The plan of my admission to Temple had been decided.

Yes, obviously, I absolutely wouldnt get caught with that ring on. This wasnt on the level of illusion magic, this completely reconstructed my body.

I wondered since Polymorph could reconstruct ones physical body, woudnt it be possible to improve ones physical specs as well?

If I were to change my body to look like someone whod have 99 points in strength, wouldnt I get stronger as well?

When I asked this, Loyar told me, strangely seriously:

.Polymorph of that level would only be possible for someone with the same amount of mana a dragon would have.

Arent Arcdemons kind of like dragons?

Dragons are illusory monsters. Could there ever be a being in this world which could use magic without even properly casting?

What a sad excuse of a legend.

I didnt believe in legends, they were on the same level as lies.

What youre using isnt actually Polymorph. This is just the version our clan makes use of, so you must get stronger yourself. Strength obtained through transformation, wouldnt be your own strength. You should not rely on such cheap tricks.

Im oh so glad that you confirmed that I wouldnt be able to use such a cheat ever. Anyway, because I gained the ability of the Dreadfiend clan, I was able to completely transform, not only disguise myself.

By the way, I have a question.

Of course, I knew that making myself look muscular by using polymorph wouldnt really make me muscular.

For example, is there a limit to how dense I could make my hair?

Yes? What do you mean?

Sarkegaar didnt seem to understand what I was talking about.

However, I was serious.

Lets say Ive got hair loss, could I just transform myself into a from with a full head of hair? Well, thats what I was talking about.

Isnt that a matter of course? Thats not such a big deal.

Ah.

Sarkegaar! Youre historys greatest loyalist. Of course! Of course!

Youre such a nice guy.

I couldnt hold in my passion and hugged him.

I held the Eternal Anti Hair Loss Ring in my hands!

If you wish I shall even give you my liiiiiife!

Loyar and Eleris stared bankly as Sarkegaar and I hugged fiercely.

* * *

Gardias Temple.

The main stage of the original story.

Frankly, there was no reason not to go there. As Sarkegaar helped me concealing my identity, Id be fine. Even if I didnt intervene, the story would just proceed on its own, going straight for the set ending.

In other words, the less involved I was, the better.

However, just by intervening slightly, variables would appear. The story already changed a lot because Charlotte de Gardias survived.

I didnt want to get too involved in a story that already had a predetermined ending.

Also.

There really was no need for me to go to school with all these kids. So why did I have to do it?

However, once Sarkegaar would find out that I had no intentions of rebuilding the Demon Realm, I didnt know what hed do. As for Loyar, I wasnt so sure what she was thinking, but Sarkegaar definitely was loyalist, but in the end, he probably was the most dangerous person to me.

In the end, Sarkegaar seemed to want me to grow stronger.

Frankly speaking, I was neither suited for fighting nor was it my hobby. Just like everyone doesnt want to suffer pain, I felt like I wanted to escape to a place where my survival and well-being were guaranteed.

However, in the end, whether or not I went to Temple, I had to somehow get stronger myself.

In order to someday be able to escape Sarkegaars clutches, I needed to have a certain amount of strength. It didnt matter if I was standing on Eleris side or Sarkegaars side.

I would have to enter the Gardias Temple.

But how?

If I took you as my adopted son, you would be able to enter Temple.

Using the position of Count Pontheus, he could take me in as his adopted son, enabling me to enter Temple like that.

Id also become the son of a noble, so would I be able to live a more comfortable life then?

Thats too dangerous.

However, Eleris shook her head. As if not understanding, Sarkegaar frowned.

What are you saying, Eleris?

Sarkegaar, you were the one who personally kidnapped the princess. Now that she has returned, they will restart the investigation of how the princess abduction was carried out. They have the princess as witness after all. Theres a chance that theyll catch your tail.

I left no traces.

Think of it as just a precaution.

I see.

A second investigation into the princess abduction could draw suspicion to Sarkegaar. It was really just a precaution, but Eleris seemed to think that there was no need to take useless risks.

That was how I thought it was.

Then, as expected, Eleris would be best to be my guardian?

No, Your Highness.

Huh?

I thought shed obviously take on that role, but Eleris just shook her head.

I am a Vampire. If its discovered that Im a vampire, Im sure Your Highness of whom I was taking care of would also fall under suspicion. Im always careful with everything I do, but we dont know whatll happen.

Although Eleris was well integrated into human society, she always kept the possibility of being discovered to be a vampire in mind.

What? How could I get into Temple if neither Sarkegaar nor Eleris are able to be my guardians?

Why cant you?

Eleris pointed at the last person present as if it was obvious.

What? Me?

What?

You want the beggar king to be my guardian?

What the hell was this nonsense? Both I and Loyar were dumbfounded, but Eleris shook her head.

Im just telling you, but it would be most beneficial for you to just be born as an orphan.

I understood what she meant.

If you were adopted by Sarkegaar, you might be in danger if his deeds were discovered, and if you were to choose me as your guardian, you might be in danger if my true identity were discovered.

I know what you mean, even if Im caught, my gang members dont know that Im a Lycanthrope, so he could just say that he didnt know. Thats it, right?

Yeah.

The members of Loyars pack didnt know that she was a Lycanthrope. So even if Loyar were to be discovered, even if they were questioned most of them wouldnt know a thing. There were a lot of members after all.

In addition, there was a high possibility that I would not be connected to my collaborators even if they were discovered if I entered Temple as an orphan with no ties.

Yeah, Eleris was right.

So, you want me to live here from now on?

I cant believe Your Highness has to live in such a filthy place! Thats just unreasonableeeeeeee!

Did you just call my place flithy? Are ya trying to insult me?

A fire blazed in Loyars eyes.

Ya want to let me know how it feels like to buy some bread from your own money starting today? Huh?

N, no. I, I , I didnt mean it like that The, theres just a bit of You know? I mean, see

Aint that a little too much, huh? Hey, if Im gonna sponsor such a great VIP, dya have any idea what the fuck my kids are supposed to do?

Loyar was their financier.

So, she actually had the greatest say here.

Loyar threatened Sarkegaar with overwhelming force, and Sarkegaars face turned completely blue as soon as he heard that she would stop giving him money.

Eleris sighed watching those two fight.

You dont have to live here. If you enter Temple, youll be able to live in the dormitories. You just need to spend a few days here.

She gave me a kind of look that seemed to say: How could I let you live in such a dirty place?.

Well, I didnt really mean to become something as grandiose as a nobles son, but.

When I went to school, wont the other kids make fun of me for being a beggar? Mentally I was over 30, but no matter how old Im on the inside.

No, I was just saying if these little punks find out that I made my living by begging at my age, wont they hit me or something?

.

Still, I couldnt come up with a safer idea than Eleris suggestion.

Just a few days, a few days.

I have to live a few days in this place.

When I asked her if I had to stay a few days here, Eleris told me that I had to.

I was an orphan and didnt even have a proper identity. It seemed that in order to obtain a new identity, I had to somehow prove that Im an orphan, and to prove that, I had to get the testimony of Loyars group.

I couldnt believe I had to acquire a new identity through the beggars guarantees. Whats with this?

There are many of my little brothers who dont really exist on paper, so I know what to do, because some of the guys do end up needing an ID.

It was natural for her to call them little brothers as shes the head of this organization, so to speak, but it still was strange hearing it come out of her mouth.

I couldnt believe a Lycanthrope being brothers with humans. Was this a live-action version of Tiger Brother? So would this Wild Dog also become my brother? No, rather my sister.

Sarkegaars words angered Loyar, but she seemed to think that staying in this environment for a long time would be a bad thing for me as well.

Eleris will come up with the right excuse, so we can just do it like that.

Loyar seemed carefree. Eleris contemplated how she should get me out of here as soon as possible and admit me to Temple.

* * *

Sarkegaar and Eleris went back, leaving me and Loyar behind. I had already been told what to do. Loyar told me not to worry as no one would touch me anyway, but that wasnt really the problem.

Theres nothing that can be solved easily.

I dont really want to go to Temple, but now I had to go while wearing an identity given to me by a beggars group. This made me want to go even less. But what could I do? This was the safest way.

Loyar dragged me out of the deep parts of the sewers and took me to the shantytown.

-Whistle!

As Loyar whistled, all the beggars that were scattered all over the place slowly started to gather in one place. Everyone was limping, but they seemed to listen well.

This mustve been the dark side of Gardium.

Big sis, whats with that kid?

If it were Eleris or Sarkegaar they would have been furious at his words, but Loyar didnt show much of a reaction. She wasnt loyal in mind, but very loyal in body. She was that kind of bizarre being.

Hes a new member. Hes called Reinhardt.

This was a new name, not my real name which was Valier.

Reinhardt.

No, I mean Valier wasnt actually my real name either, right?

Anyway, it was an alias, an alias. Nothing more.

Sarkegaar suggested it.

He told me I should choose another name, not Valier, as my alias, so he asked me for my opinion.

Ooh.

I had some in mind.

Gromm Hellscream.

Hellscream? Isnt that name just too creepy?

The first suggestion got cut down by Eleris.

Then Lich King?

What perfection! What a fitting name for a great Demon Kiiiiiiiiiiiiing! If its Your Highness, you would certainly far surpass the magical capabilities of a lich!

Your Highness, your real name would be much more inconspicuous compared to that.

Sarkegaar agreed to it, but Loyar refused. She said something like: if youll choose such an ugly name, youd be better off just using your real name..

Well this name was the equivalent of Kim Eum Doom in Korean.

Then Thrall.

Your Highness, we cant possible use a weird joke like that.

Eleris quite seriously thought Thrall was a pun on Damn it. (T/N: Korean writing for Thrall =ssral, Damn it = jae gi ral or also written as X-ral (ekssral)

Dont you know the Warcraft series?!

Eventually, after arguing for a long time, we were able to decide on something.

How about Reinhardt?

Oddly enough, its a very main character-like name, but..

I think its a better name than Hellscream.

It wouldnt hurt to add a few more syllables. A Kings name cant be too simple.

Only

If its even longer than that it would be a pain to say. I also dont want to be mistaken as a noble or something.

Thats how it got decided. It wasnt particularly flashy, nor was it something weird. It was just a name.