"Chocolate?" Lytharis asked, her head tilting slightly, ears twitching with confusion.
"Yes," Dante said, nodding with the confidence of a man unveiling treasure. "Chocolate."
The two girls exchanged curious glances. Lytharis narrowed her eyes at the dark, rich liquid in the bowl. Zhurong leaned in, sniffing, intrigued by the faint aroma—bittersweet, deep, inviting.
Without waiting for a response, Dante launched into the process, his hands swift and precise. "You roast the beans, crush them into a paste, then melt it over low heat. Mix in milk, a bit of sugar, and you get this—liquid joy." He poured the warm, glossy mixture into a wooden tray lined with parchment. "You can even add fruit or nuts. It's versatile."
"Anything?" Lytharis repeated, her voice a little too gleeful.
Dante caught the glint in their eyes. Mischief. Pure, unfiltered chaos. He frowned. "Oi! Don't go overboard—"
But it was too late.
"NOOO!"
An hour later, Dante stood with his arms crossed, towering—well, relatively—over the two girls, his expression stern. The kitchen was a disaster. There were pickled radishes floating in chocolate, mint leaves stuck to the ceiling, and for some unholy reason, a whole boiled fish submerged in one of the trays.
"You two... you two are devils!" he barked, shaking his head. "I may be ten, but even I know better than to mix chocolate with garlic!"
"But the texture was interesting," Zhurong protested.
"And the aroma was... unique!" Lytharis chimed in.
Dante sighed like an exhausted elder. "You two make me feel like I'm fifty."
As the laughter subsided, Zhurong straightened up. "By the way, Dante, why don't you try making money with the Fafner clan?" she suggested. "They're low on funds, and they've got connections across kingdoms."
"Yeah, that's the plan," Dante replied, his eyes returning to the bowl of rich, smooth chocolate. "But I don't want this to be something only the nobles can afford. Everyone should enjoy it. Whether you're a beggar or a baron."
Lytharis and Zhurong looked at each other, then back at him. In his ten-year-old frame was something untainted—a kind, persistent light. Even growing up among the Ruthwilfers hadn't poisoned him. They didn't know about his illegitimacy, about the shadows of shame he grew up under, but they could see it clearly Dante wasn't like the others. He was something else.
---
Present Day
Iccia, seated back up comfortably on her bed as she kept on reading the letter sent by Dante.
"One Chocolate for a copper coin?" she muttered, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "Such delicate taste, such richness... why make it so cheap?"
She turned the page and found a small note, Dante's unmistakable handwriting scrawled across the margin:
"Whether rich or poor, I want all to enjoy it."
Iccia paused. Then, a smile broke through her stern demeanor. "Heh... this brat."
---
Within days, word of the new treat spread like wildfire. Students gossiped, teachers whispered in the halls, and the townsfolk buzzed with excitement. Chocolate. Free samples handed out like blessings from the gods—soft, sweet, and unlike anything they'd tasted before.
Dante ticked off the steps on his list with satisfaction.
"Step one: Hand it out for free. Even to the town. Check."
"Step two: Strike a deal with the Fafner clan. Check."
"Step three..." Dante grinned. "Let the world talk."
And talk they did.
---
Meanwhile, at the Ruthwilfer Estate
"My Lady!" Fina, Lady Diana's personal bodyguard, burst into her chamber, holding a small parcel wrapped in fine cloth.
Diana Ruthwilfer looked up from her painting, irritation flickering in her eyes. "Fina, darling, must you disturb my sanctuary? This art requires the silence of the cosmos."
"My apologies," Fina bowed. "But... there's news. From the academy. At first, I thought it a rumor. But it's real."
Diana sighed. "Let me guess—Taka did something idiotic again?"
"No."
"Rosul stole something? Like father, like son."
"No, my lady. It's... Dante."
The paintbrush froze mid-stroke.
"Dante?"
A quiet tension filled the room. Diana set down her palette and approached, taking the parcel from Fina with delicate fingers.
She untied the wool ribbon and pulled back the cloth to reveal a box of neatly packed bite-sized chocolate cubes. She raised one to her lips.
The taste exploded across her tongue. "By Mera's grace... it's divine."
She took another, savoring it slowly, then offered one to Fina. "Try it."
Fina hesitated, then bit down. A spark danced across her senses. "It's like... magic."
"Imagine selling this," Diana mused aloud, already crafting schemes in her head.
"Well, ma'am," Fina chuckled nervously, "Dante kind of stepped ahead of you there. Maybe check his vault balance with the Valekoris Kingdom Vault?"
Intrigued, Diana summoned her crystal communicator. The swirling mist inside cleared, revealing the wizened face of an elderly goblin: Torkat.
"Greetings, Torkat. I'm calling regarding Dante Ruthwilfer's finances."
The goblin adjusted his monocle, flipping through a thick tome of accounts. "Ah yes, young master Dante. As of now, he has... 9,990 gold coins."
Diana exhaled, relieved. "That's manageable."
"Plus 50,000 silver and 100,000 copper coins."
Diana choked on her tea. "Come again?"
"Correct. And he has submitted a request to convert all into gold. Shall I proceed?"
"Do it."
With expert speed, the goblin completed the calculation. "His current total is now 20,990 gold coins. Minus 2,000—1,000 each to Princess Zhurong of The Dragon clan and Lytharis from the elven Clan—leaving him with 18,990."
Diana rubbed her temples. "That boy... he's a menace."
Suddenly, shouting erupted behind Torkat. He turned away. "What?! Say that again!"
"Torkat, what's happening?" Diana demanded.
"A million copper just arrived from a neighboring kingdom. From Dante."
Fina couldn't help but grin. "He really is a monster."
Diana lowered herself into her chair. "I've never seen a child turn the economy upside down... in two weeks."
"You say that like you're his mother," Fina teased gently.
"I'm not," Diana said, resting a hand on her stomach. "I can't bear children. My role as matriarch is only temporary until Will's heir comes of age."
"What about Dante?" Fina pressed softly. "You trained him at eight a little. Tended his wounds after the ballroom raid last year."
"I only did that because—" Diana paused. Then sighed. "I'm getting soft."
---
Four Years Later
Dante, now fourteen, had matured into a clever young man. He continued to study relentlessly—potions, forgery, mechanics. But one thing eluded him: mana.
Despite years at the academy, his mana pool remained dormant. To some, he was a failure. To others, an enigma. A monster of endless knowledge, perhaps not of this world.
Still, he didn't mind. From his past life, he brought forward countless innovations. Toys, bicycles, and even highly inappropriate but wildly popular figurines of teachers and students alike.
"Holy Behemoth, it's Teacher Cuxi! She's so hot!"
"Madam Veyi! That ass says cake!"
Girls had their share too:
"Kyaa! Teacher Thomas figurine without a shirt!"
"Mister Ross looks so manly!"
Even teachers secretly purchased them. Dante, ever the opportunist, had to raise prices due to high demand.
With his profits, he bought land and began cultivating cocoa, the so-called "useless nuts" of this world.
"There. These seeds will thrive," he muttered, planting the last one.
Lytharis excelled at magic, especially healing. Zhurong honed her body and mind through martial arts, mastering Dragon Fist style—and teaching Dante a thing or two, while he returned the favor with Earth-style martial arts from his previous life.
By now, Dante's vault had ballooned to 2 million gold coins. With the Fafner clan's help and their network across multiple kingdoms, they rebuilt their standing—and their coffers.
His training had also evolved: a strict regimen of strength work, cardio, and meditative breathing. Four days a week. Every week.
---
Age 15. Final Year at the Academy.
Dante, still without a mana foundation, walked back to his dorm after forgery class. He knelt beside his bed, a dusty box hidden beneath.
He pulled it out, brushing off the grime. Inside was a thick, eight-inch rectangular object. A gift from his first day here.
"Kalikrihktar, huh? Who are you, D.R.?" he whispered, studying the label.
He tucked it back into hiding, then returned to his desk, sketching weapon designs with practiced ease.
---
Far away, in the depths of the demon realm, something stirred.
"Crack... crack..."
"He awakens," whispered the Demon Queen Malvera, watching as the cocoon before her pulsed with dark energy. Her seven generals—the Seven Deadly Sins—stood in silence. The army waited, breath held.
The cocoon burst.
"RRRRWWWWAAAHHHHHH!!!"
A thunderous roar tore across the land.
"Arise, my son!" Queen Malvera cried.
The air turned crimson. Rivers boiled. The earth trembled.
The demon child blinked through the smoke. "Mother... what is my name?"
She smiled, tears in her eyes. "Malric. Your name is Malric."
The army erupted.
"MALRIC! MALRIC! MALRIC!"
And thus, the world began to tremble at the whisper of a new name.
---
Chapter 17 — End