After Arnold got back to the guild house, he noticed that everyone was still there. Angelica and her entourage said that they will stay at an inn before going to the imperial palace tomorrow. Only Ceera stayed behind after Arnold asked her to teleport him to the palace so that he can talk to Jurnick.
Like a ghost, she vanished after she was done. he promised himself to repay her later for his selfish request that couldn't wait a day longer. How could he after the day he went through?
The rest were silently sitting in the bar area. Elora was at the bartender's spot, looking through all the magic sheets she had. Josephine wasn't here so he assumed she was in the office. Lucia was also missing. The two newbies were chatting nearby in one of the tables and finally Alice, Cameria and Admeera standing in the middle of the bar, chatting about something.
When the door opened, all of them glanced toward the door.
For a moment, it felt like time froze. Stopping at the door, he began to speak:
"Regardless of what you think of me, I want you to know that I don't have some sort of hidden agenda for being an adventurer," well, he sort of does since he wants to learn more of the Adventurer Guild's secrets, "I chose to hide my identity because I don't like mixing personal satisfaction or business with my private life. I see adventuring as a hobby since I can let loose whenever I feel like it when I'm out in the field. To me, it's not a means to live paycheck to paycheck but to discover new places, monsters and artifacts, no matter how dangerous the undiscovered land out there may be. And no matter how strong I am, I know there is something or someone stronger out there that I want to challenge."
He may be the "strongest human alive" but he is not the strongest overall. That's why adventuring is so thrilling. He's scared of the challenges up ahead, of course—fighting Oriel and going into the World Tree—but at the same time he's excited to fight stronger adversaries.
Of course, he never thought to himself that he needs to do all of that alone, just that it couldn't be helped that he's alone. Elizabeth might be Aedri's incarnation but she doesn't have divine power so it's hard to say if she would be a great help in the fight even if she's the second strongest human currently.
There is also Ceru to help in his fight with Oriel but she's still very weak by pure angel standards.
In her current state, even Angelica could surpass her. But Arnold never once thought to seek out Angelica's help. He could've manipulated her, worked in the shadows to have the Theocracy and everything else she loves destroyed so that she can only rely on him, or have a certain someone put her under a hypnosis that will last for eternity, bound to him until her dying breath.
But he chose to tackle it all alone. Luke was also out of the questi—
Elora suddenly ran up to him and grabbed his hand.
"!?" he froze, not expecting this.
"Don't talk as if you're leaving again! This party would be nothing without Sir Nova!"
"My name is not—"
"Yes, it is! You are the Guild Master and leader of Misteltein, Nova the swordsman!"
"…"
"I wouldn't even be here if you did not choose to keep me by your side despite how weak I thought I was."
"…You would've discovered your potential sooner or later." He said calmly, looking into her serious glare.
"But you believed in me when no one else did." Blushing, she looked to the side, "Though our time together as party members was short but sweet, you've always respected me and treated me as your equal, even though you are… way out of my league."
"…"
"I was ready to give up since I didn't want to fall behind. How could I let someone like you down? I was so scared that you would be able to replace me. It would have been easy since I was so weak… But you didn't kick me out so I will not allow you to kick me out of the party now!"
"I will also stand with this party." Galadriel said with a small smile, "We may have met during turmoil and I was charmed by your strength but I wish to continue being an adventurer of this party, not because I see opportunity, but because I want to grow with the guild as one of its founding members."
"…You two are siding with a criminal who threatened to kill the world's hero. That makes you criminals as well since you'll be seen as my associates."
"Eh…?"
"…He's right." Galadriel and Elora shared a troubled glance.
"—You need not worry about this leaking to the world." Alice, Admeera and Cameria approached the three of them.
"?"
"What's that look for!? We still have a quest to complete!" Cameria harrumphed.
"While I am quite baffled by this news, the quest takes precedence. Whatever animosity or reluctance we may have should only be expressed after we save the World Tree and the nine realms." Admeera said.
Saying something like that so easily…
It felt as if they were two rival guilds coming together to take down a secret world boss that invaded their territory or to take down a stronger guild. This isn't exactly a "set our differences aside" moment but rather "we'll judge you after we complete the quest".
Completing the quest could save the World Tree, thereby preventing Ragnarok if killing the source of the issue is an option. If not, he can always create the Fertilizer.
Arnold glanced at Shaun and Idalia.
The two looked at each other then timidly looked away.
"Don't worry about them." Elora said with a smile, "I made them understand the consequences of jeopardizing our guild's reputation."
Though her voice was as cute as ever, the contents and implications were terrifying.
It's true that his reputation would be impacted by the truth. He's quite surprised no one had been able to put two and two together to figure out it's him.
'Hm, there should be a transformation spell that even I can use despite my low intelligence.'
From tomorrow onwards, it's best to go back to his usual dark blue hair and blue eyes look.
"If there are no objections to being in my party, then I look forward to working with all of you." he looked at his "founding party members", "I will make sure we become this world's strongest guild."
◊◊
Even though it's been half a day since the chaos that erupted in the academy, the students were still talking about it. Some were talking about how they want to pull Arnold to their side. His earlier display of power might cause fear among some but there are those who saw it as nothing but a card for their political use. The Imperial Faction, which used to despise Arnold and his family, were thinking of pulling him over to their side.
Even before he showed his true power, Arnold was never involved with anyone politically, even the Crown Faction despite him being close with the Crown Prince. But his household is a part of that faction to help Julius ascend to the throne. He must've seen joining either side as some leash that will restrict him in some way. That's true for the most part since both factions have to uphold their reputation since regardless of which of the heirs win, the faction will be involved with the empire's management politically.
Elizabeth could care less about the rumors or some political move that either faction is in the process of doing since she was too busy picking dresses in front of her mirror.
Yes, she was out shopping for the rest of the day with Grace. The two scheduled another shopping spree tomorrow after school so that Elizabeth can buy even more clothes. For now, she only bought formal dresses and a few pairs of heels.
She bought about ten dresses. And she was trying on every one, imagining what Arnold will say when he sees her in them.
She giggled to herself as she imagined herself dancing with him at some party as he looks into her eyes. But she suddenly trips, remembering that she can't actually dance since she had never danced before. Who would want to dance with a monster like her previous self anyway.
Back to reality, she fell just like in her vision, hitting her head against the dresser, a small bump forming and the sharp pain making her bawl like a toddler.
"…" Elizabeth, now sitting on the floor still wearing the dress, looked at herself in the mirror. Even her crying face looked beautiful.
She'd seen her crying face many times in the past but it always repulsed her. As such, she would only stare at herself in the mirror for a second before looking away.
A knock came from the door while she was admiring herself.
She flicked her finger, which turned the doorknob and opened the door.
Standing in the hall was a young woman who looked about Elizabeth's age, her golden locks of hair resting over her shoulders and the rest of her silky hair let down gently over her back. She stood there wide-eyed at the door opening by itself.
"Uhm, pardon the intrusion. May I enter?"
"…Come inside." Elizabeth gave a cold answer. She knows exactly why a girl is wandering around the male dorms.
"Thank you." She entered and scanned the room, "I thought Lord Arnold would be here at this time?" besides the bathroom door that was open, there was nowhere else to hide. Yes, the two of them technically share the same bathroom. Unfortunately, she has never had the chance to peak in on him in the shower since he's never around much.
"Al is out on important business. If you have something to say to him, say it to me then I will tell him or come back tomorrow."
"Uhm, who are you if you don't mind me asking?"
"Elizabeth, his soulmate."
The girl had a confused expression on her face, wondering if Elizabeth's serious.
"And who are you? Some whore from his past who thinks that she can use Al to elevate her position in the aristocracy?"
"W-What? How rude!" The girl pouted, "I am under his protection!"
"Eh?"
"I'll have you know my name is Wistorina von Valtore, former royalty!" she whispered with a glare.
"And what do you mean by you're under his protection…? Did your parents hire him?"
Wistorina closed the door and sighed for a moment, "I can't share most of the details, Lord Arnold would be furious with me. The short version is that I'm in danger and need to be close to him at all times. I know that by being at his side, even Serz won't dare to make contact—Oops, I shouldn't have said that!" flustered, she begged Elizabeth, "P-Please don't tell him! I'm really bad at keeping secrets…"
Now knowing that their relationship was nothing more than bodyguard and client, Elizabeth's hostility vanished.
"Humph, the academy is the most secured place in the empire, second to the imperial palace. No person harboring ill-intentions is making it out alive."
"…I really hope so… Erm, are you also waiting for him?"
"I live here!" she said with her chest puffed out.
"But you're a girl… Does every institution normalize this? If so, how come I only see boys in the halls in this dormitory?"
"I am an exception since there isn't space in the girl dormitory."
"Eh? But there are three rooms free on my floo—"
"That doesn't matter! I'm not moving!"
"O-Okay…"
"So? What do you want to say to him? If it's not urgent, come back tomorrow or catch him before classes start."
"I need to know what's his plan to protect me. It's really frustrating that I'm left in the dark. We're in different years, classes and dorms so how can he be there for me at a moment's notice? It feels like I'm being watched. The bushes, trees, dark corners—every space outside my vision feels like it's watching me."
"…You mentioned Serz. Are they after you?"
"Yes!"
"Then forget about what I said about academy defenses. They surely know how to bypass them and are probably connected to the school itself."
Elizabeth might not know much about Serz itself but she heard rumors of this notorious organization. Knowing how powerful and feared this organization is, any rumor that seems exaggerated might very well be true.
The color drained from Wistorina's face.
"T-Then I am in enemy territory…"
"As long as you aren't leaving the premises or walking around the academy at night alone, they won't move, I think."
"But how will I practice my magic in secret?"
Elizabeth tilted her head, "Why would you need to hide it?"
"Uhm, you see, I have very strange magic that no one should know about… S-Sorry, I can't say anything else."
"Most of the students return home during weekends and vacations so shouldn't that work for you?"
"No, I need to train every day or else I won't get stronger!" She poured her heart out as if what Elizabeth said offended her pride or something.
"…So, you want to sneak out every night but not be vulnerable?"
Wistorina nodded several times.
"Hmm, the gym is open all day and night so that's a good spot to train but it's on the other side of the campus so if you really are being watched, chances are they will use that opportunity to capture you." Elizabeth thought out loud.
The princess nodded again.
"As such you must find a way to make them hesitate to attack you even if you're alone. They need to fear the consequences."
"B-But how will I do that? I don't have any political power…"
'I could always summon a spirit to watch her but I don't have enough control yet over my dark hypnosis magic so I can't control anything strong.'
In the end, even if she used a spirit to watch Wistorina, it wouldn't be able to attack anything stronger than a slime and Elizabeth doesn't exactly have teleportation powers.
"—What are the two of you talking about?" a man's voice came from the opened window—the very man who was the main subject.
Elizabeth and Wistorina shared a glance.
◊◊
The next morning—
There was still buzz about yesterday's events but it seemed the mental shock vanished. Although one classroom was off-limits until repairs were done, school could continue normally.
Whether he'll get expelled today, Arnold will get to hear it once classes start. Like any model student, he had his books and stationery ready to start the day. And unlike in the past, he was walking around with a school bag instead of having his many lovers carry his stuff.
"—That guy already scored the new girl even though it's been a day since she came to the academy…"
"Is this what power gets you?"
"Uuu… Why do I even bother trying to impress one girl when she can just be snatched up by that guy easily? Should I just kill myself…?"
Everyone's eyes turned to the three people walking in the middle of the hallway. Upon seeing that silver-haired Arnold, everyone hurriedly gave way for him to walk.
There were two beauties hugging his arms—Elizabeth and Wistorina.
There were many whispers that Arnold could hear clearly. Even though most of the attention was on him, Wistorina, face as red as tomato, hid her face in his arm as they walked. Meanwhile Elizabeth was grinning widely while purring on his other arm.
Arnold was in on their plan, of course.
He could always use A.I clones to watch Wistorina but since they only have a small portion of his strength, Serz might send someone strong enough to take the clones down (doubtful but still possible) or there would be too many assailants for the clone to keep track of.
Luxtivin would be the obvious choice here since it has 80% of his power and it can use all his abilities so nothing would be able to beat it in a fight.
But with the mission to the World Tree coming up, he can't just leave such a powerful sword behind.
As such, the only way to ensure Wistorina's safety is to make the world think he's her boyfriend.
"Uhm, this is my class." Face still flushed, Wistorina stood in the doorway of her classroom. The teacher was already inside, waiting for the bell and most of the seats were empty so she came a bit early. Noticing Arnold standing there, the teacher looked towards the door with wide eyes.
The princess' eyes swam around as a crowd gathered around them.
"B-By—" before she could run away, Arnold grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close, "!?"
He planted a kiss on her forehead, "Enjoy your first day, Rina."
"R-R-R-R-R-R-R-Rina???" steam about to come out of her ears and eyes dazed, Wistorina repeated that nickname repeatedly.
-"I'm gonna throw up blood."
-"My life is meaningless now."
-"Why even bother trying to impress my crush when this guy can get any girl in a day…"
-"Not even a day and they're already that intimate…"
Arnold could feel Elizabeth glaring up at him.
Wasn't this your idea, he grumbled inwardly.
In a voice he made sure everyone around them could hear, he said one last thing to "Rina":
"Let me know if anyone ruined your first day. I'll have a talk with them."
"O-Okay!" covering her face, Wistorina fled into the classroom.
Arnold and Elizabeth continued walking.
'Papa shouldn't take advantage of her just because you need to act like lovers, okay?' Ceru appeared out of nowhere.
'Where do you keep disappearing to?'
'Humph, even if I am above all humans, I am curious about your inferior world so I explore where I can. Did you know there is a hole in the girl's bathroom where they can pleasure boys?'
'By exploring, you meant spying, huh?'
'…I-I am only curious! How else will I know how to pleasure Pap—'
'What the hell are you talking about so openly…' if he wasn't in public, he would've slapped her butt.
Arnold felt his arm being tugged.
"Yeah?"
"I want a reward tonight."
"Ah?"
"I-I used up a lot of mana yesterday when I revived that lizard and still feel light-headed." Elizabeth leaned into him as they walked.
'…How is that possible when your MP is in the hundreds of thousands?'
"I may not even be able to focus on my studies today which will impact my grades."
"…Alright, what do you want?" they turned left down a hallway and took the stairs down.
He knows exactly what she wants. When glancing down at her using Warrior Sense, there was an extremely dark red around her nether region and chest.
Since when has Elizabeth been a pervert who looks forward to these things? No, as someone who literally masturbated over his sleeping face many times in the game, her having pervy thoughts this early on shouldn't be surprising.
Her face suddenly flushed red as she let go of Arnold's arm and timidly backed away.
"I-I-I-I…"
"?" he stared at her in confusion.
She covered up her face and ran away while screaming.
'What the hell was that about?'
'…She was quite bold up until the part where Papa asked her what she wants. She didn't expect you to actually accept.'
"Can you read minds or something?"
She tilted her head then shook it.
Pure angels can actually do this but only during adulthood once they reach their max potential. Ceru is comparatively still a toddler with too much divine power that she doesn't need. But that's how their reincarnation works so no need to use common sense for beings like them…
She suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck as he continued walking. 'I can only hear Papa's thoughts because we share a bond stronger than soulmates~ I also have bigger boobs~'
'Are you trying to one-up Elizabeth?' he chuckled inwardly.
'Humph.' In response, she pouted.
'There's something I need you to do for me, Ceru.'
'Eh?'
'Remember Angelica from yesterday? I need you to keep an eye on them for me.'
'But I'll get sleepy easily…'
That's troublesome. He wants to know if they really are his allies. To confirm this, he would need to know their plans for the future.
Since Arnold is now a threat beyond what even the Inquisitors and Testaments can handle, they might use the fight with Oriel to kill him. They might wait until he's exhausted and out of strength before killing him. Arnold made it very clear that he will kill anyone who gets in the way of his goals. To avoid even stepping on this line, they could seek to eliminate him to avoid facing another demon lord level threat.
'Papa, this level of caution isn't healthy… You need to trust people…'
'It's hard to do that right now. All I have right now are doubts and my goals. While I can feel love and desire, my entire life feels empty.'
Even if he smiles, he feels empty.
Even when he pleasured Rafaela before their parting, he felt empty.
Even when he kills something, he feels empty.
What does trust reward him? He doesn't believe enemies can become genuine friends. They will always… always have some ulterior motive. It's like how an abused slave makes their master think they're obedient before slitting the master's throat.
He'll only be at ease if he has some ability that can detect lies and truths.
'…Okay, I'll leave right now.' She gave her answer right as he pulled up to the Student Disciplinary Committee office.
'Thanks for this…' he patted her head which made her purr.
'But Papa owes me big-time for this! I want to cuddle tonight!'
'Alright, alright.' He feels it's bad to keep brushing her off so he'll just give in.
She giggled before hugging him one last time then flying out of a nearby window. Arnold could see her panties the whole time. Does she always wear that short skirt on purpose?
Just when he was about to knock, a familiar voice came from the side.
"—You're finally here, partner!"
"Senior… Maylim?" standing there with her hands on her hips and a big grin was someone he was acquainted with in the past, Maylim Clerwin Ashtung.