Chapter 19: The Wager and a Lost Pet

Just as Tok, utterly enraged, prepared to physically confront Allyrose, Arius abruptly seized his arm. With a firm grip, he pulled his fellow sycophant behind him.

The black-haired girl, Allyrose, smiled confidently, her composure unshakeable. She understood perfectly that for a royal noble like Arius, engaging in a brawl at school, particularly against a girl, was unthinkable.

Such a scandal, if it were to spread, would bring immense disgrace upon the royal family.

For the entrenched nobility, decorum was paramount. Allyrose therefore deduced that, despite Arius’s probable attempts to stir up trouble, he wouldn’t dare act without concrete evidence.

He would, at the very least, need to find a plausible excuse.

As expected, the very next second, while Tok remained somewhat dazed from being pulled away, Arius coolly furrowed his brow. This made it clear he wasn’t standing in Allyrose’s defense. After a brief pause, he slowly lifted his gaze, addressing her with an air of haughty arrogance.

“I don’t like resorting to violence, and I understand your pain at being stripped of your Saintess status. However… Vivian was born a Saintess; it’s simply a matter of things returning to their rightful owner. Furthermore… what I detest most is deception! Allyrose, I now challenge you in the name of the royal family! If you truly possess Level 100 strength, then… prove it to me! If you cannot, then… I will demand the school expel the imposter!”

“Hoh?” Allyrose blinked slowly. Confronted with such a challenge, the black-haired girl felt not a shred of fear; after all, her level was undeniably real. Still… this particular wager struck her as rather illogical.

“Interesting. I have two questions for Your Highness. First, how do you wish for me to prove my level is real? You should specify the method, otherwise, if you simply refuse to acknowledge it, there’s nothing I can do. Second, if I can’t prove it, you’ll demand my expulsion. So, if I *do* prove I’m truly Level 100, are you prepared to leave the school yourself?”

“Uh… this…” Arius cast his gaze downward. It was clear his earlier pronouncements had been a moment of pure impulse; the Second Prince hadn’t truly thought through the specifics of the wager. Yet, if he lost and was forced to withdraw from school himself, that was an absolute impossibility. His royal father meticulously tracked his academic performance, and an expulsion would be tantamount to a death wish.

After a prolonged moment of careful deliberation, Arius finally spoke. “Very well, Allyrose. Tomorrow, I will arrange for the school to host a practical combat training course. Should you perform exceptionally well—for example, by slaying an Epic-tier monster—I will acknowledge that you haven’t faked your strength. If I lose this wager, I am prepared to issue a public apology and compensate you with five million dinars.”

“Oh-hoh~?” Five million dinars? Allyrose’s interest was instantly piqued by the sum. “That could certainly work~”

‘It seems the Second Prince’s allowance is quite generous indeed~ Hehehe, how perfect. I’m constantly dipping into my savings these days, so five million would certainly help me recover some funds~’ “No problem at all, Your Highness, and thank you~ Well then, see you tomorrow~” Allyrose subtly curved her lips into a sly, cat-like smile, waving dismissively at Arius. The golden-haired boy’s face immediately darkened with a furious scowl.

‘But… how could it be? This woman is merely feigning indifference on the surface…’ Arius fixated on Allyrose’s retreating figure, his mind relentlessly trying to reassure himself. ‘There’s no way this person could be Level 100? I simply cannot lose this wager!’

‘Hmph, she’s probably just desperate to escape, which is why she’s feigning such confidence. Tomorrow, she’ll undoubtedly conjure some excuse to flee…’ ‘Too bad for her, because this time, I’m absolutely serious. Should that woman dare to be absent, I will personally ensure the academy expels her at once!’

‘What is there to be so smug about…’

****

‘Hehehe~ Hehehe~ Five million! Five million, practically handed to me on a silver platter~’ After parting ways with Arius, Allyrose skipped merrily in the direction of her classroom.

She continued for a while, then suddenly paused. ‘Eh, wait… wait a minute.’ ‘Did I… misplace something?’

The mischievous girl halted, pondered for a moment, then suddenly slapped her own forehead.

‘Oh no, oh no! Where’s Little White Fur?!’ A sharp intake of breath escaped her. ‘My… my pet is gone!’

The black-haired girl frantically spun her head, scanning for any sign of Little White Fur. Her mind raced, desperately pinpointing the last place they had been together. ‘Right… that’s it, the auditorium!’

The girl spun around and sprinted back the way she’d come, only to—crash headfirst into a broad, firm chest.

“Agh-gah-gah… cough, cough… uh… Eh, Little White Fur!” Clutching her head, Allyrose stumbled back two steps. She then looked up, her gaze falling upon the 1.85-meter tall, silver-haired man before her. She pouted playfully. “Little White Fur, where did you run off to? I nearly got ambushed by two big guys~”

“Hm?” Luo Jia’s eyes flickered with momentary panic. However, after a brief instant, seeing the girl’s cunning smile, he quickly understood she was merely being mischievous.

“I just now… accidentally couldn’t keep up with you, and then… got, got lost…”

“Pfft~” After hearing Luo Jia’s explanation, Allyrose immediately burst into uncontrollable laughter. Still chuckling, she teased, “What?! You can get lost even in a place like this? Oh, my poor, directionally challenged Little White Fur, you almost became a lost puppy who couldn’t find its owner~”

‘No… no, it’s not like that?!’ Luo Jia’s lips twitched involuntarily. ‘What, what are you laughing about?! It’s my very first day here, the campus is enormous, and there’s no one around after classes. Getting lost… isn’t that perfectly normal under these circumstances?’

‘I truly wish I could make this troublesome woman cry, absolutely cry!’

However… in that moment, the Demon Lord opted for patience. It wasn’t until three minutes later, once Allyrose had laughed her fill, that she patted Luo Jia’s shoulder, then squinted her eyes and smiled faintly. “Alright~ I’m done teasing you. Come on, let’s head to the library. This time… make sure to follow your owner closely, or else… if you get lost again, your owner will have to come searching for you~”

‘Don’t actually treat me like a dog, seriously—!’

****

An hour later, Allyrose led Luo Jia into the school library. She found a suitable spot, and they settled down, intending to rest for a while.

Luo Jia was rather perplexed. Why the sudden trip to the library? He tilted his head, and a moment later, addressed Allyrose, who had already darted towards a bookshelf. “Is it alright to be here? Allyrose, don’t you have classes?”

“Well… because there’s something very important to do, skipping class is fine~”

Allyrose chuckled softly, then turned her head to face him. “Come on, Little White Fur, I need your help with something!”