Coming Back

After 2 or 3 days, the coachman came to visit as I had instructed him. I had already told Luna to hide herself because I didn't want anyone to know about her. She will be my ace. She turned into mana, becoming like air, so she will be around but couldn't be seen.

We were traveling back to the place where Olivia was waiting for me. 'I hope she completed the task I gave her. I also have to attend the Rising Ceremony,' I thought as I looked outside the window of the carriage.

'Now that I think about the Rising Ceremony, isn't it the place where our MC made his debut and from here onwards starts to be hailed as a genius with his powerful ability?' I continued my thoughts as I began to make plans to visit that place. This will be my first time intervening in the main plot and meeting the protagonist and the princess who will become the protagonist's fiancée.

While I was thinking about the Rising Ceremony, Luna materialized herself in front of me and sat down. I was taken aback by her sudden appearance, as I had told her not to do this, to which she nodded in response. I knew she will do it again. After living with her for two months, I had come to know that she will do whatever she deems fit.

I turned my face back towards the window. I could still feel her stare, but I chose to ignore her. I knew we hadn't communicated for a long time, but I had things to do, so I resumed thinking about future events.

In the Rising Ceremony, all the kids around seven years old from prominent families had to display their abilities in front of everyone to showcase their might and talent. The kids could select the number and type of monster to fight. Yes, that's correct, we had to fight monsters. It was similar to presenting a product to potential investors, except here the product was replaced by future talents.

I didn't have any desire to showcase my full power and attract attention. I had to build my army before anyone took note of me, but that didn't mean I would act weak. I will show some of my abilities.

...

Days passed with me analyzing all the plans and sometimes talking with Luna and Lily. They were very happy and amazed to see the outside world. I also absorbed the excess mana that Luna produced, but the problem is that Luna can only store the excess mana for a day, which means I have to absorb her mana every day at once. I have to keep Luna near me; I can't send her away or she will cause a disaster.

I have to make Olivia my one and only personal maid. That way, I can have Luna with me as well," I thought as I looked at the entry gate of the city where Olivia and the others are temporarily residing.

...

When I entered the gate of the palace, I saw all the maids and servants creating a path for me to enter. As I approached the gate, I noticed the head maid standing nearby.

"Where is Olivia?" I asked her when I got closer. I wanted to know the progress of my army. She replied that Olivia had gone outside with Atlas. I nodded, assuming they must be working.

After dinner, I went to my room to rest. I had already instructed them to send Olivia to me as soon as she entered the palace. I fell onto the bed. This was the thing I missed the most. Sleeping in the forest and in the carriage was difficult. I closed my eyes, longing to enter the world of dreams to escape this harsh reality.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a beautiful figure sleeping in front of me. I jumped out of bed, thinking something was wrong. But when I realized it was Olivia sleeping next to me, I breathed a sigh of relief. I always had a thought that someone would send an assassin to kill me. It was just a reflex action.

Olivia woke up from her sleep due to the noise I made. She looked at me and said, "What happened? Why did you wake up?" while rubbing her eyes.

I looked at her innocent face and thought, 'It's because of you.' But instead of saying that, I asked, "What is the progress of the army?" I really wanted to know. Creating an army was my ultimate goal. When I discussed business matters, her demeanor changed to a serious one.

She stood up, fixed her clothes, and said, "We have gathered 50 talents and 30 artifacts. We can gather more, but we are low on finances..." As she gave me the report, I felt disappointed, but when she mentioned the financial situation, I realized that creating an army required finances. For now, Olivia was managing to control some people to gather funds, but this wouldn't last forever. We needed to create a source of income to sustain the army. I decided to think about this at another time, but first, let me introduce Luna and Lily to Olivia.

"Olivia, I have hired a bodyguard to protect you," I said as I gave Luna a signal to reveal herself. Olivia was taken aback by my remark. She never thought that I would hire someone to protect her, but she didn't realize her own value.

Soon, Luna began to materialize in front of Olivia. Olivia was startled by the sudden fluctuation in mana around me, but she did nothing as I remained still. When Luna fully materialized, I presented her as if presenting a trophy.

As Olivia looked at Luna, she had an expression of awe. It was understandable—Luna had a captivating presence when she materialized, as if a human were forming from the air.

"She will be your guard and will always be by your side," I declared. My statement brought Olivia out of her stupor. She looked at Luna, and Luna did the same. Suddenly, Luna jumped into Olivia, surprising her. However, Olivia opened her arms to catch Luna.

'She can't fully control Lily,' I thought as I observed how Lily and Luna were interacting with Olivia. Lily was incredibly happy, as if she had found her best friend. She even seemed to forget about me. Olivia looked at me with a confused expression, unable to comprehend how two people could coexist within one body. I stepped forward and explained everything to Olivia about Luna and Lily.

After my explanation, Olivia had a sad expression. It was understandable that any sensitive person would feel sadness in such a situation. Olivia turned towards Luna and began chatting with them in a newfound spirit.

I moved towards the couch and sat down. It was a good thing that they were bonding well. They would be together from now on.

'I need to find a way to earn money,' I thought. I never expected that I would have to worry about earning money even in this world. I know many ways to make money, but the problem is how to start and where to find the capital to begin a business. I can't resort to robbery because what if someone asks me where I got the money to start the business, or worse, if my father were to inquire about it.

I racked my brain to find a way to earn the capital for my business as legally as possible, to avoid problems in the future. After some intense brainstorming, I found only one solution—to excel in the upcoming rising ceremony. If I outperform everyone there, I can ask my father for the capital. He will definitely agree.

"Yes, that's what I'll do, even if I have to defeat the protagonist and change the novel's plot. I know that my very existence has already altered the course of events."

After making this decision, I began to let my mind wander, but a thought suddenly struck me. 'Isn't it difficult to enter the Royal family's palace?' I pondered. The palace is like a royal home, and they don't allow just anyone to enter without a proper reason. 'Wouldn't it be a perfect opportunity to rob the royal treasury? They must have incredible artifacts, and the best part is that no one would suspect me, especially since all the major families and their heads will be present. They will undoubtedly suspect each other,' I thought, nodding to myself with a wide grin on my face.

'This is the best plan I've come up with so far, and with Olivia and Luna's help, it will be a piece of cake,' I thought, looking at Olivia and Luna who were happily chatting.

"Ha, ha, ha!" I burst into laughter. Olivia and Luna turned towards me, startled by my crazed laughter, but I paid no attention to their reactions. I laughed like a villain, a villain who had successfully killed the protagonist.

...

As time passed, I observed the training of the army. There wasn't much for me to do since Atlas took care of most of the tasks. I received a message from my father, instructing me to leave for the Capital as the Rising ceremony was approaching.

Each passing day filled me with more excitement. I had already discussed my plan with Olivia and Luna, and they happily agreed to help me rob the royal treasury. 'Why do I feel like a Professor from Money Heist?' I thought, feeling the thrill of what would become the greatest robbery in history. It would be the first time someone successfully robbed the royal treasury.

Author's Note :

Comment about your thought on this chapter.