Chapter 98: The Sated Genius

A few hours ago, Edel Mireveil walked toward the darker end of the colosseum. He slowed to a halt, gazing at the figure seated upon a wooden crate. Their crimson eyes locked onto his bluish ones.

Edel tilted his chin up, a brow rising. “Why did you want to meet me, Crimson Mistress?”

“Aww~ you don't have to use titles, just call me Vionette.” Resting a hand beneath her chin, she smiled. “Edel Mireveil, the Prince of Mireveil, is it? That same kingdom known best for slaughtering elves.”

Edel narrowed his eyes. “Provocations like that won't work on me. Just get to the point.”

Vionette chuckled lightly. “Almost everyone knows the relationship between the Mireveil kingdom and the Noctherys kingdom.” Her smile turned amused, bordering on mocking. “And I can guess how envious you must be of Sylene Vaelor, the princess of Noctherys.”

Edel gritted his teeth. “Why would I be envious of a—”

“Just accept it.” Her voice dropped cold. “She’s more talented than you, she's stronger than you, and her kingdom is better than yours. The only thing you can match her in is looks.”

Edel lowered his head. His dark hair, adorned with twin demonic horns, cast a shadow across his face.

Then his lips curled upward, a dark chuckle escaping him. “Yes, I am. So, what does it have to do with you?”

“To tell you the truth, I don’t care what happens between you two.” She spread her hands. “But you see… I've ruined someone's plan, and without that plan, things won't be very entertaining for me.”

“Someone's plan? Who might that be?”

“You don’t need to know that. All you need to know is that I want you to put the plan back into its original shape in my stead.”

Edel's smile widened as her next words followed:

“In return, I will side with Mireveil—” She paused, her eyes narrowing in amusement. “Oh no, my apologies. I will side with you in any one thing you ask of me. Sounds good, no?”

“Why should I trust you?” he asked, though his smile lingered. “How will I be certain that having you on my side will even help me?”

Vionette's smile faded. She tilted her head back in feigned confusion before her grin returned.

“If you've heard the rumors, surely you must know how much power I have. This academy is just my playground.”

She stood and closed the distance between them. Halting by his left shoulder, she leaned close to his ear and whispered.

Edel's eyes widened. “That’s it?”

She stepped past him, continuing forward. “Yes. Sometimes, even the tiniest thing can make a big difference.”

He turned completely to watch her retreating figure. “You know… after hearing the stories about how you command people with loyalty alone, you've become an inspiration to me.”

She paused and glanced over her shoulder. “It seems Mireveil's inside isn't very clean, huh? Well, I'm happy that I've become an inspiration, at least.”

***

Present—

Four hours had passed, and since the sun traversed the sky faster in this dimension, night had already fallen.

Sylene halted her midnight stroll as a group of students came into view. The students froze, stricken with fear, while Sylene simply stared back, completely unbothered.

‘T-that's Princess Sylene?’ a student whispered, eyes widening.

‘I heard she doesn't like other races much, not to mention us nobles… Quick, get away!’ another whispered.

Sylene resumed her path. As she did, the students hastily scrambled out of her way and bowed.

Everyone's hunting for points right now. Will she kill us for them?

To their surprise, she simply strolled past without a care, casually eating a pre-made sandwich.

“Where are you going alone at night, Princess?”

Sylene stopped and turned her head.

There, leaning against a tree trunk, stood a girl with lavender hair tied into a ponytail. Strapped to either side of her waist belt rested twin dark blades.

Outside in Gergrain, Noa let out an awkward laugh. “Yo, why is she aura farming?”

An angel? I didn't even notice her presence… Sylene scanned her.

“Who are you?” She asked, turning to face her completely.

The girl pushed off the bark and approached Sylene, both hands resting on the hilts of her swords.

“Blackwake Consortium No. 49, Shimu.”

The blades bled a dark energy as she unsheathed them. In response, Sylene extended her hand forward and began chanting, bluish Aether pooling before her palm.

A mage against a close-combat fighter… This is the worst.

***

Princess Sylene is supposed to be fighting the prince who matched her strength, the Prince of Velmora.

Lucion and Emmy sat around a makeshift campfire. Skewered above the flames was rabbit meat, which they ate once it was properly roasted.

Lucion took another bite, his gaze fixed on the dirt as he sank into thought.

In the middle of the fight, she awakens a Rare skill and wins. But now that Velmora is gone, her evolution has faltered. Everything is deviating from the main plot, and that's very bad.

Across the dancing flames, Emmy stared at him with a worried expression.

“Is everything okay?” she finally decided to ask.

Lucion, suddenly recalling her presence, snapped his head toward her with wide eyes.

“Ah! Yes. I was just… lost in thought.”

He stared at her perplexed face. I keep forgetting that I'm not alone in that room anymore.

“Just finish eating. We have to move out as fast as we can.”

So, she did.

Between bites, Emmy glanced at the insignia on Lucion’s sleeve. “You’re a Recommended Student? How?”

His brows furrowed. “What do you mean ‘how’?”

“I mean, Recommended Students are those who failed the entrance exam and were slipped into the academy by professors. Most are just the children of nobles who bribed their way in. But given how skilled you are compared to me, how did you fail when I passed?”

“Well…” Lucion avoided her gaze, offering a forced smile. “You could say a professor saw my potential and enrolled me… forcefully?”

“Forcefully…?”

“Don’t worry about it.” He stood and smothered the campfire. “You’re done, right? Let's get moving.”

“Where are we going, exactly?” she asked, rising to her feet as well.

“To find a necklace.”

…

After traveling far enough to the west, they stumbled upon two trees that towered over the rest of the forest. Lucion knew them very well.

Now, if we just head a little bit to the right from here…

They veered right and pressed deeper into the woods. The further they went, the thicker the shadows became. And then they saw it—the yawning entrance of a cave.

Lucion paused near the entrance and turned back to Emmy. “Could you wait here for me?”

Emmy felt a bit lost. Was there something he didn't want her to see? She hesitated for a few seconds, then offered a warm smile.

“Okay, I'll wait here.”

…

Navigating the cavern, Lucion encountered numerous traps, dodging each one effortlessly using the memory of countless past attempts.

In the final room, a glowing white necklace resting atop a pedestal of black crystal came into his view.

“Finally found it!” Lucion grinned.

He strode down the path flanked by obsidian pillars, finally reaching the black crystal.

Lucion reached out. But just as his fingertips brushed the necklace—

<Who are you?> a deep, old voice resonated in his mind.

Lucion's eyes widened, and he stumbled two steps back, the necklace clutched in his hand.

W-what was that?!

“Who's there?!”

<You will not be able to perceive me. Worry not, I mean you no harm.>

He frantically scanned the room. It was true; there was no one there—only the phantom voice echoing in his head.

Taking a shaky breath to compose himself, he asked, “...Who are you?”

<I asked that question first. How would a mere Vital Lifeform know of this item? Only a few should know about—oh… it seems you are a part of his play.>

“What are you talking about?”

<No matter. Do you even know what that item is?>

He glanced at the necklace in his palm, then stared back up into the empty air. “It’s the Necklace of Ishlim. It increases the wearer's Aether Core capacity, right?”

The voice fell silent.

Then, finally, it answered, <The name is right… but the answer is wrong.>

I've played through this part multiple times, and I'm certain this conversation wasn't in the story. Who even is this?

“Is it okay for me to leave?” he asked, a cold shiver running down his spine.

<As I stated, I will do you no harm. You may leave at any moment.>

“Thank you, then.”

He immediately pivoted and hurried toward the exit.

<Ah, I will leave you with one warning:>

Lucion halted and glanced back at the black crystal. Across its dark facets, a brief reflection of his past life glimmered.

<Not everything you believe to be a coincidence is truly a coincidence.>

---

Emmy waited diligently near the cave entrance as instructed. Suddenly, a rustle nearby caught her attention. A moment later, a student emerged from the treeline.

He had pure-black hair, vivid crimson eyes, and strikingly handsome features. The white insignia on his sleeve cuff clearly indicated his royal status.

A royal? Emmy clenched her fists. This is bad… Lucion, you need to hurry back!

The boy strolled toward the cave entrance without batting an eye at Emmy, his hands buried casually in his pockets. Just as he was about to brush past her, she threw herself into his path, spreading her arms wide to block the way.

The boy stopped, pinning her with an intense glare. “What? Get out of my way.”

Emmy felt the oppressive aura radiating from him. Her hands trembled, but she stood her ground.

“Y-you can't go in.” She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Huh? Who the hell are you?” As his lips parted, the glint of two sharp fangs revealed his vampiric bloodline. “I'll say it one more time: get out of my way.”

She looked back into his eyes, a fierce determination swelling within her.

Lucion asked me to wait out here, which means he doesn't want anyone going inside.

“No—”

A brutal kick slammed into Emmy's abdomen, sending her flying backward until she crashed into someone else.

“Emmy? What's going on?!” Lucion shouted, catching her in his arms.

Emmy could do nothing but cough out blood. Yanking a healing potion from his pouch, Lucion quickly fed it to her before glaring ahead.

Astris?!

He snatched a small wand from his pouch and fired an explosive magic at the vampire.

Astris leapt backward, easily clearing the blast radius. As the smoke dissipated, Lucion and Emmy stepped out of the cave and onto sturdier ground. At the same time, Lucion secured the Necklace of Ishlim around his neck; the item turned invisible the very next moment.

[Aether: F → D]

“Emmy, are you okay?” he asked, fishing out several Aether Recovery potions from his pouch.

It still isn't enough to reach C? At least it pushed me to D. Now that the capacity is expanded, I need to fill it. He popped the corks and chugged two of them.

“I'm okay… I can endure that much.” She stared at the vampire in dread. “But what are we going to do now? He's too strong.”

Strong? Lucion gritted his teeth. You're underestimating him, Emmy. He's not just strong; he's completely out of our league.

“Hey, are you going to let me go in or not?” Astris asked, casually brushing dust from his coat.

I definitely can't let him go in there. Even I don't know what that being was, and I'll be in massive trouble if anyone else finds out.

“Seems not.” Hovering just over Astris's palm, two magic circles materialized.

“Emmy, get away!”

A torrent of fire roared forth, fueled by a gale of wind that doubled its devastating spread. Luckily, the two managed to dive out of the blast zone just in time.

If I want to survive this, I have to play every card in my hand.

Lucion reached into his magical pouch once more and retrieved a small metallic sphere. He hurled it at Astris, its runic exterior glowing as it bounced to a halt near the vampire's boots.

Keeping his eyes locked on Lucion, Astris lazily extended a hand toward the sphere just as it detonated.

“What are these cheap tricks?”

When the dust settled, Astris stood in the same spot, completely unscathed. Not even a thread of his clothes was singed.

Lucion clicked his tongue. I knew that wouldn't be enough against this guy!

Gripping his sword tightly, he lunged forward.

He opened with a vertical slash, which Astris effortlessly sidestepped. Pressing an open palm directly against Lucion's stomach, the vampire triggered a Tier-2 wind spell, blasting the boy backward to crash into a thick trunk.

Lucion quickly rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the chained fireball hurled in his direction.

Scrambling for cover among the trees, Lucion hurled a barrage of throwing daggers, but Astris deflected or evaded every single one.

Lunging forward with a sweeping horizontal arc, Lucion channeled a fire spell into the blade, igniting the steel into a blazing crescent of heat.

Good thing I found the necklace before this fight happened!

Unfurling a pair of leathery, bat-like wings from his back, Astris launched himself into the air. He gazed down at the two students as if they were nothing more than insects.

Yet, as if mocking his own aerial advantage, he plummeted straight down, driving a heel into Lucion's face.

Lucion's boots carved deep trenches into the earth before he finally arrested his momentum. Hoisting his sword with a two-handed grip, he gritted his teeth through the pain.

“Lucion! I'll help out too!” Emmy shouted from behind him.

Lucion glanced over his shoulder to see Emmy shrouded in a radiant emerald glow. Her hands were clasped tight, fingers pointed straight at him. The green light washed over his body, bringing a sudden, electrifying rush of power.

[Attribute:]

• Attack: E + 50

• Speed: C + 50

• Durability: E + 60

• Aether: D

• Intelligence: C

A buff? His eyes widened as he stared at the translucent system window. And it’s not just any standard buff either… boosting three attributes simultaneously is a feat most Supporters can't pull off.

He charged forward once again, raining strikes down on Astris. Though completely unarmed, Astris weaved from side to side using micro-bursts from his wings to glide just above the ground. All the while, the vampire mercilessly bombarded Lucion with rapid-fire spells.

I definitely feel stronger than before, overly so. He flipped back to gain distance, landing right beside Emmy. …But my strength was never the issue here; it's who we're up against.

Astris unleashed a barrage of ice crystals. They managed to dodge most of the volley, but two shards pierced through Lucion's hand.

Astris Asgrid, the Prince of Vaskrheim… He is one of the hardest bosses in Fragments of the Fallen Crown. Despite being born into the royal bloodline of Vaskrheim, he was cursed at birth, a dark affliction that left him paralyzed.

But somehow, the curse was broken. In its place, he was blessed with everything—unrivaled beauty, wealth, intelligence, and peerless talent. Yet, possessing all of that, he doesn't give a damn about a single thing in this world except his girlfriend.

For this very reason, he earned the title: The Sated Genius.

Now, both Lucion and Emmy stood before him, gasping desperately for air. Lucion was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds, while Emmy was drained of Aether.

Lucion stared into Astris’s glowing crimson eyes. And it is an undeniable truth that he is the strongest student among us all.

“Are you going to let me pass now or not?” Astris sighed, resuming his stroll toward the cave.

Shit! I have to stop him someh—

“I knew something was up when I heard all that noise over here,” a female voice called out from the woods.

Astris's eyes widened, and he whirled around instantly.

“L-Lirth?!” He looked at the gaping cave entrance, then back at her. “But I thought you were inside the cave! How are you outside?”

“This is not the cave I set our camp up in.” Lirth pinched the bridge of her nose and let out an exasperated sigh. “You got lost again, didn't you?”

Astris looked back at the cave entrance one last time. Did I take a left turn back there, or a right one?

As Lucion and Emmy watched in bewilderment, Lirth marched up to Astris, grabbed him by the hand, and began towing him away.

“Come on, I'll lead the way this time. There are a few things I need your help with,” her voice drifted back from the shadowy trees. “I'm really sorry for the trouble he's caused you guys!”

Emmy tilted her head, her mind completely blank. “Uh… okay…?”