Chapter 242: Chapter 242: First Step of Alignment

Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly.

"...Consent."

That was the only explanation that really fit.

It matched what happened with Mel. He hadn’t forced anything, and he definitely hadn’t activated it manually. She accepted him first, and only then did the system respond.

Arthur slowly nodded to himself.

"...Yeah. That’s probably it."

So it wasn’t something he could just use whenever he wanted. It had to happen naturally. Mutual understanding. Mutual acceptance.

Which also meant things were going to get complicated.

He glanced across the training hall again.

Torren was still getting launched around by his training setup while stubbornly refusing to stay down. Selene had fallen completely into rhythm, moving and firing without pause like she was trying to drown out the world around her.

As for Ryn..

Arthur didn’t even bother looking.

Lyra probably had him trapped in some impossible training drill already.

"...Yeah, not starting there."

That only left one option.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"...Nox."

Simple. Straightforward. Easy to talk to.

No unnecessary complications.

Perfect.

Arthur looked back toward Mel, who was still running through the obstacle course with the added weight attached to her legs. Even slowed down, she kept moving without hesitation.

"Keep going," he said softly.

Mel didn’t stop, but one ear flicked slightly at his voice.

Arthur nodded faintly. "I’ll be back."

A small pulse of acknowledgment came through the bond.

That was enough for him.

He stepped away from the course, leaving her to continue on her own. Strangely enough, he trusted her more like this. She focused better when she was allowed to adapt at her own pace.

Arthur crossed the hall toward Nox’s side of the training area.

She was still moving nonstop, running drills while carrying her own weights. Her pace wasn’t perfect, but compared to before, the improvement was obvious.

Arthur watched her for a second before muttering, "...Still struggling."

Nox noticed him almost immediately and slowed to a stop, breathing heavier than usual as she wiped sweat from her forehead.

"Arthur?"

She blinked at him curiously. "What’s up? You’re not training?"

Arthur shook his head. "I am. Just not me."

Nox stared at him for a second.

"...Huh?"

"My wolf."

Realization hit instantly.

"Oh! Right!"

Her face brightened almost immediately. "How’s she doing?"

Arthur shrugged lightly. "Better than expected."

Nox laughed softly. "I’m not surprised."

Arthur leaned slightly against the wall nearby, watching her for another moment.

"You’re doing well too." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Nox blinked. "...Really?"

"Yeah."

Arthur nodded once. "I’ve been watching."

It wasn’t entirely a lie.

Nox scratched her cheek awkwardly. "I’m trying... but I still feel slow."

"You are," Arthur answered honestly.

She froze.

"...Hey!"

Then Arthur smirked slightly.

"But you’re getting faster."

That softened the blow immediately.

Nox let out a small breath and smiled again. "Good... I want to get stronger."

Arthur’s expression relaxed a little. "I know."

This time, when she looked at him, her expression carried more weight behind it.

"I want to actually help during fights," she admitted quietly. "Not just run around."

Arthur crossed his arms. "You already help."

"Not enough."

The answer came quickly and firmly enough that Arthur paused for a second before nodding.

"...Fair."

Nox relaxed slightly after that. "I’ll get there."

Arthur smiled faintly. "I believe that."

A small silence settled between them after that.

And in that silence, Arthur saw the opening.

He took a slow breath.

"...Alright."

Then he stepped closer and held out his hand toward her.

Nox blinked in confusion. "...What’s this?"

Arthur kept his tone casual even though his heartbeat had picked up slightly.

"Let’s work together more."

Nox tilted her head. "More?"

"In fights. Training. Everything."

It sounded simple when he said it out loud, but Arthur knew exactly what he was doing. This wasn’t just a casual suggestion anymore.

It was a test.

For a brief second, he seriously considered taking his hand back.

"...Don’t make this awkward."

Nox looked down at his hand.

Then she smiled.

Bright. Easy. Genuine.

And without even hesitating, she grabbed it.

"Of course!"

Arthur blinked. "...That fast?"

Nox laughed. "Why wouldn’t I?"

She tightened her grip slightly. "I was already thinking the same thing!"

Arthur let out a quiet breath before he even realized he’d been holding it.

"...Yeah."

Figures.

Nox let go a second later and stepped back with renewed energy practically radiating off her.

"I’ll get stronger, and next time we’ll fight together properly!"

Arthur nodded once. "Looking forward to it."

"Same!"

Then, before he could add anything else, she turned and immediately took off running again.

This time her movements carried more energy than before, and even her steps looked lighter.

Arthur watched her go before shaking his head slightly with a quiet laugh.

"...She really is simple."

But there was still a faint smile on his face.

And then...

The system interface appeared right in front of him.

Clean. Clear.

Exactly what he had been waiting for.

Arthur’s smile widened slightly.

"...There it is."

✦══════════════════════════════════════✦

❂ SOVEREIGN INTENT SYSTEM ❂

✦══════════════════════════════════════✦

⟦ Ally Candidate Confirmed ⟧

Target: Nox

Class: Scout (Agility Type)

Rank: E

⟦ Intent Compatibility Check ⟧

Primary Intent: Connection / Team Bond

Secondary Intent: Growth / Shared Survival

Sub-Drive: Abyss Investigation Commitment

Trust Resonance: Stable

⟦ Consent Detected ⟧

Target acknowledges user as: Partner / Core Ally

━━━ REGISTRATION AVAILABLE ━━━

Register Target as Ally?

Cost: 10 IP

⟦ YES / NO ⟧

✦══════════════════════════════════════✦

Arthur stared at the screen quietly for a moment while a small smile slowly appeared on his face.

So that really was how it worked.

No force. No manipulation. Just acceptance.

He exhaled slowly, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

"Guess I got lucky with her," he muttered.

Though honestly, it wasn’t only luck.

Nox was just naturally open with people. Honest too. She didn’t overcomplicate things, and maybe that was why this had felt so easy.

Still...

Arthur already knew the others wouldn’t be like this.

Ryn would question everything. Selene would overthink it. Althea would probably spend three days analyzing his intentions before answering.

"...Yeah," he murmured with quiet amusement. "This is where it gets awkward."