The English Church was shaken, the Knights of the British Order were rattled, the British Royal Family was thrown into turmoil, and the entire British high command churned with a monumental internal storm. This sudden upheaval, like the legendary butterfly flapping its wings, soared higher and higher, subsequently impacting the Russian Orthodox Church and the world’s largest religious organization—the Roman Catholic Church!

In less than a handful of days, the magical side, capable of influencing the very survival of the world, had been utterly convulsed, as if struck by a magnitude-thirteen earthquake!

The sole cause of this tempest was a single piece of news brought back from Academy City by Kanzaki Kaori, one of the fewer than twenty Saints in the entire world:

Over a thousand years ago, Artoria, the true King, the legendary hero—King Arthur—had descended upon Academy City!

Initially, upon receiving this news, Laura Stuart, the Supreme Bishop of the Church of England, dismissed it as a mere joke and paid it no mind. However, when she conveyed the message to the Queen of England, and the Queen subsequently opened the Royal Treasury, she was stunned to discover that the Sword in the Stone was missing!

Throughout a millennium, England had endured countless upheavals and several near-catastrophic downturns, yet one thing had remained immutable: the Royal Treasury.

This vault did not house mere currency; rather, it contained the "Holy Relics" left behind by generations of English monarchs. The most famous and crucial among them was the Sword in the Stone, for its owner, King Arthur, symbolized the pinnacle of authority and might in all of British history—a transcendent figure unmatched by almost any monarch in the thousand years preceding or succeeding him.

Yet now, that very Sword in the Stone was gone!

This was the height of absurdity! One must remember that the Royal Treasury was guarded with extreme vigilance, not only by dedicated personnel but also fortified with layers of complex magic arrays. It would have been impossible for an ordinary thief, or even a Saint, to spirit anything away silently!

Kanzaki Kaori was not one to fabricate stories, and Stil had seen the Sword in the Stone here before, meaning he certainly wouldn't misidentify such a Holy Relic. Coupled with her demonstrated power to defeat a Saint in a single move… considering all this, the Queen and Laura Stuart were forced to re-evaluate the implications of King Arthur’s arrival in Academy City.

To confirm the matter, the British high command decided to dispatch three heavyweight figures to Academy City: the Second Princess, Chiria Sara, the Commander of the Knights, and Supreme Bishop Laura Stuart herself. Regardless of whether this Arthur was genuine or counterfeit, anyone possessing the strength to fell a Saint with one blow—a power perhaps even an Angel might lack—would be an invaluable asset if they could be won over.

Furthermore, how could the person holding Britain’s Holy Relic, the Sword in the Stone, remain within the scientific domain!

This sentiment was shared by the Religious faction, the Royal faction, and the Knights faction alike. The Royal faction, however, was in a particularly awkward position; if that person truly was King Arthur, then who would claim the throne? The Knights faction had no such reservations: King Arthur was not just Arthur; he was the King of Knights, and wherever the King of Knights pointed his sword, their swords would follow!

Among the three factions, the Religious faction held the weakest direct influence over Arthur. Still, with Laura leading the charge, her seasoned cunning might prevent them from losing ground in the ensuing contest for the King’s allegiance.

Such a monumental mobilization could not be concealed from their two "close friends"—the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church! Both immediately dispatched major figures toward Academy City.

In a short time, the three giants of the magical side had all sent significant personnel converging on Academy City. Truly, it was a case of the wind gathering before a storm, and the subterranean currents seemed unstoppable.

The world trembled because of one person!

...

Meanwhile, ABER, the person at the center of all this, remained utterly oblivious. Of course, even if she knew, she would likely scoff, or perhaps raise her proud head like a phoenix and declare, "This is the charisma of a true King."

For the current King Arthur, such matters were insignificant. The most crucial thing at hand was... the food before her!

"Lin Luo, another bowl."

Eight people were seated around a square table: Lin Luo, ABER, Misaka Mikoto, Tohsaka Rin, Misaka Mizei, Last Order, and Accelerator... the assembly looked utterly incongruous for a simple meal.

Due to certain reasons best left unsaid, Mikoto and Rin, who had started as apparent best friends, had devolved into absolute rivals. Their gazes clashed across the table, sparking intense fire.

The atmosphere at the table was conspicuously heavy, and faint, massive, powerful phantoms manifested behind each of them. Behind Mikoto was a green Guata frog, crackling with electricity, poised to pounce; behind Rin was a black hamster, posturing aggressively with bared teeth.

"Why a frog?"

"Why a hamster?"

Both harbored deep suspicions about the spectral images behind their adversaries, yet they couldn't deny that even a hamster and a frog exuded a formidable aura... So, perhaps one should never underestimate a tsundere?

Under this stiff tension, Lin Luo felt the greatest pressure he had ever encountered.

Since the battle with the Dark Side concluded and a pact of peaceful coexistence was struck with Calvi, Lin Luo had secured a legitimate identity in Academy City, complete with a rather luxurious five-room apartment. In a way, he was now a successful man with his own place and transportation.

Such a large suite couldn't possibly be occupied by just one person. Rin and ABER naturally had to stay there. Misaka Mizei and Last Order couldn't be left unattended either. And as for Last Order, the energetic loli, due to matters concerning Angels she needed to resolve, it was best to keep her close for the time being. Because of Last Order, Accelerator... or rather, Suzuhara Lily, was also forcibly housed there.

This wouldn't have been an issue; they could squeeze in, and sharing a room occasionally would even be preferable... But the problem was that the typically reserved Railgun had uncharacteristically moved out of the Tokiwadai dorms, which turned the whole situation into a massive headache!

Over the past few days, Lin Luo had been worn to the bone, mentally and physically exhausted. Though the dreaded Good Ship and the kitchen knife had yet to appear, things like glaring stares, verbal barbs, electric shocks, and curses seemed to have become indispensable daily greetings.

This... how was anyone supposed to endure this?!

The harem hadn't even officially begun, and it was already this chaotic. If the harem truly materialized, what horror would ensue? He wasn't that kind of person!

Lin Luo felt that for the sake of future harem harmony, he needed to assert some masculine dominance. He cleared his throat, about to speak, when ABER beside him handed him a bowl.

Lin Luo immediately broke into a broad smile, ladling a full bowl of rice from the pot and handing it back to her... Incidentally, in the less than ten minutes since the meal started, the King had already consumed three full bowls.

It seemed that every world had to have its glutton—in the A Certain Magical Index plane, it was the Index, and in the Nasuverse, it was the King.

Preparing his phrasing mentally, Lin Luo began, "Um... Mikoto, Rin, actually, I think..."

"Lin Luo, another bowl." Before he could even finish his opening remark, the King’s hand was reaching out again.

Lin Luo smiled faintly, filled the bowl, and handed it over, then continued, "Mikoto, Rin, the truth is, I don't think you two need to maintain such hostility. The main reason for this situation is..."

"Lin Luo, another bowl."

Lin Luo's mouth twitched as the bowl appeared before him once more.

With a blank expression, he placed a full bowl of rice in the King's hand and turned to face the formidable gazes of Railgun and the Devil Rin again, "Alright, let's discuss this practically. Although I might have a slight issue in this area, still..."

"Lin Luo, another bowl!"

His lips curled slightly. Well, for the sake of the King, he wouldn't get angry. Calming himself internally, Lin Luo refilled the bowl again.

"...In life, who can live without error? There's also such a thing as a white lie. I believe that harmony is the ultimate path, so..."

"Lin Luo, another bowl!"

The glaringly bright bowl nearly blinded him.

What the hell, when would this end? Even if you are the King, you can’t play people like this?! Lin Luo was finally enraged, and he unceremoniously shoved the entire rice pot in front of ABER.

Eat! Eat! Eat until you’re full, see if it doesn’t kill you!

P.S.: Fine, I admit, I've dug another hole in this chapter. So, please cast your votes!