My Harem Is Not What I Expected!

"So, what did you find out?" I said after entering and taking a seat on the sofa in Vivienne's office.

"Sadly, not much. But it is enough to give us an idea of where to start. While I wasn't able to learn the particulars surrounding what your fusion ability does, I was at least able to find out a bit about what you'll need to use it."

"You know, I'm starting to find it hard to believe that you are having such a hard time gathering information when you are supposed to be the Dragon's representative."

Vivienne sighed in exasperation. "Please cut me some slack, Rune. I told you before. This isn't something you should even have as it relates to the history of Dragons. It's highly guarded. If not for the fact that the current Kaiser is my sister, it would be challenging to learn even this much."

"You have a sister?" I asked.

"Yes, her name is Irene. She's a bit of a strange one and has a habit of going against the flow and doing whatever she wants. It's because of her that no one questions if I go wandering around Astera Castle. It also helps that most people fear her and wouldn't risk persecuting a member of her family. She will kill her allies and make allies out of her enemies as long as it suits her goals in some way. It's hard to tell what she's thinking most of the time."

With what Vivienne has said so far, it makes sense that she would opt to gather information on her own. Her sister's personality seems troublesome. It would probably be good to avoid coming into contact with her. Not that there's any way I would come into contact with an important person like the Kaiser in the first place, but it doesn't hurt to be careful.

"Anyways, let me tell you what I learned. First off, there are a few discrepancies in the information surrounding Runic Fusion. I said before that power can be acquired from those with whom you share a strong bond. But the documents I read in the castle said something about stealing it. It's strange because it was easy to find out about the bonding method while this new method was kept locked away in the castle archives."

Hmm. So that means one of these methods is false. It's also possible that the power was altered somehow, but that doesn't seem very plausible.

"Where does that leave us, then?" I asked.

"Same as before. Whether things work out or not doesn't really matter. This power is not something that's essential to your success, and you can get by just fine with body activation. The only thing you need to decide is if you want to continue down this path and proceed to the next step." Vivienne didn't even bother talking about going down the stealing route and probably assumed it wasn't something that I would want to do. She was right.

"Next step?"

"Yes. from what I read, Fusion is quite different from normal spells or even the runic abilities of us Dragons. Because its source comes from other people, it requires you to have a way to channel its energy. A catalyst of sorts. To achieve this, you will need runic sigils magically burned into various parts of your body. The records stated that the procedure is incredibly painful, so you will need to decide if it's something you want to go through with."

True. It's as Vivienne said, this ability is not something I need. Body activation is versatile enough that I can become successful by mastering it alone. Carin is a living example of that. And if the bonding method turns out to be fake, I would be putting myself through a great deal of pain for no reason.

After noticing my struggle, Vivienne spoke up. "There's no need to rush. I would need to find someone capable of doing the procedure anyways. Burning sigils into your flesh is not exactly the kind of thing we can improvise on."

"No, it's fine. I have already made my decision. I want to go through with it."

"Well, I'll say it again anyways, there's no rush. We not only need to find someone who knows enough about the sigils, but we still need to find a teacher too. It will probably be a while before we make any progress, so use that time to think it through carefully."

While I'm grateful for her consideration, I have to know. There must be a reason that I was given this power, why I was chosen. And if there isn't a reason, then that's fine too. Maybe it was just a random stroke of fate, and I wasn't chosen at all. It could just be a coincidence. But either way, even if my efforts fail, I know I will regret not taking this chance.

I left after our conversation and met up with the three girls who were waiting for me in the lobby. They had chosen to remain outside this time for whatever reason. Maybe it was out of consideration, or perhaps they sensed it wasn't something they should be present for. I'm not sure.

Soon, the four of us reached our next class which was the study of monsters and took our seats. On the holo-screen at the front of the class were the words 'First Beasts' in large letters.

"Alright, class. Today as you can see, we will be learning about the First Beasts." The teacher said after making sure everyone was in attendance.

"The First Beasts are unique creatures given a special classification. Most monsters are ranked F through S based on the threat they pose. But the First beasts are given the 'star rank,' which is higher than S rank. So only a few of them exist."

The holo-screen at the front of the class changed to display five silhouettes, with two of them having been crossed out with a red X mark.

The teacher explained that there were once five of them but one was killed a long time ago while another is suspected to be dead as well. There isn't much information about them so even the silhouettes look like a bunch of dark splotches. It wasn't easy to gain any kind of information from the images themselves. I was at least able to learn their names: Treia, Serac, Goliad, Aranea, and Marilith. Of the five, Treia was killed, and Aranea is also suspected of being dead.

"If the records are so old, then isn't it possible that they all died by now?" one student asked.

"Yes, that is certainly possible. However, it is believed that the First Beasts possess long life spans similar to that of the Dragons."

Many students began murmuring amongst themselves. Most were in disbelief that such a thing could be possible. To the students and citizens of the world, the Dragons are special. A unique existence, and no one should be capable of doing the things they do. It was hard for them to imagine any creature being able to live as long as they could.

"Why are they called the First Beasts?" Another student asked, breaking the chatter.

"There's a theory that they were the first monsters to come to this world and that they birthed the others. That's all it is, though, a theory. There is no proof to back it up. Lord Ryuijin Astera came up with the name, so that is what we have continued to call them."

After a few more questions from other students, our teacher began to go over various procedures regarding the First Beasts. This ranged from what to do if you encounter one, where to report information, punishments should you withhold any information and rewards. The rewards were what you would expect. You would be granted Fame, fortune, and a large estate based on your contribution during a subjugation mission. You will also be paid for any information you give as long as it is at least somewhat credible.

"Please remember to report to the main branch of the adventurers guild immediately if you find out anything of value. The high council of Elysium has deemed these creatures high-priority targets to be eliminated. Failure to report is considered treason against the Kaiser, so take care."

Before I knew it, the class had ended. This was the kind of stuff that really grabs my attention, so I found today's lesson to be the most engaging one yet. The idea of facing off against an enemy of untold power gets my blood pumping. Although, the words 'subjugation mission' lead me to believe that it's a large event in which many people participate.

The others seemed to be pumped up as well, especially Luna. I suspect she enjoys fighting. On the other hand, Fleur was not so keen and said it was scary and that she hopes we never run into one of them.

Soon I split off from Raya and Luna, as I will be accompanying Fleur. Things are going to be a little different from now on. When Making my schedule, Carin made sure to leave a few open slots for other classes. Since I finally got the go-ahead, I'll be joining Fleur in her archery class. She told me how excited she was to have a class with just me and her and how she's been jealous of Luna. Raya complained a bit, saying she was the only one being left out, but there was nothing I could do about that. Our skill sets are just too different. She specializes in magic, something I have no aptitude for.

The two of us soon arrived at the grassy target range, where a blonde Centaur man was waiting for the students to arrive.