After healing the mysterious girl, Ryo took her to Eldoria and asked the palace maids to take care of her. The injury she had suffered was severe, but with one of his recent rewards from Advanced Training Mode, Ryo had gained the ability to even restore lost limbs—something previously thought impossible.
Due to a strange uneasiness brewing within him, Ryo decided to postpone the upcoming Knight Selection Ceremony by a month. He couldn't ignore the feeling that something was about to happen.
Later, Selena approached him."Where did you find that girl?" she asked curiously.
Ryo gathered his fiancées—Selena, Seyra, Ai, Lilith, Lyra, and Hilda—and explained everything he knew. Their reactions were full of surprise. Still, Ryo deliberately avoided mentioning the word "Saint" or "Saintees"—he had no solid proof and didn't want to create panic over speculation. Right now, what he needed most was information—particularly, why the Church seemed to be targeting Eldoria.
An idea struck him for bolstering the kingdom's defenses. He had been thinking of building robots or automated guardians, but there was a problem—those constructs couldn't function with just Ether or standard Elf magic scripts. He was missing a key component, and it frustrated him.
He was lost in thought when a maid rushed in, panting."The girl… she's awake!"
Ryo gave a quick nod. "Make sure she's well-fed and comfortable. We'll meet her tomorrow. Let her rest for now."
That night, Ryo decided to investigate further. He flew to the place where he'd first seen the angel. At first, there was nothing unusual—but then, he sensed that the ground beneath him was hollow.
He dug through the soil, and to his surprise, discovered a hidden underground chamber. Inside, it resembled a prison, with old chains still hanging. Someone had been imprisoned here—maybe the angel? As Ryo tried to touch the chains, they vanished into thin air.
Further exploration revealed something even more surprising: weapons, golems, and blueprints—exactly like the ones he had envisioned building. Though the designs seemed ancient, they were still incredibly advanced. But there was a catch—he couldn't understand the texts inscribed on them, and even the System didn't respond.
After a long silence, the System finally answered:
"User is not yet ready to learn these technologies."
Ryo had no words. He stored everything in his dimensional storage, including a section of the wall that had strange letters carved into it.
As he moved deeper, he came across a peculiar inscription:
"To receive this power, sacrifice your heart."
Ryo froze for a moment, staring at the ominous phrase. Eventually, he chose to ignore it for now. He returned everything in the chamber to its original state and went back to his palace.
After signing some important documents and having dinner, Ryo retired for the night.
The next morning began like usual—waking up to the warm kisses of his fiancées. After getting ready, he instructed the maids again, "Take care of that girl. I'll visit her after I return."
Then, he teleported with his fiancées to the Academy.
But something felt off.
All the headmasters were waiting in the main hall, and students were being gathered from every classroom. Ryo and his group joined the crowd. Soon, the Student Council members arrived, escorting the remaining students.
One of the headmasters stepped forward and began to speak.
"A friendly competition with three other academies will be held in two weeks. All students are to train and prepare. Participation is optional, but those interested must register."
This was the first time Ryo had ever heard of other academies.
Selena explained quietly, "There are a few academies that specialize in specific races. Only Celestia Academy allows students of all races—except humans. The atmosphere here isn't suitable for them."
Ryo, who had once been human, nodded thoughtfully. Ai, also a human, had required special artifacts to survive and use magic here—artifacts Ryo had built himself.
The headmaster continued, "Some students are already qualified to represent our academy in the competition. The list is posted outside each classroom. If selected students do not wish to participate, they may opt out."
Naturally, Ryo went to check.
As expected, his name—and those of all his fiancées—were on the list, including Selena and Seyra's brothers. It seemed that all S-Class students were automatically selected.
Seyra chuckled. "Of course. S-Class students are years ahead of the others."
Selena added, "Looks like you've already caught the attention of the headmasters even before you agreed to participate."
Ryo, being the King of Eldoria, knew this competition wasn't just a personal matter. If he joined and lost, it could damage the kingdom's reputation—even though losing wasn't something he feared.
Still, he needed to think carefully. Eldoria's pride and future might be at stake.
Author's Note:
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