Chapter 233: Starting of Fall

Amon walked down the hallway of the Royal University with Seraphina beside him.

His hands tucked into his pockets as he tried to make sense of the situation unfolding in the capital.

Seraphina nudged his arm, drawing him out of his thoughts. "Are you alright? You’ve been awfully quiet since we left the mansion."

Amon turned toward her and offered a reassuring smile. "I’m fine. Just thinking about a few things."

She studied his face for a moment before nodding. "I understand your concern but don’t think too much of it."

Amon smiled however, he was not fine with the situation.

He knew a terrible disaster was approaching, and the kingdom’s political situation was making everything worse.

If vampires were involved in the royal family’s affairs, the queen’s decision could be exactly what they wanted.

’Why the hell would Queen Eleanor start a war right now?’

He couldn’t understand how her mind worked.

The kingdom had barely begun recovering from the king’s death, and the royal family was already falling apart.

Starting a war under these circumstances seemed like the worst possible decision.

What bothered him even more was the vampire he had noticed among the queen’s harem.

If she knew his identity, then her actions made little sense.

’..Wouldn’t it make more sense for her to cooperate with the vampires instead of declaring war on them? Unless she’s trying to hide something.’

Seraphina tilted her head as they approached the intersection between two corridors. "Which class are you attending today?"

"Multi-Element Synchronization," Amon replied, shifting his attention toward her.

"Oh, I have Advanced Ice Magic." She adjusted the strap of her bag and smiled. "I was hoping we’d have another class together, but I suppose I’ll see you afterward."

"I’ll see you after class," he said with a smile and gave a quick peck on her lips.

Seraphina’s cheeks turned faintly pink, but she smiled and waved as she headed toward her classroom.

Amon soon reached his own classroom, where several students were already seated and talking.

Their conversations quieted slightly when he entered, and a few curious gazes followed him as he made his way toward an empty seat.

Amon ignored them without a second thought.

He had grown accustomed to the attention since arriving at the Royal University, and their curiosity no longer bothered him.

After sitting down, he leaned back and opened his system interface.

An old notification appeared before him.

[Congratulations!]

[The host has successfully unlocked the 40x Rebate System.]

Amon raised an eyebrow and read the message twice.

’...Forty times?’

He leaned forward slightly, his expression brightening as he considered what the upgrade meant.

The system’s multiplier had increased again, meaning his investments could now produce even more valuable rewards.

’This must be because Ambrosia officially became my wife.’

With a fortyfold return, even an ordinary investment could potentially become something extraordinary, provided he chose the right target.

Amon dismissed the notification and settled comfortably into his chair.

The kingdom might be heading toward disaster, but at least his system was continuing to improve.

The classroom door opened, and Professor Adrian walked inside with a stack of notes tucked beneath one arm.

His arrival quieted the remaining conversations as the students turned their attention to the front.

"Today, we’ll discuss how to combine two different elemental properties without allowing them to interfere with one another," Adrian announced, placing his notes on the desk. "Many mages believe that possessing multiple affinities automatically makes them stronger, but that assumption is incorrect."

He raised one hand, and a small flame appeared above his palm.

With the other, he gathered a thin stream of water, keeping the two elements separated as they moved through the air.

"Every element possesses distinct characteristics. If you combine them carelessly, one may weaken the other, or the resulting spell may become unstable before it reaches its target."

The professor explained how different affinities could complement one another, demonstrating several combinations and describing when they were useful.

Amon listened carefully, occasionally glancing at the examples, but he also began thinking about the Solar Phoenix Scripture he had recently acquired.

The Mythical-grade cultivation method was something he needed to study properly.

If he wanted to survive the disasters approaching the capital, relying solely on his existing abilities would eventually become a limitation.

’I need to find another dungeon and get stronger.’

He already possessed an impressive collection of abilities, but that didn’t mean he could afford to become complacent.

There were still countless things he didn’t understand about his powers and he can’t be arrogant now.

---

The class eventually ended, and the students gathered their belongings as Professor Adrian dismissed them.

Amon packed his things and walked into the hallway, where the usual noise of students returning to their next lessons quickly surrounded him.

He had barely taken a few steps when his communication device began vibrating inside his pocket.

Amon pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

The name displayed there immediately caught his attention.

"Hello, Marielle. What’s wrong?"

"I need you to visit a place with me," she replied, sounding more serious than usual. "There’s something I want to--"

Before she could finish, a tremendous glow spread across the sky outside the university windows.

Amon stopped walking and looked upward, his eyes narrowing as the light grew brighter.

Around him, students slowed down, their conversations fading as they noticed the same strange phenomenon.

A gigantic screen appeared above the capital, its luminous surface stretching across the sky like a massive hologram.

People throughout the surrounding streets could see it, and within seconds, the university corridors filled with startled murmurs.

On the screen appeared Queen Eleanor.

Her face was pale, and a bandage covered part of her injured body.

Despite her condition, she sat upright before the gathered audience, her expression heavy with grief and anger.

The queen looked directly toward the people watching her announcement.

When she finally spoke, her voice carried across the capital.

"Citizens of the kingdom, I stand before you today with news that no mother should ever have to deliver."

The conversations around Amon stopped almost immediately.

"Prince Arthur, the heir to the throne, is dead."

For a moment, the entire corridor seemed to fall silent.

Several students near the windows began whispering, wondering how the queen’s announcement would affect their families.

A few looked toward the exits as if expecting soldiers to arrive at any moment, while others remained fixed on the glowing image.

Amon understood their fear.

Even students from powerful families would not be untouched if the kingdom descended into war, and ordinary citizens would suffer first.

’But what the fuck is she on about?’

He had witnessed the attack on Arthur himself, and although he had hoped the prince might survive his injuries, the queen’s words confirmed his worst suspicions.

’I saw her own harem member tired to kill Arthur, she is most definitely the one who killed him.’

Queen Eleanor lowered her gaze briefly before looking back at the people of the capital.

The grief on her face gradually gave way to a cold expression, and when she spoke again, her voice carried a fury that was impossible to mistake.

"The vampires are responsible for this tragedy. They have infiltrated our kingdom, attacked our royal palace, and taken my beloved son from me."

Amon’s eyes narrowed.

He couldn’t tell whether the queen genuinely believed her own words or was deliberately directing the people’s anger toward a particular enemy.

Given everything he had witnessed, he wasn’t prepared to accept her accusations.

However, the queen seemed determined to make her intentions clear.

"I will not allow these monsters to continue threatening our people. For the sake of my son, for the sake of this kingdom, and for every innocent life they have taken, I will wage war against the vampires!"

Amon stood silently among the stunned students, his expression growing darker as he realized what the announcement meant.

’Damn it. This is going to be a disaster.’