Dante's interest was immediately piqued.
"What made him interesting?"
Lexa answered, one hand resting on the scabbard of her sword.
"His mana fluctuations. Had I not fought Lady Emerald, I doubt I would've noticed it. He was deliberately suppressing the mana around him, making it appear far weaker than it actually was. It was as though he was trying to make himself seem... ordinary."
She paused before continuing.
"Moreover, even though he remained seated in the exact same place the entire time, he gave off the sensation of not truly being there. It felt as though I was looking at an illusion rather than a real person. The moment the hall emptied, I only caught sight of him once before he simply vanished. I couldn't even fully track his mana."
Dante's curiosity deepened.
Jurian looked toward him. "You want to recruit him?"
Dante shook his head. "Not for the faction." He smiled faintly."For a personal reason."
Jurian chuckled internally.
'So you're warning me he's your target. Very well.' Aishwani folded her arms.
"You're looking for another subordinate? You already have two True Sage subordinates."
Dante nodded. "I know but my plans need to speed up."He looked at both of them. "I'd suggest you also start replacing those useless Epic-tier subordinates... or sex toys... whatever they are."
Aishwani's eyebrow twitched. "Things are going to become much harder than either of you imagines." Despite the insult, she couldn't disagree.
Once the academy finished filtering out the riffraff, the number of Mythical Beings would fall dramatically. Out of the current two hundred or so gathered here, perhaps only one hundred... maybe one hundred and forty... would remain after the Final Selection.
And those survivors...They wouldn't merely be talented. They would be monsters. People like the Nameless One...Jurian...Gorgan...Even Dante himself.
She nodded. "I'm aware. However, I don't intend to make any major moves until we know who passes the Final Selection."
Dante nodded in agreement. "Fair enough. But if you find someone with potential, someone who's rough around the edges but can still be molded into an excellent subordinate...don't hesitate. A loyal subordinate is worth far more than ten talented strangers. As for convincing them..."
He counted on his fingers. "Threaten them. Offer them something valuable. Or use your body and make them fall for you."
Aishwani didn't even react this time. Instead, she merely sighed.
'This fool...He isn't trying to provoke me. He genuinely doesn't understand how ridiculous the things coming out of his mouth are.'
She simply turned toward Jurian. "Do you already have subordinates?"
Jurian nodded. "Not exactly. They're registered as subordinates... but they're more like friends." Aishwani nodded. At that moment several figures approached from behind her.
Her own subordinates. She looked back toward Dante. "Where exactly are we meeting in one week's time?" Dante asked casually, "What residence? District and number?"
She immediately narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Before she could misunderstand, Dante lazily wrapped an arm around Vexion's neck, pulling her against him.
His hand naturally settled over one of her soft breasts.
Vexion blushed immediately. Instead of resisting, she buried her face against his chest as warmth slowly spread through her body.
Dante looked at Aishwani with complete seriousness. "Trust me. If I were going to sleep with anyone...It'd always be Vexion."
Lexa simply sighed. There truly wasn't a filter between Dante's brain and his mouth. Aishwani stared at him for several seconds before pinching the bridge of her nose.
"...Can we just meet near the lecture halls? They're close to the transportation district anyway."
Dante released Vexion, who pouted after losing his embrace. He chuckled before nodding. "Yeah. That works. I'll have Lexa locate Gorgan and the Fairy.Once everyone's gathered we'll spar first. I'd also like to gauge exactly how strong all of you are. As for that interesting fellow..."
He smiled. "I'll recruit him if he passes." A brief pause. "...Actually. He'll pass. I'll meet him first."
Everything was settled surprisingly quickly.
The four separated and headed toward their own destinations. Dante looked toward his two subordinates. "Let's eat." Both women nodded without hesitation.
The Central Capital District truly lived up to its name. Bustling didn't even begin to describe it. Students filled nearly every road, conversation echoed from every direction, and countless buildings stretched into the distance, each grander than the last.
Before leaving the Orientation Hall, academy staff had ensured every student received their Academy Bracelet.
The artifact looked deceptively simple. A silver bracelet engraved with intricate runes. Yet the moment Dante infused it with mana, a translucent interface appeared before him. Only the wearer could see it.
Maps. Personal information. Available classes. Current Academy Points. Credit Points, transportation schedules and mission boards.
Everything appeared as though floating before his eyes.
If the owner wished, they could grant another person temporary permission to view portions of the interface, causing the holographic display to become visible only to that individual.
The privacy alone was impressive. Dante couldn't help but smirk. This is basically a magical smartwatch. The resemblance was uncanny. Naturally, explaining it to Lexa and Vexion took only a few minutes. The two women listened with obvious curiosity.
Neither understood how Dante had already mastered something they'd only possessed for less than an hour. They'd long since stopped questioning him.
Dante simply navigated through the menus as though he'd owned one his entire life. The bracelet projected a detailed map before him. After studying it for several moments, he guided the two women along a route that would normally require roughly an hour of walking.
The Central Capital District truly functioned as the heart of Midvest Academy.
Almost everything essential existed within it.
Lecture halls. Administrative buildings.
First and Second Year residences.
Markets.
Alchemy Halls.
Blacksmith facilities.
Libraries.
Ranking Halls.
Auction Houses.
Restaurants.
Training facilities.
Even the Transportation District itself.
Nothing was particularly close together. Walking from one end of the district to the other could easily consume two or three hours. Fortunately, movement skills weren't restricted throughout most of the Capital District.
Students capable of flight or teleportation naturally reached destinations much faster.
One thing Dante noticed almost immediately... There were barely any Second Years. He'd seen plenty during arrival yesterday.
Now...Almost none.
Busy already? Or perhaps...The academy intentionally kept the first years isolated during these opening weeks. Either explanation sounded plausible.
Rather than waste time wondering, Dante simply activated spatial body. The three vanished. Moments later they reappeared outside one of the district's largest restaurants.
Dante merely glanced upward.
"...Still enormous."
At this point, he had stopped questioning why every building in this academy looked capable of housing an entire city. He simply accepted it.
After a servant guided them toward an available table, Dante finally noticed several Second Year students scattered throughout the restaurant.
Quite a few pairs of eyes immediately landed on Lexa and Vexion. Some admired them. Others stared openly. Several made little effort to hide the lust in their expressions.
Lexa ignored every one of them. Vexion, meanwhile, wrinkled her nose in visible disgust before instinctively moving a little closer to Dante.
Dante merely chuckled. For some inexplicable reason...Watching a room full of fools admire women who only had eyes for him was oddly satisfying.
It almost made him feel like he was truly living inside one of the novels he'd once imagined.... Actually…Lexa…wasn't technically a women who desired him...