Increase Talent: Become More Stronger!

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For a moment, when my gaze landed on the woman with bright blue hair, I immediately knew she was Aisha's mother.

For some reason, I could see the adult form of Aisha.

I was certain—confident—that Aisha's adult form would look no different from the Empress.

Maybe that's why... I didn't really think I could be charmed by the Empress's beauty?

In any case, the fact that I had been approached by Aisha for a whole year was something undeniable.

If not for Aisha, I wouldn't have been able to maintain my calm expression in front of her.

For a moment, as I stared at the Empress, I noticed she smiled at me.

Of course, without thinking much, I quickly shifted my gaze to Celine and Aisha.

At first, Celine seemed to wonder if I was mesmerized by her mother's beauty.

Fortunately, she realized I was merely showing a nervous expression on my face.

Because of that, she didn't think too much about how I was looking at the Empress.

To Celine, I didn't seem like a perverted man.

On the contrary, Celine believed I was someone who could stay composed without showing shame.

If not for that, how could I possibly maintain my calm face before the Empress?

Honestly, I had no idea what was going through Celine's mind.

If I had known, would I really have been able to stay composed?

Unexpectedly, my gaze caught sight of Arthur.

Deep down, I knew Arthur's expression showed he was extremely displeased at the sight of me.

If it weren't for the fact that I had been appointed as the Emperor's heir, would he have been so furious?

In less than a few seconds, I saw Arthur stepping forward to confront me.

Before finally, he let out a disgruntled snort.

"Hmph! Don't think you've won. This isn't over. Remember this well, Noah, I won't let you have your way at the academy."

"Is that so? I understand. If you dare, come and try to take my life. I'll be waiting."

"Ck. You're so arrogant! But your arrogance will only lead to your despair. I don't care if Father favors you or not, I won't back down."

Unfortunately, just as Arthur was about to walk past me,

I saw Celine grab his shoulder, as if she intended to teach him a lesson.

"Oh dear. Brother, why are you speaking so rudely to our new little brother? Do you think you can get away from my punches?"

"Ouch... Celine, can I ask you to let go? Your grip is very uncomfortable."

"No."

Without realizing it, I saw a few punches landing on Arthur's stomach.

Although, of course, I knew it was impossible for Arthur to actually get hurt by Celine.

Instead, I saw him merely coughing softly in place.

And after that, he no longer intended to linger before Celine and me.

To Arthur, he knew there was no point in arguing with his foolish sister.

From Arthur's point of view, he realized his sister had truly fallen for me.

If not, how could Celine's expression look so different from the last time they met?

'I knew it! She's fallen for that commoner! Such a foolish sister. I will never accept this!' Arthur thought, unable to hold back his anger at Celine.

Even if I had been appointed as the heir to the Emperor, he didn't care in the slightest.

In Arthur's mind, he could never see me as a true member of the imperial family.

From the start, Arthur knew I was someone from the outside world.

And more importantly, Arthur could not accept that Aisha had developed such strong feelings for me!

From Arthur's perspective, he had cared for Aisha ever since they were little.

But who would have thought? His adorable little sister had now completely sided with me!

If not for me, Aisha would have never dared to defy his orders.

But now, he knew it was impossible to separate Aisha from me.

However, Arthur also knew that Aisha was now engaged to the Hero.

Surely, there was a possibility that the Hero and I would end up fighting in the future.

For a moment, a wicked smile appeared on Arthur's lips.

He didn't know why, but he was overjoyed at the thought of me clashing with the Hero.

'Ha ha ha. I hope the scene plays out exactly how I imagine it. I hope you die, Noah!'

...

In the underground room, deep within a secret chamber of Lunar Academy—

There stood an old man before a blank wall.

Finally, the old man placed his hand against the wall before him.

"Excellent. The demon from the past has been resurrected. It's time for the fourth epoch to begin. Sage... Sage... Sage Calamity. I have fulfilled your command."

"Hehehe~. Not bad. Even if you're just a clone, you're still not bad. Sage Magician, I know it's you. Those eyes of yours are proof that you're monitoring my every move. Aren't they?"

"..."

For a moment, a faint chuckle echoed from the shadow before the Grand Wizard.

"Alright, alright. I understand. I know you have no intention of revealing yourself. But that's fine. I'm glad you're supporting my plan. It's a pleasure to work with you."

Creek!

In a split second, the wall before the Grand Wizard began to slowly open.

As the Grand Wizard stepped forward, he realized this was the prisoner's chamber.

He could even see a few demons—clearly, they were low-ranked Lesser Demons.

This alone was enough to show that none of them posed a threat to him.

"Elf Princess, I've come to visit you. How are you?"

"Headmaster... is that you? But you feel different. Who are you?"

"Truly. You may think of me however you wish. I don't care."

For a moment, the Grand Wizard saw Estelle's gaze fall upon him.

The moment Estelle looked at him, her eyes were filled with hatred.

"What exactly is your plan? I never thought you were evil. We, the elves, trusted you deeply. But you betrayed that trust. We no longer know who to side with."

"Don't be like that. I have no intention of harming you. I know you cannot be hurt. After all, you are beloved by the Goddess of Life."

Tsk!

Without realizing it, a slight clicking of the tongue could be heard from Estelle.

To Estelle, the Grand Wizard's words were nothing but an insult.

"Remove your filthy mouth from our goddess. Someone like you, who betrayed us, has no right! Do you really think you are worthy of the title of Sage Magician?!"

Truly, it had to be said—Estelle's expression turned extremely grim.

Even a faint grinding of her teeth could be seen, showing she could barely hold herself back.

Right now, Estelle desperately wanted to pour out the contents of her heart.

Unfortunately, the Grand Wizard merely laughed as if nothing had happened.

"Kuhahaha! 'Sage' is a title bestowed by the goddess. But there are also those who earned the title of Sage through their own achievements. They are the True Sages. They are different from what you think."

"Oh. Forgive me. I was merely speaking carelessly. I hope you can overlook my behavior."

"..."

Truly...

I knew she was a cold woman, but I hadn't expected her to be this indifferent.

If I had known, would I really have dared to judge the princess of the elves?

Unfortunately, the Grand Wizard knew he could never harm Estelle's divine blessing.

As he approached Estelle, he realized her power was actively trying to protect her.

Perhaps because of this, the Great Wizard chose to do nothing to Estelle.

Just as he stood silently, he saw a black shadow appear once again.

Indeed. That black shadow was none other than Sage Calamity.

"Goddess of Life... Your sight is like that of the Creator. Those golden eyes prove you are blessed with infinite power. 1st Sequence God. That is you."

"This feeling... Were you the one I saw when I was little? How are you?"

"No, no. That was just a clone. You need not panic. As I am now, I cannot harm anyone. But one day, I shall descend upon the lower world and end this epoch."

Impossible...

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