Leon sat in his cabin aboard the ship, which was confidently flying toward the capital. He had a meeting scheduled with none other than the queen herself, and he couldn't figure out why she would want to see him.
"I wonder why the queen needs me?" he muttered to himself, gazing thoughtfully out the window.
"She probably wants to scold you for being a horrible person," said Luxion, his loyal yet snarky artificial intelligence.
"You just can't let it go, can you?" Leon sighed as he rose from his chair. "Ha…"
Stretching lazily, he headed toward his room. As always, Luxion silently floated along behind him.
The ship's corridors felt endless, but eventually, Leon reached his cabin. The moment he stepped inside, he began preparing. Opening the wardrobe, he pulled out his most expensive and stylish suit. After putting it on, he moved to the bathroom to meticulously groom himself: brushing his teeth, washing his face, applying a touch of costly cologne, and, finally, popping a mint into his mouth for fresh breath.
"What are you doing?" Luxion's voice broke the silence, his single eye fixed intently on Leon.
"What does it look like?" Leon replied, adjusting his tie. "I'm getting ready."
"I can see that, but why? This is the first time I've seen you put so much effort into preparing for a meeting."
Leon turned toward his metallic companion, his expression serious.
"It's simple. First of all, the person who invited me is the queen."
"But you're not the type to care about status."
"True. But this queen is special."
"What makes her so special?" Luxion asked, tilting his metallic frame slightly.
Leon held Luxion's gaze for a moment before adopting an even more serious expression and saying:
"She's the best MILF in the series, that's why."
"MILF?" Luxion echoed, clearly not understanding the term.
"Never mind," Leon waved dismissively and turned back to the mirror, his face suddenly tinged with a slight blush.
"And now what?" Luxion pressed, floating closer.
"Just look at this!" Leon exclaimed, gesturing to his reflection. "What a handsome devil! I see this guy every morning when I leave the bathroom, and yet I'm too shy to talk to him."
Luxion had had enough. His metallic body darted forward, smacking Leon square in the forehead.
"Ow!" Leon yelled, clutching his head as the pain forced him to his knees.
"Feeling better now?" Luxion asked sternly.
"Yeah," Leon groaned, trying to maintain his dignity despite the pain.
"Good. Then get ready. We're approaching the capital."
Hearing this, Leon quickly got to his feet. The pain was gradually subsiding, though a red mark remained on his forehead. Determined to look as presentable as possible, he resumed his preparations.
"The queen awaits," he murmured under his breath as he added the finishing touches to his outfit.
---
When Leon entered the royal palace, he was greeted not by the queen but by a servant. The man bowed politely before speaking:
"My apologies, Viscount Bartfort, but I'm afraid Her Majesty is not yet ready to receive you. She will be prepared in about half an hour. You've arrived much earlier than we anticipated."
Leon smirked to himself, thinking: No surprise, given the speed of my companion.
Looking at the servant, he nodded curtly.
"No problem. I'll wait here. I have nothing else to do at the moment."
The servant bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you for your patience, my lord."
With that, the servant departed, leaving Leon alone in the luxurious yet slightly tense hall.
---
Leon sat on one of the benches in the spacious hall, folding his arms across his chest. After a while, he noticed that more and more eyes were on him. At first, he tried to ignore it, even closing his eyes to relax, but the feeling of being watched grew too persistent.
This is starting to get annoying… he thought, still trying to ignore it.
Suddenly, he felt someone approach. A gentle, timid voice called out to him:
"E-excuse me… Are you by any chance Viscount Leon Fou Bartfort?"
Leon opened his eyes and looked at the speaker. Standing before him was a young woman around his age, perhaps slightly older. She wore an elegant dress that highlighted her high social status. Judging by her appearance, she was likely someone attached to the royal court—either a noble servant or a distant relative of the royal family with no claim to the throne but living the life of an aristocrat.
Leon studied the girl carefully. She was completely unfamiliar to him—neither from the game nor the novel. This piqued his curiosity, and he decided to respond:
"Yes, that's me."
As soon as he said those words, the girl before him clapped her hands in delight, and the nearby women let out excited squeals. In an instant, a crowd had formed around him.
"Is it true that you defeated air pirates all by yourself as a child?" one of the girls exclaimed, barely able to contain her excitement.
"Uh… yeah," Leon replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
His answer only fueled their enthusiasm. The girls began bombarding him with questions and showering him with praise.
"You're so talented for your age!"
"You're a true hero!"
"Please, tell us more about your adventures!"
Leon felt overwhelmed. I haven't heard this much praise and adoration from women since I came to this world… he thought, struggling to stay composed.
These girls were nothing like the ones he'd encountered before. Ah, how wonderful—they don't have slaves, and they weren't corrupted by the academy. They're so sweet and genuine!
"You're entering the Academy in two months, right?" one of the girls asked, her eyes shining with hope.
Leon nodded.
"Yes, that's correct."
"We'll be enrolling there next year! That means you'll be our senpai! Please take care of us!"
"It would be a dream come true to spend every day with you!" another girl added.
Leon was inwardly ecstatic. If girls like these are going to the Academy, and I get to see them every day, I'll be the happiest man in this world!
At that moment, a servant appeared, interrupting his thoughts.
"Viscount, Her Majesty is ready to see you now."
---
We have reached chapter 50 🎉 I can't say much at the moment, but thank you to everyone who stays with me!