Moments later, Dante sat across from her. For several seconds, neither spoke. She continued eating gracefully. He simply watched.
Finally, she laughed softly.
"Mythical Lord Dante... You seem like someone perfectly capable of enjoying your own company. I'm surprised you wanted to sit with me."
Dante tilted his head.
"I look like a loner?"
She smiled.
"No. You look like someone who intentionally chooses to be one."
He nodded.
"That's accurate."
She rested her chin upon one hand.
"With your appearance, I imagine very few women would refuse your company."
"That's true."
Her lips twitched.
"You really aren't humble."
Dante took an enormous bite from the burger that had just arrived. Only after swallowing did he answer.
"I am. When the situation requires it."
She laughed.
"Oh? When exactly does the situation require humility?"
He casually drank from his cup.
"When I'm facing someone strong enough that killing them would become inconvenient."
She burst into another laugh.
"I see. So humility is merely another survival tactic."
"Exactly."
"I thought gentlemen called it diplomacy."
"I call it living longer."
She found herself unable to disagree.
"So — where are your women today?"
"They're training. In the Combat Mountains."
Her brows rose.
"At this hour?" She glanced toward the darkening sky outside.
"They'll be fine."
"You trust them that much?"
"I trust Vexion. Which means I trust Lexa."
She smiled.
"I suppose that's one way of looking at it."
Dante nodded once before abruptly changing the subject.
"Tomorrow. Meet me near the student halls beside the voidship terminals."
She blinked.
"...Why?"
"We're training. The whole faction."
Her brows furrowed.
"You don't think I already have plans?"
"Not particularly."
"My Lord, not everyone can rearrange their schedules simply because you ask."
"They can."
She rubbed her forehead.
"This man..."
After a long sigh she surrendered.
"...What time?"
"Morning. We leave tomorrow. We arrive the following morning."
She slowly nodded.
"I'll be there."
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"I do have one question."
Dante looked toward her. His gaze naturally drifted downward.
"...Decent."
She immediately cleared her throat.
"My Lord. That's rude."
Without even looking away, Dante asked,
"You dislike compliments?"
She almost laughed.
"You consider staring at a woman's chest a compliment?"
"I do."
She shook her head, smiling despite herself.
"You're impossible. It isn't gentlemanly. It isn't polite. And it certainly isn't flattering."
Dante finally looked back up.
"Then why wear something that draws attention to it?"
Her smile widened.
"I knew you'd ask. I wear it because I like looking beautiful. Not because I want every man staring. A glance. A compliment. Then look away. That's proper etiquette."
Dante considered her answer for several seconds. Then he nodded.
"...You're right."
Eliosphere blinked.
"...That was easier than I expected."
"I never said I disagreed. I just wanted to understand your reasoning."
For the first time since meeting him, she genuinely laughed.
"You really are strange, Dante."
She chuckled.
"You're surprisingly fun."
Dante tilted his head with a curious smile. He already knew why. Out of everyone he had met since arriving at the Academy, Eliosphere reacted the most naturally to him. Most people either became uncomfortable, irritated, cautious, or simply couldn't follow the direction his conversations took. She could. The reason wasn't difficult to understand. The System had already shown him everything.
Name: Eliosphere
Age: 21
Race: Fairy
Origin: Western Continent
Moral Alignment: Evil, Malevolent, Cruel
Blessing of Nature — Legendary Tier
A Legendary Fairy Skill that grants dominion over wind and nature, turning the battlefield itself into a weapon.
Abilities
Wind Dominion — Manipulates wind into compressed blasts, blades, explosions and shockwaves while granting high-speed flight.
Nature Dominion — Controls surrounding vegetation, rapidly accelerating growth through mana.
Nature's Blessing — Converts natural mana into healing, stamina recovery and mana restoration.
Verdant Devourer — Controlled vegetation drains mana and stamina from trapped enemies before feeding it back to the user.
Bloom of Ruin — Evolves plants into poisonous flowers, carnivorous vines, explosive seed pods and countless other deadly flora.
Dante finished reading the appraisal before giving an approving nod.
"I am fun."
He leaned back comfortably.
"It just takes someone who finds humor in killing a man's family because you can't kill him to appreciate my jokes."
Eliosphere stared at him. Then a laugh escaped. She covered her mouth, shoulders trembling as she tried to suppress it.
"You might not be funny—" She wiped a tear from her eye. "—just clinically deranged."
Dante shrugged.
"I don't think killing people is funny."
He thought for a second.
"I think killing people can become funny depending on the situation."
He frowned.
"There was a point I was trying to make—"
He paused.
"I forgot it."
That only made her laugh harder.
"I don't know why—" She struggled to breathe between laughs. "—but you're genuinely the funniest person I've met since entering the Academy."
Dante watched her for a moment. She's like Vexion. Not in personality. Not even in temperament. But somewhere deep down, both possessed an unsettling darkness most people never admitted to having. Only Vexion hid hers behind loyalty. Eliosphere wore hers with elegance.