"It feels like you just arrived... and now you're already leaving," Kyle said, standing before the departing carriage. He gazed at Yuria and me with wistful eyes.
"I'm the Territorial Lord of Tevra. I can't stay at the Academy forever," I replied, feeling no lingering attachment.
Originally, I had seized the Grimoire meant for Kyle, allowing Yuria to wield it. I had also bedded the Dragon and the Academy's beauties.
I couldn't get that damn red-haired bitch, though...
Winning Melissa over had taken longer than expected. I had no intention of crossing that line without her consent, but... I was wary of Priscilla's reaction. She seemed genuinely fond of her disciple.
I can win her over later. Charnel will fall deeper for Kyle as time passes. It might be perfect to approach her when she's about to confess to him. Heh heh heh.
Kyle would soon leave the Academy and venture to the island, where he would discover a Fortuitous Encounter left behind by an Aura Master and grow even stronger.
I plan to hand over that Fortuitous Encounter to him. Kyle needs to become strong enough to be useful.
"Brother, I should get going now. Take care. I'll pass on your regards to Mother."
"Alright. You be careful too. Especially with your heart condition... Be cautious in everything you do. If anything happens, contact me immediately. I'll rush over."
"Thanks for the thought, Brother."
"Yuria..."
Kyle hesitated, glancing at Yuria, before finally speaking.
"...Stay healthy. Take good care of Yujin."
"Yes, Master. Serving you is my duty, so please don't worry. I wish you good health as well, Young Master Kyle."
We boarded the carriage.
Unlike before we came to the Academy, there was now one more person with us: Floida. She had sworn an oath to become my Knight.
"Are you sure you're okay leaving so abruptly? You've worked at the Academy for quite a while, haven't you?"
"I'm fine, My Lord. I've been preparing to leave the Academy for the past month. And frankly, I'm deeply disappointed by Goldway Academy's inadequate response to this crisis. I have no intention of ever returning."
Even after the Demon attack, the Academy remained passive, insisting Goldway Academy was safe and continuing as usual. They seemed to be doing something behind the scenes, but it hardly inspired confidence.
Meanwhile, Bezel's identity as a Demon Contractor had been revealed, and a bounty of over 1 billion gold coins had been placed on her head. Given the severity of her crimes, wanted posters would likely be plastered across the entire continent, making it impossible for her to operate openly.
As we arrived at the harbor, Melissa, a woman with deep blue hair, was waiting for us. She wasn't wearing her Academy uniform but rather clean, ordinary clothes favored by wealthy Commoners. A large bag sat behind her.
"Melissa, your presence here means you've chosen to come with me, right?"
"Choice? Can you even call this a choice? My life is as good as ruined because of you."
Melissa glared at me, but there was no malice in her gaze.
"The Crown Prince will arrive at the Duke of Argentina's estate soon. He'll tell my father he suspects you and I have an improper relationship. I'll be summoned by the clan and subjected to a purity test."
A purity test.
It wasn't the kind where they spread your legs to check your hymen. In this world, magic existed a mystical force that could supposedly determine whether someone was a virgin. Of course, even this method wasn't foolproof; it could be deceived.
But if the Duke of Argentina's House conducted the test, deception would be nearly impossible.
"If my father finds out I've lost my virginity, he'll either lock me away in a temple or marry me off to some old noble. He might even confine me to the estate. I'd rather follow you than live like that."
I grinned.
I knew she would come.
The moment Melissa chose to sleep with me in front of Crown Prince Doolybad, Duchess Melissa's life as she knew it changed completely. Now she had decided to leave with me rather than remain trapped by her family's demands.
For a delicately raised noble lady like Melissa, abandoning everything to roam the world wasn't an easy decision. Even so, the nights we had shared lingered vividly in her mind, and she wanted more of what we had started together.
"Melissa, you're welcome here."
"...Haa. How did I end up getting caught by a guy like you?" Melissa sighed, but a closer look at her face revealed a faint smile.
The Duke of Argentina's House was one of the most prestigious noble families, so the expectations and discipline imposed on her must have been immense likely even more severe than I imagined.
"Melissa, you'd look perfect in a maid's uniform."
"A maid...? I always thought I'd become a knight, like Professor Floy."
"No, a maid is exactly right for you."
"...If you say so, I can't really complain. Should I call you 'Master'?"
"Good. Just like a piglet. If you're willing, lift your skirt."
"H-here?" Melissa stammered, flustered.
This was the harbor. Sailors bustled around, working diligently. Our group, composed entirely of beauties except for me, drew plenty of furtive glances.
"If you don't want to, don't," I said. Melissa blushed crimson, clutched her skirt, then gave a small nod and abruptly lifted it high.
She wasn't wearing panties.
Her smooth lower abdomen and thighs were scrawled with lewd phrases she had let me write earlier, like "Noble Slut Pussy" and "A+ Sow," while her dark pubic hair was tied back with a small hair tie. The pi ce de r sistance was the dildo inserted into Melissa's pussy, its tip dripping with juices that splattered onto the ground.
"You're the best, Melissa!"
"Ugh... Ugh... This is so embarrassing, but I agreed to it..."
"Your pussy looks even wetter than your words suggest. Everyone's staring. Oh, look at that guy getting hard. Heh heh."
"...Ugh."
"If I had my way, I'd fuck you right here... but we need to board the ship. You can pull your skirt down now."
"Haa..."
She quickly lowered her skirt, but her flushed face refused to fade, still burning under the lingering gazes of the crowd.
"...Ugh. M-Master... I have a play partner... May I bring her with me?"
"A play partner?"
Melissa untied the straps of a large bundle behind her and pulled something out.
"Ugh!"
She crawled out on all fours, naked except for a ball gag, leather stockings, and gloves. The girl with the short, black-green hair was Nella, the former Accountant of the Academy's Student Council. She even wore a dog collar, the leash looped loosely in Melissa's hand.
All eyes in the vicinity were fixed on Nella. I could feel their shock and horror as they stared at her.
I was slightly dumbfounded.
"What? You're still bringing her along?"
I had stopped paying attention to Nella some time ago. I knew Melissa had stayed involved with her, but I figured they'd part ways eventually. Melissa was generally merciful, and Nella wasn't stupid enough to blab about it.
"She asked to come with me."
"Mmmph...! Mmmph!"
Melissa gave the leash a light tug, and Nella crawled forward. Melissa reached toward Nella's rear. An anal plug with a dog tail was inserted into her anus, and a thick dildo was lodged in her pussy. All of these were gifts from me.
"Hngh! Mmph! Hngh!"
Before touching her, Melissa met Nella's eyes and waited. After Nella gave a quick nod, Melissa gripped the dildo with one hand and began to thrust it steadily. Nella trembled and squirmed through the intensity, but she did not pull away.
"I'm not particularly fond of pet play... hmm. But I might make an exception for this one. It's quite amusing. Just make sure you take proper care of her."
I had no intention of accepting Nella as a maid. To become a maid, one needed at least a minimum level of beauty, and Nella fell short in that regard. Her looks were merely slightly above average.
"Don't worry about her. She's disciplined, and she knows how to behave in public, so she won't cause any trouble."
"Ah... okay."
We boarded the ship.
"Dullibard, your complexion has been poor lately. Is something troubling you deeply?"
The King of the Cobalt Kingdom asked his son, Crown Prince Dullibard. Since returning to the kingdom, Dullibard had been listless.
It wasn't just because they had lost their escort knights in a monster attack during their journey back to the palace. Given Dullibard's personality, he would have easily shaken off such an incident.
"...It's nothing, Father. I'm fine."
"You certainly don't look fine. Could this be about the Princess of Argen?"
"I've forgotten about that woman."
Melissa, the Duchess of Argen, had eloped with a noble from the Rapelli Kingdom.
The Duke of Argen, consumed by rage, attempted to dispatch knights to retrieve her. However, the noble in question was a scion of the Prucus Family, often referred to as the "Sword of Rapelli."
The Prucus Family, acting as the Rapelli Kingdom's bulwark, was notoriously unyielding toward foreign nobles. This made it impossible for the Duke of Argen to send knights without risking war.
In the end, the Duke of Argen disowned Melissa, declaring her no longer his daughter at least officially.
What the Duke of Argen might do unofficially remained a mystery.
"I'm worried about you, Dullibard. What if you, my successor to the throne, fall ill? Tell your father what troubles you."
Dullibard stared at the King, hesitating for a long moment before speaking.
"Father, I have suffered an unforgettable humiliation. Even with my eyes closed, the memory haunts me. To overcome this humiliation... I need power."
"Dullibard, you are the Crown Prince. You command men. Why not use the knights who follow you to avenge this humiliation?"
"I want to avenge this humiliation with my own hands! Otherwise, it will be meaningless! And to do that... I need overwhelming power."
Dullibard's voice rose, filled with rage and hatred.
The King sighed at the sight of his son. This can't go on. If he were to abdicate the throne without resolving the rage within Dullibard, he would almost certainly become a tyrant.
The current political climate on the continent was precarious, with signs of war looming. What was needed was not a tyrant, but a wise king. The Cobalt Kingdom was too weak to withstand a tyrant's rule.
"My son... there is a secret within the Cobalt Royal Family."
"...I know. You said you would reveal it to me on the day I ascend the throne, didn't you?"
"That's right. But seeing you now... I fear that day may never come."
"Father?! You can't mean...!"
"No. Calm yourself and listen. I'm about to reveal a secret. Our Royal Family's first King was a Dragon."
"...What?"
Dullibard was stunned. He had never imagined such a thing.
"He was a Red Dragon, renowned for his ferocity. Our deep crimson hair is proof of his lineage."
"A... a Dragon? Does that mean we're not human, but Dragonians?!"
"We are ordinary humans until the Dragon blood within us awakens. This Awakening can be achieved through a Ritual."
The King's eyes shifted, becoming reptilian. Scales sprouted on his hands and face, and something bulged from his back. Beneath his voluminous robes, folded wings lay hidden.
Dullibard felt more excitement than fear. A dragon a magnificent being. The thought that such immense power resided within him filled him with elation.
"However, if you harbor deep rage... you might awaken naturally, even without undergoing the Ritual. From what I can see, you're already in that state."
"...Isn't awakening a good thing?"
"We are not dragons. Never forget that. Awakening through rage carries a high risk of failure. If you fail to awaken properly... you're likely to become a Drake a mindless monster, neither human nor truly intelligent."
"Father always told us to control our rage. Does that mean..."
"Exactly. It's to prevent awakening."
"The Ritual! If it's the Ritual, I can fully awaken, can't I? Father, please perform the Awakening Ritual for me!"
"...The Ritual suppresses and draws out the Dragon's blood. Its purpose is to prevent awakenings fueled by rage."
"...No way."
"That's right. The Awakening Ritual won't grant you the Dragon's power you desire."
"...!"
Dullibard squeezed his eyes shut. Then, as if having made up his mind, he snapped them open.
"I will undergo a Rage Awakening! I will definitely obtain the Dragon's power!"
"Wait. Your reason has been clouded by rage. When did I say there was no other way? That person could fully awaken you. So, ask them."
"That person... if it's who I think it is?"
"Yes, I'm referring to Galliser Cobalt, the first King of Cobalt and our ancestor... no, I mean Lord Leocio Chrysode, the Red Dragon."
"The Red Dragon...! Can we really obtain his assistance?!"
"We have a means of contacting him... I will speak with him myself. Remain calm and wait."
"...Yes, Father!"
The King departed.
Dullibard clenched his fists tightly.
The humiliation and insult I suffered back then...! I will repay that bastard tenfold!
Dullibard's shadow flickered.
Game Over.