CHAPTER 75: END OF THE TUTORIAL ARC

"Yes. I accept."

[Acknowledged. Special Quest has been accepted.]

The System interface glowed as Nel’s words faded, replaced by a new quest description materializing in radiant, golden text. The letters shimmered with importance, demanding my attention.

[Know Thy Enemy]Objective

Establish a Bond of Rank 4: [Confidante] or higher with a designated member of the Vance lineage.

Success Rewards:

+250 SP: A substantial reward for a masterclass in espionage and seduction.

Information Cache Unlocked: [Vance-Ishiguro Archives (Fragment)]: Successfully reaching Bond Rank 4 will grant you access to a significant data cache extracted through your bond with the target. This will include:

Complete technical schematics and override command lists for your VHC monitoring bracelet.

Redacted research notes and journal entries from Dr. Kenji Nakano, providing the first real clues to his disappearance.

New Title Granted: [The Whisper Broker]: A title for one who trades in secrets. You will possess a passive aura that makes those with weaker willpower more inclined to confide in you.

Failure Penalty:

If you attempt this quest and fail—by being discovered, rejected, or otherwise botching the operation—the consequences will be permanent and catastrophic.

-100 SP Deduction.

You are granted the permanent Title: [Marked Man].

The VHC and all its subordinate factions will have a permanently heightened suspicion towards you. Your actions will be scrutinized, your lies more easily detected, and your true nature is far more likely to be discovered. You will be a rat forever scurrying under the watchful eye of the hawk.

I stared at the golden text, my mouth slightly open. The stakes were absurdly high, both for success and failure. Two hundred and fifty Schema Points would be a game-changer for my development, but the real prize was the information cache—technical schematics for my monitoring bracelet and information about my supposed father’s disappearance.

But if I failed...

Marked Man. In my previous life, being marked meant you were already dead—you just hadn’t stopped breathing yet.

"Nel, show me my active quest log. I want to see the big picture."

The interface shimmered, reorganizing into a comprehensive display of all my current missions:

ACTIVE QUESTS[The Scumbag Sovereign] (Primary Narrative Quest)

Objective: Find and bond with at least three new exceptional women, raising each to a minimum of Bond Rank 5 within the [ENSEMBLE] system.

Progress: 0/3

Timeline: Ongoing

[The Siren’s Discord] (Confrontation Quest)

Objective: In your first confrontation at New Vein Academy, you must force Reyna to acknowledge you as an equal, or a threat.

Success Rewards:

+150 SP

Reyna Cabana’s initial disposition towards you is set to [Intrigued Rival], unlocking a unique path in her future "corruption" arc.

Failure Penalty:

-50 SP Deduction.

You are granted the permanent Title: [Siren’s Bait].

A title for a weak little fish that exists only to be eaten by a much bigger one. It will make recruiting powerful women much, much harder.

[The Alpha’s Debut] (Social Conquest Quest)

Objective: At the VHC Gala, establish a new social reputation and decisively humiliate an arrogant Scion in front of New Vein’s elite.

Rewards:

+100 SP

New Title: [The Social Predator]

Unlocks potential alliances with at least one Major Guild representative

Failure Penalty:

-75 SP

Your social standing before entering the Academy will be permanently damaged

[Know Thy Enemy] (Espionage Quest)

Objective: Establish a Bond of Rank 4: [Confidante]

or higher with a designated member of the Vance lineage.

Timeline: Must be completed before graduating from New Vein Academy

I sat back, gaze fixed on the glowing screen, as the pieces clicked together in my mind with stunning clarity.

"Oh, you clever bastard," I whispered to the absent Apollo. "It’s all connected."

The quests weren’t separate challenges—they were a single, intricate web. A grand design guiding me toward a specific path.

To build my court, I needed three pillars. The first was Emi—the Healer, the heart, the easiest acquisition. Natalia was already working on that front.

The second was Reyna—the Prodigy, the sword, the ultimate rival to conquer. "The Siren’s Discord" wasn’t just a confrontation; it was the first step in adding her to my collection.

And the third... the key to my freedom... was a Vance.

"Nel, clarify something for me. When you say ’a designated member of the Vance lineage,’ are you referring to someone specific? Seraphina Vance, perhaps?"

[The quest parameters allow for either of two targets: Seraphina Vance (31), President of the VHC, or Celeste Vance (18), her younger sister.]

"Two options..." I murmured, weighing them in my mind. "Give me profiles on both."

The screen split, displaying two women side by side. On the left stood Seraphina Vance—imposing, ethereal, with white hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to look through you rather than at you. Her posture and expression screamed authority.

On the right was Celeste Vance—younger, with similar coloring but softer features. Her eyes held the same intelligence as her sister’s but lacked the chilling intensity. She appeared more... approachable. More vulnerable.

I didn’t need to think long.

"Seraphina is out of the question," I said. "She’s the fucking president of the VHC. That’s like trying to seduce a tiger when you’re made of meat. Celeste is the only realistic option."

[A prudent assessment. Celeste Vance will be entering New Vein Academy this semester as a first-year student, like yourself. Your paths are already destined to cross.]

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to process this revelation. "So all these quests lead to the academy. I need to get into NVA to access all three targets."

[Correct. The New Vein Academy will be your primary hunting ground and battleground for the foreseeable future.]

"And once I’m there, this bracelet... will it still be a problem?"

[Within Academy grounds, all students are required to wear monitoring bracelets. Yours will not appear unusual in that environment. However, your record will still be flagged for special monitoring due to your late manifestation and your father’s file.]

I flexed my wrist, eyeing the silver band. "So I’ll still be watched, but I won’t stand out like a guy with a tracking anklet at a cocktail party."

[An apt metaphor. Additionally, Academy monitoring protocols are... less stringent than direct VHC surveillance. Student bracelet data is typically only reviewed in case of incident reports or scheduled evaluations.]

A grin spread across my face. "So I have breathing room. I can use minor abilities or variations without triggering immediate alarms, as long as I don’t do anything flashy enough to warrant a special review."

[Your assessment is mostly correct. Minor discrepancies would likely be attributed to Aspect evolution—a common phenomenon in newly manifested abilities during intensive training.]

I closed the interface and looked at my reflection in the gym mirror.

"Nakano-san," I said to my reflection, using the honorific with bitter irony, "your mysterious disappearance may have fucked up my life, but it’s also given me the perfect opening. The VHC is already interested in me because of you. Might as well use that to my advantage."

I picked up my towel and water bottle, ready to head back upstairs. But before I left, I paused at the training dummy I’d sliced apart earlier, running my fingers along the clean cuts I’d made with [SEVER].

"I can’t hunt monsters yet," I murmured. "But I can certainly hunt women."

I turned off the gym lights and headed for the door. Three quests. Three women.

One throne waiting to be claimed.

The Scumbag Sovereign’s gambit was just beginning.

END OF VOLUME 1: The Princess & The Scumbag