Collection 1 Chapter 36 421-430

Chapter 421: Is He Cheating On Us?

—–

< Gained Exp Points: 15,000 >

< Ding! >

< Fighter Job Class has reached its Max Level! >

< Would you like to advance to the next Job Class? >

< Yes / No >

——

Ashe panted after she dealt the final blow on the Giant Blue Slime that served as the Boss on the Fifth Floor of the Dungeon of Atlantis.

William and Wendy stood at the side and watched the battle without supporting her because it was what the mermaid warrior wanted.

After receiving the Fighter Subclass, Ashe's techniques in wielding her Whip Sword had been refined further, which allowed her to fight against the Giant Slime with ease.

William and his group didn't expect that the bosses for the Atlantis Dungeon would start on the fifth floor instead of the tenth floor, which was quite common among normal dungeons. This made William and the System realize the vast difference between a lower ranked dungeon and a dungeon that had been given the SSR Rating.

'System, switch Ashe's Job Class to Earth Mage,' William ordered.

< Subclass has been switched successfully! >

'Thank you.'

William walked towards Ashe and congratulated her for her victory. Wendy did the same and the three exchanged high fives with each other.

"Ashe, I have something to tell you," William said with a mischievous smile on his face.

"I don't like that look on our face," Ashe replied. "Out with it. What are you planning to do?"

"Well, how do you feel about learning Earth Magic?"

"Earth Magic? Are you referring to the magic that my twin sister can wield?"

William nodded his head. He had already told the two girls that he had the ability to bestow upon them new powers that they could use to further increase their strength. At first, Ashe and Wendy were doubtful of William's declaration, but soon, they understood that he was not joking with them.

William had bestowed the Fighter Job Class to Ashe. His goal was to unlock the Job Class Geomancer, which required both the Earth Mage and the Fighter Job Class at their Max levels.

The Geomancer was a unique class because it specialized in magic-based attack. However, there was a trick in using this Job Class. Its attack would depend on the kind of terrain the user was in.

For example, if Ashe were to fight on land, or any ordinary terrain she would be able to wield Earth Magic. If she was fighting in a swamp, she would be able to use Water Magic.

William was quite curious about what would happen if Ashe were to fight inside a forest. Perhaps she would be able to cast Wood Magic that would devastate her enemies in the Wood-favorable terrain.

"Just, how are you able to do this?" Ashe asked. "I never heard of this kind of power before."

William flipped his hair and gave his mermaid lover a dashing smile. "Now you know how strong I am. You are quite fortunate that you chose this handsome Half-Elf as your lover."

Ashe and Wendy snorted at the same time. They really loved William, but whenever the red-headed boy started to brag and act arrogant, they got the urge to beat the crap out of him.

Seeing that the two girls were itching to give him a good beating, William raised his hands in surrender.

"Still, wouldn't it be interesting?" Wendy commented from the side. "If Isaac were to see you wield Earth Magic, I'm sure her jaw will drop in shock and disbelief."

A smile appeared on Ashe's lips because she could already picture her twin's reaction. Wendy was right, she was also secretly

looking forward to Isaac's reaction once she saw her Earth Magic.

William chuckled before casually wrapping his arm around Wendy's waist and pulling the blonde beauty close to him.

"How about you, Wendy?" William asked. "Is the Rune Mage to your liking?"

Wendy nodded her head and looked up at William with starry eyes. "The Runemage is a very interesting job. I love it!"

"I'm glad that you feel that way," William kissed Wendy's cheek before looking at her current stats

—–

Name: Wendy Cy Armstrong

Race: Human

Age: 16

Job Class: Magic Lancer (Level 28)

Subclass: Rune Mage (Level 23)

Locked Prestige Class: Valkyrie

(Requirements not met)

< Valkyrie >

— Requirements to unlock Job Class

— Soul Mate Skill

— Imperial Lancer

— Celestial Bloodline

—–

Wendy was a magician with Dual Affinities. She specialized in Metal and Wind Magic, but since her proficiency in Wind Magic wasn't as strong as her Metal Magic, she focused on this more while growing up.

However, after clearing the Trial of Enlightenment, her Wind Magic had become stronger and became as powerful as her Metal Magic. Because of this, Wendy was able to fight while wielding two powers simultaneously.

This was also why William decided to let her play around with the Rune Mage Job Class. Just as the name suggested, this Mage Type Job Class' main focus was creating runes.

At first, Wendy felt intimidated because she had to memorize four different runes and learn how to write them in order to activate its powers.

Fortunately, Wendy's aptitude to learn and dual wield was the real deal so the Rune Mage Job Class easily became her favorite. By combining two or more runes, Wendy was able to cast magic that boosted her overall fighting prowess.

One of her favorite runic spells was the Runic Blades. It allowed her to materialize Four Longswords that dealt Ethereal Damage. These Runic Blades ignored the enemy's defense and were lethal against those wearing heavy armor.

Once the blade cut through their body, it would drastically weaken their strength, and slow their reaction time, allowing Wendy to deal the final blow with ease.

She also liked the rune traps that she could place on the ground undetected since they would automatically explode once a target stepped within its range. This was also a trump card that Wendy could use when fighting against multiple enemies and controlling the flow of battle at the same time.

William's goal was for her to unlock the RuneMaster Job Class which required a combination of the Rune Mage and the Fighter Job Class at their Max levels.

He believed that with this additional ace under Wendy's sleeve, she would be able to protect herself in the midst of battle.

William understood that he couldn't always be with them when they fought on the battlefield. The only thing he could do was to increase their proficiency in wielding their new powers to allow them more leeway during tough situations.

"Let's check the sixth floor," William said as she pulled Ashe close to him and gave her a kiss as well. "I think we will be facing a different type of monster next."

The two ladies beside him nodded their heads in agreement. However, before they could even step onto the next floor, the System sent a notification to William, telling him that Est, Dave, Conrad, and Isaac had finally arrived in the Kyrintor Mountains.

"Let's postpone our dungeon expedition," William stated. "Est has arrived. Let's go meet her."

—–

Lionheart screeched before descending towards the Third Peak of Chivalry. The survivors of the Tribes, who hadn't seen a Gryphon before, looked at Lionheart with curiosity and admiration. However, when they saw the Wyvern that was hovering right next to it, all of them cried out in shock and unsheathed their weapons.

Although they hadn't seen a Gryphon before, they were quite familiar with Wyverns. There were Snow Wyverns that lived near the Kyrintor Mountains and they would sometimes conduct raids in order to capture the livestock s that they reared in their Tribes.

Sometimes, the Wyverns would also take some of the Tribe members during their raids to serve as their food once they got back to their nests.

Takam had turned a blind-eye in these raids because it was also a way for him to prevent the Northern Tribes from being overly complacent about his protection. The Demigod had declared that he would only aid them during an invasion. However, when it came to monster raids, he ordered them to fend for themselves.

This was why the warriors of the tribes had remained strong throughout the years, and had become a force that the Hellan Kingdom didn't want to deal with.

William walked towards the flying carriage along with Wendy. Ian had already transformed herself into a boy and went to greet her Young Master and twin sister.

Although she liked to stay by William's side, that didn't change the fact that she was Est's retainer along with Isaac. It was her duty to protect Est at all times.

"Welcome to the Kyrintor Mountains, Young Master," Ian greeted as he held Est's hand to help her disembark from the flying carriage.

"It's good to see you again, Ian," Est replied with a smile. He then lowered his head to whisper something in Ian's ear.

"Is he cheating on us?" Est asked.

"No," Ian replied. "He's been busy gathering allies ever since we left the capital. Wendy and I are making sure that he doesn't do anything funny."

The corner of William's lips twitched when he heard the two whispering boys, who were only a few meters away from him. Although they were whispering to each other, William's strong hearing was able to pick up their conversation.

William felt that Est's arrival would break the status quo and cause complications in their bedroom arrangements during the latter's stay in the Third Peak of Chivalry.

Chapter 422: This Is The Power Of Love

Brianna had held a small banquet to celebrate Est's arrival in the Kyrintor Mountains. When the banquet ended, William took Dave and Conrad with him to have a private talk. His purpose for doing so was to know more about the current situation in the Capital of the Hellan Kingdom.

While William was away, Est, Wendy, Ian, and Isaac locked themselves inside William's bedroom to have some girl talk as well. Naturally, the nature of their discussion were the events that had transpired after William had left the capital.

Ian narrated everything that they had done since the beginning. She told them about William's meeting with the Infernal Ape in the forest outside the Academy. Then she narrated how William and her were attacked by a Moody Myriad Beast inside the Whimsical Forest before gaining the help of the Centaurs.

Ian sighed when she told them about the stubborn Titanic Trollhound that didn't trust Humans. She also mentioned, albeit in a lower tone, the conditions that were given to William by the Sovereign of the Kyrintor Mountains.

"Before going to the Town of Hartlepool, we stopped by the Armstrong Duchy because William missed Wendy," Ian said while giving the blushing girl beside her a side-long glance.

"What happened inside the Goblin Crypt?" Est inquired. She didn't believe for a moment that a Demigod would simply ask William to clear a dungeon without a reason.

Ian and Wendy glanced at each other before answering Est's inquiry.

"William did something unexpected and captured a Dungeon Monster using a golden cube," Ian explained. "After that, he touched the Dungeon Core with the ring on his hand and froze on the spot."

Wendy decided to continue Ian's explanation because the latter took a glass of water to wet her throat. "The moment the ring touched the Dungeon Core, it disappeared and William just stood there in a daze. No matter how much we called out to him or shook his body, he remained unmoved."

Ian nodded her head in affirmation. "He only broke out of his daze after fifteen minutes. After that, we left the dungeon and returned to the Armstrong Duchy. William didn't tell us what happened, and we didn't want to pry."

"I see." Est held the hand of the two girls. "Thank you for being there to support him."

The two girls gripped Est's hand and smiled. As William's three lovers, they had already formed an alliance to ensure that William wouldn't randomly pick up girls wherever he went.

Isaac watched this scene with a complicated expression. She felt out of place, but there was nothing she could do except listen to the three girls gossip about William behind the Half-Elf's back.

—–

An hour later, William returned to his room and told Est and Isaac that he wanted to show them a secret. Since Est was his lover, and Isaac was her retainer–as well as Ian's twin sister–William decided to include the hardworking Isaac into his inner circle.

"… T-This?" Est stuttered. "This is the secret you wanted to share with me?"

"Unbelievable," Isaac muttered as she scanned her surroundings.

William chuckled when he saw Est's and Isaac's reactions after he brought them inside the Thousand Beast Domain. Since they would be fighting side by side in the future, he deemed that it was necessary to share some of his secrets with them.

(A/N: Forgive me when I switch pronouns every now and then. I'm sure that you already understand the reason why.)

"This Domain is yours?" Est gave William a serious expression. "How did you get it?"

William crossed his arms over his chest before answering Est's question. "If I told you that I bought it, would you believe me?"

"No." Est firmly shook her head. "I never heard of anyone selling a Domain. How about you, Isaac?"

Isaac shook her head as well. Although she could tell that William wasn't lying, she refused to believe that a Domain could be bought just like that.

"Well, since you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do about it." William smirked. He himself knew how ridiculous his words sounded, so he didn't bother to persuade the two to believe him.

"Actually, there's one more thing

that I'd like to show you," William held Est's hand while offering the other to Isaac. "What you are going to see next is more unbelievable than this. I hope that the two of you are ready."

—–

Atlantis Dungeon…

"What kind of sorcery is this?!" Est rubbed her face with her hands.

William took her and Isaac to the Fourth Floor of the Dungeon of Atlantis where the Goblin Warriors were currently fighting against Slimes.

Of course, these Slimes didn't pose any threat to them. They were merely farming Dungeon Points as per William's orders, so that he could upgrade the Goblin Crypt, and increase the number of its floors.

"William, are you still Human?" Isaac inquired. "Just how are you doing this?"

"You're so silly, Isaac." William happily patted Isaac's shoulder. "Of course I'm not a Human. I'm a Half-Elf. I thought you already knew this."

Isaac looked at William with a dumbfounded expression. "Of course, I know that you're a Half-Elf. What I mean is, no mortal can do the things you can do. Are you sure you're still a mortal?"

William nodded his head. "I am mortal, but I'm no ordinary mortal. Have you seen a Half-Elf as handsome as I? Have you seen a Half-Elf as awesome as I? Have you seen a Half-"

"Okay. Okay, I understand." Isaac silenced William with a stopping gesture. "Are there any other secrets you want to share with us? At this point, I think I can believe anything."

"Me, too," Est commented from the side. "Do you have other things to share?"

William grinned mischievously as he glanced at Ashe and Wendy who were standing not far from him.

The two girls understood the hint and decided to show Est and Isaac the results of their Dungeon training.

"Rock Bullet," Ashe said as she pointed her finger at a Slime.

Immediately a small rock materialized out of thin air and flew in the direction of the Slime, making it explode.

Isaac's pupils shrunk when her twin sister cast an Earth Magic Skill in front of her. Ashe wasn't able to stop herself from grinning when she saw her twin's reaction.

Wendy created two hand seals using both of her hands and merged them together. Immediately four Runic Blades appeared around her. They glowed in an eerie light that made Est look at them with curiosity.

After observing the floating swords for two minutes, she returned her attention to William and asked the question that was on her mind.

"How?" Est asked.

Est had already been baffled when she saw Ashe use an Earth Magic Skill. She knew that her retainer didn't have Dual Affinities in Magic, so she couldn't understand how the latter was able to do what she did.

As for Wendy, although the Runic Blades were good, Est only thought that the blonde girl had combined Metal and Air Magic together to form this new kind of Magic. She looked at the red-headed boy with a heated gaze and demanded an answer.

"This is the Power of Love," William answered calmly. "Only those who love me will be able to wield these powers. What do you think? Pretty awesome, right?"

"Yes." Est nodded. "Where's mine?"

"Um?"

"I'm asking where mine is? You gave Ashe and Wendy this power, what about me?"

The smile on William's face froze because he had completely forgotten about Est. He was so excited to show these powers to his BFF because he wanted to brag. However he had made a terrible mistake in doing so.

(A/N: BFF means Best Friends Forever, or just simply a very close friend.)

Beads of sweat formed on William's forehead because he had overlooked the necessary requirements in order to bestow a Subclass to one of his lovers.

"What's wrong?" Est asked as she walked towards William. "Don't tell me that I can't have these powers as well."

"W-Well, there is a right time for everything," William stuttered as he unconsciously took a step back. "T-There is an important requirement that must be met before you can acquire these powers."

"And that is?"

"I-It is a very difficult requirement. The current you is unable to clear the conditions for these powers to activate."

Est stopped walking then glanced at Ashe and Wendy. She then looked at William with a raised eyebrow as if telling him "These two managed to pass the requirement and I can't?"

"About that, I also want to know." Wendy suddenly held William's arm before looking up at him with a curious expression. "You said that there are requirements, right? What are those requirements? Can anyone have them?"

"No." William shook his head. "Only my lovers get this benefit."

"Aren't I your lover?" Est asked in a challenging tone. "Wait. Are you telling me that you don't recognize me as your lover? Is that it?"

Est walked towards William. She only stopped when she was only a meter away from the red-headed boy and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Est, it's not what you think," William replied as he tried to think of a way to bullsh*t his way out of this mess.

What happened with Wendy was a complete accident and he was not confident that the same could be replicated with Est.

Issei had already told him that he was still underaged, so the power of his King's Chesspiece wouldn't allow him to add more Familia Members. Unless Est and him rolled in the sheets in their dreams, or something similar, it would be impossible to add his silver-haired lover to the list of his Familia Members.

Left with no choice, William took Est to a place where the two of them could talk in private. He explained why he wasn't able to bestow a Subclass on her. Est listened patiently to William's explanation.

Est's face turned beet-red when she finally understood why William was unable to give her what she wanted. Although she loved William, her heart wasn't ready for something that stimulating.

Est's mother, Elizabeth, didn't let Est grow as an ignorant child and taught her about the Birds and the Bees. She did this to ensure that she wouldn't be taken advantage of when she finally regained her true form.

"You're right, we're still too young for this," Est said as she lowered her head. "Thank you for telling me."

William sighed as he hugged the very first friend he had made outside of Lont. "Don't worry. When that time comes, I promise that I will take responsibility. Also, I will do my best to lift the curse that has been given to you by the Goddess Astrid."

"Un," Est replied. "I believe you."

"Thank you."

"I'll wait for you, Will. Just, don't make me wait too long, okay?"

"I will do my best. Let the Gods decide the rest."

Chapter 423: Est's Innocence [Part 1]

Inside William's Spiritual World the subtle sounds of kissing could be heard. A girl with long, silver hair, was being held by a red-headed boy in a firm embrace.

William kissed Est's soft lips with light pecks while she had her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around his back.

Two minutes later, William pulled back and looked at the beautiful lady whom he considered to be one of his best friends. This was the first time that the two of them had spent some time alone with each other inside his Sea of Consciousness.

After William had explained why he couldn't bestow additional powers onto Est, the latter asked him how far he had gone with Ashe and Wendy.

Although this was a tricky question, William answered honestly that he still hadn't crossed that line with Ashe and Wendy. Naturally, he also told Est about what happened with Wendy and explained that it was something that was out of his control.

Est understood this, but she still asked William to share a bit of intimacy with her. This was why both of them had Synchronized and gone into William's Spiritual World where Est's true form could appear before his eyes.

Unlike Wendy and Ashe, who sometimes took the initiative, Est was very passive when it came to the things that lovers did.

She also wanted to experience kissing, but since she didn't have any experience, she left everything in William's hands.

When the Half-Elf held Est's slender body, and pressed his lips over hers to kiss her, he came to the realization that his third lover was unexpectedly very timid when it came to kissing. She was like a vase that could break if he held her too hard, so William took things slowly, and gently.

He didn't ravage her lips like he had done with Wendy in their one night of passion, nor did he initiate to intertwine their tongues together like what he did with Ashe during Issei's training. He just gave simple, soft, pecks on her soft lips and that was enough to make Est's legs turn into jelly.

William looked at his third lover with gentle eyes and waited for her to regain her composure.

"How was your first kiss?" William asked. "Was it to your liking?"

Est unconsciously touched her lips with her hand as she stared back at Wiliam. "It was very different from how I imagined it to be. But…"

The silver-haired beauty placed her free hand over her chest as a blush crept up her face. "My heart

is beating wildly inside my chest. This was my first kiss and yet…"

"And yet?" William inquired. He looked at her with loving eyes as he waited for her to continue what she was planning to say.

"And yet… I want more," Est replied. "However, I feel as if you were holding back. Is there something wrong?"

William smiled and caressed the side of her face. "I was doing my best to hold back. I'm afraid that, if I lose control, I might break you and I don't want to do that."

"Break me?"

"Yes."

William then pulled her close and allowed her head to rest on his shoulder.

"You were just so cute that I almost lost myself," William whispered. "I know that this might sound rude coming from me, but I'm glad that a curse was placed on you. If not then I'm afraid that all the guys in the Martial, Magic, and Spirit Divisions would fight against each other in order to become your lover."

"You're exaggerating," Est whispered back.

"No, I'm not. It is the truth."

"…"

Est became speechless because she could feel the sincerity in William's voice and demeanor. Because of this, she felt something warm spread throughout her chest which made her very happy.

The two hugged for a while before William once again kissed his lover's lips. After a few soft pecks, William asked Est if she was willing to try something different. Est hesitated for a brief moment, but she still nodded her head. She was curious about what William meant by trying something different.

"Part your lips," William said softly. "And don't bite my tongue."

Est timidly obeyed. As soon as her lips parted, William kissed her again, but this time, his tongue entered her mouth. The silver-haired beauty's body shuddered when William's tongue intertwined with hers.

It was a very foreign feeling to her, but she didn't resist and allowed William to have his way. Just like the last time, William did it gently. He played with Est's tongue as the latter gradually got used to his soft and gentle attacks.

William pulled back and both of them panted for breaths. They didn't know how long the kiss lasted. All they knew was that they had been lost in their own world as they shared their feelings for each other.

"That kiss is very different from the one we first had," Est said as she looked at William with moist eyes. "It is more… intense. What is it called?"

"Was it too intense?" William asked, a little concerned.

Est shook her head.

William smiled then as he looked at his lover's disheveled expression. Est had always been a prim and proper person. Seeing her in this state almost made William want to pin her down and teach her how intense a kiss could be.

"It's called a French Kiss," William replied. "How was it? Was it better compared to before?"

Est closed her eyes to ponder William's question. She had always been the serious type. She even took William's teasing seriously.

"The first one was soft and, yet, my heart felt like it was dancing," Est said with her eyes still closed. "I didn't dislike that feeling. In fact, I loved it because I felt how much you cared about me through your actions.

"The second one was different. I could feel your intense feelings of wanting to… make me yours." The shade of red in Est's face became deeper when she felt William's desire to own her through the kiss.

William was surprised because although he had held back, his heart and body wanted to leave his mark on the beautiful girl in front of him and make her understand that her lips belonged to him.

'This is bad,' William thought. 'Estelle is pushing all of my buttons. I might not be able to control myself if we continue.'

Although William had been trained by Owen and the Goddess Eros about how to deal with ladies, Est was making him feel like a criminal that was planning to stain something pure with his colors.

Chapter 424: Est's Innocence [Part 2]

"Will? Is there something wrong?" Est reached out to touch the side of his face.

The moment the warm and soft hand touched his skin, William unconsciously drew a deep breath as he looked at his lover's beautiful crimson eyes. He could see his reflection in them and it made him have a sense of pride, knowing that she would only look at him with eyes filled with affection.

"Yes," William replied in a hoarse voice. "You are driving me crazy."

Before Est could even understand what William meant by the words "driving him crazy" she found herself pressed against his body as William held her in a tight embrace.

William had equipped the Incubus Job Class earlier in order to let Est have a taste of what it was like to share an intimate moment with him. However, there was some kind of force inside Est's body that seemed to be at odds with the powers of the Incubus Job Class.

This power wasn't hurting William, because Est didn't perceive him as an enemy. However, her body had been blessed by the Goddess Astrid, imbuing it with Holy Power. Astrid was a member of the Righteous Faction and Est was her devout follower.

The Righteous and Evil Factions naturally repelled each other and this was what was currently happening between Est and William. The red-headed boy was getting the overwhelming desire to corrupt Est and conquer her.

This was something that he didn't want to do, so he had to keep these lustful feelings at bay using his willpower. In the end, William decided to switch his Subclass and the desire to corrupt the beauty in his arms immediately subsided.

William's body suddenly had a subtle glow of light in it, which resonated with Est's own Holy Power.

"Will? What's wrong? You look pale," Est stared at him anxiously.

William smiled as he patted his lover's head while trying to regain his composure. William had equipped his Sun Knight Job Class, which was also part of the Righteous Faction and the uncomfortable feeling went away.

"I'm fine," William said as he hugged Est close to him. "Don't worry. I was just…"

"Just?"

"Just… suddenly had the urge to kiss you again?"

"Then kiss me and don't scare me like that."

Est raised her head and closed her eyes. She waited for William to initiate the kiss because she liked the feeling of letting the Half-Elf take the initiative to kiss her. It made her feel that the love she had for the boy was mutual.

Est knew that William was

just making an excuse, but she didn't want to let this moment of intimacy slip away. She had endured long enough and wanted to be together with William as much as Ian and Wendy had been.

Just the two of them.

Without her retainers.

Without anyone watching.

Without any obstacles that prevented her from feeling loved.

Even though she couldn't surrender her everything to William due to their age, she was still willing to do her best to understand what it was like to become lovers with the boy that she had loved for so many years.

Even without the Incubus Job Class, William was proficient enough to give Est what she wanted. The two kissed, and kissed, and kissed some more until Est found herself lying on the sea in William's Spiritual World.

William looked down on her with undisguised love and affection.

Once again, William didn't need the Incubus Job Class to mark the silver-haired beauty as his lover. He lowered his lips to kiss the nape of her neck which made Est's body shudder. He kissed, and suckled that part and gave it a light bite, leaving a mark on her smooth, and pale, skin.

He could see Est's skin reddened from the kissmark that he had left on her neck. He wanted to add more, but decided to hold back because he might not be able to stop himself if he continued with his line of thought.

"Will," Est said as she reached out to wrap her arms around William's head. "Don't hold back. I am not a vase that will break easily. I am strong."

The pair of crimson eyes that looked straight into his own light-green eyes made William's heart beat faster inside his chest. The little snow rabbit was offering herself to him, and the red-headed boy was on the verge of turning into a wolf that would eat her up until nothing was left.

"Est…"

"Will?"

"Don't say those words while you look at me with those eyes filled with yearning," William stated as he planted a kiss on her forehead. "It's a crime. I don't want to be a criminal and…"

William whispered in Est's ears which made the latter cover her face in embarrassment.

'Seriously, how can my lover be this cute?' William thought as he rested his head on Est's soft chest to feel her heartbeat. Although both of them were still wearing clothes, William's sensitive hearing could still hear his lover's wildly beating heart.

He could also feel her warmth, her softness, and the subtle fragrance of her body. William took all of this in as he allowed himself to be lost in these tender feelings that both of them shared.

Suddenly, a pair of soft and slender hands rested themselves on William's head and held him in place.

The two of them didn't talk, for no words were needed. Est felt very happy because she was finally able to embrace William. Not in his unconscious state, but in a state where the other was able to reciprocate her feelings.

She prayed that once the war was over, William would be able to lift the curse on her body. That way, the two of them would be able to hold each other, not only in his Spiritual World, but in the real world as well.

Until then, she would hold on to his sweet kisses and whispers of love that made her realize that the words that her mother had told her long ago were indeed true.

—-

"Est, when the sky falls down. There will always be people who will step up and carry its weight on their shoulders," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Will I be able to meet such a person?" Est asked. His face was half in doubt and half curious of the possibility of meeting someone who could create a miracle.

"Of course you will." Elizabeth chuckled. "If it's you, you are destined to meet such a person. Just know that if he really appears in your life, you'd better… hold him close and never, ever, let

Chapter 425: Pillar Of Support

"Where did the two of you go?" Wendy asked when William and Est returned to the Villa in the Thousand Beast Domain. "You've been gone for a few hours."

William smiled and sat on the couch beside Wendy. "Est and I did some training. Right, Est?"

Est nodded. Her face was calm and collected, which was vastly different from the silver-haired lady within William's Spiritual World, who melted with happiness because of William's kisses.

Ian looked at her Young Master with an understanding gaze. After spending time with William over the past few weeks, she knew how passionate the Half-Elf could be when the two of them were together.

She assumed that her Young Master had been able to share an intimate moment with William based on the slight smile that could be seen at the corner of Est's lips.

Wendy rolled her eyes at the Half-Elf's futile attempt to hide things from her. If she hadn't seen Est's true form, as well as the affection that she had shown William when the boy was still unconscious, Wendy would definitely brush off William's excuse like the passing breeze.

Even so, she just kept silent because she had already accepted that her lover was destined to have multiple lovers aside from her.

'At least, I am his First Wife,' Wendy thought as she leaned on William's shoulder. 'I will not give away my position to anyone.'

William didn't know what his lovers were thinking. He just thought that he handled the situation really well and was giving himself a thumbs up in his heart for a job well done. His time with Est was truly sweet.

The Half-Elf enjoyed teaching her how to kiss and the latter, although a bit passive still, did her best to learn.

'Still, I shouldn't use the Incubus Job Class when I am with Est,' William mused as he patted Wendy's head while looking at Est. That was the first time William had felt the overwhelming desire to conquer and, in a sense, corrupt his lover by making Est fall into the throes of pleasure.

After consulting the System, both of them came to the conclusion that the polar powers of the Righteous and Evil Factions affected different Job Classes to a certain extent.

William didn't want to conquer Est in that kind of manner because she was surprisingly innocent when it came to relationships. She was like a sheep and William was like a wolf. The poor sheep was unaware that the Wolf was planning to eat her whole, not even leaving the bones behind.

—–

"A day's travel in that direction, you will arrive at the Town of Lont," a teenage boy said as he pointed at the distance. "I am one of Sir William's Knights, so I have been in his hometown once. Do you still want me to accompany all of you or can you manage on your own?"

"If it's not a bother, can you please accompany us till the end?" Paul, the new leader of the Freedom Fighters from the Zelan Dynasty

replied with a smile. "I will ensure that you get enough food to last for your return journey."

"Very well. I will guide you safely to Lont."

"Thank you."

Paul and the other fighters from the Zelan Dynasty had traveled for several days on horseback. They used teleport gates and asked many people for directions until they found a teenage boy riding on top of a Hippogriff in one of the towns located in the South Eastern Side of the Hellan Kingdom.

All of them were already losing hope, but Paul still urged them forward until they found the boy who was part of William's Knight Order.

A day later…

"I-Is that a Millennial Beast?!" a pretty girl gasped when she saw the giant golden ape in the distance.

"W-Wyverns! And there are more than one of them!" another boy exclaimed as he pointed at the flying lesser dragons that were patrolling the skies.

Paul's face became grim as he looked at these powerful creatures. Although there were more than two hundred of them in their group, they didn't stand a chance fighting against the Ourobro. Adding the Wyverns to the equation would just lead to one ending, suicide.

"What's wrong?" the teenage boy asked as he tilted his head in confusion. "Aren't you going to Lont? We're almost there."

Everyone looked at the teenage boy as if he was insane.

"Can't you see that Millennial Beast over there?" Paul asked back. "Also, those Wyverns. We will be dead if they fly in our direction."

"Ah! So that's it. I understand." The teenage boy nodded his head as if he finally found the answer to his question.

"I had the same reaction as you guys when I first got here," the teenage boy replied with a smile as if remembering a very fond memory. "Don't worry. Lufie and the Wyverns won't hurt us. Sheathe your weapons and let me do the talking. None of you are allowed to provoke them. Of course, if you want to die then go ahead."

Everyone glanced at Paul as if waiting for him to give an order.

Paul hesitated for a while before returning his sword to its scabbard. He made a gesture for everyone to do the same and everyone followed suit.

"Are you sure it's going to be fine?" Paul asked for confirmation. "Once we get in the range of those Wyverns, none of us can outrun them."

"It will be fine," the teenage boy replied as he patted his chest. "Just leave everything to me."

The teenage boy took the lead and everyone followed behind him. The Wyverns had long noticed the group of teenagers from far away, but they ignored them. After living in Lont for so long, they had already grown accustomed to seeing people. They would not randomly attack anyone unless they sensed that they were a threat to the townspeople.

Lufie stood up and eyed the approaching company of young warriors. He gave a mighty roar as a warning to prevent them from going closer. The horses immediately panicked after hearing the Millennial Beast's roar.

Fortunately, the teenagers were very capable and managed to reign in their horses before they could run away in fright.

The Wyverns also started circling the teenagers. They were ready to swoop down and attack if any of them did something funny.

"Lufie, I am one of Sir William's Knights," the teenage boy shouted. "Is he in Lont?"

The Hippogriff also screeched to inform Lufie and the Wyverns that it was an ally.

After hearing the boy's and the Hipogriff's calls, Luffy scratched his head as he made a gesture to one of the Wyverns circling in the air. The latter screeched back and flew towards the town.

Several minutes later, Matthew, Leah, and Celine stepped out of the gates of Lont. Ironically, Crown Prince Alaric and Princess Aila also came to see what was going on. They had nothing to do in Lont, so sudden changes in the routine immediately caught their attention.

When the Wyverns screeched and headed outside the town, they knew that something was going on, so they immediately went out to investigate.

Paul immediately recognized his Crown Prince and shouted the slogan of their Kingdom.

"Let the Sun of Zelan always shine brightly!" Paul shouted.

""Let the Sun of Zelan always shine brightly!"" the teenagers shouted in unison to hail their Crown Prince.

(A/N: In the Zelan Dynasty, they refer to their Monarch as the Sun.)

"Paul!" Prince Alaric shouted in joy as he ran towards his loyal retainer. He had felt very guilty for leaving him behind during their escape from the capital.

"It's good to see that you are safe, Your Highness," Paul dismounted from his horse and kneeled in front of Prince Alaric.

The other teenagers also dismounted and kneeled. Some of them were crying. Finally, they had found their Crown Prince. He was their last pillar of support after their leader, Arslan, had stayed behind to allow all of them to escape.

Chapter 426: His Name Is…

After being reunited, Prince Alaric asked Matthew, and Leah, if the survivors of his Kingdom could stay in the town of Lont.

The teenagers were very surprised to find an adult who was not affected by the curse and hadn't been turned into a crystal statue. Celine was currently wearing a veil, so none of them were able to see her face. She just stood to the side and listened to Prince Alaric's and Matthew's discussion.

She had already observed the teenagers that had arrived at their doorstep and sensed that all of them were in the Gold Rank. Although this was nothing special for the Elves, for the Humans, this was a great achievement for their age.

'Too bad that they still fall short compared to the young warriors of the Elven Race,' Celine thought.

Even though she was an Elf, she would gladly snap the neck of any Elves that dared to point their weapons at her. Celine had no love for her race and there were only a handful of Elves that she truly cared about.

As for everyone else?

All of them could burn in Hell.

"Of course they are welcome to stay," Matthew said with a smile. "They can stay for as long as they want."

"Thank you," Prince Alaric replied.

He then took Paul, and his ragtag army of teenage boys and girls, to their temporary residence. Lont still had houses to spare, and letting a few hundred children stay wouldn't be much of a problem.

While Prince Alaric was getting information from Paul and the survivors of his Kingdom, Matthew, Leah, and Celine, returned to the Ainsworth Residence to discuss their next course of action.

"Are you sure that everything is going to be fine?" Leah asked. "I know that they are Prince Alaric's people, but they might have other thoughts if they spend a few days here."

Matthew held his wife's hands and looked at her with a devilish grin. "I know what you are thinking, but I am not worried. Also, this is a good opportunity to test the Crown Prince's character. A few days will be enough to see what his real colors are."

Celine smiled from behind the veil covering her face. She had not interacted with Matthew frequently, but she approved of the latter's way of thinking.

'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree,' Celine mused as she thought about James and William.

James was an opportunistic bastard. William was the same. Matthew was an angel compared to the two of them, but that didn't mean that he couldn't be devious. As the future Lord of Lont, Matthew had been trained to be a good judge of people.

However, even with his knowledge, he still couldn't see what Prince Alaric's goal was. Of course, he understood that the Crown Prince wanted to liberate his Dynasty, but that was impossible at this point in time.

Matthew wanted to know what their distant cousin would do if he had acquired enough manpower to form a small private force.

—–

"So, Arslan was left

behind," Prince Alaric sighed. "This is quite unfortunate. I just pray that he hasn't been killed. That would be a great loss to our kingdom."

Paul and the rest of the teenagers lowered their heads in shame. They knew that if Arslan hadn't held the enemy back, they might have already been captured or worse, dead.

"Don't worry, we will have a chance to stage a comeback," Prince Alaric stated. "We just need to wait for the right opportunity. For now, rest here in Lont. You are safe here."

Paul hesitated for a brief moment before voicing his thoughts out loud.

"Your Highness, what is the deal with this town?" Paul inquired. "Why do they have a Millennial Beast as their Gatekeeper as well as Wyverns patrolling the skies? From what I observed, there is nothing special about this town. Can you please enlighten me?

The other teenagers also thought the same thing, but they were too embarrassed to ask their Crown Prince this question. Fortunately, Paul took the initiative. All of them waited for their Prince to tell them why this Town was protected by so many powerful beasts.

Prince Alaric smiled as he looked at his people. Frankly, he also had the same questions when he arrived in Lont. Only after spending a few days inside this crude, and quiet, town in the countryside did he understand why this place was special.

"The previous Lord of this town is Lord James Von Ainsworth," Prince Alaric smirked. "Do any of you know him?"

Paul frowned. The name sounded familiar, and he was sure he had heard the name before. The other teenagers were also on the same page as him. For some reason, they felt like they should know who James was, but they couldn't recall why he was familiar.

"Ah!" the pretty girl, Aria, who was now Paul's second in command, exclaimed when she remembered who James was.

"Lord James! The Undefeated Barbarian that challenged all those who wished to marry Lady Erza many years ago!" Aria's eyes widened in shock. "Y-Your Highness, are you referring to THAT Lord James Von Ainsworth?"

Prince Alaric nodded. "You are correct, Miss Aria. The previous overseer of this town is none other than Lord James who turned the Zelan Nobility upside down due to his wish to marry Lady Erza."

Now that James' identity was revealed, the teenagers remembered the stories that were told by their parents about the Bastard Barbarian who whisked away the Jewel of their Kingdom. James was a legendary figure in the Zelan Dynasty because he was the only one who managed to win the heart of the Undying Witch, who was a member of the Aoife Family and who was one of the Guardian Families of their Kingdom.

"The teenager you saw earlier, Sir Matthew, is his grandson," Prince Alaric said. "He is the current Lord of Lont. However, that is not why this town is special."

Princess Aila who was listening from the side clenched her hands together. The image of the handsome Half-Elf who had fearlessly fought on the Peak of Cavalry flashed before her eyes.

William's image had been engraved inside her mind because there was a time when she wished that the one he had fought for was her instead of Brianna, who was considered to be a Princess in the Northern Tribes.

"The person I am talking about is currently not here in Lont," Prince Alaric said softly. "However, I believe that if we want to reclaim our Dynasty from the Elves, the one who will lead us to victory is none other than him."

The majority of the teenagers that had heard their Crown Prince's words were quite doubtful. None of them believed that a single person could fight against the Elves and help them reclaim their Dynasty.

Prince Alaric knew that they were thinking. He would have had thought the same if not for the fact that he had seen with his own eyes what William did. The Minotaur Race was the Guardians of the Zelan Dynasty. It would not be easy to make them submit to a single person, for they were very stubborn and wouldn't yield to anyone.

However, William was able to do this. Even Erchitu, the Great Warrior that was second only to the two sons of King Minos, had sworn fealty to him.

This had shocked Prince Alaric to his core.

In the past, Prince Alaric had asked Erchitu to become his Beast Companion, but the latter refused. The Giant White Ox told him that he wouldn't yield to any mortal men and would only bow down to his Sovereign, King Minos.

This was why Prince Alaric found it hard to believe that the Millennial Beast and its subordinates had sworn their allegiance to William, who was not even a citizen of their Dynasty.

"Listen well and remember his name," Prince Alaric said with a serious expression. "The one person that might be able to create a miracle and drive off the foreign invaders from the Southern Continent…. His name is…

"William Von Ainsworth."

Chapter 427: Killing Two Dumb Birds

"Achoo!" William sneezed and immediately the Yin Yang Cauldron started to shake. "Oh! Fck!"

William hurriedly teleported inside the Dungeon of Atlantis before throwing the contents of the Yin Yang Cauldron at a squad of Syokois that could be found on the Seventh Floor of the Dungeon of Atlantis.

The colorful fishmen, that were a meter tall and carrying small spears, turned into a pool of goo as their bodies melted in green acid.

William looked at this scene with a grim expression as the cloud of green smoke disappeared from the point of impact.

< Gained Exp Points: 1,500 >

'That was close,' William thought as he patted his chest.

The system had automatically switched his Job Class to Wind Mage so that the Experience Points wouldn't be wasted. The Alchemist and Blacksmith Job Classes didn't gain experience from killing monsters. They only grow stronger by crafting and concocting.

William was currently experimenting with how to create a powerful acid that could melt rare metals. Although he was not aiming to create an acid strong enough to melt Adamantium, he was planning to create something close to it.

Right now, the Rainbow Birds' main arsenal were the Magic Missile Lollipops. After William had upgraded his Main Job Class, and added two members to his Familia, the King Chess Piece had unlocked a new ability that benefited his King's Legion.

It was none other than the Equip ability.

What kind of ability was this? Just like the name suggested, it allowed William's Herd, and King's Legion, to equip themselves with items. They could also store these items in a special space that belonged to them.

Currently, all of the members of William's Legion are able to equip three items. Each item should not surpass five-meters in length and width. This was a great boon to William's private force because this allowed them to carry weapons, ammunition, and other miscellaneous items in their own personal storage.

This personal storage could be summoned at will, anytime, anywhere, which made it a very useful ability.

After learning about this new feature, William thought about giving the Angray Birds some Acid Bombs that could potentially wipe out a group of people using powerful acid, even if they were wearing armor.

William's Alchemist Job Class was currently Level 10 and he could only upgrade it by doing alchemy. He also didn't have any ingredients for the Acid Bombs he had in mind, so he was just tossing things inside the cauldron and seeing what stuck.

The main ingredient for the acid bombs were William's Green Lollipops. Since he had no idea what to use to strengthen the effect of the Acid Lollipop, the Half-Elf decided to purchase several gallons of Acid from the God Shop.

The Acids that William bought were…

—-

Hydroiodic Acid

Hydrobromic Acid

Perchloric Acid

Hydrochloric Acid

Sulfuric Acid

p-Toluenesulfonic Acid

Nitric Acid

Chloric Acid

—–

God Points: 692

—–

These were some of the acids that came from William's world. Ten Gallons of each acid only cost One God Point. Because he could buy it cheaply, the red-headed boy bought ten gallons of each type of acid to aid his experiments.

Since William had no idea of what he was doing, he decided to just mix them all together and see what was going to happen!

"200 mL of Hydroiodic Acid, Hydrobromic Acid, Perchloric Acid, Hydrochloric Acid, Sulfuric Acid, p-Toluenesulfonic Acid, Nitric Acid, Chloric Acid plus the Lollipop is enough to wipe out a party of Syokois, but it is too unstable…"

(A/N: mL are Milliliters. 1000 mL is equivalent to 1 Liter.)

William rubbed his chin as he looked at the pool of goo in front of him.

Syokois were fish-type humanoids that inhabit the Sixth and Seventh Floor of the Dungeon. This was the latest Floor that William's Army had conquered. According to the System, there was a Boss every five floors of the Dungeon, so William's Legion was working hard to find the passage that would lead them to the lower floors.

Est, Ashe, Wendy, Ian, Dave, and Conrad had also joined the expedition team to train themselves for the upcoming battle that they would face. Since Dave and Conrad were part of William's King's Legion, they were now also able to gain Experience Points to strengthen themselves at a faster rate.

The two teenagers didn't understand what was happening to them, but they could somehow feel that their bodies and techniques were getting stronger with each monster that they killed.

Unfortunately, Est and Isaac weren't able to gain this ability to be able to benefit from the Experience Points. William solved this matter by giving them several High-Grade Beast Cores to help them increase their ranks after battling inside the dungeon to their

heart's content.

Although they were being left behind by the others, Est, and Isaac didn't feel troubled by it. Of course they were a bit jealous. However, knowing that their comrades at arms were getting stronger was a good thing for them as well.

"Should I lessen the quantity of each acid, or should I just use two to three types of acid at a time?" William muttered as he poked the pool of acid on the ground with a stick.

"Syokois are Class D (Low) Beasts and don't wear armor, so I can't tell if this is a success or not." William narrowed his eyes. "Lily's acid can't melt steel, but if I condense twenty lollipops into one, they would be able to do that. However, I can only create a few of them if I go with this route. It is not enough to equip the Angray Birds…"

William was so lost in thought that he didn't notice that someone had already approached him from the back.

A pair of soft and delicate hands covered his eyes and a teasing tone whispered in his ears.

"Guess who?"

William smirked internally as he decided to play along with his lover.

"I wonder who this is? Based on how soft the hands are, I'm sure they don't belong to Wendy," William said as if he properly assessed the pair of hands that blocked his vision. "Her hands are very rough and could even be used as a brush to wash clothes. This pair of hands definitely doesn't belong to her."

A snort reached William's ears before the pair of hands that blocked his eyes disappeared. However, they went straight to the Half-Elf's ears pulling them hard to the side.

"M-Mercy! I was just joking!" William hurriedly held the hands that were pulling his ears. "Such delicate and beautiful hands, how could they possibly be used as a brush for washing laundry? I'm sure they belong to the most beautiful lady in the Southern Continent. None other than my First Wife, Wendy Cy Armstrong, who will soon be called Wendy Von Ainsworth!"

"Hmp!"

Wendy finally let go of William's ears and crossed her arms over her chest. She eyed her boyfriend who was rubbing his ears and looking at her with a face filled with injustice.

"Will, I want to ask you a question," Wendy said with a serious expression.

William noticed the seriousness in Wendy's gaze so he decided to stop joking around and looked at her with a calm expression.

"Ask."

"I want to hear an honest answer from you."

William nodded. "Be at ease. I swear upon my handsome face that I will give you an honest answer."

Hearing her lover's promise, Wendy walked up to him and wrapped her arms around William's body as she stared straight into his eyes.

"Who do you love the most between the three of us?" Wendy asked. "Est, Ashe, or Me?"

"Of course I love you most," William answered in a heartbeat. "Afterall, you are my First Wife."

Wendy felt relieved because he could see the seriousness in William's eyes. She then rested her head on his shoulders and smiled sweetly.

It was at that moment when two Rainbow Birds circled above their heads.

Suddenly, two familiar voices reached their ears.

"Will. Whom do you *hic* love the most? Is it Wendy, Est, or Me?" the Red-Colored Bird asked, perfectly replicating Ashe's drunken voice.

"Of course I love you the most," the Blue-Colored Bird replied, perfectly replicating William's voice."

William's body stiffened when he heard this exchange. Beads of sweat started to form on his forehead as he cursed the two annoying birds who just dropped a bomb over their heads.

"Really? Are you telling me the truth?" the red bird asked.

"Yes." the blue bird replied.

Wendy giggled as she looked at the two birds in the sky.

"Those birds are quite lovely," Wendy said. "They can even imitate voices. Did you teach them to say those things?"

"Y-Yes," William replied. "I was trying to teach them how to talk, so I made them speak these lines."

"How interesting."

"R-Right?"

Suddenly, Ashe, Est, and Isaac appeared beside William and Wendy.

"So, this is where the two of you are," Est said. "We just found the path that leads to the Eighth Floor and we are planning to explore it. I came to find Wendy, but I didn't think that you'd also be here, Will."

William gave Est a thumbs up in his heart for her impeccable timing. With this, he would be able to wiggle himself out of this mess….

But then, the two Rainbow Birds raised the volume of their voices as they circled around Ashe, Est, and Isaac.

"Will, I want to ask you a question," the Blue-Colored Bird said using Wendy's voice.

"Ask." the Red-Colored Bird said using William's suave voice.

"I want to hear an honest answer from you."

"Be at ease. I swear upon my handsome face that I will give you an honest answer."

If earlier, only beads of sweat formed on William's forehead, now, a river was flowing freely. Wendy also tilted her head to the side as she heard the familiar conversation of the two birds circling around them.

"Who do you love the most between the three of us?" the Blue Bird asked. "Est, Ashe, or Me?"

"Of course I love you most," the Red Bird answered in a heartbeat. "Afterall, you are my First Wife."

After saying those last words, the two birds flew away like their lives depended on it. William had summoned Stormcaller and was about to unleash a Lightning War Art in order to erase the two troublemakers from the face of the Dungeon.

'Motherfckers! After all I did for the two of you,' William gnashed his teeth in anger as lightning swirled around Stormcaller's body. "Lightning God War Art…"

"Will, what are you doing?" Wendy's icy gaze made William completely stop from continuing his attack.

"Wendy, I'm just training my skills by killing two dumb birds. I mean, practicing my technique using those two birds as my targets," William replied. "It is better to hit moving targets, don't you think?"

"Mmm, this is true." Wendy nodded her head. "However, I'd like for you to answer a question from me first."

"I have a question, too," Ashe said as she lovingly held William's right arm in a tight grip. "You will answer this question of mine, yes?"

"Will, me, too," Est said as she walked towards William with the "You'd better fess up or you will regret it" glare.

Wendy had already grabbed William's left arm in a vice-grip that wouldn't lose to her Valkyrie Form's arm lock.

Isaac, who was standing at the side, turned her back towards the four of them and looked at the sky.

'Rest in peace,' Isaac said internally. She knew that blood was about to spill and she had no intention of preventing it from happening.

"G-Girls, listen to me," William said with a face filled with righteousness. "This is just a misunderstanding. Allow me to give the three of you a proper explana—Ahhhhh!"

That day, a loud scream rang out on the Seventh Floor of the Dungeon of Atlantis. It was the sound that was similar to a pig being slaughtered and it traveled throughout the entire dungeon, allowing everyone to hear it.

William's Herd, Legion, as well as Dave and Conrad, heard William's dying screams. Just like Isaac, they lit a candle in their heart and prayed for the Half-Elf who was currently being murdered by three beautiful ladies by his side.

Chapter 428: A Meeting With the Elven Princess

"Halt! Who goes there?!" an Elven Guard shouted as he stopped a robed figure from entering the city gates.

The three other guards, who were currently manning the only gate that was opened to the capital city–Briar Glen–surrounded the robed figure, brandishing their weapons.

Instead of answering, the robed figure took out an Insignia that made the expressions of the four guards stiffen.

"I came to meet the Princess," a delicate sounding voice said. "Stand down and let me pass."

The four elven guards glanced at each other before sheathing the weapon. They stepped aside and allowed the robed figure to enter the city gates uncontested.

After the unknown individual disappeared from view, the four guards returned to their duties. They didn't even talk amongst themselves about the appearance of the robed figure and treated the situation as if the person was just a figment of their imagination.

Along the way, the hooded figure encountered several inquiries from the Elven Guards, but the same thing happened. None of them barred his way and allowed the person to pass.

Finally, the robed figure arrived at the right wing of the palace where the Princess resided.

"Halt, these are the Princess' chambers," four royal maidservants barred the door of the royal quarters. They were part of the Royal Family's personal guards who had accompanied Princess Eowyn to the Southern Continent.

They only answered to the Royal Family. Not even Elandorr could order them around as he pleased.

Once again, the robed figure flashed his Insignia which made the Royal Guards exchange glances with each other. They knew what the insignia meant, but they were still on the fence about whether to allow the stranger to enter the Princess' quarters.

"Please, wait here," the Headguard said. "I'll inform the Princess first."

The hooded figure nodded in acknowledgement. The person knew that the Head Guard had already compromised, so all that he needed to do was wait.

A few minutes later, the door opened and the Head Guard made a gesture for the robed figure to enter. The Princess was seated on the couch of the living room, being attended to by four maids. Upon seeing the guest's arrival, she waved them away to give the two of them some privacy.

Although they were reluctant to leave, the servants left the room as per the Princess' wishes.

When it was only the two of them, Princess Eowyn bid her guest to sit and the latter nodded in acknowledgement.

"Why don't you take that robe off?" Eowyn asked. "It's just the two of us, so there's no need to be reserved."

"You're right," the robed figure replied and took off the robe that covered his body.

A delicate looking boy appeared before Princess Eowyn and the latter personally poured a cup of tea for him.

The boy thanked her and drank the tea that the Princess had personally served him. When he had drunk half of it, he returned the cup on top of the table and looked at the Princess who was looking back at him with a smile.

"I didn't expect to see you here in the Southern Continent, Senior," Princess Eowyn said. "Are you perhaps here on a mission on behalf of the Saintess? How should I address you?"

"Just call me Kenneth," Kenneth answered. "I am here on behalf of my family. However, the

Saintess also approved of me being here."

"Kenneth?" Princess Eowyn giggled. "Who thought of that name? Was it perhaps Teacher who gave you that name?"

Kenneth nodded. "She said that it's a good name and that it would serve me well during my stay here in the Southern Continent."

"Did Lady Arwen also predict that this was going to happen?"

"No. My reason for coming here was to observe a certain individual."

Princess Eowyn raised an eyebrow. The Saintess of the World Tree, Lady Arwen, only had two Disciples. One was the Elven Princess, the other was Kenneth. Both of them were regarded highly in the Silvermoon Continent because they were the only two people that had been accepted by the Saintess as her Disciples.

The Insignia that Kenneth had shown the Elven Guards was the insignia of the Saintess. Her authority was equal to the authority of the King of the Elves and very few individuals dared to defy her orders.

Even the Patriarchs of the Ancient Elven Clans were wary of antagonizing her. They were afraid that their entire bloodline would be cursed and lose the blessing of the World Tree were they to do so.

"This individual must be very special to have your clan personally instruct you to monitor him," Princess Eowyn said with genuine interest. "Is it possible for you to tell me this person's identity?"

Kenneth nodded. "Actually, my reason for coming here is to ask for your help. With how things are going, it is imminent that he and the Elven forces will come to a faceoff."

Princess Eowyn frowned. She didn't know who this person was, but if her Senior Disciple came to personally talk to her about this issue, it meant that the one Kenneth was monitoring was an extremely important person.

"Who?"

"You're also familiar with him. He's none other than Teacher's only son."

Princess Eowyn's expression immediately became serious. Naturally, she had heard about her teacher's son. The Half-Elf that was born between the Saintess of the World Tree and the Human Hero that had defended the Silvermoon Continent against the Demon Race invasion.

The Princess had long wanted to meet her teacher's only son, because she was curious what the son of the two most Legendary Personages in the Silvermoon Continent would be like.

"Can you tell me more about him?" Princess Eowyn asked.

Kenneth smiled as he recalled William's narcissistic and arrogant attitude. He hadn't seen him since he had left the academy to participate in the defense of the Hellan Kingdom at Ravenlord Citadel.

The delicate looking boy was saddened when he found out that William was currently in a coma, due to the spiritual injury that he received during the Demon Race invasion at the Royal Academy.

"He is a very interesting person," Kenneth stated as he looked at the Princess with a gentle gaze. "He has Teacher's eyes and is quite good looking. He can be arrogant and narcissistic at times, but if one can see past these annoying traits, they would find him a very endearing person. Be careful, Princess. If you give him an inch, he will shamelessly take a mile."

Princess Eowyn chuckled. "That doesn't sound heroic. The way you describe him, he is more like a bandit. Also, stop calling me Princess. You make it seem like the two of us aren't close."

Kenneth sighed as he drank the remaining tea in his cup before placing it back on the table. Princess Eowyn smiled and refilled her Senior's cup before resuming their conversation.

"You said earlier that he and our race would eventually come to a faceoff, why?" Princess Eowyn asked. "As the son of the Saintess, none of our warriors would dare to harm him."

Kenneth nodded. "It is as you say, however, not everyone looks at him in high regard. Although his life would be spared, his Hellan Kingdom would not be given the same treatment. This is why a battle against him is unavoidable."

"Surely you jest," Princess Eowyn countered. "What can a single individual do against our powerful Elven Army? Of course, we can also reach a compromise and make him the regent of the Hellan Kingdom, but it will fall under Elven rule. This is non-negotiable."

Kenneth picked up the tea on the table and took a sip. He then eyed Princess Eowyn and sighed inside his heart.

"Princess, I feel the same way as you do," Kenneth replied. "A single individual can't do anything against the Elven army. However, I have a feeling that he will surprise the two of us."

"Senior, you think too much." Princess Eowyn said with a serious expression. "No one can stand against the might of our Elven Army."

Kenneth smiled and didn't say anything else. He knew that continuing this talk was pointless. Even so, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling inside his head that a battle with William would only end in mutual destruction.

The delicate looking boy had been with William for quite some time. Both of them shared life threatening battles together, but everytime that happened, the Half-Elf would always prevail.

Kenneth wouldn't admit it, but whenever he was with William, he felt… invincible. It was as if no matter who they faced, even if the opponent was way stronger than them, they would always come up as the winner.

This feeling made Kenneth very conflicted because he didn't want any harm to come to the boy, and yet he was loyal to the Elven Race.

He just hoped that with Eowyn's protection, the narcissistic Half-Elf would not come to any harm when Elandorr and the rest of the Elven Prodigies stormed the Hellan Kingdom to continue their conquest of the Humans' lands.

Chapter 429: Choices Were Millions Of Lives Were At Stake

"Senior, why don't you stay a little while longer?" Princess Eowyn said.

Kenneth shook his head. "I am worried about him, so I'm going back to the Hellan Kingdom to find his whereabouts. I only came here to tell you of his existence so that when you meet him on the battlefield, you will keep the Elves from harming him."

"I give you my word that I will do everything in my power to safeguard his life. After all, he is Teacher's only son."

"Good. I can rest easy knowing that you'll be keeping a lookout for him. Stay safe, Eowyn. Let's meet again when Fate wills it."

Kenneth waved his hand and a magic circle appeared on the ground beside him. A three-meter tall black fox with four tails appeared by his side. On its forehead was a silver crescent moon that glowed faintly.

"Let's go, Luna," Kenneth said after he mounted his Beast Companion. "To the Hellan Kingdom."

The Black Fox nodded its head and began to float in the air. Soon, it rose towards the sky and flew in the direction of the Hellan Kingdom.

Princess Eowyn sighed as the Flying Black Fox disappeared from her view. The story that Kenneth had told her about her Teacher's son was like the stories in fairy tales about heroes saving the damsel in distress from the hands of the evil tyrant.

It made her remember the stories of the Human Hero that protected their lands against the Demon Race's invasion. She wasn't able to stop herself from thinking of what the boy would feel if the Elven Race were to invade his Kingdom.

Would he feel betrayed?

Would he feel anger?

Princess Eowyn didn't know the answers to these questions. In fact, the mere thought of facing William on the battlefield made her feel guilty.

'Teacher, I'm sorry, but I am powerless to stop this conquest of the Human lands,' Princess Eowyn grieved in her heart. She loved and respected Lady Arwen, just as much as she loved and respected her own mother. This was why she was feeling very guilty at the thought of invading the kingdom of the Hero that saved their lands.

Still, she was merely an observer. The one who called the shots of the operation was Elandorr. This was the will of the Patriarchs of the Elven Clans who wanted to stand up against Human tyranny.

Of course, not all the Elven Clans had this thought. The other factions didn't like the idea of invading the Human lands, but they were ignored by the Patriarchs of the Saleh, Nasir, Rhys, and Eroan Clans.

These four ancient clans had resented Humans for thousands of years, and were the most vocal among the others when it came to having an aggressive stance against those who were not part of their race.

Some of the

Elders call them the Pureblood fanatics. They advocated that their bloodlines should be preserved and not stained by the vile blood of other races.

This expedition was a closely guarded secret by these clans. However, they still decided to involve the Royal Family, so that the Elven Council wouldn't punish them severely for their unauthorized conquest of Human lands.

The King of the Elves reluctantly agreed to have his daughter, Princess Eowyn, accompany the Elven Fleet as its Supervisor. He thought that this was a good opportunity for the Princess to experience war and the consequences that would come out of it.

'Don't worry, Teacher. I will do my best to ensure his life," Princess Eowyn vowed. "I will also bring him back to the Silvermoon Continent, so that the two of you can reunite."

Princess Eowyn had seen the sadness on Lady Arwen's face whenever the Saintess looked at the World Tree. One of the Elven Princess' goals in life was to do something for her teacher. Thinking that Lady Arwen would be happy to be reunited with her son, Princess Eowyn's determination to bring William back to the Silvermoon Continent intensified.

She sincerely believed that once William and his mother had been reunited, everything would work out in the end.

'I better discuss this matter with Commander Elandorr,' Princess Eowyn thought. 'No matter what happens, Teacher's child must be secured at all costs.'

—–

Meanwhile in the Anaesha Dynasty…

Empress Sidonie sat on the throne as she listened to the reports of the officers of the Kraetor Army. The conquest of the Anaesha Dynasty was very smooth because the Guardian Beast personally helped them repel the members of The Organization.

The Anaeshaians had complete faith in their Guardian Deity. Since the Ant Queen had acknowledged Princess Sidonie to be their new ruler, all of them reluctantly accepted it. The Kraetor Army decided that it was a good opportunity to hold a grand coronation ceremony to officially declare Princess Sidonie the new Empress of the Land.

The moment the survivors saw their new Empress, all of them instantly fell in love with her. Empress Sidonie had unleashed the full power of her Charm and made the citizens, who were in the Capital, her loyal subjects.

Prince Jason looked at this scene with awe. Although he could use violence and intimidation to make the citizens submit, they would still hold grudges in their hearts. However, his Cousin's methods were fool proof, which allowed the smooth transition of authority to pass into her hands.

"Your Majesty, the citizens are very happy because they no longer lack food to eat," one of the Ministers reported. "We are getting an influx of volunteers that were willing to join the relief efforts and travel to the outskirts of the Dynasty to help their countrymen. Also, they are more than happy to spread Her Majesty's benevolence to the subjects that still haven't gained the opportunity to swear their fealty to you."

Empress Sidonie nodded her head. "Thank you for the report, Minister. I hope that everyone will do their best to ensure that none of my citizens suffer from starvation. Also, see to it that all of their needs are met."

"I hear and obey, your Majesty!"

""We hear and obey, your Majesty!""

Empress Sidonie looked at the heirs of the nobles of the Anaesha Dynasty and smiled. All of them had fallen completely under her Charm. Even the members of the Royal Family were now bowing to her as if they were mere commoners in the face of their liege.

Two Sword Saints and one Grand Archmage stood a few steps away from her throne. They were her personal guards that Emperor Leonidas had personally arranged beforehand.

These three men were, also, in awe of their Emperors's Granddaughter and felt that their plan to take over the entire Southern Continent was well within their grasp.

They had no doubt in their minds that in the face of Empress Sidonie's beauty, intellect, and charm, no man, or woman, would be able to resist kneeling and bowing their heads in submission.

'I wonder what you're doing right now, Sir William?' Empress Sidonie thought with a smile. 'I sure hope that you think of me from time to time.'

'Of course,' Empress Sidonie smiled sweetly. 'All is fair in love and war.'

Morgana smirked from inside their shared Mindscape. The plan that they had concocted together for their beloved Prince was currently in motion. Both of them looked forward to the choices that William was going to make.

Choices where millions of lives were at stake.

Chapter 430: A Paradise Within Atlantis

William had busied himself with using several Job Classes like Blacksmith, Alchemist, and Wind Mage. When he wasn't crafting or concocting something, he would join the members of his Herd and Legion in clearing up the Dungeon Monsters in Atlantis.

Whenever he participated in the battles, William would always use his Wind Mage Job Class because this was one of the key classes needed to unlock the Elemental Lord Prestige Job Class. In order to unlock this class, William needed to have the four mage classes–Fire, Wind, Earth, and Water–at their max levels.

The Wind Mage was among the first classes that he had acquired many years ago, but had never found an opportunity to use.

After several days of farming experience points inside the dungeon, William and his army arrived at the Boss Room in the Tenth Floor of the Atlantis Dungeon.

The Half-Elf looked at the silver gates that marked the entrance to the Boss Room with a frown.

"Those who want to venture past these gates, know that only six may enter at a time."

The message didn't say anything more than that. William knew that he couldn't take the warning lightly, so he decided to personally choose the members who would accompany him inside the room.

"Only six are allowed to challenge the boss of this floor," William said to his comrades. "I will be one of the six to enter. The rest…"

"I'm going with you," Wendy stated.

"Me, too," Ashe commented.

"I will also go," Est declared fearlessly.

"Wherever the Young Master and my twin go, I go," Isaac said in a firm manner.

Ella took a step forward and nodded her head. She was coming along as well because she wouldn't allow William to fall into any kind of danger.

William scratched his head because his plan to choose who would accompany him was thrown out the window. He could see how determined his lovers were to accompany him into battle, which made him feel like his heart was being scratched by a kitten.

The Half-Elf pondered for a bit before nodding his head. He assumed that since they were just on the tenth floor, the threat of the Dungeon Boss wouldn't be that high. Besides, he could call upon the power of his Heroic Avatar if everything suddenly went South.

"Very well," William agreed. "The rest of you can either explore the previous floors or return to the Thousand Beast Domain. I will notify all of you if something goes wrong."

The members of William's Herd and Legion nodded their heads in acknowledgement. They had complete faith in William so they weren't too worried about the Dungeon Boss Battle. All of them scattered and went to do the things they wanted. Some returned to the Thousand Beast Domain, while others returned to the other floors to raise their ranks.

William watched them go before placing both of his hands firmly on the silver gates that would bring them to the Dungeon Boss of the Tenth Floor of Atlantis.

"… Are you for real?" William's eyes widened in shock as he looked at the scene in front of him.

White sand and a sparkling blue sea appeared before his eyes. Several palm trees stood not far from the shore, creating a tropical paradise that William had only seen in magazines and television.

'System, are you sure that there are no monsters here?' William inquired. 'No Boss Monsters?'

< I've already finished doing a detailed sweep of the surrounding area and detected no strong life force that would belong to a Boss Monster. Only small aquatic animals like fish, crabs, clams, starfish, and a few more harmless creatures are found inside this area.

< I also consulted the records of other dungeons and came to a conclusion. This is perhaps what is called a Safe Zone where adventurers can rest during their dungeon expedition. >

'A safe zone?' William scratched his head.

Naturally, he knew what a safe zone was. He just didn't expect to find it inside a suspected Boss Room inside a Dungeon with a high rating.

"Will? Where is the Boss?" Wendy asked as she scanned her surroundings. She was still holding her weapon firmly in her hands and her guard was still raised.

Est, Ashe, and Isaac were the same. All of them were looking around with their weapons ready to strike anything that would come their way.

It was only Ella who seemed to be at ease in the current situation. She even had that rare satisfied look on her face as she eyed the beautiful beach in the distance.

"Be at ease," William said as he patted Wendy's shoulder. "There is no Boss Monster in this place. It is a Safe Zone."

"Eh?" Wendy tilted her head in confusion. "This is a Safe Zone?"

William nodded. "Since we are already here, why don't we stay for a bit."

The Half-Elf immediately notified the members of his Herd and Legion that they had come across a Safe Zone and would be staying there for the time being. He did this to ensure

that none of them would get worried if he didn't appear for a few hours.

William took Wendy's hand and guided her to the beach. Ella, Est, Ashe, and Isaac followed behind him.

The sand under their feet was very soft, and walking over it was very comfortable. William half-dragged Wendy towards the water's edge and allowed the wave to wash over their feet.

The water's temperature was warm yet felt very refreshing. It was at that moment when William suddenly had a great idea as he eyed Wendy and Ashe with a devilish smile on his face.

'System, we can buy regular clothes, right? Those won't cost too many God Points, right?'

< It depends on what you are planning to buy, host. Clothes without enchantments or those that are made from normal materials are not expensive. >

'Okay. Can you compute how much we are going to spend on these items?'

William made a list of items to buy and the system used the God Shop to check their prices.

< Host, it will only cost 2 God Points at most. All of them are made from normal materials, but their quality is quite high. >

'Good. Make the transaction.'

< Understood. >

A minute later, William took out several beach chairs from his storage ring and lined them up on the white sand, under the shade of the palm trees. Next, he took out two bikinis, one blue, the other red.

"Wendy, Ashe, please, wear these clothes." William said as he handed Wendy the red bikini, and the blue one to Ashe.

In the world of Hestia, they also had the so-called swimwear, but they still covered the majority of a person's body. The clothes that William gave to them on the other hand were…

"Aren't these just underwear?" Wendy blushed.

Ashe was also blushing as she held the pieces of clothing that William handed to her. She shared Wendy's opinion and gave William the "pervert" glare.

"Wendy, although they looked like underwear they are not," William corrected. "These are called Bikinis and people wear them to swim."

"I haven't seen anyone wear this while swimming," Ashe immediately countered William's words. "Also, it shows too much skin."

William wanted to remind his mermaid lover that she was practically naked when she was in her mermaid form. Only faint blue scales covered Ashe's chest when she transformed into her true form.

It took him a while to coax Wendy and Ashe to wear them. As for Est and Isaac, William gave them swimming shorts to wear.

After putting on his own swim shorts, William glanced at his four companions who looked uncomfortable in their new swimwear.

The Half-Elf unexpectedly drew a deep breath when he saw Wendy wearing the red bikini, with a bashful expression on her face. The sheer impact of her beauty and the striking red color of the bikini made William feel that he needed a cold bucket filled with ice to cool himself down.

After breaking out of his daze, he immediately composed a five-star review in his mind and told the System to post it on the store where it bought the bikinis. William was very satisfied with it, and was quite thankful that the two bikinis came in different colors.

"H-How do I look?" Wendy asked while covering her chest with her hands.

"Beautiful. Truly beautiful.," William said as he pulled the shy, blonde, beauty into his embrace, "You're not allowed to wear this anywhere else. You can only wear this when it's only us. Do you understand?"

"Un," Wendy replied.

Deep inside she felt happy because he could feel William's desire to monopolize her.

William's gaze then landed on Ashe who was walking confidently in his direction. The beautiful mermaid's charm was just as destructive as Wendy's. Both girls had curvaceous and lean bodies due to the fact that they were always training.

The red-headed boy had a wolfish grin on his face as he pulled Ashe close to him as well. He sighed in happiness as he hugged the two beauties in his arms. It didn't take long before he dragged both girls towards the sea where they frolicked in the blue waters.

Est sat on the beach chair and decided to take a short nap. She wasn't jealous of William spending time with Wendy and Ashe, because she knew that the Half-Elf would make it up to her later.

Isaac, on the other hand, scoured the beach to catch crabs, clams, and fish to cook for lunch.

"I'll prepare a seafood feast for everyone," Isaac muttered as she placed the crab she had just caught inside a bucket. "It has been a while since I ate crab."

She had always liked foraging for food and the bountiful beach was the perfect place for her to put her skills to use.

After half an hour of playing in the water, Wendy returned to shore and laid down on one of the beach chairs. The warm and soft breeze felt so comfortable that it lulled her to sleep.

Ashe, on the other hand, transformed into her mermaid form and pulled William into the depths of the sea, where both of them shared passionate kisses. Ashe made sure to constantly transfer air to her beloved as they danced in the underwater world, surrounded by colorful fishes that served as a beautiful backdrop for the two of them.

The past few days had been hard on all of them. William had busied himself in making acid bombs for the Angray Birds, while Wendy, Est, Ashe, and Isaac, joined William's Legion in exploring the dungeon floors of Atlantis.

They only met up with each other when it was time to sleep. By that time, all of them would be too exhausted to do anything aside from gathering in William's Sea of Consciousness to help him recover at a faster rate.

This was also why William decided to take a short break with his lovers and enjoy this new paradise that seemed to have been made just for them.

Ella had already exited the Boss Room after ascertaining that there were no threats that would endanger William's and his lovers' safety. She returned to the Thousand Beast Domain in order to watch over the three kids who were still fast asleep.

For her, as long as William was happy, she would support him all the way.

When she arrived at the make-shift nest of the three kids, she noticed that Thor's and Ragnar's bodies were glowing slightly.

Ella's expression became serious as she monitored the fluctuations of the magical energies surrounding Thor and Ragnar.

Suddenly, a strong burst of magical energy erupted from their bodies and they floated in the air. The magic crystals inside the cavern emitted an intense light which flew in the direction of the two beasts floating in the air.

Half a minute later, the glowing lights receded and the two beasts landed on the ground. Ella didn't do anything and just observed from where she stood.

Thor and Ragnar opened their eyes and looked at Ella sleepily. Thor shook his head in order to drive the drowsiness away.

Ragnar, on the other hand, blinked twice before emitting a wide yawn. They then walked towards Ella and looked at her with expectant gazes.

Woof!

Ruff!

Ella lowered her head and nuzzled her two grandkids. They were now bigger than before and she could sense that both of them had grown stronger after completing their First Growth Phase.

Thor and Ragnar were quite satisfied with their grandma's affection as their two tails wagged from side to side.

Ella then looked at the coiled up snake inside the nest, who was still sleeping peacefully. Ella wasn't too worried about her, because she already understood that Dia's Growth Phase was still in its middle stages. It would take a strong stimulus for her to wake up from her slumber.

The only thing that Ella was sure of was that, when Dia finally opened her eyes, she would be stronger than her siblings.

'I hope you wake up soon, Dia,' Ella thought. 'War is upon us and William will need your strength.'

Ella gave Dia one last glance before taking Thor and Ragnar outside of the cavern. The two kids would definitely boost William's strength, and she looked forward to how both of them would perform during their training inside the Dungeon of Atlantis.

Chapter 36 - 421-430

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