However, in this world, being homosexual was heavily frowned upon, to the point of being a crime worthy of getting enslaved for, so his admitting it after trying to boast about his expensive slave is a bit of a strange thing, since he just completely ruined any chances of looking cool in our eyes. Maybe he hit his head on the way here.

"Oh? My ears have picked up on some interesting statements." All my jovial snickering came to an abrupt halt as soon as the chilly tone of a female whose presence I was unaware of sounded from close to me.

"L-l-lady Vex, I was merely jesting, a slip of the tongue between men trying to one-up each other. I'm begging you, don't take it to heart!" Soren shouted immediately, letting me know that the woman behind me was most certainly the Veil Walker sent to act as our examiner.

Both Blossom and Ayame reacted instantly by getting behind me in order to stand between myself and the newcomer in a protective gesture. They drew their weapons and aimed them at her.

Indeed, appearing behind someone you don't know was not something strangers do to each other, so it could be taken as her being hostile to me.

"Oh my. Please excuse my rudeness." Vex stated in a playful tone, and I finally turned around to check her out. I had to give it to Soren, she truly was an exceptional female specimen.

She was simply breathtaking. Vex- as she was apparently called- had long, straight silver hair that was smooth and pristine, which ended up contrasting sharply against the dark parts of her outfit. A delicate ribbon adorned her head which was tied into a bow that was somehow both elegant and playful. Her face was simply flawless as if she were a doll- porcelain skin, sharp features, and lips painted an alluring shade of red. Perhaps her eyes were what stood out most. They were of a red color that seemed to bore into my soul, assessing and appraising me in an instant.

Vex's outfit was something akin to that of a kendo practitioner, and she had the sword to match it as well. The attire was simplistic with black and white details. It was practical and clearly designed to move easily in. Her main focus was combat effectiveness rather than sex appeal, yet in my humble opinion that only made her hotter. My kink towards strong women also probably played a role in my minor but instant infatuation with her.

(Picture)

The woman stood there with her arms up in playful surrender, completely unfazed by Blossom and Ayame's weapons pointed at her.

<Stand down. I do appreciate the gesture though. Truly, I have amazing lovers.>

<Hm… She surprised me. Sorry, I overreacted.> Ayame accepted as she placed her katana back inside its sheath. Stay updated through m-v l|-NovelFire.net

<Blossom didn't even smell her presence despite the fact that she was paying attention the whole time! She doesn't like this woman!>

"Oh, what a cute doggy you are! Please don't have a nervous breakdown on my account, I was just using a few tricks up my sleeve to hide my presence." Vex added with a smile, evidently managing to guess what Blossom was thinking despite the mask covering her face.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Vex. I'm Devil, and these five are my Heralds." Sёarch* The Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Likewise. I'm Ambition, these five are my Heralds." The tanker elf followed my example.

Vex examined us all with a curious expression before clapping her hands together. "Good job on surviving the first round with all of you alive. Back in my day only I got out of it in one piece, though that was probably because I attempted the Trials alone."

Evidently, this woman was something of a lighthearted jester. Maybe her joke would've landed more successfully if she hadn't just given us all a big scare, and she wasn't strong enough to kill us all on a whim.

Anyhow, I am sold on her. Once I become strong enough I'm making this woman mine for sure. I'm not a horndog who goes into heat just from visuals alone but she is the complete package. My heart is telling me that, at least.

Vex then refocused her attention on Soren. "So I heard you would give up on your slave and do some other interesting things for a chance at laying with me? Well, I accept. If you beat me in a fair duel I'm yours, such is the law of the jungle. The strong rule over the weak. In exchange, I'll be taking your slave. Devil, do you want to cash in on his other promise? You're the only one with the required tools, so you could consider yourself lucky."

*Cough* I couldn't help but cough into my palm. This Vex woman was truly something else. "I'll give up on your generous offer, thanks."

She smiled at me cheerily. "Oh well."

Lyra on the other hand did a complete 180. She beamed like the morning sun due to the hope of changing owners to that of a Veil Walker. Based on her antics I guessed that she would've been happy with anyone but Soren being her master, but it seemed Vex was right up her alley even then.

"I was truly just joking! My father always told me that I have a big mouth and that I deserve to be beaten! Please forgive me!" Soren shouted while desperately bowing after each sentence.

Vex merely shrugged her shoulders. "It seems my sense of humor has grown too outdated for you youngsters. I didn't find the 'joke' funny at all, but I forgive you just this once. Let's get a move on, shall we?"

The silver-haired beauty made it crystal clear that she wasn't serious about taking Lyra as her slave at all, which resulted in the pink-haired woman's expression going from hopeful to one that was even more depressed than before.

I shook my head disapprovingly. Vex just lost a point in my book. It's one thing to not care about the life of a random weak (in her eyes) slave but to give her false hope just to crush it for no reason at all wasn't something my future wife should be doing.

It seemed that this woman was in need of some correction, which I will happily provide her with once I'm strong enough.