Infinite Dendrogram - Volume 13 - Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Clan 
Royal Capital, Altea, The King’s Office 
That day, Altimia the First Princess of the Kingdom of Altar was hard at work as the acting queen. The peace offer from Dryfe came right on the heels of the Hannya incident, so she immediately returned to Altea to do everything necessary for the coming peace talks. 
“The Second Model Prism Steed production is going well, and both the royal guards and Altea’s knights are already supplied with them. The other matter is still encountering difficulties, however. The next report is... Hm?” 
After she’d finished reading the report from Countess Quartierlatin, Altimia reached for the next one, which made her tilt her head. 
It read: “King of Blaze, Feuer Lazburn has disappeared.” 
This next document was a report from an order she’d put out while she was still trying to avoid relying too much on Masters. At the time, she had instead depended exclusively on powerful tians. 
The kingdom had several Superior Job-holding tians who claimed no allegiance to any of Altar’s organizations, and Altimia had sent out messengers to try and recruit them. However, since many of them were essentially hermits living far from normal society, the results weren’t exactly favorable. Some of them even turned out to have already died of natural causes and passed their Superior Jobs on to powerful Masters. 
This report on King of Blaze, Feuer Lazburn, would actually be the last one she received. 
He was powerful enough to rival even the Arch Sage, and it was rumored that he currently lived and trained deep in the mountains, but... 
“He disappeared? And his retreat was burned to the ground...?” According to the report, the messenger had traveled to the hermitage on the mountain Feuer lived on. However, the entire place was completely destroyed, and most of the surrounding land and trees were still scorched. Since there was new grass growing out of the burnt surroundings, the report conjectured that a great deal of time had passed since the burning... over half a year at the very least, according to the presented estimate. 
Suspicious of this unusual report, Altimia silently pondered. 
It was possible that Feuer had burned the hermitage himself to go on a journey somewhere. He was fairly old, so it was also possible that he saw his death coming and had immolated himself along with the place where he lived. 
However, Altimia had the sneaking suspicion that this was somehow part of a much larger plot. 
This feeling came with a sense of danger, as if an unseen snake had coiled itself around her leg. 
“...Though, I doubt that Dryfe is involved in this.” Regardless, Altimia knew that this unusual incident was definitely something to keep in mind. 
The princess continued her work, and after some time had passed, she had finally taken care of all the documents that required her eye or involvement. The last document was a report on her request for retinue at the peace talks. 
“I put out a request for Masters to join me at the peace talks, and it looks like we’ll have a great many participants...” A part of her was upset that they hadn’t rallied like this for the previous war, but she concluded that was more of a reflection on Altar’s leadership, not the Masters. There was just no denying that the low participation in the previous war was mostly the kingdom’s own fault. 
However, there was something that still didn’t make sense to her. 
“Why was Father so adamant about this...?” Eldor, the previous king, was firm in his conviction that Masters were very special beings and should never be employed as tools of war. Altimia had heard him say so herself, and she did understand that point of view to a degree. 
However, she had no idea how he’d come to have such a deep conviction in the first place. She thought she may be able to figure it out if she followed in Eldor’s footsteps as the acting queen, but she struggled to understand it even now. In fact, after her interactions with Ray and the others, she was even more certain that the cooperation of the Masters in a prospective war was absolutely necessary. 
Altimia changed her mind after she came into contact with a particular person... namely, Ray himself. 
“...Was Father the same way?” Perhaps Eldor had settled upon his ideas after meeting someone specific as well. 
“Maybe I should look into that, too,” Altimia said. “Oh dear. Look at the time.” It was already dark out, and furthermore it was almost dinnertime. 
Altimia had planned to have dinner with Elizabeth and Theresia today. Once the matter of Elizabeth’s arranged marriage was settled, she and Altimia had made up; after Elizabeth returned to Altea, all three sisters ate dinner together far more often than they had previously. 
Though, perhaps they were simply trying to create memories together before Elizabeth left for Huang He. 
The plan was that she and Canglong the Third Prince of Huang He would leave together the day after the peace talks. That was the final deadline. Even if the talks went badly, Elizabeth would be gone before the War Boundary would activate. 
Although, if Altimia was assassinated during the talks, Elizabeth would become the heir to the kingdom’s throne. That would most definitely change the manner in which Altar and Huang He would be united. 
Everything depended on how the peace talks actually went in two weeks’ time. In the meantime, Altimia did whatever she could — even considering scenarios where she herself died. 
“Your Highness, are you here?” 
There was a sudden knock on the office’s door. The person responsible for the knock was none other than Altimia’s confidant — Marquis Findle. 
“Yes,” Altimia answered. “You may enter.” 
“Pardon the intrusion.” Marquis Findle had a single letter in hand. 
“What is that?” 
“It is a letter for you. The sender is... Lady Integra.” 
The name shocked Altimia into slightly widening her eyes. 
Integra. 
Integra Sedna Clarice. 
She was an apprentice of the Arch Sage who’d died in the previous war... The last of them all, in fact. 
Though she was the youngest of the apprentices, the Arch Sage had recognized her talent, and she learned much from him. Her ability certainly surpassed that of his many other apprentices, and two years ago, as a last task from the Arch Sage, she’d left on a journey across the seven countries. Because of this, she hadn’t been present at the battle against Gloria which killed all her fellow apprentices, nor did she participate in the war that killed the Arch Sage. 
Unfortunately, Altimia didn’t have any means to contact Integra as she traveled the world. In fact, she didn’t even know if Integra was alive... but now, she’d received a letter from her. 
After pondering for a moment, Altimia took the letter from Marquis Findle. 
To Altimia, Integra was like Liliana — one of her few close friends. However, the kingdom’s situation had changed drastically over the past two years, and her fellow apprentices as well as her mentor were now gone. That fact made Altimia a bit afraid of seeing the letter’s contents. 
Regardless, Altimia gathered her resolve and broke the seal to see what was written within. 
“...Eh?” 
What she read in that letter was something she could have never expected. 
“I, Integra Sedna Clarice, have succeeded my mentor and become the Arch Sage. Upon returning to the kingdom, I wish to serve Her Highness Altimia Azurite Altar just as my mentor did.” 
 
Death Soldier, Ray Starling 
“Man, what now...?” After finding out that Golden Pirates had disbanded, I spent a lot of time pondering: would it be best to just join Miss Eldritch’s Lunar Society, or keep searching to find a better option? 
“It would be great if you had some other clan you could get into... but that seems unlikely,” said Nemesis. 
“Yeah... I don’t exactly have connections in a lot of ranking clans.” 
There were some clans out there recruiting “mercenaries” — essentially, temporary members kept on-hand in case a war broke out. One of these was the AETL Union — the second in the rankings. 
As high as it was, though, it didn’t have many stand-out members like The Lunar Society’s Miss Eldritch or K&R’s Kashimiya and Rosa. They just had so many members, second only to The Lunar Society. 
The clan itself was... basically a fanclub. It was dedicated to the three princesses of the kingdom, as well as Liliana — who, as Shu once said, enjoyed great popularity even among tians. 
The clan known as AETL Union was a combination of their fanclubs for all four of them — it even took its title from the first letter of the princesses’ and Liliana’s names. Since their goal was, above all, to protect their favorite girls, they actually allowed anyone to temporarily join them in case of war. 
They were actually the largest Master faction that had participated in the last war, and some thought they were the major reason Altar avoided complete destruction. AETL Union had always declared that if war broke out again, they would return to the battlefield with the same vigor as last time. 
Since my goal was basically the same, I’d actually gone to them before I considered the Golden Pirates, but... 
“...AETL Union didn’t let me in, huh?” 
“That was... well...” 
The main reason for my rejection was that video of the incident in Gideon that Franklin had broadcast In it, I was shown fighting alongside Sir Lindos and... yes, Liliana. 
After I defeated RSK, Liliana had even nursed me to health. 
That seemed to have made them really upset. 
I talked directly to the clan’s sub-leader — the head of Liliana’s fanclub — and he said, “You fought with Lady Liliana and even had her take care of you... You’re just too close to her! And that intense expression on her face as she cared for you... GHAAAHHH! I’ll never let you in! In fact, I’d rather spit in your face!” 
“Fanclubs truly hate anyone who actually gets ahead, don’t they...” Nemesis noted. 
“It probably depends on the fanclub...” Still, AETL Union wasn’t an option. 
Well, the fact that they didn’t assassinate me outright told me that they were still somewhat reasonable people, at least. Maybe they’d let me in if I asked again...? 
“Wait, you’re also close to Azurite,” said Nemesis. “Joining AETL Union is simply impossible for you, don’t you think?” 
“...Oh yeah.” 
“...You even went to a mixed bath with her.” 
“...You better keep that a secret.” If they found out about that, I’d definitely be as good as dead. 
Yeah... as things were, I had to give up on AETL Union. 
“...The Lunar Society would probably let me in, huh?” After all, their leader once had me kidnapped just so she could force me to join her clan. If I went to them and actually asked to get in, she wouldn’t even think twice about it. 
However, the problem was what came after. I’d only be joining The Lunar Society to participate in the war — as just a mercenary, basically. Alas, it seemed likely that they wouldn’t just let me walk away afterwards. Miss Eldritch would make up all sorts of reasons why I couldn’t be allowed to escape. 
This was made even worse by the fact that we were acquainted in real life. It was just impossible for me to get away from her. 
Still... Not participating in the war at all was completely out of the question. If the peace talks went awry, war was inevitable. Azurite, Liliana... the fates of many of my friends would hang in the balance, and not being there would leave a really bad taste in my mouth. 
“...I really don’t have a choice, huh?” Well, we all had to make sacrifices every now and then. 
Even if it was roughly equivalent to leaping into a lion’s den, I had to join The Lunar Society. 
But how could I break this to my party...? 
“Hm? Well, if it aIn’t Ray? WhAt are ya broOdin’ over?” 
As I gathered my resolve and stepped forward, I ran into a familiar person with a voice and height that really stood out from the crowd... Xunyu. 
 

She was holding a cup of Shu’s popcorn in her hand. 
...I’m impressed that she can eat popcorn with those claws, I thought. 
“Xunyu...” 
“Seriously, what’s wrOng? You look like yOu’re about to get naked, tAke off your metal accessOries, chUg some vinEgar, cover yourself in sAlt, run through the doOr, and never come bAck.” 
...I was struggling to even picture that kind of scene. 
Also, did I really look that bad? 
“C’mon, tell mE what happened. I’ll give yOu advice like thE good buddy I am.” 
“Xunyu...” She was so dependable... especially for a grade school kid. 
“Well...” I told her what happened and that I was actually about to turn to The Lunar Society for help. 
Upon hearing that, Xunyu tilted her head. 
“Hey, why’rE ya goin’ to The Lunar Society?” she asked. 
“Because I don’t have connections in any other ranked clans.” 
“That’s nOt what I’m asking,” she said before falling silent for a moment... 
“Why nOt just make yoUr own clan?” 
...And then saying something surprising. 
“...Our own clan?” I felt like it was way too late for a new clan to make it into the rankings. 
“A clan you’re in woUld attract the bear likE honey, and the PKs in your pArty would follow yOu too, right? And if yoU and the beAr are bOth in, Figaro will fOllow, and then Hannya’ll comE after her hubby. You cAn probably also grab sOme duel rankers who got nothin’ bEtter to do. A lineUp like that’d make it in the rAnkings, wouldn’t it? Quality ovEr quantity and all that.” 
I was speechless. That idea had never crossed my mind. 
Though lacking in number, many of the people I knew were powerful, experienced, and well-established. Since clan ranking was depending on completed quests and their difficulty... it wasn’t impossible that a team made up of them would make it in the rankings. 
“HonestlY, I think your brOther’s prEsence alone would gEt you on the board,” Xunyu added. “He probAbly has enough quest pOints for that.” 
I was about to argue with her, but I remembered that Shu told me that he had cleared many high-difficulty quests — difficulty ten included. And on top of that, he did them either alone or in a small group. 
In that case, Xunyu’s estimate didn’t actually seem unlikely. 
“...Thanks, Xunyu,” I said. “I’ll talk to my group about it.” 
I can’t have imagined what would’ve happened if Miss Eldritch turned out to be my only option, but I now saw a glimmer of hope. I had nothing but gratitude to Xunyu for showing it to me. 
“You’re treating that woman like the physical manifestation of despair. Even I feel a bit sorry for her, but I suppose your experience with her was just that rough...” Nemesis remarked. Abduction and confinement definitely qualified as “rough,” yeah. 
“Well, anywAy, good luck with thE peace talks or wAr or whatever stuff gOes on here,” Xunyu said. 
“Speaking of which, what are you gonna do?” I asked. 
“I ain’t joinin’ the rEtinue. I still gotta prOtect Cang, and hell, thoUgh I get particIpating in a war as a mErc, it’ll caUse problEms to hAve a foreign Master amOng the bodyguards at a peAce talk, won’t it? It’ll mAke it look like yoU want to fight, and the mOod of the place woUld turn all sour.” 
“...Good point.” Although I was looking for a clan to make sure I could participate in the war, there was no guarantee that it would actually happen. It was still possible that the peace talks would go off without a hitch. Xunyu was actually being very considerate in that regard. 
“And thEn... it’ll all depEnd on how the peAce talks go,” she continued. “If therE’s a war, I’ll have to negotiAte with the first princEss again. If there’s nO war, I’ll just go bAck to Huang He with Cang.” 
“I see,” I said. “I’ll be sad to see you go.” 

“Hey, yoU can always just comE visit Huang He. Just so yoU know, it’s a toUrist paradise with lOts to see.” 
“Huang He, huh...?” I couldn’t really leave Altar for the time being, but maybe I could go visit some other countries once things calmed down here. Shu said that he’d traveled a lot, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to try that. 
“...I’d love to visit Huang he, actually.” 
“I’ll show yoU around whEn ya do.” 
“I’ll be counting on you, then.” And so, Xunyu and I parted ways. 
However, a short while later, a question popped into my mind. 
If the kingdom hired Xunyu... who would act as Canglong’s bodyguard on his way back home? 
 
After parting ways with Xunyu, I went straight to where my party was waiting for me and reported that The Golden Pirates had disbanded. I then told them I was thinking of getting into the rankings by making a new clan with us and Shu, among others. 
B3 responded with, “I guess it’s possible that we’d make it in. Though I’d need to know how many points your brother has.” 
You could always check your own points in the records window, and we could gauge our eligibility by comparing our combined points with what her clan had when it was still active. However, B3 also said that since a lot of clans were gathering mercenaries to get themselves onto the rankings, we would probably need more points than Mad Castle used to have. 
I had to know if Shu was up for this, among other things, so I went ahead and contacted him. After checking my friend list to confirm that he was online, I used my Telepathy Cuffs to call him. 
When I told him we were thinking of creating a clan, he immediately asked me where we were. I told him the name of the establishment, and it only took him about thirty minutes to arrive. 
“Beary sorry for the wait.” 
“Woow! Ray! It’s been so loong!” 
...As it turns out, he was accompanied by a familiar face. 
“Lei-Lei?!” Lei-Lei, the Prodigal of Feasts. She was the kingdom’s fourth Superior, and I hadn’t seen her since the welcome party on my first ever day in Dendro. 
The fact that she’d spiked my drink still came back to me every now and then — mostly when I was drinking something. 
Lei-Lei had a reputation for rarely coming online, and she didn’t seem to have a set pattern to her login times. Why was she here now...? 
“Lei-Lei and I went on a quest together fur the first time in awhile,” said Shu. 
“The past few times I could manage to come online recently, Shu was busy making popcorn, so this was our first co-op gig in a long time.” Oh yeah — Shu had told me they’d been questing every now and then. 
I never expected them to be doing that today, though... 
My party was also very surprised to encounter a Superior who was such a rare sight. 
“So... let’s talk about that clan,” said Shu. 
“Ah... yeah,” I said, after I’d recovered from the shock. 
Shu, Lei-Lei, and I sat at the same table, and I explained our current situation. 
“I see,” said Shu. “Well, you beary much did the right thing by not letting yourself end up in debt to the fox.” I nodded at him. I looked at B3, who pondered for a bit, but then nodded herself in agreement. 
“Well, furst, let’s start by addressing the points we’ll need to get into the clan rankings. Here’s how much I’ve got.” 
Shu opened his records window and showed us. He had several more digits than me, but I didn’t know if it was enough to enter the rankings. I looked at B3, and noticed that her eyes were wide open. 
“Umm, how does it look...?” I asked her. 
“...He has... over twice what our entire clan had before disbanding,” she answered. The rest of us were all lost for words. 
B3’s Mad Castle was a famous Altarian PK clan, and though they’d ultimately lost against the overwhelming force that was Figaro, they certainly weren’t short on both quantity and quality of players. They must’ve completed a huge amount of quests and accumulated an enormous number of points, yet Shu here had over double that just by himself. 
...I once again became aware of just how absurd Superiors were. 
“...This is more than enough, even considering how many points other clans will be getting by taking on mercenaries,” B3 added. 
“I see...” I said. It was now clear that we’d make it into the rankings with just Shu on our side. 
“Yeah. My name’s enough to carry you into the rankings,” he said. “But befur that, I have a question for you.” 
The air around him seemed to have changed suddenly, but I was the only one who seemed to notice. It must’ve been a pretty minor change that only I could pick up on. 
“...What is it?” I asked. 
“The day you first logged in, you said that you’d be gunning fur a spot in the rankings.” ...Yeah, I could remember myself saying something like that, and even making a goal of it. However, on that very same day, I got the death penalty — and realized how powerless I was. Nemesis and I recovered from that defeat, and that moment served as our starting point before going on to be swept up in all kinds of events. 
Still, that didn’t change the fact that my overall goal was getting into the rankings. 
“If you make a clan now and I join it, you will definitely get in the rankings,” he continued. “Even if I didn’t join, you could probably manage just with all your friends. Honestly, even if that wasn’t enough either, you could beary easily gather mercs with just your name and some pocket money.” 
I hadn’t realized it until now, but he was right — there was a solution available even if I didn’t get his help. 
“But... will you be able to live with that?” he asked. 
I pondered this. 
“You think you can bear to become a ranker thanks to others instead of your own merits...? Won’t that leave a bad taste in your mouth? More importantly, do you actually have the resolve to found a clan that has me as a member?” He was talking with the same jovial tone as usual, but I could tell that he was completely serious. 
His question made me think about the fact that I was actually about to become a ranker. 
I was pretty sure that clan rankings weren’t what I’d had in mind back when I said that I wanted to do this. I thought I was going to increase my power and get into either the kill or duel rankings. 
However, I had basically no chance of entering the rankings based on kill count, and I had neither the time nor the ability to become a proper duelist. The only way I’d ever become a ranker would be through clan rankings, and that was well within my reach. I could get there by either forming my own clan or joining Tsukuyo Fuso’s. 
Some would see this as relying too much on other people, and I could understand that point of view. The person I was back when I’d decided on this goal certainly wouldn’t be satisfied with this state of affairs. 
However... 
Not saying a word, I looked at Nemesis. She also said nothing, telepathically or otherwise. She was just looking straight at me. 
“...Yeah,” I said. “I already have my answer.” 
I closed my eyes, let out a breath... and looked right into Shu’s eyes, beneath the costume. 
“...You’re not wrong, Shu. Back when I set this goal, I probably didn’t think that I’d become a ranker like this.” 
Like he said, changing my ultimate goal like this did leave a bad taste in my mouth. He knew me better than anyone, so definitely could say that about me. 
“But as I am now... that would be a huge mistake.” 
All of that wasn’t important to me anymore. My perspective then and my perspective now were just too different. Only about two months separated those two perspectives, but the weight of those two months was immense. 
“By limiting myself to my old goals, I’d be unable to do anything for the kingdom... for Azurite,” I spoke the name of my friend. “That would leave an even worse taste in my mouth. I just can’t do that.” 
As I was now, I could clearly see what I had to prioritize. 
“I’ll seize this possibility with all my heart.” I was willing to do whatever it took to achieve the things I desired. 
Also, I didn’t actually think doing this meant I relied too much on other people. 
“Whether it’s you, my party, or my friends... I’ll make a clan with anyone who’s willing to join me and become a ranker through that.” Their power was their own, but the very fact that we were now united was the result of all the time we’d spent and the memories we made, as the person I’d been slowly transformed into the person I was now. 
“I will proudly state that these bonds are part of my power, and I will wield them to fight alongside Azurite.” The person I was now had already decided to give everything he had to face the challenges ahead and seize hold of that possibility. 
“That... is the choice I’ve made!” 
We were going to make a clan and enter the rankings. This was the path I chose, and I would never regret it. 
Silence filled the entire establishment. 
Shu, Nemesis... no one said a single word as time slowly ticked onwards. 
Amidst this stillness, Shu slowly opened his mouth. 
“You pass,” he said, and I felt like he was smiling under his costume. “I’ll pledge my name and power to your clan, O fearless leader.” 
“Thanks Sh—... Huh?” As I thanked him, I realized what he just said. 
“Leader? ...Me?” 
“Well, yeah. Fur sure. Your clan’ll get my name in the roster, but it’ll be your clan. That makes you the clan leader, right?” 
...Right. I’d resolved to make a clan, but I hadn’t yet thought about who would lead it. 
I looked at my party, and B3 slowly nodded. 
“This party, King of Destruction, and anyone else you would invite — they’d all be joining because of you. It wouldn’t make sense for anyone else to be the leader.” 
“Yes. Exactly,” Marie agreed. 
“Well, it’d attract weirdos because birds of a feath—... Ahem... I mean, you’ll have really diverse members because of your popularity,” Rook said. So they wanted me to be the leader too, huh...? 
“You’re the only one fit to lead this clan,” said B3. 
“...All right,” I replied. I clearly had no choice, so I just gathered my resolve. If I shrunk back from this, I wouldn’t be able to keep going forward and seize that possibility I wanted. “I... I will become the clan leader.” 
The moment I said that, Nemesis started clapping. She was soon joined by Shu, Rook, Marie, B3, Lei-Lei, and... 
“...Hold on! Is everyone here clapping?!” I just realized that I’d made that whole speech while everyone in the place was staring at me. 
...I was reminded of that moment at the fountain, back when I got the death penalty for the first time. 
...Man, is this embarrassing, I thought. 
“Heheheh,” Shu chuckled. “I only asked fur your motivations because I didn’t want to hand you my name fur free. But I’m satisfied. That declaration was beary fiery.” 
That was your whole reason for asking?! 
“Heheh,” Nemesis chuckled smugly. “Getting all fired up when it matters is one of his good points, Brother Bear.” 
“I know.” 
“Don’t just say something like that! You’re making this even more embarrassing!” My reaction made everyone around burst out laughing. 
“Yep-yep! What a good conclusion!” said Lei-Lei, who was laughing particularly loudly. “Oh, and if you’re making a clan, I’m joining too!” 
“HUH?” Those words made everyone — even Shu — doubt what we were hearing. 
 
Gideon the Duel City 
After that exchange, the group hurried to submit the clan formation registration. They had to hurry, because there was really no telling when Lei-Lei could make it online again. 
The founding of country-affiliated clans and addition of new members could be handled in country-affiliated adventurer guilds, so that was where they were heading. 
Ray’s party chatted amongst themselves about the new clan, while Shu and Lei-Lei lagged behind, walking together some distance back from them. 
“So, what was that all about, Shu?” Lei-Lei asked, making sure that only Shu heard. “If Ray’s response hadn’t been what you wanted, you wouldn’t have actually joined his clan, would you?” 
“...You can tell?” 
“I’ve known you for a pretty long time, after all,” she said with a smile. 
“I see,” Shu nodded in understanding. 
Just as she assumed, Ray’s response did influence Shu’s decision. 
There were several reasons for that, and aside from a confirmation of his brother’s determination, the main one was that the name of the King of Destruction simply carried far too much weight. 
“Clans with Superiors create many enemies,” Shu said. Sol Crisis had once tried to gain fame by PKing Ray. This was the same thing, except the scale was orders of magnitude greater. That was just how valuable a Superior’s name was. 
Ray had already had some unfortunate ties to certain people in Dryfe and was targeted fairly often as a result. Shu was worried that his presence in Ray’s new clan would only make things worse. 
“That’s also why I was shocked when you said that you were joining too,” said Shu. 
“Hey, might as well go all in,” she replied. “Once you’re on board, a second Superior won’t change much, right?” 
“...When he recovers, Figaro will likely join too... and then Hannya will follow him.” 
“Wow. That makes four Superiors, then.” 
“...That would make it the country-affiliated clan with the second-highest amount of Superiors, right under Sefirot. As the leader, Ray would attract even more attention than before.” 
“It’d be a whole lot of trouble...” 
And despite knowing all this, Shu had decided to join Ray’s clan. 
“Still, I heard the resolve in his voice, so there’s nothing more to say. I’ll stand by him as both a clan member and a brother.” 
Shu believed that if anyone could face the various troubles approaching them, it would be Ray. 
Thus, a new clan was born. Led by the newbie known as Ray Starling, it had the highest number of Superiors among all clans in the three western countries.