Eren and Alephee stared at each other as they discussed things in private.
They came to a quick solution to Sara's problem which had prevented her from stepping into the world of rankers so far. Alephee asked Eren to provide her with his blood.
The Elder Ichor, even in its diluted state, had a strong influence on every demonic power related to the Seven Planes of Seven Sins. Alephee's job would become easier if she used Eren's blood to alter the demonic runes.
Alephee only needed a drop of blood from Eren, which was more than enough for the procedure she was about to perform on Sara. The blind girl patiently let them discuss things in private.
Sara wanted answers to some of her questions. So after making sure Eren and Alephee had enough time to ponder the subject, she asked about everything related to her current condition. She also asked about its links to the demonic ranking technique she was tricked into practicing.
Eren looked at Sara and formulated an ideal answer. He first told her about Reva Rains and how Reva used mortals as mini nutritional snacks to support her accelerated ranking growth.
He told her about the ranking technique she had spread among mortals so that they could become these so-called nutritional snacks for her in the first place. Of course, he didn't disclose to her anything related to Anfang's deepest secrets that might make things difficult for her.
Sara felt an uncontrollable amount of anger building in her gut after learning Reva was responsible for her condition. And she was horrified to know that she was not her only victim and there were many others like her.
"This… Reva Rain? How? A bonafide title holder of the kingdom was doing something this heinous behind the kingdom's backs and it didn't know? I… it's difficult to believe this!"
Sara clenched her fists as she tried to control the anger and frustration building up inside her mind. As he stared at her, Eren sighed but did not say anything right away. He allowed Sara to process her feelings before speaking up.
"Well… the kingdom didn't know because it didn't care. That and the fact that Reva Rain was very smart and shrewd. She was very careful in selecting victims, someone without connections to the rankers' world in any form."
Eren omitted the fact that Reva had to be so careful because of the Anfang Alliance. Otherwise, her actual kill count would have been much higher.
Sara found her bearings as Eren's calm and informative words fell to her ears. His words saved her from feeling as if the entire world conspired against her. Eren's words made her understand that she was just one of Reva's unfortunate victims.
Reva had already been declared a traitor to Edinburgh. She also successfully fled to Layos. Plus, Reva covered her tracks well. So there was no way to punish her legally for what she had done to Edinburgh's mortals.
Sara dropped her shoulders and reclined in her chair before speaking up in a dejected tone.
"Edinburgh's passive stance against Reva Rain seems so absurd. Especially when they gave her the title of Paladin of Pain. That means they knew what kind of ranker she was from the beginning.
Her profile as a ranker was very clear in their eyes. Couldn't they just keep an eye on her to see what she was doing behind the scenes?"
Eren shook his head before replying to Sara.
"This might sound harsh to you Sara, but you or other mortals are not really an asset in Edinburgh's eyes. The kingdom authorities chose to ignore what Reva was used to doing behind the scenes because mortals were her primary targets.
Everything is gray when there's politics involved. Edinburgh is willing to look the other way as long as it doesn't get in the way of the grand scheme of things. That's how famous organizations and individuals thrive and prosper. And the kingdom thrives on them.
I'll have to admit that I have also benefited from Edinburgh's policies to my advantage. The creation of the city of White Raven is the finest example of how the kingdom operates. So I don't think I have any right to say that the existence of Reva Rain is Edinburgh's fault. I can't hold Edinburgh responsible for her actions.
Remember this - there's only one absolute in any world - death. And there are only endless possibilities when it comes to living. And the world doesn't owe you favors. You are lucky if the world is kind to you. If not, you'd have to create your own luck.
These concepts become even more prominent in the world of rankers. I suggest you get used to these concepts if you want to survive and thrive as a ranker."
Eren gave Sara a Rankers' 101. He didn't have a chance to explain these things to her in the previous timeline. He didn't need to. Because she was not qualified to become a ranker at that time.
However, Eren realized that Sara needed to be groomed the right way now that she was slated to become a ranker. Her aptitude as a ranker would flourish greatly under his guidance.
Sara nodded at Eren. Her face, however, still carried a hint of a frown.
"This is so frustrating. Even if I can profit from my tragedy now, the fact that I had to suffer this much in the first place really leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I… I wish there was some way to get back at... this… this…"
Eren chuckled before completing Sara's sentence.
"This bitch? Yeah. Listen, Sara. You don't have to follow the rankers' code in this situation. You can call Sara a bitch or anything. In fact, I would encourage you to do so if it makes you feel better."
Sara found strength in Eren's assurance. The thirst for vengeance was evident in her eyes as she spoke.
"I wish there was a way to get back at this bitch for what she has done to me and many others. I wish someone would put her through the same misery she inflicted on others."
Alephee had a blank look on her face as she pointed at Eren before responding.
"You might want to tick that off your to-do list if there was one. Because Eren has already done that."
