Chapter 5

Watching the changing landscape after exiting that spatial tunnel with many silly thoughts in his head, Sora noticed with mild interest how the buildings that now appeared in the surroundings had a curious mix of roman-medieval architectural style with clearly modern features and details, their streets evidently well paved and organized almost as in the reality he knew; only with a more elegant design than merely functional.

 

It was truly different from the VR game I remembered, as Chronicles of Holy Grail Online was able to embody the true spirit of the Medieval Era of the land very well with its high degree of realism, even with Magic (Wizardry) always present.

 

The difference with the advancements of this era, brought about by the whims of independent developer XianPai and the virtual world once created by the New Typemoon organization, was immense.

This world, when it was just a VR, was a strange collection of ancient lands and kingdoms from human history in a single supercontinent, but now it had many unique nations, as it is, thanks to XianPai's strange ideas.

 

In the skies of this vast empire, numerous Arcane ships, both commercial and common, could be seen flying over the airspace of its imperial capital, Loveria, displaying the incredible advances in Arcane Engineering achieved by humanity on this world.

While in the distance, the imposing and majestic Silver Moon Palace, where emperors throughout the nation's history only worked, but did not live at all—basically, a glorified government office—was clearly visible to all its citizens and foreign visitors, displaying the nation's glory and wealth in all its splendor.

 

And seeing that incredibly large yet unnecessarily large government building made mostly of the rare and expensive {Moonstones}, a high-level magic material with great symbolic value, Sora just smiled in amusement as he acknowledged the opulence of the powerful before beginning to reflect on himself, or rather, the story of the original Arthur.

 

In <Britannia: The magical academy fool collects beautiful girls to save the Empire!>, Arthur, the final boss of the first Britannia Saga game, was more of an anti-hero than a true villain, as instead of being an evil man, he just wanted revenge on the Emperor who killed his parents because the latter wanted to take over the Archduchy whose power was growing beyond the control of the Imperial Houses.

 

The Emperor planned to use the official heir, Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva, as a puppet to control the entire Archduchy from the shadows, and would use the Archduchy's military and economic power to his liking, through an arranged marriage with his daughter, the Third Imperial Princess. Somehow, Arthur knew this and began an elaborate plan to overthrow the Emperor... though Sora didn't remember all the details...

 

It was only because one of the heroines was that man's daughter that Lars opposed Arthur, as he did not want her to lose a member of her family.

 

Although Arthur did not want to destroy the empire, he ultimately wanted to make those responsible for its tragedy pay... In the end, Arthur was defeated by the combined power of Lars and the heroines, and the ending showed him fleeing the empire with his most loyal subordinates and his disgraced harem.

 

....But in the second part of the game, <Britannia: The Blood of a Beautiful Girl is shed on the lands of the Empire>... That fool Lars would regret preventing the overthrow of Emperor Raymund, as the fatso would end up sacrificing the blood and souls of his family—including the heroine he strove to save—in order to achieve immortality with the power of Hell.

 

That wasn't the worst part; the worst part was that players, no matter what they did, couldn't prevent this from happening in any of the possible paths. Apparently, it was a turning point in the narrative that was considered important for the future events of the game.

 

Many were enraged by this ridiculous situation, including Sora. After all, the third princess was the most popular heroine after Lars's childhood friend. What nonsense, in his own words.

 

...Now that I think about it, the third imperial princess, Laura Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial, who was also the most popular heroine in the game, is now officially my fiancée...

 

A strange smile spread across Arthur's handsome face as his gaze slowly shifted to Franx, who seemed very comfortable in his arms, having unconsciously begun stroking her head, making her moan like a kitten. I doubt Laura-chan would be pleased to see this...

 

According to his recollection, the third Imperial Princess Laura was just another pawn the Emperor wanted to use to control Arthur by making her his wife. Given her background as a member of the Imperial family, it would be impossible for Arthur to prevent the Imperial House of Lunen from interfering too much in the management of the Archduchy if the Archduchess was one of the Imperial Princesses of his House.

 

Even knowing this, Arthur pretended to accept the engagement so he could quickly rise to the position of Archduke and gain control of his territory after the death of his parents, while in the shadows he gathered the necessary forces to overthrow the Emperor in the most humiliating way possible and give him a miserable death.

 

As for why the third Imperial Princess wouldn't be happy to see him in such a compromising position, it's because at the beginning of the game, she was very much in love with Arthur, and he was perfectly aware of this fact... well, there wasn't a single person in the Empire who didn't know this, as it was pretty obvious to anyone; but despite that, Arthur kept his distance from her, not only because she was the daughter of his enemy, but also because she was simply not to his taste as a woman.

 

After all, he liked older women...

 

It was complete nonsense, considering how beautiful the princess was... but to each his own. In Sora's case, he liked women of all ages, so he didn't mind welcoming such a beauty with open arms.

 

In short, their relationship wasn't bad, though it wasn't as if they were actually going to get married as the Emperor had intended, but they would sometimes meet for tea as a formality. Arthur was simply brutally honest and frank, in a strange way, and he always said things that ended up saddening Laura a little.

 

Like that time when Arthur told her with a sincere heart that she should give up her desire to be a sorceress, since her talent for magic was practically nonexistent, and instead use the tremendous potential of being an 'Awakened', not an 'Aspirant', to learn how to use the sword.

 

His tone literally screamed, "I'm saying this for your own good."

 

Laura, of course, became so depressed and upset that she was crying alone in a corner, and the idiot protagonist, Lars, noticed her and, not caring much about their difference in status, asked her what was wrong; hearing Arthur's hurtful words, she decided to confront him in front of many students despite being in an inferior position in both strength and status.

 

There, he stupidly demands a duel to force Arthur to apologize, even though he knows he's weaker than Arthur and would be brutally defeated. Not even his special ability could help him, as he had naively thought.

 

After that, Laura would visit Lars in the infirmary and from then on, the two would become increasingly close...

 

Wait... wasn't that what was supposed to happen a few minutes ago?

 

Suddenly, Arthur realized he'd somehow ruined the scenario where Lars wins Laura's sympathy, which would serve as leverage to make her his heroine later on. That, in and of itself, altered the game's story forever.

 

Wow! Did God choose me to prevent that disaster in their relationship and save Laura's soul? As expected. God is wonderful!

 

Arthur (Sora), an atheist, suddenly became a believer in God at the speed of sound. After all... it was a chance to avoid the misfortunes that fool would bring!

 

Just when I was happy with the idea...

 

<The Master's complete assimilation of the current reality has been detected. The Master System is fully activated.>

 

<System Notice: The end of the first chapter of the story world has been detected. Connection to the interdimensional server via the "Reality Lens" in the main world is being initiated.>

 

What…?

 

The creepy voice of a young girl, eerily resembling that of an evil AI from a rather old zombie movie, echoed in his head. Heedless of the bewilderment of a certain man in the body of a teenage boy, the girl's creepy voice continued her warnings with unnerving calm, diligently and emotionlessly informing him of things that were incomprehensible to him.

 

<System Notice: Connection to the interdimensional server has been successfully established. Access to the Ethernus interdimensional network has been established, with a stable connection without much interference from the QWBPW. Essential system functions can now be used as long as the "Story World" episodes are not actively driving the world's narrative.>

 

<System Notice: With the end of the first chapter [First Day at Bomenslik Academy], the Master can now access [Status], [Gasha], [Inventory] [History] and [Equipment]>

 

<System Notice: A successful alteration has been detected at the temporal turning point of the "Story World." The influence of the original narrative causality recorded in the world has been significantly reduced.>

 

<System Notice: It is observed that the host's recent movement has destroyed one of the pillars of the relationship between the characters [Lars von Hamilton] and [Laura Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial], preventing the causal consequences of this interaction according to the narrative. As a result of this action, they not only lose a connection strong enough to forge a lasting friendship, but also prevent the resentment of the genius alchemist [Jheane Lorens], as well as the troubling enmity between her and the future Archmage [Aria Dominguez von Cerodian]>

 

<As the starting gifts from the Master System for this Master Move, the host receives 20,000 SP (Story Points), Skill [Observation Haki], Skill [King's Haki], Trait [Fatal Charm], three Random False Servant Summon Cards (Low Level), one [Minor Healing Potion X5], and one [Rigrit's Ring]>

 

<System Alert: Compatibility between [King's Haki] and [Dragon's Intimidating Presence] has been detected. The trait and skill's spiritual cores will be extracted from the conceptual body and fused immediately.>

 

<Spiritual Core Fusion Successful. Assimilation of the new trait into the conceptual body... assimilation successful. Host now possesses the [Dragon Monarch Domain] trait>

 

<System Alert: Compatibility between [Observer's Haki] and [Superhuman Sense] (Rank 15) has been detected. The spiritual cores of the skills will be extracted from the conceptual body and fused immediately.>

 

<Spiritual Core Fusion Successful. Assimilation of the new ability into the conceptual body... assimilation successful. Host now possesses the [Mystical Senses] ability at (Grade 4)>

 

As the creepy girl's monotonous voice continued, Arthur felt for a moment as if something had ripped him from his very being, and before he could perceive anything strange, it returned with a sudden surge of heat that coursed through his entire body like a wave of intense energy, as if something intangible had fused seamlessly with his senses.

His breathing quickened slightly as the abilities merged with him, causing Franx to open his eyes and look at him in bewilderment, blushing for some reason.

 

Unaware of this, Arthur simply closed his eyes, instinctively feeling his new abilities integrated into his conceptual body.

 

In an instant, his consciousness expanded beyond what he thought possible. He could "see" without using his eyes, detecting presences, emotions, and even faint intentions emanating from living beings far beyond his previous reach. Naturally, he could sense with greater intensity the terrifying strength of the man driving the carriage and the beautiful maiden embracing him.

 

It was amazing how cute and small Kuudere was, she had a strength that made her feel like she could bend steel with her bare hands as if it were old, useless fabric.

—Arthur-sama? What's wrong, Arthur-sama?

 

Franx began to question him with an anxiety that seemed to grow as he noticed his strange state, his tone higher than usual, but Sora paid no attention as the mysterious notifications made by the creepy AI continued to echo in his dazed mind.

 

<System Notice: After successfully obtaining more than 1000 SP, the Master can now access the [Shop]>

 

<System Notice: Upon reaching 10,000 SP, the host's authority over the system rises to the second level. By increasing your authority over the system, you can also reduce the points required to purchase a Gacha Ticket and increase the rewards you receive from the system for each ingenious change you make against the narrative causality that governs the world.>

 

<You can now purchase Class 4 items. You can also ask questions to the Master System. However, without some authority over the Master System, there will be certain questions that cannot be answered.>

 

<System Reminder: As the influence of original narrative causality on the story world decreases, the Master's freedom of action increases slightly. Currently, the ability of [Character Traits] to correct behavior and speech has been reduced by 4%. Please continue to strive to reduce the influence of narrative causality on the world.>

 

"Wow..." Arthur murmured for a moment, his mouth slightly open at the disconcerting phenomenon.

 

—Arthur-sama!? What's wrong!? — Seeing this, Franx began to worry more for him. Her eyes trembled, almost shaking Arthur with her slender, delicate arms.

 

Sensing the lovely but dangerous maid's concern at his strange behavior, Arthur smiled naturally (he was uncomfortable inside) and ignored the system's voice for now. He whispered softly as he stroked her head again, trying to calm the Chimera's nerves. "No, it's nothing important, don't worry, Frax-chan."

 

—B-but… Arthur-sama’s breathing became a little erratic a while ago, and I felt a slight change in his Conceptual Body… it became more wa… I mean, the disturbance of magical energy I felt coming from you isn’t something I could ignore either, no matter how small… What happened? Did someone attack you somehow?

 

Clearly not convinced by what he said, Franx made clear all the reasons why she should worry about him, causing Sora to freeze internally at her words.

 

That's right... Franx possessed abilities and traits that granted him powerful senses no inferior to the ones I just received from this sudden System...

 

As someone who watched a lot of anime and manga even without being a fully committed Otaku (he had a full sex life and his martial arts training, okay?), Shiragaki Sora quickly understood what it was all about, to a certain extent.

 

Apparently, he had done something that an unknown entity called the "Master System" - which seemed to treat him like its master or something - found impressive and received "gifts" that made him even stronger than he already was as a Final Boss as a result, causing changes that his little subordinate couldn't ignore thanks to her abilities.

 

He had to explain things in a way that didn't reveal the existence of this system and, therefore, his true identity as the usurper of the original Arthur's body. He didn't want to imagine what the underbosses would do to him if they knew he wasn't the real Arthur Pendragon... especially Franx herself... He still remembered what Rose Chimera's personal torture chamber had looked like in the game when he was determined to inflict suffering on one of the cold-faced heroines in this one's bad ending...

 

Thinking so with a sudden chill running through his new body like a wave, Sora (Arthur) quickly opened his mouth to remedy the situation, saying in an absolutely calm voice, "No one attacked me, Frax-chan; some of my traits and abilities have simply evolved into better versions of themselves as I've leveled up."

 

—Huh...?

 

Franx stared at him, his mouth and eyes wide open, revealing his confusion without any skill. Had he heard correctly? That was probably the question hovering over his adorable little head.

 

—Arthur-sama... Did he level up and develop his abilities out of nowhere? Did he become stronger... and more handsome than before... just like that?

 

“Yeah…” Arthur had to hold back a laugh as he heard her mutter that he was becoming more attractive with a red face while pretending to be serious, steepling her pretty fingers. Was that the effect of [Fatal Charm]?

 

—......Did he do that while he was here, sitting in the carriage with me?

 

—You're not exactly sitting here, but yes; my abilities grew stronger, that's why this happened, so don't worry — Arthur nodded once more as he tried to calm the girl's worries once again.

 

He didn't risk lying to Franx completely, for fear of spilling some nonsense that would betray him to this master of human torture and chemical warfare. He simply gave him as little information as possible, hoping he'd come to the right conclusion on his own, exploiting the same weakness of every intelligent person: overthinking.

 

Something he learned from the master of all in his situation, a powerful and majestic skeleton in a purple robe and the soul of a lone salaryman from the last century... Ainz Ooal Gonw (Momonga)... or whatever you want to call him...

 

—That... that...— Franx's eyes trembled as he slowly covered his mouth with a hand. —Unbelievable, Arthur-sama! To think you could do something like that all by yourself!

 

Far from being skeptical, the girl took his words as pure truth, brimming with genuine happiness at her master's spontaneous growth, without the slightest doubt about what he was saying. That... was unexpected; Sora wouldn't lie.

 

"It can't be helped. It's all my fault, right?" Arthur instinctively began to boast, much to his inner self's surprise and amusement. This arrogance undoubtedly comes from the Arthur-sama I know...

 

—As expected of the ruler of Draco Silva, you have immense talent compared to all the other humans in this empire! Of course, no one but you could become stronger and more attractive without doing anything!

 

Franx's expressionless face slowly transformed into pride toward the man she had literally been created to serve, feeling a deep respect and reverence for her lord growing in her heart. She would never have imagined anyone in this world could do what Arthur did; after all, no one could have.

 

It was common sense that only dragons grew stronger by practically doing nothing in this world, and imagining Arthur being able to do the same, even if it was something everyone with common sense would consider crazy, filled the cute, ruthless Franx with excitement.

 

Surely there is no one more worthy of service in this world than my lord!

 

The little Chimera thought to herself, joy shining in her cyan eyes. Who wouldn't want to be under the command of such a magnificent and beautiful man who effortlessly grows stronger and more handsome? At least, that's what she felt.