Chapter 28: A Kiss, A New Technique, and Lingering Thoughts

Whether by chance or design, their eyes met. Gern scratched her head, a faint blush dusting her cheeks, and spoke in a small, embarrassed voice.

“We’re almost done eating. Perhaps we should head back to rest?”

The opulent academy building housed lounges on its second floor. Having gathered their belongings, the two girls rushed to the corridor on the second level.

Noticing that the nobles hadn’t pursued them, Gern finally released a slow, measured breath. Her gaze, when it landed on Lilia, held an even deeper shade of resentment.

“Well, I suppose I’m quite ‘famous’ now.”

A bitter chuckle escaped her lips, though she harbored no intention of blaming Lilia. More precisely, she simply lacked the courage to do so.

Lilia, for her part, merely curled her lip in disdain. She had never truly bothered with such people; after all, as long as her strength remained paramount, none would dare stir up trouble in her presence.

“So, Miss Luoya, have you made up your mind?”

Confronted with the question once more, Gern visibly wavered. As she met Lilia’s earnest, aquamarine gaze, a faint ripple of emotion stirred within her.

‘Perhaps in this lifetime, a little interaction with Lilia wouldn’t be so bad after all?’

‘No, no… How could I entertain such a dreadful thought? What if Lilia were to snap again one day and… *dispose* of me?’

‘In this current life, I haven’t cultivated the Heretic God Cult’s techniques. Should that happen, I likely wouldn’t even withstand a single blow from Lilia.’

‘No, wait. If I factor in Kindling’s transformation ability and the eerie silver dragon phantom, I might endure three hits. But that’s not the main concern; the true terror lies in Lilia’s methods of torment.’

She unconsciously swallowed, a refusal forming on her lips, but before she could utter a word, Lilia’s lovely face rapidly filled her vision.

“Mmph?!”

Gern’s mouth was suddenly sealed by soft, red lips, and Lilia’s immense strength pressed her firmly to the ground.

The golden-haired girl then pressed her entire body against Gern, whose pupils quivered in shock.

‘Lilia is kissing me. How could I be having such an outlandish dream? No, no, is Lilia’s action a declaration of ownership?’

‘But Lilia likes me, doesn’t she? Shouldn’t she prefer the ‘onee-san’ type, like in my previous life? Even though I’ve become a girl, I’m still a little loli now, she… she…’

Gern’s tumultuous thoughts were abruptly shattered as Lilia, to her astonishment, pried open her teeth.

In that instant, Gern felt as though her very soul was being drawn out of her body, her eyes slowly glazing over.

Lilia, utterly oblivious to Gern’s dazed state, continued her relentless pursuit, like a parched traveler stumbling upon an unexpected oasis in the desert.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Lilia finally rose. On the floor lay the silver-haired dragon girl, nearly unconscious.

Gern’s eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, a faint trace of saliva still glistening at the corner of her mouth. Whether from pleasure or some other inexplicable reason, her lips were undeniably curved into a slight upward curl.

“My adorable little dragon girl has been marked, it seems. From now on, you belong to me, you know.”

Lilia found Gern’s current state rather amusing. Now that they had shared such an intimate moment, surely Gern wouldn’t resist her anymore?

So she thought to herself, as she gently lifted Gern’s limp form, carrying her to collect the room number for their second-floor apartment.

After carefully settling Gern onto the soft, expansive bed and tucking her beneath the covers, Lilia departed, leaving Gern alone, prone on the mattress, still occasionally twitching.

****

After an unknown duration, Gern, emerging from her stupor, finally stirred and slowly opened her eyes. The sight of an unfamiliar ceiling left her feeling utterly disoriented.

A chilling suspicion crept into her mind: had Lilia captured and imprisoned her once more? Yet, as she calmed herself and took in her surroundings, a slow sigh of relief escaped her.

Her internal powers remained unsealed, and the environment, far from resembling a dark, damp basement, appeared quite different.

Indeed, it was quite luxurious: pristine white walls, a plush, warm pink wool carpet covering the entire floor, and a soft, expansive bed that claimed a fifth of the room’s space, with the remainder dedicated to various storage solutions.

What truly surprised her was that the small room even boasted its own private washroom. Gern rose and investigated, yet she couldn’t fathom the mechanism behind its operation.

In essence, it was incredibly ingenious; without any reliance on magic, a simple press of a button would effortlessly flush away its contents.

Gern had never encountered such a marvelous device before, and she found it utterly fascinating.

After resting for a while and confirming her location on the second floor of the resting area, Gern suddenly recalled a matter of crucial importance.

She hurried out, making her way to the room Miss Snow had mentioned, and pushed the door open.

As expected, Snow was seated on the bed within the small room, leisurely sipping from a cup.

“Oh? You’re back. How did things progress?”

“Huh? What progress?”

Gern felt a flicker of confusion, but as her gaze met the knowing, meaningful glint in Miss Snow’s eyes, understanding dawned on her, and her face flushed crimson.

“It’s… it’s not what you’re imagining at all! Nothing happened between us.”

“Oh? You’re blushing. If there truly was nothing between you two, you wouldn’t be blushing, now would you?”

Gern was utterly speechless. Snow, a woman of experience, observed Gern’s flustered state, a faint, knowing smile playing on her lips. A pang of longing for the Guild Master stirred within her.

Despite having been away for only a few short days, the ache of yearning was stubbornly persistent.

“Would you like some tea?”

“Hm?”

Seeing Gern’s puzzled expression, Snow offered no further explanation. Instead, she turned and poured a steaming cup of tea.

“Here. I doubt you’ve ever had this before, but give it a try. It’s quite invigorating.”

Gern accepted the teacup, carefully studying the pale brown liquid within the porcelain. She took a tentative sip.

A subtle bitterness spread across her palate, causing Gern’s brows to furrow. She clearly wasn’t fond of the taste.

After that single taste, she set the tea aside.

“Miss Snow, I was wondering, could you perhaps provide me with one of the academy’s cultivation techniques?”

Hearing this, Snow’s brow arched delicately. She scrutinized Gern, clicking her tongue in genuine astonishment.

“My, my, so you don’t even have a primary cultivation technique yet? To endure for so long against a bishop of the Heretic God Cult without one—you truly are one of a kind.”

Gern flushed slightly, feeling a touch of embarrassment. Had it not been for her heaven-defying abilities, coupled with Matia Fio’s lack of true killing intent at the time, she would have perished countless times over.

“Here. This technique is called Heavenly Sun. It has the benefits of cultivating both body and spirit, and excels in both offense and defense. It should suit you quite well.”

Gern accepted the cultivation technique from Snow and quickly flipped through a few pages. This particular method allowed a knight’s internal energy to be converted into the fire attribute, making it a rather commendable technique.

“Thank you. I’ll head back to cultivate now. See you tomorrow.”

With that, Gern eagerly dashed back to her room. Equipped with this new cultivation technique, she could finally begin her preparations to break through to the third rank.

Snow watched the girl’s hurried, somewhat flustered retreat, then took a delicate sip of her tea, sighing with a hint of resignation.

“I hope this technique proves beneficial to you. The martial arts and movement techniques of the Heretic God Cult are anything but gentle.”