Haruto opened his eyes, feeling unusually light. Usually, waking up felt like dragging a heavy stone through mud, but today, the silence of the room was actually peaceful. He noticed the other side of the bed was cold. The girls were already gone.
"I've never slept this well in my entire life,"
Haruto muttered, staring at the ceiling.
"Maybe there really is something about this world... or maybe it's just the first time I haven't woken up feeling like I'm already bored of the day."
He got up, washed his face, and walked out into the living area of the suite. He stopped dead.
Sitting on the sofa were the three of them, already dressed in the Academy uniforms. The red and black striped shirts were tucked into the sharp black pants, and they looked... different. Not like distant, untouchable goddesses, but like actual people.
The uniforms fit them perfectly—highlighting their curves and stature in a way that made Haruto's throat go dry. Ivory was adjusting her collar nervously, Lustra was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, and Bellona was sitting stiffly, looking like she was ready to fight the fabric itself.
When they saw him, all three of them stood up at once. Their faces turned a bright, messy crimson—the memory of the shared bed from the night before was clearly still screaming in their heads.
"Oh... you're up," Ivory said, her voice small and cracking slightly. She didn't look him in the eye.
"We... we were waiting. We're actually a bit nervous about this. We've never... you know, done the 'student' thing before. How do we look? Is it... okay?"
Haruto stood there, looking at them. For a second, he forgot he was supposed to be the "Master" or the "Star-Child." He was just a guy looking at three incredibly beautiful girls who were clearly seeking his approval.
The way the black skirt hugged their hips and the red stripes made his eyes pop—it was a lot to take in the morning.
Haruto felt a hot blush creep up his neck. He looked away quickly, rubbing the back of his head to hide how flustered he actually was.
"Yeah," Haruto muttered, his voice a bit rougher than usual.
"I mean... you look good. Really good. It suits you way better than those hotel robes. It's... it's a good look."
The girls' tension broke instantly. They didn't cheer or bow; they just gave him small, shy smiles that felt a lot more "human". For the first time, it didn't feel like a master and his servants—it felt like four teenagers about to face their first day of school.
They each gave him a shy, soft "Thank you," their voices finally losing that stiff, formal edge. Seeing their genuine excitement—the way they were fidgeting with their sleeves and checking their reflections—Haruto felt a spark of energy he hadn't felt in years. He rushed into the changing room to get ready himself.
When Haruto finally stepped out, the room went dead silent.
The red and black striped shirt fit his lean frame perfectly, and the black pants gave him a sharp, disciplined silhouette. He didn't look like a bored shut-in or a Level 1 weakling anymore; he looked like the protagonist of a story.
The three Goddesses stood frozen. They had seen him as a nightmare, then as a mysterious master, but they had never realized that their "Star-Child" could look this... attractive. Their eyes were locked on him, unable to look away, their faces turning a deeper shade of pink by the second.
Haruto felt their intense gaze and started to feel incredibly self-conscious. He adjusted his collar nervously.
"What? Why are you all staring? Do I look like some kind of weird joker?"
The three of them blinked, tilting their heads in confusion.
"Haruto... What is a 'joker'?" Ivory asked softly, still breathless.
Haruto realized that some of his Earth slang didn't translate here. He waved his hand dismissively, his own blush deepening.
"Never mind. It's nothing. Anyway, let's move! I'm going to be late because of you three."
"Yes, sir!" they chirped, quickly falling in line behind him as he marched toward the exit.
As they marched through the luxurious hallway of the Royal Suite, Haruto turned to Ivory.
"Wait, what time does the first bell actually ring? I didn't see a schedule."
"I scanned the Academy bulletin board yesterday."
Ivory replied instantly, as she recalled the data.
"The introductory session for first begins exactly at 09:00 Mana-Cycles."
Haruto stopped in front of a strange, floating clock in the lobby. Instead of numbers, it had glowing celestial symbols rotating around a core of pulsing quartz. He squinted at it, his brain trying to translate the 'Fantasy UI' into something he understood.
(Haruto's Inner Thoughts:)These symbols are a mess. It's like trying to read a corrupt font file. But if I compare the rotation to a standard Earth clock... the large rune is at the twenty-minute mark and the core is glowing at the eighth position. It's 08:20. 08:20? Damn. The Academy is on the other side of the district. Why is there no public transport in this 'High-Fi' world? Where are the buses when you need them? We're going to have to sprint if we want to make it before the class.
As they reached the lobby and passed the reception desk, the woman from the day before suddenly called out,
"Excuse me! Sir!"
Haruto stopped, turning around.
"I noticed you're all in your Academy uniforms,"
The receptionist said with a polite bow, though she still looked a bit intimidated by their collective presence.
"Just a reminder—your stay at the Royal Suite expires today. If you're moving into the Academy dorms or finding other lodgings, please ensure your luggage is ready by this evening."
The reality of their situation hit them. They were officially transitioning from luxury guests to village students.
The three Goddesses looked genuinely crushed. After a night of barely sleeping mostly because they were blushing too hard, the idea of losing their only "home" in this world sucked.
"Wait, we really can't stay?"
Haruto asked, his voice sounding more like a frustrated teenager than a hero.
"I finally got a decent night's sleep. Just one."
The receptionist looked truly sorry.
"I am so sorry, Sir. But a high-ranking Wizard has booked the entire floor. In this city, his word is basically law. His party arrives this afternoon."
Haruto leaned against the polished wood of the desk, feeling a mix of annoyance and genuine curiosity.
"A Wizard? Who's got enough pull to kick people out of a Royal Suite?"
The receptionist stood up a bit straighter, her voice dropping to a respectful whisper.
"The Great Wizard of this city... Fredric M. Jackson."
The moment the name hit the air, the lobby went quiet. People sitting nearby actually stopped drinking their tea to listen. Haruto looked around, seeing the sudden tension in the room. Even the luggage boys looked terrified.
"Who?" Haruto asked, looking genuinely confused.
The receptionist stared at him like he had two heads.
"You... you've never heard of him? Sir, he's a legend! He's the one who broke the world record for humans. He reached Level 72 completely on his own. He was the first person ever to break the Level 70 barrier. Word is, he's about to hit Level 73 any day now."
Haruto stood there, frozen.
Until five minutes ago, he thought Level 6 or 7 was a big deal in this village. He was Level 1, and his partners were Level 6 for the world. He felt like he was doing okay. But Level 72? That wasn't just a high level—that was a different universe.
He felt a cold pit in his stomach. The realization hit him hard: he wasn't the only 'player' in this world. There was a literal monster living in this city, a man who had climbed so high that Haruto couldn't even see the top of his stats.
"Level 72..." Haruto whispered, his voice a little shaky.
"Man... I really am at the bottom of the food chain, aren't I?"
Haruto looked at the three Goddesses, expecting them to be as intimidated as he was. But they just stood there, looking at him as if he'd just told a mildly amusing joke.
"You guys realize this man is hitting Level 73? And he is a human" Haruto hissed, leaning in.
"Most people can't even touch Level 60 in their entire lives. This guy is in a walking disaster zone!"
Ivory, Lustra and Bellona shared a look, then turned to him with small, knowing smiles.
"Haruto," Ivory said calmly, her voice steady.
"Why are you so surprised? He might be Level 72, but the person standing right in front of us has the potential to break Level 100."
Bellona stepped closer, her eyes locked on Haruto.
"Levels are just numbers for men like him. He, once high resonance, moved the hearts and powers of 3 Level 99 Goddesses. His aura is unlike anything this world has ever seen. No Level 72 wizard can stand against what he is destined to become."
Haruto felt a sudden rush of warmth—partly from the compliment and partly from remembered confidence. He had forgotten for a second: he wasn't just some kid. He was the Star-Child. The "Player" in a world of NPCs.
The receptionist cleared her throat, breaking the moment.
"Um, Sir? About the room... you are vacating today, correct?"
"Right," Haruto sighed, the reality of being homeless hitting him again.
"But where are we supposed to go? Is there a dorm or something?"
The receptionist tapped her chin, thinking carefully.
"Sir, I couldn't help but see your balance earlier. You still have a lot of G-Credits, right?"
Haruto nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"Since you've already enrolled in the Academy, you'll be here for a long time,"
she suggested with a professional smile.
"Why don't you just buy a house? It would be much more private than the dorms, especially with... well, with three companions."
Haruto's eyes lit up.
"Wait, I can just buy a house? Right now? Like, my own base?"
The receptionist swiped her hand through the air, and a floating digital magic screen appeared between them.
"If you're interested, Sir, you can get a high-end estate for about 900 G-Credits. It's the best property in the village district a teen can have."
Haruto looked at the screen, then at the three Goddesses who looked a bit confused by the sudden "real estate" talk. He started running his "gaming calculations" in his head.
'In any open-world game, a home base is essential for resting and storage,' he thought. 'But 900 is almost my entire bank. If I spend it all on a house, I'll be broke for gear and items.'
He looked at the glowing house on the screen. It was beautiful, but was it worth draining his "wallet" before the first day of school?
Haruto looked at the 900 G-Credit price tag and winced. In his gaming mind, he was already calculating the "opportunity cost." If he blew his entire bank on a fancy villa, he wouldn't have enough left for high-level gear, potions, or emergency "glitch" fixes.
He gave the receptionist a sheepish, awkward smile, scratching the back of his head.
"Yeah... listen, I think I need to keep some credits on hand for, uh, 'business expenses.' Don't you have anything... smaller? Or cheaper?"
The receptionist's face fell slightly, but she understood. She scrolled all the way to the bottom of the magical floating list, her finger moving past the shiny villas and modern townhouses until she hit a listing that looked like it belonged in a different century.
"Well," she said hesitantly,
"there is this. It's a massive estate—practically a mansion. It was once a King's retreat, a real 'jackpot' property. But... nobody wants to live there."
Haruto leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the holographic listing. The price tag caught his eye: 100,000 Credits.
But Haruto didn't see the millions. His mind instantly ran a background script, converting the local currency into the "Admin-Grade" currency he held in his digital wallet.
(Haruto's Inner Thoughts:)Let's do the math. If 1 G-Credit is equivalent to 10,000 standard credits... then 100,000 credits is just... 10 G-Credits. That's not a price tag; that's a clearance sale. It's a steal.
The image on the screen flickered, showing a sprawling, gothic stone mansion. It was a masterpiece of "Dark-Aesthetic" architecture—overgrown gardens, twisted iron gates, and weathered stone walls that looked like they had been standing since the server first launched. It looked incredibly old, slightly crumbling, and deeply atmospheric.
(Haruto's Inner Thoughts:)This is it. The perfect 'Sovereign's Hideout.' It's detached, isolated, and has enough 'High-Res' shadows to keep the intruders away. For 10 G-Credits, I'm basically hacking the real estate market.
"It's rumored to be haunted,"
the receptionist whispered, looking around to make sure no one was listening.
"People say they hear voices, and the mana in that area is... unstable. Please, Sir, don't take this one. It's cheap for a reason."
Haruto stared at the screen for a full two minutes. A slow, genuine smile started to form on his face. 'Haunted?' he thought.
'(Haruto's Inner Thoughts:)Unstable mana? If there are actually ghosts or glitches there, this might be one of the interesting things that's happened to me.' Plus, getting a castle-sized base for the price of a few hotel nights is the ultimate pro-player move.
He looked back at the three Goddesses. They were standing perfectly still, looking at the image of the dark mansion with very serious, nervous expressions. They could sense the "weirdness" of the place even through a digital screen.
"I'll take it," Haruto said firmly. "That's the one I want."
The receptionist blinked in shock.
"Are you certain? The paperwork is non-refundable because the village council is desperate to get it off their books!"
"Sign me up," Haruto replied, his excitement finally returning.
"Let me know when the keys are ready."
He turned around, feeling like a genius who had just gamed the system.
"Alright, let's go! We've got a school to attend and a 'haunted' mansion to move into later."
But as he turned, he stopped dead. The three Goddesses weren't following him with their usual playful smiles. They were staring at him with wide, terrifyingly intense eyes—the kind of look that said, "Are you actually serious right now?" They looked like they were about to eat him alive for choosing a "ghost house" just to save a few credits.
Haruto gave them a look that was half-hero, half-idiot.
"Look, this is an ultimate pro-player move. We get a massive base for cheap, and honestly? I've always wanted to see what a ghost actually looks like in this world. It'll be a change of pace."
But the three Goddesses weren't buying it. They stood their ground, crossing their arms in a rare moment of defiance.
"No way, Haruto. We are not living in some rotting, haunted king's shed just so you can save a few credits. Find somewhere else!"
"Look, it's not just about the 'vibe,' Haruto," Ivory said, her voice trembling slightly as she scanned the decaying stone walls. Her silver eyes were glowing with a frantic analytical light.
"These haunted mansions aren't just old; they are breeding grounds for Primal Dark Magic. As Goddesses of Light and Order, that is our one true weakness. Dark mana acts like a virus in our systems—it can bypass our divine shields and drain our essence before we even realize it."
She stepped closer to him, grabbing the sleeve of his coat.
"Living here wouldn't just be uncomfortable; it would be dangerous for us. If our mana gets corrupted by this mansion's history, we won't be able to protect you. Is saving a few G-Credits worth risking our core-data?"
Haruto's confidence wavered. He realized that even Level 99 Goddesses had their limits, and "creepy ruins" was apparently one of them. Seeing their genuine anger, he shifted gears. He dropped the "Master" act and switched into what he called his Pamper Mode.
He stepped closer, softening his voice and giving them a gentle, almost sweet smile.
"Come on, you three are literal Goddesses. Why are you so worried about a few old walls? Besides..." He paused, looking at them with a playful, caring glint in his eyes.
"If you actually get scared at night... I'll just stay in the room and sleep with you guys so you feel safe. How's that?"
The effect was instantaneous.
The girls didn't respond. They didn't argue. Their brains literally hit a "System Error." The memory of the night before—sharing the bed, the warmth, the closeness—rushed back all at once. Their faces turned a shade of crimson so deep it rivaled their red uniform stripes.
Lustra started fidgeting with her hair, Ivory's eyes went wide and vacant as she started over-calculating the possibilities, and Bellona looked like she was about to short-circuit. To them, "ghosts" were no longer the problem; the idea of Haruto "protecting" them in bed again was a much bigger threat to their sanity.
Haruto stared at them, totally confused.
"Uh... guys? Did I say something wrong? Your brains look like they're malfunctioning."
He had no idea that his "sweet talk" had just turned their fear of ghosts into a full-blown romantic panic.
The sight of the three Goddesses frozen like marble statues was almost comical. Their brains had completely stalled out, stuck on a repeating loop of Haruto's "sweet talk."
"Hey! Earth to Goddesses!"
Haruto shouted, snapping his fingers. He checked the sun's position and realized they were cutting it dangerously close.
"Forget it! It's school time, and I'm not being late on day one!"
Without waiting for a response, Haruto turned on his heel and sprinted toward the Academy. His red and black striped shirt caught the wind as he moved with an agility that definitely didn't look like a typical "Level 1."
"Wait! Haruto!" Ivory was the first to snap out of it, her face still flushed.
"You can't just say something like that and then run away!"
"Haruto, slow down!" Lustra yelled, her panic shifting from romantic to physical.
"Haruto! Stop!" Bellona joined the chase, her warrior instincts kicking in, though she was still blushing so hard she could barely see where she was stepping.
The four of them tore through the village streets like a streak of red and black. To the local villagers, it looked like a high-speed chase, but to Haruto, it was just another "speed-run" quest. He was checking the sun's position every few seconds, his mind calculating the distance to the Academy gates.
Just as they reached the main junction, a familiar, cheerful whistle pierced through the sound of their heavy breathing.
Standing there with a grand, horse-drawn carriage—ornate, polished, and draped in royal silk—was Kobi. He looked as relaxed as ever, leaning against the wooden frame with a knowing smirk.
"Ah, Sir Haruto! I had a feeling you'd be cutting it close on your first day," Kobi called out, tipping his hat. "I took the liberty of keeping the Royal Carriage ready for you. A royal guest shouldn't be seen sprinting through the dust, don't you think?"
Haruto skidded to a halt, his chest heaving. He looked at the luxurious cart and then at Kobi. Even in a rush, his 'Gamer Brain' immediately went to the transaction log.
"How much, Kobi?" Haruto panted.
"What's the surcharge for a last-minute pickup?"
Kobi let out a hearty laugh, waving his hand dismissively.
"For a guest of the Royal Suite? This service is completely free, Sir. Consider it part of the 'Premium Experience'."
(Haruto's Inner Thoughts:)Free? Kobi, you magnificent bastard. I already liked your 'Chill-Boss' vibe, but this is next-level service. I should have booked this carriage for the admission day too—would have saved me the sweat.
"You heard the man!" Haruto shouted, turning back to the blushing Goddesses who had finally caught up.
"Get in! We're not running anymore. We're arriving in style."
They climbed into the plush, velvet seats of the carriage. As Kobi flicked the reins and the horses began a steady, high-speed trot toward the Academy, Haruto leaned back, finally catching his breath.
"See?" Haruto smirked at Ivory, who was still avoiding eye contact.
"Even the system likes it when you pay for the 'Gold Edition' of life.