The Extra's Rise-Chapter 275: Second Mission Interlude (4)

’Hey, stop blaming me unfairly!’ I protested.

’Unfairly? Unfairly?!’ Luna’s voice rose in sheer indignation. ’Not only did I have to witness the Saintess—the future Saintess, mind you—this possessive over a man, but now she’s also kinky?! Oh Lord! I have made a mistake! I have chosen the wrong one! Please, grant me forgiveness!’

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

’Who the hell are you even praying to?!’

Luna ignored me.

I took a slow, steadying breath and looked back at Rachel, who was still sprawled on the bed, wrists cuffed, golden hair fanned out over the pillows. She was watching me with an expression that was far too satisfied, as if she enjoyed watching me suffer.

I gulped.

And then—

The magnetic door slid open.

"Rachel, I was looking for you—"

Alastor Creighton stepped inside.

I stiffened.

’Why is a King searching for her personally instead of having his staff do it? Or, I don’t know, calling her phone like a normal human being?!’

I cursed internally as my brain scrambled for an exit strategy.

Alastor’s eyes landed on me.

Then—

They drifted to Rachel.

To the bed.

To the cuffs.

The absolute silence in the room was deafening.

And then—

The King of Creighton smiled.

Not a friendly smile.

Not an amused smile.

A smile that carried the exact same energy as a man about to execute someone for high treason.

His eyes, however, were very much not smiling.

In the end, Rachel was freed—her cuffs turned to dust with nothing but a flick of Alastor’s fingers.

A terrifyingly casual display of power.

And now?

Now, I was sitting across from the very same man on a private balcony, a place without witnesses, which was not at all ominous.

The table between us was modest, a simple wooden structure that felt deeply out of place when occupied by a man who could probably turn the entire estate to dust if he got irritated enough.

Alastor sat there, arms crossed, staring at me with an intensity that suggested he was actively trying to set my skull on fire with sheer willpower.

I, being the reasonable person I was, responded with a polite, utterly nonchalant smile.

"Arthur Nightingale," he said at last, his voice level.

I sat up instantly.

Alastor held my gaze for a moment longer, then sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You’ve grown stronger."

I nodded. "Yes."

He made a thoughtful sound, glancing out over the darkened horizon. "That fight with the Bishop," he mused. "You survived."

I raised an eyebrow. "Would we be having this conversation if I hadn’t?"

Alastor let out something between a snort and a sigh, shaking his head. "You remind me of myself at your age. Annoyingly confident. Too reckless for your own good."

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I tilted my head. "And yet, you still trained me."

He smirked slightly. "I never said I disliked it."

For a brief moment, the tension between us lessened.

But only slightly.

"You’ve made powerful enemies," he said, voice dropping slightly. "And you’ve already crossed paths with a Bishop. The Cult won’t forget that."

"I don’t expect them to," I replied evenly.

Alastor studied me for a long moment. Then, surprisingly, he nodded.

"Good."

The conversation settled into silence for a moment, the distant sounds of the city below a stark contrast to the quiet weight of our discussion.

Finally, Alastor broke the silence.

"So." His gaze flicked back to mine, his expression unreadable. "How serious are you about Rachel?"

I blinked.

And then, for the second time that night, I seriously reconsidered my life choices.

I met Alastor’s gaze, his question hanging in the air between us like a poised blade.

’How serious are you about Rachel?’

The weight behind it was clear. He wasn’t just asking about feelings. He was asking about intentions. About the future. About whether I had any idea what I had gotten myself into.

I took a measured breath, my mind running through possible answers, all while keeping my face as unreadable as possible.

"I like her," I said simply.

Alastor’s expression didn’t change. "That’s not what I asked."

I sighed. ’Of course it wasn’t.’

"She’s important to me," I continued, carefully picking my words. "More than just as an ally. More than just as a Creighton. She’s Rachel, and that alone makes her—"

I stopped myself.

Alastor’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Makes her what?"

I met his gaze evenly. "Makes her worth protecting."

Silence.

Then, to my surprise, he chuckled.

It was a low sound, dry, but not entirely unfriendly. "You really are an interesting one."

I raised an eyebrow. "Interesting?"

"A normal boy your age would either run from a noble’s daughter or throw himself at her feet," Alastor mused. "Yet here you are, sitting across from me like this is just another strategy meeting."

I shrugged. "It is."

Alastor let out another chuckle, shaking his head. "You remind me of a younger version of myself."

"Again, you did train me," I pointed out.

"And I sometimes wonder if that was a mistake," he muttered.

I smirked slightly. "Too late now."

He studied me for a long moment before leaning forward, his expression turning more serious. "Rachel isn’t just some noble girl, Arthur. She’s my daughter. She’s the heir to one of the strongest families in the world. She was supposed to be tied to the Hero’s destiny, yet she chose you instead."

His fingers drummed against the table once more.

"I need to know," he continued, voice sharp, "if you understand what that means."

I exhaled, leaning back in my chair.

"I understand that Rachel is her own person," I said. "And I understand that her feelings for me aren’t just a passing phase."

Alastor’s lips pressed into a thin line.

"But I also understand," I added, "that this isn’t something you can control. You may be her father, and you may be King, but Rachel made her choice."

His eyes darkened slightly. "And if I don’t approve?"

I held his gaze. "Then I suppose we’ll have a problem."

For a second, the tension crackled again, a sharp contrast to the calm night air.

Then—

Alastor laughed.

It was short, almost incredulous, but genuine.

"Rachel was right about you," he said, shaking his head. "You really don’t fear anything, do you?"

I smiled, though I made sure it didn’t look too smug. "Fear is useful. But not when it stops you from standing your ground."

Alastor’s smirk lingered for a moment before he exhaled, leaning back. "Very well," he said. "But if you ever break her heart—"

"I won’t," I interrupted.

He paused. Studied me.

Then nodded. "Good."

"But you have to be careful," Alastor said, his voice carrying that far too knowing weight that only came with age and experience. "After all, three other girls are madly in love with you as well. And you want all four of them, don’t you?"

I met his gaze without hesitation.

"Yes."

He raised an eyebrow. "You didn’t even try to hide it."

"There was no point in hiding it," I shrugged.

Alastor let out a short, dry laugh, shaking his head. "Well, I won’t grill you on how you plan to achieve that. I’m too old for teenage love dramas."

I almost sighed in relief.

Almost.

Then—

"My concern now is the Inter-Academy Festival," Alastor continued, leaning forward slightly. "You’ll be facing Lucifer again."

A beat of silence.

Then, calmly, he asked, "Can you win?"

I pursed my lips.

A month ago, the answer would have been no.

I wouldn’t have admitted it out loud, but the truth was, the odds had been stacked against me.

Lucifer wasn’t just the strongest at Mythos Academy—he was fated for greatness. The protagonist. A walking storm, a force that seemed inevitable.

And yet—

I nodded.

Alastor’s eyes narrowed slightly. "You think you can win?"

"Yes."

Before, my chances had been incredibly low.

But not anymore.

Because I had Soul Resonance.

Because I had Lucent Harmony.

Because I had Erebus, God Flash, Deepdark, and Purelight.

I had reached a point where I could no longer be dismissed as just another opponent.

I wouldn’t lose.

Alastor studied me for a long moment, as if trying to see past the confidence, trying to decide if I believed what I was saying or if I was just another arrogant boy who didn’t know what he was up against.

Then, finally, he smirked.

"Looks like you’re going to shock the world once more," he said.

He leaned back, watching me with something almost like amusement.

"I’ll be watching."