Most people would assume that ‘Ciel’ is just a title. One would go the Academia, train, become the best in their field, and automatically be nominated Ciel. However, it isn’t as simple as that. Having the skill isn’t enough; there needs to be affinity. And who would know who has it, who is the right one? Only the gods can know.

This is because ‘Ciel’ isn’t just a title; it’s a being. Once you’re a Ciel, your previous race doesn’t matter; you gain your own attributes in accordance with which god you’re a Ciel of, because that god chose to give you powers, and not just anyone is compatible or strong enough to handle those powers.

No mortal chooses a Ciel, but no god can roam this continent.

Then, how is a Ciel chosen?

It’s a very mysterious experience. There are a total of thirteen gods, each with their own Ciel, each with their own building, and their own special room – the first building’s Throne of light, the second buildings Hell of fire, the third buildings Hall of enlightened, the fourth buildings Guts dojo, the fifth buildings – Well, the list goes on. The point is that each room contains a certain item, which is said to have been touched by the chosen god. It is something that shouldn’t exist in the realm of mortals, but does – in the form of sometimes very ordinary looking objects. For example, the war Ciel’s sword once stayed in the Guts dojo, the War god’s room.

Nobody knows how, but somehow the next Ciel is attracted to the object like a moth to fire. This isn’t easy considering no one knows the location of the room except those who are destined – or more like chosen – to find it. It is said that no one is the same after. The whole aura of the person changes and it’s as if they aren’t even people anymore. They are above; they are different – they are Ciel.

And I was just about to experience this life-changing event for myself.

Even though I would like to go on and tell you all about how I met a bright and godly creature who said I was destined to greatness, and bestowed upon me a great gift of power and responsibility…I honestly didn’t care who he was at the time.

“Where’s the money?”

He looked taken aback at my flat answer.

“What money?”

“This thing’s money-”

Shaking the creature even harder than before with a concentrated expression full of my pent up frustration, I absently replied.

Come on…fall…

Its eyes were now spinning in ways no eyes should as the creature started to reach its limit. But, no matter how hard I shook, no money fell out.

“It’s supposed to be a grubby little thing who even stole so much as a hundred gold…” I mumbled more to myself as my brows furrowed.

“Ah…because it’s a dragon.”

His careless words struck me, shocking me out of my concentration.

A…dragon…?

“You mean…the legendary creatures said to roam the kingdom in the time of the many Ciels, hoarding a large amount of gold and other precious materials, a whole fortune that could rival that of a church…?”

My head reeled with thoughts of happiness and I saw nothing in front of me. The whole world had suddenly become bright and shiny, just as I imagined the treasure to be.

I had expected a cute little ghost pick-pocket, but I never expected a legendary dragon with a fortune that only appears in the dreams of men! I could even feel my eyes shining with a new found hope now.

I’m rich, rich, rich-

“No, I mean a weird creature that doesn’t even know its own preference, changing its food choice every two weeks or so, depending on the quality.”

I…

“…”

This was the second time that week that my mind had gone blank. I couldn’t think. No, I wouldn’t think.

“Guess this time it switched to gold…” The elegant man in the painting clicked his tongue, “It’s such an unsatisfied creature! Even if it’s something with the quality of gold, he’ll probably switch to something else in three weeks after the first feed. Heh! It might even be grass!”

“…”

After a few moments of deadly silence, for which I remained frozen, I finally managed to force my lips open, “…Then…the money…?”

The folds of his black silk clothing shifted softly as he crossed his arms. A twinkle that could only register as evil in my mind glinted in his shiny orbs, as an arrogant smirk pulled up the corners of his pale lips. His whole irritated, bored aura had suddenly switched to a teasing, playful one. Still, his innate elegance remained in every movement, in every feature of his being.

“Huh? In its stomach, obviously. That thing’s pretty much a glutton; no chance it would wait before eating its meal.”

He was having too much fun, watching me carefully for a reaction. It was as if he fed off the misery he inflicted in people, and enjoyed savoring every detail of every expression, of every wail of despair. That is what I saw in those twinkling black eyes.

He was basically a jerk; a very refined, bored jerk.

“…”

The strength in my fingers had disappeared in my shock, and the dragon had been mercilessly thrown to the ground. Still, it only shook its head a little, and once the eyes had stopped spinning inside its skull, it looked up at me with an innocent expression of revere and happiness, proceeding to climb up my body. It was now perked upon my shoulder, licking my face with its long thin tongue.

It had no idea of its sin.

“…”

“Oi, what are doing?!”

Saliva drizzled down the side of the dragon’s mouth as it tried with all its might not to let its deadly fangs sink into my pale skin. The dragon looked to be in pain as it labored greatly, one of its silver eyes wincing. While sticking my hand down its throat, making it gag, I slowly turned towards the shocked nobleman. His arrogant smirk was nowhere in sight.

“What am I doing, you ask…?”

After reconfirming the sight below me, I looked back at him, “…What does it look like? I’m getting my gold.”

“…”

“Ah!”

My hand suddenly recoiled back, letting go of my hold on the dragon. I ignored its whelp of pain as it fell to the ground once more with a thud, and gazed distractedly at the smoke sizzling from the tips of my burnt fingernails.

“Gahaha! That’s what you get for doing something insane! Well, at least I’ll commend you’re brilliant resolve to go against all odds. Heh!”

The man tried to stifle his laugh, placing a gloved hand over his mouth. Still, as if it was too much to handle, his arrogant laugh escaped from time to time and his whole body shivered with the repressed chuckles. At the end, he even relieved one of his gloved hands to wave at me, acknowledging my “effort”. Another chuckle escaped.

“…”

This was one of those moments where a glare was worth a thousand words.

“What?”

He suddenly reverted back to his previous irritated expression, looking at me defiantly. I would later come to know that this man’s composed expression equaled his irritated one, because that is how the whole world made him feel.

“I really don’t get humans.” He rolled his eyes, “Why try so hard when you know you’re going to fail? That thing’s stomach is filled with its flames – what did you expect?”

What’s with this guy…I know he’s inside a painting and all, and even looks pretty flat because of that…but does he have to be so irritated and brainless? Well, with stupid people, all you need to do is smile…

“Well, even if it’s filled with flames and the gold is melted by now, it doesn’t matter in what shape or with what temperature it is – it’s fine as long as I get it back.”

“…For some reason, that smile right now really irritates me.”

The corner of his lips twitched as he looked at me with his brows scrunching together. But, suddenly he seemed to find something funny, sharing that arrogant laugh with me freely this time, “Well, you may be a little ignorant, but I like you. Okay! I shall share with you my great knowledge! Be grateful! Haha!

“You see – the fire of dragons is no ordinary fire. Even though not everything becomes ash if in contact with fire, such as how a metal would melt…when in contact with a dragon’s mighty breath, anything becomes ashes! Because of this, it doesn’t matter what a dragon eats, as it all ends up the same, and they end up being a confused creature who doesn’t know what they should even be eating.”

“Ah!”

“Ah – I see you’re illuminated expression right there! You are wondering how I could know such intricate knowledge when this world is so obscured by- Hey! Where are going?!”

The useless dragon following excitedly behind me suddenly collided with my leg as I stopped my hurried pace, hand already on the handle of the door.

“I noticed just now that it is almost midnight. If I don’t get back to my dorm in time, it’ll be troublesome. Then...”

I raised a hand in sign of goodbye, and proceeded to walk out the door.

“What about the dragon?!”

I could hear him yell from back inside the dark room, and replied immediately, “You can have that useless thing!”

Just as I was exiting the building, I suddenly stopped as another coughing fit took over. Hearing screams, I sighed as I sipped my water. They are still there, running around and screaming like crazy? When will they realize the ghost isn’t there?

My eyes were suddenly brought down, and I could feel my face twitch. Watching the dragon purring as it rubbed its smooth face on my leg, the memory of how it had wasted all that gold, eliminating it forever from the face of the world, came back. Why gold?! If you’re such a weird little creature that can eat anything, then why waste the damn gold?! Huh?! And now you’re following me?! Seriously?!

Forgetting about their screams, I stomped elegantly back to my room. The dragon was caught off guard by my sudden movement, stumbling. But, it immediately got up, and innocently ran to catch up with my pace.

Inside my heart, I could only silently lament. My money…

I think a part of me died that day.

…

Only, that day was far from over!

“What the hell am I doing back here?!”

After having supposedly followed the exact path I had come from, I was not met with the unsightly image of my friends running and screaming for their lives. I could hear them doing it, but I couldn’t see it. Instead, a refined jerk was smirking at me as one who knows a hidden joke.

“Welcome back-”

The playful tone and the evil twinkling in his eyes was one characteristic of evil, scheming villains. So went my first encounter with the man who would ruin my life and make me into a lonely hermit trapped in a dead garden with a stupid dragon. This is the man who caused my fate and this tale – the tale of an innocent flower becoming a terrible demon lord.