༺ New Semester (2) ༻
The 2nd Princess was well-ornamented with a scorching flame of passion, but anyone seeing her would evaluate her using the following words.
A venomous serpent.
She had the personality of a slithering snake and an appearance that reflected it.
Although Marie and Hua Ran were the final boss characters of each episode, most of the gamers would tilt their heads if they were asked whether they were villains or not.
On the other hand, when it came to Princess Miruam, everyone would agree that she was the perfect example of a villain.
The Villainess of the Century in ❰Heroic Legends of Arhan❱. She was a villain who appeared several times to leave an impact during the 2nd year into the game, who would then later appear as the hidden boss in the 3rd year.
Carefully holding onto her hand, I kissed her on the back of her hand. My knees were slightly bent and the angle of my back was perfect, which seemed to have satisfied the princess.
“What magnificent etiquette. Who did you learn it from?”
“It was from a book.”
Well, it was actually you who taught me though.
“May I ask what brought the princess of our kingdom to the Academy?”
“You don’t need to be so polite, Senior. I am just one of the new students here.”
“...”
This was the worst.
Why was Princess Miru here in the Academy as a new student? Besides, what would a royal princess even learn here?
I couldn’t help but feel flustered from a scene that I had never seen in any of the gameplay routes. Originally, the princesses were supposed to...
“Oh my, look who it is? It’s my adorable little sister.”
Ohh... shit.
Princess Miru, who had been wearing an indecipherable smile, suddenly gave a deep frown that even a 7-year-old would be able to tell. In turn, I noticed who it was after seeing that change in expression, because there was only one person in the world who could make this princess frown like this.
“Estelle.”
Walking towards us with leisure and an amicable smile was Princess Estelle, a beauty of bright colors.
Unlike Miruam’s crimson blood-colored hair, Estelle had innocent-looking pinkish hair; and unlike Miruam’s reddish-black dress, she was wearing a white gown. Most importantly, there was a difference in abundance around their chest.
“You forgot the ‘Sister’ part, Miru.”
“I told you not to shorten my name as you wish.”
Her unique and coquettish voice tickled my ears and shivered my body. Alicia, who had been guiding the princess with the assumption that she was just a slightly unique freshman, had the same look on her face as mine.
“Wow~. It’s been so long since I last saw you, and you are still so tiny and cute! I wish I could stay forever young just like you.”
Estelle gave a mischievous comment but Princess Miru reacted with a venomous expression.
“Even one pound of your uselessly big chunk of flesh won’t serve as anything useful apart from fish bait, but if you want, I can use it to brew some potions.”
‘Why? Why are they...’
After sharing a frightening greeting with her sister, Estelle started walking towards me.
“Hello. I’m Estelle Hadassa El Rath. Knight Korin, right? Would you be fine with a handshake?”
She said while reaching her hand out, so I grabbed it subconsciously. It was just a light handshake, but the power behind her grip was stronger than most knights.Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))
“An honor to meet... Saintess Estelle Hadassa El Rath.”
“No need to be so polite. We are all students of the same Academy. I’m not talking politely to you either, am I?”
“Same... Academy?”
“Yes. I came back this year.”
“...”
Right, I did remember that being the case... Even in the game and the last iteration, Estelle used to be very amicable and tended to refer to us as her juniors.
If I recall correctly, it had already been 2 years since she had practically left the Academy so... why was she returning now all of a sudden?
After looking at the two of us, Miru clicked her tongue before turning away from us.
“Senior Alicia. I will now head into the Liberty Hall. Thank you very much for your kind guidance.”
“H, huh? Yeah... I, I mean, utmost honor to hear that, Y, Your Highness?”
“Fufu...”
Princess Miru gave a wily smile after seeing Alicia’s sloppy reply, and turned to head to the Liberty Hall. She was limping her way across with a walking stick but there was still an undisguisable hint of dignity.
“Still the same as always, I suppose.”
After saying that to herself, Estelle tapped me on my shoulder.
“I’ll see you again later, Junior.”
“...”
Left behind with the passing of the storm were Alicia with her back bent at a right angle and me with my eyes on the sky.
Estelle Hadassa El Rath.
Miruam Elizabeth El Rath.
They were the main characters of the latter half of the game, ❰Heroic Legends of Arhan❱, who should have only appeared with the Kingdom Arc.
Originally, they weren’t even supposed to enter the Guardian Academy and yet here they were as a returning and new a student respectively.
I had an idea about the reason why but... Was that really that big of a deal?
I couldn’t even imagine how the story would unfold hereon. None of that was certain, but what was certain was that...
“Haa...”
The fluttering wings of a butterfly had once again caused a tornado.
“Fuck my life...”
***
Despite entering the Academy thanks to Korin’s help, Ren couldn’t help but feel fidgety all the time. As a poor wolf beastman who had been living in the slums, she was dumbstruck by the fancy decorations and broad lands of the Academy.
“Wow... Noona. Are we going to be living here from now on?”
Ron cheered out loud like a little kid so Ren rebuked him while holding tightly onto his hand.
“...Stop acting like a kid.”
“But, but... it’s so big. It’s like a palace.”
‘You’ve never even seen a palace though.’
That sentence was at the top of her tongue, but Ren swallowed it in.
Beastmen tended to grow physically with the development of the mind. And as one might be able to tell from their physical appearance, they still had the mindset of a 9-year-old, and Ren did not feel like trampling on Ron’s innocence.
“Wow~. It’s so big. It’s my first time seeing a building this... Aht!”
It was then. Ron, who had been restlessly wandering around the area, bumped into someone. Actually, he bumped into someone’s walking stick.
“S, sorry...”
“...Take your feet off.”
They were met with the cold gaze of a venomous serpent as Ron immediately froze on the spot. Ren hurriedly ran forward, providing a refuge for him.
Ren was about to apologize but was soon lost for words.
“Hmm?”
The lady had such a coquettish voice that she could even seduce those of the same gender.
The owner of that voice had bright crimson hair and a reddish black dress, which was the perfect image of a princess in their minds.
Wasn’t this an example of the corrupt state of politics?
Actually, the reason I was taking this course was that I wanted to go on a prac with Professor Edgar... but even that would be unnecessary as long as I could just get a license from Marie.
“By the way... how much authority can you get with a special license?”
“Uhm... I think it was possible up to Grade 2 Justice of the Peace.”
That... was a bit iffy.
What I wanted was the right of a Grade 1 JP. If that couldn’t get me up to Grade 1, then all I could do was work as an assistant to help Professor Edgar, a Grade 1 Justice of the Peace.
“Thank you but I’m alright.”
But still, being able to push anyone up to a Grade 2 Justice of the Peace was quite ridiculous.
That reminded me once again just how frightening Marie’s family was.
****
Just like Korean universities, the first week was a simple orientation week. Most of the lessons were over by 2 pm, and I thus returned very early.
“Is no one else here?”
The current residents of the special dormitory were Lady Josephine, me, Marie, and Hua Ran. The wolf siblings will be joining very soon but that was still quite few.
‘Lady Josephine said there would be two more joining us, didn’t she?’
The original purpose of this special dormitory was to keep a close eye on Hua Ran, but now that she was deemed a lot less dangerous, it just became a much fancier dormitory.
It was obvious who the two other people that Lady Josephine talked about would be.
“But... isn’t this still too early?”
I murmured to myself while sensing the presence of another person waiting inside my room. It was someone I knew very well.
– Creak!
When I opened the door, I found a crimson-colored beauty huddling on the chair behind a layer of murky air.
Like a poisonous flower, she gave off a sweet fragrance and yet was toxic enough to poison anyone who touched her. She was a lady who seemed like the pinnacle of decadence and seduction.
“Welcome, Knight Korin.”
Unlike how she spoke to me politely in front of other new students, right now, she was revealing the lofty and arrogant dignity of a royal princess.
“Your Highness Elizabeth.”
Inversely, I treated her with respect without using my status as a senior of the Academy. Her lips flinched after noticing that I wasn’t flustered in the slightest.
“Kiss my hand.”
Without even bothering to conceal the arrogant light in her eyes, she reached her hand out, but I simply sat on the bed opposite to her without following her command.
“A gentleman is only allowed one kiss a day to a lady, Your Highness.”
“Fufu. Interesting. How is a commoner from the outskirts of the capital aware of the etiquette of nobles?”
Because of all the things you taught me, of course.
Looking back, maybe this was why Park Sihu that bastard tried his best to hide me from the princess. There must be something about me that makes me be loved by these annoying people.
I was really grateful that there were at least some normal people in the world like Marie, Alicia, and Hua Ran.
“Let me go straight to the topic. Support me.”
“I wonder what you mean?”
“From next year at the latest, there will be talks about the succession of the throne. I am telling you to support me, Knight Korin.”
“I do have some skills, but I’m just a single knight though?”
“It’s a different story if that knight has a sacred artifact of the Old and the New Faiths, Claiomh Solais.”
As expected, she was aware of the fact that I had obtained Claiomh Solais. Perhaps I should have held myself back a little at Nazrea.
From the looks of things, it seemed that Saintess Estelle was also here because of the same reason.
The question, however, was this. Why was Princess Miru wanting me to support her?
In the game, she had Tates Valtazar standing on her side.
By now, she already had the Old Faith and the Tower of Mages standing behind her, and in one year’s time, she would also earn the support of Tates Valtazar.
Destiny Stone, Lia Fail.
Magic Cauldron, Undry.
Solar Sword, Claiomh Solais.
Spear of Light, Areadbhair.
Tates Valtazar and four of the King’s Subjects, who called themselves the champions of the four gods, would become her allies. It was through this that the likelihood of Saintess Estelle inheriting the throne would dwindle, and that was the main scenario linking Estelle and Miruam.
Even though I could be seen as the champion of the God of Sun, she already had Valtazar who had 3 of the remaining treasures so...
Why was she trying to get me on her side? Why was she in so much of a rush?
It didn’t make sense to say that it was solely because of me obtaining the Claiomh Solais. Even in the last iteration, she wasn’t this aggressive.
“Fufu. Looks like there are a lot of thoughts going through your head.”
Stepping down from the chair, Miru walked across the carpet on her bare feet. She then stroked my chin with her long, thin fingers.
“If you still have doubts, I can pay the price upfront. Embrace me. Breach through the royal lady who has never known men before in her life and indulge yourself in pleasure. I shall accompany you no matter what kind of pleasure and entertainment you are after.”
She grabbed onto my tie and pulled me closer towards her. Her red eyes looked into mine and sent chills down my spine.
“You can do me however you want.”
A sensuous gesture, a coquettish voice, sweet fragrance, and a passionate gaze. Each and every part of her was that of a femme fatale1The term originates from the French phrase femme fatale, which means ‘deadly woman’ or ‘lethal woman’. A femme fatale tries to achieve her hidden purpose by using feminine wiles such as beauty, charm, or sexual allure leading men down the pits of ruin.
– Grip!
Grabbing her by the arm, I pushed her onto the bed. I pressed down from above and yet she showed no signs of fighting back.
“Fufu.”
Her dress and ornaments had gold and silver along with every type of jewelry. Her breasts, belly button, waist and thighs... Every part of her body gave off a seductive luster that pulled men into her.
She was a woman whose existence itself was made up of the shapeless fog of seduction. Despite knowing all too well that hiding within that fog were the venomous fangs of a serpent, I couldn’t help but feel urged.
“Did you want to tempt me so bad that you even had to rely on an infatuation incense? I don’t think that’s something a royal lady should do.”
“Oh my. How did you find out?”
There was a dense layer of scent in the room. This sweet fragrance was detrimental to the rational thinking of men, and I might have done something already if not for the cleansing effect of the Sun.
“Is it okay for a princess to do this? There might be problems with the succession if you bear a child.”
“Then I can simply marry you, Knight Korin. A marriage with the champion of the God of Sun – don’t you think that will be an incredible political move?”
“First, you might get rumors that you have indecent relationships left and right.”
“I am not interested in the worthless complaints of senile old men. I believe more in the old and fundamental truth.”
“...Truth?”
“From time immemorial, it has been a contract between men and women for a man to pour a woman with affection and impregnate her. After all, after possessing a female, the male has the responsibility to protect the female and the child. And of course, the female also has some responsibilities...”
Pinned on the bed, Princess Miru wrapped her thin arms around my neck.
“I will use everything in my possession to please the male, Senior.”
Like a siren in a wave pulling a sailor into the depths of the ocean... she slowly pulled me in towards her embrace.
“My knight. Dominate me – ravage me and swallow me alive. Make everything that is mine yours and whisper love into my ears.”
Slowly but surely... I was being pulled deeper into the deep ocean... into the depths that devoured even the brightest of lights.
Footnotes:
1The term originates from the French phrase femme fatale, which means ‘deadly woman’ or ‘lethal woman’. A femme fatale tries to achieve her hidden purpose by using feminine wiles such as beauty, charm, or sexual allure