As the sun began to rise, the sky slowly brightened, casting a warm glow over the land.
Eirik and Elvynna had spent the night laughing, playing, and savoring each other's company. Eventually, they returned to the quiet serenity of their modest courtyard.
“Farewell, my Mythic Being husband…” Elvynna whispered softly, holding Eirik close and burying her face in his chest.
“Goodbye, my Elvynna, the mightiest of the cosmos…” Eirik replied gently, his voice filled with affection.
But as soon as the words left his lips, a sudden jolt pierced through his mind, like an electric shock. Some of the memories that once belonged to him vanished without a trace. The effects of the reincarnation mirror had come to an end.
It was a strange feeling. Fragments of his past life as a Mythic Being were pulled away in an instant, while the memories of his current life remained intact. He could still clearly recall the joyful moments of the night—the warmth of Elvynna’s confession, her love and tenderness. But as he thought about it, his emotions shifted.
While he felt deeply moved by Elvynna’s presence, an undeniable sense of foreboding began to settle in. He realized that despite the bliss of the night, trouble was on the horizon. And in that very moment, two glaring gazes, filled with resentment, locked onto him from behind. One of them, predictably, was Pixie.
The little bitch was pouting, her face twisted in a look of utter indignation. Meanwhile, Violanda, the master alchemist, stood with a glare that bordered on sharp. Though her resentment was less than Pixie’s, it was replaced by something else—curiosity, tension, and a hint of concern.
Violanda had never experienced anything like this before, even in her years of dealing with alchemic phenomena. The sensation of gaining and losing memories was an unprecedented occurrence, and Violanda was eager to see how Eirik would react. Would he truly fall for Elvynna and marry her, forsaking all others?
Elvynna, too, was intrigued. How would Eirik change after regaining and then losing his memories?
In that moment, under the weight of all three women’s stares, Eirik found himself at a complete loss.
“My head hurts!” he blurted out, clutching his temples as if to excuse himself, and swiftly made his exit. If he didn’t get away now, he had a feeling these women would tear him to pieces. Running was his best option. As for the rest—well, he’d deal with that later.
With a loud clang, Eirik slammed the door shut behind him. The three women’s gazes lingered in the air for a moment, and for a fleeting second, it felt as though a bolt of electricity passed between them.
“Hmph, looks like your heart-tugging tactics didn’t work after all. Dear Eirik couldn’t even stay for a second longer!” Pixie huffed, her voice dripping with annoyance.
Indeed, Elvynna had employed such tactics—something Pixie hadn’t initially understood, but Violanda had quickly caught on and explained it to her during their journey here. Now that the immediate crisis had passed, Pixie’s usual wit returned, sharpening into a biting tone that grated on the others.
“Heh, his quick escape only proves he’s affected. In the end, I will be the true victor,” Elvynna said coolly, her voice tinged with icy confidence. She raised her chin proudly, adopting the poise of a wife who knew her worth, and looked down upon the two women.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Affected? What does that matter? The master alchemist hasn’t even made her move yet! Do you really think you stand a chance?” Violanda shot back with a dismissive smirk.
She had learned from Pixie that the real Eirik seemed somewhat different from the one in the simulation. The real Eirik didn’t appear to harbor the deep feelings for Elvynna that she had hoped for. If he truly had such feelings, he wouldn’t have chosen to stay with the Ravenshadow family, Pip’s clan.
Knowing that Eirik wasn’t as emotionally invested in Elvynna, Violanda saw an opportunity for herself.
“What do you plan to do? I warn you, Violanda, Eirik belongs to the Ravenshadow family, and no one is taking him away!” Pixie snapped, sensing the threat in Violanda’s words.
“Why don’t we work together to get rid of her?” Elvynna suddenly suggested, her voice filled with cunning.
Before long, the three women were caught in a heated argument, each vying for control as the tension in the room thickened...
“The system’s out to get me!” Eirik muttered to himself, not wanting to listen to the ruckus outside. He buried his head under the blanket and fell back asleep. After all, he had been up all night and needed rest.
When he awoke, it was already afternoon, the enticing aroma of food filling the air. On the table, a collection of dishes was kept warm by minor spells, accompanied by several notes left by Junior Sister.
“I made this for you, dear Eirik! You must try it; it’s my first time cooking for a boy!” One note came with an adorable pink lunchbox, the corners decorated with little cat paw prints—a clear sign of Pixie’s handiwork.
“These are all your favorite dishes, infused with potions to enhance your body and strengthen your elemental power. I modified the ancient recipe to fit your condition; it’s incredibly effective,” another note read, penned by Elvynna. Though her lunchbox looked plain, the aroma was the richest of them all, infused with a blend of herbs that hinted at something extraordinary.
Given her vast knowledge of ancient secrets, the dishes Elvynna had prepared were anything but ordinary.
The last note came from Violanda. “I picked snowberries from the northern peaks last night; are you not curious to taste them?”
As expected from the master alchemist—she certainly spared no expense.
Eirik, however, felt a headache coming on as he looked at the three lunchboxes. For a simple meal, did it really have to turn into a competition? Which one should he choose?!
In the end, he could hardly make up his mind.
Well, why choose?
Naturally, he would have them all!
Without a second thought, he opened all three lunchboxes and poured their contents into one, creating a singular, massive meal.
“Thank goodness I’m a wizard; with my enhanced appetite, I can handle all of this!” Eirik mused to himself.
Another crisis averted—what a relief!
After finishing his meal, Eirik retreated to his small room to read and study magic. But then, a system notification sounded.
【Ding! Other players have been waiting for quite some time. Would you like to start the game?】
Eirik opened the system panel and saw that this message had been appearing repeatedly. During the time he hadn’t started the simulation, other players had been on standby, their screens displaying “System Maintenance in Progress, unable to play.”
Now that Eirik had logged in, the option “New Start” appeared brightly for the female players.
“Time for a new simulation?!”
“A new opportunity!”
“This time, it’s a main storyline simulation, not just a side quest…”
The other players were already brimming with excitement.
【Dawnstar Dynasty, a spring in a border town; once again, you are rejected by the magic academy. In your despair, you ponder how to change your current situation.】
Eirik immediately recognized the familiar text.
“Alright, how should I proceed this time...?” Eirik thought, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
First of all, he wouldn’t pick Elvynna again. The system had warned him that choosing a character he’d already completed a route with would cut his rewards by fifty percent. Such a penalty was too steep—unless, of course, it was a side quest where he might choose Elvynna as his wife again.
For the main storyline, however, he needed to select someone else.
That left him with two remaining choices: Pixie or Violanda.
Initially, Eirik had no intention of pursuing any other women, but Violanda was a bit different—she didn’t have romantic feelings for him and mostly wanted to use his talent.
As long as he kept things strictly platonic, it should be fine, right?!
It was a simple enough decision.
And besides, the rewards Violanda had offered him last time were simply too tempting to ignore.