Harem System In A fantasy World

Elion and Zenith were promptly led into the reception hall by the stern woman whom the guard had returned with, while the guard went back to his post, standing at the entrance with his companion.

The woman wore a short grey skirt with a matching top and a black jacket over it.

Elion found himself looking at her, not because she was beautiful, which she certainly was, but because she kept glancing back at him over her shoulder with a disapproving look on her face.

After the third time, Elion couldn’t help but raise a brow.

’What did I do?’

He glanced toward Zenith, wondering if perhaps she knew, only to find her looking back at him with an amused smile.

’What?’ Elion mouthed silently, while his voice made it to her head.

Zenith merely shook her head.

They continued through the reception hall, which was considerably quieter than it had been earlier in the day.

Most of the people who had come for the proceedings were already inside, leaving only a handful of attendants and guards moving about.

Eventually, Elion couldn’t help himself.

"Did I do something to offend you?"

The woman stopped and turned around, folding her arms beneath her chest as she looked at him.

"No."

Elion waited.

"...Then why do you keep looking at me like that?"

The woman’s lips tightened slightly.

"You were summoned to appear before the royal court, and you decided to arrive this late."

’Ah.’

So that was it.

Elion scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"But I’m not actually late."

The woman stared at him, with a face that said, ’Really?’

"The deadline hasn’t passed yet," Elion added innocently.

Quietly wondering how he would know such a thing, the woman sighed deeply.

"Regardless, I suggest you take the proceedings seriously once you enter, for your own sake."

"I do take them seriously."

Her eyes briefly dropped toward the sword hanging from his waist.

"And that weapon will need to be surrendered before you enter the court."

Elion’s hand instinctively settled against Kurogoroshi’s sheath.

The sword gave the faintest hum.

The woman blinked.

Elion smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, but this one doesn’t really like being separated from me."

Her gaze slowly moved from him to the sword.

"...Doesn’t like?" The woman’s eyes widened slightly. She stared at the weapon for another second before rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"In any case, you will need to put it away. I hope you have a storage ring, if you don’t want to hand it over... In any case, wait here."

She turned and walked toward one of the nearby attendants, leaving Elion and Zenith standing alone.

Elion watched her go.

Then he looked toward Zenith.

"I think she likes me."

"Fu... Fu." Zenith chuckled.

While they were waiting, the main doors suddenly opened behind them.

Of course, Elion and Zenith glanced back curiously as a trio of women walked in. The guards at the entrance had their heads bowed low as they passed.

"Hmmmm?"

Elion’s eyes were naturally drawn toward the three women.

In truth, all three of them were unparalleled beauties, on par with most of his very own women, with the oldest-looking among them, dare he say, almost being close to Zenith in terms of pure perfection when it came to her facial features.

All he needed was a single glance to tell that this woman must have been the mother of the two younger beauties beside her.

The woman had long, vibrant dark purple hair and striking white eyes, while one of the younger women had blue eyes and purple hair. The last had blonde hair and the same white eyes as her mother.

The three seemed to notice Elion and Zenith eyeing them from across the room, and naturally, they looked back curiously.

For a brief moment, the two groups simply observed one another from opposite sides of the reception hall.

The blonde-haired beauty’s eyes suddenly widened as she looked Elion up and down.

"It’s you!" she blurted out before quickly snapping her mouth shut with her right hand in panic.

"It’s me?" Elion said out loud.

Before he could say anything further, a pair of figures rushed past him and Zenith toward the trio.

"Your Majesty! Your Highnesses!" they both said quickly. "We take it you will be attending today’s court assembly alongside His Majesty!?"

Elion raised a brow.

’Oh? Is that the Queen and her daughters?’

That also meant she was Alexander’s wife, and those were his daughters. He could definitely see some of the features they shared with the king.

The mother shook her head.

"No need to be so tense. We are only here to observe, so my daughters and I will sit at the back with the rest of the congregation."

"As you wish."

The pair bowed respectfully.

Just then, the woman Elion and Zenith had been waiting for returned.

Upon noticing the Queen, her eyes widened in shock, but a gentle smile and a shake of the head from the Queen, telling her to put her job first instead of paying her respects, had her turning her attention right back toward Elion.

"I-if you will, please. I have been asked to let you in," the woman said to Elion and Zenith.

Elion looked away from the trio and followed the woman, Zenith beside him.

The Queen’s eyes narrowed slightly as she watched them go.

"Mother?"

The purple-haired princess noticed the slight change in her mother’s expression.

The Queen didn’t answer immediately.

Her white eyes remained fixed on Elion’s retreating back until he and Zenith disappeared further into the reception hall.

"And that is Elion Nova, I presume?"

One of the nearby attendants quickly nodded.

"Yes, Your Majesty. He arrived only a short while ago."

"I see..."

The Queen had naturally heard plenty about him over the past few days, only to now realise that this wasn’t the first time she was meeting him.

His appearance had changed plenty, but her memory was the best it had ever been. She would never forget a face she once saw, no matter how much it had changed.

Of course, her daughter had also made the mistake of blurting out the fact that they somehow knew him, though there was little chance that he would be able to know what her carelessly spoken words meant.

"Who was the woman with him?"

The attendants exchanged glances.

"We aren’t certain, Your Majesty."

The Queen nodded and said nothing further. She began walking toward the court entrance, her daughters following beside her.

Meanwhile, further ahead, Elion had finally reached the massive doors leading into the Royal Court.

Even through them, he could faintly hear the proceedings continuing on the other side. The stern woman stopped beside the doors and turned toward him.

"Your sword."

Elion looked down at Kurogoroshi.

"Oh, right."

His hand wrapped around the sheath.

’Don’t make this difficult.’

Kurogoroshi gave a low hum.

Elion’s brow twitched.

’I’ll bring you back out when we’re done.’

After another moment, Kurogoroshi finally disappeared into his storage. The woman stepped toward the doors, but Elion spoke before she could signal the guards.

"Wait."

She glanced back.

"What now?"

Elion looked down at himself.

Then toward Zenith.

"Do I look presentable?"

The woman’s expression went blank as Zenith looked him up and down with exaggerated seriousness.

"Mhm. Very handsome."

"Good."

The attendant stared at the pair.

"You kept the Royal Court waiting until nearly the end of the day’s proceedings, and now you’re worried about whether you look presentable?"

Elion thought about it.

"...First impressions are important."

Her eye twitched.

"Just..." The woman took a breath. "Please wait here."

She stepped through the smaller side entrance beside the massive doors. Elion’s playful expression gradually faded once she was gone.

He turned toward the doors, and his expression gradually became serious...

"Well..." Zenith moved beside him, casually linking her arm with his. "Nervous, Hubby?"

"A little," Elion admitted.

Zenith’s smile softened.

"Don’t be."

Elion glanced toward her.

"If they upset you, I’ll kill them."

"...That was supposed to make me less nervous?"

"Mhm."

Elion sighed, but before he could say anything else, the massive doors began to move. A deep rumbling echoed through the reception hall as they slowly opened inward.

At the same time, Wendy’s voice carried clearly from within.

"Elion Nova has arrived." The conversations inside the Royal Court stopped almost instantly.

Elion stared through the widening gap as hundreds of eyes turned toward him.

"...Well," he muttered, while Zenith smiled beside him. "Time to make an entrance."