I had finally arrived at Braveheart Castle with Runa by my side. The palace guards escorted us to the training hall designated by King Aslan.
The hall was located on the lower floor of the castle—a vast, fortified chamber specifically built for intense combat training, capable of withstanding magical and physical impact from within.
King Aslan and Alia had already entered the room ahead of us.
From inside, I could hear the clashing of weapons—sharp, heavy, and intense.
BAM!!
A thunderous lion’s roar echoed right after.
Looks like they’re fired up.
I pushed the door open and saw King Aslan sparring with Alia. He wielded his sword in his right hand while divine magic pulsed from his prosthetic left arm.
Behind him stood his summoned familiar—a majestic white-gold lion with radiant wings, its eyes glowing with holy fire. The air shimred with divine light. The creature was terrifying... but also magnificent.
Aslan lunged at Alia, and she blocked his strike with a massive golden axe.
Wait a second... I recognize that weapon.
"That’s Princess Aria’s axe. She used it when she fought Nosef, the Rank 3 Demon Overlord," Envi reminded of that legendary battle.
"Right... Alia must be carrying on Aria’s will by using her weapon," I responded ntally.
I stepped further into the training hall, and King Aslan imdiately noticed .
He called for Alia to pause the session and turned to greet . Alia, catching her breath and glistening with sweat, lowered the axe and smiled at .
"Welco, my darling~" she said teasingly.
She looked... distractingly stunning in her tight training outfit, flushed from the sparring. Of course, that wasn’t my thought—it was Envi’s lewd comntary bleeding through our link again.
Still, I was surprised she called "darling." She must’ve been overjoyed that I didn’t cancel our engagent and even declared my love for her—even though that part had been Envi hijacking my body again...
Envi scread inside , telling to "play along."
With no choice, I forced a reply, "Uhh... hey there, darling~" my voice ca out awkward and stiff, but Alia looked pleased nonetheless.
Good grief, what a handful she is. Still, I smiled faintly seeing her expression.
"You arrived early, Naoki. I was planning to finish Alia’s training before assisting with the hero program! HAHAHA!" King Aslan’s laughter echoed through the hall.
"Your Majesty, Braveheart’s royal family truly is amazing... And is that your familiar? He’s incredible," I praised him, looking at the glowing lion.
"Indeed. This is Hyperion the Divine Wing. He’s the sacred familiar of the Braveheart line. Having him ans you’re next in line for the throne," King Aslan said proudly.
"I plan to pass him on to Alia soon. The bonding process will take a few days, so I’m helping her get used to his presence."
Alia nodded in agreent. So she really is the next in line. It made sense. Princess Aria was still in a coma, and Arsene, her second sister, was now the headmaster of Braveheart Knight Academy.
Alia was their only hope—and with her divine magic already showing potential to surpass even Aria and Aslan, the future looked bright.
Seeing that made want to help her grow stronger. I told King Aslan I would personally help train her once she was fully bonded with Hyperion.
They both looked pleased with that.
Just then, Runa peeked out from behind , clearly nervous in front of Hyperion.
The mont their eyes t, it was as if they were silently communicating.
Suddenly, Hyperion approached —looking curious.
"What did you say to him?" I asked Runa quietly.
"He said he’s interested in you... and wants to get to know you better," she answered shyly.
Understanding that, I extended my hand toward Hyperion in a gesture of respect.
.
He responded by... eating my head.
I flailed in panic—though it didn’t hurt. He wasn’t biting, just playfully licking my head like I was a giant lollipop.
"Hey! Cut it out! I’m not candy!" I shouted, wriggling desperately.
Hyperion finally let go, and the room exploded in laughter.
King Aslan and Alia roared with amusent. So did Runa and Envi.
"Don’t worry, Naoki. Hyperion’s only done that to when I was younger. It ans he likes you. That proves you’re a perfect match for Alia! HAHAHA! My judgnt is never wrong!" Aslan bood proudly.
Alia blushed deeply, giving that intense yandere look of hers.
...I give up.
Hyperion went on to play with Runa, while I tried to steer the conversation away from my near-devouring.
"Alia, you’re starting to really master Princess Aria’s weapon... You looked just like her on the battlefield," I told her sincerely.
"You can definitely do this... You’ll beco even stronger," I added, aning every word.
Alia flushed again, clearly moved. She stepped closer and suddenly hugged my right arm tightly.
"Thank you...and I want to say that I miss you, my love~" she whispered sweetly.
I froze. Alia was being way more forward than usual—clinging to affectionately.
Then, a sharp voice rang out from behind .
"Ahem!"
My back instantly went cold.
I knew that voice.
It was Serena—along with the other heroes, Cain and Theresia.
Serena was also followed by Lyra, while Cain was followed by Freya. They smiled and waved at .
"H-Hey, everyone..." I greeted them with an awkward smile.
Alia turned to Serena, chuckling with a smug glint in her eyes. Their gazes locked in a heated silent battle.
"Your left arm’s free, right, my dear fiancé? I’ll be taking that one," Serena said as she stepped forward and clung to my other arm possessively.
Now both of them were latched onto . My heart pounded from the pressure—and not just taphorically. I was seriously fighting off a nosebleed and the urge to faint.
King Aslan let out a hearty laugh."Naoki, you lucky bastard! Two gorgeous fiancées fighting over you? HAHAHA!"
I grumbled inwardly.This is all your fault... you and that damned system Envi!
Envi just laughed inside my head, telling I should be grateful.
anwhile, Cain looked like he was about to explode from annoyance.
"Seriously? You’re flirting again—now? We’re supposed to be training!"
Theresia, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care. She ran off to chase after Hyperion and Runa like a little kid.
"Soooo... when are we actually starting this training?"
This was not how I imagined our first training session would go.
...
..
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