In a quiet corner of the spacious shelter house hall, Arvin sat casually on the bed, surrounded by his five spouses.
Although his body had regained its vitality and strength, Allen's expression still betrayed a lingering unease.
The pink-haired youth lowered his head, his fingers nervously twisting the hem of his clothes. He remained deeply shocked and guilt-ridden after hearing Davin's account of what had transpired in the arena while he was unconscious.
He never expected his husband to withdraw from such a prestigious tournament simply to take care of him.
"Forgive me, My Husband." Allen said with absolute sincerity, lifting his gaze to meet Arvin's deep blue eyes. His voice was heavy with guilt over the chaos he had caused. "Because I lost control, you had to withdraw from the tournament and—"
Before the pink-haired youth could finish his apology, Arvin leaned forward. With a movement so incredibly gentle, he placed his index finger against Allen's lips, silencing him.
"Haven't I told you that I would do absolutely anything for my spouses? Naturally, that includes you, Allen." Arvin said, his tone wonderfully soft and soothing. There was not a single trace of regret on his face.
His hand then moved to affectionately stroke the top of Allen's head. "You, and everyone here who has become my spouse, are my most precious treasures in this world. Besides, you don't need to worry about the tournament. Alrain, Ordion, and Alvein are still out there fighting."
Hearing such a straightforward and heartfelt answer from their husband, Allen, Alrian, Dylan, Davin, and Arion exchanged faint, tender smiles. A profound warmth blossomed in their chests, filling them to the brim with overwhelming happiness.
The five of them felt unimaginably lucky to have a husband who placed their happiness and safety above all else.
....
Moments later, the serene atmosphere in the hall was shattered by the sound of numerous approaching footsteps from outside.
The main doors of the shelter house were thrown wide open. Dean Saires, the accompanying teachers, the students of the Astoria Academy, and the delegation from the Flamort Kingdom had finally returned from the arena.
However, an entirely unexpected scene unfolded the moment they arrived.
Instead of dispersing to their respective beds to rest, almost all the students marched in unison toward the corner where Arvin sat. They surrounded the bed, staring down the 'King of Terror' with probing eyes heavy with disbelief.
Subjected to the intense glare of dozens of eyes at once, Arvin slightly furrowed his brow.
"Why are you all crowding around and staring at me like that?" Arvin asked, breaking the awkward silence.
Victor, standing at the very front of the crowd, took a hesitant step forward. The youth's face was deathly pale, looking as if he had just seen a ghost in broad daylight.
"Hey, Arvin!" Victor called out loudly, his voice trembling on the edge of panic and sheer disbelief. "Why did you hide the truth about Ordion's absurd powers? Since when did you take an immortal human as your spouse?!"
Hearing the accusation, Arvin finally understood the reason behind the crowd's shocked stares. Ordion must have pulled off something ridiculously flashy to prove his worth.
"That's simply his innate power." Arvin replied casually, giving an indifferent shrug. "What exactly do you expect me to do about it? If you want to complain that his power defies logic, take your protests directly to the Gods who bestowed it upon him!"
"That's not what I mean, Arvin!" Victor cut in quickly, clearly frustrated by Arvin's nonchalant attitude. "Everyone in the arena was thrown into an absolute uproar when Ordion fought Prince Lionias earlier! Do you have any idea what he did? Ordion deliberately and openly provoked the prince into launching his strongest attack directly at his neck."
Victor swallowed hard, trying to steady his voice before continuing the harrowing tale.
"His head was completely severed by the attack! Blood sprayed everywhere. But what happened a few seconds later... his severed head and all the spilled blood transformed into flames that flew straight back to his neck." he recounted vehemently, still reeling from the illogical spectacle. "The flames reconstructed his head perfectly, as if absolutely nothing had happened!"
"It wasn't just Prince Lionias who was left utterly speechless with shock." Victor continued, his chest heaving. "Prince Raven and Princess Elenora, who were watching from the stands, felt the exact same way! The entire Victoriaz Academy has been thrown into mass hysteria because of that horrifying display!"
Rather than feeling panicked, pressured, or even the slightest bit surprised that one of his spouses had just flaunted such terrifying power in front of delegates from various kingdoms, Arvin responded with absolute composure.
"Let them talk. I couldn't care." he replied dryly.
That flat, utterly apathetic response instantly made Victor and the rest of the students in the hall widen their eyes in disbelief.
They couldn't fathom how Arvin could remain so calm when his spouse's terrifying power had just triggered high-level vigilance among all the attending delegations.
"You can't just say 'let them talk', Arvin! After witnessing an unkillable monster on your side, every single kingdom without exception will definitely keep a close watch on your family from now on!" another senior student chimed in from the crowd, attempting to voice a logical warning.
Hearing the warning, Arvin fell silent for a moment before casually leaning back against the bed. He fixed his gaze on the ceiling of the hall.
"If they restrict themselves to merely observing and spying on us from afar, I won't mind it in the slightest." Arvin replied lightly, his voice perfectly normal. But a second later, his gaze sharpened, radiating an absolute coldness that made the temperature in the room plummet drastically. "However... if they ever dare to cross the line and attempt anything foolish against any of my spouses, my family, my people, or even lay a single finger on my territory..."
Arvin paused deliberately, ensuring that every single person in the room was listening to his next words with rapt attention.
"...even if it happens to be the Astoria Kingdom itself, I will ruthlessly obliterate anyone who dares to disturb my peace until nothing but ash remains!"
That chilling, uncompromising warning instantly sliced through the mounting arguments. The students who had been protesting, as well as the teachers and Dean Saires listening quietly from the back, immediately froze in stunned silence.
They all knew and fully realized that Arvin Vedegra never bluffed or made idle threats. If he said he would destroy a kingdom, he would undoubtedly follow through.
The invisible pressure pressing down on the shelter house hall suddenly felt immensely heavy, suffused with an overwhelming sense of intimidation.
However, as they stared at the youth reclining on the bed, what they saw in that moment was not purely the arrogant figure of the 'King of Terror' casually dropping terrifying threats. Nor was he simply a blindly protective husband shielding his spouses.
What they witnessed was the undeniable presence of a resolute, unshakeable young leader, one who possessed absolute principles when it came to protecting what belonged to him. His charisma as a true sovereign was glaringly evident, deeply etching an aura of unquestionable authority into the minds of everyone present.