Observing the changing landscape after exiting that space tunnel with many silly thoughts in his head, Sora noticed with mild interest how the buildings that now appeared in the surrounding area had a curious mix of medieval architectural style with distinctly modern features and details, its streets evidently well paved and organized almost like in the reality he knew; only with a more elegant design than simply functional.
It was truly different from the VR game I remembered, as Chronicles of Holy Grail Online could very well embody the true spirit of the Medieval Age of the land with its high degree of realism, even with Magic (Sorcery) always present.
The difference from 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.
In the sky of this massive empire, many large commercial and common Arcana ships could be seen flying through the airspace of its Imperial Capital, Loveria; displaying the incredible advancements in Arcane Engineering achieved by humans in this world. While in the distance, the massive and magnificent Silver Moon Palace, where the Emperors of the nation’s history only worked but did not live at all—basically a glorified government office—was clearly visible to all of its citizens and foreign visitors; displaying the nation’s glory and wealth in all its splendor.
And seeing that incredibly yet unnecessarily large government building made mostly of the rare and expensive {Moonstones}—a high-level magic material with great symbolic value—Sora only smiled in amusement as he acknowledged the opulence of the powerful before beginning to reflect on himself, or rather, the history of the original Arthur.
In
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 military and economic power of the Archduchy as he wished, through an arranged marriage with his daughter, the Third Imperial Princess. And somehow Arthur knew of this and began an elaborate plan to overthrow the Emperor... though Sora did not remember all the details...
It was only because one of the heroines was the daughter of that man 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 his tragedy pay... In the end, Arthur was defeated by the combined might 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 next game,
That wasn't the worst part, the worst part was that players, no matter what they did, couldn't prevent that from happening in any of the possible routes. 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 scenario, including Sora. After all, the third princess was the most popular heroine after Lars' childhood friend. What a load of crap that was, in his own words.
...Come to think of it, the third imperial princess, Laura Lunen Ivrin Lainervorial, who was also the most popular heroine in the game, is officially my fiancée now...
A strange smile formed on Arthur's handsome face as his eyes slowly drifted towards Franx, who seemed very comfortable in his arms as she had unconsciously started petting his head, making her whimper like a kitten. I doubt Laura-chan would be happy to see this at all...
According to the scenario he remembered, the third Imperial Princess Laura was just another pawn that 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 Lunen Imperial House from interfering too much in the management of the Archduchy if the Archduchess is one of the Imperial Princesses of his House.
Even knowing this, Arthur pretended to accept the engagement in order to 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 bring down 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 about it, 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 simply wasn't to his taste as a woman.
After all, he liked older women...
It was complete nonsense, considering how beautiful the princess was... but everyone has their own tastes. In Sora's case, he liked a wide variety of women of different ages, so it was no problem for him to welcome such a beauty with open arms.
Anyway, the relationship between the two wasn't bad, although it wasn't as if they were really going to get married like the Emperor wanted, but sometimes they would meet for tea out of formality. It was just that Arthur was brutally honest and frank in strange ways, always saying things that ended up making Laura a little sad.
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 non-existent, 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 very depressed and upset to the point of crying alone in a corner, and the foolish protagonist, Lars, notices her and, not caring much about their difference in status, asks her what's wrong; hearing Arthur's hurtful words, which made her decide to confront him in front of many students despite being in an inferior position in both strength and status.
There he will stupidly demand a duel to force him to apologize, although he is aware that he is weaker than Arthur and would be brutally defeated. Not even his special ability could help him as he had naively thought it would.
After that, Laura would visit Lars in the infirmary and from then on, the two would become increasingly closer...
Wait... wasn't that what was supposed to happen a few minutes ago?
Suddenly, Arthur realized that he had somehow ruined the scenario where Lars wins Laura's sympathy, which would serve as leverage to make her his heroine later on. That alone altered the entire story of the game forever.
Wow! Could it be that God chose me to prevent that relationship disaster and save Laura's noble 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...
What?
The creepy voice of a little girl that eerily resembled that of an evil AI in a certain rather old zombie movie echoed in his head. And not caring at all about the bewilderment of a certain man in a teenager's body, the little girl's creepy voice continued its warnings with eerie calm, diligently informing him emotionlessly of things that were incomprehensible to him.
As the creepy girl's monotone voice continued, Arthur momentarily felt as if something was ripped from his being, and before he could sense anything wrong, it returned with a sudden rush of heat that coursed through his entire body like a wave of intense energy, as if something intangible had perfectly merged with his senses. His breathing quickened slightly as the abilities merged with him, causing Franx to open his eyes and look at him with bewildered eyes while blushing for some reason.
Unaware of this, Arthur simply closed his eyes, instinctively sensing 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 radiating from living beings far beyond his previous reach. Naturally, he could sense even more strongly the terrifying strength of the man driving the carriage and the beautiful maiden embracing him.
It was amazing how cute and tiny 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 cloth.
—Arthur-sama? What's wrong, Arthur-sama?
Franx began to ask him with an anxiety that seemed to grow as he noticed his strange state, his tone higher than usual, but Sora paid him no attention as the mysterious notifications made by the creepy AI continued to echo in his dazed mind.
"Wow...?" For a moment, Arthur simply muttered, his mouth slightly open at this disconcerting phenomenon.
“Arthur-sama!? What’s wrong!?” Seeing this, Franx began to worry more for him as her eyes trembled, almost shaking Arthur in her anxiety with her slender, delicate arms.
Sensing the adorable yet dangerous maid's uneasiness with his strange behavior, Arthur just smiled naturally (it was awkward inside) as he put aside the system's voice for now. He whispered softly to her as he stroked her head again, in an attempt to calm the Chimera's nerves. "No, it's nothing important, don't worry, Frax-chan."
—B-but… Arthur-sama’s breathing suddenly became a little erratic a while ago, and I felt a slight change in his Conceptual Body… it became more gua—I mean, the magical energy disturbance I felt coming from you is also not something I could ignore, no matter how small it was… What happened? Did someone attack you in some way?
Clearly not convinced by what he said, Franx made clear all the reasons why she had to worry about him, causing Sora to freeze internally at her words.
That's right... Franx possessed skills and traits that granted him powerful senses not 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 sex life and his martial arts training, remember?), Shiragaki Sora quickly understood what this 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 as 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 wouldn't give away the existence of this system and as such, reveal his true identity as the usurper of the original Arthur's body. He didn't want to imagine what all the sub-bosses would do to him if they knew he wasn't the real Arthur Pendragon... especially Franx herself... he could still remember what Rose Chimera's personal torture chamber looked like in the game when he was determined to bring suffering to 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 leveled up.”
—Eh...?
Franx stared at him with his mouth and eyes wide open, revealing his confusion without any skill. Had he heard right? That was probably the question looming over his adorable little head.
—Arthut-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 his laughter as he heard her mutter that he was becoming more attractive with a red face while pretending to be serious, steepling her cute fingers. Was that the effect of [Fatal Charm]?
—......Did he do that while he was just here, sitting in the carriage with me?
—You're not exactly sitting here, but yes; my abilities got stronger, that's why this happened, so don't worry — Arthur nodded once more as he tried to calm the girl's worries again.
He didn't risk lying completely to Franx, for fear of blurting out some nonsense that would give him away to this master of human torture and chemical warfare. He simply gave her as little information as possible in the hope that she would come to a good conclusion of the situation on her own, using 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 lonely 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 placed a hand over his small mouth. —That's incredible, Arthur-sama! To think that you could do something like that on your own!
Far from being skeptical, the girl took his words as the pure truth as she brimmed with sincere happiness at her master's spontaneous growth, without the slightest doubt about what he said. That... was unexpected, Sora would not lie.
“It can’t be helped, it’s all because of me, isn’t it?” Arthur instinctively began to boast about himself, much to the surprise and amusement of his inner self. This arrogance is certainly from the Arthur-sama I know…
—As expected of the ruler of Draco Silva, you are simply too talented compared to all the other humans in this empire! Of course, no one but you could become stronger and more attractive without having to do anything!
Franx's naturally expressionless face slowly changed to show a sense of pride towards the man she was literally created to serve, feeling a great awe and sense of reverence towards her lord that steadily grew within her heart. She would never have expected that anyone in this world could have done what Arthur did; no one could have done it, after all.
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 and ruthless Franx with excitement.
Certainly there is no one more worthy of serving in this world than my lord!
The little Chimera thought to herself with joy shining in her cyan eyes. Who wouldn't want to be under the command of such a magnificent and beautiful man who grows stronger and more handsome without any effort? At least, that was what she felt.
As for Arthur, he was more or less content with any misunderstanding Franx Leumiere might have about the situation, as he could never explain to anyone about his sudden Master System without taking huge, unnecessary risks to his new life. He just looked Franx in the eyes and began to speak with a smile almost always present on his face, at least as he was currently doing. “Now Franx, calm down a bit, okay? I need to concentrate in order to experiment with my new Skills as we travel to the mansion…”
“Oh, of course, Arthur-sama. Sorry for interrupting you with useless worries…” Franz’s anxiety naturally dissipated long ago as he apologized with audible regret and emotion in his tone towards his master, stopping only when Arthur suddenly placed his hand on his pink hair and guided his head towards his chest reassuringly.
—Don't worry about it, my pretty Rose Maid, just stay like that while I go about my business, okay? — Arthur whispered in her ear with an amused expression, making Franx shudder as she closed her eyes with red cheeks as she felt his warm breath.
From the game she remembered that she loved that.
—Y-yes...- That was all the Chimera said in the end with a meek voice and a sweet and loving tone, leaving her lord in peace with his matter while she enjoyed the warmth of his arms and the powerful beat of his heart with a sigh of satisfaction as she rubbed her tender cheek against his strong chest.
She started purring again as his hand unconsciously started stroking her hair again. This petite, busty maid was so adorable.
…Anyone who saw them acting like this right now wouldn’t believe that they weren’t lovers at all, but this seemed to be the kind of interaction Arthur had with Franx normally, Sora thought to himself with a strange expression in his heart.
How things would turn out with his sisters remained to be seen.
Arthur smiled a little at this while inwardly sighing in relief as the time for caution was finally over, then he focused and said in his mind: "Status"... while looking at Franx.
Honestly, what I really wanted to do was scream “Oh lord yes! A system, a fucking system, hahahaha… Show me my [Status], bitch!” and check her status like any transmigrated protagonist who has a system.
But the deep dignity of this body (or perhaps the so-called character traits according to the system) that cared deeply about Franx's presence prevented him from making a scandal that would tarnish his honor as a nobleman. Moreover, I consider it more important to first verify the information about Franx Leumiere than about himself, since his exact parameters were unknown.
After all, the status of the Sub-Bosses was not shown at all.
Anyway, after giving the order, a grey holographic window appeared in his eyes, as if projected onto his retinas; displaying the following rows of information in a format very familiar to him with incredible information...
It is.....
[Name: Franx Leumiere]
[Moral Alignment: Chaotic Neutral]
[Personal Karma: -100000 (Absurdly Evil)]
[Species: Human (Royal Species: Supreme Chimera) (Hidden)]
[Character traits: Expressionless, Calm, Intelligent, Ruthless, Innocent, Perverted...]
[Rank: Episcapi, level 42 (Torrius level 69, hidden royal rank and level with an artifact)]
[Manna Units: 1,000/1000]
[Growth potential: *******]
[Traits: Nature's Abomination (Rare, Locked), [Psionics (Rare) Plant Generation (Rare), Internal Manipulation of Organic Matter (Rare), Mythic False Fairy Eyes (Extremely Rare, Sealed), Rose Mastery (Unique), Succubus Physique (Uncommon) Plant Communication (Uncommon)]
[Active Skills: Psionic Energy Manifestation (Rank 12), Inhuman Senses (Rank 8), Body Control (Rank 16), Magecraft (Rank 8), Mana Arts (Rank 2), Maryoku Manipulation (Rank 12), Maryoku Emission (Rank 10), Calculation (Rank 18), Analysis (Rank 10)]
[Passive Skills: Psionic Energy Manipulation (Level 16), Inhuman Senses (Level 8), Calculation (Level 18), Etiquette (Level 10), Drawing (Level 21), Charisma (Level 3), Socialization (Level 1)]
[Stats: Strength 15 | Intelligence 24 | Magic 16 | Vitality 19 | Mythicism 20 | Charm 24 | Senses 16 | Resilience 17 | Spirit 2]
This is really... Internally, Sora stared with astonished eyes at the incredible data of Franx in his arms. Although he knew that Franx was a Boss monster from both his senses and what he saw in the game, he didn't expect him to have so much power. Seeing it quantified to a certain extent, he really felt different.
He was also a little surprised by Franx's high negative karma. “Absurdly evil” was a system classification that would only be given to those villains who committed the worst acts against their fellow human beings after… causing them suffering more than a thousand times.
Evil beings like demons would be easily attracted to someone with such evil karma, and angels and saints would feel an instinctive repulsion in their presence, from what I understand... Memories came flooding back, that was the reason why Saint Morgana noticed that Franx was a dangerous existence when she first encountered him...
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
The Saint of the Church had a clear disdain for evildoers as was cliché in fantasy, and whether it was for being a Chimera or for their crimes, the existence of Franx Leumiere and his sisters would not be looked upon favorably by either her or the church. In fact, they would definitely send their Templars to kill them and Pendragon if they ever discovered their true nature and the latter's involvement in their creation...
It's quite strange to see that his Moral Alienation doesn't match that level of karma very well, although I know why...
Although her evil deeds had little to do with Franx's internal morals, apparently, one should know that she was just a special case. She killed and tortured her lord's enemies without any real emotion in the process, so her negative karma but slightly uneven moral alienation were to be expected.
The only reason her alienation said “Chaotic Neutral” instead of just neutral must be because of those she would be willing to kill with the clear intent to kill for reasons she couldn’t remember at the moment. Anyway, this maid was certainly very dangerous.
That was especially true because there were many dangerous and terrifying spells whose power was enhanced by extremely high negative karma like hers....Although Franx Leumiere was not a sorceress, she could still use forbidden grimoires, after all.
Unexpectedly, Frax-chan here is a pervert, that sounds interesting… Sora thought to himself, unconsciously petting Franx's head even now as various interesting thoughts flooded through him when he felt her plump breasts against his chest.
They felt very soft and stretchy, which made him think it would be nice to play with them a little… but he quickly pushed those dirty thoughts aside.
No wait, we'll leave that for later for now... Isn't this too similar to how the status screen looks in Britannia: Lost Order?
Recalling that mobile game, where one of the remastered characters from Fate: Grand Order is literally sent to a different world from his own as the protagonist of a story incomprehensible to him, Arthur unconsciously made a face of confusion.
...That's true; one of the many, albeit rather small, reasons why that VRMMORPG became so unpopular was because its status window was so simple and bland that it wouldn't make any difference even if it didn't exist... He recalled, a strange feeling of nostalgia washing over him a little.
Well, he wasn't going to say that he didn't like the way the window was designed, as he didn't actually hate the game; he was just indifferent to it now. That being said, he couldn't help but remember those interesting retrocons added to the world of Britannia with the addition of New Type Moon, and Sora was quick to question the system.
Do the retrocons in Lost Order apply to this world, even though they're not canon in the games Xianpai created?
Of course... That means I might end up meeting Mash, right?
....Mmm
Arthur (Sora) began to recall the image of Mash Kyrielight, the fact that she was a cute girl and that she was wearing a rather particular outfit for her adventure that showed off her excellent physical attributes, and he narrowed his eyes.
Honestly, Sora was quite interested in interacting with that pink-haired girl wearing such beautiful armor. However, considering the dangerous events that were used as an excuse for her appearance in this universe, perhaps it would be better if it didn't happen after all.
Besides, there were more important things to worry about… like his own status, obviously. This time, he focused on himself.
"State"
[Name: Shigaraki Sora (Original), Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva (Current)]
[Moral Alignment: Neutral]
[Personal Karma: +10000 (Extremely good]
[Species: Human (Real Species: Half-dragon) (Hidden)]
[Character traits: Honest, Arrogant, Pragmatic, Realistic, Responsible, Cruel, Cynical, Kind, Joking, Flirtatious...]
[Rank: Episcapi, Level 45 (Torrius, Level 72, Rank, Race and Level Hidden Realm with an artifact)]
[Manna Units: 123,050/154,000]
[Growth potential: **************]
[Traits: Hero's Lineage (Unique, Pendragon), Noble's Dignity (Uncommon), Superior Understanding (Rare), Magic Eyes of the Demiurge (Sealed, Unique), Heart of the Dragon (Sealed, Unique), Mastery of the Dragon Monarch (Newly Mutated, Unique), Fatal Charm (Acquired, Unique)]
[Active Skills: Aura Manifestation (Tier 15), Mythic Senses (Tier 4), Maryoku Control (Tier 16), Sorcery (Tier 10), Mana Arts (Tier 10), Maryoku Emission (Tier 10)]
[Passive Skills: Aura Manipulation (Level 6), Mythic Senses (Level 4), Sword and Lance Fencing (Level 10), Administration and Management (Level 20), Etiquette (Level 19), Horsemanship (Level 20), Charisma (Level 14), Socialization (Level 5), Aesthetic Appreciation (Level 7)]
[Stats: Strength 17 | Intelligence 18 | Magic 21 | Vitality 17 | Mythicism 17 | Charm 25 | Senses 18 | Resilience 19 | Spirit 18]
Putting aside the high point of good karma which will be addressed later, this is truly a final boss status window worthy of the first game, you would never see so many unique traits in any other. Sora stared at the status display window blankly as he nodded to himself with feelings of admiration. Well… one he acquired as a gift from the Master System and the other he mutated due to its influence, but that doesn’t matter; unique is unique and Arthur is monstrously strong after all.
Although Sora already knew beforehand that Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva was at the current peak of power in Britannia thanks to his bloodline and his secret training within Draco Silva, his Territory, it was still quite terrifying for such a young individual to have so much hidden power. After all, in Britannia: The Academy Fool and other games, not many NPCs would have traits that were considered unique, even among the heroines and other important characters. Even Franx, a rather strong sub-boss, only had a single unique trait.
More than that, weren't Torrius like Arthur and Franx the most powerful Aspirants/Awakeners in existence for most decent human countries, save for the Loveritia Empire and nations of similar power?
When Sora thought about that, he realized that Arthur's strength was simply terrifying; although Arthur had a clear unfair advantage over the others in the form of bloodline, wealth, and powerful subordinates willing to help him grow stronger as much as possible, and knowing the powers of a certain lover of his, his strength was well explained….
The scariest thing?
That was its growth potential, which was measured at 14 stars in total.
Growth Potential affected how quickly a non-player character or even bosses in Britannia games improved in stats and skills as the game progressed. For a normal person, having a growth potential of 7 points would already be enough to reach a high rank like Episcapi at a relatively low level... Meaning that Arthur had the potential to reach Lorius rank in the future if left alone!
That would be almost on the same power level as the headmaster of Bomenslik Academy, Amelia Dumbardonnia, a level 84 12-Circle Archmage¹!
So players had to make all the necessary moves if they wanted to beat Arthur at his weakest point to avoid a bad ending... Britannia was an interesting game in which NPCs could grow on their own thanks to 22nd century AI, after all.
The problem was that you had to improve the strength of a stupid redhead through quests and getting pretty girls to help him win at... pretty much everything in the beginning and middle of the game. It was really absurd.
Sora shook his head inwardly. This is not the time to be thinking about that!
Now he realized the cause of his strange lack of control in his actions and decided to focus on that.
In conclusion, these "character traits" act as a filter that prevents me from going ahead and doing something out of the ordinary like Arthur Pendragon von Draco Silva. Fortunately, it seems that triggering changes at turning points in the story or whatever that means, lessens the influence of these "character traits".
Perhaps it's a method to not make him seem strange in the future if his personality is very different from the original Arthur, since everyone has naturally gotten used to his gradual changes.
However... there are many contradictory things in the character's character... How can one be cynical and kind at the same time? Does that make sense? Wait, now that I think about it...
Arthur suddenly remembered that the original had been described as a man who did not easily trust others, but was unusually kind to those who gained his trust.
He acted cynical and arrogant towards strangers, sarcastically telling any noble with his signature line "I politely ask you to get lost...", but with his trusted companions he tended to be more sociable and even joked amongst themselves without the typical hypocrisy of nobles.
Also, as mentioned before, he could easily speak his mind without caring about the other party's feelings, whether it was because he sincerely wanted them to stop doing stupid things, read their reactions, or because, well, he wanted to scare them.
The original Arthur was a pretty complex character, now that you think about it.
But... I don't understand what's up with this {Charisma} that both Arthur and Frax-chan have?
Arthur (Sora) frowned and, afraid of drawing Franx's attention, sent a mental command to the system in an attempt to gain more information about this skill. As he did so, a change occurred... but instead of a screen with data written on it, he heard a monotonous but pleasant voice briefly explaining the information of that skill.
"...." Arthur's mouth dropped open upon hearing all this.
Is there anything so absurd? Is there anyone out there with 30º charisma?
The thought made him shudder, as something like that would allow even a king to bow down to you. No, based on that last message, it was even more terrifying than that...
Naturally, Sora was very familiar with the game's skill levels and parameters, as they were how the strength of playable characters was described in all games in the Britannia franchise, such as
Furthermore, there were arcane technologies in the Game that analyzed the strength of NPCs with supernatural abilities through Grades to gain an accurate idea of their potential and growth. It was completely different from what was seen on Earth, as even the most common student was stronger than the most powerful anomalous or martial artist there, at least as far as he knew.
The lowest rating of a person's parameter or ability in this world is 0 and the highest is 30.
An active or grade 0 skill was no better than trash thrown by the wayside, while a skill that reached grade 15 showed signs of supernatural strength in the form of “blessings,” even if it originally had nothing to do with magical forces. Passive skills usually already had a built-in magic component or something that made them work even at low grades, but for things like {Swordsmanship}, they would also become more apparent at grade 15.
By the way, the concept of "Blessings" did not exist in COB, having been introduced earlier in the Xianpai games, and Arthur knew of a variety of powerful blessings that were obtained by reaching a high level of mastery in skills or traits. Of course, the best "Blessings" arise from originally supernatural abilities like Traits.
The same goes for parameters, a Grade 0 parameter was equivalent to having the strength of a newborn baby, while a Grade 25 parameter would allow one to fight against a slightly weaker version of Superman. Because of this, those individuals who can create high-level skills for Aspirants are highly prized...
But that wasn't the problem here.
There was nothing special about Arthur having a skill like Charisma at level 14... the problem was that in none of the Britannia games did he see this skill appear, so common in many other games on the market (Except for its absurd effects, of course)!
What does this mean? According to the system, charisma is the ability of “true nobility,” meaning all nobles possess it… Then why has this ability never been recorded in the Imperial Skill Database? Why did Franx, a chimera and a mere subordinate of Arthur, also possess it?
Refraining from looking at the perceptive Chimera who continued to enjoy his automatic caresses while frowning, Sora pondered further on this sudden mystery.
... Perhaps it is not a common skill among so-called aristocrats? Is that why you specifically use the term "true nobles"?
If so, it would make sense, but...
Sora wondered... What are the criteria to be considered a true noble? Is it simply a social status that boasts a long history and power accumulated over generations? Or a special talent that can change the very course of history?
Would they be individuals who, instead of influencing the world using only the glory of the past, would influence the world by changing their estimated flow...?
People who could bring about a lot of change, positive or negative, with their talents... who would be truly remembered with admiration and wonder by future generations... similar to scientists like Stephen Hawking, who left an indelible mark on the more recent history of science, or singers like Michael Jackson, who will always be remembered as the "King of Pop."
Something like... The main characters of this world!
Now I understand.
It's quite possible that only the main characters of this world like myself, the sub-bosses, Lars, and the heroines possess this ability, so the fact that the Empire didn't know about this ability was natural.
"..."
Sora was shocked to find that the system was literally confirming his assumptions by rewarding him with points. The unsettling thing about this was that the thing was clearly reading his mind, which scared him a little.
....Not that I can do anything about it... let's be happy with the SP... Although I still have to figure out how much I could make with that in the shop.
What the hell? Has Arthur's reputation suddenly increased?
Although Arthur would become the object of admiration of almost all of Bomenslik's female students, this naturally surprised him as it was sudden.
And why is something like this appearing now? Shouldn't this message have appeared before? Is this system not working properly?
A little worried by this, Sora ordered: Show me my reputation...
A holographic window appeared in his eyes.
[Overall reputation according to most hosts nationwide: Admired]
[General reputation by the majority of the host at the social class level: Aristocracy (Appreciated), Bourgeoisie (Respected), Commoners (Admired)]
So that's our reputation system, huh? Given the status of the original Arthur, it's only natural that the nobles held him in high regard and the bourgeoisie in general respected him. But what on earth did Arthur do to be admired by the commoner class?
In the game, it was mentioned that Arthur did a good job as acting lord of the Archduchy even while going back and forth to the Academy from his beautiful mansion in the Imperial Capital.
But beyond that... I only knew a little about his progress in growing his secret organization and the advancement of his plans to kill the emperor...
I would never have expected this guy to be revered by the common people. It seemed like the author hadn't given enough details... Or maybe it was something unique in this world? No, it's probably because...
What? Create a New World? What's this all about?
In his surprise, his body unconsciously stretched forward, causing Franx to open her eyes again and look at him, slightly confused.
—Is everything okay, Arthur-sama?
“It’s nothing, I just realized something interesting…” Arthur smiled coldly as he replied to the curious Chimera while lying down quietly. Franx stared at him for a while as he tilted his head, finally saying “I understand” before happily leaning back against him again. He seemed to really like that position.
After some thought and an unconscious chuckle, Sora pondered over the recent system message. His eyes looked very serious as he thought.
It's not that I'm complaining or anything... It's just that, why would Laura's affection for Arthur grow instead of diminish? What's up with that? Hadn't Arthur scolded her recently?
I know she sometimes puts a positive spin on almost all of Arthur's actions in their relationship before she knew he was trying to destroy Raymundo, her father... but isn't this a little weird?! How obsessed is she with her fiancé?!
And what about Jheane too? Maybe it was because of me that Arthur didn’t beat Lars up like the story did, but I had treated him like an idiot, right? Because his affection for me would increase? Rather, I already had positive feelings for Arthur before the duel…?
I really don't understand the minds of women!
Shiragaki Sora, who was wondering what was going on in the minds of the Third Imperial Princess and the Genius Alchemist, was really the odd one out here for wasting time with the wrong questions.
♦♦♦♦
Great Lake "Divine Eye of Centoria" in the Loveritia Empire, Bomenslik Academy City, Nigrum Aureum District.
In the archipelago of interconnected artificial lakes within what would become the largest lake within the Centoria Continent, there was a beautiful lake island that, compared to the others surrounding it, was significantly smaller; only a few square kilometers in size and with very few buildings visible on its surface.
However, each and every one of these were luxurious, beautiful and glamorous buildings with streets made of pure onyx in which a formidable runic power circulates, which would immediately give the impression that only the richest and highest status can use and walk through them.
And technically they wouldn't be wrong.
Among these buildings, six of them stood out indistinctly as much as possible for their glorious splendor of wealth.
There was what some would call the real "Bomenslik Imperial Academy" in the center of the island, which had a semicircular shape with three floors that looked like a small medieval palace and luxury resort merged together, if someone from Earth had to say so, with a towering statue of a wise archmage and emperor in the middle of the marble plaza.
Next up was a building of at least 15 floors that, from any angle, looked like an overly luxurious hotel painted white and filled with magically enchanted windows to prevent the interior from being seen. There was even a large swimming pool on the terrace.
And last but not least, there were four black, pentagonal buildings; exactly the same, with a seemingly classic mansion design, which also screamed luxury and grandeur unmatched among its kind.
All of these constructions were made with the most expensive materials available on the continental market to build the best mansions and even palaces in Britannia, which even had complex runic formulas inscribed in their designs that not only guaranteed the sustainability of their quality and resistance, but also the elemental conversion necessary to allow them to repair themselves as if they were a functional living being.
All of this was a clear fruit of technological ingenuity based on sorcery and runic arts... and of immense wealth invested in its construction, of course.
Within one of these magnificent and expensive works of arcane engineering, one would find many elegant rooms whose design and contents are generally worthy of nobility. Now, however, one could find one whose interior was far from its original appearance due to the preferences of its current occupant.
The beautiful oak shelves that would normally be filled with literature, books of poetry and ancient history were now lined with stacks of books on Alchemy, Occultism and other arcane knowledge too advanced for even the most staunch students of these ancient arts.
Despite their elegant designs and intimidating sizes, they could be seen in a rather disorganized state; as if their owner had not bothered to give each of them a proper order beyond what seemed to make sense only to herself at the moment she put them all in place.
In one corner of the room, a huge golden alchemy pot could be seen, carved with various runes on its metal surface.
The design and form was almost unnecessarily elegant rather than purely functional as if it were purely the masterpiece of a renowned skilled craftsman, but one could faintly feel the strong, unfathomable magical power emanating from the artifact even in its current dormant state.
On an alchemical table made of snow-white wood, aside from some sort of aromatizer silently burning while releasing a soft chamomile scent, one could also find a collection of glass containers with a variety of liquids and even parts of dead animals inside, magical or mundane tools meant to aid in the preparation of complex potions such as a scale, a distiller, a lighter and a mortar, and even several half-open notebooks filled with alchemical formulas, thrown more or less randomly on its surface... along with what looked like some erotic novels among the mix as well?
Ignoring that last detail, it seemed that the room, whose general design was that of a typical resting place for an accomplished noble, was completely dominated by the whims of a complete alchemist, filled with a passion for the art of potion-making and the transmutation of matter like many of her same profession.
It was not surprising, since the highest class students would be allowed to decorate their rooms as they liked.
However, at this moment, such an alchemy-loving student was… having fun alone in her own way.
That alchemist; a beautiful girl with reddish brown hair, lay in her comfortable bed with a high-quality cotton mattress, her surprisingly well-endowed body was covered by beautiful white blankets made of linen enchanted with the power of sorcery, which embraced all of her femininity completely exposed beneath them as she pleasured herself.
-Hm...ah ♥...Ann ♥...
Pinching her nipples with some force and sticking her delicate fingers inside the folds of her vagina, the girl masturbated with passion while letting out sweet moans with a tender and lustful voice that would easily ignite the most primitive desires of countless men while she only fantasized about the man who awakened her growing sexual appetite the moment she saw him and heard his sexy voice for the first time, to the point where she couldn't forget him no matter what happened.
—Ah...Yes ♥
She imagined him very clearly as he penetrated her wildly on the bed, playing with her enormous breasts as if they were his beloved toys while he moved his hips wildly to devastate her without mercy; the sweat of both of them mixing during their passionate section while they caressed each other's skin.
His enormous penis (she imagined) would penetrate her relentlessly, full of primitive desires; completely eager to release its load inside her as if it were the lava of an active volcano, dyeing her uterus completely white as it filled it.
—More ♥!
There was never a moment of rest, he didn't need it, as he possessed unlimited stamina that only an Aspirant with great physical capabilities possessed. Completely filled with lust, he would grab her feet while continuing to penetrate her standing up, shooting his hot semen once again inside her.
The girl shuddered with pleasure as her rather vivid imagination gave her a devastating sensation that invaded every corner of her body. She lived to experience something like this, she breathed for it; her desires revolved around wanting to do that primitive act between animals and her soul screamed with the desire to satisfy them, barely having any self-control.
He could only weakly satisfy his hunger with this poor excuse for satisfaction through imagination and self-stimulation. He used all his mental power to create these erotic scenes and indulge in them as if they were real to calm his desire.
In her mind, she would moan uncontrollably as the man bites her breasts and sucks them as if he wanted to extract milk from them. And finally, he would put her in the humble all-fours position reminiscent of a puny dog, penetrating her from behind while he enjoyed her plump ass shaking with each thrust, finishing inside her once more with his overflowing sperm.
—Ohhhh...♥
With her imagination fully active and her fingers skillfully dancing inside her vagina, she finally ended up arching her curvaceous back while raising her waist, letting out a loud exclamation as the climax of orgasm invaded her entire body... and finally she fell, her back and ass falling onto the softness of the bed, its sheets feeling like the warm embrace of a lover enveloping her body while the beautiful face with two eyes reminiscent of the sun slowly faded from her mind, which slowly returned to reality.
The sound of a small, hot sigh echoed softly as his hands ran weak caresses over her body, stains of her love juice wetting the sheets of her luxurious mattress.
—That felt amazing... masturbation has never felt better... it was so vivid ♥, maybe because I did it thinking of a real man~
Her heart was pounding as she spoke in her melodious voice, quickly throwing aside the sheets and looking up at the luxurious ceiling of her room with her beautiful dark green eyes—I didn't expect the day would come when I could masturbate in such a luxurious place either~ Being a student of the Nigrum Aureum District sure has its benefits.
She smiled to herself, pleased with the gifts life had given her.
Her sudden connection with the old man who guided her through the ways of Alchemy and recognized her gifts as a sorceress, the opportunity this brought her to be part of such a famous institution along with her beloved "little sister" and of course, to be able to meet, even from a distance, such an exquisite piece of man whose face she couldn't tear away from her limbs and whose great presence surpassed the flames of desire within her as she imagined his naked body, imposing itself on her person and dominating her completely...
Life is almost perfect now... That's what Jheane Lorens believed in her heart. It would be completely perfect if it weren't for...
A soft knock on the door, far from her bed given its size, brought her out of her thoughts, making her wrinkle her nose and, without bothering to get up or even cover her privacy, she called out, "Who is it?"
Understanding that the room’s occupant did not want him to enter, the other party moderately shouted his purpose from the doorway, “Lady Lorens, I am one of the maids personally assigned to you by the Nigrum Aureum District Administrator. I have come to inform you that you have a visit from Lars Hamilton von Laniere, who requests that you come see him as soon as possible. Should I expel him right now?”
—That..?
The girl named Jheane Lorens was not only momentarily surprised when she was reminded that she would be assigned a maid, or even several, but also when she was casually asked if she should chase away her beloved little brother as if it were a trivial matter.
She felt so absurd, as if she were a princess from a faraway kingdom and Lars was a simple commoner who, out of compassion for the servants, learned of her humble existence... only to ask if they could shoo him away like a fly.
But...she understood where he was coming from.
After all, Lars was a member of Class G, one of the classes that belonged to the Aereus district, the largest and most populous district by far, but the least privileged of all the districts of the Bomenslik Imperial Academy.
And her?
Jheane Lorens was now a privileged member of the Nigrum Aurum District, exclusive to the teaching staff, the same director Amelia Dumbardonnia and also of the great SS Class, which stood out above all other existing classes, as if they were high nobility.
Though she was a commoner by birth and Lars was technically of noble birth, they were now on different worlds, separated by islands that could only be crossed by payment across bridges powered by arcane magnetic repulsion trains.
All because of their different talents, leading "Academy City" to divide its students in this way.
The Bomenslik Imperial Academy was known throughout the continent as a massive elite educational center where the social status of its students abroad was simply too irrelevant compared to their magical, physical, or even political abilities, and the district they went to live in was decided by their classes, which were assigned to them based on their talents and academic ability.
There were 5 student districts, a Combat District and a Commercial District that together formed the so-called Academy City by the Empire.
There was the Aereus District, the Chalybe District, the Argentum District, the Aurum District, and the Nigrum Aurum District. (The Combat District and the Commercial District will be covered another time, but the latter was where Arthur first woke up.)
There are also 9 classes within the Academy, which are G, F, E, D, C, B, A, S and SS respectively, into which the more than one million students of different backgrounds and ages are divided; with almost every second class spread across these 5 districts.
And as you might expect, although it is said that all Bomenslik students are considered elites among unquestionable elites throughout the continent, the reality is that between each of them there is a noticeable difference, so drastic, that they are even labeled as the worst or the best depending on which district they end up in.
Obviously, classes G and F are in the Aereus District, which is where the bottom of the elite attending this prestigious educational institution belongs to, being the kind of people who would to some extent stand out with their abilities in various sectors of society, but who would nevertheless never be able to greatly affect the bigger picture on their own; the figurative bottom of Bomenslik, which is made up of a staggering 37% of the student body.
From there, the relatively mediocre elites would form the E and D classes in the Chalybe District, the decent elites in the C and B classes in the Argentum District, the exceptional elites in the A and S classes in the Aurum District, and the true elites among elites in the SS class in the Nigrum Aurum District, the most luxurious district of all, with the divine student class; the young geniuses who would change the continent with their mere existence… people like Jheane, one of the 1% above all.
Of course, it is not impossible for someone from Class G to reach Class C if they try hard enough, greatly improving their grades and skills to live in a better District; one of the main reasons why there is fierce competition to move up the grades between students from these different districts.
But it was virtually impossible to get to Class B that way without foul play.
On the other hand, if someone from SS Class shows poor performance compared to the rest of their Class, they will be expelled from both SS Class and the Nigrum Aurum District in disgrace, although it would still be possible to return to SS Class because they are divine geniuses in the first place.
But the stain would still be on his record.
Either way, whether you are G-Class or SS-Class, whether you are a prince or a noble from a powerful political faction or even a commoner, the status and influence you wield within the walls of Bomenslik is determined the moment you are assigned to one of these districts.
Of course, there was nothing as crazy as a commoner ordering a duke's son to kiss his feet for many reasons, both regulatory and because of the external consequences of such a thing, but the advantages of being in the upper classes are more than obvious to anyone.
For example, districts A through SS offer each of their few students, which are very few, luxury rooms comparable in comfort to those enjoyed by princes and princesses. For example, the Aereus district offers its students rooms comparable in comfort to those in a relatively inferior hotel.
For example, SS class and above can have up to 5 personal servants to serve them in their rooms. However, B class and below only have room service, but no attendants to attend to their every need... and F and G classes don't even have that service.
It should also not be forgotten that the educational and training resources for magecraft or swordsmanship (or whatever subject you specialized in) were also different for each district... so Jheane actually understood where the maiden's scorn was coming from, one that was small enough that she at least got the message.
But that doesn't mean he had to like it.
Suppressing the slight irritation that came from hearing such clear disdain for her “younger sister,” Jheane took a deep breath and gave the maid outside a neutral response, “Don’t do that! Tell him I’ll be over to see him in a moment…”
"As you wish," the Maiden responded respectfully, before presumably leaving.
Unable to hear a single footstep, Jheane could not tell if he was really gone, nor did she have the ability to accurately sense the aura of living beings, so the young alchemist activated her magic circuits and controlled them with her will, circulating the Maryoku through her body.
With surprising speed, Jheane's body changed and two dog ears appeared on her head and a small reddish-brown tail on her pelvis.
Her animal ears that replaced her human ones moved and the Demi-Bestian listened attentively from outside. Sure enough, she heard the distant footsteps of the maiden fading away with time and sighed before laughing.
—I don't even know why I imagined she would just stand there or something, how stupid...
Shaking her head, the young alchemist stood up to quickly dress herself. She may have been someone who didn't mind her relatives seeing her naked, but leaving aside the fact that she wasn't the only one in this building, there were times when she simply didn't want to be reminded that the person she adored like the sister she never had was a man. Of course, that had to be especially true of herself.
Although Lars would be quite angry if he knew that Jheane still adores him like a little sister and thinks of him that way.
"You were even prettier when you let us dress you up like an adorable princess and laughed happily saying that you were going to marry daddy... Hahaha," she exclaimed with a certain melancholy at the sweet memories that invaded her from time to time as she put on her school uniform and opened the elegant door to her room.
Short information about this world:
¹- Circles refer to the level of sorcery a Sorcerer can use. It is based on the Mana Circles used in Chinese and Korean magical fantasy novels to measure the cultivator's strength, but it is not the same; as it is only a measurement made based on the size and complexity of the magic circle they create when casting Sorcery. Low-level mortals without classes or rank could grow as spellcasters up to the Fifth Circle if they are willing to dedicate a century of life to the effort, abandoning all social life and worldly pleasure...