"We have an emergency, Your Graces!" A guard burst into one of the luxury boxes, panting.
Inside the suite sat the most powerful leaders of the North: Alica Arcain, Queen of the Demonic Dragon Clan; Reynolds Roderick Valtor, Duke of the North; Mira Goldvein, Queen of the Northern Dwarves; and Helric Snowviel, King of the Northern Elves.
Reynolds turned to the guard. "Speak."
"A secret informant tipped us off about an attack. Because of that, Captain Gerad sent scouts to confirm the claim, and they found traces of demonic energy near the Tether Altar."
Mira slammed her fist on her grand seat. "Damn it, those demon bastards are up to their antics again."
Alica didn't waste time and rose to her feet. "Call the temple guards and teleport the children back to the castle. Anyone who has reached the Orange Core mana stage or Expert Rank should stay behind."
Reynolds stood. "I'll announce the change in plans."
Rising to his feet, Reynolds activated a voice-amplifying spell. "The Tether Ceremony will be extended to a later date. All children, enter the gate and return to Arcain Castle."
The crowd erupted in murmurs, but soon, two flickering gates opened, one for the newly awakened and one for the spectators.
Alica looked to the swirling portal forming at the side of the chamber. Her eyes softened as she caught a glimpse of her son.
"Stay safe, my baby..."
"Mother, what's going on?" asked Thyra, who entered the suite after the guard.
Alica turned to her daughters, who had entered the room.
"Selena. Thyra. You're coming with me."
They both nodded as the other leaders exited the room as well.
-----
(An hour later, inside Arcain Castle)
Arthur Arcain sat silently in the cushioned waiting hall of the ceremonial castle.
Less than a hundred children had been sent here, only those who had awakened at D-rank or higher. The lower ranks were forced to follow the spectators.
It was an unspoken rule in the Magic Academy's Genius Scholars division that any talent below D-rank was considered worthless, as even mundane humans could train to reach that level of power.
Arthur leaned back against the sofa, eyes half-lidded.
'Seems they got my tip,' he sighed, trying to cancel out the chatter of the other children around him.
After playing several routes back on Earth, and since he had such terrible gaming skills to begin with, Arthur had learned quite a bit about the game and what people usually called a "bad ending" maker.
In the first official act of either Amelia's, Melissa's, or Emily's character routes, specifically in Arthur's sixth run where Lee Beom-Seok had successfully saved the Arcain clan and pushed the awakening ceremony to another family, there was always a bad ending.
Anytime he gave the ceremony to the elves, their mages who were working for the demons would betray everyone, leading to the death of the unawakened.
If he gave it to Mira, she'd use the chance to awaken only dwarves and destroy the altar afterward, blaming the Arcains.
This would later lead not only to the destruction of the Arcain clan by all races but also to a bad ending for the entire world, because many important characters would no longer exist.
After many failed attempts, he found out that Reynolds was the safest option, but his guards were complacent. If not handled carefully, they would allow the demons to destroy the awakening altar, which would still end badly.
Arthur smirked slightly. 'At least I didn't rely on the information from just one route. But I really need to document all this information.'
Arthur knew that while his memory of the game was fresh now, since it hadn't been that long since he played it, the longer he stayed in this world, the more his memories of his past life would become hazy.
'But I can't be careless with the information.'
He shrugged. 'At least I've completed my goal.'
Not only was he able to stop the demons' attack,
but he had also managed to reduce the amount of attention he would receive after awakening his authority, since if things followed the sixth route, each family would now conduct their own ceremonies separately.
Plus, he'd also gained the chance to talk with Amelia and the remaining named characters of his generation.
He nodded. 'I'm truly a genius.'
Arthur shifted his focus to the children standing some distance away.
Across the room, noble sons and daughters whispered among themselves.
"He's so calm."
"Even after all this, he's still the center of attention."
"I can't believe he's an SSS-rank."
"Doesn't that mean he'll lead our generation?"
Ravian glanced at Kai, then approached awkwardly. "Hey, Arthur, right?"
Arthur didn't say anything at first, then smiled. 'Let's be nice. He will be my brother-in-law, after all.'
Ravian, seeing Arthur's change in demeanor, continued. "...I was kind of a jerk before. I'm sorry."
Arthur raised a brow. "Did your dad make you say that?"
Ravian flushed. "No! You idiot! And it's definitely not because you awakened something impressive."
"So, it is because of that."
"No, you—ugh, I said that isn't the reason."
'I never knew people like this actually existed.'
Before Arthur could respond, a voice chimed in. "Don't tease my brother too much."
Amelia approached in her elegant blue dress. She curtsied, lifting the hem just slightly.
"This is our first formal introduction. I am Amelia Roderick Valtor, daughter of Duke Reynolds Roderick Valtor."
Arthur stood, bowing lightly. "Arthur Arcain, son of Queen Alica Arcain. The pleasure is mine."
Ravian glanced from Arthur to Amelia. "Do I have to greet like that too?" He gripped his head tightly. "Ugh, big bro, you have to teach me."
Arthur tilted his head slightly. "Big bro?"
"Can I join in?"
The three of them turned their heads toward Emily Snowviel, who approached and bowed slightly. "I'm Emily Snowviel, but just call me Emily."
The three stared at her before Ravian grinned. "You're informal. I like you."
Emily's face twisted. "I don't take love confessions."
Ravian's face flushed red. "No, I wasn't—"
Arthur let out a soft sigh. 'They're really kids.' He shook his head. 'Damn it, I'm a kid too.'
His gaze fell on the two who were still arguing. 'But still... they're kind of cute.'
"They're cute, aren't they?"
"Huh?" Arthur muttered, his gaze shifting to Amelia, who stood beside him.
She turned, locking eyes with him, then her face suddenly lit up.
"Hello Arthur, my name is..."
Arthur waved his hand. "We've already done this before."
She placed a finger on her chin. "Is that so..."
The silence between them lingered for a moment.
"My lady, are you perhaps not versed in speaking with others?" Arthur, too, knew a few noble phrases for situations like this.
Amelia stared at him in confusion. "Huh? Isn't a conversation just about greeting and answering questions?"
Arthur could tell by the imaginary question marks hovering above her head that she was genuinely confused.
'Who even made this game?'
But her behavior now explained why, even as one of the most powerful characters in the protagonist's harem, she wasn't in the top five. Not even the top ten.
Ha-Joon was never a sucker for quiet girls, no matter how pretty they were.
Arthur sighed. "My lady, do you have any interests? A game? A sport? Or something of that sort?"
Amelia thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Hmm... Nothing comes to mind..." As if struck by a realization, she snapped her fingers. "Oh, I forgot! I really like playing with my dad's hair, just that he doesn't like it when I try to pull it out when he wants to leave me and sleep."
Arthur gulped. "I doubt I can call that an interest."
Amelia smiled softly, turning to him. "What about you, Young Master? You must have an interest, right?"
Arthur pondered. "Hmm... I guess reading and imagining crazy scenarios in my head would be one thing."
Amelia leaned closer to Arthur from the couch they sat on. "What type of imagination? Is it death scenes, or maybe playing with friends?" She gasped. "Or something naughty?"
Arthur stared at her as if she had hit the mark multiple times.
Before he could speak, however, a voice rang out, disrupting the mood entirely.
"You're Arthur Arcain, correct?"
Both Arthur's and Amelia's gazes met that of a young lady with blonde hair and golden eyes.
She smirked confidently as she continued, "So you're the greatest genius of the century, huh?" She let out a smug chuckle. "In that case, I can finally disclose my identity and recruit you."
The young lady cleared her throat. "I am the second princess of the Empire, Melissa Von Agres." She laughed loudly as she declared her name.
Arthur's expression shifted to one of confusion. "And?"
"Yes, offer your praise to—" Melissa snapped. "What!?" She flinched slightly. "What do you mean by 'And'?"
Arthur frowned. "I mean, what am I supposed to do with your name or status? I didn't even ask to begin with, yet you went ahead and told me anyway."
Part of that was a lie. Arthur had already recognized the princess before she even spoke. He had noticed her back at the awakening ceremony.
But so what?
Even if she was a princess, and a bratty one at that, it didn't mean he owed her anything or even needed to pretend to care.
The princess's face turned crimson as whispers rose from those nearby. "How dare you speak to me like that? Do you want your filthy race to be wiped out?"
Amelia, upon hearing her words, stepped forward and bowed slightly. "I apologize for the delayed introduction... I am Amelia—"
Before she could finish speaking, Melissa slapped her across the cheek. "How dare a mere Duke's daughter speak to me?"
Arthur's expression hardened as a deep frown formed on his face.
He stepped forward, passing by Amelia, who was now on the ground holding her cheek, then drew back his fist.
"What do you think—"
Melissa's next words were cut short by a punch to her face. She crashed to the floor, clutching her face tightly as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"See, Melissa. I'm not the kind of person to say 'you can touch me,' but don't you ever lay a hand on my people." He stared at her coldly. "I'll tell you now, don't you dare touch me or anyone I care about, or I can't guarantee what I'll do."
He turned back. "Amy, are you alright?"
Amelia forced a small smile as she held his hand. "Yeah, I'm okay."
Melissa, watching the two, began to sob. "Why?" she cried. "Why are you treating me like this? Sister said everyone was beneath me."
Arthur stared at her for a moment, then sighed. 'I don't even have the energy to give this brat a lecture.'
Melissa had always been a mess of a person, even before meeting the protagonist. Even then, she never really stopped being a brat.
And despite her talent and unique mana constitution, Arthur knew she was too much of a burden, and just annoying as hell.
'I'll give that bastard Ha-Joon this freebie.' He glanced at her once more. 'Brat.'
Amelia, now on her feet, walked away toward the balcony.
Arthur stared at her back for a brief moment and followed behind her.
"You left like that without saying a word."
Amelia turned to him. "Oh, Young Master."
Arthur frowned. "Can you just call me Arthur? Art would be better."
Amelia chuckled softly. "Okay, Art. Call me Amy." She stared at him, her expression lightening. "Does that mean we're friends now?"
Arthur smiled. "I thought that much was already obvious."
The silence lingered for a moment before Amelia spoke in a serious tone.
"Thanks for standing up for me back there."
Arthur wanted to dismiss her gratitude, but seeing the expression on her face, he accepted it. "You did stand up because of me to begin with, so..."
Amelia shook her head lightly. "No," she struggled to smile. "Most people would think about themselves or weigh how much political power they could gain from the royal family in relation to the second child of a Duke."
'Well, I also did it because of how much Melissa killed me in the game. Though I think the punch was a little excessive on my side,' Arthur thought.
Arthur shook the thoughts off. 'Well, what's done is done, can't do anything about it.'
"Thanks again."
"Huh?"
Amelia turned to Arthur and smiled widely.
It was the most genuine smile he had seen from her, even through the game's screen.
Arthur's eyes widened briefly in shock.
She was truly beautiful.
"Thanks, Art."
『 Amelia's Affection has reached 70% 』
Arthur smiled. "Seriously... I never thought the cold princess would be like this."
Amelia pouted. "Hey, don't tease me."
─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───