Whooop!
"Ouch!!"
"Focus, Ryuk, focus!" Lexi scolded as the plant vine whipped my back every time my mana flow wavered even slightly.
What the hell!? Why is Lexi jealous!? I mean, wasn't this just an act? Right? Right!?
Ahh, what even is she thinking about me—
Whoop!
"Ahh! Eta taa taa!!"
"Focus, Ryuk!!"
Somebody save meeeee!!!
"Miss Lexi, this is child abuse!!" I protested.
Lexi smirked. "Oh my, my~ A three-year-old gentleman charming every woman he meets while having such a beautiful fiancée as me isn't a child!" She flicked my forehead playfully. "And no worries~ You can't get injured anyway!"
"Huh!? But I do feel pain, Miss Lexi!! Please, just a small break at least!!"
"Nope~ Summon 500 spirits first, then you can rest."
"But… but no spirit is willing to show up, Miss Lexi!!" I pleaded desperately.
Lexi just smiled. "Then make them~"
This woman is a demon…
Ahh, what do I do!?
Fine! I'll show her what I can do!
I released my mana flow and forcefully summoned every single spirit in Aetherwyn before me!
And within seconds—
600,000 spirits appeared all at once.
Lexi's expression shifted instantly as she felt the disturbing mana flow around us.
She turned her gaze toward me, her usual teasing grin completely wiped off, as she took in the overwhelming sight of countless spirits floating before us.
THUNNGH! THUNNGH!
The emergency bell of Aetherwyn rang loudly, echoing across the floating land.
Oh crap… Looks like I just messed up my peaceful NPC life.
Without wasting a second, I sealed my mana completely, causing all 600,000 spirits to vanish at once.
Just as I finished, a group of royal guards came rushing toward us, weapons drawn and eyes filled with panic.
"Miss Lexi, please no! No, it's a secret!" I whispered urgently, trying to plead with her.
But as the royal guards approached, one of them stepped forward.
"Lady Lexi, did you feel that disturbance in mana flow? There was an enormous release just now, and every spirit in Aetherwyn gathered at once!"
Lexi simply giggled, then crossed her arms with a proud smile.
"Oh, that? That was just my fiancé. He summoned all spirits as a warm-up!"
Noooooooooo!!!
What the hell is this woman doing?!
I could almost feel my NPC life crumbling to dust.
No, please! No! Don't ruin my peaceful existence just to flex your teaching skills!!!
Wha… What??? The guards gasped in shock, their voices way too loud for my liking.
"This three-year-old kid summoned all the spirits in Aetherwyn?! That mana surge… was HIS?!"
Oh, for the love of the gods, do these guys have megaphones in their throats?!
I glanced around nervously. People were already gathering. And, of course, they were whispering loudly enough for me to hear every word.
"Lady Lexi's fiancé summoned all those spirits?!"
"Even our Duke can't do that!"
"Wait, wasn't he the one who defeated the Duke last night?!"
"That magical aura was insane! I've never felt such overwhelming power before!"
Oh great, just great!
Yesterday, I was just some random NPC kid.
Today, I'm suddenly some legendary prodigy.
What's next? King Arthur adopting me as his son?!
I slowly turned to Lexi.
"Miss Lexi… what have you done?"
"Oh, Ryuk, don't be shy! I'm so proud of you!!!" Lexi beamed as she knelt to my height.
No, woman, I'm not shy—I'm just FED UP with my life!!!
Before I could even respond, Duke Reynard came sprinting towards us like his life depended on it.
"Lady Lexi, are you alright?! What was that?! Are you hurt?!"
Lexi, with the smuggest grin I've ever seen, casually flipped her hair and said,
"Oh, nothing! I was just about to teach my love of life about spirit magic, so for a warm-up, he summoned ALL spirits. That's all~"
Oh, someone, PLEASE muzzle this show-off woman!!!
"Wh… WHAT!? This kid summoned ALL spirits???" Duke Reynard nearly choked on his own breath, staring at me like I was some kind of divine beast.
And then there was Lexi—casually twirling a strand of her hair, completely enjoying the chaos. "Oh yeah, just for fun! Please don't worry~" she said, totally flexing like it was nothing.
FUN!? LADY, I JUST NEARLY CAUSED A NATIONAL EMERGENCY!!!
The crowd gasped in even more shock. "JUST for fun!?" "Even our Duke can't do that!!" "This kid is a MONSTER!"
Great, just GREAT. Goodbye, peaceful NPC life. Hello, legendary title I NEVER WANTED.
"No less from Miss Lexi's fiancé!!"
"He's so powerful at such a young age! Imagine when he's an adult!"
"He'll definitely surpass our Duke—no, he ALREADY HAS!"
OH MY GOD, STOP HYPING ME UP!!! I'M JUST A GUY TRYING TO LIVE PEACEFULLY!!!
I could literally see Duke Reynard's vein pop in real-time as his anger skyrocketed. His jaw clenched, his fists tightened, and then—
"Tch! F-For fun? WELL… I also used to do that! Even now, I can—"
Oh, here we go. Classic adult ego VS a literal 3-year-old.
Oh, COME ON, LEXI!!!
She just had to pour oil on the fire. With her usual mischievous grin, she sweetly said—
"Oh, Lord Reynard, please don't~ It's not easy—no one can match my dear, lovely Ryuk!!"
And just like that, boom, the Duke's ego exploded.
"THEN I'LL SHOW YOU RIGHT NOW!!" he declared, his mana surging as the crowd gasped in anticipation.
"Oh my god! We're about to witness our Duke's true power!!"
"He can also summon all spirits?! No way!"
"Shhh! Let's see! Let me see!!"
Oh great. Now I have to sit through this just because Lexi wanted to flex. SOMEONE GET ME OUTTA HERE.
The ground shook as the Duke released his full mana.
"Whoaaa! No less from our Duke!" the crowd gasped.
"Ohh... but it's still weaker than Miss Lexi's fiancé from earlier."
The moment those words reached his ears, the Duke's face twisted in rage.
"TCHHH!!! DAMN IT!!!" he screamed, his mana erupting like a storm. The air turned heavy, the sky dimmed, and a massive magical circle spread beneath him.
With a commanding voice, he roared—
"IN THE NAME OF THE SPIRIT REALM AND MY BLOOD, I SUMMON EVERY SPIRIT IN AETHERWYN!!!"
Oh boy, here we go... Please, someone, stop this man before he embarrasses himself.
Poff! Poff! Poff!
Just like that, 30,000 spirits appeared in a grand display. It was impressive—no doubt—but… well, the problem was…
I JUST SUMMONED 600,000 FOR FUN EARLIER!!!
The crowd fell silent for a moment. Then, one brave soul snorted.
"PFFT—!!"
And just like that—
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
The entire city burst into laughter!
"Oh gods, he really thought he could match the kid!!"
"Even after going all out, he barely managed 30,000?? That's like... what? 5% of what the little Lord Ryuk did?"
"Pfft—Miss Lexi's fiancé is really on another level!!"
The Duke's face turned red, then purple, then completely drained of color.
Oh boy... someone better hold this man back before he explodes out of sheer embarrassment.
No wonder this guy used to hate me in my past life…
I genuinely feel bad for him. May he recover from this embarrassment soon.
But just as Duke Reynard's face twitched in frustration and he was about to explode, a royal guard rushed in.
"Lord Reynard! The King has summoned you immediately!"
The Duke, still fuming, snapped toward the guard. "What!?"
But then—
"And Miss Lexi… you and your fiancé have been invited as well."
...
Wait.
He's summoned, but we're invited!?
PFTAAAA—!!
I barely held in my laughter.
Oh no.
Oh no no no.
Something tells me that my peaceful NPC life is about to be THROWN STRAIGHT OUT OF THIS HIGH-FLYING KINGDOM.
THUK THUK!
The sound of armored boots echoed as the royal guards escorted us to the king's grand audience room.
As the massive golden doors swung open, we stepped in and immediately knelt before the throne.
Duke Reynard, still tense from earlier, was the first to speak. "My king! You summoned me?"
The king, sitting with an imposing presence, narrowed his eyes.
And then—
"Duke Reynard! What am I hearing!?" His deep, royal voice thundered through the hall.
"First, you challenge a three-year-old child—who, I remind you, is a guest from another kingdom—to a duel? Then you lose to him? And if that wasn't enough, you further embarrass yourself in front of the entire capital?"
The king sighed in frustration, rubbing his temples.
"Do you realize how much of a mockery you've made of the nobility!?"
Duke Reynard, still desperate to salvage his pride, quickly spoke up.
"My king, this is no ordinary child! He—he stole my lady Le—"
Before he could even finish, the king raised a hand, cutting him off.
"What nonsense are you spouting, Duke Reynard?" The king's voice was firm, his expression turning into one of sheer disappointment.
"Our kingdom values freedom, and every citizen—noble or common—has the right to choose who they marry. Lady Lexi has made her choice, and if she has chosen this boy, then that is her decision."
He then leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing through the defeated duke.
"Are you truly standing here, a grown man, seething with jealousy over a three-year-old?"
The entire audience room fell dead silent.
Some of the nobles present tried—tried—to suppress their laughter.
Lexi, meanwhile, was standing tall, smirking proudly beside me.
And me?
I was just there, mentally planning my escape route from this soap opera.
"I punish you to take care of our royal army's horses!" the King declared.
Duke Reynard's face turned pale as he froze in place.
"B-But, my king! I am a Duke! A noble! You can't possibly expect me to—"
The king's glare hardened, and his voice boomed through the hall.
"Where was this so-called nobility when you lost to a three-year-old in a duel you yourself initiated?"
Reynard clenched his fists, his pride shattering into dust as whispers and murmurs filled the room.
"This is my royal decree. You will serve the kingdom by tending to our army's horses. Now, dismiss yourself."
The defeated duke gritted his teeth, then turned sharply, storming out of the audience room, his cape dramatically fluttering behind him.
And me?
I just stood there, trying my best to look serious while internally dying of laughter.
"Now, Lady Lexi and Ryukard Blackfyre!"
"Yes, my King," we both said in unison.
The King smiled proudly and turned to Lexi. "Miss Lexi, you have been one of our kingdom's most talented individuals. You've trained countless bright students, revolutionized our magic lessons, and even invited many spirits to make this kingdom their home. And now… you've brought us such a talented fiancé as well!"
Wait.
No, no, no, no—WAIT!
This is going very, VERY wrong!
My peaceful, unnoticed, carefree life is about to be MURDERED!!
Lexi beamed with pride, nodding confidently.
"Yes, my king! My dear Ryuk is—"
"—JUST A NORMAL KID!" I cut in instantly, my voice filled with forced innocence. "Really, there's nothing special about me! I just got lucky, hehe! Yep, pure luck! Coincidence! Fate! Maybe a little divine prank?"
The king stroked his beard, clearly not buying a word of it.
"Hmm… Is that so?"
Lexi giggled, whispering under her breath. "Ryuk, you're adorable when you panic~"
No, woman! This is not adorable! This is me watching my NPC life get assassinated in broad daylight!
The King clapped his hands, and a royal attendant stepped forward, presenting him with an ornate scroll.
"Ryukard Blackfyre, come forward!" the King declared.
I swallowed hard and stepped in front of him, my heart pounding. With a dignified air, he unrolled the royal decree and read aloud:
"I hereby grant Mr. Ryukard Blackfyre full citizenship of Aetherwyn! As a free citizen, he is welcome in our kingdom at any time. Furthermore, he shall be awarded his own mansion, ten personal maids, five royal horses, and a sum of 100,000 Triu coins—the equivalent of 200,000 gold coins.
Additionally, Mr. Ryukard Blackfyre is granted the right to join the nobility of Aetherwyn at any point in his lifetime, under any future king's rule!"
…
…WHAT.
My brain completely short-circuited.
Mansion?! Maids?! NOBILITY?!
No, no, no, no—WAIT!! This is going horribly wrong!
I just wanted a quiet, lazy life, and now I'm being thrown into political chaos and noble responsibilities?!
I can already hear the sound of my peaceful life being violently murdered.
…
…
WHAT!?!?
I just stood there, completely frozen, as the king read out my death sentence to an NPC life.
A mansion?
Maids?
Horses??
ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY A SMALL COUNTRY?!?!
The entire audience room erupted in cheers.
"Long live King Erein Long live Lady Lexi's fiancé!"
I could barely register Lexi clapping excitedly beside me, her smug grin practically radiating across the room.
"Oh my my, my dear Ryuk, you're quite the lucky one, aren't you?" she teased, clearly enjoying every second of my suffering.
No, NO, I'M NOT LUCKY!!
I'M CURSED.
MY NPC LIFE IS DEAD.
Rest in peace, nameless background character. You will be missed…
After all this, the King called us to his private chamber. As we entered, he turned to Lexi with a serious expression.
"Lady Lexi, your fiancé has great potential to take our kingdom to new heights!"
No, seriously, bro. Your kingdom is already floating in the sky—how much higher do you want it to go?!
"He is already a noble of Drayvonthal, but I need him to strengthen our army. If you marry him, it will secure strong relations between our kingdoms." The King's gaze sharpened. "Miss Lexi, once Ryuk turns 16, you will marry him."
HOLD UP.
WHAT.
WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?!?!
I snapped my head toward Lexi, half-expecting her to protest, but—
"Oh my~ What an honor! But of course, my Ryuk is still just a child. I'll make sure he grows into the perfect husband."
SHE AGREED!?
SHE JUST AGREED!?
NO. NO NO NO NO NO.
I'M JUST A THREE-YEAR-OLD NPC TRYING TO LIVE A QUIET LIFE.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME??
The king nodded satisfied, while Lexi just smirked at me, her eyes practically screaming, "Gotcha~".
I tried to protest. I REALLY DID.
"B-But King Erien, don't you think I'm a bit too young for this kind of decision?"
He simply laughed and said, "Nonsense! You're not just any child—you're Ryukard Blackfyre! Even as a toddler, you've surpassed my greatest warriors. With Lexi guiding you, you'll be unstoppable!"
Oh. My. Gods.
I'M BEING SOLD OFF LIKE A STRATEGIC WEAPON.
MY NPC LIFE IS WELL AND TRULY DEAD.
Nobody told me about any of this in my past life! I wish someone had just spoiled everything for me until I turned four!
Why do I always end up tangled in kingdom politics and military affairs?!