Suddenly finding himself whisked out of the comfort of his room into an empty field of grass almost made Arthur pop a vein.
Arthur was reasonably mad, being a former romance protagonist, he had no reason to be Isekai'd into a webnovel that he read.
"The notification said it was Love&Crown, which means I must be inside the Love&Crown universe. This sucks." He facepalmed while figuring out what to do.
"Well, I can't stay here forever. Maybe I can live life somewhere secluded in the mountains, I guess for now I'll go to that town over there."
The town he spoke of appeared to be a distance away to the east, and further behind it an enormous castle lay. But he didn't pay it any heed.
"I don't have an identification though… What did Takumi do?" Arthur muttered to himself with furrowed brows, his fingers pinching his chin.
As he tried to recall what the Main character of Love&Crown did in this situation..
[Ding!
Initializing Soul Binding!
You have been bonded to The System V1.23, Congratulations!]
Arthur was now reminded of the events that played out in the beginning of Love&Crown.
In Love&Crown, one of the better Webnovels, it had its ups and downs. This was the scene that Arthur recalled from the first chapter:
Takumi Satou blinked as his vision cleared, the blinding flash from his phone leaving him disoriented. He stood in the middle of a vast field, green grass swaying gently around him.
The sky above was a clear blue, the air fresh with the faint scent of wildflowers. A soft breeze brushed against his face, and in the distance, a faint line of trees marked the horizon.
He took a step forward, his heart beginning to race as the surreal calmness of his surroundings sank in. Something about this place felt... familiar.
"This... this is just like an Isekai, isn't it?" he muttered.
Takumi's gaze drifted further, and he froze. In the distance, he spotted a town—small, with stone walls and towers. Even from this far, he recognized the design instantly. He'd seen it a hundred times before.
"Empire Eternal..."
"I'm not that excited or confused though. Wait a minute-" Arthur looked around him, this field felt identical to the one described in Love&Crown "Where is Takumi?"
Arthur ran towards the town, if this really was Love&Crown, then Takumi would be headed to the nearby town.
Sure enough, Arthur spotted the wild Takumi, sporting modern clothes, entering the gates of the town before losing sight of him.
"Shit, but that means I'm in the first chapter. If that's the case then I'll know where he's going."
Takumi wandered through the town, his eyes wide with wonder as he took in every detail. The cobblestone streets beneath his feet felt solid and real, but the architecture was straight out of Empire Eternal.
Stone buildings with arched windows and intricate carvings lined the streets, their rooftops sloping at familiar angles.
He passed by the blacksmith's forge, the same one he'd visited countless times in-game to upgrade his gear. The clanging of metal was loud and rhythmic, just as he remembered.
Takumi couldn't help but feel like a tourist, marveling at the world he knew so well, yet seeing it for the first time with his own eyes. Every building, every corner he turned, sparked a memory.
The inn with the crooked sign, the narrow alleyways where he used to sneak around in the game, they were all here, unchanged, and yet more alive than ever.
"This is unreal..." he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I really am in Empire Eternal."
"If this progresses like the actual story, then Takumi should wander around for a few minutes and then the first event would take place." Arthur figured, before being stopped by the guards.
"Stop right there you extremely handsome man, what kind of clothes are those and why are you the second guy we've seen today like this?" one of the guards said.
Arthur stood tall with an effortless charm. His brown hair, styled back, it framed his masculine face perfectly, the strands combed up with a sleek, polished finish. His clean-shaven jawline was sharp and defined, giving him an air of sophistication. This was the power of a romance manga protagonist.
Beneath his black zip-up jacket and fitted gray shirt, his muscular frame was evident, broad shoulders, strong arms, and a powerful chest. Everything about him, from his posture to his appearance, exuded confidence and quiet intensity.
( The author must really love describing this guy. )
"I am uh, touring. Now will you let me in? I have someone important to meet right now." Arthur was obviously lying, but according to studies, giving a random reason usually persuaded people more than no reason at all. Coupled with the fact that Arthur is extremely attractive, and boom, he got whatever he wanted.
Arthur ran around the town searching for that one spot that was described in the novel.
Takumi's wandering led him to a quieter part of town, where the lively chatter of the marketplace faded into the distance. Outside a dimly lit tavern.
It was there, standing near the tavern's entrance, that he spotted her—Antoinette Valériane D'Ambroise. She wore a striking red hooded cloak, the rich fabric draped elegantly over her shoulders, contrasting against the dull tones of the street. The hood obscured most of her face, but her delicate features were still visible as she cast nervous glances at the drunken men surrounding her.
In her hands, she held a small woven basket, its contents hidden beneath a cloth. She gripped it tightly, her knuckles white, as one of the men reached for her arm, his drunken laughter echoing in the narrow street.
Her posture was tense, but despite the situation, there was an undeniable air of nobility about her. The deep crimson of her cloak, the way she stood—everything about her seemed out of place in this rough corner of town.
Arthur honestly hated the extreme amount of description that Love&Crown had, but it could help in situations like finding the tavern where that lady Antoinette was.
Arthur ran through the streets, trying not to bump into anyone, before turning a corner and witnessing the exact scene from the novel, except Takumi Satou is nowhere to be found.
'Where is that damn tourist? A woman is in need of help! And she's going to be your future wife goddammit!' Arthur screamed in his head while scanning the surroundings, he did not like watching women get harassed.
As more time passed, Takumi did not show up at all.
'AHH FUCK IT!' Arthur shouted in his head, before charging in to protect the first girl of the harem, Antoinette.
Just as Arthur started sprinting towards the commotion, a system message popped up in his head, revealing a quest for Arthur.
[ Quick Time Event: Protect Antoinette Valeriane D'Ambroise ]
'Fuck if I care about a system event, I'm not a fantasy protagonist. I AM A ROMANCE PROTAGONIST!' Arthur screamed in his head at the system message.
Arthur put himself between Antoinette and the drunk men, Arthur is pretty tall and imposing along with being visibly muscular. The men backed off easily.
Takumi stepped forward, his calm demeanor enough to silence the drunken men. They glanced at him, uncertain, before deciding to stagger away without much resistance. In a matter of seconds, the street was quiet again, and the air around them seemed to settle.
Antoinette, still holding her basket tightly, turned toward him. "Thank you," she said, her voice tinged with relief.
But as her eyes met his, she hesitated. Takumi's black hair fell in soft strands around his face, parted neatly in the middle. His features were delicate, almost too perfect for someone who had just scared off a group of men.
His soft, purple eyes, framed by his smooth complexion, gave him an ethereal, almost otherworldly charm—more pretty boy than rugged hero.
Antoinette blinked, momentarily lost in how striking he looked. "I... I don't know how to thank you," she murmured, her voice faltering slightly, clearly caught off guard by his appearance.
This did not happen as Takumi was not there for some reason, but because Arthur is possibly the sexiest man alive, Antoinette had almost the exact same reaction.
Antoinette, still holding her basket tightly, turned toward him. "Thank you," she said, her voice tinged with relief.
Arthur turned around to face her, which blasted her eyes with peak masculine Main Character visuals.
She looked up at him, her words faltered. Her gaze lingered on his face, his sharp jawline, those intense eyes, and the way his brown hair was slicked back, perfectly framing his features.
She found herself momentarily speechless, stunned by how effortlessly handsome he was. "I... I don't know how to thank you," she murmured, her voice faltering slightly, clearly caught off guard by his appearance.
Arthur was pretty revolted at what he was seeing, in his mind and the nice lady in front of him.
The Quick Time Event had ended, but another one had popped up.
[ New Questline: The Antoinette Maiden. New Objective: Flirt with Antoinette before Takumi Satou ]
"What the fuck!" Arthur exclaimed internally.
The woman in front of him just did something strange. She reacted like HE was Takumi. It could be the perks of him being the multiverse's hottest guy, but for it to be exactly as how she reacted to Takumi in the novel irked him and made his skin crawl.
Moreover, Arthur didn't want Antoinette, a person who ends up with Takumi Satou, to be interested in him. That would be just weird man.
He had to cut these strings before they could even attach together, and do that fast. Turning to Antoinette, Arthur scowled at her in disgust and jerked excessively. "It's fine… Ma'am. I'd have done this to anyone."
The meaning of his words was very clear. She was nothing special!