How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 629: Day before the tournament 2

”I didn’t think it would become this big...”

A small sigh slipped out of Athy’s lips as she stared at the book lying in front of her.

The Knight’s Oath.A book she had written on a whim... maybe with a bit too much passion in the moment.

She knew it would resonate with a few readers—her usual tiny circle of people who liked her short stories—but she never expected this.

Now she had dozens of fan letters stacked on her desk, along with constant requests from her editor, all practically begging her to finish the second volume, messages, even handwritten notes from students in the academy she had never met before... everything piling up nonstop.

’What should I do...?’

Athy rubbed her temples.

Now that it had blown up, she couldn’t just back out.

People were waiting for the next volume.

They were invested. Some even called themselves ”Oath-Followers” now, whatever that meant.

But at the same time... she couldn’t exactly continue writing it openly.

Because the story—her story—wasn’t subtle at all.

It openly referenced two very real people from the academy.

And she didn’t even try to hide it.

Anyone who knew them could figure it out in seconds.

Even worse, the way she wrote them... wasn’t exactly something those two guys, or the people close to them, would appreciate.

If Senior Riley and Lucas ever got their hands on this book...

Athy’s expression darkened.

She winced just imagining it.

Sure, Riley and Lucas themselves might laugh it off—they didn’t seem like the type to care about some ridiculous fanfic.

But the girls behind them?

Yeah.

That was a whole different nightmare.

Athy slumped over her desk, burying her face in her arms.

”I’m so dead...”

Riley’s girls in particular... yeah, those were definitely not people she could afford to mess with.

”Mother, Father... I think this is the end for your daughter... huhu~”

Athy groaned dramatically before dropping her forehead onto the table with a loud thud.

She knew the safest solution would be to stop the publishing altogether.

Pull the book off the shelves, pretend it never existed, vanish like some mysterious underground writer.

But... she couldn’t.

Not as an author.

Not as someone who had finally felt what it was like to receive actual attention—genuine love—from real fans.

She couldn’t just betray that trust.

And no, absolutely no, it had nothing to do with:

— The fact that she never expected the book to blow up this big.

— Or that so many people apparently shared her very specific taste in... that genre.

— Or that she had never experienced having a fanbase this large in her life.

— Or that her bank account suddenly looked suspiciously healthy to the point she wondered if she needed to pay extra in everything she has in life.

— And most definitely not because she personally enjoyed writing that type of story.

Yes. None of that. Completely unrelated.

”This has nothing to do with my personal gains! This is all for my fans!”

Athy declared with both fists clenched... though her expression looked anything but confident.

Still, after a long breath, she reached for her pen.

The blank sheet of paper in front of her seemed to glow with challenge.

Or threat. Or both.

She didn’t know how the people involved in real life would react.

She didn’t know what Riley or Lucas would say—if they ever found out.

She didn’t know how their terrifying entourage of girls would take it either.

But she decided one thing:

Future Athy can deal with that.

Present Athy?

Present Athy was going to write!

A small smile spread on her face as her hand started moving, pen gliding across paper with excitement she couldn’t suppress.

The second volume of her ridiculous, beautiful, chaotic masterpiece began to take shape.

If she was going to get in trouble anyway, she might as well go down doing something she loved... right?

Convinced—for now—by her own sense of noble, delusional triumph, Athy Lors, first-year student of Lumen Academy, continued writing.

Little did she know... she was about to become one of the best-selling authors of her entire generation.

...

Every single day, Lumen Academy was a factory for rumors.

Gossip here, gossip there—whispers floating around like pollen.

Riley had gotten so used to it that he barely registered them anymore.

People had been talking about him long before all this, so one more rumor didn’t matter.

But...

Why does it feel like people are staring at me way more than usual today?

The thought made him pause mid-step.

He could feel it—those quick, sharp glances being thrown his way. Especially from the girls.

They would look at him, whisper to each other, blush for some reason, then instantly snap their heads away the moment he turned in their direction.

It was weird.Even for him.

Sure, he could just tune in and listen to their conversations.

A tiny focus of mana and the whole hallway would open up to him.

But honestly? It didn’t feel worth it.

Probably another round of nonsense about him... again.

So he ignored it and kept walking through the long hallways of Killian Hall.

His goal right now wasn’t the gossip—he was heading to find Lucas.

He actually wanted to spend more time with his girls today, especially Alice.

He needed to talk to her properly about her pregnancy, about everything they learned yesterday.

But one look at them this morning—completely worn out, still half-asleep, clinging to the sheets like they were trying to fuse with the bed—and he decided to let them rest.

They deserved that much.

So with some unexpected free time on his hands, he figured he should take care of the other important thing: giving Lucas the essence the goddess entrusted to him before their conversation ended yesterday.

He opened his palms and felt the faint pulse of Eris’ divinity resting there.

A tiny, soft glow flickered between his fingers—light, but unmistakably divine.

”My dear Riley, make sure my blessed child receives my blessing, okay?”

”Sure...” he had answered at the time, though even now he still felt a little confused about the whole thing.

Why not just bless Lucas directly?

A goddess could do that with a snap of her fingers.

But thinking about it again, he figured Eris must’ve had her reasons—probably something related to causality or not wanting to accidentally tip the scales in Erebil’s favor.

Gods had their own rules.

Whatever the case was, she clearly wanted him to handle this part.

Riley let out a small sigh.

Honestly, meeting Lucas right now felt like a chore.

Knowing that guy’s personality, he was definitely going to drag Riley into another marathon training session or talk nonstop about knighthood, honor, sword etiquette... and other things Riley absolutely did not care about.

Still, it wasn’t like he could ignore this task.

So he let it be.

Finding Lucas wasn’t difficult anyway.

Among everyone in the academy, Lucas’ mana signature was the easiest to pick out—like a bright torch in a crowd of candles.

His divine energy was dense and loud, second only to Riley’s own and, of course, the saintess Emilia.

It was one of the little things Riley had learned after becoming an ascended himself.

He closed his fingers around the glowing essence and began walking, following that distinct presence like a trail of light in the distance.

As expected, it didn’t take him long to find Lucas.

Riley spotted him walking alone through the open hallway, sunlight spilling through the long windows beside him.

What did surprise Riley was the fact that Lucas wasn’t training, meditating, swinging a sword, or doing something insanely productive like he always did.

The guy was actually... just walking.

But Riley didn’t think too deeply about it. He called out.

”Lucas.”

Lucas turned, and the moment he recognized the voice, his whole face lit up like a kid seeing his favorite hero.

”Riley?” His eyes practically sparkled as he jogged over. ”What are you doing here? Did you come looking for me?”

”Yes.”

That one simple word was apparently enough to send Lucas into a silent celebration.

Since Riley rarely sought him out first, Lucas looked like he’d been blessed by the heavens with a once-in-a-lifetime miracle.

”Why? Ah—did you want to set the time for our duel tomorrow? Now that I think about it, even though we agreed to have our fated battle during tomorrow’s event, we never actually decided when. I’m completely fine with being the last sequence!”

Riley raised a brow.

There he goes again—calling their duel ”fated” like it was some legendary match foretold by destiny.

Riley had long given up trying to understand why Lucas was always so lively around him.

It was easier to just... let him talk.

Though...

Why are the girls staring at us like that?

A bunch of female students were stealing glances—no, actually straight-up staring—and some of them were even blushing for some reason.

The moment Riley looked in their direction, they quickly jerked their heads away, whispering among themselves again...

He ignored it.

He turned his attention back to Lucas.

As expected, the guy had grown stronger again.

His mana was steadier, denser, and more refined than before.

A part of Riley couldn’t help but feel satisfied—Lucas’ growth was important, after all.

Necessary, even.

And seeing him get stronger this quickly meant things were progressing in the right direction.

Riley quietly nodded to himself.

Lucas was definitely ready for what was coming next.

”We can have our fight whenever you want,” Riley said. ”Just hand the papers to the student council when you feel like it. But... it seems you’re already more than ready for our fight.”

Lucas scratched his cheek with an embarrassed grin.”Haha... honestly, I still feel a bit lacking, but thank you. Your compliment means a lot! But uh... did you come all the way here just to tell me that?”

”No.”

Riley lifted his right arm slightly.

”Although I accepted your challenge, we never actually made it official. Among knights, a handshake is required, right? To show respect and agreement.”

Lucas’s eyes widened, and for a second, he actually looked like he stopped breathing.

Then a bright, proud smile spread across his face.

”Yes... that’s right!”

He raised his hand and firmly took Riley’s.

The moment their palms met, warmth rushed up Lucas’s arm—something he had never felt before.

It wasn’t painful or frightening, just... powerful, comforting, and strangely familiar.

He didn’t understand it, but he knew it meant something important.

Riley spoke calmly, voice carrying a faint tone of formality.

”I, Riley Hell, hereby state my acceptance of our honorable duel.”

Lucas straightened his posture instinctively, chest rising, eyes burning with resolve.

”Likewise, I, Lucas, will do my utmost to uphold my honor—and yours—as your opponent!”

The two shook hands firmly.

Riley felt the divine blessing slip from his palm into Lucas’s body, settling quietly within him.

The transfer went smoother than he expected—it was over in an instant.

Though...

Why does it feel like more and more girls are staring?

He could hear it now—soft gasps, little squeals, and the occasional quiet ”kyaaah!!” breaking out from random corners of the hallway.

Some of the girls had their hands over their mouths, faces red, eyes shining like they were watching some kind of dramatic romantic scene unfold.

Riley let out a tiny sigh inside.

Another day in the academy... and the students’ nosiness somehow kept evolving into new levels.