RIINGGG!

“Damn, finally!”

“Man, I thought this class was never gonna end!”

The students around me groaned and stretched, their voices echoing the universal relief that came with the end of the school day.

Honestly, they weren’t wrong.

That class had dragged on so long that I felt like I had aged a whole year sitting through it.

Maybe it was just because it was the last class of the day. There’s something about knowing you’re almost free that makes every second feel like an eternity.

“Aestrea, what are you doing later?” Lucas asked me, slipping his book into his spatial ring.

Ahh…

…Right.

This guy had decided to sit next to me for the rest of the classes, much to my annoyance. He spent most of the day pestering me to join his little group for the festival activities.

But of course, I turned him down every time.

“I’ll be—”

“—If you don’t have plans, how about we hit up a café?” He cut me off mid-sentence, flashing a hopeful smile.

“…I’m busy.”

Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and started walking toward the door.

“Ah, come on! Why?!”

I didn’t bother answering and continued walking, ignoring him completely, and just before Lucas could make another attempt at roping me into his plans, a soft voice called out to him.

“Lucas.”

It wasn’t a voice I recognized, and I didn’t even bother to glance back. Probably one of the side heroines.

There are a ton of them, after all—each one destined to orbit around Lucas like moths to a flame.

Now, I had my own priorities.

I had a meeting with Professor Zeva, and there was no way I was going to miss it.

The promise of a favor from someone like her?

It was too good to pass up.

“Hah… probably more money!” I clenched my fists quietly, a grin tugging at the corners of my lips due to the sheer amount of happiness that I was feeling.

Money really is the best thing ever.

No questions asked.

Sure, people always talk about how it corrupts or whatever, but they’re probably just broke.

It took me a while to reach out to the training camp, but as I did so, I noticed a single figure on the camp, standing alone with two swords on her waist.

Professor Zeva.

She had long, dark hair tied back loosely, though a few strands framed her sharp, striking face.

Her piercing green eyes stood out vividly against her tanned skin, their intensity giving her an air of authority and seriousness that made it hard to meet her gaze for too long.

She wore a crisp white blouse with a high collar and neatly buttoned front, the fabric clung slightly to her figure, accentuating her full, well-endowed chest—so large it made you wonder how she didn’t hear buttons screaming for mercy every time she moved.

Gosh…

Why did every heroine have a specially large chest?

Well… probably the author’s fault.

A slim black ribbon was tied elegantly around her neck, adding a touch of sophistication to her look. Over her blouse, she wore a corset-style outfit that cinched her thin waist, emphasizing her hourglass figure.

The insignia of Eternum Royal Academy adorned her sleeve, a subtle reminder of her status.

Her long legs were clad in tailored black pants, and her boots—polished to a shine—clicked against the ground with every step she took.

As I approached, her sharp eyes turned toward me, locking onto mine with an intensity that made me feel like a mouse under a hawk’s gaze.

“You’re late.”

I held up my hands in mock surrender.

“Only by a minute. Cut me some slack.”

She didn’t reply, but the slight arch of her brow told me she wasn’t impressed.

“So, what do you want?” I got straight to the point.

Instead of answering, she stepped closer, her boots clicking softly against the floor until she was standing right in front of me.

Then, she rested her delicate hand on my shoulder.

“Be my disciple.”

Another crazy bitch.

Well, I already knew that she was like this.

But unfortunately…

The position is already reserved for Lucas.

It’s not that I care about the plot or fate or whatever. But, Lucas still needs to get strong enough to kill the Demon King.

Only his damned holy sword can cause damage to it apparently.

Learned that from books.

“Nah.”

Her hand left my shoulder as she crossed her arms and stared at me, her piercing green eyes narrowing slightly.

“Give me a valid reason, then.”

“I don’t want to,” I replied with a shrug.

“I’ll let you touch my breasts.”

“N—fuck, what did you just say?” My voice cracked as my eyes widened.

Hearing my shocked words, she smirked slightly, uncrossing her arms and resting her left hand on her chest.

“I have seen you looking at them during the little fight we had before, so I thought you would be interested in touching them,” she explained, looking down at her chest.

Her fingers pressed against the fabric of her blouse, emphasizing the impressive size of her chest.

The buttons looked ready to burst at any second.

By instinct, my eyes landed on her squishy mellows.

“See?” she teased, her eyes locking onto mine with a knowing look.

“Cough—that was pure instinct.” I coughed and quickly turned my head away.

I’m still a man after all.

And honestly, it’s been quite a long time since I’ve had sexual relations with someone.

Not to mention, none of the women I’ve been with were even close to the level of beauty these heroines seem to casually embody.

“Still no. I’m not interested in being anyone’s disciple,” I said firmly, refusing her offer even as my mind screamed at me for a brief second.

“Is that so?” Her gaze dropped for a moment, her demeanor shifting slightly.

She was acting strange though.

I thought that she would probably force me into accepting it or something like that.

“Then how about we make a deal?” she said, her head lifting as a faint smile returned to her face.

“…What kind of deal?”

Why does her words sound strangely enticing?

“I’ll grant you one more favor on top of the one you already owe me. But…” Her smile widened ever so slightly. “…we’ll have a duel. If I win, I get something in return.”

“…And what, exactly, do you want in return?” I narrowed my eyes slightly.

“…I’m only going to tell you if you do accept the duel,” she smiled faintly, as her eyes widened faintly.

Yup.

She was back to normal.

And considering her offer, it sounds strangely enticing, and I’m pretty sure that the thing that she gets in return for beating me is making me her disciple.

But that extra favor was really… tempting.

So, if I want it, I need to make the battle work in my favor.

“Can I set conditions for the fight?” I asked.

“Sure,” she replied with a nod.

So, with that already done, I could finally accept her deal.

“Alright. I’ll accept the deal.”

“Good.” Her smile grew wider as she stepped closer to me, her voice dropping slightly. “And as promised, I’ll tell you what I want if I win.”

I was a bit reluctant to let her approach me, but I stood still.

And strangely, she got really close to me.

She leaned in, her breath brushing against my ear as she whispered softly:

“…If I win…”

Her soft words made me shiver.

“I want you to be my lover for a week.”

Huh.

What did she say?

Did I just hear it wrongly or something?

I know you are crazy.

But I didn’t think you were this fucking crazy.

What kind of crap are you fucking talking about?

Why would I be your lover for a week?

What kind of winning reward is that?

Multiple thoughts filled my head, but I nodded promptly.

Of course, I wasn’t thinking of taking advantage of being her lover to successfully squeeze those marshmallows.

Or maybe even more…

But of course, I wasn’t going to lose though.

I need that favor still.

“Then let’s start,” she said, stepping back to stretch her arms.

“By the way, what are your conditions?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I had already thought about it.

I couldn’t reveal my aura yet, and my mana wouldn’t be sufficient to beat her. So, the only thing I could actually beat her in…

“A pure swordsmanship duel, but… you need to lower your skills to B-rank.” I said so.

I was confident enough that I could deal with her in B-rank, even though her swordsmanship was much better than mine.

“Alright…” she snapped her fingers, and suddenly, the threatening feeling coming from her diminished by a lot.

But just to check, I also used my 『Judgement Eye 』and sure enough, she had her powers in the b-rank level.

Perfect.

I pushed my sleeves back slightly, rolling them up to my elbows as I approached the weapons table.

I picked up one and gave it a quick swing—light, balanced, but familiar.

Still, something felt off.

Without much thought, I grabbed another sword, holding one in each hand. Dual-wielding wasn’t my forte, but it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar either.

Zeva’s green eyes locked onto me with sharp interest as I turned to face her.

“Oh?” she murmured, one eyebrow arching. “Two swords? How bold.”

“Thought I’d try something new,” I said casually, twirling both blades in my hands to get a feel for them.

She chuckled softly, shaking her head.

“I wonder if you’ll regret that decision.”

I didn’t reply to her words.

Instead, I stepped into the center of the sparring circle, and Zeva followed.

“…..”

There was a moment of pure silence as we started each other.

The tension in the air was palpable, like a coiled spring waiting to snap.

Then, with a fluid motion, she unsheathed her swords. The black steel of her dual blades shimmered faintly, their edges keen and polished.

Her movements were precise, almost mechanical, as she took a ready stance. I mirrored her posture, crossing my swords in front of me.

The camp fell silent.

Then, without warning—

CLANG!

Zeva lunged forward with startling speed, both her blades slashing in a precise X-formation aimed at my chest.

I barely managed to intercept her strike, crossing my swords to block. The force of the impact reverberated through my arms, making them ache.

“Tsk,” I hissed, stepping back to absorb the blow.

But she didn’t let up.

Her next attack came immediately—a downward strike from her right blade, followed by a sweeping horizontal slash from her left.

I parried the first blow with my right sword, sparks flying as the metal clashed, and twisted to dodge the second, feeling the wind from her blade brush against my cheek.

She was fast.

Too damned fast.

Swishh!

CLANG!

Her swords whirled like extensions of her body, each strike was calculated, relentless, and perfectly timed to exploit openings in my defense.

I deflected what I could, and dodged where I had to, but her attacks were overwhelming.

Then, a sudden feint caught me off guard.

Her left blade arced low, slicing toward my thigh.

I reacted just in time, pivoting to the side, but her right blade came down in a sharp diagonal slash toward my shoulder.

THWACK!

Pain exploded through my arm as her blade nicked my shoulder, tearing through the fabric of my shirt and grazing the skin beneath.

Blood seeped out almost immediately, warm and sticky, staining my sleeve.

Damn it…

I wiped the sweat off my brow with the back of my wrist. My grip tightened around the hilts of my swords.

My eyes locked forward, and then, she came at me again.

Clink!

Swish!

I managed to hold my ground, blocking and dodging as best as I could. My swords clashed against hers repeatedly, the metallic ring echoing through the room.

CLANG!

Another strike slipped through my guard. Her blade grazed my side, leaving a shallow cut that burned as the air touched it.

Blood trickled down my ribs, soaking into the waistband of my pants.

However, despite the mounting injuries, I couldn’t stop the faint smile that tugged at my lips.

Zeva’s eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed.

“Why are you smiling?” she asked with a slightly confused expression.

“No reason at all,” I replied, my tone light even as my body screamed in protest.

I shifted my stance, preparing for her next attack.

She hesitated for a fraction of a second, her gaze flickering to the cuts on my body. Then, she shook her head and pressed forward.

Her blades came down in a relentless flurry, each strike faster and more precise than the last. My movements became more desperate, my arms growing heavy from the repeated clashes.

Sweat dripped down my face, stinging my eyes.

Still, I refused to back down.

CLANG!

Swoop!

I managed to catch her off guard with a quick counterattack, one of my swords grazing her upper arm.

Splat…!

A thin line of blood appeared, staining the sleeve of her blouse.

Her expression didn’t falter, but I saw the briefest flicker of surprise in her eyes.

“This is it…” Licking her lips, her eyes widened slightly and so did her lips.

Even if my attack had the intention of making her weaker…

She seemed to only get stronger and crazier because of it.

Fwip!

Splat!

Another slash caught my thigh, the blade cutting deep enough to make me stumble.

“Fuck…!”

I grit my teeth against the pain, refusing to let it slow me down.

Blood seeped from the numerous cuts on my body, dripping onto the floor. My breathing was ragged, my vision slightly blurred, but I kept moving.

My faint smile never disappeared.

And that seemed to have been bothering her.

“Why do you keep smiling?” she asked again as she stopped her movements, leaping back, her voice more curious this time.

“No reason…” I said the same thing I had said before.

My eyes landed on the shallow cut that I had made in her upper arm.

No reason at all…..

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep