Zap!
The sound of instant movement magic had not yet fully faded from the air, yet in the blink of an eye, Arken was no longer in his seat. He was now standing right by Felix's side.
The ice-cold tip of his dagger was pressed thinly against the throat of the handsome, blue-haired prince. The movement was so fluid and lethal that none of them could detect it. Spontaneously, the prince raised both hands in the air as a sign of surrender, swallowing hard as he felt the cold metal against the skin of his neck.
It happened so fast. All the elite soldiers surrounding them, who were supposed to be the royal family's primary shield, stood frozen in place. They never expected Arken to be able to teleport in an instant without being caught by their senses or tracking magic.
"Do not ask things you shouldn't ask, Prince Felix!" Arken said coldly, with intimidating pressure in every word. Arken's gaze sharpened like a blade ready to strike. "If you wish to be his fiancé, you must prove your worth. And I am certain you will never be able to!"
Feeling the tension that could explode at any moment, Felix instead relaxed his shoulders.
"Hahaha." Felix laughed softly at Arken's threat, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "I was only joking, Arken. Please lower your dagger."
Seeing the tension, Alvin, who was still sitting calmly in his seat, finally spoke up.
"Arken..." Alvin called out gently, his voice flowing soothingly like a spring breeze. "That's enough, come back here. It is impolite to point your dagger at a prince like that."
Hearing the command from Kazien's first fiancé, the look in Arken's eyes gradually softened. Arken lowered his dagger, stored it back into his dimensional storage space, and walked back to his seat with silent footsteps.
Dean Claus, who had been sitting and watching Arken's movements, was truly amazed. A bit of cold sweat dripped down his temple at the sight of the first-year student's reaction speed.
Amazing! Dean Claus thought to himself, feeling deeply proud. I was not wrong to recommend Kazien and his three fiancés to participate in this tournament. I am certain that the Garveon Royal Academy will win a landslide victory this year.
King Nalvon, witnessing the small incident, only smiled understandingly, having no intention of scolding Arken for pointing a weapon at his son because he knew Felix was the one who started it.
"Do your best, you four!" King Nalvon spoke, breaking the remaining tension. His tone turned a bit more serious, like a true leader. "Do not underestimate your opponents, and do not be too ruthless in the arena later."
Hearing that instruction, Allen tilted his head slightly.
"If we defeat them in a single strike, would that be a problem, Your Majesty?" Allen chimed in, clarifying the boundaries allowed for them in the tournament.
"Hahaha." King Nalvon's laughter echoed through the spacious carriage cabin. "No problem. Your strength is no longer at the level of average humans. You are free to use any method to win quickly. However, do not kill your opponents."
"Of course, Your Majesty!" Kazien's three fiancés answered in unison, understanding the rules of the game set by King Nalvon.
The journey to the Larkvood Kingdom took quite some time. During the trip, the facilities of the military carriage made by Kazien, which was equipped with a dimensional kitchen, were put to good use. Kazien's three fiancés took turns taking over the kitchen, cooking meals for everyone in the group.
Erica, of course, did not want to be left behind. The purple-haired girl joined them in the kitchen to continue learning how to cook, carefully observing every spice measurement and meat-cutting technique demonstrated by Alvin, Allen, and Arken.
A delicious aroma continued to waft from the carriage kitchen every time a meal hour arrived. The elite soldiers and even the royal family were left speechless. They never imagined that the three young men who possessed terrifying strength were also so skilled in the kitchen.
King Nalvon even became addicted to their cooking. He always looked forward to mealtime and often asked for extra portions of the grilled meat or the savory broth they made.
As they were relaxing and enjoying a dessert of sweet cakes in the middle of the cabin, Felix stared at his plate, which was now polished clean.
"Incredible!" Felix praised in amazement while enjoying the cup of tea in his hand. "I never expected you all to be so skilled at cooking! It puts the palace chefs to shame."
"As Kazien's future spouses, it is only right that we can cook!" Alvin answered firmly, without a shred of doubt on his cute face. "Because seeing the happy face of our future husband while he enjoys our meals is the best thing in the world!"
Beside him, Allen and Arken nodded in agreement with Alvin's statement. For them, pampering Kazien was a point of pride.
Hearing such deep dedication, Felix's curiosity was piqued even further.
"So, a requirement to marry Kazien is being able to cook, then?" Felix asked curiously, trying to dig deeper into their unique relationship dynamics.
"Of course!" Allen asserted while placing his teacup on the table. "That is one of the absolute requirements. However, the main requirement isn't just that. Besides making the three of us convinced of your sincerity, you must also be able to make our future husband willing to be engaged to you. Well... although it is quite impossible to make him yield."
Allen stared into Felix's eyes with a serious gaze, a thin aura of possessiveness radiating from him.
"But, before facing me and Alvin, there is of course Arken, who will be the unbreakable fortress at the front line." he continued with a meaningful smile toward Arken. "It won't be easy to make Arken willing to let Kazien have a fourth fiancé after him."
Felix nodded in understanding, slowly realizing how complex the hierarchy of affection was among the four of them.
"Then, what if one of you rejects the newcomer, but the other two accept?" Felix asked again, trying to find a gap in their defense.
"Of course we would reject them outright!" Alvin stated, crushing the assumption. "Even if Allen and I agreed but Arken did not, then not one of us would accept that person. If it concerns our future husband, our decision must be unanimous and cannot differ."
While his three fiancés were debating seriously with Felix, Kazien, who was sitting not far from them, was sipping his drink. He could only smile wryly at the discussion taking place.
Why are they talking about such unnecessary things? Kazien thought, surprised by the topic that had suddenly turned toward searching for a fourth fiancé. Even if the three of them miraculously accepted someone new, it doesn't necessarily mean I would want to add another fiancé.
Kazien sighed softly, his gaze drifting for a moment to the past, to the beginning of this chaos.
I only have three fiancés because of Alvin's force and threats. If that past incident hadn't happened, I would never have had three fiancés like this.
In his seat, Felix, hearing the absolute requirements and the layered line of defense from Alvin, Allen, and Arken could no longer hold back his laughter.
"Hahaha." Felix laughed quite loudly in the room, feeling both entertained and impressed. "I never thought that someone wishing to be Kazien's fiancé would have to pass through three sturdy fortresses that are always loyally protecting him."
Hearing the conversation that was both warm and protective, King Nalvon, Dean Claus, and several elite soldiers in the cabin finally truly understood the depth of their relationship.
Now they knew for certain that it was nearly impossible for anyone else to enter the private lives of those four easily. The bond between Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken was tightly closed and perfectly complemented one another.