What? I Actually Reincarnated As Stepping Stone In Another World?

Chapter 48 Greetings, Your Highness!

?"I, Arthur Asvold, heir to Duke Asvold's mansion, hereby declare myself to be in the presence of Lord Duke!"

*Boom!*

Arthur's voice boomed like a falling bomb, causing everyone present to widen their eyes in astonishment.

"Heir?!"

"That handsome boy is the heir to Duke Asvold's mansion?!"

The people in the square erupted in shouts of surprise and disbelief, looking at each other and asking questions in astonished tones.

"What?! Heir?!"

"When did the Duke's mansion have an heir?!"

"Even the Allen family couldn't find one?!"

"How did this happen?!"

Brian Allen, who had been watching Arthur silently, shouted in surprise.

In the southern region, there was no news that could escape their eyes and ears, especially not something as important as this.

Their family should have been able to find out about it.

"The Asvold family really kept it hidden well."

"Is this the surprise that the Duke wanted to give?"

Brian looked at Duke Asvold in the sky, then at Arthur, who was paying homage to David with a deep gaze.

Who knows what he was thinking?

Roy and Lucas were also shocked and surprised by the revelation; their expressions were similar to Brian's.

Each of them was unable to contain their surprise at the Duke's revelation.

The presence of a future heir was not at all what they had predicted.

"Father!"

"That handsome boy turned out to be the Duke's son!"

"The future heir to Duke Asvold's mansion!"

Anna tugged on Lucas' robe and exclaimed excitedly, but Lucas seemed unable to respond to her words, still trying to digest the shocking news.

"The Duke's son?"

"The future heir?"

Lucas questioned himself inwardly as he looked at Arthur with a newfound sense of awe.

The Duke's son!

the future heir and crown prince of the family that held sway over the south!

a family at the pinnacle of power in the Balka Empire!

This was no laughing matter.

If Arthur's words were indeed true, the power dynamics in the southern region, and perhaps even the entire Balka Empire, would be shaken to their core!

"So, is this the announcement that the Duke wanted to make?"

Lucas muttered to himself as he looked up at Duke Asvold in the sky.

"Duke's son, huh?" Roy's eyes narrowed as he looked intently at Arthur.

As the backbone of Duke Asvold's mansion and the family believed to command millions of soldiers, Roy was both surprised and intrigued to hear that the handsome boy was claiming to be the heir to the Asvold family.

He looked up at Duke Asvold in the sky, waiting for his reaction.

But it wasn't just the three of them who were curious; the entire crowd was staring at the majestic figure on the throne, waiting to see how he would respond to Arthur's announcement.

"Stand up!" David's majestic voice spread throughout the square.

Hearing this, Arthur immediately stood up and looked up at David.

Soon, David's gaze swept across the people in the city square, and he nodded.

"Today is a special day because, in addition to the existing Awakening Day, I also want to announce something else."

David stood up from his throne and floated in the sky.

"Today, I would also like to introduce to all of you my son and future heir to the Duke Asvold Mansion, Arthur Asvold!"

David waved his hand and spoke loudly so that all the people in Rozen could hear his voice.

*Boom!*

David's official announcement was like a second bomb dropping on everyone.

"There really is a future heir!"

"That handsome boy is the future heir!"

The entire square immediately exploded with excitement.

After all, Duke Asvold's official announcement confirmed the authenticity of Arthur's claim.

"That really is the future heir!" Roy, Lucas, and Brian gasped and looked at each other.

Feeling that there was no denying it, all three nodded simultaneously and then bent their hind legs while slightly hunching their bodies.

"Greetings, Your Highness Arthur!"

Everyone who saw this, including all the Luvic nobles and people present, also followed the three.

"Greetings, Your Highness Arthur!"

Their voices echoed throughout Rozen Square, perhaps even reaching the entire city.

Runa, the butler, also saluted Arthur respectfully, as did Alicia and Carina, who were seated in the special seat.

Arthur was a little surprised by the gesture, but he quickly adjusted his mentality.

This salute ceremony was not just an ordinary greeting but a recognition of his status as the future heir to Duke Asvold's mansion.

Arthur smiled gently and then spoke with a childish yet firm voice, "Please rise, everyone."

Immediately, everyone in the square stood up and gazed at Arthur with curiosity and admiration for his composure.

"Your Highness Arthur doesn't seem to match his age; he looks very mature," the people whispered, and they couldn't help but gossip.

"Just look at his calm face. It's admirable."

"It seems that young Master Arthur is not an ordinary kid."

"Interesting," Brian said to himself as he adjusted his glasses.

Up in the sky, Emperor Alex watched Arthur's composed demeanor and couldn't help but be amazed.

"What a remarkable boy!" he thought.

"His mental control is truly admirable."

"There's not even a hint of anxiety or panic when being stared at by tens of thousands of pairs of eyes."

"Very interesting," Emperor Alex said to himself, immediately thinking of Lucia, his daughter.

"However, the more you are like this, the more I suspect that you seem to have deliberately found my daughter, Arthur."

"Do you really have a purpose?" Emperor Alex's eyes immediately sharpened as he looked at Arthur and asked silently.

After all, he suspected that Arthur had a plan to save his daughter.

Of course, that was just his guess, and he wanted to confirm it.

He didn't want the plan that he had been building all this time to contain any variables.

Meanwhile, Duke Noah watched Arthur with interest, and his attention later turned to David, his expression betraying no indication of what he was thinking.

Arthur immediately turned his gaze towards David and waited for his next order.

After all, today was the day of the awakening of the core and was also the most important day!

The reason David called him the future heir instead of the heir was also because of this awakening.

How could he not see David's hidden caution?

David, who desired Arthur to be his puppet, had to ensure that Arthur's feasibility as a controlled puppet was appropriate.

The awakening of the core was the most important day, as it served as proof and a test of Arthur's worthiness.

If Arthur was extremely talented, David would have watched over him with all the resources of the extraordinary Duke's mansion to ensure that he didn't have any rebellious thoughts in the future.

However, in that case, Arthur would be as good as dead, as the purpose of coming to this world would be rendered useless, and all the layouts would be futile.

If Arthur was talented, David would feel at ease and have a puppet worthy of being controlled without the need for strict supervision.

And finally, what if he's mediocre?

He shouldn't even think about the layouts and plans he has laid out. Instead, he should be concerned about whether or not he will be alive tomorrow.

Being trash is the original sin in a world where power is the supreme law.

Just like Abel, who became trash at the awakening, perhaps his fate would be the same or even worse.

Of course, Abel, who had plot armor and was awakened at the age of seven with the core element of electricity in the novel, must have been better off than him if he became ordinary on this awakening day.

Soon, David, who was floating above the sky, returned to staring at everyone in the square.

"My son, Arthur Asvold, will also participate in the core awakening today."

"So that everyone can witness the awakening of my son, the future heir to Duke Asvold's mansion!"

"And with this, I also announce the start of the awakening day!"

An extremely majestic voice boomed throughout the Rozen territory.

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The bonus chapter will be made after this volume is finished, maybe two or three chapters of the Little Arthur's Awakening volume will come to an end.

Thank you~