How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 663: Light 4

"Rose?"

"Yes?"

"I've noticed you've been heading out quite frequently lately," Riley remarked in an offhand manner. "Is there something happening?"

"No, nothing at all."

Her response came far too rapidly.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I simply had a few curiosities I wanted to look into on my own for a bit..." She stole a glance at him, her lips curving into a gentle smile. "Does it trouble you? Fufu—if it does, I can just cling to you twenty-four hours a day instead."

"Haha, not at all."

Riley gave a light shake of his head.

"Though that offer isn’t half bad," he teased, his tone bordering on a joke. "I was merely a bit concerned. But if it’s truly nothing, then I'll leave it at that. Still... don’t hesitate to talk to me if something is going on. I’m here. We all are."

"Fufu... I know."

Rose stepped out ahead of him, her gait light and her expression serene—almost mischievous.

She remained close by his side, humming a soft tune as if she didn't have a single care in the world.

Riley observed her in silence.

To any bystander, she appeared perfectly normal. Relaxed. Collected.

But he could see through it.

Rose was keeping a secret.

Beneath his habitual apathetic stare, a flicker of worry remained.

He already possessed a few theories regarding the source of her trouble.

Her family—or to be more precise, her father.

Within the game's narrative, that man served as the literal final boss of her route.

Even though Rose’s character development had always been erratic, the majority of her significant events eventually gravitated back toward him.

The fact that she was intentionally dodging the subject suggested that the gears had already begun to turn.

Either Raymond had initiated a move...

Or Rose had.

Regardless of the circumstances, Riley reached a decision for the time being.

If she preferred that he didn't interfere, he wouldn't force his way into her personal matters.

...At least, for as long as the situation remained within manageable bounds.

Riley thought back to the type of man Raymond was.

On the surface, the duke appeared quiet and restrained—a man who favored staying in the shadows like a master of chess.

But Riley was well aware of the truth.

The obsession he harbored toward his "star," Rose, was the sort that could never stay suppressed indefinitely. Eventually, it was bound to overflow.

And when that happened, Raymond wouldn't hide in the background anymore.

He would transform into a direct villain to be confronted.

Should I have gone and met him last time...?

The question lingered in his mind.

Riley recalled the invitation Duke Raymond had previously sent his way.

At that moment, he had dismissed it as something trivial.

Empty political chatter.

A waste of his energy.

Back then, avoiding the meeting felt like the correct path.

Now, he felt a twinge of doubt.

Had he attended, he might have been able to gauge Raymond’s current state—his mental state, his goals.

Instead, Riley was left with nothing but scraps of memory and deductions based on the original game plot.

Raymond wasn't exceptionally powerful. At least, not compared to what Rose had already surmounted.

If a confrontation occurred, she was more than capable of handling him herself.

It was a winnable fight—no matter the outcome.

But victory didn’t guarantee a lack of pain.

Regardless of how many crimes the man had committed or how warped his behavior was, one reality remained fixed.

Raymond was still her father.

And that fact alone was enough to leave deep scars that wouldn’t easily vanish.

Riley exhaled a soft breath.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t be this preoccupied with worry.

But this world was no longer adhering to the precise timeline he remembered.

Too many variables had shifted—especially Rose. Her development, her decisions, her feelings... all of it had transformed because of his presence.

And then there was Dorothy.

That specific thought caused his expression to darken slightly.

Riley was certain Rose was already aware of Dorothy’s true identity.

That revelation alone would make her next clash with her father far more perilous—and far more volatile.

If Raymond acted now...

There was no predicting how Rose would react.

"By the way... did something occur between those two?"

Rose’s inquiry snapped Riley back to reality.

She was gesturing toward the front, where Snow and Seo were walking side by side.

They were in conversation, yet the vibe between them was noticeably strained—awkward in a manner that clashed with their usual closeness.

"Well... a small incident did happen," Riley admitted.

After a moment of consideration, he figured there was little reason to keep it a secret. As they walked, he detailed the events that had transpired between Snow and Seo. Roughly five minutes later—

"So, Snow is an idiot."

Rose stated it bluntly.

"Haha... I wouldn’t go quite that far," Riley answered, scratching the back of his neck.

"No, she is," Rose insisted without a second thought. "How could she do that to the innocent Black Rat— I mean Seo."

Riley gave an awkward grin. "Yeah... I suppose what she did was a bit much. But she feels terrible about it and she’s already learning her lesson. It might take a little while, but I’m sure they'll reconcile soon."

Rose knit her brows slightly. "Even I wouldn’t ask Seo to do something like that, or push her into that kind of dilemma. What was Snow even trying to achieve?"

"She mentioned she wanted to test out a new spell she had developed."

Riley stopped there.

He sensed there was more to the story, but Snow hadn't provided any deeper details.

Offering half-baked explanations would only make things confusing, so he left it at that.

"Hm..." Rose hummed softly. "Well, as long as they are honest with one another, it should turn out fine."

Riley nodded his head in agreement.

The group moved forward, and soon the academy coliseum came into view.

It was already the afternoon, but the fervor surrounding the Grand Continental Festival showed no signs of fading.

It had been this way for three consecutive days.

Roars, shouting, and waves of excitement pulsed from the coliseum, spilling out into the streets.

Even from their distance, the crowds were thick, with students and guests packed together, all pulled in by the electric atmosphere.

The festival was at its peak—and the momentum wasn't slowing down.

Today was the day of Rose’s fourth match.

And judging by the tension in the air, nearly everyone present was anticipating it.

The moment their group entered the academy colosseum, a noticeable ripple passed through the crowd.

Murmurs spread, heads turned, and eyes tracked their every movement.

Even those attempting to maintain their composure couldn’t entirely mask their excitement.

After all, it wasn’t a common sight for so many legendary figures to be gathered in a single spot.

Geniuses. Prodigies. Monsters in human skin.

And standing at the very center was Rose.

Some looks were filled with respect, others with wonder, and a few with jealousy.

A handful of male students directed annoyed glares toward Riley specifically—clearly bitter that someone like him was casually accompanied by so many remarkable girls.

"So your opponent is Stacia..."

Seo’s soft voice cut through the background noise.

"Yes," Rose answered calmly.

"I see..."

Rose tilted her head slightly. "Hmm? Is there some issue with that junior?"

"No." Seo shook her head. "I just felt it was a pity that I couldn’t face her myself. The tournament pairings are too unpredictable."

"Did you wish to fight her?"

"...A little."

Rose hesitated for a fraction of a second, then spoke in a neutral tone.

"Then should I try to lose?"

Seo immediately shook her head. "There’s no need. If it’s meant to be, we’ll face each other soon enough anyway. I think that would be more entertaining."

Riley, walking beside them, couldn’t help but let out a small smile.

Even they were curious.

Curious about their own current standing.

About how much their power had grown.

His eyes drifted upward toward one of the massive floating screens hovering above the arena.

Compared to the others, this display had been enlarged to match the hype surrounding the upcoming bout.

[Rose vs Stacia]

Their portraits were displayed side by side.

Riley’s gaze lingered on Stacia’s image.

He thought back to his earlier talk with Evelyn.

Whatever she had done, it was obvious she had played some role in Stacia’s sudden spike in growth.

He didn't know the specifics—but he could sense it.

This match wouldn't be over as quickly as Rose’s previous rounds.

And for the first time in quite a while...

Riley found himself genuinely intrigued by how the fight would play out.

"Heeey everyone—sorry I’m late, hehehe!"

A familiar, bubbly voice echoed from behind them.

Before anyone could turn, a red rectangular portal manifested in midair, and Alice stepped out as if she were simply walking through a doorway.

She straightened her witch hat, her long pink hair flowing over her shoulders as the portal silently vanished behind her.

"Alice," Riley said, turning around.

"Hello Riley~ hehe. And hello to everyone else too."

Alice scanned the packed coliseum and let out a tiny sigh.

"It looks like I didn’t miss the match after all. The principal was just... far too stubborn."

"Did you finish your business with her?" Riley inquired.

"Well, we’re still in the middle of negotiations," Alice answered, rubbing the back of her head. "Same as yesterday. She really wouldn’t take no for an answer. But don't worry—we finally reached an agreement."

"And what would that be?" Snow asked.

"I told her I’d consider her offer after I graduate," Alice explained. "She didn’t look pleased, but she accepted it in the end. Honestly, once I brought up your name, Riley, things went much smoother. Perhaps I should’ve done that from the beginning."

The girls shared a laugh at her words. Even Seo, who was typically reserved, allowed a small smile to show.

"We’re glad you could make it, Sister Alice," Snow said kindly. "Though if you truly don't want to accept the principal’s offer, it might be wiser to remain neutral. Or perhaps suggest a better candidate. And if it really comes down to it, I could speak with her myself."

"Hehe, I appreciate that," Alice replied, dismissively waving her hand. "But I feel like that would only make things more complicated. I’ll just leave it as it is for now."

She then turned toward Rose, her face lighting up.

"Do your best as always, Sister—ah... maybe don’t go too overboard?"

She laughed awkwardly, clearly recalling the level of destruction a serious Rose was capable of.

The others joined in the laughter, the tension fading as the group returned to their casual banter, their focus slowly shifting back to the arena where the match was set to begin.