Chapter 26: Bookstore

Chapter 26: Bookstore The Central City of the Human Empire, Avalor— The streets buzzed with sound as magic drones hovered in the sky. Tall buildings that looked unmistakably medieval, yet infused with modern technology, lined the roads. Crowds of people clustered together, chatting. At first, their topic was the academy ceremony happening today. But soon enough, it shifted as a young man passed by. He was stunning. No, stunning couldn’t begin to explain his beauty. Both males and females, not just from the street he was currently on but from the one he had just walked through, whispered about him. "...Who is that?" "It’s not who, but what... You can’t tell me he’s human." "Yeah, if he’s human, then I’m an ogre." "Do you think he’ll tell me his name?" "Dream on." The young man ignored the chatter, the stares, and the blushing, like he was already used to it. "Third bookstore to the left," the stranger muttered in a soft, deep voice. "I don’t know why Thyra didn’t follow me." He shook his head. Each step he took carried the grace of royalty, yet the unmistakable presence of a seasoned warrior. CLING. The door of a bookstore opened softly, and a man dressed in modest attire, one hand tucked into his pocket, stepped inside. "We’re closed," the seller said, her face still buried in her book. "Can you make an exception?" the stranger asked. "Didn’t you..." the young lady snapped, but the moment her eyes met the blonde-haired man’s, her face turned deep red. "Uhm... yeah, we can make an exception." The man smiled gently, turning toward the wooden shelves. Just as he stepped back, the store owner called out. "Hey... Can I... uhm... get your name?" she asked, twirling a strand of her hair. The man’s smile softened. He opened his mouth, as if to lie, but quickly shut it. "It’s Arthur," he said. "...Arthur Arcain." The woman wanted to call out his name, but as though the words caught in her throat, she froze, her face paling. "Ar... Arcain...!" Immediately, she dashed out from behind the counter and bowed her head. "I greet the prince of the Arcains." Arthur smiled. ’Being royalty sure is convenient...’ he grinned. ’I better not use Ha-joon’s name more than I already have.’ "No need for the formalities. I just need some books for the academy." The lady’s face lit up. "Yes, Master. I will serve you with my entire being." Arthur’s eyes widened. "Uhm... You don’t have to go that far." She straightened proudly. "Even if it’s naughty things, I’ll do them, young master." Arthur chuckled, making the woman’s face turn completely red. "You’re cute, but..." He gently patted her head. "I’m married." The young lady lowered her gaze. "Okay. Let me get the books." Arthur sighed as she walked down the aisle of shelves. ’Three years,’ he thought. ’And I’ve gotten hot as fuck... Damn, reincarnation feels amazing.’ He glanced toward the street. ’Can’t believe I’m already at the peak of Graduator rank... Alas, the world only knows me as a low-level Graduator...’ "Art." Arthur turned his head to the left as the door chimed again. A young lady stepped inside, her long ears flickering like an excited puppy’s. "Uhm... Who is she again?" Arthur asked. It wasn’t his fault his memory wasn’t the best. Normally, his memory was already poor, but considering the time he’d spent alone in dungeons, it wouldn’t be strange if he had gone mad already. The lady sighed. "Emily..." Arthur narrowed his eyes. ’Emily...?’ As if his memory suddenly clicked, he pointed at her. "Emily Snowviel...?" She nodded. "At least you remember me." Arthur covered his mouth with one hand. "No way. Has it really only been three years?" She stared at him, confused. "Yes. Why?" Arthur gasped. "Then why do you look like a big sister?" Emily’s face twisted. She shut her eyes and clenched her fists. "You haven’t changed a bit, Arthur." ’But seriously, how do kids even grow these days,’ he blinked. ’But she does look pretty good.’ Long blonde hair that reached past her waist, a slender build, a model-like face, and sharp green eyes. And she had matured in other areas, too. Arthur bowed slightly. "It truly has been a long time, Princess." She sighed softly. "Now you’re giving noble greetings?" Her expression grew serious. "Did they also send you a message telling you to come to this city?" Arthur nodded. ’This is the first test after all.’ The first test of the entrance exam. The Heart of a Hero. Arthur glanced at his stopwatch. ’It’s about time, right?’ As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the entire city shook. "What the hell?" Arthur completely ignored what Emily said and rushed out the door. Just as he expected, a massive monster, about the size of a skyscraper back on Earth, had appeared in the city. Around it swarmed lesser monsters of roughly D-rank, but their numbers rivaled that of the B-rank mana beast that was tearing through buildings. The test was simple: Protect the city. There were only three options in the test: One: Execute an evacuation and abandon the city. Two: Stall for time until real heroes arrived. Three, the least chosen: Beat the shit out of the monsters. Arthur turned back to Emily and asked, "You can handle the small fry, right?" Emily nodded. "But Arthur, are you planning on taking that thing on?" Arthur smirked. "What? That?" His smirk widened. "That’s my small fry." Her eyes widened, but before she could respond, he shot into the air. A strange energy engulfed his body in blue light, and as he leapt from the ground, web-like cracks appeared beneath his feet. He soared into the air like he had activated a floating spell in advance. Riding the momentum, Arthur stretched out his arms. Then, he channeled energy into his right hand. Spark— A blue spark ignited in his palm, and in an instant, blue flames engulfed it. The flames twisted and wove together, forming a massive broadsword over three times his size. He twisted his body, gripping the energy blade with both hands, and swung it with ease, cleaving the monster’s head clean off. His gaze flicked downward as a barrier formed above the citizens, shielding them from the monster’s blood and severed head. Then, using the remaining force from the decapitation, Arthur split the creature in two with the massive sword. The eyes of the citizens widened as the monster crashed to the ground. Dust exploded in every direction as people shielded their faces. Standing atop the corpse was its slayer. The energy blade dispersed into thin air the moment the monster collapsed, leaving the man unarmed. He slicked his hair back, his gaze shifting to Emily, who was finishing off the last of the monsters. Instantly, the crowd erupted into cheers. "No way, did you see that?" "He killed that monster so easily!" "Easily? He did it in a split second!" ’This is good enough, right?’ he glanced toward an invisible drone hovering over the city. Then he waved at it. The magic drone blinked. After a beat, a shadowy light enveloped both Arthur and Emily. "No! Our prince!" someone shouted. Arthur waved to the people with a warm smile. Yes, he was going to gather as many female fans as possible. Even though he wasn’t lacking mana or force, it was always better to be cautious. The dim light that surrounded Arthur shifted, turning into shadows. The shadows wrapped around him like a sphere, and in an instant, he vanished. ------ Inside the Central Academy— "Hahahahahaha!" The laughter of a young woman rang through a dark room. "He really is something," she said, her gaze fixed on the image of a boy with blonde hair and golden eyes. She continued, "Slaying it like he was just making tea." She tapped her hand on the table displaying live feeds from different cities. "Today’s going to be fun, isn’t it, Amelia?" "Yes, Principal." The principal turned to Amelia with a grin. "This is the first time I’ve seen you so flustered. Who would believe even the Ice Princess could make such a cute face?" Amelia lowered her gaze, her cheeks beet red. "Miss Lysandra, please stop it." Lysandra’s grin widened. "I really can’t wait to meet this legendary generation, especially him..." She pointed. "Our sweet student council vice president’s fiancé." ─── ✦ Start Of Volume✦ ───