Dragon's Awakening: The Duke's Son Is Changing The Plot
Chapter 72 - 71 - A Strange Guy.

Chapter 72: Chapter 71 - A Strange Guy.

The lunch break bell rang, slicing through the air like a blade made of mercy.

Class 3S, like all other classes, erupted into chaotic freedom—desks scraped back, students bolted for food, and chairs were overturned with the enthusiasm of jailbirds spotting an open gate.

Class 3S was especially feeling the joy of the lunch break, as this was the only time when they wouldn’t have to worry about the Vaises.

They could be free of the tension, where even the teachers were careful of the Vaises.

Raven and his group had also left the class.

Right now, they lounged under the shade of a massive sunwood tree, enjoying the rare pocket of silence away from the chatter of other students.

It was a surprisingly pleasant day.

Birds chirped.

Breezes whispered.

No divine grandpas were screaming about fire or honor.

So far, Raven considered it a win.

He wanted to experience more of the plot, but knowing that a crackhead of an old man was waiting for them in the mansion, ready to put them through another hellish training, was enough to make him want some slice-of-life moments.

He sat on the grass, legs crossed, biting into a grilled meat wrap Clara had shoved into his hands.

Apparently, she had started packing lunches for him now.

He didn’t mind—especially when it meant not eating at the academy mess, where mystery meat was less a joke and more a weekly horror.

Clara was sitting beside him, sipping from a bottle of chilled tea and occasionally side-eyeing Siris, who had, for the record, planted herself to Raven’s other side with the stealth of a predator marking territory.

Across from them, Jessy was lying on her back with a sandwich balanced on her face, mumbling something about muscle recovery.

Alex sat with his back against the tree, reading a book titled "So You Want to Live After Cultivation Training: A Survivor’s Guide."

The squirrel on his head munched on a nut like it too was traumatized.

Jake and Rufus were quietly sitting in a corner, one silent because of his personality, while the other was mum because he had been scolded by Raven a second ago.

And then, seated slightly apart but within their circle, was Selena Velmoria.

Perfect posture.

Immaculate lunchbox.

The kind of presence that made commoners feel like they owed taxes just for breathing near her.

She was Clara’s friend—something Raven had known for a long time—and although she wasn’t officially part of the group, she was allowed to sit with them.

And like every Velmorian, royal by blood, she had opinions.

"You know," Selena said, taking a dainty bite from a rice roll, "if someone looked at this from the outside, it’d look like Raven’s assembled his personal harem."

"Cough!!"

Raven choked.

Jessy dropped her sandwich.

Alex glanced up from his book like someone had triggered a forbidden phrase.

Jake and Rufus, on the other hand, straightened their bodies, their tension evident.

Clara turned her head so slowly. It was genuinely impressive that she didn’t creak like a machine loading a cannon.

"...What did you just say?"

Selena smiled sweetly, her attitude different from what the world knew.

Unlike usual, when she had to appear calm and collected, she could be whatever she wanted to be with a friend—

—Or at least that was what she was showing.

However, despite knowing that Clara didn’t like her words, she repeated them.

"I said it looks like Raven is the main character of some third-rate harem novel. You’ve got the jealous girlfriend—" she motioned to Clara, who looked ready to duel gods. "The creepy devoted one—" she pointed to Siris, who waved cheerfully.

"The childhood friend type—" Jessy coughed in protest. "And the quiet intellectual—" she gestured to herself. "Honestly, all we’re missing is a tsundere."

Selena was intentionally making jokes related to a harem, slowly trying to make Clara immune to the concept.

After all, unlike others, Clara wouldn’t take her words seriously.

They were close enough to joke about everything.

Alex, however, suddenly added, helping Selena with her joke. "We’ve got one of those. Watch this—hey, Rufus, you suck."

"I do NOT!" Rufus snapped. Then realized. "Wait, crap."

The tension in the air shattered because of Alex’s words, and Clara sighed.

She took a deep breath and sipped her tea like it would keep her from flipping a noble over her shoulder.

"Selena. That wasn’t funny."

"Oh? I thought it was," Selena giggled in response.

Clara shrugged. "I’ll let you embarrass yourself naturally."

Selena gave a dainty laugh. "Fair enough."

Raven exhaled slowly and tried to rub the headache away. "Why is every conversation in this group a cry for therapy?"

He wasn’t against the idea, but for a second, he had thought that Clara would rush at Selena with a blade.

Good thing she didn’t.

Siris leaned slightly closer. "I don’t mind being called devoted." She smiled at him, unblinking.

Clara glared at Siris but soon relaxed, recalling her relationship with Raven.

She raised her palm, flashing her ring at Siris, but the girl didn’t look disturbed, so she frowned, moving closer to Raven.

"Hey," she called, making Raven tilt his head.

"Yeah?"

"Don’t be surprised," she leaned in, and before Raven could even process what she meant—

Chu~!

—She kissed him on his cheek.

Everyone froze.

Siris’s eyes turned cold for a fraction, and Selena lost her grace for a moment, clenching her jaws.

"Wha—" Jessy’s eyes widened while Alex just opened his mouth and closed it, unable to speak.

’Fuck, they kissed! Will they have a baby now?!’

That was what that dumbass wanted to know.

Even the squirrel above Alex’s head dropped its nut.

Jake and Rufus, who were quietly eating their lunch, almost stumbled, their gaze quivering.

"Heh!" Clara suddenly scoffed victoriously, finally seeing a reaction from Siris, who gritted her teeth but returned to her nonchalant attitude.

"Wait..." Selena, however, wasn’t the same. "What was that?"

"A kiss. Duh," Clara replied, but the princess deadpanned at her.

"I mean, when did you reach that point?"

Clara tilted her head, confused before something clicked. "Oh, right. I forgot to tell you. Raven and I are dating now."

Selena paused a heartbeat, glancing at Siris for a fraction before turning back to Clara.

"Wow. You finally got together, huh?"

She was smiling, but inwardly, she was biting her nails.

Raven, on the other hand, sighed, touching his cheek with an absentminded look before he looked up at the tree canopy above.

’I miss the days when my biggest worry was Crisaius throwing me into a pit and calling it "training."’

Just then, footsteps crunched softly on the grass nearby.

A boy with tousled dark blonde hair and an annoyingly radiant smile approached them.

He wore the Velmoria uniform like it was tailored for a high noble and walked with the casual confidence of someone who’d never been told no in his life.

"Yo! Mind if I join you guys?" He asked, his voice cheerful.

They all blinked, but inwardly, they were thankful.

Now, they could at least turn their attention away from something they wished they had never seen.

Selena, however, narrowed her eyes the moment she saw the boy. "Travis?"

Raven also paused momentarily.

’This guy...’ he squinted his eyes. ’He’s the second support character for the princess arc.’

He was supposed to have been on good terms with Selena, but—

’—Why does it seem like the princess dislikes him?’

The way Selena was looking at him made him frown.

Travis, however, grinned and took a seat before anyone could answer, plopping down between Rufus and Jessy as if he belonged there.

"Man, you guys are always so lively," he said, unwrapping a pastry. "I’ve been meaning to hang out for a while now. Y’know, break the ice and build some bonds kind of thing."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "We don’t even know you."

Travis chuckled. "Well, that’s what lunch is for, isn’t it?"

Clara squinted. "What do you want?"

Travis held up his hands. "Relax. Nothing suspicious. I just think you’re a fascinating group. And I mean—" He pointed at Raven. "The guy who beat a sixth-layer knight? That’s legendary stuff."

Raven frowned slightly, not liking the way Travis emphasized that.

Selena’s expression darkened a little. She knew Travis. Too well.

"How are you in the academy?" She asked, her expression frosty, unlike her usual expression.

"Hm?" Travis merely tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Even Raven was now frowning, his fun-loving attitude gone.

"You were expelled from House Crymont last year," Selena replied, her teeth grinding. "Something about ’questionable experiments.’"

Travis grinned, wider now. "Rumors. All rumors."

The air shifted slightly. Everyone was more alert now.

Raven’s eyes, however, quivered.

’Wait... Why does his template sound like a villain?’

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be—Raven knew it.

This guy was supposed to be Selena’s die-hard follower who would later die in a skirmish, trying to save her.

So, why did it seem like Selena was ready to kill a guy like that?

’Fuck,’ Raven closed his eyes, breathing out. ’The plot was changing. I just couldn’t tell how much it had changed.’

Travis, on the other hand, remained unbothered, reaching into his bag, pulling out a thermos, and casually pouring himself a cup of tea.

But then—

The squirrel on Alex’s head launched itself with a screech and bit Travis’s hand.

"OW! WHAT THE—" Travis dropped the cup, tea spilling onto his lap.

The squirrel hissed.

Everyone stared.

Alex blinked. "...Huh."

Raven stood up, expression unreadable. He watched the squirrel, then looked at Travis.

The squirrel jumped back onto Alex, growling like a demon-possessed acorn collector.

Travis wanted to cry about his pain, but he noticed Raven standing, so he tilted his head. "What’s wrong?"

"That squirrel," Raven said calmly, his eyes narrowed. "It can sense demonic mana."

Everyone froze, turning toward Travis, who was no longer smiling.