Chapter 45: The Hidden Kingdom
I didn’t get the chance to continue talking with Rose since the next match was called soon after. Still, the excited blonde shyly asked if we could meet up after the tournament to catch up, which I agreed to.
From the stands, I caught Alexia giving us a suspicious glare, which I found adorable considering her composure had completely cracked. The students around her were sending her strange looks that she either ignored—or simply didn’t notice.
As I waited in the preparation room for my next match to be called, I felt a familiar presence appear behind me.
I said nothing as it approached.
“My Lord, you called for me?” a soft feminine voice asked reverently.
Turning my head slightly, I was greeted by the sight of Lilim—Zeta—kneeling beside where I sat, her head bowed respectfully while her tail swayed back and forth happily behind her.
“Zeta, I have a task for you and Victoria,” I stated calmly, resting my head against my palm. “Our time in this world is quickly coming to an end, so I want to tie up any remaining loose ends.”
Lilim looked up at me, her purple eyes shining with excitement as her tail wagged even faster and her ears twitched atop her head.
“D-Does that mean we will finally be allowed to witness our Lord’s personal universe?” she asked, her voice trembling with barely contained joy. “The sacred domain where only the chosen are permitted to enter?”
‘It seems I failed to curb her belief that I’m some all-knowing god. If anything, she’s somehow become even more zealous than her canon self… which is honestly impressive,’ I thought silently.
Still…
It was hard to complain when she looked at me like that and acted so submissively around me.
Smiling faintly at her reaction, I nodded.
“Yes. I think it’s finally time for all of you to meet the others.”
“I-I’m beyond honored, my Lord!” Lilim exclaimed, bowing even lower. “B-But… are we truly worthy?”
“Hmhm, of course,” I replied immediately.
Extending my hand, I gently patted her head, causing all traces of doubt to instantly disappear from her face. Instead, she looked back up at me with open devotion, a cute blush spreading across her cheeks as she leaned slightly into my touch.
“The moment you became my subordinate… was the moment you became worthy,” I continued calmly.
A few tears gathered in her eyes before she quickly wiped them away.
Deciding to move on before she became even more emotional, I returned to the actual reason I had summoned her.
“Anyway, I want you to retrieve several artifacts for me. While you’re at it, eliminate a Knight of Rounds named Mordred and all of his subordinates.”
“As you command, my Lord,” Lilim replied instantly without the slightest hesitation, bowing once more.
“Good.”
I nodded before extending my right index finger toward her forehead.
Under her curious gaze, I lightly tapped it.
“Here is all the information you’ll need.”
As I said that, I shared portions of my memories with her—key details such as the locations of the artifacts, Mordred’s appearance, and which individuals needed to be eliminated—before finally pulling my finger away.
Lilim blinked a few times as she processed the information before nodding firmly.
“I shall depart at once, my Lord.”
Giving her head one final pat, I blinked and tilted my head when I noticed the small bag resting beside her. A familiar scent reached my nose, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
Fresh grilled fish.
“What’s that you’ve got there?” I asked curiously, even though I already knew.
Lilim, being a cat therianthrope, shared several habits with actual cats. She could be surprisingly lazy at times, disliked dogs—hence her constant arguments with Delta—and had an almost obsessive love for mackerel.
Every now and then, she would appear out of nowhere carrying freshly caught fish to share with me while subtly rubbing against me to leave her scent behind.
Something Delta and Yukime also liked doing.
The three of them were basically competing over who could mark me the most, which I honestly found hilarious.
As expected, Lilim blushed shyly before slowly opening the bag and presenting me with a perfectly cooked piece of mackerel.
“I had a particularly good catch this morning, so I saved the best one for you, my Lord. I cooked it just the way you like it,” she muttered bashfully, though the eager look in her eyes gave away how much she wanted my approval.
Smiling softly, I accepted the fish—
Then leaned down and briefly kissed her lips.
“!?”
Lilim froze instantly, her eyes widening as her pupils shrank in shock.
Pulling away, I took a casual bite of the fish.
“Thanks, Lilim. I was getting a little hungry.”
My voice snapped her out of her daze.
Blinking rapidly, realization finally caught up to her, and a deep blush spread all the way down her neck. She slowly raised a hand to her lips, touching them gently while a bright smile gradually formed on her face.
After a few moments spent collecting herself, she looked back up at me with shining eyes and nodded repeatedly.
“Y-You’re welcome, my Lord. Anytime.”
Giving me one final loving look, Lilim politely excused herself, insisting she wanted to begin immediately, before disappearing and leaving me alone once more.
Ever since Liriel—Alpha—had become my lover a few days ago, it had lit a fire beneath the others.
At this point, I was fairly certain it was only a matter of time before the rest started making their moves as well.
“It is entirely Master’s fault that this situation escalated,” Ciel suddenly remarked in a deadpan tone from the back of my mind. “While Master and the Frost Dragon were entertaining themselves, they neglected to soundproof the room. As a result, everyone in Alexandria learned exactly what Master was doing. The fact that it lasted several days did not help.”
Blinking at that information, I widened my eyes in realization before slamming my fist into my palm.
‘Oh! So that’s why the girls couldn’t look me in the eye afterward.’
Shaking my head in amusement at the memory, I looked up when my name was finally called.
All thoughts were immediately pushed aside as a savage grin spread across my face.
At last.
It was finally time for my match against Cid.
=====
As we walked toward the arena, I kept a relaxed smile on my face while Cid—still fully committed to his mob persona—nervously made his way forward, carefully avoiding eye contact with me.
Once we stopped across from each other, I raised an eyebrow at the excitement I could feel hidden beneath the pathetic act he was putting on for the crowd.
“Remember me, kid?” I asked with a teasing smile, forcing him to finally look at me.
“I-I’m sorry, senpai, but I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cid stuttered nervously.
I snorted in amusement at the blatant lie but let it go as the announcer called the start of the match.
“Begin!”
The instant the match started, Cid lunged at me using the basic sword techniques taught at the Academy—though far more refined if you knew what to look for.
Naturally, I mirrored his movements.
As our swords neared each other, I noticed him subtly slipping a blood packet into his mouth while discreetly reinforcing his body with magic.
The entire process took less than a second.
To everyone watching, it looked completely normal.
Well… almost everyone.
From the stands, I noticed Alexia raise a curious eyebrow, her eyes easily tracking every one of his movements thanks to my training.
“Idiot,” I muttered with a smirk, making sure he heard me.
Cid’s eyes widened.
My sword sliced cleanly through his blade as though it were made of paper before continuing straight toward him.
I watched with amusement as he desperately tried to twist his body and lessen the impact—
—but he was too slow.
The next instant, my blade carved a deep diagonal slash across his torso, running from shoulder to hip as real blood erupted outward.
The only reason he wasn’t split clean in half was because I was holding back.
For the first time since stepping into the arena, Cid’s expression completely shattered.
Confusion.
Shock.
Disbelief.
“…Remember me now, you chuuni motherfucker?” I asked quietly, ensuring only he could hear me while the crowd erupted in the background as my victory was announced.
Cid blinked several times before finally staring at me properly.
“…Chuuni?” he whispered in shock. “You too?”
“Did you seriously think you were the only special one here?” I asked mockingly as I sheathed my sword and turned around.
Then, just before walking away, I left him with one final line—
One I knew would consume him for the foreseeable future.
“…The shadows are always watching, Minoru Kageno.”
Cid froze completely.
“…The shadows?” he muttered weakly, his eyes trembling in excitement after hearing the name from his previous life.
A moment later, the arena staff rushed toward him, panicking as they began treating his injuries while he continued standing there in stunned silence, bleeding heavily.
Meanwhile, I walked away while struggling not to burst out laughing.
My lips twitched violently as I barely managed to suppress it.
‘Knowing that psychopath, this is only going to motivate him even more now that he realizes there’s someone else like him in this world,’ I thought in amusement, unable to stop a small snicker from escaping.
‘Too bad for him… by the time he starts uncovering the truth, the Cult won’t even exist anymore. And we will be long gone by then.’
Leaving him to chase shadows and ghosts.
=====
The rest of the tournament passed quickly, with my final opponent being none other than Claire Kagenou—Cid’s older sister—who glared at me heavily, likely still furious about the condition I had left her brother in.
Unfortunately for her, she never got the chance to avenge him.
The moment the match started, I knocked her unconscious instantly and was declared the winner as the stadium erupted into applause and cheers.
“And our winner is Akari Tempest! Truly the dark horse nobody expected! He will be representing the Academy in the upcoming Bushin Festival! Let’s hear it for him, everyone!”
Waving lazily toward the roaring crowd with a smile plastered across my face, I eventually exited the arena—
Only for that smile to disappear the moment my back was turned.
Looking ahead, I spotted Rose waiting near the exit, an excited expression on her face as she quickly approached me.
“Akari-kun~ Congratulations! Your swordsmanship was beautiful!” Rose praised enthusiastically the moment she reached me.
Just as I was about to thank her—
A silver blur slammed into my side and wrapped itself around my waist.
“Akari-kun! You were amazing out there!” Alexia exclaimed happily while hugging me tightly. “Thanks to you, I made a ridiculous amount of money betting on your matches.”
Completely unaware of Rose’s presence, Alexia continued clinging to me while the blonde princess froze in place, staring at her in shock.
“P-Princess Alexia!?” Rose exclaimed.
Alexia immediately stiffened in my arms before slowly turning toward Rose.
“…Princess Rose?”
The two princesses stared at each other in surprise.
“What are you doing here? A-And how do you know Akari-kun?” Rose asked curiously.
Recovering quickly, Alexia subtly stepped a little closer to me before smoothly slipping back into her refined princess persona.
“Oh, Princess Rose. Hello,” Alexia greeted politely.
Rose noticed the subtle movement immediately, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly with curiosity.
“I wasn’t aware that you knew Akari-kun.”
“As for our relationship,” Alexia continued calmly, “you could say we’re childhood friends. He used to train my sister and me when we were younger.”
Despite her composed tone, there was an unmistakable hint of smugness when she mentioned how long she had known me.
“I-I see,” Rose replied with a small nod, completely missing Alexia’s territorial behavior.
Then a bright smile spread across her face.
“As for me, Akari-kun saved my life when I was little from a group of bandits. He’s also the reason I chose the sword after witnessing his beautiful swordsmanship~”
Alexia slowly turned toward me.
Her eyes narrowed.
I simply smiled back innocently.
“Is that so?” she asked flatly.
“Yes,” Rose continued warmly, unintentionally throwing Alexia even further off balance with how genuine she sounded. “Huhuhu, to think there was someone else so close to Akari-kun this whole time. If I had known earlier, I would’ve approached you much sooner.”
“R-Right…” Alexia muttered, clearly struggling to keep up before quickly clearing her throat. “Anyway, was there a reason you wanted to speak with Akari-kun, Princess Rose?”
“Please, just Rose is fine. We’re fellow princesses after all,” Rose replied kindly before turning toward me with another warm smile. “Since this is the first time we’ve reunited after so many years, I wanted to spend some time catching up with Akari-kun.”
Alexia’s smile twitched dangerously as she discreetly shot me a glare that I very deliberately ignored.
“Oh! I know!” Rose suddenly exclaimed happily, bringing her hands together. “How about the three of us go somewhere together? I’d love to hear more about how you and Akari-kun met!”
Alexia’s expression froze.
Then, with an obviously forced smile, she slowly nodded.
“I-I suppose I don’t mind…” she muttered before turning toward me, her eyes practically screaming for me to refuse.
I ignored her completely.
“Sure~ Sounds fun,” I replied cheerfully while giving them a thumbs-up. “This can also be a good opportunity for you two to get to know each other better.”
The next instant—
Alexia stomped hard on my foot.
Meanwhile, Rose beamed brightly before happily grabbing both of our arms and dragging us forward, catching Alexia completely off guard.
“Then let’s go~ I’ve been wanting to visit Mitsugoshi for a while now, but I never had the chance.”
Allowing myself to be dragged along, I silently laughed at the incredulous looks Alexia kept sneaking toward Rose.
‘Yeah… Alexia really can’t handle Rose’s airheaded sincerity at all,’ I thought in amusement.
=====
A While Later
We ended up visiting a restaurant inside Mitsugoshi and spent several hours there talking about whatever came to mind—though most of the conversation revolved around our shared pasts.
Eventually, Rose even managed to somewhat win Alexia over with her genuine personality, and the two quickly began getting along surprisingly well.
Meanwhile, I entertained them with stories from some of my adventures in this world, and a few others.
Slightly modified, of course.
Before long, both Rose and Alexia had to say their goodbyes and return to the Academy together while I remained behind, claiming I had business to take care of in the city and would see them later at school.
Alexia did send me one last suspicious glare before leaving, but I didn’t let anything slip.
Soon enough, I was left alone.
Well…
For about five seconds.
“Excuse me, dear customer?”
A soft, cheerful voice spoke from behind me, causing me to turn around.
Standing there was a beautiful brown-haired girl with matching brown eyes dressed in a Mitsugoshi employee uniform.
Nicoletta Marquez.
Or rather—
Nu.
One of the few human members of the organization.
Seeing that she had my attention, the girl’s professional smile never faltered.
“Would you mind filling out a customer survey for us? I promise you’ll be compensated for your time,” she asked politely.
“Of course. Lead the way,” I replied with a smile of my own.
A faint blush immediately spread across her cheeks.
Nu quickly turned around and began leading me through the store while I followed behind her in silence. Eventually, we reached the upper floors before arriving at a separate section of the building.
Throughout the entire walk, neither of us spoke another word.
Once we arrived at a large pair of doors, Nu politely opened one for me with her smile gone and a respectful and serious look replacing it.
I nodded once in thanks before stepping through, causing her to become flustered once more.
The room beyond was lavishly decorated, fit more for royalty than a business office.
A long crimson carpet stretched down the center toward a grand throne positioned at the back of the hall.
Lining both sides stood rows of beautiful elves and therianthropes, all perfectly composed as I walked between them like part of some royal procession.
My gaze eventually settled on a familiar figure standing beside the throne at the top of the stairs.
A beautiful elf with long dark-blue hair, matching eyes, and a beauty mark beneath her lip. Her face was set into a beautiful smile and her eyes crinkled in pure joy as they beheld me.
She wore an elegant dress that perfectly accentuated her curvy figure while maintaining an image of regal grace.
At least…
Until I opened my mouth.
“Hello, Luna. You look beautiful as always,” I greeted with a smile.
And just like that—
Her entire composed demeanor shattered instantly.
“Eh!?”
Luna let out an undignified squeak before somehow tripping over absolutely nothing. She barely managed to catch herself before face-planting into the floor as a heavy blush spread across her cheeks.
I simply chuckled softly at the sight and shook my head fondly.
‘Typical Luna. Even after improving so much, and no longer sucking at fighting, she still has random clumsy moments like this,’ I thought in amusement.