What? I Actually Reincarnated As Stepping Stone In Another World?



"Your son is really talented, David," Emperor Alex said with implicit meaning, making David smile proudly.

"Hehe, of course!"

"The heir I choose will definitely not disappoint me!" He smiled coldly and looked at Arthur, Runa, and Anna walking together.

"Oh?" His eyes narrowed at the sight of Anna and Runa, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"This child is quite lucky," he thought to himself.

Noah, who had not said anything, looked at Arthur with an interesting look and smiled a little. It's unclear what he was thinking.

Arthur walked towards the three thrones floating in the sky, and he felt a sense of unease as he noticed the intense gazes fixed on him as if they were hungry to devour him.

However, his small face remained indifferent until he suddenly saw the butler, who appeared in front of him.

"Congratulations, young master!"

"You are really very talented!" The butler praised Arthur sincerely as he looked him over, and a look of admiration appeared in his eyes.

"Just like Lord Duke!" He let out a rarely-seen happy laugh; whether he was pleased with his successful awakening or something else, Arthur didn't know.

However, Arthur certainly saw another meaning in his smile.

"Of course, I'm quite lucky, haha." Arthur smiled slightly and said it lightly.

"No, it's your talent." The butler spoke solemnly, and his eyes also swept over the two little girls behind Arthur.

"Oh, right, those two precious girls!"

"Young master, you are really very lucky!" He said it with a small smile.

Hearing this, Arthur didn't say anything and just smiled, but Anna, who heard this, immediately blushed and stole a glance at Arthur's figure in front of her.

She quickly looked away in embarrassment, and her face turned inexplicably red to the tips of her ears.

How could she not know what the butler meant? After all, she was mentally older than she appeared and understood a little.

Unlike Runa, who tilted her head in confusion at not understanding the butler's intentions, Anna simply lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Let's approach them," Arthur said casually, and the three of them headed towards the three thrones hovering in the sky. The butler followed them, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.

Once they arrived beneath the thrones, Arthur bowed his head respectfully, and Runa and Anna followed suit.

"Greetings, Lord Duke," Arthur said while bowing his head, but there was no respect on his face, only indifference.

David, who had noticed this, nodded and dismounted right in front of him.

Arthur remained still, and only when David commanded, "Rise," did he and the girls stand up.

"Good job, Butler, for safely accompanying my son." David then praised the butler for ensuring his son's safe arrival.

"That is my duty, Duke!" The butler bowed his head respectfully.

David nodded and then looked at Arthur with a satisfied expression and said, "You are indeed talented, and I made the right decision in choosing you!" He laughed.

"Of course, Duke," Arthur responded with a slight bow, feigning sincerity.

"Not bad at all," David continued.

"Your appearance and disposition are very similar to your mother's." He looked at Arthur with a meaningful smile.

Upon hearing this, Arthur felt a surge of anger, but he quickly suppressed it and forced a smile.

"Yes, she is my mother, after all."

Arthur's emotional control had reached its peak, and even David did not notice the shift in his mood.

His training in emotional regulation during his previous life was no joke.

Ever since he had reincarnated and met that strange woman, whose origins he did not know, Arthur had learned to quickly control his emotional reactions and think clearly to assess the situation.

This skill was crucial, as panic could cloud his judgment and hinder his ability to find a way out of difficult situations.

"Hehehe!" David let out a strange laugh and smiled in admiration.

"A high-level fire core?"

"Truly a talent that matches my own!" David was genuinely surprised and praised Arthur.

However, Arthur didn't care much about the praise, as he felt relieved.

"Indeed, the chain was concealing the space core; even David couldn't detect it."

"That's truly unexpected." Arthur was grateful to the mysterious woman and surprised by her power. Even David, a peak-stage Elemental Saint, couldn't sense the space core's presence.

a peak-stage, peak Elemental Saint, one who would step into the Supreme Elemental Level, the highest level in this world, beneath the nonexistent Elemental Lord!

And yet, he didn't sense anything out of the ordinary!

That woman was truly terrifying!

Arthur wondered in his heart because he had initially suspected that the woman might be an elemental lord.

However, given that she knew about his previous life, which involved the powers of spacetime and dimensional shifting, which were impossible for a human to possess since they involved the power of creation, his thoughts turned to a man mentioned in the white book he had found in the library,

a mysterious man who could even sweep a continent into four pieces with a wave of his hand.

The level he guessed was beyond the Elemental Lord!

Then immediately, he recalled the other figure mentioned in the book as well!

His heart skipped a beat as he thought, "Isn't that woman the goddess Mivas, who is told about in the book?"

He felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead as fear took hold.

This was the first time he had experienced such a feeling, even more intense than when he first reincarnated.

After all, this involved a god, and he, an ordinary human, was powerless to do anything about it.

"Damn it! How could I get involved with that figure?" Arthur cursed himself.

Not only that, but the figures of the man and woman were completely absent from the novel, which made him wary at the time.

Now he realized he was involved with them as well, right?

Arthur took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down, but his body trembled slightly, and David noticed.

"What's wrong with you?" David asked, noticing Arthur's sudden silence and trembling body.

Arthur quickly regained his composure and put on a faint smile, saying, "It's nothing, Lord Duke."

David frowned, feeling suspicious, but ultimately decided not to press the issue.

Just kidding, how could anything not escape his sight in this world?

After all, he was a peak-stage elemental saint!

Hehehe

David snorted inwardly and felt proud.

If Arthur knew his thoughts, he would probably laugh at David and curse loudly, "Damn it!"

Immediately, David glanced at the two little girls standing behind him and nodded, as if he wouldn't question the two who were close to Arthur.

However, his gaze was drawn to the girls, who exuded high levels of the core's water and wind elements.

"Not bad," he thought before suddenly looking at Anna, who appeared quite nervous.

"You—are you the daughter of the Weis family?" David gave her a curious look.

Hearing the tallest figure in the south suddenly ask her a question, Anna couldn't hold back her nervousness.

"Y-yes, Lord Duke!" she replied nervously, but she also felt proud that she was talking to such a legendary figure.

Moreover, this figure was Arthur's father!

"Hehehe, isn't it the case that if Lord Duke likes me, wouldn't he approve of me getting close to young Master Arthur?" Anna fantasized about herself and couldn't wait to look forward to that future.

"Owh?" David raised one eyebrow and smiled a little, not knowing what he was thinking.

"Well, I hope you can get close to my son, as he has just arrived and has no friends." David spoke lightly, like a good father.

Hearing this, Anna's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "Leave it to me, Lord Duke!"

David nodded and looked at Runa behind Arthur.

"You are very talented, and I have no problem with you becoming his personal maid." David said lightly, and soon his gaze turned back to Arthur.

Runa couldn't help but smile on her lips and bow her head respectfully, saying, "Thank you, Lord Duke."

Soon, David's voice rang in Arthur's ears: "Arthur, in two days, I will hold the ceremony for your ascension as crown prince as well as your official announcement as heir!" David spoke lightly, as if everything had been planned before Arthur's awakening.

Arthur feigned surprise and replied excitedly, "Thank you, Lord Duke!"

However, in his heart, no surprised expression appeared on his face because, after all, he had been calculating this ever since he discovered that he had another elemental core in his body, a high-level fire core!

All of this was really the beginning of his being able to put the entire Balka empire to shame and gain the footing to start carrying out all his plans.

With the power of Duke Asvold's heir status, Arthur would have more freedom to find key and supporting characters who could aid Abel in the story and make them his!

He planned to conquer the Balka Empire and launch attacks on the other three empires on the human continent.

And finally, his ultimate goal was to defeat the last enemy he had always wanted to vanquish since his reincarnation, the Ancient Star Empire!

"My dear, I would love for us to fight and prove who is the real talent, either me or you."

Arthur laughed in his heart and couldn't wait to meet the woman who had a nature and talent that were said to be very similar to his before he reincarnated into this world.

"A perfect figure and terrible talent in various fields," he thought to himself.

Furthermore, that woman was likely a person with a "special" element as well!

A flame of excitement ignited within him, and he looked at David as he said respectfully, "Yes, Lord Duke."

David nodded and suddenly glanced at his side, saying mockingly, "Shouldn't you show yourselves and stop hiding, Emperor Alex and Duke Noah?"