Royal Investiture

ꟷHehehe, I never thought I would wake up in this way,ꟷ the figure remarked, examining his body.

ꟷSystem, does this person come with his own personality?ꟷ I asked, a bit concerned.

[Ding, the host need not worry. This card grants a personality, but it is only a fraction of it, not enough to have independent thoughts.]

Hearing the system, my nerves calmed down. If this had been the full version of Diablo, I would be in serious trouble.

ꟷMy lord, it will be a pleasure to serve you from now on,ꟷ Diablo said, bowing politely.

Seeing the once unconscious person act in this manner felt quite strange. It seemed I went a bit overboard in manipulating his soul, but it was better this way.

ꟷFirst, put this on,ꟷ I said, handing him an armor set I had custom-made a while back.

The armor was entirely black with some golden patterns, matching the mask he wore, along with a black cloak that covered him. To my perspective, he looked incredibly cool.

ꟷTell me, what level are you at now?ꟷ I asked.

ꟷMy lord, at this moment I am at the white core stage. Although it is somewhat weak, I hope to be of use to you,ꟷ Diablo replied, bowing respectfully.

"He truly deserves to be one of the primordials from the world of slime. Although I believe this is only a fraction of his true power, it is incredible to think he could be at the white core level immediately after being summoned," I thought, feeling a bit envious.

ꟷFrom now on, you will hide in my shadow and appear when I call you, understood?ꟷ I said. Diablo nodded quickly and jumped into my shadow, disappearing within it.

Looking up at the sky again, a great sense of excitement filled my heart. I knew I had finally accomplished what I had worked so hard for. Over these three years, my primary focus was researching soul manipulation.

Over time, I discovered that my ability, Great Sage, was not exactly as I knew it. It required me to research certain things on my own until I finally received its help and created the ability.

ꟷHahaha! I finally did it,ꟷ I exclaimed joyfully as I returned.

I walked through the center of the kingdom happily, not returning directly to the castle. In my good mood, I decided to explore the place.

ꟷOh, does Prince Alex have time to relax instead of practicing?ꟷ came a soft but teasing voice behind me.

ꟷToday is a beautiful day, so I just decided to take a walkꟷ, I commented without paying much attention while buying a small bouquet of flowers.

ꟷIs little Alex going to declare his love to us?ꟷ said another teasing voice, pretending to be surprised. ꟷAlthough the young prince is growing up, he's still too young. Maybe in a few more years, if he confesses his love to me, I'll consider it.

ꟷHow clever, but who among us will you confess to?ꟷ said one of them, keeping the teasing tone. ꟷWouldn't it be bold to confess to both of us? Who would have thought the prince would be such a womanizer?

ꟷJejeje, I don't know why Miss Alea and Miss Aya think that. Could it be that deep down they wish I would confess my love to them? Although I understand it's hard to resist my appearance, I remind you that I'm still young. If you want to have something with me, you not only have to think about my acceptance, but also that of my family and the kingsꟷ, I replied with an even more teasing smile, showing false humility as I continued the game.

ꟷPffꟷ, Alea couldn't help but laugh at my response. ꟷIt seems I still can't beat you in shamelessness. How many innocent girls will fall for those sweet words of yours?

ꟷI still don't know ꟷI said, shrugging my shoulders, then looking at them with a cunning glance. ꟷCould you two be some of them?

ꟷFufufu, if you want to chase after your older sister, you still have some growing to do. Also, you'd have quite a bit of competitionꟷ said Aya, raising her chest proudly.

Looking at her, I couldn't help but smile, but the next moment, feeling the mana fluctuation, my eyes widened, noticing she had made a significant advancement.

ꟷDid you really reach the solid stage of the yellow core?ꟷ I said, surprised, as her progress over the years had been quite rapid.

ꟷSurprised?ꟷ she said, even more proudly, ꟷDo you still think it's easy to chase after your older sister?

ꟷI'm really happy for your advancementꟷ, I said sincerely, as I was truly happy for her. ꟷThough it seems you're not the only one who's made great progressꟷ I continued, directing my gaze to Alea, who was also at the solid stage of the yellow core. ꟷAlright, let's go have a big meal to celebrate.

ꟷHehe, although I'd like to accept, it seems, as I thought, you've forgotten what day it is todayꟷ said Alea, shaking her head. ꟷYour grandfather asked us to find you because he knew you'd most likely forget that today is your royal investiture ceremony.

Upon hearing her, I stood still for a moment and softly hit my forehead with my hand. ꟷI really had forgottenꟷ, I said while taking Alea's and Aya's hands, running quickly towards the castle. ꟷWe need to get there fast, or everyone will be upset.

After about ten minutes of running as fast as possible, we arrived at the entrance of the castle where Grandpa Virion was waiting, along with Art, who was dressed very well.

ꟷI knew you'd forget thisꟷ said Virion, shaking his head with a cunning smile before continuing. ꟷBut I never thought you'd arrive holding hands with two beautiful girls.

ꟷI never thought you liked older women, my brother, but don't worry, I'll support you when explaining this to Motherꟷ said Art, keeping the same teasing tone. It seems he has learned to tease after so much time receiving my jokes.

ꟷOf course, they will be my wivesꟷ I said without embarrassment, not paying much attention, and then looking at Arthur. ꟷAlthough I learned this from you, brother, I still don't have the courage to commit at this age like you.

After exchanging words with Alea and Aya, I released their hands and headed directly into the palace. Upon entering, I was greeted by a group of nervous maids, anxious about my potential tardiness. Their leaders practically pounced on me with surprising force and speed, and in the blink of an eye, they had me fully dressed.

I wore an impressive white robe, a garment reserved exclusively for royalty, made from an exquisite fabric of unparalleled quality. A golden emblem, the distinctive crest of the Elenoir royal family, shone on it.

To complement my attire, I wore the iconic white fur stole over my left shoulder, a piece I had personally chosen to be part of my outfit. This stole, however, was different from the one I previously owned; its fur was notably softer, coming from an A-rank mana beast.

Once I was fully dressed, the maids quickly styled my hair into a braid, then led me towards one of the central rooms and left me in front of the door.

Staring intently at that imposing door, a mix of emotions danced in my mind. While I couldn't deny feeling nervous and excited about what was about to happen, I also tried to stay calm. After all, who wouldn't be excited to be named a prince?

Despite the fact that I will soon return to the kingdom of Sapin with Arthur, I have come to deeply appreciate this kingdom. The bond I've formed with my grandfather Virion, King Elduin, and his wife, as well as the wonderful relationship I have with my cousin Tess, make me feel part of this land, even if I don't show it much.

Even I have found pleasure in teasing my brother Art with Tess from time to time.

Finally, the herald's voice echoed through the halls, announcing my entrance into the hall. With firm steps and my heart beating strongly, I advanced towards the center of the hall, where a balcony opened onto the main square, packed with eager elves ready to witness the event.

As I reached the front of the balcony, I felt a slight tremor in my hand, which I forced myself to calm. My grandfather Virion stood beside me with a wide smile, accompanied by Alea, who offered me an encouraging gesture. Aya, on her part, simply winked at me, and Arthur, whose eyes reflected a certain nostalgia, although he tried to hide it behind a smile.

On the other side stood King Elduin alongside his wife and Tess, all of them with big smiles on their faces. I even spotted my grandmother Rinia at the back of the crowd, waving at me with a warm smile.

The murmur of the crowd faded as I approached the balcony, the symbol of my new position as prince of Elenoir. "This really feels like a dream," I thought to myself.

Then, my uncle Elduin stood by my side to address the audience. "On behalf of the crown of Elenoir, we solemnly declare Alexander, firstborn son of Isabella Eralith, princess of the kingdom of Elenoir, officially as the legitimate prince of our realm."

The words echoed in the hall and spread through the square, where the elves cheered with joy at the news, accompanied by applause from everyone present.

Afterward, Elduin took a delicate crystal crown resting on a soft red coronation cushion and gently placed it on my head. The crown was cold, but I barely felt its weight.

It was a moment I would remember forever.Likewise, without my realizing it, I was adding a great burden on my shoulders, which I would feel its great weight long afterward.

In the next moment, several important figures of the elf race came to greet me, while several girls my age approached with obvious blushes on their faces, to whom I simply greeted kindly.

Likewise, the chief of the guards also approached and swore allegiance, which, although it made me uncomfortable, I simply followed the proper procedures.

This was quite stressful, as I wasn't very good at political matters and such, but I knew it was necessary.

Until finally, night fell, and I headed towards my room to rest, but halfway there I met Art, who accompanied me. The journey was silent, but I didn't think much of it.

ꟷAlex, are you really sure about this? ꟷArt asked.

Listening to this question again, I couldn't help but sigh. I understood his words a little, as I knew he had been a king in his past life and apparently things didn't go too well for him. So I sighed before responding.

ꟷAlthough I know this may cause several problems in the future, I'm also doing this for my biological mother. She might have wanted me to acknowledge the family and take on this position ꟷ I said as I hugged Art with one arm. ꟷBut besides that, not much will change, because you're still my younger brother and we'll leave when the portal opens in a few months. I also miss mother, because I think she should know a little about this too, so I don't think she'd mind, because in my heart you're still my family.

Upon hearing my words, I could feel Art's body tense for a moment before he genuinely smiled this time, nodding.

ꟷYou're right, after all, we're still brothers ꟷ he said, then smiled cunningly. ꟷPlus, it doesn't seem bad to have a brother who's a prince of a kingdom, because then I have a secure future and can relax.

ꟷWhat a shameless guy ꟷ I said amidst laughter, patting his shoulder. ꟷBut you've learned well, that's for sure.

As we continued talking, several laughs began to echo in the hallway; it seemed that Arthur's little heart concern had been calmed. So I also stopped worrying about it.

To celebrate, we ordered some food and went to Art's room to talk about various things, as we hadn't had a conversation in a long time. Most of it was inconsequential, and he also told me that he had finally finished his beast will training given by Sylvia, and from now on, he could practice normally.

Also, about Virion's funny reaction upon hearing that the beast that gave him his will was a dragon.

But our conversation was interrupted by a small crack.

Crack Crack

We directed our gaze towards the robe hanging on a chair. Then, out of nowhere, a small chirp came from it.

ꟷIt seems little Sylvie is about to be born ꟷ I thought as I walked slowly towards the direction of the robe, which concealed the egg given by Sylvia.

Art quickly approached the robe, trembling hands pulling out the egg given by Sylvia. He could see how the egg cracked, and in the next moment, he saw a little creature emerge from it.

Approaching with curiosity, I could see little Sylvie.

It was completely black. It reminded me of a small kitten, but with scales. It was on all fours, studying us with its head tilted to one side. The sclera, which was normally white in humans, was black, as well as its iris of a red color. It bore a striking resemblance to Diablo's eyes.

The newborn creature let out a toothless yawn, falling onto its back after losing its balance. Arthur quickly scooped it up in his arms, at which point the little one suddenly bit the bottom of Arthur's left forearm.

ꟷPerhaps fate has decided that little Sylvie would end up accepting Art as her masterꟷ I thought for a moment as I looked at the little one in his arms.

ꟷThey're communicatingꟷ I whispered, noticing how both Art and Sylvie stared at each other for a while.

ꟷOh, indeed they areꟷ said Arthur, with a strange expression on his face.

ꟷSeeing the mark on your arm, it should mean that this little one has accepted you as her bondꟷ I said as I looked at the mark left by Sylvie's bite on Arthur's arm.

ꟷIt seems that after biting me, some kind of telepathic connection has formed, allowing me to hear her thoughtsꟷ he said as he lifted the little dragon. ꟷFrom now on, you'll be Sylvie.

ꟷWhat a good nameꟷ I commented as I picked up a small piece of the eggshell where Sylvie had hatched, then absorbed it with Predator.

After talking a little more with Arthur and playing with little Sylvie, I decided to return to my room, as there would be many things to plan from now on for the future.

[Ding, congratulations, host, for making contact with Sylvie, one of the most important characters for the original story. It has met the conditions to register. Do you want to register?]

ꟷYes, do itꟷ I commented, quite surprised, as I hadn't heard this notification from the system in a while.

[Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining: Character Card - Kumara]

ꟷDamn, I really got another powerful character cardꟷ I said excitedly in my heart. ꟷLittle Sylvie, I promise you, if you grow up to become a beautiful girl, I'll marry you.

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Note 1: I hope you liked the chapter, sorry for the delay, from now on, the protagonist will gradually move away from Arthur, I will be attentive to your comments