Chapter 39: Arthur’s Four wives

Chapter 39: Arthur’s Four wives Ellie Falmouth, or rather Ellie Reinhardt of the Holy Empire. Even in the game, there was little information about her, since she... died at the start of the story. Ellie was a kind character, struggling with oppression, poverty, trying to get good grades, maintaining her composure and sanity, earning money, and avoiding bullies. Four weeks into the academy, she died after being pushed off a mountain during a dungeon raid test. And when gamers asked the developers how she died, they gave only one answer: stalker. ’For a prestigious school, Central sure has a lot of stalkers,’ Arthur thought but soon brushed it off. "So how was your first day at school?" Nathira’s gentle voice pulled his gaze from the window. "It was boring, but your outfit was definitely hot today. Can I get a kiss?" he asked with a grin. Nathira turned her head, cheeks tinted pink. "No touching for you." As if remembering something, he asked, "What about..." He paused. Better not ask. Nathira already knew what he meant and replied, "I turned her into a cat." Arthur nearly spat out his tea. "You did what?" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "What if someone goes looking for her?" Nathira scooped half the food with a spoon and nudged the rest toward Arthur. "The principal knows." Arthur ate quickly and asked, "And what did she say?" "Nothing. She said it would be fun." Arthur rubbed the bridge of his nose. It was slightly better than he expected, but he knew Nathira wanted to do more. She just couldn’t, being a low-level Supreme with a white core meant she couldn’t use magic or force freely. Especially with Goddess Sylvia still wanting her dead. "Once I’m strong enough, we’ll kill her." Nathira smiled. "I know. And not just the two of us, the girls too." Arthur chuckled. "Seems you’re enjoying my wives more than I am." Puffing her cheeks, she replied, "Having people who look up to me and share the same goal makes me happy. I never had that in my era. All they wanted was to serve and worship the goddess." Arthur leaned in. "And what exactly is this shared goal?" Nathira’s face flushed as she looked down. "To make our husband happy." Arthur leaned back in his chair. "That guy must be lucky. And probably really handsome too." Before Nathira could reply, the door of the rented café creaked open. This café was located at the far end of the academy, away from curious eyes. Most students didn’t even know it existed. "Husband," Isabella called. Before he could turn, someone wrapped their arms around his neck from behind. "You’re warm." "Amy, you’re choking me..." He tilted his head back to see her and saw a face he didn’t expect. "Cassie?" he muttered, slightly confused. Cassie’s face turned red as she swayed nervously. "Uhm... wasn’t I invited. It was Amelia who called me, so... don’t get the wrong idea." Shock didn’t even begin to cover what he felt. Cassie wasn’t the type to open up. Even in the game, it took forever for her to get close to Ha-Joon, and even then, she rarely attended his group’s meetings. And now she had let her brown hair, usually tied in a ponytail, fall freely. Arthur smiled warmly. "Thanks for coming." They spent half the break chatting about their day and various things. Arthur also explained the whole generations concept. As usual, Amelia and Isabella fought over who would pull out his arm first. "Young master, can’t you stay a little longer?" Arthur shook his head. He had a system mission to complete, and scenarios only grew harder with time. In fact, they became increasingly complicated. The system couldn’t grant him wives infinitely, though it had given him countless female companions. But his wives were different. Though he knew more would come, he wanted to enjoy time with the ones he already had rather than rush to add more. "I can stay a few extra minutes." Cassie was genuinely smiling, the kind of smile someone wore around people they felt comfortable with. Arthur knew she had few relationships outside of the sword. She was beautiful and talented but also a commoner. Because of that, she was bullied from a young age. When she entered Central, she isolated herself out of fear, which only made others think she was arrogant. Her classmates in Class C used every excuse to target her. Now, with peers who were not only talented but near her age, it must have felt incredible to talk freely without judgment, and even with people she could look up to. "So, Unnie... are you really Supreme Rank?" Cassie asked, eyes gleaming. Nathira took a sip of tea and nodded. "Want me to teach you something cool?" Arthur raised a brow. "Cassie, you can call her Unnie, but not me husband?" Cassie’s face turned crimson, and Isabella pinched Arthur’s cheek. "Young master, don’t be greedy." "Ouch." He flinched, though not in pain. The softness of her skin was actually pleasant. Still, there was no way he’d let Nathira know that. "Even you..." he continued, "You switch between ’Young Master’ and ’Husband.’" He turned left. "And Amelia, you go from ’Art,’ to ’Arthur,’ to ’Husband.’" Amelia’s eyes welled up, and Arthur quickly backtracked. "You’re all amazing wives, regardless." They all burst into laughter. Arthur exhaled. "I have to go now." "Lady hunting?" Nathira teased. Arthur paused as Amelia and Isabella let go of him. "You could say that. It’s a mission from the "guide" and a potential ally." He had told his wives about the system a year and a half ago. He’d already explained most of it, but he wanted them to know everything, though he left out the transmigration part. Until he fully understood it himself, he couldn’t share it. Cassie looked around. "Why are you all so calm about him going after another woman? What if he ends up marrying her too?" Amelia leaned toward Cassie, who sat opposite her. "Are you worried your place as his wife might be taken? Don’t worry, husband’s not like that." Isabella chimed in. "Besides, he can’t just bring in a new woman, right, husband?" Arthur gave an awkward smile. "Yeah." Nathira nodded. "From now on, we his wives also have a say in who joins our harem and who doesn’t." Cassie nodded. ’If... maybe I have the right too... can’t I make... uhm, husband train me more...’ She cleared her throat. "Uhm... HusBAND, can we train more today?" Arthur patted her head. "If you ask like that, I have to. But only because you’re cute." Cassie’s blush deepened. "So where to now?" Isabella asked. Arthur thought for a second. "I think I’ll take Seraph and look for Ellie Falmouth." Isabella nodded. "I’ll make rice cakes today." Amelia added, "And I’ll come over. I can’t seem to sleep alone lately." Isabella puffed her cheeks. "That’s not fair! Didn’t Unnie ban touching?" Nathira sighed. "I lifted the ban..." She looked away, face flushed. "Even I’ve been holding back for so long." Arthur grinned. ’I can touch again?’ He felt like flowers bloomed around him. Tears literally rolled down his cheeks. ’I don’t know how I would’ve survived those two weeks.’ He smiled. ’Then...’ He stood between the twin cushions near the window. Starting from the edge, he kissed Amelia on the forehead, then Isabella by the window. Then he turned toward the chair facing the door and kissed Cassie’s forehead. Ding! 『 Cassie’s affection for you has reached 85% 』 As he leaned in to kiss Nathira too, she lifted her head, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply. The other girls stared, their eyes burning with jealousy and an urge to follow suit. As Arthur and Nathira parted, a thin string of saliva connected their lips. "See you later, husband." Arthur touched his lips, face glowing red. "Yeah..." ------ After leaving his wives at the café, Arthur headed to the main academic block. He needed something before meeting Ellie, though he didn’t know her exact location. Passing students and teachers, he arrived at an abandoned street. When Arthur had compared Central Academy to London, he wasn’t just talking about the buildings but also the sheer size. London might’ve been larger, but the difference wasn’t that vast. There was even a bridge dividing streets. The academy had a four-year program, with some staying for a fifth year under the university track. So space was essential. "I think it was here..." he muttered, eyes locking onto a rundown building. It was a bookstore that held a cheat note, something that would help him not only in his upcoming magic practice class but also with overall magical knowledge. The store had many of the things he needed. He expected things to go smoothly. But the world had another trope to throw his way. ’What the hell is she doing here?’ ─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───