Before long, Binn returned from delivering the message. "Didn't the Skeleton King come back with you?" Annan asked him.
"Mr. Skeleton King went back to the Land of the Dead first. He asked me to tell you he'll return before you leave."
Annan nodded. With the Skeleton King helping to watch over the place, he would feel much better about leaving.
"I can't stand this!"
The angry shout rang out suddenly. Annan and the guests looked toward the King of the North, where an argument had broken out. Then Gema stormed away.
Falu and the others stood frozen. The Old Housemaster, however, had Vivian push him after Gema.
Annan walked over. "What happened?"
"Gema and the Old Housemaster got into an argument," Falu said.
"Gema had the nerve to do that?" Annan found it hard to believe.
"Normally, no. But when word came back that no one in the Benitez Family had survived, he lost his head."
"Since when was Gema such a warmhearted guy?"
Falu and the head of Amoria exchanged a glance. "He only recently got engaged to a young lady of the Benitez Family..."
No wonder Gema was so angry. His fiancée had died.
After a moment's thought, Annan followed them out.
The voices of the Old Housemaster and Gema carried up from the hall below. Annan stopped at the top of the stairs, staying out of sight as he listened.
"What are you going to do?"
"Get revenge. Blood for blood!"
"Against whom?"
"The ones who murdered the King of the North. All Ratfolk!"
"You're a new king, and that's how you think? If an enemy killed your grandfather, would you take revenge on every human!?"
"I don't care. Filthy creatures like Ratfolk shouldn't exist!" Gema tried to charge out, but the Old Housemaster blocked his