Chapter 11: The way she rejects me is enchanting!

Her gaze fell upon the armor now covering her arms up to her shoulders, and a faint smile finally graced her sweat-streaked, pale, and weary face.

Ten days!

A full ten days had passed!

Apart from the most basic necessities, her entire life had been confined to the training room; she would resonate with Merrow upon waking, continuing until the pain overwhelmed her and she fainted, only to resume the moment she regained consciousness.

After these arduous ten days, her resonance rate with Merrow had finally surpassed 20%!

Concurrently, the agony she endured had also escalated to a 20% intensity.

Yet, she had not succumbed to unconsciousness!

She had persevered!

The reward for her unwavering persistence was the rapid breakthrough to a 20% resonance rate in such a remarkably short period.

This feat was not attributed to her inherent aptitude, but rather…

During the process of enduring the immense pain, she and Merrow had achieved a profound understanding.

Her willingness to bear the shared suffering for Merrow had earned Merrow’s acknowledgment.

Resonance rate, as the name implied, was fundamentally the process by which a Spirit Tamer and their Spirit Weapon achieved a complete meeting of minds.

Spiritkind, as a unique life form, were intrinsically incapable of unleashing the immense power contained within their own bodies.

Humans, however, happened to be the very vessels capable of activating this power!

Yet, the relationship between humans and their Spirit Weapons differed significantly from that of humans and mere firearms.

Spiritkind were, after all, intelligent beings endowed with thoughts and emotions; their life forms simply diverged from humans, thus precluding them from being treated as mere tools or weapons.

This necessitated humans achieving a deep mental connection and empathy with Spiritkind.

The ultimate form of this profound understanding was to reach the pinnacle of empathy—a perfect telepathic connection—through successive acts of resonance!

The other’s thoughts, their feelings, would be understood without any need for communication.

To put it colloquially, it was about thinking with one mind and striving with one force.

Even two separate souls could function as one, united in heart and body, indistinguishable.

Of course, enduring such agony did not merely lead to a significant increase in Melina’s resonance rate with Merrow; it also brought about an even more gratifying reward…

****

Knight Academy…

“Though it has only been ten days since I left, it feels as if an eternity has passed.”

Melina stood at the academy gates, a touch of nostalgia coloring her expression.

Merrow, clad in a maid’s uniform, stood respectfully behind Melina, her eyes demurely lowered, radiating an aura of utmost obedience.

Yet, beneath that compliant demeanor, her ample bosom and hips, coupled with her statuesque figure, exuded an unmistakably elegant and dignified presence.

Such a maid would be a rarity even in the most esteemed noble households, yet here she was, in the home of a struggling noble family in this provincial backwater.

Her mere presence was enough to inspire genuine envy.

Melina strolled casually into the academy, and many eyes fell upon her.

Soon enough, however, all eyes shifted to the maid trailing behind her.

Her snow-white hair, tied into a high ponytail, swayed enticingly with each step, cascading down her back.

Each swing of her long, slender legs, encased in black stockings, seemed to stir a gentle breeze.

Every crisp tap of her high-heeled feet against the ground resonated like a step upon the onlookers’ hearts, the sound seemingly merging with their quickening pulses.

Moreover, her slender, graspable waist, the gentle sway of her hips as she moved, and the soft rise and fall of her firm, elegant bosom, all conspired to make the maid the absolute focal point of everyone’s gaze!

Though she was merely a maid, at that moment, everyone forgot her subservient status, seeing only an unforgettable vision of beauty.

A clamor erupted—

The murmurs within the crowd exploded into outright discussion!

“Who is that? Can anyone tell me who that maid is?”

“I recall the one in front is an Esbelle, no? Since when did their family acquire such an unbelievably beautiful maid?”

“My heavens! I must have all information about that maid immediately, especially her contact details! Now!”

“Hmph, you lot are truly ignorant. She’s not just a maid; she’s a Spiritkind, who, about ten days ago, formed a contract with that Esbelle young lady in front of many witnesses.”

One person’s voice drew in the surrounding onlookers, who instantly gathered, eager to inquire.

“Brother, do you know some inside scoop?”

“If you can give me that maid’s contact information, I’ll pledge you as my sworn father!”

“Me too!”

The man, with an arrogant expression, stated coldly, “I don’t know any inside scoop, but I do indeed have a way to contact her.”

The crowd’s faces were filled with adoration.

“Tell us, tell us quickly!”

“My happiness for the rest of my life depends entirely on you, buddy!”

“My lower half too!”

“Get lost, you uncouth oaf!”

However, amidst everyone’s eager anticipation, the man’s next words rendered them all speechless.

“It’s quite simple, isn’t it? She’s right there; why don’t you just go ask her yourselves?”

For a moment, everyone fell silent, then erupted into another uproar!

“Brother’s right! How could I not have thought of that?”

“But… just by her aura, she feels so distant.”

“Indeed, that ‘forbidden fruit’ type looks incredibly difficult to approach.”

Each of them had been loudly clamoring moments before, but when it came to actually acting, they all wilted.

Yet, there were true warriors among them.

One man, with a flick of his knight’s uniform, a face full of cold arrogance and disdain, sneered with a twisted grin, “A bunch of cowards, you deserve to be single for life!”

Then he strode confidently after Melina and Merrow, declaring, “She’s just a maid! Watch me show you how it’s done!”

With that, he walked over, bathed in the admiring gazes of the crowd.

“Good day, beautiful lady. My name is [Nameless Passerby], and I wonder if I might have the honor of making your acquaintance.”

He struck what he believed to be an elegant and handsome pose, his tone gentle yet imbued with profound confidence.

Hearing this, Melina paused, and noticing the man was not addressing her, she turned curiously to Merrow by her side.

Merrow maintained her graceful posture, a gentle, serene smile gracing her lips.

She lightly lifted her skirt, inclined slightly forward towards the man, and performed a humble bow.

“I am flattered by your admiration, sir, but I have already sworn an oath to serve only one master in this life, and that is Miss Esbelle here.”

Having said this, Merrow offered an incredibly warm smile, so radiant that a halo of sacred golden light seemed to shimmer behind her.

One could hear her say, “You are a good person, but I am merely a maid. You deserve a companion more befitting of you.”

With that, she even offered a bow to the onlookers in the distance, her voice clear and exceptionally polite.

“I am grateful for everyone’s past care and support of my young lady at the academy. Merrow extends her thanks once more and sincerely hopes to share a pleasant campus life with you all in the future.”

No sooner had Merrow finished speaking than she felt an arm wrap around her.

Turning her head, she naturally saw her young mistress, Melina.

Melina, with a triumphant expression, hugged Merrow’s arm, playfully sticking out her tongue at everyone as if to boastfully declare her ownership of Merrow.

Only after the two had departed did the crowd finally snap back to reality.

“Ah! A goddess! If there truly are goddesses in this world, then Miss Merrow must surely be one!”

“Agreed, utterly agreed! She is so beautiful, generous, dignified, elegant, polite… I—I simply don’t know how else to describe her!”

“Me too!”

“Hey, why isn’t Brother [Nameless Passerby] moving?”

“Could it be that his confession was rejected, and he’s heartbroken?”

Someone approached [Nameless Passerby], circled around to face him, and was instantly stunned into silence.

The man’s face had transformed into an expression of devout reverence, as if he had found some form of salvation.

‘As expected… of the woman my Crooked-Mouth Dragon King has set his sights on. Even her rejection is utterly captivating.’