Chapter 80: Chapter 12: Joint Training (7)

As our third day of joint training came to a close, we made our way back to the cabins. Along the path, Titania nudged me with her elbow, her grin stretching from ear to ear.

"You were absolutely fantastic out there."

"Really?" I responded.

"Absolutely! You were even faster than yesterday when we sparred. You were holding back your strength, weren't you? You sly dog," she teased, her grin still in place as she jabbed me again with her elbow. "So you were deliberately holding back for my sake, huh? Oh, Leon, I may have underestimated you..."

If that's what she wanted to believe, then so be it. "Anyway, I still couldn't best Zeruel in the end, could I?"

"Well, there wasn't much you could do about that. Zeruel ranks second in our year, while you're at the bottom, so it's only natural you'd lose," she remarked bluntly, as if she weren't walking right beside the person she was talking about. Her tone bordered on rudeness, but she quickly shifted back to her usual cheerful demeanor.

"But still, I'm genuinely proud that you held your own against Zeruel, even if it was just for a minute."

"Yeah, I could've sworn that spar lasted almost an hour... Turns out it was just a minute," I remarked wryly.

The reason I lost in my duel with Zeruel was because I intentionally loosened my grip on my wooden sword, causing it to fly through the air when we clashed. I didn't want to attract attention from students I had no interest in, so I played it off as a mistake.

It seemed to have worked, as I walked and talked with Titania, the others in our group didn't seem overly impressed by my spar with Zeruel. Perhaps they were secretly impressed, but didn't want to acknowledge it out of pride. They couldn't bear the thought of a supposedly skillless individual like me being stronger than them in swordsmanship, so they acted as if my spar was no big deal.

Well, maybe that was for the best.

As I thought about this, I could feel Zeruel's intense gaze boring into my back.

***

The night had already draped its veil over the sky when a knock reverberated through my door, breaking the silence of my cabin.

"Are you awake?" came the voice of Johanne, muffled by the wooden barrier.

"Yep," I replied, swinging my legs off the bed. "Give me a sec, I'll be out." Standing up, I crossed the room and pulled the door open, revealing Johanne with his familiar smile.

"Good evening," he greeted me.

"Likewise," I returned.

We both stepped outside our cabin and headed towards the cafeteria where dinner was being served. As we walked, I found myself stealing glances at Johanne, who hummed contentedly with his eyes closed.

He didn't strike me as feminine at all. In fact, he exuded a distinctly masculine aura, from his build to the way he carried himself.

"Oh, excuse me, I need to answer nature's call. Mind waiting a bit while I take a leak?" he asked. His words sounded undeniably male. So why was it that I could dominate him?

I decided to put my theory to the test, crafting my approach carefully. With deliberate steps, I positioned myself so that my reflection would catch her eye in the mirror. As soon as her gaze fell upon me, she erupted, "Ah! You...! What are you doing when I, the owner of the Eye of The Demon God, am indulging in my private moment?" she screeched, her voice echoing off the tiled walls.

"Uh, this is the bathroom."

"How dare you address me, the owner of the Eye of The Demon God, in such a manner?" she snapped, her expression a mix of fury and indignation.

Honestly, she was beyond annoying. But amidst all that annoyance, there were some cute aspects to her, so whatever. I had to go through with this.

"I extend my sincerest apologies if my presence has disrupted your private moment, esteemed owner of the Eye of The Demon God," I proclaimed with exaggerated deference, dropping to one knee as if I were one of her loyal subjects. "I humbly beg for your forgiveness."

If this didn't ignite some interest, then I might as well vanish into thin air. Because the sheer embarrassment of this situation was enough to make me want to disappear.

When I made my grand gesture, she exclaimed, "Oh? Ooh, yes! Very good, very good! This is the reaction I've been waiting for! Such reverence befitting my greatness! Fuhahahahaha!"

Thankfully, she seemed pleased with my performance.

Simultaneously, I registered the metallic chime resonating in my head. Success. I had managed to pique her interest. Surprisingly, garnering her attention was easier than I had anticipated. All it took was playing along with her delusions, and she was hooked. The brief moment of sadness earlier likely stemmed from the fact that nobody had bothered to engage with her before.

I decided to inspect the requirements for dominating her.

--

You've captured the interest of Isiliraiellyn. You can now proceed to dominate her.

Name: Isiliraiellyn Pantagruel

Race: Human-Demon Hybrid

Requirements to dominate Isiliraiellyn:

1. Help Isiliraiellyn Save People Who Are In Danger Five Times (0/5)

2. Unlock

3. Unlock

4. Unlock

....

--