| Ashfall Academy |
The Ashfall speech should have been a big deal. It wasn't. Turns out they didn't even let him tour the Academy. All Gray saw was one room.
Opulent, palace-like. A huge ballroom with seats all around like an accordion. It was meant to wow and intimidate. It did not affect him, and neither did the whispers echoing all around him.
"Aura came with a lowly shop clerk?"
"Couldn't she find an actual +1?"
"Pfft– look how poor he looks!"
…
He ignored it all. He only had eyes for her.
On stage, she looked magnificent, yet she too only had eyes for him. The way he shrugged off all insults, the way his mere presence seemed inevitable, and the way he silently supported her.
Her speech was meant to inspire the students. It turned out to be a complete trash fire. Not the content, but how much it fell on deaf ears, especially the one part…
"Together, let's revive Stormveil!"
No one cared. They only clapped at the end because she was a Stormveil, giving polite smiles. The kind of smiles that couldn't wait for her family's downfall. The kind of smiles that almost made her falter.
The same night…
"Those entitled ASSHOLES!"
In the quiet of the shop, she raged, with rage that bordered desperation. And as she did, an entire history lesson came, one that couldn't help but make Gray chuckle.
How Stormveil had been established and exploited by her family. How the first generations had thrived in the Dungeon. How they all seemed to be forgetting their roots.
And how every year became worse…
"Our KDA used to be great! But now it's tanked so much. People used to cross the Northern Lands to try their luck at rare drops in our Dungeon."
"Now, no one cares one bit about Delving except the residents and Ashfall Academy."
"But don't they get it? We're still a Dungeon City at our core!"
"At this rate, we're all screwed!"
She unloaded it all on him, knowing he understood WAY more about this city and politics than he should have. She knew he hadn't been here that long, yet he clearly grasped the ramifications of it all.
For example, the Dungeon KDA…
Kill Rate = Number of Monsters Killed
Difficulty = Difficulty of Encounters
Amount = Treasures Obtained
…
Every Dungeon had a KDA, and the higher the value, the better. They had started at 7.8. Now they sat at 3.4 at best. It was shit. No, worse than shit. A-Tier Difficulty yet F-Tier rewards!
And while it impacted the Stormveil Family the most because they owned the Dungeon Entrance rights, it didn't change the reality of the situation…
"They'll all fall alongside us!"
"Why can't they see that?"
"We're…. W-What?!"
…
She suddenly became quiet, turning meek as she saw the way he looked at her, almost as one would a cute pet. The difference in experiences was just too vast.
'She isn't wrong. But she's too naive, way too naive. This world isn't nice.'
That day, Gray had lots to say, but he remained silent.
His silence spoke volumes as he let her calm down. And before long, she went from a raging, fiery empress, to a soft girl gently laying her head on his shoulder.
It was warm. It was very peaceful. And yet he was merely biding his time.
'Soon. All will pay off. Soon for sure.'
So he kept silently plotting.
He made sure to become part of her daily life, as addictive as mana-infused cocaine, and the good stuff too. He didn't even have to try too hard. In a world of uncertainty, his calm confidence was bewitching.
"Gray!!!!!"
Every day she'd come by.
Before school. After school. Sometimes even during. And she'd complain lots. The complaints of an idealist. Complaints that made far too much sense. Complaints that always had him smile weirdly.
"You, you're always looking at me like I'm an idiot. Even now! What's with that smile?! Are you making fun of me?!" she'd ask with a voice almost cracking.
And then he'd reply…
"You're not an idiot. The world's just mad."
"Ah?! I knew it! See, I'm not the problem! It's the world that's mad. Exactly!"
"But you're an idiot for not giving up…"
"Y-You?!!!!!"
That was their dynamic. One where she cutely 'raged' at the world and where he calmly listened. Most of the time anyway. But that was enough, at least initially.
But then she started wanting more…
"Gray, you're already 16, right? Ever thought about getting a girlfriend?"
She had the subtlety of a plane crash. And it would have worked with anyone else. That combo of amethyst doe eyes and fiery hair alone would have entranced countless. Not him.
He wanted to make her his, but he didn't need to go that far. She was still a child in his eyes. Even if she was already an adult by this world's standards. Even if Mana had clearly accelerated her growth, giving her curves in all the right places. And even if every day it was getting worse.
He remained headstrong.
And that's when the magic happened. She hid it well, but he saw through her like an open book. For the first time in her life, she felt worthless. And it got worse and worse and worse the more they interacted.
– The Stormveil Family? It was merely a stepping stone for him
– Her status as a 'genius mage'? He had killed billions
– Her charm? He had resisted endless honeypots.
…
It got VERY bad.
From that point onward, he wasn't the one trying to get her approval. She was the one chasing after him, so much that it threatened to cause a scandal.
Customers browsing the shop, their eyes almost popping out of their orbit. Why was the only heir of the Stormveil Family clinging so much to a regular clerk?
Why was he telling her to behave? Why was she obeying like a well-trained dog?! And why was Boss Lang, a subordinate of the Stormveil Family watching it all happen while laughing?!
'The Quirky Girl of the Stormveil Family'
'The Heir who liked to play commoner.'
'She who had no propriety.'
…
People started snickering.
But none dared say anything, all agreeing on one thing. It was just a phase. She'd get tired of him for sure. And at least he knew his place and never actually made a move on her.
'Think I can't feel that killing intent?'
'A white-haired butler passing by.'
'Just waiting for an excuse…'
…
Had he taken her, he would be dead.
But he knew how to play the long game. He waited. And waited some more. Until the scandal got incredibly boring. Until even the old murderous butler stopped caring.
And then on her 18th birthday, he made his move. A move that had no fanfare. A move that none in Stormveil noticed, whether the city or the family, but an earth-shattering one.
It started with simple banter…
"Gray!!! It's my birthday. Please tell me you got me a gift! Ah, it's even better if you haven't. Just give me a date. A single date and we're good. That's a good deal, right?"
"…"
He didn't even say a word.
The atmosphere changed. All this time he had been the 'mysterious friendly clerk'. But for the first time since she knew him, he stopped playing. And it was horrifyingly normal.
They say the eyes are a window to the soul? He bared his whole fucking soul. She was naive, but she was perceptive and smart. And that's when it happened.
For the first time she saw HIM.
Not Gray. Graybright.
The old monster that would devour universes without batting an eye. The old monster that had the entire world in the palm of his hand. Madness incarnate.
Her legs gave up. Then her bladder. Then her mind.
And the old monster grinned…
"A deal, was it? Here's one. Let me be your Stormveil Family's son-in-law. You'll regret it. The alternative's even worse." He said so simply it hurt.
HORROR, TERROR, MADNESS.
Her instincts were screaming at her to run away. But then she saw the same light in his eyes as always. One she couldn't live without anymore. And with this it was settled.
She was like a moth flying into a flame. But she didn't care. And why was her heart beating so much at that moment?! Either way, she didn't even need to reply. His triumphant grin was enough. He knew she was his before she knew herself.
And then everything returned to normal, way too fucking normal. So normal that she even wondered if she had imagined that scene in the first place. A dream, a nightmare perhaps. One she was way too scared to reenact so she simply let it go.
Life resumed, and so did her worries about the city's fate.
All up to that fateful day…
"GRAY! Something insane happened! They found a SSS-Tier Treasure in the Dungeon! Stormveil will live! Our Family will live! Can you believe it?! You won't ever guess what it is! It's something amazing! It's—"
That's when she froze.
The monster was back. Not just with a smile, but a grin, the most predatory one ever. As for guessing, Gray didn't need to. In the heavy silence, the words escaped him.
"Neverdie Elixir. About time…"
"?!!???!"