Winning the male lead

:Le Tian smiled, squinting. “Thank you.”

Land: “You don’t have to thank me every time.”

The system, completely dumbfounded: “…What good deed did you do behind my back?”

Le Tian beamed with joy. “You’re back! Let me tell you, light bulbs are super useful—automatic washing!”

System: “I saw…”

Holy Light for washing hands—absolutely incredible. If other royal family members on the continent saw this, they’d probably strangle Cyril on the spot.

Le Tian: “System, let’s discuss something. Don’t let Land leave for now. Without him, I can’t survive.”

The system sighed. “He can’t leave.”

Although the system had been working behind the scenes, Land’s soul was too far from the church to return to his original body. Le Tian had to “transport” his soul to the church himself.

Le Tian said confidently, “No problem.” Right now, Land was his treasure—more useful than even the system.

Night fell completely, and the tiny noises outside gradually faded. He took off his clothes and lay down to sleep, while Land, as usual, turned invisible.

Camping in the wilderness—everything else was bearable, except for the endless buzzing of mosquitoes around his ears. Half-asleep, Le Tian irritably waved his hand to drive them away, but the relief only lasted a minute before the mosquitoes returned. Instinctively, he burrowed under the blanket.

Watching him, Land raised a hand, and a soft halo of light enveloped Le Tian’s entire body. The mosquitoes hovering around him slowly dispersed.

Le Tian’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

In the quiet night, the only sound inside the tent was Cyril’s gentle breathing. Land watched as he drifted into sleep and, surprisingly, felt a wave of drowsiness himself. This was incredible—he hadn’t needed or wanted sleep for a long time.

Cyril… why is this person so special?

Land slowly extended his palm, where the divine markings shimmered. This was the mark given to him by the gods. He had never understood why he was chosen. Everyone called him the child of the gods, and he had naturally accepted the role, yet he never truly grasped its meaning.

Cyril was fast asleep, bathed in the soft, milky-white light. His serene face looked like a portrait in deep, rich oil paint. Perhaps those legendary beauties, said to have slumbered for a thousand years in bardic tales, looked just like this.

As Land watched, his eyelids grew heavier.

After three days of hard travel, Le Tian’s group finally reunited with Helena’s convoy. The moment Le Tian arrived, the guards and maids escorting Helena knelt down and started crying. Seeing only a few scattered survivors, he felt a headache coming on. No wonder Helena had disappeared—there were barely enough people to make up two mahjong tables. How was this supposed to be an escort team for a princess?

He asked the system, “Is Hundor really that poor?”

System: “It’s the weakest of the ten nations.”

No wonder Helena’s father was so desperate to marry her off. He was banking on the Orland Empire. Even though Cyril was a lazy king, he had rich ancestors. His father, knowing his son was a bit of a mess, had arranged everything before his death, ensuring Cyril could live worry-free as an effortless king.

Le Tian had no patience for their crying. He ordered a maid to fetch one of Helena’s hats, lifted it into the air, and asked, “Can you sense her?”

Land did not appear, but his magnetic, elegant voice flowed smoothly. “North—toward the church.” Of course, he only said this for Cyril’s ears.

Aside from Cyril, who calmly said thanks, the rest of the guards and maids were nearly scared out of their wits. They stared in terror at the seemingly empty space where the king had just spoken, exchanging horrified glances. Some of the more timid ones even covered their mouths, trembling.

The king of the Orland Empire was infamous for being crazy. It seemed the rumors were true.

“Let’s go, bring everyone along.” Le Tian waved impatiently. “Head north to the church!”

The escort team, trained for obedience, immediately sprang into action. At Cyril’s command, they mounted their horses, dragging along the few pitiful remnants of Hundor’s entourage.

The Hundor servants shrieked in fear.

It wasn’t their fault. Cyril was known as a self-absorbed lunatic. Even thinking about defying the church made people from Hundor tremble, and now they were watching Cyril talk to thin air. Having spent their lives in the tiny Hundor Empire, they had never seen anything this bizarre.

Following Land’s guidance, Le Tian pressed on relentlessly. Fortunately, with Land acting as a human purifier, Cyril—who was obsessed with his appearance—hadn’t fainted along the way.

The two grew closer. Each night, before bed, Land would habitually cast a Holy Light shield over Le Tian to ward off mosquitoes. The way Le Tian looked at him was practically dripping with tenderness.

“Land, how old are you this year?” Le Tian, for once, was in the mood for small talk.

No one had ever asked Land this question before. He actually had to think for a moment before answering, “Twenty-seven.”

Le Tian asked the system, “How old am I?”

System: “…Twenty-four.”

Le Tian, without a change in expression, told Land, “I’m a year older than you. Call me big brother.”

Land: “…”

System: “…”

As the supposed child of the gods, Land naturally knew Cyril’s true age. Looking into his lake-green eyes, glinting mischievously, he didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled and said, “When you were a child, I spoke with your father.”

“My father?” Le Tian wrinkled his nose. “Did he talk badly about me?”

Land replied, “He loved you very much.”

Le Tian turned to face him, blinking curiously. “And you? Were you born of the gods?”

Land couldn’t help but chuckle. “Of course not. I am just an ordinary person, like you.”

Le Tian pointed at the soft, white glow surrounding him. “You call this ordinary?” Ever since that night when he first woke up to find himself wrapped in an anti-mosquito light shield, Land—aka Human Lightbulb, Search Dog, Beauty Instrument—had earned yet another title: Mosquito Net.

Land glanced at him indifferently. “Having divine power does not make one different from others. Just as you possess rare, unparalleled beauty, yet you are still like everyone else. You are not alone.”

Hearing this, Le Tian’s eyes widened in shock, his eyelashes fluttering slightly. His lips parted as if to speak, but in the end, he held back and turned away, now facing away from Land.

Land wondered if he had been too blunt, if he had accidentally exposed the loneliness behind Cyril’s stunning exterior, hurting him.

Facing away, Le Tian secretly pulled out a small mirror from his sleeve and inspected his face carefully. Confirming that his features remained flawless and breathtaking, he stuffed the mirror back.

Le Tian grumbled to the system, furious. “He actually dared to say I’m like everyone else. Pfft! A beauty like me is worlds apart from ordinary people! What nonsense. I’m so mad.”

If Land weren’t so useful, he would have smacked his glowing head right then and there.

System: “…Indeed, he was completely out of line…” As long as Le Tian didn’t fall for Land, the system was willing to say a few insincere words.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Le Tian fumed, “I can’t stand this. When we reach the church, I’m publicly announcing my withdrawal from the alliance! Hmph!”

A church that didn’t acknowledge his beauty wasn’t worth accepting!

Land, who had almost never interacted with people privately, had no friends and didn’t know how to get along with others. He only knew how to follow the teachings of the church and guide people with kindness and tolerance, but clearly, his approach had the opposite effect on Cyril.

He leaned slightly closer to Cyril and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry.”

Cyril’s trembling back slowly calmed down. After a moment, he snorted lightly and said awkwardly, “Fine, just don’t do it again.”

He really was like the church’s cat—one touch and his fur would bristle, but smooth him down, and he’d be fine again. Land smiled silently. “I won’t say such things again in the future.”

Only after he spoke did Cyril slowly turn around. His lake-green eyes glanced at him sideways, and with the air of a king granting pardon, he said arrogantly, “You’d better remember your words.”

Land replied gently, “I will remember.”

Le Tian thought, At least he knows what’s good for him. “It’s too late now. Go to sleep. Goodnight.”

Because of his special status, Land had grown up in an environment similar to Cyril’s. The difference was that Cyril avoided people by choice, while he had been kept away from them. This was the first time anyone had ever told him goodnight.

He stood there in a daze for a long time.

It wasn’t until Cyril fell into a deep sleep, the corners of his mouth curling into a sweet arc, that Land finally realized what had happened. He looked down at the sleeping Cyril and whispered in his heart, Goodnight.

The next morning, Le Tian was woken up by noise. A guard outside the tent reported, “Your Majesty, two of our vanguard knights encountered Valecos’ troops and were detained.”

Le Tian: What?

The system: “You have a grudge against the King of Valecos.”

Le Tian was confused. “How is that possible? I’ve always been independently beautiful.” Cyril rarely stirred up trouble outside his own home.

The system sighed. “The King of Valecos is recognized as the most handsome man on the continent.”

Le Tian: “!!!” Hello? Excuse me? What kind of nonsense is this? You think he deserves that title?!

“Everyone, prepare for battle!” Cyril commanded, his voice full of rage. The guards immediately donned their armor.

Le Tian was fuming as he hastily put on his armor. Land, ever considerate, materialized to help him. Seeing Cyril’s furious expression, Land said gently, “It’s probably just a misunderstanding. There’s no need for an all-out battle.”

Le Tian lifted his right hand to slip it through the armor, while his left hand held up a mirror. Staring seriously at his reflection, he said solemnly, “I haven’t washed my face yet.”

Land: …

A wave of holy light shimmered over him. Le Tian immediately felt perfect. Lately, with all the holy cleansing, his skin had become even more delicate and radiant. He put on his mask and picked up his helmet, looking at Land with a sinister smile. “I will make sure he understands that this is indeed a huge misunderstanding.”

The title of the most handsome man on the continent obviously belongs to me, you fool! Where did this toad even come from? Get lost!

After assembling his troops, Le Tian found Helena’s servants unbearably annoying with their endless wailing and trembling, so he assigned part of his forces to escort them back home. Then, with the remaining hundred men, he rode toward the north, filled with hostility.

The King of Valecos, Victor, was indeed a strikingly handsome man, with rare and dazzling red hair. His thick, voluminous locks and strong physique had earned him the nickname “Red Lion.”

“Your Majesty,” one of Victor’s guards said anxiously, “perhaps we should just release them.”

The two vanguard knights were tied back to back against a large tree.

Victor, chewing on a blade of grass, said lazily, “What’s the rush? Once their men arrive, do you think I’ll keep them for dinner?”

Though Victor and Cyril had never met before, they already disliked each other. But Victor’s disdain wasn’t about competing for the title of the most handsome man—rather, it was because Cyril’s extreme narcissism meant their names were often mentioned together. Even though he was usually on the receiving end of praise, he still found it irritating.

Who would enjoy constantly being linked to a lunatic?

Not to mention, Cyril had once publicly stated that his looks weren’t even good enough for him to serve as a guard.

As the sound of approaching hooves filled the air, his spirits lifted. He tossed away the blade of grass and stood up, his handsome face filled with eager anticipation. Finally, he had a chance to teach that lunatic a lesson.

From a distance, Le Tian saw Victor’s head of fiery red hair and immediately pulled the reins of his horse. He turned to the system and asked, “A… a punk rocker?”

The system was speechless. “That’s natural.”

Le Tian was even more shocked. “A naturally born punk rocker?”

The system: … Just because you have blonde hair doesn’t mean you can say that!

Victor, unaware that Le Tian had mentally labeled him as a punk rocker, saw Le Tian hesitating from afar and laughed mockingly. “Well, well, isn’t this the so-called most handsome man on the continent, King Cyril?”

Originally furious, Le Tian suddenly calmed down. “I suddenly don’t dislike him anymore.”

The system: “…”

Le Tian said shyly, “He has good taste.”

He enthusiastically waved at him, his arm swinging in a large arc. “Yes, that’s me!”

Victor’s smile froze.

No wonder the royal families whispered that Cyril was a complete lunatic. Now it seemed he wasn’t just crazy—he was an idiot too.

Le Tian waved for a long time without receiving a response, and slowly lowered his hand, murmuring to himself, “Why isn’t he responding?”

Land immediately understood—Victor had been mocking Cyril. But seeing Cyril’s confused expression, he felt a trace of displeasure. Cyril had been isolated from the world and knew nothing about social dynamics; he was practically a child. Victor, known as a wise ruler, why was he picking on him like this?

Victor, seeing that Cyril was too clueless to even understand his sarcasm, mounted his horse and rode up to him.

He really was handsome—his features were exquisite yet carried a wild charm. His eyes were a rich golden brown, truly worthy of the nickname “Red Lion.”

Le Tian’s eyes quickly scanned him up and down and gave his face an overall evaluation: “Not bad, not disgusting.”

Victor, in turn, was assessing him. The so-called narcissist king was wrapped up tightly, as if he couldn’t bear to be exposed to sunlight. Only a pair of lake-green eyes were visible, and they were indeed mesmerizing—deep and mysterious, like still waters that could pull a person in if they stared too long.

“Cyril, I won’t waste words. I’ve tolerated you long enough. Today, we’ll settle this like men,” Victor said through gritted teeth. “The loser will publicly declare to the entire continent that he is inferior to the other. Do you dare?”

Land was alarmed. Victor was a renowned swordmaster, while Cyril had been pampered all his life. There was no way he could win. He hurriedly warned, “Don’t agree to this!”

But Cyril didn’t even acknowledge him. Instead, he said casually, “Sure.”

Victor was surprised by his straightforwardness and chuckled. “At least you have some guts.” He pulled the reins of his horse and narrowed his eyes. “On horseback or on the ground?”

“On the ground, to keep it fair.” Le Tian dismounted as he spoke.

Land raised his voice anxiously, “Stop, Cyril! You’re no match for him!”

Le Tian ignored him and slowly removed his helmet.

Victor also dismounted. Seeing Cyril fiddling with his helmet, he sneered, “You’d better keep that on. I wouldn’t want to accidentally injure you.”

Le Tian casually tossed his helmet to the ground, kicking up a faint dust cloud. He then raised his hand and removed his mask.

In that instant, the air around them seemed to freeze.

Because of the heat, Cyril’s face was slightly flushed. Sweat dampened his golden curls, and he impatiently swept them back with his fingers, revealing a face so impossibly handsome that Victor’s sword slipped from his grasp with a clang.

The well-trained Orland Empire guards immediately lowered their heads, not daring to look. The Valecos guards, having never witnessed such a scene before, found themselves unable to tear their eyes away.

Victor had always been hailed as the most handsome man on the continent, but now, faced with Cyril’s divine beauty, even that title seemed laughable.

His mind was in a complete mess. His tongue twisted for a long time, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Le Tian sighed at the system. “Ah, I knew this would happen. Stunned by my beauty again. My looks aren’t a gift from the gods, they’re practically a curse from the devil. How can mere mortals withstand it?”

System: …Yes, you truly are a devil.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to Cyril. Land felt a faint sense of displeasure in his heart and suddenly raised his hand, casting a barrier of holy light around him.

To the others, the scene looked like this:

A young man, so stunningly handsome he seemed almost unreal, was suddenly bathed in a soft yet intense holy light. The ethereal glow enveloped him completely, making him appear divine and noble.

All of his arrogance now seemed justified. He had always claimed to be the one closest to God, and everyone thought he was crazy. But looking at this scene now, who would dare to deny his words? Perhaps they were the ignorant ones all along.

Victor submitted almost instantly. Slowly, he knelt on one knee, placed his right hand over his chest, and spoke with reverence, “O Supreme Father, forgive my insolence.”

Le Tian turned to the system. “Did you hear that? He just admitted defeat and called me ‘Dad.’”

System: “…Oh.” Victor, wake up! He’s no ‘Father’ of yours!

Land leaned in and whispered to Le Tian, “Let’s go.”

Le Tian nodded and then complained to the system, “That lightbulb is jealous of my beauty too. Putting a barrier on me, trying to block my glow. Just because he’s a lightbulb spirit doesn’t mean everyone else has to be one too. Such a petty guy.”

System: “…If you say so.”

Le Tian got back on his horse, had the guards release the two vanguard cavalrymen, and looked down at Viktor, who was still kneeling on the ground. “Don’t forget your promise—announce to the whole continent who is truly superior.”

Victor respectfully replied, “I will spread your glory to every corner of the land.”

Satisfied, Le Tian took out a small mirror and adjusted his bangs. Ah, his unparalleled beauty was finally impossible to hide. When the entire continent started fighting over the chance to call him ‘Dad,’ what would he do then?

With these sweet yet troublesome thoughts, he continued his journey. In high spirits, he began humming a tune:

“I found a cigarette on the roadside~ Handed it to a passing officer by my side~ The officer took the cigarette~ Lit it up right then and there~ So I happily said~ ‘Sir, pay the fine!’~”

System: …What kind of ridiculous song is this?

Land watched as he swayed happily, his earlier displeasure fading away. He spoke in a gentle tone, “Once we return to the Holy Sea, I will clear your name.”

“Great!” Le Tian became even more cheerful. “That means I’ll be the officially recognized most handsome man on the continent.”

Land suddenly had the urge to touch Le Tian’s hair. His fluffy golden curls looked like they would be even softer than the Holy Sea’s pet cat. He resisted the itch in his hands, cleared his throat, and said, “We should reach the central city in about two days.”

The main cathedral of the Holy Sea was located in the southwestern corner of the city.

Coincidentally, Land also mentioned that Helena was in the same direction.

Le Tian started to wonder—was Helena planning to cheat on him with Land? But the system assured him that was impossible. The heroine’s romantic arc remained unchanged.

She had traveled such a long distance, and the system hadn’t detected any fluctuations in her life signals. So in the end, was Helena just running away from their engagement?

Le Tian felt a little displeased. He didn’t really want to marry Helena either, but being abandoned before the wedding was just tragic. He was about to become the “officially recognized most handsome man on the continent,” and the Orland Empire was incredibly powerful. What could she possibly be dissatisfied with? He simply couldn’t understand.

“How could anyone not like someone as perfect as me?”

System: …There is. Right here.

Upon arriving at the Holy Sea, Cyril was unsurprisingly stopped by the envoy.

“Your Majesty has missed the opportunity to repent,” the gray-robed envoy said indifferently. “Please leave.”

Le Tian thought to himself—damn, their boss was practically his hostage, yet this envoy still had the audacity to be so arrogant? He straightened his back and said, “I refuse.”

The envoy’s expression darkened. The Pope had been missing his soul for almost a month, and the internal affairs of the Holy Sea had long since fallen into chaos. Now, this ridiculous king was causing even more trouble at such a crucial moment. The envoy stiffened and said, “If Your Majesty does not leave, do not blame the Holy Sea’s guards for being discourteous.”

Le Tian’s eyes, visible from beneath his helmet, widened. He turned to Land, who was floating beside him, and asked, “Did you hear that? Does this guy even know what he’s saying?”

Land had been silently listening to their conversation, his expression growing darker and darker. Finally, under the envoy’s terrified gaze, he revealed himself.

“Kneel and apologize to His Majesty,” he ordered.

His tone was heavy, and the envoy, who had already been stunned by the sudden appearance of their long-missing Pope, was completely overwhelmed. The Holy Sea’s leader almost never lost his temper, and now that he had, the envoy was so terrified that he immediately trembled and dropped to one knee.

“Your Majesty, please forgive my disrespect,” the envoy stammered.

After being knelt before and apologized to twice in such a short time, Le Tian was starting to feel a little smug. He whispered, “Don’t call me Your Majesty anymore. From now on, refer to me as…”

“The officially recognized most handsome man on the continent.”

The envoy: “?”

Land calmly added, “Do as he says.”

The envoy’s face turned red as he struggled to get the words out. Finally, abandoning all dignity, he declared:

“Please, ‘officially recognized most handsome man on the continent,’ forgive my disrespect.”

Le Tian beamed. “You’re forgiven!”

Land’s gaze softened as he watched him, thinking to himself: So cute. Even cuter than the Holy Sea’s cat.