The Extra's Rise
Chapter 603 - 603: Two Princesses (1)

My dorm room at Mythos Academy had never felt smaller than it did right now. What should have been a peaceful first day back from winter break had quickly devolved into a situation that tested both my patience and my ability to remain diplomatically neutral in the face of overwhelming feminine attention.

Two princesses, both blonde and both radiating barely contained possessiveness, had claimed my arms the moment they'd arrived at my room. Their contrasting personalities were on full display as they glared at each other across my chest with eyes that perfectly matched their opposing natures.

Rachel Creighton, princess of the Northern Continent and the future Saintess of the world, pressed against my right arm with an innocence that was entirely feigned. Her deep blue eyes held a dreamy, almost intoxicated expression as she rubbed her cheek against my shoulder, making full use of her... considerable natural advantages to maintain her grip on my arm.

On my left, Cecilia Slatemark, princess of the Slatemark Empire, had taken a different approach entirely. Where Rachel relied on physical persuasion, Cecilia employed her considerable dexterity to trace patterns across my palm and fingers with surgeon-like precision. Her crimson eyes held a calculating gleam that suggested she was very much aware of the effect her ministrations were having.

We were seated on my bed—the only furniture in the room large enough to accommodate three people, though I was beginning to regret not investing in a larger couch. The close quarters only seemed to intensify their competitive behavior.

"What are you both doing?" I asked for what felt like the tenth time since they'd knocked on my door.

"I missed you," they said in perfect synchronization, before immediately turning to glare at each other with renewed intensity.

Honestly, they behaved more like competitive twins than rival princesses from different continents. Of course, if I ever made that observation aloud, I'd likely find myself in considerably more trouble than I was already in.

'They both go super yandere over you, so fair point,' Luna's voice chimed in my mind with obvious amusement. She wasn't wrong. Rachel might present herself as kinder and more innocent than the admittedly manipulative Cecilia, but the future Saintess had her own way of being... intense when it came to matters involving me.

"I missed Arthur so much over winter break," Rachel sighed, deliberately breathing in my scent with a glazed expression. "The days felt so empty without you."

"God, I can't believe such a horny girl is going to be the world's Saintess," Cecilia muttered, though her voice carried more exasperation than genuine criticism. The comment made Rachel's cheeks flush pink, but she made no attempt to release my arm.

"We won the rights to visit Arthur first today, so don't waste our time with complaints," Rachel warned, her saintly demeanor cracking slightly to reveal something decidedly more possessive underneath.

I was well aware that the four girls—Rachel, Cecilia, Seraphina and Rose—had developed some sort of elaborate scheduling system to determine who got to spend time with me when. It was the only practical way to prevent what Luna had once jokingly referred to as "the inevitable world war over Arthur's attention."

The fact that this was even necessary still felt surreal.

'Why don't you go seduce some more girls while you're at it?' Luna suggested with mock helpfulness. 'You've only managed to charm representatives from three out of five continents so far. Two more and you could probably start your own international incident.'

I did my best to ignore my unhelpful qilin companion as I tried to figure out how to extract myself from this situation without causing offense. My room's holographic displays showed the academy schedule for the new semester, reminding me that classes would be starting tomorrow and I still had preparations to make.

"Arthur," Rachel said, her voice taking on a softer, more vulnerable tone that immediately put me on guard. When the future Saintess switched tactics like this, it usually meant she was preparing to deploy weapons-grade emotional manipulation. "I have something important to discuss with you about what happened during the break."

"We both do," Cecilia interjected quickly, her grip on my hand tightening possessively. "And since we won joint visiting rights for today, we should discuss it together."

The phrase "joint visiting rights" made me wince internally. When had my social life become something that required legal terminology to manage?

'Probably around the time you decided to become the most eligible bachelor across multiple continents,' Luna observed dryly. 'Though I have to admit, watching you try to navigate this is endlessly entertaining.'

Given their tendency toward dramatic reactions, and the fact that I'd spent the entire winter break focused on creating Valeria instead of visiting any of them as promised, I had a sinking feeling that whatever conversation awaited me was going to be considerably more complicated than a simple "welcome back to school."

"Alright," I said carefully, trying to shift into a more comfortable position without dislodging either princess. "What did you both want to discuss?"

"You created an Ancient Undead, right?" Rachel asked, her blue eyes studying my face intently.

I nodded, unsurprised that she knew. I'd kept in contact with all the girls during my time at the Ebony Tower, sharing updates about my research progress even if I hadn't been able to visit them in person. "Valeria. The symbiotic integration was successful."

"Father mentioned that your balance might be compromised because of it," Rachel continued, her expression growing more serious.

My eyes widened slightly. Of course Uncle Alastor would have noticed. Alastor Creighton—one of only four nine-circle mages in the world and among the ten humans to achieve Radiant-rank—understood my magical development better than almost anyone, even Meilyn Potan. His insight into such matters was virtually unparalleled.

"But he also offered a solution," Rachel said, her expression brightening considerably. "He wants to give you access to a Divine Beast."

The words hit me like a physical blow. My grip on both princesses' arms loosened involuntarily as I processed what she'd just said.

"He said you can claim one whenever I reach Ascendant-rank," Rachel continued, clearly pleased by my reaction. "Since you'll be bonding with a Divine Beast raised by the Creighton family, the timing needs to align with my own advancement."

Without thinking, I pulled Rachel closer, wrapping my free arm around her in a tight embrace that made her squeak in surprise and delight. She immediately melted into the hug, wrapping her arms around my neck and rubbing her cheek against mine with the enthusiasm of an overeager golden retriever.

Cecilia made a noise of protest at being temporarily ignored, but I was too stunned to properly acknowledge it.

A Divine Beast. The implications were staggering.

Divine Beasts were mana creatures with pure Purelight affinity, transcending the typical classifications that governed ordinary magical fauna. They existed on a completely different level. Where Valeria and Erebus represented the pinnacle of Deepdark manipulation, a Divine Beast would provide the perfect counterbalance—a living embodiment of pure light magic.

'The most powerful Divine Beast is a phoenix,' Luna observed thoughtfully, 'but I doubt even the Creightons could arrange that. Though knowing your luck...'

Phoenixes, dragons, qilins, and basilisks—the four mythical beasts that stood above all others. Each represented the absolute pinnacle of their respective affinities, creatures of legend that most people never even glimpsed, let alone bonded with.

The Creighton family had spent generations developing methods to facilitate bonds between worthy Purelight practitioners and Divine Beasts from across the world. It was an incredibly complex process that required not just magical compatibility but also spiritual resonance between human and beast. The fact that Alastor was willing to extend this opportunity to me spoke volumes about both his assessment of my potential and his affection for me as family.

'So this time as well, Rachel will likely bond with a phoenix,' I mused, remembering details from the original timeline. It made perfect sense—in terms of raw Purelight talent, Rachel surpassed me completely, even without considering her Gift. Her Purelight purity was so exceptional that it had marked her as the future Saintess from childhood.

"Arthur?" Rachel murmured against my ear, her voice soft and pleased. "You seem happy about Father's offer."

"More than happy," I replied honestly, reluctantly loosening my embrace enough to look at her properly. "This could solve the balance issues that have been developing. A Divine Beast would provide the perfect counterpoint."

"Good," Cecilia interjected pointedly, "because we're not done discussing your winter break activities. There are other matters that require attention."

I glanced at her, noting the slight edge in her voice that suggested whatever she wanted to discuss might be considerably less pleasant than Rachel's gift offering.

'Oh, this should be interesting,' Luna commented with obvious anticipation. 'I wonder what the Empire's princess has been up to while you were playing with dead bones.'