Chapter 37: A Mortifying Encounter and a Cunning Lesson

Ah… oh dear…

Lulu, who had already shed her outer jacket and was locked in an intense struggle with a fitness ball, clad only in her shirt, froze instantly the moment she saw Alexius enter the room.

A blush crept onto the young woman’s face a moment later, followed by a rush of heat that seemed to steam from her neck all the way to her head. The tiny, rebellious strand of hair she usually kept hidden sprang upright, and her entire face turned a vivid crimson.

[Oh no, no, no, no—why is the Little Devil King here?!]

The Little Devil King barely suppressed his laughter, yet still managed to feign surprise as he stood by the doorway and called out:

“Hmm? Teacher Lulu… what are you… what are you doing here?”

“G-get… out…” The white-haired mage hastily grabbed her jacket, mumbling incoherently under her breath.

“Hmm? What was that?” The Little Devil King pretended not to hear, leaning closer to Lulu as he inquired.

The elegant woman quickly slipped into her jacket and donned her high heels, then rose to her feet with a sudden, sharp glint in her eyes.

“I said, you little rascal, get back to class! Shouldn’t you be in the training room for physical conditioning? Why have you come here without permission?”

Lulu frowned, trying to recall the piercing gaze of her high school dean who used to catch students skipping class for snacks. She fixed her eyes on the Little Devil King, a look that genuinely made him feel a little uneasy.

Good heavens, was Lulu truly angry?

[Ugh… I need to project a fierce attitude! Focus on the fact that the Little Devil King is skipping class! I can’t let my guard down, I can’t! Otherwise, he’ll just shift the topic back to me!]

Alexius: …

“Ahem, ahem, Teacher Lulu, don’t misunderstand, I’m not skipping class. The physical education teacher sent me to the warehouse to fetch some equipment. But what about you, Teacher Lulu? Why aren’t you resting properly in your office? Your disciple is quite worried… though seeing you playing with a fitness ball just now, haha, you seem quite relaxed. The way you looked just then was truly… rather adorable…”

The Little Devil King turned his head away, a blush creeping up his neck. He appeared shy, yet in truth, he was perfectly in control. Lulu, having heard his impeccable excuse and then the subsequent remark, was instantly…

Her vision went dark.

‘To be… to be called cute by her own disciple, it was truly mortifying…’

After a long moment, the young woman finally lowered her head and mumbled, “F-fine, just grab whatever you need quickly. I simply came to help open the warehouse door, and I’ll be leaving right away…”

“Yes, alright.”

The Little Devil King nodded, then dutifully trotted to a nearby shelf to search for his item. Lulu remained seated in her chair, glaring at him from behind with a look brimming with resentment.

[Argh, damn it! I finally got to goof off for a bit, and you rotten brat ruined it! Hmph! Once you leave, I’m going to write your name on the punching bag and then pummel it senseless!]

[Hmph, and not only that, I’ll use magic to link you to the punching bag! Hmph, I’ll pluck a strand of the Little Devil King’s hair later, and you’ll be riddled with internal injuries! How dare you expose my embarrassment! Hmph-ahhhhhhh!]

‘Goodness, a woman’s heart is truly the most venomous,’ the Little Devil King mused.

As these thoughts consumed her, Lulu rose, just about to contemplate how she might surreptitiously snatch a strand of hair from the Little Devil King’s head. Suddenly, he turned around, and Lulu, caught red-handed, flinched back two steps in alarm.

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Teacher?”

The Little Devil King tilted his head, already holding the equipment he had sought. Lulu cleared her throat awkwardly, then stated coldly, “I’m leaving. See if you’ve found what you need. If not, I’ll point it out for you, Alexius. If you have, then that’s fine.”

“Ah… Teacher Lulu, are you leaving already? Is it because I’ve interrupted your enjoyment here? I apologize, um… well, as compensation, would you like me to stay and keep you company? I could pretend to be unwell and ask the physical education teacher for leave.”

Upon hearing her Alexius’s suggestion, Lulu’s first instinct was to refuse. [No… the crucial point is, it’s already mortifying enough to be caught playing alone like a little girl. And now, to play with the Little Devil King?]

[Play what? Roll around on a fitness ball together?!]

“No.”

Lulu’s face was utterly frosty, truly embodying the aura of an ice queen at that moment. The Little Devil King chuckled inwardly, yet maintained a pleading expression outwardly as he concocted another excuse:

“Teacher, after all, it’s almost time for the assessment. I’ve always kept up with my physical training, so I won’t fall behind just from missing one class. Besides… during group assignments in P.E., no one ever wants to be in my group. Ah, Teacher, could you, just for a little while, secretly find a training room and give me some private tutoring on how to prepare for the first exam?”

Lulu scratched her head. ‘Hmm… that actually sounds plausible. Private tutoring, after all, she certainly didn’t want the Little Devil King to drop out.’

And this guy… no one even wanted to be grouped with him anymore?

[Well… fine, if others don’t want to, I, as his master, can’t possibly refuse to spend a little more time with the Little Devil King, right? I just need to make sure he doesn’t learn any *particularly* useful skills from me!]

“Alright then, go quickly and come back. Ahem, ahem, then wait for me in Training Room C. It’s free!”

After Lulu spoke, the Little Devil King departed to deliver the equipment. The young woman waited in the warehouse for a while, selecting some potential materials she might need. Shortly after, she led the returning Little Devil King to Training Room C.

The biggest difference between the school’s training rooms and those outside was that an operator could stand directly on the arena with a portable control panel. Summoned creatures would not attack anyone other than the challenger, and their actions could be paused at any time, allowing teachers to easily correct students’ mistakes and issues.

The first exam consisted of fighting goblins. All enemies were, in fact, Tier 1, meaning that while their numbers multiplied, their individual strength remained low. As long as one’s blade was swift enough, it would be no problem to endure several rounds.

Right from the start, Lulu intended to give the Little Devil King a grand challenge: “Sixteen goblins, come at me!”

“Hey, wait a minute, Teacher, wait!”

The Little Devil King quickly stopped Lulu and began to speak:

“Teacher, before actual combat, shouldn’t you first teach me a couple of spells that are effective against multiplying goblins?”

“Hmm… is that so? Isn’t ‘Blade Storm’ quite suitable?”

“Teacher, as I understand it, ‘Blade Storm’ only *appears* to be a sword array; in reality, it’s still just rotating blades. If multiple goblins attack from various angles, one of them is bound to land a hit and pin you down. Engaging in close-quarters combat with numerous goblins is likely not a wise choice, is it?”

The Little Devil King’s explanation made cold sweat trickle down Lulu’s back. ‘Goodness, his analytical skills are quite impressive, huh…’

[Tsk, tsk, you stinky Little Devil King, trying to interfere with the normal curriculum? Hmph, impossible! My specially designed curriculum for you doesn’t even *contain* the words ‘effective’ or ‘useful’!]

[Well, this *is* for his first exam, after all. Ahem… if it comes down to it, I suppose I should teach him *one* move?]

[Hmm… let me think, let me think… I’ve got it! I’ll teach the Little Devil King two moves: one completely useless, and one just enough to pass the exam. Then, after the exam, I’ll make sure he doesn’t dwell on the useful skill and instead practices the useless one more! Perfect!]

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