Chapter 9: Isabella (1)

Chapter 9: Isabella (1) Arthur sat on the edge of his bed, arms crossed, back hunched slightly as he stared at the moonlight. It had been a long day. Perhaps because of his rather dull first week, but today had been stressful. From confronting Ravian to meeting Amelia, and from establishing himself socially in a hall that once scorned him... to now, in solitude. Tomorrow was the awakening ceremony. A major event. One that could shape not only his future but the entire power structure of the North. His expression turned grave. ’...And then there’s tonight,’ Arthur thought. ’Life really isn’t easy for a pretty boy like me.’ His cheeks flushed slightly as his mind drifted to the image of Isabella. 『 #Scenario 3: Absorb the Elixir with Isabella’s Help (18+) 』 The words on the window still floated beside his vision in that familiar dark golden glow, as if mocking his virgin soul. Arthur shifted, lying back on the bed. ’What am I going to do?’ Even if he ignored the mission for now and tried to find another way to gain mana, it would still come back to bite him. This was because as long as he didn’t complete the main quest, no other new quest could appear, and since he also had a side quest, that meant he would gain nothing from the awakening ceremony except just... awakening. ’Unacceptable,’ he thought. But was he really going to do it? The back-and-forth in his mind was starting to make him dizzy, but this was something he needed to do. It wasn’t the time to get lazy. He was a guy, after all, so it wasn’t like he didn’t want to do it, and considering how big Arthur Arcain’s length was, he wasn’t too worried when it came to confidence. But those weren’t the problem. Regardless of the consequences, he needed to do it. Not just because of the system or the reward, but because it was his life on the line. If he couldn’t gain enough mana or force, then he would die when trying to find the hidden missions and gems in the Hollow Mountain. Plus, he wasn’t like other children who could just absorb mana from monster kills after they awakened, meaning he couldn’t pass up this chance. Before the tether awakening, there was the talent awakening, then the combat matches to choose the greatest talent of that year. Arthur sighed. If Isabella was the only problem, then things would have been different, but there was also Amelia. The girl who had intervened when Ravian lost control. And one of the members of the protagonist’s harem. The girl whose future power could shift the very tides of the later war. Arthur’s eyes narrowed. ’I can’t let her get injured tomorrow.’ In the original game, she was supposed to receive a deep leg wound during the awakening ceremony. Nothing fatal, but it did change her life, making her left leg useless. It was also what triggered her descent into isolation and, eventually, her death in the Bad End route. That couldn’t happen. Not in this timeline. Not because the system said so, or because he needed her—but because she was genuinely a good person, and the continent and the people needed her. Unlike her, he was no hero. So having fewer people like her would hurt the world severely. That meant he had to find her before it happened. If possible, guide and protect her through the awakening ceremony. Arthur exhaled and raised his hand. "Status Window." 『 Opening Status Window... 』 ◆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◆ ◈ Name: Arthur Arcain ◈ Age: 13 ◈ Gender: Male ◈ Race: Demonic Dragon (Pure-Blood) ◈ Clan: Arcain ◈ Affiliation: Northern Demonic Dragon Territory ◈ Awakening Status: ❌ Unawakened ◈ Energy Perception: ❌ Mana – Blocked | ❌ Force – Blocked ◈ Vision of Energy: Achieved ◈ Tether: ❌ Not Formed --- ◈ Traits: • 『∞ The Infinite Harem System 』 [Passive] • 『⚔ Ultra Instinct 』 [Locked] • 『❗ Energy Incompatibility Syndrome (Chronic) 』 [Active] --- ◈ Affinity: 『???』 ◈ Technique: 『None』 --- ◈ Talent Grade: 『???』 ◈ Authority: 『???』 ◈ Core: ❌ None ◈ Rank: ❌ None --- ◈ Stats: • Strength – 6 • Agility – 8 • Endurance – 5 • Intelligence – 10 • Charm – 20 • Luck – 0 • Mana – 90 • Force – 120 --- ◈ Affection Bonds: • Alica Arcain (Mother) – 99% ❤️ • Selena Arcain (Sister) – 85% ❤️ • Sarah Arcain – 92% ❤️ • Seraph Ravenhearth – 75% ❤️ ◆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◆ ’Seems my stats have increased a bit, plus I have Seraph and Sarah as my bonds,’ his gaze locked onto Sarah. ’But how the hell did it reach 92%.’ He shook his head. ’That’s beyond the point.’ It was time for Arthur to move. ’I know I’m not a believer, but give me strength, God.’ Just as he got ready to stand, a soft knock tapped at the door. Arthur flinched. He knew that rhythm all too well. "Young Master, may I enter?" The soft voice came from behind the door. It was the voice that was clearly that of a teenager, but it still held a composed tone to it. Arthur barely managed to hide his nerves. "Yes." Isabella entered gracefully, carrying a silver tray with a polished teapot and two cups. Her dark eyes met his, calm and knowing. She placed the tray gently on the table beside his bed and sat next to him. "You’ve been avoiding me, haven’t you?" she said with a playful tilt of her head. Arthur’s cheeks burned. "N-No. Of course not." "Really?" she leaned in ever so slightly. Arthur flinched, backing up. "W-What?!" Isabella chuckled softly. "Young Master... I know about the elixir." He froze. ’What?’ She poured the tea with elegant fingers, then passed him a cup. "You don’t need to be so embarrassed. I know you’ve been scared to bring it up. But every time someone says the word ’elixir’ or even hints at it, your eyes always dart to me... or your cheeks turn red." Arthur stayed quiet, his expression darkening. She reached for the collar of her maid outfit and pulled the fabric of her blouse slightly aside, revealing a delicate multicolored tattoo of a blooming flower on her shoulder. His name—in ancient Arcain script—engraved faintly beneath it. "You know what tethers are, right, Young Master?" Arthur nodded. Tethers were a link awakened had with either mana or force. For an unawakened to even transcend to become awakened, they needed to form a tether. That tether was usually formed on the altar of the gods with mana crystals, and for someone to fully form it, they needed not just the mana stones but conviction to a specific ideal, whether it was a goal, an object, or a person. And peradventure that ideal connected to the tether dies or disappears, then the bearer of that tether died too. Isabella sat next to him and smiled. "My tether already bears your name, Young Master. If you die, I die." Arthur’s eyes widened. ’Was this in the original story?’ What he wanted to know was why Isabella never even showed in the original story. And how many people even had tethers that were connected to him? How many would die if he did? ’Damn it.’ For the first time since Arthur entered this world, he started to feel the weight of his new life. Isabella looked directly into his eyes, her voice unwavering. "So if there is anything I can help with, then tell me, not just for you but for me too." Arthur tried to mask his flustered expression. "What else do you know?" "I know about your illness. It was rather easy to put together since I always stay by your side," she continued. "You can’t absorb unrefined mana or force, and the elixir your mother gave is only semi-refined. And I know you didn’t tell the Matriarch the truth because you didn’t want her to get worried." Arthur looked down. "You really know everything, huh?" She nodded. "My ability does give me comprehension over things easily." "What?" Arthur asked. Isabella tilted her head. Twirling his hand as if telling her to replay, Arthur asked, "What is the name of your Authority?" Isabella smiled awkwardly. "It isn’t anything that great, just some low-rate ability called [Large Deposit]." Arthur’s eyes widened. ’No way!’ There was no way a gamer who played "The Magic Academy’s Genius Scholars" wouldn’t know the owner of that ability. The woman who single-handedly took over half of the central continent, and the world’s greatest merchant... Black Fang’s Number Two: Gold Digger. She was a character that every gamer wanted to get on their side, but she didn’t seem to care about anything except maximum profit and the lord she served. Arthur swallowed hard. ’I thought my luck stats were on the lower end.’ A long silence stretched between them before Arthur asked, "You know what I’m asking from you, right?" Isabella nodded. Isabella looked at him seriously. "I’m still sixteen, and while we’re considered mature in Arcain culture... let’s still not go overboard." "Is this the right thing to do?" Arthur questioned himself, but his hand had already wrapped around her slender waist. Isabella smiled at his concern for her. "Won’t a simple lip touch do young master?" Arthur wanted to agree but he didn’t know if the system would think the same way. Regardless he nodded. 『 Your Understanding Of Isabella Has Increased』 『 Isabella’s affection level has risen past the threshold—90% affection level』 Isabella quickly took in the bottle of elixir, then leaned closer to him and stole a kiss. Their lips stayed on each other for over a minute as the system chimed faintly. 『 #Scenario 3: Progressing... 』 『 *sigh* #Scenario 3: Complete... 』 『 No further "Action" Required』 ’What the hell...’ ─── ✦ End of Chapter ───