Haruto walked briskly toward the academy, his internal system clock ticking down. Only 20 minutes left before his voice pack would lock down completely, rendering him mute. The pressure of the impending silence weighed on him—he had to set boundaries now, or things would get awkward fast.
"Emilie," Haruto said, keeping his tone light.
"Just so you know, I'm not really a fan of talking much. If I go quiet for a while and don't say anything, please don't take it the wrong way. I'm not being rude; it's just... how I am. Is that alright?"
Emilie bowed her head respectfully.
"Of course, Haruto. You have every right to stay silent if you wish. I understand perfectly."
As they reached the academy grounds, Haruto paused.
"Emilie, are you sure you have to stay with me all day? Is it strictly necessary for you to be inside the academy with me?"
"The Queen's orders were specific, Haruto," Emilie replied firmly. "I am to follow you throughout the day. It is only for today, however."
Haruto sighed mentally. Fair enough.
He checked the time—only five minutes left before his voice restriction kicked in. He turned to Emilie. "Wait here for me for two minutes." Without waiting for a response, he sprinted toward Professor Elara's office. He burst through the door, startling the professor, who looked up from her desk in surprise.
"Haruto? To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Professor Elara asked, raising an eyebrow.
Haruto didn't waste a second. He moved close, lowering his voice to a serious, urgent tone.
"Professor Elara, listen to me. We had a deal—I promised to tell everyone that the secret of my power is your training. But honestly? I don't think I'm going to be studying at this academy much longer."
Elara's expression sharpened, her eyes narrowing as she processed his words.
Haruto leaned in, his voice cold and transactional.
"So, let's make a new arrangement. Tell me your price—how much money do you want? In exchange, you need to keep every doubt you have about me and my abilities strictly to yourself. If anyone asks, you haven't seen anything unusual. Can we do business?"
Professor Elara stared at him for a long moment, then let out a low, amused laugh. She leaned back in her chair, her eyes glinting with a sharp, predatory intelligence.
"Come on, Haruto," she said, her voice dripping with playful mockery.
"You're about to marry Princess Lilith—or rather, looking at those five rings on your left hand, it seems you've already completed the unofficial ceremony. Asking you for money is like asking for a single fingernail; it's beneath me. I didn't set up our deal for financial gain. I made it because I know exactly what kind of fire is burning inside you."
Haruto stood frozen, his analytical brain racing. She's observing too much. Her observational skills are on another level.
"And about you leaving the academy?" she continued, her grin widening.
"You think you don't need a license because you've gained permission to enter the higher dungeon layers? You're such a fool."
Haruto frowned. "What do you mean?"
Elara laughed again, standing up and walking toward him.
"We don't teach here just to hand out pieces of paper, Haruto. We teach you how to handle the situations that happen when the world goes to hell. You might be strong, but you have no idea how to navigate the chaos of high-tier layers without someone to guide your strategy."
Haruto stared at her, caught off guard. "So... what are you saying?"
"I'm saying if you want to leave, go ahead. But my price for keeping your secret isn't gold," she said, leaning in close, her eyes locking onto his.
"My price is the throne. You're clearly going to be the next King, and let's be honest—you don't actually care about the crown or the administrative burden. You just want the authority and the power to do whatever you please, which you already have. So, when the time comes, you grant me the power and influence I want within the palace."
Haruto felt a shiver run down his spine. She knows. She knows everything about my true position and my lack of interest in traditional rule. She's not just a professor; she's a strategist waiting for the right moment to make her move.
He realized he had just walked into a conversation with someone who was at least as dangerous as the palace officials he was trying to avoid. She wasn't just observing him—she was betting on him.
Haruto narrowed his eyes, his voice steady. "And what happens if I refuse your offer?"
Elara laughed, a chilling, sharp sound that echoed in the quiet office.
"I'm not a child, Haruto. I won't go screaming your secrets from the rooftops. However, I can certainly make your life—or rather, the lives of those you cherish—extremely complicated. Let's see... your little harem. Lilith, Ivory, Bellona, Lustra... and the fifth one, Seraphine? Yes, she was with your group when you all vanished. I'm sure they would find it very 'interesting' if I started leaking certain information to the wrong ears."
Haruto clenched his fists. If she were just a regular academic, I wouldn't even blink. But her observational metrics are top-tier. She's a master manipulator, and she's already mapped out my vulnerabilities.
Elara suddenly softened her tone, stepping back with a sly smile.
"Or, we could skip the conflict. Why not let me join your team? I'll be your strategist. I have resources and insights you can't even dream of."
Haruto's mind spiraled. Join the team? No way. If I bring her in, I'd have to reveal everything—my status as an otherworldly incarnation, my Creator powers, the whole setup. That's a massive security risk.
Just as Haruto opened his mouth to reject her, a cold sensation clamped down on his jaw. He tried to force the words out, but his throat felt as if it had been sealed by an invisible, high-level barrier.
"Don't be so afraid," Elara whispered, her expression turning strangely melancholic.
"Do you really think you're the only anomaly here? I, too, am a reincar—"
She stopped, watching Haruto struggle. He clawed at his neck, his eyes wide, his system alerts flashing in red:
[ERROR: VOICE PACK EXPIRED. SYSTEM SILENCE PROTOCOL ENGAGED.]
Haruto couldn't utter a single syllable. His voice had been completely stripped away, exactly at the three-hour mark.
Elara watched his silent, desperate struggle with a calm, pitying expression. She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper that only he could hear.
"Oh, the voice lock? I see the system is protecting you. It seems you've already triggered a higher-level restriction. Don't worry, King-to-be. You don't need to speak to agree. We have a lot of time to work out the details of our partnership."
Haruto froze, his pulse spiking as the reality of her nature hit him. He desperately tried to force a sound out, but his throat was locked tight—the silence protocol was absolute.
As he stared at her, his analytical mind went into overdrive, scanning her for any data leaks. How? he thought, his internal monologue racing. How can she see my system menu? That interface exists only in my personal projection space! Nobody in this world—not even the Queens or Lilith—has ever been able to observe my system's internal diagnostic layers.
But then, his eyes drifted toward Professor Elara's face, and his breath hitched.
As she leaned closer to him, the light in the room caught her eyes just right. While her right eye remained a sharp, standard brown, her left eye was pulsing with a faint, ominous crimson glow.
It wasn't just a physical trait; it was a rhythmic, artificial flicker—exactly like the refresh rate of a system status bar or a corrupted UI element.
A red eye... Haruto's thoughts churned in pure disbelief. That's not a natural eye color for this world's races. That's a glitch. She's not just a professor; she's running on a system interface that's potentially higher-privileged than mine, or at least synced to the same backend source.
Elara noticed him staring at her eye. She didn't look away or hide it. Instead, she reached up and brushed a strand of hair back, revealing the glowing red iris even more clearly. She tapped her temple, her smile turning into something cold and knowing.
"Surprised?" she whispered, the red glow of her eye casting a strange, distorted shadow across the office walls.
"You think you're the only one who can see the code beneath the surface, Haruto? You're looking at the world through a player's lens. I'm looking at it through the admin's terminal."
She leaned in until she was inches from his face, the red light reflecting in his own wide, startled eyes.
"Keep struggling with your silence protocol. It's cute. But while you're muted, try to think about this: if my eye is glowing red... does that mean I'm the one who patched your voice pack to shut you up?"