Bab 12: The real one

Zalira sat across from Neonidas, staring at him silently for a while. The ring that Neonidas wanted to obtain was an extremely valuable one, a symbol of the dukedom's heritage, but no one knew its true purpose—except for Neonidas. This ring had two abilities. The first was a shield that rendered any attack against the wearer ineffective, no matter how strong it was. If the ring were on Neonidas, it could deflect even the most powerful attack from his fiancée, Princess Allea, but it could only be used once.

The second, and more important, ability for Neonidas was that it acted as a multiplier for his stats. To be more specific, it doubled every stat point the wearer gained. For example, if Neonidas gained 1 strength point, the ring would turn it into 2. This might seem like a minimal effect, but when dealing with large numbers, the multiplier could make Neonidas incredibly powerful. For instance, if Neonidas had 50 stat points, the ring would double it to 100.

Knowing the power of the ring, the main character of the story had tried everything to seduce Zalira and acquire it, but he had failed. As for how the main character knew about the ring's powers, it was because his system was at a higher level. One of the abilities his system provided was the power to see the properties of anything, including living beings.

By now, Neonidas had already accumulated 3 stat points, and with the ring, he could double that number to 6. As for where those 3 points came from, the main character had never fully understood how stat points worked. Points could be gained randomly through various actions. Before coming to the academy, Neonidas seemed to have earned those points because of his actions with Viscount Kalderon and his son, but the exact criteria for earning points were unclear. Of course, this could also be a result of the author's laziness, but the mystery about how points were earned remained unsolved. Sometimes, the main character would receive special tasks from his system, and the points earned from those tasks were clearly explained, but so far, Neonidas had not been given any tasks.

"So… you knew the ring was with me… What exactly do you intend to do with it? I heard you left the dukedom in debt. I'll warn you in advance, the ring is worthless. Even though I tried experimenting with it, I couldn't see any effects. Probably not even 5 gold coins" Zalira finally broke the silence and spoke.

It was completely natural that Zalira didn't know the ring's powers. After all, the first ability of the ring only activated when the wearer's life was in danger and the wearer activated the shield. And, Those who had a system could only understand the second ability. Normally, people without a system would have their state increases assigned based on what they did, but someone with a system could freely distribute their points.

"I know. But I'm not thinking of selling it. That ring is a symbol of our dukedom. Throughout history, no ancestor of ours has ever taken charge of the dukedom without wearing it. I want the ring to strengthen my authority," Neonidas replied.

After hearing what Neonidas said, Zalira paused for a while, sipping her coffee and deep in thought. She could see how different the new Neonidas was, but she still found it hard to trust him. In truth, the ring wasn't valuable to Zalira, and she would have given Neonidas everything she had if he asked. After all, he was her only sibling and the person she loved most. But her father's last will had been must not lose the ring.

However, if Zalira were asked who she loved more—her father or Neonidas—she would say Neonidas without hesitation. After all, she hated her father, and the reason for this hatred wasn't just because the late Duke Leonardo had wanted to kill Neonidas. To Zalira, Leonardo was also the murderer of her mother. That's why she hated him so much and why she was so angry that she decided to leave the family, especially when he decided to kill Neonidas. But when her father was on his deathbed and asked her for something that wasn't too difficult, Zalira had agreed.

"Neo, if you need money, I can give you some from my personal fortune... But if you really just want the ring, I'll give it to you. On one condition, though—you must never lose it, no matter what."

When Neonidas heard that Zalira would give him the ring, he maintained his composure and said, "I don't need money, sister, but thank you. And as for your condition, I promise I won't lose the ring." He had already decided to keep the ring with him at all costs.

Zalira sighed and stood up, walking toward a wardrobe in the corner of the room. She opened the door, and inside was a safe. After spending some time trying to open the steel safe, she finally did. Inside, there were various documents, money, and gold bars. When Zalira said she could give Neonidas money from her personal fortune, she wasn't lying. She was one of the partners in a chain of stores that had branches in the capital and many cities.

Zalira then walked toward Neonidas, holding the ring, and gave it to him. Neonidas carefully looked at the ring, inspecting the eagle engravings on it. The eagle symbolized freedom and power, and it was also the emblem of their dukedom. He could feel the weight of responsibility and legacy that this ring carried through generations of his family. Before putting the ring on, he looked at Zalira. There was a slight tension on her face.

"Thank you, Zalira. I promise I'll take care of this ring like it's my life," said Neonidas. But deep down, he knew he would use the ring not only for his heritage but also to increase his strength and protect himself from the enemies who would come for him—especially since he was aware that some enemies were planning to attack him.

"Are you leaving now? If you want, we could go out and hang out in the city for a bit."

Neonidas stood up and turned to his sister. "Unfortunately, I must leave… By the way, do you know where one of your students, Avelina, is?"

Zalira was a little surprised by the question and looked at Neonidas suspiciously. "Why are you asking about her?"

"I… I can't tell you right now, but I will later. Do you know where she is now?" asked Neonidas. Of course, this was a lie; he was only saying that to avoid answering the question directly.

"Well… I hope you don't do anything stupid. Avelina is probably in the library."

"Thanks. I'll see you in a few weeks," said Neonidas, turning and walking out of the room.

Zalira was left wondering why they would need to meet again in a few weeks. After all, most people didn't know the war was ending soon and that victory celebrations would be starting soon.

As Neonidas walked slowly down the hallway, he kept staring at the ring. This ring would undoubtedly be extremely valuable and useful for him. From now on, he would have to grow stronger, literally. But just as Neonidas was lost in thought, staring at his ring, he bumped into someone. The impact caused Neonidas to fall, and Neonidas felt as though he had collided with a wall.

When Neonidas looked up to see who he had bumped into, what he saw shocked him. Yes, the person in front of him was none other than the main character, Avelina. But what was truly surprising was her appearance.

One of the reasons why the novel that Neonidas had been reincarnated into, written by his ex-girlfriend, had become popular among women was the main character's ability to seduce both the most handsome men and the most beautiful women, despite her average beauty and mediocre body measurements. In a sense, the novel offered a fantasy that women who could never live out such a life could dream of. Even though the main character wasn't very attractive and was slightly overweight, she could still win over the most handsome men and the most beautiful women, even defeating Villainess far more beautiful than her—a fantasy that could never be realized in real life.

However, the woman standing before Neonidas was different. Aside from her brown hair and brown eyes, everything else seemed different. Her physique was elegant but striking; her body had smooth, defined curves, her muscles were well-toned, and every step she took was filled with confidence. Neonidas recognized her because he had seen an illustration of the main character before, but he was still not sure that this woman in front of him was the main character.

Her curly brown hair, always a little messy but exuding a natural beauty, cascaded down to her shoulders. It was so vibrant that it seemed to shine with every touch of sunlight. Her brown eyes, when they locked onto Neonidas, seemed to hold a deep meaning. The intensity in her gaze drew people in, while simultaneously creating an air of mystery.

Avelina's body measurements were clearly designed to captivate. She had large breasts, a slender waist, and shapely hips.

In that moment, Neonidas realized that what had previously been just a theory was now a reality. This world was a more realistic version of the world his ex-girlfriend had written in the novel. After all, no living person—no one—could create a world that was flawless, without flaws or gaps. No story could exist without logical errors. In the end, these novels were the products of imperfect humans, and that was why they couldn't be perfect.

That's probably why this world was created according to the scenario of the novel written by Neonidas' former lover in his previous life, but in a more realistic way. In other words, the world had been arranged to fit the things that needed to exist in the novel. And the truth was that the original main character of the novel, who had been a fictional and impossible character, had now become a real one...

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Don't worry, the MC will become quite powerful at some point