Chapter 89: My Dearest Fiancée
In the dead of night, while the two were drifting through a sweet dreamland, Sael quietly crept over to the vanity mirror. No one would have guessed that the introverted Sael was actually a girl who harbored a secret fondness for the sexy look.
She stealthily pulled out a miniskirt and lace undergarments from her bundle and began to dress herself up. This bizarre sight gave Shirazawa, who had just gotten up for a midnight bathroom break, a sudden jolt of cold sweat.
"Huh?" Sael looked up, her gaze meeting Shirazawa's directly.
"Ahem, well... I was just wondering, are you... roleplaying?" Shirazawa coughed lightly, pretending to ask in a casual, nonchalant manner.
"?"
Sael froze. Then, her face turned a brilliant crimson, and she wordlessly squatted in the corner, retreating into a stony silence. Seeing this, Shirazawa didn't have the heart to tease her further. After finishing his business, he slid back into the warmth of the blankets.
However, he didn't go back to sleep. Instead, he began to study the basic magical theoretical knowledge D had gifted his mind. To regain his strength, besides the tedious process of learning from scratch, there was a shortcut. Gülie had previously mentioned that triggering a special mechanism or a certain stimulus could allow one to master skills rapidly.
But such occurrences were far and few between–somewhat like a "sudden enlightenment" in a cultivation novel. Knowing the plot, Shirazawa knew exactly what Shiro's trigger was.
Alcohol.
Knowing her own abysmal tolerance and the way she acted when drunk, Shiro hadn't touched a wine glass since. The state of "letting go" she entered was something even she looked back on with lingering horror. It wouldn't be until two or three years later, after returning to the Demon Lord's territory, that she would accidentally have a small sip. But that tiny glass would be enough to make her black out, and while "finding herself," she would accidentally unleash all sorts of magic. After that day, she would mysteriously reclaim her former power and officially step onto the path of a novice Goddess.
"Shiro's problem is easy to solve, but how am I supposed to awaken?" Shirazawa scratched his scalp in frustration. He had already tried drinking a bit on the sly, but he hadn't sensed a single spark of a breakthrough.
Did he really have to cultivate step-by-step? He had skimmed the basic magical theories earlier; the knowledge involved was comparable to researching the formation of the universe. And that was just the *basic* theory. He was certain that even with diligent study, he wouldn't see a shred of progress for at least a decade! At that rate, it would be ages before he regained his original strength.
After pondering for a moment, he decided to ask D if there was a way to speed things up. With a thought, a smartphone–looking wildly out of place in this world–materialized in his palm.
"Heh, this really is convenient." He marveled for a second before dialing D's number.
*Ring... Ring...*
"Oh? Dearest Aze, missing me so soon? I thought you'd never call." D's teasing voice drifted from the other end.
Under the covers, the girl whose eyes were tightly shut suddenly rolled over. Preoccupied with his worries, Shirazawa didn't notice anything unusual. He curled his lip and said flatly, "Skip the pleasantries. I want to know if there's a way to speed up my cultivation. You definitely know about those 'trigger mechanisms,' right? Tell me."
Shirazawa's tone was calm, lacking any hint of negotiation.
"Hmph... your attitude when asking for a favor is so poor. I'm very unhappy." D's voice sounded aggrieved.
"Fine then... my dearest Fiancée, could you please find it in your heart to be magnanimous just this once?" Shirazawa rubbed his brow, offering a slight compromise.
Beneath the quilt, the breathing of the girl, which had been steady, suddenly quickened for a moment before returning to a forced calm.
"Hmph, that's more like it." D gave an arrogant snort, then continued with a serious warning: "I don't know how you found out about those trigger mechanisms, but I regret to tell you that they vary from person to person. I really can't help you there. And you'd better not try anything reckless; there are too many uncertainties involved. It's easy for things to go wrong."
Shirazawa nodded thoughtfully. He understood D's hidden meaning. Randomly experimenting could lead to a mental collapse or "qi deviation." The safest route was still the slow and steady one.
"Right. Thanks." Shirazawa offered a polite word of gratitude and prepared to hang up.
"Wait," D's lazy voice came through.
"Something else?"
"I'll give you a hint: prioritize learning skills related to mental power. That will maximize your cultivation speed."
Shirazawa frowned, carefully considering D's words. The first skill he had mastered was
Furthermore, skills like
In that case, was mental cultivation the primary way to level up after deification?! Shirazawa's eyes lit up as realization dawned. The mist on the road ahead was peeled away layer by layer, revealing a long staircase leading to divinity.
"It seems you've found your direction. I have nothing left to say then," the lazy voice spoke again.
"Yeah. I'm hanging up. Goodnight." Shirazawa put away the phone and buried himself under the covers.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night! Both for him... and for her.
Under the morning sunlight, Shirazawa slowly opened his eyes. The girl beside him had already gotten up; the bed was empty.
"Strange, where did Shiro run off to?" Shirazawa muttered. He didn't think much of it, and after a quick wash, he headed down to the dining room.
At the table, Shiro, wearing a white hood, sat beside Ariel with her eyes closed, quietly eating her breakfast. Her elegant movements seemed almost out of place in the rustic inn. Seeing this, Shirazawa nodded inwardly. *As expected of my Shiro, she maintains a noble aura even while eating breakfast.*
As for the other rowdy kids... the less said, the better–they were the source of Ariel's headaches.
Shirazawa sat down next to Shiro and picked up a bowl of wheat porridge, preparing to feed her as usual. To his surprise, she quietly set down her utensils, stood up, gave a slight bow to the group, and walked away from the table without looking back, heading up to their room.
This unusual behavior was immediately caught by the sharp-eyed Ariel. She nudged Shirazawa with her elbow and whispered, "Did you two have a fight?"
"No." How could he ever bring himself to fight with Shiro? "Everything was fine yesterday. I woke up and she was like this." Shirazawa, having been single for over twenty years in his past life, expressed total bafflement.
"Really?" Ariel looked suspicious. This had "post-argument" written all over it. And she had a feeling that this time, Shiro was genuinely angry. The kind that couldn't be smoothed over easily.
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