The group reach Maasa, capital of the Kingdom of Water. Satou is grabbed by a girl from the crowd who kisses him, granting him the Ring of Water as she is Princess Saphir of the dragon people. Saphir quickly drags him into her kingdoms politics; Maasa has no army so it utilizes soldiers from Marse's country, the Gisarus Empire. Unfortunately Marse's father the Emperor and older brother Prince Sluder are expanding the Empire’s territories and Saphir fears he intends to seize Maasa. Her father suffers from an illness weakening his mind, so he relies heavily on Sluder and a mysterious Seer. It transpires Saphir’s younger twin Saphira was supposed to be Ring Princess and marry the Ring King, which should have been Marse, but now she rejects him, believing he broke his promise to marry her by letting another man become Ring King. Saphir admits she married Satou so Saphira would be free to marry Marse, though that now seems unlikely. Saphir intends to prove the Seer is an Imperial agent, meanwhile the Seer orders Satou be assassinated. The assassins are foiled repeatedly by Granart and Alabaster. Marse admits to Satou he didn’t want to be Ring King as the responsibility was too much, plus it meant taking Hime away from Satou, which wouldn’t be right. Sluder pressures Marse to remain loyal to the Empire. Shortly after, the Seer passes Marse an order from the Emperor; during the next monster attack kill Satou and replace him as Ring King.