The name of Seraphina's game was Crownbound: Heartstrings of the Academy. It seemed obvious that the end of the entire series would conclude with the protagonist becoming some kind of monarch, but Bastion had assumed that would only happen after the series was fully completed.
Now that he thought about it, if the stories were unconnected as Seraphina had said, then it made sense that each protagonist would likely end up as some form of royalty.
Heartstrings of the Academy was the current entry in the series, with the main plot taking place largely within the academy. Its protagonist was Aurelia, the Saintess, who was essentially choosing her future king consort or consorts.
"Aurelia is going to be the new queen?" Lilia exclaimed.
"The Goddess decreed it would be so after the Demon Lord is defeated," Seraphina replied.
"Why speak in past tense? It sounds like you already know the future," Lilia said suspiciously.
"Sweetie…"
After a long explanation detailing more of Bastion's and Seraphina's background, Lilia sat motionless on the couch, staring into the distance with a blank look on her face.
So what if her fiancé was mentally far older than her? So what if she was a character in some story or game? So what if she was somehow part of a narrative playing out somewhere in the universe?
"My life is a lie," she murmured every so often.
"Anyway, are you sure it's Aurelia and not the one responsible for taking down the Demon Lord? You might be the future queen instead," Bastion argued.
"Nope. It will be Aurelia, precisely because she is the Saintess who might have a direct line to the Goddess," Seraphina answered. "Besides, I've made sure to give all the credit to Aurelia so far. I'm just her party member and an alchemist at best."
"Might?"
"It was only at the end that the Goddess visited Aurelia's dreams and congratulated her for defeating the Demon Lord. So far, no such contact has been made, or so she says."
"I wonder how Julius is going to take it if he doesn't become the next king. He's been very political lately."
"He'll get a rude awakening at the start of next semester during Homeroom when we discuss the central empire."
"I can't wait until then. His face will be quite amusing."
The group continued their discussion late into the night. The next day, they resumed classes as scheduled, carrying a much lighter burden on their shoulders. Seraphina felt relief knowing she had only one final objective left. Lilia found comfort in being surrounded by such capable people. And Bastion, in particular, was able to set down part of the weight he had carried with the deaths of the head priests.
His anxiety was more irritating than distressing, especially since he had lived so long without it. Suddenly having a body that fretted over the smallest things wore on him endlessly.
Though the anxiety still lingered, it was far less severe than before. Contributing something meaningful had likely eased his mind, allowing him to return his focus to his studies.
A few weeks later, just as Seraphina had said, a letter arrived with an invitation to the banquet at the end of the year following the exams.
It was likely the usual nonsense about going to war with the central empire, but Seraphina made the occasion far more entertaining given Aurelia's supposed story.
Bastion focused on his studies until the final exam, which he passed without any issues. With both his Intelligence and Wisdom as high as they were, classes that required rote memorization came easily to him.
Lilia enjoyed the same advantage and even scored higher than Bastion, a testament to her dedication to knowledge from the very beginning.
As for dungeon diving to rush Rank 1, Bastion wasn't in a hurry. He wanted a better class than the Rank 2 Armory Knight he had been planning on. Perhaps, if he waited until after the Demon Lord like Seraphina, he would be able to obtain a Rank 3 version instead.
On the day of the banquet, Bastion escorted Seraphina, with Lilia and Elyra in tow, to the grand ballroom Julius had rented for the occasion. All four wore outfits that followed a coordinated theme suited for formal gatherings.
Bastion came in his signature blue suit with gold trimmings. Seraphina wore a striking red dress accented with gold to complement his. Lilia matched Bastion's palette with a soft blue gown trimmed in silver, while Elyra opted for her usual plain black dress, simple yet elegant in its own way.
The ballroom was lavishly decorated in the regal colors of purple and gold, the traditional hues of the Lionheart family. Deep violet banners embroidered with golden lions hung from the high walls, and shimmering gold trim lined the pillars and archways. Crystal chandeliers bathed the room in a warm glow, casting dancing lights across the polished marble floors. Every detail, from the velvet drapes to the engraved silverware, reflected the family's prestige and power, leaving no doubt about the influence behind the event.
"Julius went all out," Bastion commented.
"He has always been the proud type until you get to his soft, squishy interior," Seraphina whispered.
"Does he have any secrets we can exploit?" Bastion asked, curious.
"None we can use meaningfully. We could probably blackmail him, but a simple denial would be enough to brush it off. We don't have any proof, after all."
"A shame. We could have used a few favors from the future king, assuming he even gets that position."
"That will depend on how tonight goes."
"How is tonight supposed to go? I only know Aurelia will have some drama with Julius."
"Tonight isn't just about Julius. It's the event players used to determine which route they were most prominently on. In a beautiful cutscene, Aurelia would be asked to dance by the capture targets in order of how much they liked her."
"What about the harem route?"
"It's similar, but if a route was already locked in, she would only dance with one of them."
"So how can you tell if it's the harem route?"
"You can't. Either way, you would know there were no locked routes at this point. Oh, there's Aurelia with Tobin."
Aurelia wore an elegant silver dress that complemented her auburn hair and silver eyes, while Tobin matched her theme in a refined silver suit with subtle green accents, his dark hair and eyes adding contrast to their coordinated appearance.
"They look good together," Bastion commented.
"It's their height, isn't it?" Seraphina said, narrowing her eyes.
Aurelia stood at 5'2" (1.57 m), while Tobin was 5'4" (1.63 m), though the two appeared the same height thanks to Aurelia's heels.
"Yes. They look like children."
"Stop it."
"My apologies, my lady."
Bastion would normally avoid judging others based on height, but his new height of 6'6" (1.98 m) was a jarring experience, especially after spending 36 years standing no taller than 5'10" (1.78 m). From his previously shorter perspective, they truly did look like children.
The pair also spotted Julius entertaining guests, Damian escorting an elegant yet brawny tigerkin woman while chatting with his sparring friends, and Cyrus escorting Emberlyn.
"Was Damian supposed to end up with a tigerkin?" Bastion asked.
"No, I don't think so," Seraphina replied, just as bewildered. "My influence might have caused some unintended consequences. Aurelia's schedule is almost entirely focused on magic, so she never had a chance to spend time with either Damian or Julius."
"As a Saintess, shouldn't Aurelia attract more interest? Especially from Julius? That seems like an obvious power play on his part."
"In the game, he actually blamed her for the kingdom's condition because of her connection to the Goddess. Once he found out she was just a commoner girl, he lost interest. At least until the bullying started. He was afraid she would grow to hate the kingdom, so he stepped in. They ended up falling in love from there."
"Since she was never bullied, there was no chance for them to fall in love. Now she's just the all-powerful Saintess with a flawless reputation. The same probably applies to her relationship with Damian."
"I guess tonight might not be as special as I thought," Seraphina said with mild disappointment.
"I'm sure something will happen."
"Don't jinx it."
Soon, Julius began his usual speech about fighting for the kingdom's independence. This time, however, many in the crowd appeared skeptical or even horrified by his declaration. They were likely similar to Bastion, having found the books in the library that revealed the truth about the wider world they lived in.
Still, no one dared to correct the prince's ignorance for fear of insulting him. Most chose to humor him, quietly hoping he would eventually come to understand the futility of his plans.
After the awkward speech, Julius approached the dukes one by one and received the same promises as before, much to his satisfaction.
Then came the dance. As expected, Aurelia danced with Tobin, Cyrus with Emberlyn, Damian with the tigerkin woman, and Bastion with Seraphina.
As the evening went on, Aurelia danced only with Tobin and accepted no other invitations. Bastion, meanwhile, shared dances with both Lilia and Elyra.
When Bastion finally found a moment to rest, he returned to Seraphina's side with glasses of wine in hand.
"I guess we know who the future king will be," Bastion said as he handed her the glass.
"I guess so," Seraphina replied without taking a sip, still lost in thought.
"You should start being nicer to her. Maybe we'll get some benefits out of it," Bastion added with a faint grin.
"Stop it. You know she's not the type to play favorites. She would make a good queen."
"True."
Just as Bastion raised his glass for a sip, Elyra stepped close and whispered softly into his ear.
"Master, your wine is poisoned."
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