"Welcome back, Lilian," someone called out from behind them.
Orion turned around and saw a golden-haired young man. His features were delicate, almost feminine, with a strikingly pretty face. Most irritating of all was his smug, cocky smile—.
"Appraisal."
[Ryan Armstrong: C-Rank]
A noble of the Mecadonia Kingdom.
Lilian sighed. "What do you want, Ryan?"
From her tone alone, it was obvious she hadn't wanted to run into him.
Ryan's face darkened. "Come on, Lilian. We've been friends our whole lives. Why do you have to be so cold to me?"
"I really don't want to talk about this right now," Lilian said hastily. "I have business with His Majesty, so please excuse me."
She turned around and walked away.
Orion followed her, but before he could leave, Ryan shot him a look filled with pure hostility.
Orion knew that as long as he stayed near Lilian, this guy would definitely cause him trouble.
And he wasn't really looking forward to it.
So this must be the famous "young master" behavior, Orion thought, a twinge of annoyance tugging at him.
After walking for a while, they arrived at the most magnificent hallway Orion had ever seen. He stopped and turned to Lilian.
"Wait… why am I going with you? I don't have any business with the king," Orion said nervously.
Lilian narrowed her eyes in annoyance. She was clearly in a bad mood after meeting Ryan.
"Because you saved me. And the king may reward you for it."
With that, she resumed walking.
Orion hesitated for a moment, then followed.
No reason to pass up free rewards.
Inside the great hall, Orion finally saw the king.
He was tall, with a white beard and eyes filled with wisdom. A terrifyingly powerful aura radiated from him.
Orion tried to use Appraisal.
Nothing happened.
'Damn, he must be S-rank… or above,' Orion gulped.
Lilian immediately knelt, bowing deeply. Orion followed suit without hesitation this time. His pride didn't flare—after all, the king's strength was far beyond his own—but he couldn't deny the sting of being so clearly inferior.
A spark ignited within him. From now on, he had a new goal: to become stronger than the king.
"All hail His Majesty," Lilian said.
"You may rise," the king said calmly.
His gaze shifted to Orion. "So, who is the boy with you?"
"He is the one who saved my life from bandits near the Primordial Jungle," Lilian replied.
The king frowned. "Didn't the Baron of Riverclaw claim all bandits in that region were already dealt with?"
Lilian explained everything in detail. The king listened quietly, occasionally nodding.
"Hmmm…"
His attention returned to Orion.
"You deserve a reward for your bravery and for saving the only Hero Candidate of our kingdom. You will be rewarded handsomely."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"Tell me… are you a noble? And what were you doing in that area in the first place?"
Before Orion could respond, Lilian stepped in and repeated everything Orion had told her.
"Hmmm… fascinating," the king murmured.
"So there was a genius capable of creating medicine that allows the safe consumption of magic stones raw. A great loss, indeed."
"You appear no older than seventeen, yet you are C-rank… an accomplishment closer to that of the Hero Candidates. Is it because you can consume magic stones raw? Or is it due to your master's training as well?"
"I never really thought about it," Orion said. "I had very limited knowledge of the outside world, so I never realized whether my strength was growing quickly or not," Orion said, hoping the king would buy his bullshit.
The king fell silent for several minutes, deep in thought. Finally, he exhaled. And changed the subject.
"So then—what are your plans from now on?"
Orion opened his mouth… then froze.
He had none.
Sure, he had a mission—to save the Demon Queen—but no idea how to even begin.
"… I don't know," he admitted quietly.
The king smiled.
"Then why not join the Aegis Academy—with Lilian?"
Orion's eyes widened.
Lilian was also excited by the proposal. She found Orion far more interesting than she cared to admit and hoped that, at the academy, she would finally learn more about him.
'An academy… where all the typical young masters gather,' he thought.
He didn't like the idea—but he knew it was the best place to grow stronger and understand this world.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the generous offer," Orion said, bowing.
"But I would like some time to think about it."
The king nodded, acknowledging Orion's situation.
"Very well. Take all the time you need—there are still three months until the academy begins. The academy would be grateful to welcome a talent such as yours."
The king waved his hand.
A figure suddenly appeared behind the throne.
Orion stiffened—he hadn't sensed anything at all.
The king waved his hand, and a figure appeared behind the throne in an instant. Orion stiffened—he hadn't sensed any presence in the room besides the king himself.
The figure was dressed entirely in black, its face concealed, a pouch held in one gloved hand. Lilian subtly signaled Orion to step forward towards the throne.
As he approached the stairs leading to the throne, each step felt heavier than the last. By the time he reached the top, his legs trembled, and the final step nearly made him collapse.
Damn… just how powerful is this king?
Sweat soaked Orion from head to toe as the king calmly handed him the pouch.
Orion went back to his position and bowed again.
"Very well. You may go," the king said.
Another wave of his hand—and a woman in a maid's outfit appeared.
"Joanna," the king said, "show our guest around the palace. I have matters to discuss with the Hero Candidate."
Joanna smiled warmly and led Orion out.
As they walked through the hall, Orion followed behind Joanna, unable to tear his eyes away from the way her ass moved.
'No, no, no… Orion, control yourself!' He scolded himself inwardly. Lately, he'd been feeling far more… lustful than usual. He was getting excited far too easily. He knew this could be troublesome. What if he had to fight a woman whose abilities are sexual, like a 'succubus?
'It's not my fault. The girls in this world are just… unreal,' he reasoned
He wasn't wrong. Even an average-looking woman here could rival the most beautiful women from his old world.
"Fu fu fu~"
A mature, seductive laugh reached his ears.
Orion nearly jumped and quickly looked away, his face burning red.
"Oh my, don't be shy," Joanna said teasingly.
"It's a healthy reaction for boys your age."
This woman is dangerous, Orion thought as he stared firmly at the floor and walked faster.
"Fu fu fu~"
After some time, Orion noticed servants busily decorating the palace.
"Is there a celebration coming up?" he asked.
"Yes," Joanna replied, her voice bright with excitement.
"It's the sixteenth birthday of our First Princess—Julia Medusa Mecadonia."
"You sound very fond of her."
"Of course. Everyone loves the princess. She's kind, incredibly talented in magic, and beautiful—yet never arrogant."
She continued praising the princess until a familiar voice interrupted.
"What is your relationship with Lilian?"
Orion turned.
Ryan stood there, clearly displeased.
"I don't know," Orion said honestly.
"I guess… friends?"
"That's good," Ryan replied quickly. After a pause, his tone hardened.
"Let's keep it that way."
Orion's eyes sharpened.
"What happens between Lilian and me is none of your business," he snapped.
"I'll do what I want. And the last time I checked, she is not your girlfriend." His dragon pride was on full display. He blurted out most of this word in the heat of the moment when he was ordered by Ryan.
Joanna's playful expression vanished.
Ryan stared in shock. No commoner had ever spoken to him like that.
Slowly, he removed his glove and tossed it at Orion's feet.
More nobles gathered around, whispering excitedly.
Orion sighed.
'Damn it… that dragon pride again.'