Arc 1 Chapter 4 : Elena de Aragon

The next morning, I found myself standing in a public cemetery. In front of me was a gravestone engraved with the name "Sephira." I reached into my coat, took out a pocket watch, and gently placed it on the grave.

"Forgive me, Sephira."

A light breeze swept through, scattering leaves across the ground. The quiet atmosphere felt strangely comforting.

As I left the cemetery, I walked along the bustling streets of Terragon—the capital of the Empire. Watching the citizens go about their daily lives, working hard to survive, I couldn't help but think of the suffering that awaited them when the Demon Race eventually attacked the capital.

I must prepare everything to minimize the damage when the invasion comes.

When I reached the academy gates, the usually busy area was eerily quiet. It was the tenth day of the month, which explained the calm. The system of days, months, and years here was different from Earth's. Each month had exactly 30 days, and there were 12 months in a year. The 10th, 20th, and 30th days of each month were public holidays. For context, it was now the year 620—the eighth month—the tenth day of the Frankian calendar.

I made my way toward the student council office, located next to the main academic building. Why was I going there? Because I wanted to strike a deal with the Student Council President.

They had just wrapped up a meeting with the disciplinary committee regarding a recent incident where a student was killed in a monster attack.

My goal was to secure the president's support when I eventually pursued the position I sought. No matter how strong I was, I couldn't be everywhere at once. I needed allies I could trust and a team of my own to prevent the coming disaster.

When I arrived at the Student Council office, I saw several members organizing documents on a table. I approached one of the students to inquire about someone's whereabouts.

"Do you know where Elena de Aragon is?"

"What business do you have with the president, Raul de Garcia?" the student asked coldly.

It seemed Raul's reputation was bad enough to make others wary of speaking to him. But I didn't have time for this.

"This is noble business. How dare a commoner like you question the affairs of your superiors?" I replied, my tone dripping with intimidation.

The student gritted his teeth, clearly angered, but clenched his fists in frustration. He knew the consequences would be severe if a commoner dared to confront a noble like Raul.

"The president is in the meeting room, Raul."

A bespectacled girl suddenly interjected, perhaps hoping to diffuse the tension.

I nodded and left them, heading toward where Elena was.

When I reached the meeting room, I opened the door.

Inside, a beautiful blonde woman sat. Her blue eyes sparkled like diamonds, her skin was as white as snow, and the curves of her body could weaken any man just by looking at her.

She was Elena de Aragon—Second Princess of Emperor Philip de Aragon. In the future, she would be known as the Goddess of War of the Empire.

As she noticed my presence, she glanced at me and smiled.

"Ah, Raul. It's rare to see you here," Elena teased.

I frowned, slightly offended. Raul was a member of the disciplinary committee, a position he held solely due to his noble status. However, he never attended council meetings, hence Elena's mockery.

"I'm not sure what you mean, President," I responded, sitting down across from her without waiting for permission.

"Shouldn't you ask for permission before sitting in the presence of a higher-ranking noble, Raul? Does your family not teach you noble etiquette? It's quite worrying to see the heir of the Garcia family behave this way," Elena remarked, her voice smooth yet sharp.

Her words irritated me. I shot a cold glare at her, but Elena wasn't fazed. In fact, her smile widened, as if daring me to retaliate.

Her expression seemed to say, 'Do you dare insult the Emperor's daughter as you insult commoners?' It was true that Elena's rank was higher than Raul's, but this was precisely why I had come—to strike a deal.

"President, the academy prohibits the use of noble status to oppress others," I pointed out, challenging her.

"But isn't that what you often do, Raul?" she countered mercilessly. "Isn't it time you realized that there's always someone higher than you?"

Ugh, why did she enjoy getting under my skin so much? I hadn't realized she had this side to her. In the game, she mostly interacted with Brian.

"I came here to discuss something with you, President," I said, attempting to steer the conversation in a different direction. It was slightly embarrassing to let her win in a verbal sparring match.

At my words, the president seemed pleased, her mood lifted by the satisfaction of outwitting an arrogant noble like me.

"Alright then, what is it you want to discuss?"

"I want to be your primary supporter in the upcoming succession for the leadership of the Aragon Empire."

Elena's eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting my words.

"What did you just say?"

---

Elena's PoV

In this world, men have always held the central roles in society. They lead countries, hold important positions, and head their families. All the glory belongs to them.

It's understandable, though, since men are the ones who historically protected women from danger. They wage wars, provide for their families, and make crucial decisions.

Because of this, women have often been sidelined, viewed as inferior, and reduced to political tools for men.

This was true in Aragon as well, where noblewomen were merely used as pawns in the political game.

However, this mindset began to shift 250 years ago when Queen Isabella de Aragon ascended the throne.

She was a remarkable ruler, admired by both men and women across Aragon. Queen Isabella transformed the Kingdom of Aragon into an Empire, raising its status and making it feared by other nations.

After her death, women gained more recognition. They could inherit family estates, hold important roles, and even become knights.

Queen Isabella's reign gave women in Aragon hope for greatness. She imbued them with pride, ensuring they no longer felt inferior to men.

But as time passed, the empire strayed from Queen Isabella's policies. Men once again dominated key roles, female knights were disrespected, and noblewomen were treated as political tools.

Government policies have widened the gap between nobles and commoners, leading to rebellion and anti-government movements.

I want to create a better empire—one where everyone, regardless of social status, has the opportunity to achieve greatness and the freedom to pursue their dreams.

This is why I began building influence within the empire, seeking support from like-minded nobles. Yet, after two years, I had only secured the backing of a single noble family.

So Raul de Garcia's offer caught me by surprise. He declared his support for me in the upcoming imperial succession.

Judging by his expression, he wasn't joking. I cleared my throat to break the tension.

"Um... Could you repeat what you just said?" I asked, needing confirmation.

"I—Raul de Garcia—heir to the Garcia family, wish to support Elena de Aragon in the upcoming succession for Emperor," Raul repeated. "Do I need to say it more formally, President?"

"No, it's just... your offer took me by surprise," I replied, still unsure how to react to his bold declaration.

However, Raul surely wouldn't offer support without expecting something in return. There must be conditions for this alliance.

"What are your conditions?" I asked, seeking clarity.

"First, I want to be appointed as the new head of the Disciplinary Committee," Raul said, raising one finger.

I paused to think.

I had run for Student Council President to expand my influence and change academy policies that deepened the social divide.

Promoting Raul, with his terrible reputation, would conflict with my efforts. However, his support would gain me 25 additional votes in the upcoming succession.

"Alright, I can appoint you as head of the Disciplinary Committee," I agreed.

Seeing my agreement, Raul smiled and raised a second finger.

"Second, I want your unconditional support and protection in any actions I take while holding important positions in the Aragon Empire."

At first, this seemed reasonable, but Raul's reputation was a problem. I didn't want to be responsible for his actions.

"I can't agree to that," I replied firmly.

Raul looked confused, as if I'd spoken a foreign language.

"Why do you look surprised? Are you unaware of your own reputation? If I support all your reckless actions, my good name will suffer."

If my reputation matched Raul's, how could I gain the backing of other nobles? I couldn't accept this.

"I won't do anything that violates the academy or Empire's rules. Isn't that enough?" Raul offered, trying to persuade me. "And you won't have to reveal that the Garcia family supports you."

Under those terms, I felt it was reasonable.

"Alright, I accept your conditions, Raul."

However, one question remained. Rumor had it that the Garcia family was aligned with Brother Felix's faction, leading many nobles to assume their support was already secured for him.

"Before we finalize this, do you have Duke Alvaro's blessing for the Garcia family's support?" I asked.

Raul smiled confidently. "Don't worry, I'll convince my father."

---

Raul's PoV

After making a deal with Elena, I rushed to the dorm room.

The reason I chose Elena as an ally was because of her trustworthy character. Elena is one of the NPCs in the Path of Destiny Game who will help Brian—the character that the Players play after the third chapter.

However, in the fifth chapter, Elena will be killed because she was betrayed by one of the Empire's nobles.

After arriving at the dorm room, I took a piece of paper to write a letter to be sent to Raul's father—Duke Alvaro de Garcia. I want to meet him to discuss my deal with Elena.

No matter what, I must be able to convince him to support Elena in the succession of the next Emperor election.

That's because, my father is the one who will betray Elena until he gets killed during the war.