Chapter 196: Treasury..


    ?


    Though I would''ve preferred to stay in the background, the role I yed in the incident left me with little choice but to be entangled in all of this.


    Kagami, on the other hand, was still processing it all, but I knew he''d be a valuable asset to the council.


    Snow probably saw that too, which was why she asked for him through me.


    For reference.


    The position Kagami was taking, as the disciplinary head of the student council, suited him perfectly.


    With his intimidating looks and naturallymanding presence, it was hard to imagine anyone daring to cause trouble with him around.


    His imposing stature alone would likely deter most would-be troublemakers before they even considered acting out.


    Lucas was also part of the student council, along with his best friend Janica, who had practically forced her way in.


    She had barged into the council with her usual boldness, refusing to take no for an answer until she secured her spot.


    ra, as expected, was handling the financial head position, her calm and meticulous nature making her perfect for the role.


    And surprisingly, Rose had been recruited by Snow as well, despite them being rivals for the council presidency.


    It was an unexpected move, but knowing Snow, it likely had a deeper strategic meaning. The whole scenario felt oddly familiar.


    It resembled the harem route from the game, where all the main heroines ended up joining the student council, much to the protagonist''s benefit.


    If Seo decided to join as well, it wouldplete the perfect harem setup for Lucas, though that was only if he made any real progress with any of them-which, as of now, was something that probably won''t happen.


    "Why are you recruiting your rivals?"


    "Stability and control are much needed in a fully filled household, you know?" "Huh?"


    "Nothing~ All I''m doing is asserting a level of dominance and control. That''s all."


    She didn''t borate any further, leaving me with more questions than answers.... though she did look like she had no any ill intentions.


    Knowing Snow, she''s probably up to something


    "Look, it''s one of the three Heroes of Light!"


    "Oh my, is that him?"


    "He''s so handsome!"


    "He''s so cool... wait, who''s that scary guy around him?"


    The whispers followed me as students made their way through greenwood grounds, my presence drawing more attention than I liked.


    While I expected a little recognition after everything that had happened, the herobel was starting to make things a bit moreplicated.


    The attention wasn''t unbearable-most of it was directed at Rose and Lucas, who had their own reputations as rising stars in the academy.


    Rose, after all, had just defeated a major threat, and Lucas had gone from amoner to a hero overnight.


    That took a lot of pressure off me, which was a relief.


    But still, the eyes that lingered on me brought a certain level of expectation and admiration that I didn''t need right now.


    Especially not with the next semestering up, and those heroines joining the academy. ''Next semester huh....''


    I let out a sigh, while a group of general department students brushed past us who were gushing about ourtest aplishments.


    ''I especially don''t want that crazed princess''s attention...''


    If there was one thing I could do without, it was her fixation on power and destiny.


    She''s the type to get easily fascinated by heroic stories so the news about the incident should''ve made its way to her ears despite being far away from the academy.


    Honestly, Lucas, I hope your handsome face and that idental encounter with her is enough to keep her distracted.


    Maybe he could win her over with his charm before she could even put any focus on me. After all, she was known to be... intense, to put it lightly.


    I didn''t need another overly ambitious royal in my life right now.


    "Hahaha, you sure have grown quite poprtely, Mr. Hero of Light~" Kagami teased with


    a grin, his usual stoic demeanor cracking just a little.


    "Give me a break," I groaned, rolling my eyes.


    "Most people would die for the achievement you''ve received, you know?" he added with a shrug, his words carrying some weight.


    He wasn''t wrong. In this world, strength was everything-well, almost.


    It was true that raw power could elevate you, but without the proper achievements or a solid reputation to back it up, that power would be wasted.


    Just like an archmage who achieved immense magical prowess but never contributed anything meaningful to the field of magic-a pointless existence in the grand scheme of


    things.


    In this world, you had to leave a mark, one way or another.


    I nced to my side, where a faint, golden screen flickered in front of me.


    [Mission: Death to the Queen...]


    The words hovered in front of my eyes, taunting me.


    The mission hadn''t changed.


    Not even after Dorothy''s defeat. I had already suspected as much, but a part of me had hoped


    that maybe, just maybe, the "queen" it referred to was Dorothy.


    But no, it seemed I wasn''t going to get off that easily.


    It was talking about the real queen.


    A heavy sigh escaped my lips as the realization sunk in again.


    Whether it was part of the main scenario or not, this mission was just as dangerous as it


    sounded.


    At this rate, it felt like I''d die before I even got the chance to fulfill my fate.


    I couldn''t help but silently curse the system that had given me this impossible task.


    "Dumb system..." I muttered, half expecting it to respond.


    [....]


    But of course, nothing. Just silence.


    Not a word, not a clue-nothing.


    Typical.


    Kagami nced at me, raising an eyebrow but didn''t say anything. I wasn''t in the mood to


    exin theplexities of my situation to him.


    For now, I''d just have to focus on keeping things moving forward, even if the path ahead was


    bing increasingly convoluted.


    Getting up from the bench, I stretched my muscles a bit, feeling the satisfying crack of


    tension easing from my joints.


    As I ignited the mana in my heart, warmth spread through my body, helping to release some


    of the lingering fatigue.


    It wasn''t much, but it gave me enough energy to power through the rest of the day.


    "You''re going already?" Kagami asked, still seated, his tone curious but rxed.


    "Yeah," I replied with a nod, "Thanks for tagging along with me."


    "No problem. I usually do morning jogs every weekend anyway. Might as well do it with a friend, haah! Alright, time to run a bit more," he said, already looking forward to his nextp.


    Friend. He really considers me a friend now.


    The word hit me unexpectedly, and for a moment, I couldn''t help but smile.


    It was rare to hear something so simple, yet meaningful.


    With a quick wave, I turned and started making my way out of the field.


    I nced at my watch: 10:30 AM. Plenty of time had passed already.


    "I shouldn''t make her wait..."


    Our meeting was scheduled for around 11:30, but knowing her, she''d probably arrive an hour


    earlier despite her busy schedule. I''d hate to show upte- or worse, unprepared.


    [Dash] [Proficiency (85%)] → [Activated]


    With a burst of speed, I took off across the field, my body moving effortlessly as the world


    blurred around me.


    My agility had improved significantly after my recent status upgrade, and it showed.


    The wind rushed past me as I sprinted towards the dorm, my goal clear in mind: change into


    something fresh.


    I wouldn''t want to meet her smelling like sweat, after all.


    ...


    "Uhm... Snow?"


    "Hm? Is something wrong, Riley?"


    "Aren''t you a little too close right now?"


    "Do you hate it?" she asked, her tone yful yet sincere.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Well, not really, but-"


    "Then just let it be- Besides, it''s not like there are other people around to see us,"


    I sighed, ncing at Snow''s overly happy face.


    She was bing more bubbly than usual whenever we''re alone together, humming a


    cheerful tune as she locked her hands with mine.


    It was like she was purposely pulling me into her orbit, her body pressed against my left side.


    Every step forward was punctuated by the sensation of her soft form as her chest sometimes


    pressed against me.


    It was clear that she doing this on purpose.


    Well considering how open she is with her feelings something like this was much expected I


    guess....


    Though I''m a bit worried for any shadow knights silently following us in the shadows right now... even they can''t just enter this ce without permission, right?


    Less they want to get on the principal''s bad side.


    "Riley, is something on my face?"


    "Ah, no..."


    She chuckled heartily, clearly having caught me staring-probably at her chest, which I


    quickly tried to avert my gaze from.


    "We''re here," she announced, and I looked ahead, my eyes widening in surprise.


    In front of me stood the prestigious door of the academy''s treasury vault. The craftsmanship was exquisite, even more magical than the door to the principal''s office.


    It felt like a portal to another realm, imbued with the essence of history and magic.


    This was the one and only treasury vault of the academy, housing relics and masterpieces created by the legendary figures who had walked its halls.


    Each item within was steeped in lore and significance, treasures from the past that had shaped


    the very foundation of the academy itself.


    I''ve been to focused on upgrading my physical specs... now It was time for a gear upgrade.