Lord of Avalon : Lost in Another World

Chaos in the Castle

Ardi casually walked into the Daimyo Castle courtyard, enjoying the lively atmosphere of the village. The villagers and cat-kin were busy preparing for the evening feast, their laughter and cheerful voices filling the air.

His eyes quickly spotted Felina, the energetic cat-kin girl, who seemed much more spirited than before. She was helping Yui arrange the tables and chairs alongside other villagers.

Felina: "Ah, Lord Ardi! Have you had lunch yet? It's already noon, nya!"

Yui glanced at Ardi with a teasing smile.

Yui: "Oh my, another girl is looking out for you, Anata."

Ardi suddenly felt sweat forming on his back, despite the cool breeze.

Before he could respond, light laughter came from behind. Sylphiel and Nerissa, two demon women who had taken on human forms, were clearly enjoying his reaction.

Sylphiel: "Ufufu~ Isn't this fun? Our Lord is quite popular."

Nerissa: "Master, you should be proud. So many girls care about you~"

Ardi let out a tired sigh, glancing at the two mischievous demons.

Ardi: "Why do you two remind me so much of Yui?"

From the side, Amon crossed his arms with a neutral expression.

Amon: "They've always been like this. You'll get used to it."

Felina, who had been focused on her work, suddenly started observing the four demons with curiosity.

Felina: "Wait… I feel like I've seen your aura before, nya..."

She circled around them, carefully inspecting Amon, Sylphiel, Nerissa, and Undrik.

Amon frowned, clearly annoyed by her scrutiny.

Amon: "Oi, that's enough. Do I look like a museum exhibit?"

Felina: "Nya… but you all look so different from before!"

Sylphiel covered her mouth, laughing softly.

Sylphiel: "Felina, if you keep circling Amon like that, he might explode, you know?"

Nerissa smirked, crossing her arms.

Nerissa: "Honestly, his grumpy face is kind of adorable, don't you think?"

Amon let out a low growl.

Amon: "I'm standing right here, you know! Stop talking like I'm not!"

Felina covered her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter.

Felina: "Ahaha! Sorry, sorry, Lord Amon, nya!"

Undrik, noticing Amon's growing irritation, gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Undrik: "Relax, Amon. She's just curious."

Ardi watched the exchange with amusement, then decided to tease Amon even further.

Ardi: "Hey, Amon. Are you really Amon? Because you kinda remind me of… Ifrit."

Amon narrowed his eyes.

Amon: "What do you mean by that, boy?"

Yui immediately picked up on Ardi's reference and smirked.

Yui: "Ah~ Ardi is comparing you to two characters from another world. 'Amon'—the wise and calm Djinn from Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic… and Ifrit from Final Fantasy, who's famous for his short temper."

Amon paused, processing the comparison.

Amon: "So… you're saying I'm more like Ifrit than Amon?"

Ardi shrugged.

Ardi: "Well, you do get angry more often than you stay calm."

Amon clenched his fists.

Amon: "You—"

Before Amon could explode, Ardi raised his hand with a calm smile.

Ardi: "Relax. I don't expect you to change, Amon. I was just joking… though I admit my jokes can be pretty bad."

Amon exhaled sharply, trying to calm himself.

Amon: "Then why do you keep doing it?"

Ardi: "Because someone has to preserve Hell Jokes."

Amon froze. His temple twitched as his expression turned into pure disbelief.

Amon: "…Hell Jokes?"

Undrik quickly grabbed Amon's shoulder before the fire demon could truly lose it.

Undrik: "Master, maybe it's best not to joke about that."

Sylphiel and Nerissa burst into laughter, while Yui shook her head, barely holding back her own amusement.

Yui: "Sometimes, I really can't tell if Ardi is a genius or an idiot..."

Felina, still confused by everything, ended up laughing along.

Felina: "Ahaha! Lord Ardi, you really know how to liven things up, nya!"

Ardi scratched his head, while Amon still looked irritated behind him.

Despite the small chaos, the atmosphere remained warm and cheerful. The demons, who once seemed like outsiders, were now slowly blending into their new home—one laugh at a time.

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A New Office

Ardi leaned back in his chair inside the Lord's Office, taking in the massive changes after the recent castle upgrade. The room was now three times larger, divided into two main areas—a work area with a long desk, guest chairs, and two large wooden bookshelves, and a relaxing space with a fireplace, a low table, and several floor cushions.

As he browsed through his inventory, the four demons still in the room watched him with confusion. Eventually, Sylphiel stepped forward, curiosity shining in her eyes.

Sylphiel: "Master, what exactly are you doing? You've been moving your fingers in the air for a while now."

Ardi looked up, smiling slightly.

Ardi: "I'm accessing the System."

Amon: "System?"

Nerissa: "So it's not magic?"

Ardi shook his head, recalling how Megumi had been able to see his system panels from the start.

Ardi: "Interesting… Megumi can see it, but you guys can't."

Undrik crossed his arms, his expression serious.

Undrik: "What exactly is this System, Master?"

Ardi paused, thinking for a moment before answering.

Ardi: "It's a gift from a Dimensional Goddess. You could say it's an aid that helps me manage the village and survive in this world."

The moment he mentioned the word "Goddess," the four demons fell silent, their expressions growing tense.

Amon: "A Goddess… gave you this power?"

Ardi chuckled.

Ardi: "Yeah, and in return, I have a huge responsibility as the Lord of Avalon Island."

The demons exchanged glances before Undrik finally spoke up.

Undrik: "In that case… allow us to explore the village and the island to understand this place better."

Ardi nodded, granting them permission before they left.

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A Changed Office and a Cozy Lunch

Not long after the demons had gone, Yui and Megumi entered the office.

Yui: "Whoa… This place looks completely different now."

Megumi: "It's so much bigger and cozier…"

Ardi grinned and gestured toward the lounge area.

Ardi: "I figured this would be a perfect spot for lunch, don't you think?"

Both of them looked delighted, and soon, they were enjoying a meal together by the fireplace.

After chatting for a while, just before Yui and Megumi returned to their duties, Ardi asked a question that had been bothering him.

Ardi: "Megumi, why can you see my system panels when the demons can't?"

Yui closed her eyes briefly, then silently asked the System for an answer.

A moment later, she opened her eyes and explained.

Yui: "There are two main reasons. First, loyalty levels. Megumi is deeply loyal to you, while the demons still haven't fully placed their trust in you."

Megumi blushed slightly but remained silent, listening.

Yui: "Second, and more importantly… it's about power levels and potential threats. The demons are much stronger than you and could become a danger if they had bad intentions. Meanwhile, Megumi… well, she isn't powerful enough to be considered a real threat by the System."

Megumi frowned, looking both embarrassed and frustrated.

Megumi: "So… you're saying I'm really loyal but also so weak that the System doesn't even see me as a risk…?"

Ardi and Yui chuckled as Megumi pouted, her cheeks puffing out slightly.

Smiling, Ardi reached out and gently patted Megumi's head.

Ardi: "Megumi, the System isn't part of my consciousness. I don't want you to fight, but… if you want to learn, it wouldn't be a bad idea."

Megumi hesitated for a moment before shyly leaning against his chest, hugging him tightly.

Megumi: "But I'm just a chef… How can I learn to fight?"

Ardi smirked, then opened his inventory, pulling out three Skill Books.

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[Skill Book: Combat Tactics] (Rare)

[Skill Book: Defensive Footwork] (Uncommon)

[Skill Book: Swordsmanship] (Uncommon)

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Megumi's eyes widened in shock.

Megumi: "For me…?"

Yui: "Eh? Why is she getting gifts from you?"

Yui pouted, narrowing her eyes at Ardi.

Ardi chuckled before pulling Yui into a hug alongside Megumi.

Ardi: "Don't be jealous, Yui. I just want Megumi to learn a bit of self-defense. Besides, you're an AI System Assistant—you don't even have a full physical body yet."

Yui huffed, still pouting.

Yui: "Hmph… It still feels unfair."

Ardi laughed, resting his chin on Yui's head.

Ardi: "Don't worry. I'll upgrade the System soon so that you can benefit from it too."

Meanwhile, Megumi, still hugging the Skill Books, hesitated before activating them.

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Megumi has acquired new skills! 

[Basic Swordsmanship D]

[Evasive Footwork C]

[Combat Awareness C]

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Yui glanced at the results and sighed.

Yui: "Haaah… Looks like I need to be careful. Otherwise, Megumi might end up stronger than me."

Megumi panicked, waving her hands.

Megumi: "T-That's impossible! I'm still super weak!"

Ardi laughed, ruffling both of their heads.

Ardi: "I can't wait to see how both of you grow."

A warm and comforting atmosphere filled the room as Ardi felt even more determined to upgrade his System to better support the people he cared about.