Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

The Rankers' Code of Conduct in Anfang dictated that the Grandmasters share their insights into their Ranking Journey after their recent breakthrough into the A-Rank.

This sharing of insights would serve as a sort of compass for their juniors.

For example, Grandmaster Amory shared the insights of his Ranking Journey when it was his time to address the audience during the event that celebrated his breakthrough. Amory's insights were accepted by the Rankers who had similar Ranking Paths as him, enabling them to benefit from his experiences.

However, Eren's speech didn't include these insights. Instead, he focused on making Rankers go through a phase of self-reflection.

This was rather contrasting because Eren could share insights that could be applicable to almost anybody. One could say that his insights were, in a way, globally compatible with all of the Rankers of Anfang. They would have benefited most of the audience if not all.

After all, Eren's Ranking Path was so broad that it would have assimilated with every known Rankers' Path available in Anfang.

Eren had gone for this approach not because he didn't want to let others benefit from his struggles. Instead, he believed that his not sharing them with others would do them more good. After all, his Path as a Ranker was not suitable for anyone. Only he, seemingly a dysfunctional man, could tread on this path. Others would indulge in self-harm if they tried to imitate him.

This was the first time in Anfang's known history that a Grandmaster's guidance didn't include the insights of their Ranking Path. Instead, Eren had used the platform given to him as an outlet to reflect on what he had done and what he was about to do.

"After I'm gone from Anfang, you might hear a few rumors about me."

Eren said as he looked around. He chuckled to himself before admitting. "Keke. I guess some of them will be true. Before you let those rumors bother you because of your forced or willing association with me, know that they will never have the power to bother me."

"What… What do you mean by that, Grandmaster Eren?"

A low-ranking teenage boy among the crowd asked as he looked at Eren intently. Eren could tell that he was seen as someone legendary in the boy's eyes even though the two had never personally met. He smiled at the boy before speaking further.

"Soon, the Ravendale's isolation will come to an end. It will start interacting with Arsalan, Katiyal, Shiragna, and other continents. If someone abuses me or sullies my name, do not fight with them. Do not oppose them.

Join them and berate me if you have to, if that's what it'll take for you to form connections with them. I don't care if you talk shit about me behind my back to further your own goals because I won't be here.

Prioritize your self-interests because nobody will do that for you. I used my fame as a tool in the past. So it is only right if I allow you guys to profit from destroying that fame.

The times ahead will be tough. You can blame being born at the wrong time. You can blame it on me for increasing your difficulties. But it wouldn't solve anything for you.

Tough times will also bring with them new opportunities. Think about how you can make use of those opportunities to better yourself. Think about how you can monopolize those opportunities as much as you can."

Eren's speech finally started to have its effects on those who listened to him keenly. They looked at each other for validation. The boy who had asked the question looked perplexed as if he was still debating if he should listen to Eren's advice or ignore it.

Of course, some of the Rankers in the White Raven Guild knew what Eren was talking about. The deal he had struck with the Anfang Alliance was made known to them through a few trusted sources.

It didn't take long for the news to spread. As such, most of the listeners knew what Eren was referring to.

The Rankers of the White Raven Guild knew that things weren't as they used to be in the past anymore. They needed to cooperate with the Rankers from other continents to progress ahead in their respective Ranking Journeys.

Furthermore, the world of Anfang will eventually be open to the otherworlders. They, as the denizens of Anfang, needed to stick together in order to stand united against the potential threats.

Eren had basically freed the Rankers from any moral obligations that might have hindered them from mixing with the Rankers from other continents.

It dawned on some of the Rankers that no matter what the Anfang Alliance says about Eren, the fact remained that he had achieved what he wanted to achieve in Anfang.

The way Eren was leaving Anfang was not his silver lining. Instead, metaphorically speaking, his potential ill fame was a small imperfection on an otherwise beautiful vase, which made it more attractive. Perfection in imperfection.

"Remember the struggles you made when you were at the bottom," Eren verbally marched on while scanning the crowd with his neutral gaze. "Those who stay in touch with their origins and use them as roots to grow further will eventually outgrow those who don't," Eren said as he looked at Jake and Steve.

"It might sound like I'm saying something mundane or the usual," Eren continued.

"And maybe I'm. But you'd be surprised how many of you get your basics wrong. No matter how much this world has changed or will change in the future, Anfang will be more or less the same Anfang that we all used to know.

That means it will provide plenty of opportunities to those who work hard to find them. And it will make the ones who want to ride on others' coattails suffer eventually.

Anfang was always about the survival of the fittest. It was always a struggle for Rankers to progress in their respective Ranking Journeys.

I accept without any guilt that I'm the cause behind the breaking of Anfang's established norms. Yet. I want this world to keep its core values intact.

It's like how most of us want the town in which we spent our childhood to not change with time. No matter how much we complained while staying there."