The extravagant family dinner eventually came to a natural end, but not before I managed to completely ruin First Brother Cassius's appetite. I left the grand dining hall feeling incredibly satisfied.
My stomach was full of excellent roasted duck, and my System balance was sitting comfortably at a solid seventy-five Taboo Points.
My original plan was to head straight back to my chambers, lock the door, and finally explore the System Shop. But the universe clearly had other plans for my evening.
"Young Master Kael," a deep voice echoed from the shadows of the corridor.
Two heavily armored Vanguard Knights stepped out, entirely blocking my path to the grand staircase. Their hands rested casually on the pommels of their broadswords.
"His Grace demands your immediate presence in his private study," the knight on the left stated flatly. It was absolutely not a request.
The old Kael would have instantly dropped to his knees in sheer terror. Being summoned to the Duke's private office was usually reserved for strict military briefings or severe, bone crushing punishments.
"Lead the way," I replied smoothly, treating the terrifying knights like basic quest NPCs.
The guards shared a brief, highly confused look. They were clearly expecting me to stammer and shake. When I did neither, they simply turned and began marching down the dimly lit eastern wing of the estate.
We arrived in front of a pair of massive ironwood doors. The guards pushed them open, stepping aside to let me enter the warlord's den.
The Duke's office felt exactly like walking into a final boss room. The walls were heavily lined with the mounted skulls of terrifying magical beasts.
A sprawling map of the world was spread across a central table. The air in the room was incredibly thick and heavy, saturated with the Duke's passive aura. It honestly felt like stepping into an area with a massive environmental debuff.
Duke Julian Valerius was seated behind a vast mahogany desk, reading a glowing magical parchment. He did not bother looking up when I entered.
"Close the doors," he commanded. His voice was a low, rumbling growl that actually vibrated against the floorboards.
I calmly pulled the heavy ironwood doors shut.
The loud thud echoed through the silent room, locking us inside.
Instead of standing at rigid attention like a terrified subordinate, I casually strolled forward and dropped myself right into one of the plush leather guest chairs sitting across from his desk. I crossed my legs and rested my elbow on the armrest with absolute comfort.
The Duke finally stopped reading. He slowly lowered the glowing parchment and locked his sharp, predatory eyes onto mine. For a long, dangerous moment, he just stared at me.
"You have changed, Kael," the Duke stated bluntly. "A fall from the Abyssal Ravine should have turned your bones to powder. Even if you miraculously survived, you should be a broken, trembling mess. Yet here you sit, radiating an entirely unearned arrogance."
"Nearly dying gives a man a lot of clarity, Father," I answered with an easy smile.
"I realized that keeping my head bowed out of fear never did me any good. So, I just decided to stop doing it."
The Duke's eyes narrowed slightly. "Brave words for a boy entirely stuck at the 3rd Circle.
In this world, clarity is useless without the power to back it up. Arrogance without strength is just loud stupidity."
He leaned forward, resting his massive, scarred hands on the wooden desk. The suffocating weight of his aura pressed down on the room just a fraction more, directly testing my resolve.
I did not even blink. The System had completely overhauled my biology, making my mind entirely immune to his petty intimidation tactics.
"You are twenty years old," the Duke continued coldly. "By the laws of House Valerius, you are officially an adult. Since you possess no martial talent and pitiful magical aptitude, your continued presence in this main estate is a waste of my resources. I am sending you away to actually earn the family name you wear."
I tilted my head slightly. "Where exactly am I going?"
"You are being sent across the sea," the Duke replied, his voice completely devoid of emotion.
"You will be leaving the Northern Continent to enroll in the Aethelgard Imperial Academy in the heart of the Solaris Empire next month. You will train there until you manage to break past that pathetic 3rd Circle of yours."
My newly upgraded brain immediately kicked into gear. The old Kael's memories quickly filled in the geographical blanks.
The human domain was divided into massive, distinct continents. House Valerius practically owned the entire Northern Continent, acting as the brutal, frostbitten shield against endless magical beast tides.
But the Solaris Empire was located thousands of miles away on the golden Central Continent. It was the absolute heart of human civilization, wealth, and magic.
Going to the Aethelgard Imperial Academy meant leaving this freezing, monster infested frontier behind and stepping right into the luxurious, highly political center of the world.
An Academy Arc in the capital was exactly the kind of playground I needed. Especially since my two older stepsisters were already enrolled there as top ranking senior students.
The Duke had sent them to the capital a few years ago to expand the family's influence.
To the rest of the world, those two were notoriously beautiful, cold, and blindingly arrogant noble ladies. But just like my stepmothers, they absolutely doted on me, constantly spoiling the old Kael whenever they were home.
Having two powerful, overprotective beauties already waiting to pamper me across the sea was going to make my academy life incredibly interesting.
"An elite academy?" I asked, raising a playful eyebrow. "That sounds like a very heavy investment for someone you consider a total failure."
A dark, incredibly cynical smile touched the corner of the Duke's scarred lips. "It is not an investment in your future, Kael. It is a calculated political move. A marriage has already been arranged for you."
Now that was a massive plot twist. I sat up slightly straighter. "A marriage?"
"The Royal Family has been desperately trying to chain House Valerius to the throne," the Duke sneered, his eyes flashing with utter disdain for the Central Continent's politics.
"The Emperor offered his daughter to tie our bloodlines together. But I absolutely refuse to hand over my true sons, Cassius or Magnus, to become lapdogs for the crown."
The old Kael's memories provided the rest of the missing puzzle pieces. The Solaris Empire had two highly ambitious princes and three princesses. But the Third Princess was entirely infamous in high society.
She was heavily rumored to have a severe physical handicap, making her practically useless for any standard royal marriage.
Ah, I thought to myself, highly amused.
The Emperor is trying to unload his 'defective' daughter onto the terrifying Valerius family, and the Duke is countering by handing over his 'defective' adopted stepson.
It was a mutual exchange of political trash.
"But I carry the Valerius name," I finished for him, a knowing smirk forming on my face.
"I am a legal son of this house, but I share no biological blood with you. I am the perfect disposable pawn."
"Exactly," the Duke agreed coldly. "You will go to the Academy, build your strength so you do not completely embarrass this house, and then you will formally wed the Third Princess of the Empire. You are leaving in exactly two weeks to prepare for the long journey."
He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his massive chest. He clearly expected me to feel insulted, entirely used, or terrified at the prospect of navigating the deadly political minefield of the royal court across the sea.
Instead of panicking, my mind instantly went into overdrive.
Two weeks left in the estate. That was fourteen full days to exploit my gorgeous, highly affectionate stepmothers.
Fourteen days to corrupt my brother's neglected, silver haired wife. Fourteen days to farm an absolute mountain of Taboo Points before stepping onto a ship.
And my reward for surviving that? I was being shipped off to a prestigious academy on a golden continent, packed to the brim with beautiful, arrogant noble daughters, strict female instructors, and my two stunning older stepsisters.
On top of that, I had a literal royal princess waiting for me at the altar.
The Duke genuinely thought he was throwing me to the wolves. He had absolutely no idea he was handing me a VIP ticket to an absolute dating sim paradise.
"Understood," I said smoothly, standing up from the leather chair. I brushed a small piece of lint off my dark noble robes.
"Two weeks until I leave for the capital, Father. I will make sure my remaining time in this estate is entirely productive."
Without waiting for his explicit dismissal, I turned my back on the terrifying 9th Circle warlord and casually walked toward the heavy doors.
Let the Duke play his grand political games. I had my own empire to build, and the grand harvest was starting tonight.