Chapter 1: The Fate of the Three Idiots

World of History: Britain, Bronze Age, Year 2075, Month of April, Day 5.

This had been a day filled with excitement and nervousness for almost all of the young Aspirants of the Centoria continent, most of whom entered Bomenslik Academy City with the sole goal of securing their own future or fulfilling their dreams by showing everyone their talents and abilities.

Each and every one of them, without exception, were talented individuals who had complete confidence in their ability to thrive in the face of everything the academy had to offer by challenging their goals; whether it was to test their intellectual capabilities or to display their mastery of their supernatural abilities, with confident smiles adorning their faces.

And it didn’t matter if they were those Aspirants who sought to reach great heights as brave and powerful Knights, those Aspirants who sought to delve into the mysteries of sorcery and the truth of the world, or even simply those Aspirants who desired nothing more than to demonstrate their managerial skills or immerse themselves in the world of business… they all eagerly awaited the start of classes the next day, so they could prove to the empire and the entire continent that they could stand out from the rest, believing themselves to be the greatest talents in the world.

And when it came down to it, it wasn't necessarily mere arrogance.

After all, whether they were young men from prestigious noble families from various kingdoms and empires, fallen aristocrats, children of extremely wealthy burghers, or even simple commoners, all those admitted to the Bomenslik Imperial Academy were, of course, the young elites that the continent as a whole needed to properly nurture in order to prosper.

And not just those who signed up a few years ago, but also the recent additions were filled with immense pride... although of course, it must be remembered once again that there will be those who are the truly elite among the elite.

For example...

We have, first of all, the famous young Archduke of the Empire, Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva, the youngest Dragon Knight in the world, who currently controls the sole Archduchy of Loveritia despite his age and whose growth potential has been praised by the most powerful Knight of the Empire and the continent as one who will 'reach the true pinnacle of Knights'.

We also have Jheane Lorens, the prodigious Alchemist chosen and recommended by the Master of the Alchemist Guild himself, Adrian Seleskin von Dorens, who is currently the most famous Alchemist in the world, confidently assuring everyone that this beautiful young prodigy will be the one to bring about a new era for alchemy as his successor.

And last but not least, Aria Dominguez von Cerodian, the young lady of the Cerodian Duchy who is hailed as the future Archmage who controls Imaginary Numbers through her jewel sorcery; a captivating Caster whose talents and knowledge of sorcery were so profound that it was whispered that she put to shame the most experienced sorcerers working under the Court Sorcerer of the three Imperial Houses of Loveritia.

Those three people—the “Big Three of the New Golden Generation”—were at the top of all the new freshmen at Bomenslik due to their incredible talents, monsters among monsters acknowledged by the world’s most powerful figures with unlimited potential; making them objects of admiration, jealousy, and hatred even among the prodigies and geniuses who entered the academy this year.

And of course, while they stand out above the rest, they are not the only ones; among those included this year were other figures famous for their potential and special powers, as well as their origins, such as the Third Princess of the Lunen Imperial Clan, Laura Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial, and her Special Class and Trait; the current Saint of the Church of Creation, Morgana Lefay; and the young woman beloved by the spirits, Arietta Noden.

...Although it is quite striking that almost all of these stars of the new golden generation were women of great beauty and charm, with Arthur honestly being the only man among them.

Still, regardless of that minor curiosity, it was a fact that the current generation of Bomenslik students was one that filled the Academy's teaching community with hope about the potential benefits they would gain from being the ones to bring out the full potential of these geniuses of the new Britannian generation.

After all, as future powers that will impact the entire continent with their actions and whims, they too would benefit from simply having strong connections with as many of them as possible...

And it wasn't just the teachers who thought this way; many of the newly admitted students were intent on making friends and establishing connections with these talented and influential figures to make their lives easier with their help in the future.

Whether for simple political support or to gain reliable allies for his ambitions, it could also be said that being able to enter Bomenslik, in addition to being a testament to his talents, was also his way of gaining political power through the connections acquired during years of socializing with fellow students.

So there was every reason for everyone to be looking forward to the day classes started.

Especially those nobles and bourgeois who decided to move into the academy's dormitories that very day after surviving the First Dean's boring speech, who attended in place of the famous director, Amelia Dumbardonnia, with the aim of taking advantage of the opportunity before the semester begins to socialize with important figures and expand their network of connections.

However... shortly after all the first-year students left for their dorms or homes with excitement for the future after the entrance ceremony... An unexpected event occurred that shook the entire Empire... no, the entire continent of Centoria.

——The famous Pendragon family mansion, the only Archducal Rank sovereign noble house in the Loveritia Empire, was suddenly attacked by a demonic cult, something that hadn't happened in years.

The exact details are unknown, but it is known that the heretics summoned a Demon Count within, causing the deaths of over twenty servants and guards, in addition to the total destruction of the sovereign family's enormous mansion in the capital; something that was directly captured by the Voyeurs who flew nearby.

Images of the destroyed mansion could be seen on the Imperial News Channel, which were being broadcast in real time.

Of course, much of the known information was somewhat distorted because the facts were too recent and came from multiple sources, which diminished its reliability.

Not only that, the rapid and sudden spread of an internal conflict in the Holy Kingdom at the same time also caused a sense of spiritual crisis among the believers of Emmanuel, given the news of an Arcadian General hunting down the Holy Queen's loyal Knight and being killed by an unknown force….

But what worries many in the Empire most is the fact that the third Imperial Princess of the powerful Imperial House of Lunen, Laura, was there visiting her fiancé, Arthur Pendragon; and unwittingly exposing herself to mortal danger.

Fortunately, both the Archduke of Pendragon and Princesses Laura and Nava emerged unscathed from this disastrous attack on the most powerful nobles of the Loveitia Empire.

However, the presence of the demon caused the Knights Templar of the Church of Creation to quickly occupy the site to begin both an investigation into the events and a complete cleansing of the area of ​​any demonic corruption that might linger on the grounds.

That aside, many who envied and hated Arthur for one reason or another rejoiced at this incident after the initial shock, laughing at his misfortune at losing the mansion his parents had spent so much money to build...only for the next bit of news to shake them to their core.

The same Arthur Pendragon they mocked with glee... was the one who killed the Demon Count alone!

Not only that, but he did it very easily!

Such was the claim that resonated through magical radio stations, holocans, and other sources. Everyone was naturally stunned by this news; many even refused to believe it.

After all... That would imply that Arthur was not an Aspirant to the Rank of Episcopi at all, but a genuine Torrius!

Who would ever believe there was such a young Torrius? Even as a highly talented Awakened who only needed to level up to ascend due to the power of his Awakened Bloodline, was that possible, despite having to manage his territory?

However, it was the Priests of the Church of Creation who verified the veracity of the witnesses' statements through divine magic, even going so far as to swear in the name of the Goddess Emmanuel that their words were true, and unless they wanted to blatantly deny the miracles of the most powerful Goddess in the world, they had no choice but to believe them.

Not only that... Everyone who disliked Pendragon was forced to not only accept that Arthur was more powerful and talented than they would like, but now, in addition to acknowledging that he is the youngest Aureal Knight in the Empire, Arthur Pendragon was now also the youngest Demon Hunter of all time!

It was simply amazing, that simple, he had already achieved an incredible feat that would go down in history and the only price was a mere mansion of the many he had under his ownership, as well as the lives of a few servants, guards and knights.... Such a thing would raise Arthur's reputation and fame to an unprecedented level!

Many of his fans even began to worship Arthur, causing the system to keep sending Arthur messages about how his reputation was growing even more as he traveled, much to his growing headache.

However, most powers considered the most shocking thing of all to be that Arthur Pendragon, Archduke of Loveritia and son-in-law of Emperor Lunen... was an 18-year-old Torrius!

The worldwide upheaval became so scandalous that even the Bomenslik Imperial Academy had to cancel its morning classes for various reasons.

...Among them was how to deal with the empire's most powerful nobleman, the world's youngest Archduke, who no longer has a luxurious and convenient mansion to sleep in peace and luxury before heading off to school...

This was a question that had to be asked.

After all, the Archduke of all Draco Silva couldn't do something as ridiculous as living in a luxury hotel, no matter how nice the outside, as it would tarnish his dignity. Nor was it feasible to constantly travel back and forth from his family's territory due to the tremendous cost of the dimensional gates, which would be too much even for Pendragon's deep pockets...

And the mansion would take a long time to rebuild to its former splendor, or even beyond, since nobles of their ilk could not be shamed by a hasty and inferior construction to the one created for the founders of their family, their honored parents; heroes of this nation and beyond.

Although it was a good question if Arthur and Princess Nava are still interested in living there in the future once again...

That aside, if he wanted to go to class normally, Arthur had to live in the dorms, but... would a noble of his ilk accept such a thing?

This question seemed insignificant, but it was more important than anyone thought. At least that's how the Academy's teaching staff understood it.

After all, Arthur is by far one of the most powerful sovereign nobles in the Loveitia Empire; a true Archduke with control of a territory larger than a small kingdom.

Even within Loveritia, he was basically a King second only to His Majesty the Emperor, and if someone like that were offended by being offered to live in a "small and pathetic" dormitory of all things, one would have no idea the trouble that could cause.

Thus, shortly after receiving the shocking news of the fall of the mansion belonging to one of her most important students, Headmistress Amelia Dumbardonnia, the four deans, the six most important and valuable professors, and even the 10 members of the student council of Bomenslik Imperial Academy gathered in a large chamber to discuss what to do about this matter of great importance affecting this entire enormous and influential educational institution.

This wasn't strange at all... because again, who is Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva?

The mere eldest son of a high nobleman? A fortunate young man who managed to gain control of his family's territory in exchange for a political marriage into the imperial family? A teenager of barely 18 years old who ridiculously obtained the title of sole Archduke of the Empire, a status equivalent to a King?

Yes, if we were to look at it from the perspective of the aristocrats antagonistic to Pendragon, he was that, nothing more and nothing less. But, of course, that was short-sighted; the mentality of arrogant fools who can't see beyond their own long noses.

Arthur Pendragon was much more than that!

Son of two dragon hunters, bearer of a lineage that carries in its spiritual essence such an achievement that will be recorded in the history of humanity and the world, which would grant him the power to fight draconic beings with greater ease than the average mortal.

He possessed unparalleled wealth as his corporation controlled many important industries within the country, affecting several important sectors not only politically and economically, but also militarily and even technologically.

His Trading Corporation handled the flow of the most important resources for an Empire or Kingdom, giving it an extremely absurd influence, especially among alchemists and magical engineers.

Not only that, he was the fiancé of the third princess of the Imperial House who gave birth to more Emperors than any other so far, Laura Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial, who was so beloved by her family that there were even rumors among social circles that she might become a candidate to heir to the throne before the announcement of her engagement to the Archduchy.

And more than that, Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva was a promising talent not only in managing and administering a huge territory as the youngest Archduke — no matter how much the nobles of the aristocratic faction would like to deny it — but he was also the man with the title of youngest Aureal Knight in history, as well as a skilled Alchemist second only to the future Alchemist Guildmaster, Jheane Lorens.

Adding to the recent fact that he single-handedly killed a Demon Earl in just a few minutes, despite being a being whose power naturally hovers near Torrius Rank, making him the youngest Demon Slayer ever and obviously, the youngest Torrius in existence...... There was no way they could treat Arthur like any other student, even compared to other students of SS class!

Even Bomenslik Imperial Academy couldn't treat such a figure lightly, not even its headmistress, Amelia Dumbardonnia, let alone the current student council president, Germinalia Lian Celesty.

♦♦♦♦

Bomenslik Imperial Academy City, inside the Academy Assembly Hall

A large, round table of gleaming obsidian stood in the center of the room, surrounded by 21 luxurious empty seats, which were gradually filled by the many individuals who entered with seriousness. All of this, no less, was done to resolve the dilemma surrounding Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva.

Among those present were not only powerful "Lorius" like the headmistress herself, Amelia Dumbardonnia, but also masters renowned for their incredible magical research achievements, like Hana Dunbalni. This made it quite obvious how seriously they took this matter.

Truly, if it weren't for those perverted old men from the aristocratic faction insisting that this Arthur guy have to prove his lordship's abilities to an "impartial judge" like the Academy, we wouldn't have to deal with this headache at all....

That was what Amelia — officially the only Lorius-ranked Caster in the Empire and in turn, one of the few Aspirants using <Authority> on the continent — honestly thought with a sigh in her heart, keeping her gaze sharp and expressionless.

For two whole centuries, she had gone through many difficult things that many common Aspirants would hesitate to face and had mastered control over the 12 Orders of Sorcery as a Thaumaturge; a feat considered nearly impossible, with nothing but blood and sweat in the process, something that earned her the title of "Archmage of the 12 Mystic Constellations."

However, no matter what point in his life he was at, the fierce factional politics of the world's largest imperial superpower was still one of the worst battles he ended up getting involved in somehow.

With a growing headache, her serious gaze began to settle on the entire administrative body of the Academy gathered in one place, clasping her hands near her prominent G-cup breasts with a gesture that some would say is usually used by people who want to appear smarter than they really are.

This is all a nasty fiasco...!

-Now that we're all finally gathered here in this room, I'll get right to it with each and every one of you because I think each of you has way better things to do right now... So, guys, where do you think we should put the princess's beloved fiancé to live after losing his precious mansion in the first demonic assault on an imperial metropolis in years!?

Though she began with a calm tone, the beautiful headmistress quickly dropped the facade and exclaimed in exasperation, running a hand through her long hair as black as a crow's feathers; her tone of voice amusingly similar to that of a grumbling old woman as she leaned back against her plush chair.

Her beautiful blood red eyes narrowed as she looked around at everyone present for an answer, noticing with amusement a fourth's eyes furrowing in brows when she used the phrase "Princess's Beloved Fiancé."

In response, some of the deans just looked at each other in silence, showing little interest in answering her very direct question, as if they had already concluded that being there was sufficient involvement on their part.

Others, mostly teachers, gulped as if considering a leap of faith and took their time thinking about how to respond... before a young girl's voice interrupted their thoughts, voicing her doubts first.

"Headmistress, it may be presumptuous of me to ask this, but... Although I understand that Student Arthur is a very important Sovereign Noble to the empire, is it really necessary to hold a meeting like this just for him? I mean... Did anyone here consider asking if he would really mind living in the SS-Class Deluxe Dormitory in the first place? I at least asked if he would really mind that much..."

-I wish it were that simple, Lucia-chan... I've noticed you don't have much interest in these things, but first of all, are you aware of the rumors about Arthur Pendragon's attitude when it comes to socializing with other nobles?

Instead of being offended by her inquiry, Amelia calmly asked the short, blonde, green-eyed girl another question with a calmness that bore no resemblance to her previous sullen demeanor. The young woman, the student council treasurer, Lucia Tanmer, shook her head. "I don't know, Principal Amelia."

-He's a total cynic

That was the statement calmly given by a young man with blue hair and sharp aquamarine eyes covered by rimmed glasses, in place of Principal Amelia, as he turned to look at his partner with his arms crossed.

He was wearing the Imperial Academy uniform, with the gold embroidery indicating his SS class membership, similar to the girl's; which was an indication of his status and presence here, naturally being a member of the Student Council.

Her name was Maryl Dominguez von Cerodian, one of the younger brothers of the current Duke Cerodian, biological uncle of Aria Dominguez von Cerodian and secretary of the Student Council.

The man, who was certainly too young to be the uncle of such a beauty, had the words "SS-4" embroidered on his report, proving that he was a senior student of the SS class.

His stoic expression didn't change at all when most people turned to look at him, instead, he continued explaining to a certain classmate who clearly had no interest in the rumors and gossip of high society.

-The Archduke of Draco Silva is known in high society as an arrogant and cynical man who disdains all nobles who are not people of Draco Silva and blatantly ignores them. Trying to convince him to enter into a relationship with an outsider will rarely bear fruit, and even if he is interested in something you offer, he will go no further than expressing with his attitude that the relationship is business from beginning to end, not bothering to feign kindness or give or accept useless flattery as is customary among the aristocracy. And it is not that he lacks noble etiquette; it is just that he is polite in his words but makes it clear in his tone that he has no interest in you. A brash man with a lot of power to back up his arrogance and indifference, he is very difficult to deal with.

-What Maryl-kun says is correct

A woman with a hairstyle resembling huge pink bunny ears drooping down to her neck and blue eyes, sitting next to a kind-looking bald old man, nodded her head, supporting the young man's words.

She was Hana Dunbalni, the most talented Thaumaturge on the continent after Amelia Dumbardonnia.

Judging by her attire, she was certainly an academy teacher—a rather petite one, at that—who began adjusting her adorable red glasses, speaking with her serious yet very cute voice that belied her age along with her petite figure.

"Arthur-san is known as a difficult person to deal with. As far as I know, if someone insists on bothering him at social gatherings even when he's made it clear he wants to be left alone, he'd get angry and not hesitate to show it. While he doesn't resort to anything violent or anything like that, he'll start addressing others with cutting words and treating them like rabble in his deep displeasure. Something like that would easily offend many arrogant people, though so far only minor nobles without much power to their names have been the victims of such treatment."

"Did such a thing really happen, Dunbalni-sensei?" The treasurer raised an eyebrow questioningly upon hearing this from this famous teacher, somewhat surprised.

As someone who had little interest in anything other than sorcery or fulfilling her duties on the council, I had no idea about any of that. It's not as if I could have had a particular interest in the "Most Handsome Man in the Empire" like other young women at the academy, anyway.

It's natural that he didn't know until he was told.

“Yes, that’s definitely the Arthur Pendragon I know and care about,” the Headmistress nodded with a slightly irritated look. “A guy who, while he won’t outright insult everyone who tries to connect with him, still treats them like a nuisance with that tone and attitude that drives everyone else away like the plague. That wouldn’t be much of an issue during lessons at the Academy… But in a dormitory, the school’s shopping district, or even the dining hall, where everyone’s going to socialize sooner or later in some way?”

Before anyone could attempt to answer what was obviously a rhetorical question, Amelia continued. “It might very well create unnecessary conflict with the many spoiled brats out there who would cause trouble even for those of higher status than them because they can’t bear a small loss for being so-called ‘geniuses.’ And while one might think we should simply punish them if they resort to such a thing, everyone here knows that many of those brats might very well be heirs to very prestigious noble houses with great influence and connections. Gods know why they would allow childish fools with too much pride to take on the responsibility of leading a territory even if they have certain talents, but if guys like those hold a grudge against the Academy and make use of their family’s connections, they could become a real pain in the ass later on. Not only that, if Arthur himself isn’t happy with the punishment given to those insolent nobles, he might hold a grudge against us as well… And that’s even worse!” Don't forget he's the Archduke who controls most of the major industries in the most powerful damn nation on the continent! How is that even possible?!

Too long! That was almost like a damn speech! And why are you complaining about something we can't fix? You could go and ask why the hell an individual as powerful as a King has to live here as a student in the first place, don't you think?

Lucia thought to herself, holding back the urge to roll her eyes at the Headmistress's final outburst, only to finally respond to the red-eyed woman's long ramblings with some hesitation.

-That... makes sense... So if we want to avoid unnecessary fights between Student Arthur and the rest of the students, then there's no choice but to give him a different residence from the rest that's within the Academy's sphere of influence and yet far enough away that it doesn't have the inconvenience of Student Arthur being forced to interact with his classmates even if he doesn't want to, right?

"Exactly, and I don't need you here just to resolve this matter. I want you to give me suggestions on what we should do about the obvious criticism of this treatment from the other students that will rain down on us without surprise, and of course, how we should mitigate the damage to our reputation. The support of the Student Council here would especially be greatly appreciated." The Headmistress looked at everyone as she said that last part, emphasizing each word.

The vast majority of the Student Council members nodded seriously at his words.

Some might have started to wonder...what is the student council doing at a meeting that is supposed to be made up of the most powerful figures in an entire semi-independent city?

The reason was very simple: almost every one of them participated in the Academy's decision-making...it's that simple.

You see, the administration within the Bomenslik Imperial Academy was quite different from that of other academies and schools on the continent.

As one could imagine from the meeting held in this chamber, the authority figures in Academy City were not only the Headmistress, her deans, and teachers, but also the upperclassmen who made up the upper echelon of the student council.

This was because it was believed that students' opinions on how some regulations and guidelines are handled within Bomenslik should not be ignored.

…It's sometimes quite easy to forget, but most of his students were talented nobles or sons of powerful merchants from different countries on the continent, many of whom are heirs to their clans destined to bear true noble titles or lead corporations and commercial consortiums of great economic influence internationally.

Even if Bomenslik wanted to remain completely politically neutral, it was simply not possible to run the Academy without antagonizing anyone due to rules that the adults found acceptable but that those young teachers completely rejected, gaining enemies who would only seek to harm them in the future out of childish spite.

After all, the Academy wasn't completely isolated from society, something that was practically impossible in reality. As such, Student Council members also participate in decisions of some importance to mitigate such hypothetical scenarios.

As extremely talented individuals of their generation, especially being individuals who were supported by many students to assume their current positions due to their merits and talents, their opinions and decisions carry a certain weight before the student body and if they were to agree with the decisions made by the Academy's Board of Directors, then everything else would flow naturally, as those proud students would hardly accept that they elected the wrong people to represent them.

Furthermore, since many student council members would sooner or later occupy important political positions in the various nations of the continent, this would also serve as a good preparation experience for the future.

In a sense, Bomenslik was like a small kingdom in itself, with the headmistress as its queen, the deans as its advisors, the professors as its nobility, and the students as its citizens.

It was the responsibility of the monarch and the nobles to maintain stability in the lands they governed, so the voice of the people and their representatives could not be ignored, since they would be nothing without their existence.

All the more reason to give them some voting power to try to maintain balance....Not so much that they become excessively powerful, but not to the point where they are simply ignored as nothing.

Anyway, that was the reason those young people were there, because their presence was of vital importance to resolve this matter.

Besides, Amelia Dumbardonnia believed that having younger, more flexible minds than the old ones would be a great help, because she didn't have a very good idea how to solve this...and she was sure that not even the professors and deans did.

First of all, with the exception of one professor, the vast majority of academic administration would be far from claiming to be political experts.

Does it sound absurd? But it's true; after all, 98% of them were pure researchers and scholars.... By comparison, the young nobles educated in these matters by private tutors were far superior to them.

However, it should be mentioned that although the SS class students were very privileged compared to the rest of the students at Bomenslik Imperial Academy and the student council had great influence, even they had to share accommodation in the same dormitory building if they chose to live within its walls.

For the Academy administration to want to give a student a personal residence, no matter how much he or she is equivalent to a monarch abroad, would still cause much discontent.

Many noble children from different nations, who were children of high aristocrats of great influence and wealth, would be furious since even they had to follow the Academy's rules to the letter, but...would the young Archduke be given the privilege of having his own personal mansion within the Academy just because his was destroyed?

Even though he is the son of the dragon slayers who saved the continent, the youngest demon slayer, the youngest Torrius, the youngest knight, and the youngest Archduke in the world... it would be utter shamelessness to show such favoritism!

Many will protest, and some will even demand immediate equal treatment.

Either way, the Academy's confidence in treating everyone fairly based on their class status would quickly crumble if they didn't come up with an extremely convincing excuse for such a decision.

...Rather, now that the headmistress thought about it more carefully, making this move would undoubtedly cause an uproar among those seeking to use Bomenslik to test Arthur, questioning the Academy's impartiality in examining his abilities as the lord of an entire territory and calling into question the political neutrality of the Bomenslik Imperial Academy.

Shit! That's very possible! No, it's definitely going to happen....

Thinking about this, Amelia wanted to shake her head in frustration.

Even if she was a very powerful Aspirant in possession of her own Authority, unless she wanted to go against the entire Empire, she couldn't simply threaten all the talkative nobles into not bothering her, no matter how much she wanted to.

It's not like she's the only one other than Lars to possess the Authority of a God or Demon King on the continent, much less the only Rank Launds that exists in Loveritia, regardless of what's been officially stated.

She wasn't foolish enough to act like an invincible being who can do whatever she wants knowing what she knows; bringing Lars Hamilton von Laniere into the Academy was already a risky enough move, and quickly altering his birth records even more so.

I'm really not good at this!

If it weren't for the potential fools who would give that idiot Emperor too much control over the Academy my father loved, I'd just be enjoying life or learning new high-level spells!

But no, I have to take care of some brats!

Still, as annoying as it was, I didn't want to do anything that would allow Raymundo or whatever his name is to get what he wants... Cheer up, Amelia, cheer up...

-Principal Amelia, I think I have an idea to solve this situation regarding student Arthur.

The soft, idyllic voice of a girl capable of making the hearts of weak-minded men tremble interrupted the anxious thoughts running through the headmistress's mind, causing her head to turn in her direction.

-An idea?

Her red eyes reflected the young Germinalia Lian Celesty, the beautiful daughter of a Duke who was considered the future Queen of the Unified Holy Kingdom of Arcaden.

With gorgeous light lilac hair and particularly dreamy violet eyes - on par with Amelia's own feminine appeal - she smiled slightly as everyone in the chamber immediately turned their attention to her words.

-As everyone here knows, when the Knight Order of Sacrus Lunen is completely unable to protect a Noble House residing in the Imperial Capital from any demonic cult or other similar threat, it is the obligation of the House of Lunen to pay compensation to that House for the oath of protection sworn by the Third Emperor, Avalon, something that not even the current Emperor Raymund can refuse without destroying the honor of the House Lunen and the trust they have among the nobles.

Everyone nodded silently, waiting for her to continue, while Amelia scrunched up her face slightly when she heard that man's name come out of that clever girl's mouth. She could swear the clever "reformist saint" looked at her when she did that.

The young woman, neither too quickly nor too slowly, gently brushed away a lock of her beautiful hair that covered her cheeks in a gesture so delicate and graceful that it left a bit of her neck slightly exposed, causing a boy near her to gulp, delighted by her small action, as she began to explain her idea in her silvery voice.

“Then I thought… How about we try convincing Student Arthur to demand that the Emperor give him his own personal Mansion within the Academy as part of his compensation? Something like remodeling an old building for his use. That way, we can make it seem like this decision was made under pressure from the Imperial Household rather than something the Headmistress ordered of her own volition. There would still be discontent, but it would greatly lessen the idea that he was being favored by the administration, wouldn’t you think?”

What she suggested sounded very reasonable, but others had doubts.

"Your idea sounds very good on paper, Lady Celesty." The man next to Hana Dunbalni stroked his lightly bearded chin with a frown. "But how are we going to convince Sir Pendragon to do something like this? Let's not forget that compensation from the Imperial House of Lunen is something almost no aristocrat could ignore..."

-Jurei-Sensei, everyone here knows that student Arthur is not an ordinary aristocrat.

She stated without missing a beat, and the man blinked unconsciously at her when he briefly closed his eyes before continuing.

"Putting aside the fact that Student Arthur is an Archduke of considerable power, his family is currently very wealthy, probably on par with the three Imperial Houses of Loveritia combined; controlling many industries that give him significant influence throughout the Empire and beyond, and he's even the youngest in history to receive the title of Knight, not to mention that he's now the youngest Demon Hunter, and also, the youngest Torrius. What kind of things can the current Imperial Crown give him as compensation that he doesn't already have in his possession? The family heirlooms of the leading nobles? And even if there's something he wanted and could only get from the Monarch, it's likely something so absurd that he wouldn't ask for it in the first place unless he wanted to cause unnecessary conflict with His Majesty, the Emperor, and the other two Imperial Houses...

The beautiful princess shook her head.

"Given that Student Arthur has little to no interest in interacting with his fellow students and likely has no real intention of interacting or having conflicts with them during his time at the Imperial Academy, I don't see why he would reject the idea. And even if he doesn't want to, we can always ask him if he would be interested in living in the dorms, since, in the first place, I simply don't see any other way we can approach this matter without causing a negative reaction among the other students."

Germinalia finally concluded with a bitter smile.

President Germinalia... I could have summed it all up, you know~? And doesn't that student have too many titles where he's the youngest of something...? The youngest Archduke, the youngest Knight, and the youngest Demon Hunter... What's next? ...Ah, yes... the youngest Torrius in the world! How crazy!

What's wrong with these two women? Do they just love their voices or something? And don't you think giving them so many titles—young this, young that—is absurd? Even if it's true, please...

The secretary and the treasurer complained simultaneously in their minds about very different things, although the cause of both was the same.

Uncreative titles for Arthur aside, anyone who interacted with these two people would sooner or later get tired of hearing them talk, even though they were both beautiful and had very appealing voices.

After all, it seemed to be a bad habit of both of them to unnecessarily prolong things they could summarize in a few words. Instead of believing that people wouldn't understand them if they didn't explain things in detail, one can't help but wonder if they just love being heard talking or something.

They felt somewhat narcissistic.

Although our dear Vice President would kill me if I said something like that out loud about his beloved Germinalia-sama, saying nonsense like "How dare you suggest that the elegant, intelligent, and delicate Germinalia-sama is an arrogant narcissist who's in love with her own voice?! I don't give a damn that you're my younger brother, you're courting death!"

-...uhh

Oh my God...that stupid phrase!

Maryl Dominguez held back the urge to roll her eyes once more as she gritted her teeth.

That idiot twin brother of his had repeated that stupid phrase he had learned from those humble and strange novels imported from the Yuan Dynasty so many times whenever he felt offended, so now it had also stuck in his head.

How he would like to prevent such filth from continuing to flow into his nation to avoid its bad influence among the current generation of young Loveritian aristocrats... especially if it is his own brother who contributes the most to the spread of such filth among high society.

I'm sick of those arrogant idiots who cause trouble just because of their lineage... I don't need more idiots acting like this because the protagonist of a stupid story made them believe he's cool, dammit!

She really wanted to hit him. Her gaze shifted to the useless guy standing near President Germinalia, who was looking at her "subtly" with eyes of admiration and fascination.

He looks so stupid, blindly worshipping that snake-hearted woman... Oh, I would certainly be very pleased if someone more competent took his place by His Lordship's will . He stopped himself from laughing.

Maryl's thoughts—which had wandered in a direction far removed from the current situation—were interrupted when another of the teachers present decided to break the silence.

"Lady Germinalia is right, Headmistress Amelia. There's no way to minimize the criticism and protests directed at the academy's administrators without shifting the blame onto someone else. In my opinion, the best solution to this problem is to send a representative to Draco Silva's territory, meet with the young archduke, and convince him to accept the president's suggestion. Furthermore, I have another suggestion that might help us with this..."

The teacher in question was a particularly attractive man, with slicked-back brown hair and narrow eyes with yellow pupils like a snake.

He had a small mustache around his lips which he stroked with a naturally haughty expression while wearing a smart three-piece uniform that made him look a little more prominent.

He looked like a shrewd and elegant gentleman from the way he acted and dressed, and even his baritone voice seemed to suggest so, as he spoke concisely, sharing his opinion.

-Oh yeah? We're listening, Jhos-kun.

Principal Amelia nodded slightly, resting her head on her fist as she looked at him with her one open eye. Nodding respectfully, Professor Jhosep Linarven von Kureon began to explain, while everyone listened attentively.

-To ensure the young Archduke accepts this interesting proposal, how about we suggest you also ask His Majesty to allow him to bring his favorite mistresses to his future new residence, instead of giving him new ones?

-....What did you just say, you little idiot?

The headmistress's eye twitched at the thought of making such an indecent proposal, but Jhosep continued with a smile anyway, clearly believing she hadn't said anything wrong as she gracefully brushed off her superior's casual insult.

-The young Archduke may be known for not socializing much with other nobles, and has even rejected many beautiful ladies from different important families who approached him with various advances in the past… but unless our young student has a very strange penchant for taking the wrong path, he will definitely have three or at least 10 maids to amuse himself with day after day after such a tiring job….I believe the greatest proof of that is the large number of exceedingly beautiful maids that were hired as soon as he came to the imperial capital. I should say, the young Archduke is a man of fine taste!

Joseph waved his hands in a slightly dramatic gesture as he exclaimed in admiration, momentarily silencing the room with his nonsense as the others stared at him with blank expressions, until someone broke it once again.

"What nonsense are you talking about, you horny, dirty-souled pig?! Besides, that's something you would do! Why are you trying to project your fetishes onto that guy without really knowing him, brat? Are you stupid?!"

The one who exclaimed indignantly was the director with her accusing finger pointing in her direction while Germinalia just closed her eyes with a trembling smile at such indecency.

But Joseph, the 'Elegant Perverted Gentleman of Bomenslik Academy', only moved a finger from side to side as he straightened up in his seat to improve his dignified posture!

♦

-Listen to me. Probably no one here knows this, but I heard from a little bird fluttering around that our young Archduke marched back to Draco Silva not only with His Imperial Highness and Lady Nava as companions, but also taking all the surviving beautiful maidens with him to the Pendragon Palaces in a luxurious and comfortable Arcaronaship exclusively for them, protected by guardian airships.

Lucia frowned. "...Hmmm? That... seems excessive and unnecessary. Even I heard that that family's palaces are guarded by humanoid-looking automatons... there's no need to have live maids working there unless they have a purpose other than cleaning..."

"Exactly my thought, dear Lucia." Joseph winked flirtatiously when he saw the complicated look on the student treasurer's face and she was genuinely tempted to accuse him of inappropriate behavior toward a student.

Paying no attention to the young treasurer's dark expression, Joseph elegantly continued his speech. "In short, I can say with absolute certainty that all those beauties are lovers of our young Archduke. Or at least, even if he didn't want to take them all for that purpose, he definitely wouldn't let that beautiful and charming Bestiana with her fine body distribution go behind..."

The way he spoke, smiling, about the maid in question while blushing was truly disgusting.

“A demi-human?” Maryl’s bespectacled twin spoke with disdain in his voice when he heard the mention of that species, almost as if he were spitting. “It can’t be that a Sovereign Nobleman of such high standing as an Archduke would actually bring something like that into his bed, could he? And if it were true, would he really dare bring a mistress like that alongside His Imperial Highness into his palace? It would be a true insult to one of our sovereign families if that were true, such a transgression…”

-Ara, Vice President, I didn't expect you to be so rude.

-P-president?

Vice President Samuel Domínguez von Cerodian was startled to hear the girl who liked to call him rude with her words, fearing that he had created an ugly image that would upset her. He looked at Germinalia, only to see her smile... a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

What...what did I do wrong!?

-If I told you that what you call a "Demi-Human" in such a contemptuous tone is a very dear friend of mine, would you still dare to insult her species in front of me?

-I...I'm sorry!

Samuel's face turned blue as he realized what his mistake had been with those words while his brother smiled at his misfortune.

Because the President had maintained a professional relationship with everyone in the student council, this was the first time he learned that she would, in her mercy, consider a mere demi-human, of all things, a close friend.

To be honest, he thought it was absurd, but he couldn't blame the girl he liked for something like that.

In fact, it didn't even occur to her. It was clear she only thought that such an act of tolerating such humble creatures and allowing them to consider her a friend truly came from a princess with the heart of a saint.

-Ha... What do you think, girl? Is an apology from a guy who only apologizes because he's in love with you worth it?

-What did he say!?

-I don't know about crushes, my Director, but if I had to be honest, Vice President, I'd rather you kept quiet than make an apology as insincere as that.

-Yes...! - Samuel, who had turned red with embarrassment and anger when the headmistress spoke so naturally of her feelings to the object of her affection, shrank and decided to remain silent upon hearing those words.

As gentle and peaceful as they sounded, he couldn't help but feel a chill run through him at the sight. She can also be quite terrifying...

"Anyway, Joseph... Are you really using your summoning to spy on your students like that? You really are the worst! Not even handsome men can escape that web of perversion you've been weaving with dark patience, huh...!"

-Oh?! Please don't talk such nonsense! The only reason I found out about those juicy things happening is because you ordered me to stake out the Imperial Capital for a suspicious individual! It was pure chance that I was there and found out about everything before the Church and the rest of the Empire! It also helped that the wards against spying and divination had been destroyed...!

Joseph quickly closed his mouth when the headmistress glared at him, but it was too late. The most powerful summoning master in the city had already spilled the beans, as they would say in a faraway land.

“Suspicious individual?” Germinalia asked with curiosity in her voice, and Headmistress Amelia just shook her head while rubbing her face. “It has nothing to do with you brats. Anyway, if making President Germinalia’s idea work requires suggesting to Arthur Pendragon that he ask for her most beautiful maids to be brought in… Why not give it a try? I don’t have any better ideas anyway, but… Who on earth is going to act as her representative and try to negotiate, so to speak, with the Archduke of Draco Silva himself? There’s no way the deans and professors are going to do that, since they’re going to be quite busy, right?”

-Alright

Jurei responded with his hands folded on the table, while Hana and the rest of the teachers nodded. So did the four deans, who looked old and wise, one of them stroking his beard with his eyes half-closed.

"Obviously, I can't do that myself. The Headmistress going to a student's house to negotiate with him? I wouldn't do it even if that student were the Emperor himself, so..."

-The Director wants one of us to do it, right?

-Exactly, Lucia-chan

Amelia nodded with a smile at Lucian while Germinalia, despite her curiosity about the previous topic, decided not to search in vain for answers from the Headmistress and instead focused on the matter at hand.

I'll try to find out what it's about later with Misana's help... The beautiful student council president thought secretly with a smile.

-So, who's going?

-I will do that!

Samuel, who remained silent so as not to further offend the president, quickly volunteered to take on the task in an attempt to remedy her situation.

"As far as skills with sorcery that control Imaginary Numbers go, I'm only one step behind Aria-tan! I can get there by replicating a spatial gate without spending a single magic crystal thanks to my jewels, so it won't be a problem for me to travel back and forth from Draco Silva to here..."

What Samuel said would seem ridiculous to any other sorcerer, but no one laughed at him here.

After all, Samuel was also an SS-class Caster prodigy who could do things other Aspirants couldn't. And, in fact, only Aria could do a better job when it came to that kind of sorcery than him, which spoke volumes about his niece's talent.

They were a family of monsters in terms of talent, you had to admit.

"No way. Are you saying you're going to try to negotiate with the Archduke yourself?" Maryl shook her head and looked at him with a mocking look at the idea. "That's clearly a recipe for disaster. Are you looking to ruin this?"

-Are you suggesting that I'm too incompetent for a diplomatic mission?!

The four-eyed man stopped himself from saying, "What diplomatic mission?!" He continued, "I'm telling you, you're too sensitive. I don't see how this could go well in a meeting like this, given the Archduke's and your personalities. Agreeing to let you go is tantamount to trying to sabotage everything. I'd rather go myself instead."

-Why would it be you?! You can't even use Jewel Sorcery to manipulate space like I can!

-Because I... - Maryl wanted to argue with her brother, who was also looking at her with equally penetrating eyes, but they were both quickly interrupted by two beautiful, dignified, but cold voices.

-Keep quiet both of you

-Silence, you pair of idiots.

Both Director Amelia and President Germinalia spoke at the same time to reprimand them, causing them both to quickly fall silent.

The Archmage, with hair as black as a raven's feathers, then looked at them both with piercing eyes and commanded in a powerful tone after a moment of tense silence, leaving no room for denial. "If you are so eager, you will both go to Arthur Pendragon's lands for this task."

-Huh?

-Of course, Maryl will be in charge of negotiations with Archduke Arthur, while Samuel will serve as transportation there and back. Doesn't that sound good?

-...

President Germinalia herself continued in Amelia's place with a certain mischief in her expression, which made the faces of both twins freeze on the spot.

However, soon after, Maryl had to hold back her laughter with sheer force of will as Samuel now lay dead in his chair, as the one she unilaterally considered the love of her life decided he would be her younger brother's personal transportation so naturally.

Treasurer Lucia simply sighed at the two brothers' antics and the rest of the student council, and even the teachers and deans, had amused smiles on their faces at the scene.

You're all just kids...

Amelia sighed to herself.

The meeting inside the chamber would continue for a few more minutes with everyone discussing some details, but it was finally decided that both twins would leave for the land of the Dragon as soon as possible... or at least within half an hour.

How will everything go?

Honestly, the headmistress wondered if Germinalia and Joseph's idea would really work... and even seriously considered trying to seduce the boy into agreeing if everything didn't go her way.

After all, Amelia still had a pretty attractive body, so wouldn't a testosterone-filled young man want to do a lot of dirty things to her?

Especially being a woman as powerful as Amelia Dumbardonnia was, many powerful men would certainly fantasize about dominating a beautiful woman with so much power in her hands to feed their egos...

Although she didn't consider herself a prostitute, Amelia briefly thought it might be a good idea to trick him into thinking they might have something like that about her and then talk to the Emperor about it. That had its own problems, but she thought she could fix it somehow.

Although Amelía Dumbardonnia couldn't deny that she would be in trouble if she asked him to have sex right there... since despite living two centuries, she was still a virgin.

Besides, what young man would like a two-century-old virgin? Maybe I'd be embarrassing myself for nothing...

It was a strange question to ask considering her extraordinary beauty that seemed no different from that of a mature and sensual woman, but Amelia thought it over so seriously that if a certain dwarf princess ever heard her, she would laugh out loud on the ground while mocking her.

"What does your age matter if you're so fucking sexy? You can't be any dumber! I've had a lot of sex despite my age because I still have a great body, I assure you! Ha... I never thought I'd see a 200-year-old prude, now I've seen it all!"

...In short, both women would get along very well...maybe....

♦♦♦♦

Lars Hamilton von Laniere, the effeminate boy known on Earth as the protagonist of the Britannia Saga, could only silently curse the shamelessness of his beloved older sister, Jheane Lorens, as he walked briskly back to his own room, grumbling about her dirty jokes.

Just today, his life would have changed dramatically for having joined the Bomenslik Imperial Academy's entrance ceremony as a student despite being neither old enough nor talented enough; simply for possessing the power of a Transcendent being, the Demon King Mammon, to manipulate sorcery in some way.

So, the young protagonist happened to encounter a depressed princess while passing by, and after trying to confront her fiancé for making her cry, he only ended up humiliating himself in front of everyone else, leaving him with a great shame that would stay with him for many years.

Not only that; he recently discovered that his non-blood-related older sister was sexually attracted to the princess's fiancé whom she had confronted and wanted to have sex with him, leaving him speechless with her brazenness.

And what bothered him the most...Jheane started joking about his breasts even after he had asked her for help to be more masculine!

"Lars...you...maybe..."

"¿Hmm?"

Not knowing what she was going to say, the unsuspecting Lars turned to look at his sister with curious eyes, and Jheane regarded him with deep seriousness as she spoke in a solemn voice. "Have your breasts grown back? They look a little bulging from here..."

"...What the fuck!?"

Just remembering it is annoying!

With a shade of red almost as deep as his crimson hair on his cute face as he pouted adorably, the effeminate boy would occasionally kick the only small stone that stood in his way with childish anger; he shamefully recalled the way he reacted to Jheane's joke about his unmanly body while simultaneously shaking in annoyance.

The mere fact that she was mindlessly trying to check if his 'man boobs' had grown as Jheane had 'suspected' a few moments ago was actually very humiliating to him, who had no desire to embarrass himself further as the man he was.

Lars really wanted to cry out of frustration.

Why was his own body the way it was? Why did he grow breasts despite being a man with a third leg (however small...)? Why... why was his body so disappointing compared to his male peers, even those his own age?

And why were her breasts bigger than a grown man's fists, forcing him to wear gauze to hide them!?

At this point, he just wanted to scream indignantly at the gods and blame them for this misfortune. However, Lars didn't commit such blasphemy.

I must try harder to be a real man!  He just swore an oath with slightly teary eyes, and he would keep it. It was the only way to avoid being treated like that again...

Suddenly, while thinking about those things with his gaze forward, the red-haired young man saw a 'Dimensional Door' open in the middle of nowhere, giving way to two boys who with noble steps walked towards the statue of the First Director with a cold attitude between them.

The two of them stood out quite a bit not only because they were handsome and attractive men or because they were almost identical twins, but because they were the only ones apart from Lars who were outside at the time.

They were both talking so loudly, literally speaking, that Lars couldn't help but hear them even if he didn't want to as the three of them moved closer to each other.

-Having to act as nothing more than your own personal transporter is truly humiliating.

-That's enough, okay? The love of your life ordered it. Shouldn't you be obedient?

-Anyway, let's get this over with...

-Do you know exactly what Baldur City looks like so we can get there anyway?

"Of course I know. What do you think Holocans are for? Everyone knows Baldur is a popular place to visit, and many consider it to have many beautiful sights. Absurd, considering the disgusting dwarves who populate it... though I won't deny that its buildings are very elegant and beautifully designed."

"Stop this stupid discrimination once and for all. Are you going to cause trouble in a territory that doesn't discriminate against non-human species with that attitude?"

-Tsk, of course not....

A human territory that doesn't discriminate against non-human beings like dwarves? And the name Baldur... They're talking about Draco Silva!

Lars, noticing the two blue-haired twins talking about the place controlled by the guy he had tried to challenge to a duel, feigned calm as if he wasn't interested in their conversation while the two, in turn, treated him as if he didn't exist upon noticing the color of his embroidery, black.

As they passed by the statue of the wise director, Lars quickly stopped and stood there, trying to listen quietly and curiously to what they were going to say.

"I wonder why Her Highness Laura continues to insist on being by Archduke Arthur's side even though he is so indifferent toward her. Going with him to Pendragon after the incident with the demon at his mansion instead of returning to Lunen Palace seems like madness to me..."

"Yes, well, it's a political marriage. It's your duty to maintain it, isn't it? You can get a lot out of it... And I know you like His Imperial Highness, but it's obvious she's in love with that guy, so you might as well give up already."

"I don't want to hear that from you, an idiot who could never win the love of a princess like Germinalia even if he managed to gain the charisma of the most handsome man in the Empire somehow," Maryl mocked.

-You know we almost look alike, right?!

-And that only confirms it...

-...

Did Her Highness Laura leave for Draco Silva with Arthur after an incident involving a Demon destroying the Pendragon Manor? Did something so scandalous really happen in the short time they were away?

Lars, the uninformed one, thought with his mouth open.

Oh, God... Why did she want to go to that guy's house after going through something so terrifying? Is she that desperately in love with that person? 

And the worst part is that this guy probably has no intention of comforting her, possibly treating her like a nuisance for following him into his palaces. This... isn't good for the princess's heart...

Lars bit his lip as his pretty eyes watered slightly just thinking about it.

She couldn't help but think of similar scenarios from her favorite romance novels, where a woman whose unrequited love (a villain) led her to misfortune, and she felt so bad for Laura Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial, who was going through something similar.

The princess felt so much love for a person who didn't deserve it that it was heartbreaking, so hearing that she persisted even when he pitied her filled him with compassion and a desire to help her.

Of course....What Lars thought could have been a fact according to the original story of the game, but now things were different.

If he found out that Laura lost her virginity and became pregnant with Arthur's child today... What would his reaction be?

-Anyway, activate the portal now.

-Yes, yes.

A portal?

A powerful maryoku fluctuation in the area quickly answered their question as a hole in the very fabric of space and time appeared over several gemstones in front of the twins.

From a corner, Lars watched in amazement what was happening.

In the space twisted in the very fabric of space-time, an image was shown, there you could see a large number of buildings at least 5 to 6 meters high with a particularly picturesque appearance and a road that compared to their town was well paved.

-Let's go.

I see... So that's how you both plan to go to Draco Silva! If so... perhaps I can convince her! That I can find someone else who will make her truly happy... like some elegant, handsome, and kind Marquis somewhere! 

Lars clenched his fists as this strange thought crossed his mind with shining eyes, not realizing how unmanly those romance novels made his thought processes.

"Authority of Mammon - Body Reinforcement!"

Just as the two boys calmly crossed the portal, Lars gathered his determination... and ran towards the portal with all his might, even using his magical energy to reinforce his body with the help of his Authority!

-¡Haaa....!

Then Lars jumped up and quickly crossed the path toward the entrance. A slight feeling of vertigo overwhelmed him as he crossed, and before he knew it, he fell face first onto the asphalt.

The young man rubbed his buttocks with his teary green eyes -ughh...that hurt

-Hmm? But what--?

-Stop, you're under arrest!

Just as he regained his composure... Lars just stared with his mouth open as he and the two twins were surrounded by armed guards.

-Shit, we haven't thought this through.

-Oh, this is embarrassing...And this....

Both twins agreed for the first time in their lives about their shared mistake as they raised their hands, momentarily glancing at the unexpected stowaway following them, doing the same with a chuckle, before loudly proclaiming in majestic synchronicity. “We are from the Bomenslik Imperial Academy, we are members of the Student Council! We wish to speak with the Archduke of Draco Silva on behalf of Headmistress Amelia Dumbardonnia!”

Student council!? Lars was amazed by what he had just heard.

How could it not? The Bomenslik student council was so famous and influential that their actions could affect the fortunes and destiny of several nations due to the power they wielded among the students!

Its members could even be treated as prestigious state guests, regardless of whether they were nobles or commoners. That's how important they were.

However…Draco Silva's demi-human guards were not impressed. “Shut up and follow us for interrogation, you three…”

-""..."""

Lars began to seriously question his life choices when he feared he'd end up in Draco Silva's prison for being too impulsive. He cried to himself, "Nee-san's going to kill me when she finds out...!"

♦♦♦♦

The world of Britannia was a world filled with magic and ancient mysteries spanning billions of years of existence, with countless civilizations rising and falling throughout time from the Age of Genesis to the present day, where humanity reigns supreme.

There were many empires and kingdoms and even republics on this land as vast as an ocean, each nation having arisen because they had seized some ancient power or inherited a superior and mysterious bloodline, which allowed them to become the united force that made humans the dominant species throughout the known world.

Among them, the Empire of Loveitia is a large and powerful nation that dominates the most diverse territory and also boasts the most powerful arsenal of humanity, with a history spanning thousands of years.

Needless to say, given its scale, a division of resources and political power was necessary to maintain livelihoods and steer the Empire toward a better future.

At the top of the authority ladder is the Emperor of Loveritia, Raymundo Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial, who wields great power and under certain circumstances could defy any decision or law if the situation gets out of control.

Below him are the Imperial houses that could overthrow him if they deem him unfit as a monarch, as well as the newly formed Pendragon sovereign family, of Archducal rank, with power comparable to the kings of other nations and led by Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva.

Below the Imperial and Pendragon houses, there are four dukes who work independently but must rely on the Empire in case of important cases or when important decisions are made that could influence the entire empire.

The rank then descends to the third step of the hierarchy, placing the marquis at the top. In Loveritia, six different marquises are assigned.

Anyone who is not part of the aristocracy believes that those who share the same rank have the same political influence and wealth, but that was not the case.

Like Duke Cerodian, who despite being in a similar position to the other three, is above all of them and only a few inches below the Imperial Houses and the Archduchy of Draco Silva.

The aristocratic family with the best lineage of the Caster class, those are the Dominguez.

The Duke, Halmore Dominguez von Cerodian, generally has unparalleled respect for those who walk the path of sorcery as he is also one of the High Lords of the Tower of Sorcery, but despite that, he does not neglect the Knights for the sake of his home and country.

Several training divisions under Duke Cerodian follow the best training methods that man can offer, to become one of the best magic knights of their land and serve their country.

Aria Dominguez von Cerodian was the first daughter of the Duke with his legal wife, Hitsumi Naomi, and was the eldest princess of the family.

With a family of three concubines and six children at present, Duke Cerodian envisioned a future where each of his descendants would become phenomenal figures throughout Loveritia... no, the entire continent.

From a young age, Aria was taught how to become a true lady and was also trained to become an excellent sorceress.

In this male-dominated society, there are few like the famous and powerful Countess Auroria, who have the ability to remain at the top without relying on her male counterpart, and Duchess Hitsumi Naomi herself, an Elemental Paragon who works as one of only two Sorcerer Generals and the commander of the most powerful military corps serving the Sorcerer Tower.

Aria and her other daughters were raised to be like them.

Since Duke Cerodian respected these powerful women, he allowed his daughters to learn in all fields so that in the future, whether as rulers or supporters, they could give their best.

Aria grew up in an environment where her brothers and sisters were always on the lookout to point out each other's mistakes.

A life in which they have to do everything possible to gain their parents' recognition for their success above all else, especially their older sister...

And that's why she often felt alone.

The young lady of the Cerodian Duchy, the firstborn, felt as if she had no one; at least not since that person began to drift away from her.

The one she considered her only friend, and the one who never saw her again because of the selfishness of adults, leaving her feeling helpless and even more alone than ever.

—Why are you ignoring me? I don't want to be alone…

She had such a simple wish.

Why couldn't he fulfill it?

No...perhaps it was wrong from the beginning to think that their friendship would continue, even when his own family believed at the time that the other party had lost his value and did not hesitate to tell him so to his face, cutting off any relationship considering it without a future.

Maybe he was pretending not to see her to avoid causing her trouble...or maybe he was just fooling himself, and his old friend saw her the same way he saw the rest of his family...

In the end, wasn't that the kind of world he was born into, a cruel and calculating one where the slightest weakness can break bonds as fragile as thread?

Well, she was forced to understand...

That if she did nothing, foolishly waiting for the warmth of others, she would remain alone forever in the cold world of nobility.

That if he wanted sincere people who weren't mindless lackeys looking for profit, he had to act...and sincerely earn the friendship of others.

And perhaps...along the way, recover what was lost...

♦♦♦♦

The beautiful and dignified figure of Aria Dominguez von Cerodian could be seen just outside the SS-class female dormitory as she gazed into the horizon, her back slightly leaning against the wall as she fiddled with her fingers at the worries plaguing her usually bright mind.

—...I hope this goes well, I don't want to ruin it, I shouldn't...

He muttered anxiously as a red-haired boy nearby left the luxurious building in a somewhat unseemly manner, running away angrily. His mind flashed back to what had happened a few minutes ago, and he couldn't help but feel somewhat sad thinking about it every time.

—They were both very cautious with me... I understand where they're coming from, but I just want friends, can I prove my sincerity to them?

Her voice, filled with doubts unbecoming of her normally confident and regal public self, trembled a little, but she soon clenched her delicate fists in front of her respectable breasts and solemnly swore to herself.

—No, Aria, you shouldn't hesitate. You can do this, you'll make lots of friends, and each and every one of them will love you for who you really are... even though it seems impossible, I won't give up...

She took a deep breath, looking at a shooting star passing through the sky that was covered in the light of the sunset and even wished for the success of her plan.

——Aria Domínguez was a lonely girl who only wanted friends. A girl who had beauty, talent, and a lineage to be proud of.

However... the one thing I couldn't have was true friendship, true pity.

Although she was actually a kind and sweet girl who only put on a strong and superior exterior that was supposed to match her position, she could never have true friends.

And unfortunately for her, her stubborn need to maintain the dignity that comes with her name is actually one of the biggest obstacles to her simple desire. Raised that way, she had no way of knowing this and continued to sabotage herself.

There was only one thing to say about this 'Yamato Nadeshiko'….That she was, without a doubt, a rather pitiful girl.

—Hmmm? A disturbance in the fabric of space and time... What's that uncle of mine doing?

Aria, who decided to quietly return to the bedroom to avoid getting into trouble, tilted her head curiously.

Then he shrugged. “I’m sure it’s nothing important…”

"...Princess of Olive...!"

—Huh?

Suddenly, Aria heard a strange, panicked voice echoing in her head, uttering a rather odd title. She turned around to look around, confused, finding nothing particularly odd.

—If it's not one thing, it's another... Who calls whom Princess of Olive, anyway? Although I've heard rarer royal titles...

Leaving it like that, Yamato Nadeshiko eagerly entered the Dormitory dreaming of a promising future with sincere friendships of all kinds, without having any idea of ​​the absurd mess that her only uncles and a redhead would get into any time soon along with a certain curious green-haired girl….