The Scarlet Paladin - Chapter 2: Claire’s Coming of Age

-Welcome back home~Shall we start with a bath today, or eat first?-Isn't there a third option?-Nope, so let's eat first. I made omelette rice today.-Speaking of omelette rice, there should be that 'maid magic', right?-I really can't handle you... moe moe kyuu~ make it taste good~ moe moe chu~-And what about a heart with the fingers?-I'll give you a head with my heart!The maid finally lost her patience and slammed the omelette rice onto Lin Shuang's head.Lin Shuang: That feels better.

Usami is a beautiful classmate with good morals and top grades. At school, she views Sakuto as her rival. But when he bumps into her after school, he sees a different side of her. She was playing at an arcade after classes, and she had this innocent smile that one couldn’t imagine on her at school.For the sake of getting along with her, he gets close to her at school and then plays together with her after school. They each have their places where they can deepen their bonds, and at last…This is the start of a heart-warming love triangle romcom!

What is a young teacher to do when stuck with four cute little students in a beast apocalypse?. It's obvious, raise himself four little wives!!Well it's not his fault after all. They are the ones initiating it. As far as he's concerned, he's the victim of the story.“These four little devils, they are definitely after my back!”

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.