How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game - Chapter 726: Festival Champion 4

During the time Riley and Snow were away from the academy, a lot had happened—things people would call important, things that quietly shifted the balance of everything.

Most of it passed them by.

For Riley, though, none of that really mattered back then.

The trial dragged on longer than anyone expected, and what happened in the north… it was strange.

Loud in the moment, but empty once it was over.

But now he was back.

And the academy hadn’t waited for him.

That quiet, creeping pressure—the one he knew too well—was still there.

The main scenarios hadn’t stopped just because he stepped away.

They moved forward on their own, just like they always did.

As expected.

Most of the big events in Act 4 had already played out without him.

The rest were smaller, more personal—individual threads tied to the main heroines, each one building up in its own way.

There wasn’t much left to interfere with directly.

At this point, the only thing that really mattered was the Continental Grand Festival.

That event… it wasn’t just another celebration.

If things followed the same path he remembered, this might be the last time the academy would ever feel normal.

The last time people could laugh without something hanging over their heads.

Which meant one thing.

If it was going to happen, then it had to matter.

Riley let out a quiet breath as he stepped into the academy’s commercial district.

The place was as lively as ever—crowded streets, voices overlapping, stalls lined up one after another.

If anything had changed while he was gone, this was where he’d hear about it first.

He didn’t get far.

“Young Master Riley?”

He stopped.

Turning slightly, his eyes landed on a nervous-looking servant, the man practically stiff where he stood.

“You are?”

“I—I am but a humble servant of the Del Luna Royal Family…” the man stuttered, lowering his head quickly. “P-Please, it’s an emergency. Our—no, Her Highness, Princess Stacia… she needs your help!”

Riley frowned.

That was… sudden.

“…Lead the way.”

He intended to help Stacia out considering the unexpected scenario but….

—

What is this?

The thought hit him the moment the door closed behind them.

The room was quiet. Too quiet.

And right now—

“Please… just stay still like that… and hold me tighter…”

Stacia was clinging to him.

No, clinging wasn’t the right word.

She was wrapped around him, arms locked tight as if letting go wasn’t an option.

They were on her bed, the soft fabric sinking slightly under their weight.

Her nightwear was… thin. Too thin. It barely did anything to hide the warmth of her body pressed against his.

Her skin felt hot.

Not just warm—hot.

Riley froze for a second, caught off guard by how sudden everything was.

His hands hovered awkwardly before settling where they wouldn’t make things worse.

A very beautiful princess hugging you so tightly?

Under normal circumstances, Riley would’ve reacted very differently to something like this.

He wasn’t blind, and he wasn’t inexperienced. Anyone in his position would’ve at least shown some kind of reaction—confusion, awkwardness, maybe even irritation.

But right now?

That wasn’t what mattered.

The heat coming off Stacia’s body wasn’t normal.

It wasn’t just warmth from close contact—it felt unstable, like something inside her was spiraling out of control.

Even the faint pulse of mana around her was uneven, rising and falling in a way that didn’t sit right with him.

“…Junior Stacia,” Riley said, his voice lowering slightly, more serious now. “Are you suffering from mana disruption?”

There was a small pause.

Then—

“…Fufu… I guess you could say that.”

Her voice was softer than usual, a little unsteady, but the teasing tone was still there, faint but present.

“Though… it’s a bit different from the Mana Disruption Sickness I had last time…” she continued, shifting slightly closer as if instinctively seeking more contact. “This one is more… essence-based, if I had to describe it…”

Riley frowned.

That wasn’t a good sign.

“Last time, Senior’s mana was enough to stabilize mine…” Stacia went on, her voice dipping just a little. “But now… I doubt even that will be enough…”

Her grip tightened around him for a brief moment.

“…Looks like I pushed myself too much trying to catch your gaze back then.”

There it was.

Even through the light tone, he could hear it clearly.

“I hope I did well… at least~”

Riley’s expression softened, just a bit.

He remembered that fight.

Her clash with Flamme and Rose wasn’t something that just “happened.” She had a reason. A goal. And whether she said it outright or not, part of that reason had been him.

“…Don’t blame yourself too much,” he said after a short pause. “You got the result you wanted.”

“Fufu… maybe,” she replied, a quiet laugh escaping her. “But I ended up burdening you again, Senior…”

There was a slight shift in her tone then—playful, but probing.

“…Or should I still call you Master?”

Riley let out a small breath through his nose.

“We’re way past formalities now, aren’t we?”

“…You mean?”

“Call me whatever you want.”

It was simple. Direct.

At this point, titles didn’t really matter.

Stacia went quiet for a second.

Then—

“Fufu… well then… I’ll gladly do so…”

There was a subtle change in the way she looked at him.

“…Riley~”

That tone.

Riley narrowed his eyes slightly.

Something about that felt… off.

Not dangerous—but not entirely harmless either.

Still, he didn’t pull away.

Her mana, unstable as it was, seemed to calm down—just a little—when she stayed close like this. The heat hadn’t disappeared, but it wasn’t getting worse either.

So he let it be.

Even if—

…this whole situation felt way too sudden.

“Anyhow… if touching me is enough to stabilize you… is hugging me really necessary?”

Riley kept his tone calm, but there was a hint of skepticism in it. From a purely practical standpoint, this felt… excessive.

Stacia didn’t answer right away.

Instead, she shifted slightly against him, her arms tightening just a little as if to make her point clearer without words.

“Yes,” she said softly after a moment. “Of course it is. The best form of contact is a hug, you know…”

There was a faint pause, and then, like always—

“But if you really wanted to satisfy me, then… maybe something more would do for the day…”

Riley just stared at her.

No reaction. No immediate response. Just a quiet, flat look.

“…Fufu~ relax,” she let out a small laugh, clearly amused. “I’m joking. You really do get worked up over things like this, Senior…”

Her voice carried that same teasing edge, light but deliberate.

“It’s not like we haven’t been close before.”

Riley’s brow twitched slightly.

This and that are different.

The words crossed his mind, but he didn’t bother saying them out loud. Arguing over it wouldn’t really change anything.

Instead, he just let out a quiet sigh.

Stacia noticed.

“I know things around you are still… complicated,” she continued, her tone softening a bit. “So I won’t force anything right now.”

Her grip loosened just slightly—not letting go, but easing enough to show she meant it.

“The fact that you’re here is already enough for me… my hero.”

There was something more honest in that line. Less teasing.

But it didn’t last long.

“…Though,” she added, her voice dipping again, “if there ever comes a time when there’s space for me… don’t turn me away.”

She didn’t say it directly.

She didn’t need to.

Riley understood.

And that was exactly why he didn’t answer right away.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like her.

That wasn’t the issue.

The timing, the situation, everything around him—it wasn’t something he could just ignore. Adding more to it now would only complicate things further, no matter how simple she made it sound.

Still—

“If your feelings don’t change…” he said slowly, choosing his words carefully, “then I’ll deal with it properly when the time comes.”

Stacia’s eyes lifted slightly.

“It’s a promise, okay?”

“…Yeah.”

A brief pause.

“I promise.”

She smiled at that. Not the teasing kind—something smaller, more satisfied.

“Fufu… good.”

Her eyes began to close, the tension in her body finally easing.

“I know I’m becoming a bit of a bother…” she murmured, her voice growing quieter, more tired now. “But… can we stay like this a little longer?”

Her grip didn’t tighten this time—it just stayed there, steady.

“…I’m sure you’re busy, but… just until I fall asleep.”

There was no teasing left in her tone now.

Just a simple request.

Riley didn’t hesitate.

“Sure.”

And for once, neither of them said anything after that.

The room fell quiet, save for the slow, steady rhythm of her breathing as it gradually evened out.

…

Lumen Academy.

Even before all this, it was already known across the continent. A place people talked about with a mix of admiration and distance—like something a step above everything else.

But now?

It had gotten even bigger.

The Continental Grand Festival didn’t just bring attention—it dragged the entire continent’s eyes straight onto the academy. Tourists, nobles, merchants, students from other institutions… the place was flooded. Every street felt more crowded, every building more alive.

Money flowed in like it had no end.

Fame followed right behind it.

Of course, not all of that attention was clean.

There were still whispers.

Rumors about what had been happening behind the scenes—terrorist groups, hidden cults, things that shouldn’t have been anywhere near a place like this. People talked about it in low voices, like saying it too loudly might make it real.

And yet…

The festival drowned most of it out.

Laughter, music, crowds—those things were louder than fear. Or at least, loud enough to push it to the back of people’s minds.

Still, the academy wasn’t careless.

Security had tightened to a level most hadn’t seen before. Patrols were everywhere, both visible and hidden. Barriers, detection arrays, controlled entry points—it was all in place.

They even brought in outside help.

Third-party mercenaries, hired just in case things went wrong.

On the surface, it looked like a celebration.

Underneath, it felt like preparation.

Either way, the academy kept moving forward.

And with all that attention, something new had started to grow alongside it.

Entertainment.

Not just the usual performances or competitions—but something different. Something that pulled people in no matter where they were.

“Good morning, my fellow academy students, and all our guests from across the continent!”

A voice suddenly rang out, loud and full of energy.

“It is I, your host—Duncan! And once again, welcome to another beautiful day—!!!”

All across the academy, translucent screens flickered to life.

Floating displays, clear and bright, hovering above streets, inside restaurants, even out in open parks. People stopped where they were, conversations cutting off mid-sentence as attention shifted upward.

Some gathered in groups. Others just watched from where they stood.

It didn’t matter.

Everyone could see it.

This was new.

A recent addition by the academy—and one that had exploded in popularity almost overnight.

Live broadcasts.

What used to be limited to word of mouth or delayed reports was now happening in real time, right in front of everyone’s eyes.

Events, matches, announcements—

Everything was being shown.

And people couldn’t get enough of it.

But it wasn’t just the live fights that had people hooked.

If anything, those came second.

What everyone really waited for—the thing that pulled the biggest crowds and got people talking long after it ended—were the interviews.

The ones with the participants.

The ones where masks slipped, even just a little.

“Now everyone, I know you’re all excited about the upcoming semi-finals!” Duncan’s voice rang out again, louder than before, practically buzzing with energy. “But before we get into that… we finally have the chance to bring in the number one topic on everyone’s mind!”

There was a brief pause—just enough to build it up.

“The undisputed, highly anticipated, number one voted—sex mani— I mean—top prospect expected to win the competition!”

A few scattered laughs broke out across the watching crowd.

Duncan didn’t even bother correcting himself properly.

“Let’s give it up for our guest of the day—Riley Hell!!!”

The screens flashed.

“And not just that!” he added quickly. “We’ve also got a special guest joining us—a senior from Lumen Academy’s Magic Department! She’ll be helping us break things down and ask the real questions today—Miss Evelyn!”

The energy only went up from there.

“Woohoo! Aren’t you all excited to hear what our top prospect has to say?!”

The scene shifted instantly.

The projection flickered—

—and landed on Riley.

He stood right beside Duncan, caught in the middle of it without any warning.

His expression didn’t change much.

Just a neutral gaze, steady and calm, directed at the floating recording stone hovering in front of him. There was a slight hint of curiosity there—but nothing more.

No excitement.

No nerves.

If anything, he looked like he was trying to figure out how he ended up here in the first place.

Because honestly—

He had just finished dealing with Stacia.

Walked out, thinking he’d finally have a moment to breathe—

—and then got dragged straight into this.