NOVEL NEXT Turning 2 into 6
Nephis stayed silent, giving Arthur space to gather his thoughts. She knew his strength, even if he didn't show it often, and he must have grown even stronger. So, she simply sat there, offering her quiet support.
It only took Arthur a minute to regain his composure. He glanced at the clock and said, "Oh! No time to get all down. It's almost time."
"Time for what?" Nephis asked, a little confused.
"My awakening, of course!" Arthur replied. "In about two hours, it starts, and I need to wrap up this conversation quickly."
"You seem in a hurry. Is it because of that other woman?" Nephis teased, pinching Arthur lightly.
"Yeah, it is about her. If I lose her now, I lose her for good. It’s one of my regrets, and I don’t want to go through that again," Arthur said with a smile.
"Now I’m curious. Which girl managed to turn the legendary playboy into a serious candidate for marriage?" Nephis hummed, genuinely intrigued.
"Oh, she's the future elf queen, but for now, she’s just the elf princess," Arthur said, remembering that Elara was still a princess for the time being, but soon to be queen.
"What?" Nephis exclaimed in disbelief. She had assumed the person Arthur was talking about would be someone from Earth, but he actually had his sights on the elf princess—someone destined to rule Elferia. Was he out of his mind?
Arthur couldn't help but enjoy Nephis's shocked expression; it was rare to get such a reaction from her. Plus, he wanted to share more about Elara anyway.
After calming down, Nephis asked, "Explain, please!"
"Alright, I’ll keep it short since we’re pressed for time. Long story short, I love her, and it’s because of my past life. She was with me until the very end, and we died together. So, you can see why I want to marry her. Now, the second part is the kicker," Arthur said before pausing with a sigh.
"There’s this elven prophecy that says a chosen one will bring prosperity to their people, and that chosen one will be bound to the throne through marriage to Elara, the future Elf Queen. I wasn’t the chosen one before, but this time I will be. So, yeah, I have to prove I’m the chosen one, and they’ll let me marry her—or rather, force me to," Arthur explained further.
"In my past life, Elara and I did love each other, but because of the whole chosen one thing, we couldn’t be together. I’m not letting that happen again. I’ll marry her first. And I only have a week before I leave for Elferia."
Nephis sighed, understanding the situation. She couldn’t imagine what Arthur had gone through during the Third Cataclysm, and it made sense he would fall for someone who had been by his side until the end.
It felt like she was trying to break that sacred bond, but she also didn’t mind. She was conflicted; on one hand, she wanted Arthur all to herself, but on the other, she didn’t want to push away someone like Elara.
‘I guess it’s my fault for falling for a playboy. Just how many women has this guy charmed?’ Nephis was slowly accepting the idea of sharing Arthur, even though it left a bitter taste. But she didn’t want him to expand his so-called harem any further.
"So, besides me and this Elf Queen, how many other women have you charmed?" Nephis asked, smiling sweetly.
"Eh?" Arthur was taken aback by the question, not expecting it. He scratched his cheek and mumbled while looking away, "Maybe... five. Ouch!!"
Arthur rubbed his leg where Nephis had pinched him and looked at her. Nephis sighed, "That’s fewer than I thought."
"What? Do you think I spent all my time wooing women? Neph, I gave up that life long ago. These women, including you, are my world. They stood by me through hell, and I’d rather die than leave them behind," Arthur said, his eyes narrowing.
Nephis looked at him with a strange expression and thought, 'That’s what I like about you, idiot!'
"Alright, five it is. But remember, no more! Only five, and that’s final, okay?" Nephis said after a pause.
Arthur was left speechless for a moment, then broke into a wide grin before pulling Nephis into a hug. "I knew my Neph would understand. You’re the best."
"You leave me no choice, dummy. And just know, if that five becomes six, I’ll turn your two into six!" Nephis said, squeezing Arthur's prized jewels through his pants.
Arthur immediately started sweating and nodded hastily, afraid she’d follow through. "Neph, I don’t mind if you want to play with them, but ouch!"
Nephis smirked and let go. Though she didn’t show it, she was happy to be with Arthur, even if it meant sharing him with others.
"The world’s already falling apart. What’s the point of this soap opera?" Nephis sighed. "So, you're heading to Elferia soon?"
She didn’t ask for more details about how Arthur planned to prove he was the chosen one or anything else, knowing they didn’t have much time. She trusted him to handle things.
"Yeah, it should only take about a month. I’ll be back after that," Arthur confirmed. "But this week will be busy since I need to prove I’m the chosen one. I’ll need your help, too. Can you lend me one of your weapons? Preferably a sword."
Nephis nodded and raised her hand, summoning a black longsword from thin air. She gazed at it for a moment before handing it to Arthur.
"It’s a Tier 1 sword. I’ve relinquished my ownership, so once you awaken, it’s yours. I have others, but they’d only slow you down," Nephis said.