a tower built in the center of the city.

This tower, surrounded by it's own ring of walls, was known as the tower of unity.

A joint collaboration between the three nations allowed for the building of such a tower, which currently held the record for the tallest building in the human world.

"The Senator has been informed of your arrival and is eagerly awaiting you, Indeterminant. We will lead you to his residence.", a man who wore the armor and wielded the weapon of a roman legionnaire stated.

"I see. Please guide me then.", the blonde man responded with a grin as he glanced around the city, taking snide looks at each and every one of the people.

This man was Oscar, the Indeterminant.

The man who was stated by the legends to control reality itself, and held the ability to search out and grant the heroes with their abilities.

He was the man destined to lead these heroes against the Determined- the evil queen of demons who would unite the antiheroes underneath her, and take over the realm of monsters before leading them to destroy humanity itself.

She was the mistress of destruction and the ruler of chaos, and the only person within the world who held the power to stop her was the Indeterminant.

The antiheroes she led were also beings of great power, and the only ones aside from Oscar himself who could defeat them were the heroes that Oscar was destined to search out and lead.

It was said that while the Indeterminant and the Determined were locked into a fierce battle, that the antiheroes would face off against the heroes in a struggle where justice would prevail.

Yet a trifle had occurred.

A single hero had gone mad with his own power, slaying the Emperor of the Vythguard Empire, and taking the throne of his own father- after taking said father's head.

The mistress of chaos would have to wait.

However, Oscar was aware that he had already put the antiheroes into a position of almost certain death long ago, and so he was not worried in the least about them.

The only person who remained then as his own natural enemy was this mistress of evil.

Yet even this woman, Oscar was not concerned about.

'For if it is a woman.... I can twist her into my own grasp. Even the demons will bow before me.... as members of my harem.'

Confident in his own looks and manipulative personality, Oscar was not worried in the slightest about such a woman. As a matter of fact, her very existence excited him as he thought of the day she approached him.

Yet today was not that day.

Right now, Oscar was currently enacting a plot that was on a magnificent scale.

It was a plot which would allow him to seize the throne of not only the Empire, but also of the Ruthobold Kingdom and the Asarith Sultinate, so long as he played his cards right.

'That idiot who calls himself the new Emperor played right into my hand without even thinking about it. The Sultinate..... as far as I know, they are undergoing a drought on a massive scale right now, and I should be able to convince their leader to join this war in exchange for the provisions of the Empire. Following this war.... the three human countries of this world will be united under one flag. It is then that I will make my move...'

Oscar smiled but held back a laugh as he rode through the streets.

As the hero of humanity, portraying the young Emperor as a hotheaded fool would be a simple matter.

Oscar was a figure of justice.

'He did all these horrible things and took over all these people. So many died due to his anger. It is true that his father was a great man who was killed..... but just look at how many lives were taken as a result. This man is no leader. He is a child who has been given a weapon, and throws it about with no rhyme or reason- harming people without giving it a second thought.'

Painting the young Emperor as evil would be simple.

Everyone knew him to be nothing more than a typical playboy whose ambitions were unbelievably high. After Oscar had manipulated him into performing such actions, his own incompetence would be known to the entire world.

'And so, as a figure of justice, I will seize control of the world from him, claiming that he was a child unfit to rule the nations which he has destroyed.'

Nodding to himself, Oscar approached the home of the Senator.

The homes within the city of Touchette were all extravagant. Even the smaller peasant homes were still of excessively high quality, only smaller in size than the mansion before Oscar.

"We've arrived, Indeterminant. Some men were sent ahead to inform the Senator of your arrival, so he should be awaiting you. Please follow us."

Oscar lightly jumped down from the stopped carriage, elegantly landing as his coat fluttered.

Swiping his own golden hair from his face, he looked up with a smile as he dusted his suit off.

"Very well."

The guards at the gate immediately allowed the group to pass through, and Oscar entered the mansion behind the soldiers.

'I suppose it's time to get this political stuff over with. After all, I'd like to explore this city and it's options.'

----

On entering the mansion of the Senator, Oscar couldn't help but be surprised.

It was just as extravagant as the palace of the Emperor himself.

The ceiling and the walls were covered in mosaics, and the hall was lined with statues which reminded Oscar of the palace of the Emperor, yet they were slightly different. The art form was less classical and more similar to baroque era art.

Sitting in a throne with a number of soldiers on either side of him, a man wearing the crown of leaves that represented a position of authority within the Empire sat with his hands on his knees.

This man, despite wearing the crown of leaves, wore an outfit that was far different from the tunics of most Senators that Oscar had seen thus far.

Instead, he wore something that made him look like a French nobleman.

A pompous suit with a handkerchief hanging from the collar of his buttoned jacket.

The man wore puffy shorts with long white stockings that covered the entirety of his legs.

With curled hair that had been bleached white like a powdered wig, the man indeed reminded Oscar of someone he would see in a history book detailing the era of the French revolution.

The man crossed one leg over another, leaning forward with a strange smile.

"Oh.... you have finally arrived, yes? Indeterminant."

He spoke with a high pitched voice and Oscar could immediately tell that he was a man of particularly strange taste.

Oscar walked forward as the soldiers guiding him filed into lines on either side, clearing a path for him to walk.

With excessive hand motions, Oscar bowed to the man who sat before him, closing his eyes in respect as his hair fell from it's resting position.

"Good afternoon, Senator....."

"Beauduatte, my good man. I am Senator Beauduatte of the Vythguard Empire, and I currently rein over the glorious city of Touchette."

Standing up from his seat, the man bowed as well to Oscar, forming a 90 degree angle as he made motions that were even more extravagant as Oscar.

His powdered hair barely moved as he made these motions as if it had been locked into place, it's curls lightly bouncing.

"I bid you great welcome, o hero of humanity. The new Emperor has informed me of our movements as an Empire, and I cannot hide the fact that I am shaken yet intrigued at the prospect of this war. Please, it would be beyond unacceptable to force you to stand before me as I sit in a throne, for I consider you to be an equal.... or perhaps even a superior of myself. Shall we proceed to a room that is more leveled to speak?"

Oscar nodded with humility.

"I am honored that you would consider myself to be of a similar status. After all, I may be the hero of humanity, yet I am merely performing the role which has been assigned to me. In truth, it is nothing of my own efforts that has brought me to such a position. It is my duty and nothing more."

"My! How humble! It is truly encouraging that the hero of humanity would be a man such as yourself. I am encouraged that you are the one who will be leading our heroes. Surely, with a role model as yourself to follow they will be led to the path of justice."

The two walked alongside one another, through a hallway that was lit with candles on golden holders. This hallway too was lined with paintings and the red carpeting and extravagant carvings in the wood spoke volumes about the care taken in the construction of such a mansion.

"It is magnificent.", Oscar murmured as the two made their way through the halls.

"Oh?! You have taken notice of my particular style, have you not? In Touchette we have the greatest architects and artists in the world, and I have taken it upon myself to ensure that every corner of this city shows that."

Folding his arms as he looked forward with pride, the man let out a snide retort.

"Well, at least within the sector that the Empire has control over."

Oscar nodded as the two made their way to a grand set of double doors at the end of the hallway, where they entered a room with two couches facing one another.

The decoration and artistic style of this room was just as classy as every other room within the mansion, and the pompous man sat at the left couch while placing one leg above another.

Folding his hands and placing them on his knee, he spoke with a quirky smile.

"Please, sit down my good man. We can begin our conversation momentarily, but would you like anything to drink?"

Oscar took his own place at the opposing couch and responded to the offer with a nod and a smile.

"Allow me to get a bud- er..... a beer, if you have it."

"Very well! One beer for the hero of the land, of the highest quality!!!!!"

As soon as the man said this, one door opened and a set of women entered the room in perfect line.

The women were dressed in maid uniforms of all types. Some wore long dresses, others wore short cut outfits, and there was even one woman wearing an outfit which a butler would normally wear. Each one seemed to have their own unique style.

Not only their outfits, but also their expressions and hairstyles seemed to be completely different from one another.

In unison, the women bowed while closing their eyes and spoke.

"Understood, Master Beauduatte. One beer for the esteemed guest."

In one motion the maids all lifted themselves, exiting the room in a line.

"A fine assortment.", Oscar commented.

"Yes!!!! Yes indeed, my good man!!! A grand assortment. I see that you are a man of culture as well then!? My oh my, good Indeterminant. It appears that whatever power has chosen you as the savior of humanity, that they have chosen a man of true quality!!!"

The man stood up with excitement, almost dancing on his tiptoes.

"Here in the city of Touchette, we are lovers of art!!!! We are lovers of that which is unique and strange!!!! For we are the representatives of the combined culture that makes up humanity. I have taken it upon myself to ensure that each and every person is able to express their own creativity, whether it be through grand design of architecture, the exceptional civil functions of this city, or through the clothing of my citizens!"

Sitting down with excitement, the man continued his ranting.

"Each and every person must show the very world with not their words, but through their appearances, that they are a citizen of Touchette! I cannot emphasize enough how fortunate I am to act as the Senator of this beautiful city."

"I see."

Oscar nodded in agreement, smiling respectfully towards the Senator, yet the inside of his mind was completely opposite.

'Would you shut up already, annoying man? Your voice makes me wanna cut my ears off. And I could give a shit less about your art. I was talking about the women. The women. They're the only thing worth it in this place. Though.... I guess they wouldn't be as beautiful if he weren't a nutjob like this.'

Oscar found himself mentally rolling his eyes, awaiting the moment that he could leave this place and go hunting for some prey.

'Can't wait to take over the world.... I guess I'll have maids like that once I've done it? Haha.... beauties of all different shapes and sizes surrounding me..... I can pick each and any of them at a given moment, and they'll never get jealous of one another or try to harm me.....'

Oscar hid his own grin behind his hand.

'Because I'm a hero.'

The women entered the room, each of them with a different type of mug or cup on their platters- all of which were different as well.

Walking up next to Oscar, he noticed that they each had different expressions.

One was cheerful, another was serious. Another still seemed to be bored, and yet another seemed to be annoyed. The final one seemed to be satisfied with a light smile and thinned eyes.

"Uniqueness is something which the people of Touchette pride themselves on moreso than anything else. We prefer that each and every person has choice..... in everything. Choice in outfit. Choice in food. Choice in style. Choice in manner. The only thing which we do not have a choice in....."

Waving his hand out before the line of women, the Senator smiled.

"Is elegance. With every fiber of our being, we will always ensure that we are elegant in every way, shape and form. We will always hold our heads high, and never deny our lineage. This is the only thing which is set in stone. However, the manner in which we do so.... this is all up to the individual to decide. To separate one self from the crowd is our way."

"I see. It is an interesting view.", Oscar stated while glancing over the women with delight.

They were like eye candy. To Oscar, who was the type of man who preferred to experience all different types of women, this couldn't be anything else but a dream come true.

'This is perhaps a sneak peek of my life to come....'

Holding out his hand, it seemed to dance from one drink to another before he settled on a large mug held by a cheerful blonde girl.

Taking a sip from the mug, he washed the golden liquid around before wiping his lip and nodding in approval.

'Not as good as the stuff I made that one time..... but still pretty damn good.'

"Is the beverage to your liking? If it is not, then we have provided a number of choices for you, my good man. Please feel free to choose at your leisure."

"This one is acceptable, thank you. Now then, I am here for a reason, am I not? To discuss the future of the Empire, and my goal in crossing the borders to the Sultinate."

"Ah yes, yes! Business it is. Let us get right to the point then. Should I dismiss the women? Or should I allow them to stay? I can assure you that their lips have been tightened as if there were a corkscrew wringing them. However, the choice is yours."

"Let them stay. After all, there isn't anything wrong with having such gorgeous art before you. Am I wrong?"

"Exactly correct, my fellow man of culture!!!!! I am truly delighted in your own decisiveness in the matter!! You truly are one that I can trust with the future of humanity."

'Flattery isn't getting you anywhere, old man.', Oscar thought, despite his own friendly external demeanor towards the man.

With a smile aimed at the maid, Oscar placed his beer back on the tray and folded his hands, prepared to talk business.

"Then, let us get to the heart of the matter."

With serious eyes, Oscar began to speak clearly.

"As you are aware, I have been ordered by the Emperor to ally with the Asarith Sultinate in a joint war with the Kingdom. I am ashamed to say so, but the hero of the Kingdom has gone off the rails. I was unable to control him, and he must be stopped. He slaughtered the Emperor, and will likely continue his reckless actions within the Kingdom."

Oscar looked down, acting as if he held bitter remorse.

"It is my own fault that a hero ended up in such a state. I should have done more to watch over him.... and yet....."

"Do not say such things, Indeterminant!!!! It is anyone's fault but your own!!!! The fact that such a fanatic has been allowed to be given such power is not your will, but the will of whoever or whatever decided for him to be chosen as the hero in the first place. You are merely the method in which he has been granted such power, and should feel no guilt for his actions!!!!"

"I thank you, but I cannot accept such kind words. The truth of the matter is that this is a failure on my own part."

Looking up with sincerity, Oscar spoke boldly.

"And because of my involvement in such a matter, it is my own responsibility to bring down this monster which I have created. For this reason, I will search out the hero of the Sultinate and together with the hero of the Empire and it's armies, we will defeat the deranged hero of the Kingdom."

Beauduatte nodded, plucking one of his curls.

"Indeed my good man!!!! However, when that is over with, what will happen to the Kingdom??"

Oscar looked at Beauduatte with a serious expression.

"They will be left without anyone to lead them. I cannot imagine how much damage has been caused by that reckless hero, but I heard that he even killed their king and removed the nobles from their positions. Without a competent leader and with the nobles in no position of power, the nation will certainly fall into chaos. It is therefore the duty of the Empire as a neighboring nation to step in."

The man nodded with a smile.

"I see!!! So that is how it is..... you mean that the Empire will take responsibility, and take leadership of this broken nation after the war has concluded!?"

"Indeed."

"How disturbing to hear these reports..... that the nobles of a nation have been thrown aside..... just how on earth are they functioning!? No.... they are likely not. Not only the nobles, but the people of the nation are likely suffering greatly from this lack of direction!!! It is our duty then to set them back on a correct path. Very well, Indeterminant!!! I support you with every fiber of my being! You may stay here in the Empire's sector of Touchette until you are prepared to cross the border. Is there anything else you wish for while you are here?"

"May I borrow your maids?"

"Hahaha! Surely you jest, Indeterminant. Forgive me for saying so, but my personal maids will never leave my own custody. That is one rule I will not break, not even for the hero of humanity."

"Of course. It was nothing more than a joke. I would never rob you of such fine women."

"Indeed you are a true man of culture, my good man. Then, I will see you off."

"No need. I will find the exit on my own."

Oscar stood up, walking past the maids while waving to them.

Each of them elicited a different expression to his wave. One smiled, another waved back. One grimaced, and another had no reaction.

"Beauduatte. I will remember that name. Thank you for your hospitality, good Senator."

"And thank you for your service, Indeterminant."

Later that night, the Senator died of a heart attack.