In the quiet side yard of the shelter house, the night air felt bitingly cold. And it was there that Arvin set his foot.
The youth's body immediately swayed the moment he arrived, nearly losing his balance. The reaction effect of the two potions he had swallowed simultaneously had now reached its peak.
His head throbbed violently as if it were about to split open. His vision began to blur and sway wildly. The world around him felt like it was spinning and shaking tremendously in his sight. The sound of his own heartbeat rang so loudly in his ears.
With dragging and unsteady steps, Arvin forced himself to walk toward the entrance of the shelter house.
On the front porch, Allen, Alrain, Ordion, Kylen, and Davin were standing in a circle, chatting casually while awaiting Arvin's return.
Seeing the figure of their husband suddenly emerge from the darkness of the night with unsteady, staggering steps like a heavily intoxicated man, the five youths' conversation instantly halted. Their expressions turned panicked, and they rushed over to him.
"Darling! Where have you been?" Kylen asked in shock, his hands swiftly catching one of Arvin's arms as he nearly collapsed. "Why did your condition suddenly become like this?"
"Later... I will explain it to you later." Arvin replied, his breathing growing rapid and ragged. Cold sweat drenched his entire face. "I need to sleep immediately. I... I just drank the Elixir of Archmage. Soon, I will completely lose my consciousness. Please let me through, I must return to bed right now."
Hearing that confession, Allen, Alrain, and Ordion instantly froze. The three youths' eyes widened in disbelief. They truly never expected that their husband, who already possessed extraordinary power akin to a walking disaster, would recklessly drink an Elixir of Archmage out of nowhere like that.
Meanwhile, Kylen and Davin, who did not completely understand what their husband had just said, simply obeyed and stepped aside, not wanting to block his path.
Once the path before him was clear, Arvin, who was struggling hard to maintain the remnants of his consciousness, began to step into the shelter house hall. He staggered toward his bed in the corner of the room. Behind him, Allen, Alrain, Ordion, Kylen, and Davin faithfully followed his footsteps in silence, their faces filled with anxiety.
Upon reaching the side of his own bed, Arvin's defenses crumbled. His body went limp, and he immediately collapsed onto the bed. His eyes shut instantly, losing consciousness right then and there, sinking into the extreme mana assimilation process of the potion.
Seeing his husband now sprawling helplessly, Allen let out a long sigh as he gazed at the innocent and peaceful face currently unconscious on the bed.
"Goodness... he is already like a walking disaster, and his power is more than enough to destroy this world. But why did he recklessly drink that potion this late at night? Just what exactly happened to him out there?" Allen muttered softly, feeling frustrated by his husband's crazy decision.
Kylen, who had been unable to contain his curiosity all this time, immediately turned and looked at his husband's first spouse with a confused expression.
"Actually, what kind of potion is that, Allen?" Kylen asked, demanding an explanation.
"If you want the answer, it would be better for you and the others to ask our husband directly once he regains consciousness later." Allen replied with a resigned sigh, reluctant to explain it. "I don't want to cross the line by saying what he alone should be the one to tell."
Allen then turned to look at Arvin's other spouses. "For now, let him rest. Let's all go to sleep immediately. Tomorrow morning we must prepare to leave this kingdom!"
Although the curiosity in their hearts was still immense, Kylen and Davin ultimately could only obediently follow Allen's instructions. The two of them moved to their beds and immediately closed their eyes, hoping tomorrow would bring an answer.
....
....
The long night passed, and the morning light finally dawned, slipping in through the windows of the shelter house. The atmosphere inside the hall was already getting busy.
Everyone was packing their belongings, getting ready for the journey back to the Astoria Kingdom.
However, in one corner of the hall, specifically on his bed, Arvin still appeared to be fast asleep with deep, rhythmic breathing.
Seeing that it was getting late in the morning, Kylen reached out his hand, intending to wake his husband, but Alrain quickly caught his hand, preventing and forbidding the action.
"Don't you ever try to forcefully wake him up while his body is like this!" Alrain warned him with a stern tone and a serious face. "Do you want to shatter our husband's mana circulation and kill him because of your careless actions?"
Hearing such a harsh warning that could trigger death, Kylen instantly dropped his intention to wake the person he loved. He did not want any unwanted, fatal incident to happen to his husband.
"Alrain is right." interjected Allen, who had just approached them. "It's better if all of you go take a shower and get ready first. Let Alrain and me stand guard and keep an eye on his condition here. At the very least, when he wakes up later, you will all be properly dressed and ready to go without having to waste any more time."
Hearing that highly rational suggestion, Arvin's other spouses looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Without a second thought, they immediately grabbed their towels and spare clothes, then walked together toward the bathroom to clean themselves up.
The atmosphere around the bed area now became quieter, leaving only Allen and Alrain sitting guard near Arvin.
However, not long after the departure of the seven youths, a sudden movement occurred. Arvin abruptly opened his eyes and immediately sat bolt upright on the bed with a very stiff motion, as if driven by a primitive instinct.
Allen and Alrain were quite startled by their husband's sudden waking movement.
"You're awake—"
Before Allen could finish his sentence, the blue-haired youth had already gotten off the bed without saying a single word or even glancing at his two spouses.
Arvin stepped forward with a sharp gaze, walking straight toward one of the beds located in a corner of the hall.
Feeling that there was something very strange with their husband's behavior, Allen and Alrain exchanged suspicious looks. Both of them immediately stood up and followed Arvin's footsteps from behind.
Arvin's steps halted right in front of a bed. With an ice-cold stare, his eyes glared sharply at a purple-haired youth who was currently sitting and organizing his bag.
That youth was none other than Victor Zernest, the fifth son of the Prime Minister of the Astoria Kingdom.
Feeling the air around him suddenly turn cold, Victor stopped his activity. He looked up and found himself being stared at with intense sharpness and intimidation.
He grew frightened and confused by the bizarre behavior of the King of Terror.
"W-Why did you suddenly come and stare at me like that?" Victor asked with a trembling voice, his expression a mix of confusion and fear. "I-I'm getting goosebumps seeing you look at me like that."
However, instead of providing an answer, the King of Terror did something completely unexpected. With an incredibly swift motion, he bent down, grabbed Victor's arm directly, and forcefully hoisted the youth over his shoulder like he was carrying a sack of rice.
Ignoring the shocked stares of the people around him, Arvin immediately turned around and carried the youth walking with wide strides toward the bathroom.
"Hey! What's the meaning of this?! Let me go!" Victor yelled, struggling fiercely, pounding his fists against Arvin's back in panic, wanting to break free. "Why are you suddenly carrying me and taking me to the bathroom?! Do you want to harass me in there?!"
Arvin remained dead silent. His face was flat and expressionless, ignoring all the punches and shouts of protest from Victor. He continued his resolute strides, carrying the struggling youth's body toward the bathroom area.
Meanwhile, all the members of the Astoria Academy delegation who were currently in the hall could only stand frozen in silence.
They halted their activities and stared in disbelief, watching Arvin Vedegra, who had just woken up, now forcefully carrying the fifth son of the Astoria Kingdom's Prime Minister toward the bathroom.
Not a single one of them dared to interfere or had any intention of stopping him.