Chapter 16: Distant Echoes

'What a frightening child...' thought Andralius, sitting in his office with a pensive look following his meeting with William. He had heard the latter was perceptive and far more mature than other children, but throughout their conversation, he felt like he was the one being humored.

"Having doubts~?" asked a deep, spine-chilling, feminine voice, followed by the flame in Andralius's hearth turning a ghostly blue hue.

Closing his eyes, Andralius responded, "Would it matter?"

"Does anything truly matter anymore~?" asked the voice, prompting the frown on Andralius's face to deepen. At the same time, though it wasn't obvious at a glance, several strands of his dark brown hair lost their hue.

Sensing that Andralius had no intention of responding, the ghostly blue flames receded, causing the hearth to extinguish. Afterward, a frigid chill spread throughout the spacious office, icy condensation emanating from Andralius's throat as he exhaled a weary sigh...

...

'Well, that's ominous...' thought William, staring at the holographic display that had materialized before him as he was perusing a celebrity-focused magazine and taking a shit atop a heated silver-alloy toilet.

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[Pride's Downfall]

Rank: SS [Link Quest]

Objective(s): They say the tallest blade of grass is the first to be cut by the scythe. But those who refuse to reach for the sun are starved, fated to wilt in the shadow of others. Uncover the plot against you and see to it that those who would use you to further their own objectives receive their just deserts.

Optional Objective(s): Burn Eastwarden to the Ground(0/1), Burn Longhall to the Ground(0/1), Burn the Thea Ward to the Ground(0/1), Burn the Thiar Palace to the Ground(0/1)

Reward(s): 100,000 Karma, 100,000 additional Karma for each Optional Objective Completed, [Pride and Conquest]x1

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Understanding that 'Pride' was referring to him, William finished his shit and returned to his oversized guest quarters, still in the process of being looked over and secured by Therese, Ryza, and Amira.

When William, or, more accurately, Aiden and his friends first arrived on the mysterious island, they had been instructed to choose one of seven fruits growing from Yggdrasil's branches. They had been given a tutorial on how to use their Systems before that, so they could identify the fruits but could only guess what their effects were. Aiden's had been a pulsing, heart-like apple called [Fruit of the Cardinal Sin: Pride], so the implication was that he would be killed if he failed to circumvent the scheme of those plotting against him.

'Being born as a Noble isn't all advantages...' mused Willam, making his way over to the bed he had brought with him via his Grade B [Interspatial Bangle]. It wasn't as convenient as his Inventory, but the tiny gold bangle was worth more than the average mansion or villa. Luckily, unless he took it off and gave it to someone intentionally, it couldn't be removed, and the moment he died, everything inside would be transported to the vault back at Oirthearhall. Assuming he wasn't sealed within a subdimensional plane or something similar.

Observing William from the corner of her eye, Therese stopped what she was doing to ask, "Are you fatigued? Shall I prepare a pot of black tea...?"

"That would be nice, actually," said William, removing his shoes and lying on his bed. He wasn't actually tired, but it was much easier to think while lying down and relaxing with his eyes closed.

Interrupting William's train of thought, Ryza rather abruptly asked, "Would you like me to give you a massage...?"

"Hmmm..."

As he had never received an offer for a massage, at least not in his current life, William briefly considered whether there was an underlying meaning behind Ryza's offer before rolling onto his stomach, responding, "Sure," with his head resting atop his crossed arms.

Though it was certainly a bit risque, William didn't mind or protest when Ryza crawled atop him, plopping her perky posterior on the backs of his legs before hiking up his tunic to expose his muscular back. As a member of the Feles Zoan tribe, Ryza had monstrous strength, retractable claws, and fur covering her hands and forearms, but William wasn't bothered by them in the slightest. Rather, he found the pink padding on the tips of her fingers, toes, and the balls of her feet rather endearing.

"Master's body has become amazing..." remarked Ryza, her cat-like pupils expanding as she traced the contours of William's well-defined traps with her thumbs.

"I'll need to work hard if I want to keep it that way..." responded William, noticing a distinct 'heat' on the back of his legs but disregarding it as, so long as he didn't make a move, Ryza would restrain herself.

"Will you continue your training, even while attending the Academy...?" asked Ryza, her voice exuding concern as she added, "It's good to work hard and strive to improve, but you should rest more and focus on making friends. And, don't forget, you also need to choose and court a fiancee by the time you graduate."

"I'm well aware..." responded William, thinking back to the many girls he was made to meet and have tea with prior to the start of his training. The Royal Academy was split into four distinct Cardinal Houses based on the Kingdom's broader structure. Many of the students he would be living with and learning alongside were descendants of the Houses forming the Oirthear Constellation, so William didn't need to be a six-time reincarnator to know 'a lot' of people would be attempting to curry favor with him. That included those who wished to vie for the position of his wife...

'It would be nice if my parents had another son. Then I could disappear without worry...' thought William, beginning to feel sleepy as Ryza was far more skilled at massaging than anticipated.

"Shall I massage your front next...?" asked Ryza, her voice low, husky, and tinged with heat.

"Nah, I'm good," replied William, absent even a shred of hesitation. Ryza briefly tensed at his immediate refusal, but instead of pressing the matter further, she focused on massaging his back until Therese arrived with his tea and some snacks she had retrieved from the kitchen...

...

'Man, this takes me back...' thought William, sitting at a desk within the estate's library. Instead of reading a book, however, he was accessing what was effectively a computer but colloquially called an IATT, meaning Information Access and Transmission Terminal. There was even intra and broader internet, but it was heavily restricted and monitored, requiring an access card linked to a person's personal information and identity.

Fortunately for William, as he lacked an access card, the estate's intranet could be accessed by anyone so long as they were permitted to enter the library. There were no real websites to access and very few programs that could be run, but it had a search function to allow you to search for books and information related to them. It also had a home page that refreshed a few times a day to relay news and other important information, so William was able to gain quite a bit of information on the current Braves, the Royal Academy, and various influential figures within the city.

Finding a few articles about a Demon prodigy who managed to enter the Royal Academy early and complete its curriculum within a year, William was fairly certain it was referring to Dave. The person in question was the same age as him, but if he was right, that meant Dave had, once again, been born as a female. More specifically, he had been reincarnated as a member of the Iramun, the tribe associated with Cantus, the Demon King of Wrath. As for his/her name, it was Astucia Dokkaebi, the sixty-second daughter of the Demon Emperor, Dractus Crimson. More notably, she was the youngest tenured Professor in the Royal Academy's history...

Unfortunately, though William was almost positive that Astucia was Dave, he couldn't find any information on his other companions. Andrika, Justin, Tom, and Sarah were pretty good at lying low, but he expected to find at least one article related to Z. The closest he found was something about a rising star in the South who had made a name for themselves as a child slave turned gladiatorial champion, but since the person in the article was a girl, William was fairly certain it had nothing to do with his group.

"Master is amazing..." remarked Ryza, hovering over William with sparkling eyes.

"Oh? What makes you say that...?" asked William.

"It's your first time using a terminal, but it only took you a few minutes to figure things out," replied Ryza. "I'm kind of jealous. I'm good at using my body, but my brain...not so much."

"Everyone has things they're good at," stated William. "There's a reason I chose you, Amira, and Therese to accompany me. Have more confidence in yourself."

"Really? Can I ask what the reason is...?" asked Ryza, genuinely curious as she wasn't entirely sure why William had chosen her. She understood why he picked Amira and Therese, as they were super capable, but all she was good at was fighting and tracking people.

"I view you as kind of an older sister," responded William, tilting his head back and inadvertently resting it against Ryza's breasts as he stated, "I'm comfortable around you and believe you will do everything in your power to protect me. Just as I would protect you."

"Master..." muttered Ryza, her eyes watering before she abruptly wrapped her arms around him, squeezing like a vice as she exclaimed, "You're such a cutie~!"

"Ahem...!"

Sparing William from the awkwardness of being choked out by the person hired to protect him, the librarian in charge of the library loudly cleared his throat. Ryza attempted to apologize for the disruption, but when William told her not to worry about it, much to the librarian's chagrin, she ceased caring immediately...

...

*gentle ringing*

Prompted by the sound of someone ringing the bell to William's room, Therese emerged from the hatch connecting to the servant quarters she shared with Ryza and Amira in a vanilla nightgown, wand at the ready as she asked, "Were you expecting guests, Young Master?"

Rising to a seated position atop his bed, William smiled and responded, "Not in particular," while grasping the sword he kept at his side, just in case.

*gentle ringing*

Frowning deeply, Therese grumbled, "How rude..." as she approached the door. She was prepared to lay into whoever was standing outside, but she promptly changed her mind when she opened the door and found that the culprit was David.

Closing her eyes and bowing, Therese controlled her expression and tone, stating, "This humble servant recognizes and admires the Beta Star of the Oirthear Constellation..."

"You may raise your head. Afterward, leave us," said David, gesturing for Therese to rise. He didn't actually have the authority to dismiss Therese, but as William had previously told her not to complicate things by asking him for permission in such instances, she promptly excused herself after bowing to them both.

"I wasn't expecting you to come to me first," mused William, wearing a cheeky smile as he remained in bed.

"Your outward appearance changes drastically each time we meet, but your personality is still as vexing as ever..." remarked David, adopting a smile of his own. His perspective had broadened considerably after his arrival in Axial and enrollment in the Royal Academy, so he was no longer as 'awkward' as he was in the past, approaching William with confidence as he stated, "I happened to have some free time and wished to speak to you before you visited and enrolled at the Academy. I have no doubt that you can take care of yourself, but it will make things difficult for us both if you stand or act out too much..."

Handing William a pamphlet and a sealed envelope, David explained, "There is a social club made up of elite, high-ranking nobility within the Academy. I am one of the four representatives representing our family and the students of the Oirthear Commons. I have arranged to formally introduce and have you inducted into our ranks at a party scheduled two days from now. You can find the relevant information in that pamphlet. I would appreciate it if you chose to attend..."

'How cute. He's learned how to gaslight people...' mused William, smiling as he replied, "Of course. However, if you plan to appoint me as an officer or something similar, I would advise against it. No one likes it when those in power use it to promote those who've yet to prove themselves."

"I thought you might say that," responded David, retrieving and opening the pamphlet with a smug, shit-eating grin. As for why, it was because the theme of the party was a martial exhibition...

...