Chapter 114: Eliana Nexros Stryx.
Only after making sure Hope understood that I wasn’t dead did she leave me alone. My apartment was as desolate as always but at least it was clean.
Despite me saying not to do any useless work, Liana, being as loyal a maid as ever, came by every day whenever she had free time to clean my apartment.
But I didn’t care about any of that and moved towards my bedroom.
I had an important thing to do today and that was to suppress the threat of the Student Council President.
For that, I had to meet with another freak.
And today, being Sunday, was the only time I could catch up to her without a proper appointment.
The upcoming days were going to be hectic as hell.
The dungeon exploration was coming soon and I wanted to take care of this problem before that.
But before doing any of that, I wanted to rest a little.
So, without wasting any more time, I walked towards my bedroom with my aching body and immediately sprawled onto the bed.
***
I didn’t even know how much time had passed before I opened my eyes again, but somehow my stomach remembered the time as it rumbled.
After grabbing a quick bite and freshening up a little, I looked at the time. It was already six in the evening.
Hmm, she should be there by now.
With one last glance at my desolate apartment, I exited the room and locked the door before making my way towards the combined training grounds where that bitch would be.
As I made my way there, my mind wandered through the memories of my previous life because the person I was going to meet was an important part of it.
A freakishly strong and twisted woman.
She was the sole daughter of the richest family across all three continents, a woman who could buy even the Prince and Princess of some smaller kingdoms if she so wished.
A beauty praised for her intelligence and strength, but also feared for her brutally violent ways, through which she slaughtered her enemies in future.
A second-year senior at the academy.
And the current leader of the Noble Faction.
But hidden underneath all of that was a dark secret that nobody knew. And that same secret was also the reason why I had to run away from the First Ring and why Nyxara had to sacrifice herself to make that happen.
Eliana Nexros Stryx.
Honestly, if possible, I really wished I didn’t have to meet her at this point because that woman was the only one who made me even more nervous every time.
I didn’t know how but she always seemed to know where and how to push my buttons with those weird things she always used to do.
I never really got along with her during the academy but it was only during the time after the academy, when the self-proclaimed righteous war started and I was thrown to the front lines, that I truly understood her... and her secrets.
She was one of the people I truly wanted to help in this life... but yeah, if I tried doing that at this point in time, when she was crazy and hell lot unstable, she would suck all my life force out without any hesitation.
After all, hidden behind the mask of humanity which the Stryx family had worn for so long, they were spies of the Demon Races.
To be precise.
They were succubi.
As for how I knew this much information, well, it was simple.
After the war ended and I took Seles as my first wife and Hope as my second wife, this bitch Eliana... forced me into what the succubi called dual cultivation to create a soul bond, which was also known as marriage in their culture.
Okay, okay, it wasn’t completely forced... because that damned war did bond us closer than anyone would have expected, even though she was from an enemy faction.
In plain, simple terms.
She was my third wife.
And the moment that bastard Rodrick found out about my marriage with a demoness, he plotted against me, which resulted in my exile.
Lost in my thoughts, I arrived near the training facility.
For someone as busy as she was, Eliana never missed her training on Sundays.
She called it her venting exercise, where she punched the golems to let out all the anger she had built up from dealing with the noble brats within her faction.
As soon as I entered the training facility, the sight of various students across all years doing their training greeted my eyes.
Some were busy playing around with each other, while others battled against the mana-reinforced golems made by the principal.
But among them all, in the centre of the vast hall, the loudest sound echoed.
A smile appeared on my face as I walked towards her.
Her deep crimson hair was tied in a ponytail as she wore an oversized white T-shirt. Her pale face was covered in sweat as her golden eyes blinked.
Black gloves were wrapped around her knuckles as she punched a golem towering above her with her bare fist, without any mana reinforcement.
With a single punch, a loud shockwave erupted as the golem, which some couldn’t even destroy with mana, developed a large, gaping hole in its centre before crumbling to the ground.
As soon as I arrived, two students wearing uniforms appeared in front of me, stopping me from approaching anywhere near her.
Meanwhile, Eliana herself seemed amused as she let out a smile.
"Oh, ho, if it isn’t the infamous first-year student who beat a senior at the welcome banquet. What do I owe the pleasure? Don’t tell me, you wish to battle against me as well?"
She said with a chuckle.
I matched her smile.
"How could I dare, senior?"
"All I wish is to have a chat with you and negotiate something which I am sure you would be interested in."
***
Author Note:
In short, this book is officially Harem after much thought. However, unlike Zenith’s previous life, his harem in this life will be much smaller—at least 2 and at most 4–5 women. He didn’t truly love all his previous wives (some marriages were political, while others were forced. We will explore those circumstances as the story progresses.)
And even then, Lily will remain the central focus of the romance. ❤️
As for the only other confirmed member, it’s Seles. Honestly, writing her was what made me consider making this a harem in the first place. 😭 At least one Seles deserves a happy ending after all.
As for the remaining 2–3 spots, they aren’t confirmed yet and there might not even be any. We will just have to wait and see. 👀