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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Surpass Master soon?
I chuckled. That was absurd.
The strength of a Death Knight varied depending on the knight’s skill in life. And Lien was a Chaos Knight, an evolved Death Knight.
Even I, with my knowledge of the original story, couldn’t accurately gauge Lien’s true strength.
And Sylvia was one of the strongest knights in the entire novel. When I read about her suicide, I had been shocked. She had seemed invincible.
“My lord, why are you laughing?”
“Oh, it’s nothing… It just… doesn’t feel real.”
I suddenly remembered Master’s words.
‘Become stronger, Ethan. Strong enough to take me within three years.’
Marry Master?
That was wishful thinking.
But if Lien was right, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
“My lord, you always underestimate yourself.”
Perhaps he was right.
“Daddy! You’re so cool!”
Hessia ran over to me, her eyes sparkling with admiration. I patted her head.
I had been reborn – or perhaps transmigrated – into this world. It had happened overnight, so I didn’t know when I might return to my original world.
If I could reincarnate or transmigrate my enemies, I would choose the moment of their greatest happiness to send them back. Or perhaps after they had finally settled down and found happiness in their new life.
That was why I didn’t want to steal Arthur’s power-ups. And that was why I was hesitant to form deep relationships with the heroines.
This world needed a protagonist, even if I wasn’t here.
“…My lord? You seem troubled.”
“It’s nothing.”
I couldn’t tell Lien about my secret. There was no point.
“Daddy! You’re so cool!”
“Yes, yes, and you’re so cute, Hessia!”
“Daddy! I’m going to marry you!”
I chuckled.
A child’s first love was their parents, right?
“Lien, you can enter Hessia’s shadow too, right?”
“Of course.”
“Protect her while I’m gone.”
She might be a dragon, but she was still a hatchling. Even though hatchlings matured quickly, she would be vulnerable to a demon attack.
I had to assign Lien as her bodyguard.
“…But I like you more, Daddy.”
“Hessia, Lien is your uncle. And remember, you’re not supposed to call me ‘daddy’ in front of other people.”
“Aww! Ethan, I hate you!”
Hessia pouted. I patted her head, and she giggled.
“I’ll make you fried chicken this weekend if you’re nice to Uncle Lien.”
“Fried… chicken…?”
Hessia’s eyes sparkled. She was already drooling.
“Yeah, fried chicken! And hamburgers and french fries!”
“Hamburgers? What are those?”
“They’re as delicious as fried chicken.”
“As delicious as fried chicken? Okay! Lien, I’ll be good!”
Happy Meal weekend, it is.
I patted Hessia’s head again. Lien was surprisingly good at cooking and cleaning.
He was also incredibly loyal, so he would take good care of Hessia.
I stretched. The seemingly endless summer break was finally coming to an end.
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Second semester homeroom.
Academy life had resumed.
I should visit Master Sylvia when I had time.
Reus was sitting in the corner, glaring at me.
I could feel his gaze burning into the back of my head.
He had been humiliated during the final exam, and I had been traveling during the break.
We hadn’t seen each other. He wouldn’t have been able to get his revenge, even if he wanted to. And now, he was welcoming me back with a glare. I had to respond in kind.
“Are you done staring?”
“Ethan, don’t think you won during the final exam. I was injured…”
Our conversation had attracted the attention of the entire class.
“Reus and Ethan are rivals?”
“Ethan defeated Reus in the final practical exam?”
“Really? He’s only ranked 20th, and he defeated Reus?”
They must have seen my grades on the bulletin board.
And the 20th ranked student defeating the top student was prime gossip material.
Reus slammed his hand on his desk. The classroom fell silent.
He was acting like a bully.
He needed more lessons before he could be reformed.
I was tired. I yawned, resting my head on my hand.
I had been training with Lien until late last night. I should have gone to bed earlier.
“Woah, he just yawned at Reus.”
“Is that a provocation?”
Seriously?
They were interpreting my actions however they pleased.
Was this some kind of misunderstanding trope?
I rubbed my temples. Tia, Tesha, and Sepia were looking back and forth between Reus and me.
At least they were getting along.
Good. Be friends.
Even in a class filled with political maneuvering and scheming, it was good to see them getting along.
Of course, Tia was usually the one pulling the strings.
I suddenly realized Anya wasn’t here.
Just then, the back door opened, and Anya entered. She was covered in leaves and dirt, as though she had been hiking in the mountains.
“Hey! Good morning, everyone!”
The last message I had received from her had said she was fighting a bear with her bare hands. She must have been training in the mountains during the break.
“Sepia, is this seat taken?”
“No, go ahead.”
Anya sat down next to Sepia.
“Ethan, did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
Arthur was sitting next to me.
“I heard there’s a transfer student.”
“A transfer student…?”
I blinked. The transfer student arc wasn’t supposed to happen until the second year.
“Yeah, from Iniros Academy.”
Neydia was the best academy in the empire.
But there was another academy that was considered its equal: Iniros Academy in the north.
Neydia and Iniros were named after members of Luke’s hero party from 300 years ago.
“A transfer student from Iniros Academy…?”
I felt a surge of unease.
Only one transfer student from Iniros had appeared in the original story.
But she wasn’t supposed to arrive until next year.
The front door opened, and Professor Laf entered.
“How’s everyone doing? Haha! You all look healthy!”
He laughed heartily, then continued, giving his usual motivational speech about the new semester.
“And we have a new transfer student. Arianna Teria. Come in.”
My premonition was never wrong.
The door opened, and Arianna Teria entered the classroom.
The room fell silent.
She was beautiful, with a kind and gentle demeanor. She had dark blue hair, like the summer night sky, and alluring red eyes.
“Hello! I’m Arianna Teria! I like reading, cookies, and coffee. I transferred from Iniros Academy. Nice to meet you all!”
Arthur froze, his body stiffening.
His reaction was understandable. Arianna Teria was his childhood friend, his first love, and the girl he had promised to marry.
But she was actually a brainwashed assassin.
His childhood sweetheart had returned.
To kill him.
“That was a great introduction, Arianna. You can sit wherever you like.”
Arianna walked straight towards Arthur. She wasn’t mistaken.
She was looking directly at him. She paused, her eyes softening as she looked at him, then nodded.
Even I, who knew everything, was impressed by her acting.
“Hello, Arthur. It’s me, Arianna… I missed you.”
The last part was barely a whisper. Arthur stared at her, speechless.
“Arianna? Is it really… you, Anne?”
“Yes… it’s me. It’s been a long time, Arthur.”
“Why are you here?”
“It must be… fate.”
Arianna spoke as if they were the only two people in the room. I rubbed my temples.
She was the worst kind of assassin heroine.
She had almost killed Arthur with poison. And then she had used her sob story to try and become his wife.
Even I, who didn’t have a favorite character in “The Strongest of the Dragon Academy,” had a least favorite character.
And it was Arianna.
Even Vivian, the true heroine, was no match for Arianna in the original story.
Why?
They were childhood friends, first loves, and they had even promised to marry each other. And they had already… done it.
“…Fate.”
Arthur stared at her, mesmerized. Arianna leaned closer and whispered something in his ear.
I knew what she was saying.
‘I still like you. Do you… like me?’
Damn it.
That scene had even been illustrated. I couldn’t forget it, no matter how hard I tried. And as a professional assassin, Arianna was a femme fatale, with a double-digit kill count.
Arthur, on the other hand, was a pure and innocent protagonist.
It would be easy for her to manipulate him.
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Ethan, you got this!