The first rays of the morning sun filtered through the screen window, casting slanted beams into the room littered with empty wine bottles.
The air was filled with the scent of overnight fermented alcohol mixed with two distinct body fragrances, creating a peculiar atmosphere.
“Achoo!”
Greg felt a tickle in his nose. After letting out a sneeze, he blearily opened his eyes.
A beam of dazzling morning light greeted him. He squinted instinctively, only to realize that at some point, he had rolled off the table and was now lying on the floor.
What surprised him even more was that Olivia and Luna were sleeping on top of him, one on each side.
Olivia was practically splayed across the right side of his chest. Her wavy, wine-red hair cascaded over his shoulders and onto the floor like spilled wine.
Her sleeping posture was incredibly careless, with one leg draped over his. A thin thread of crystal-clear drool hung from the corner of her mouth, slowly dripping down and leaving a small, damp patch on his clothes.
Luna, sleeping on his left, was far more elegant.
She lay on her side, using his left arm as a pillow. Her silver-white hair spread out like a waterfall, shimmering with a soft luster in the morning light.
Her breathing was light, and her long eyelashes cast faint shadows under her eyelids. Her face, as exquisite as a work of art, looked exceptionally serene and soft in her sleep.
“While I don't hate this picture, what on earth is going on?”
Greg was initially puzzled as to how things had ended up like this, but after a brief throb of pain in his head, the memories of last night came rushing back.
His plan had succeeded.
Although Olivia and Luna hadn't told him their decision to his face, he had already overheard their conversation by pretending to sleep, so he wasn't worried about that part anymore.
As for why he had ended up with a beauty in each arm, he figured it had to do with Olivia and Luna continuing to drink after he had actually fallen asleep last night.
It seemed they had also ended up completely wasted. Once they passed out, they had naturally sought out the nearest “pillow” to lie on.
“Still... I guess this counts as getting a taste of the decadent life of my dreams ahead of schedule, doesn't it?”
Greg mused silently to himself.
He looked at the two outstandingly beautiful, top-tier women on either side of him.
One was the Headmistress of Glory Cael Magic Academy, and the other was the Headmistress of Branch-String Sanctuary Magic Academy. Both were top-tier powerhouses at the Great Archmage level, standing at the very pinnacle of this world.
Under normal circumstances, let alone sleeping with them, others would need immense courage and status just to come within three feet of them.
Yet here he was, enjoying the luxury of holding them both in his arms. It was an absolute dream.
Greg wanted to lie back down and enjoy the sensation a bit longer. After all, once this opportunity was missed, it might never come again.
But in the next second, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: the final showdown was tomorrow, and his plans weren't fully set up yet. If he indulged himself now, he wouldn't be able to enjoy himself in the future!
With that, Greg snapped completely awake.
To make his final preparations, he slowly slipped out of their embrace without disturbing either of the headmistresses.
First, he gently lifted Luna's head from his left arm, replacing it with a rolled-up coat.
Then, he carefully moved Olivia's leg off his body and adjusted her into a comfortable position.
He held his breath through the entire process, his movements as delicate as if he were defusing a bomb.
Fortunately, both of them were fast asleep, showing no signs of waking up.
Having successfully escaped, he stood up and smoothed out his crumpled clothes. Glancing at the damp spot on his chest soaked by Olivia's drool, he let out a helpless sigh.
Though returning to the dormitory now meant he would likely face interrogation from Rom and Corwin, he had to do it to rid himself of the scents and traces left on him by the two headmistresses.
With that, Greg silently slipped out of the room and made his way toward the dormitory.
...
Inside the private chambers of the Church of Light's Saintess, Veronica was sitting at her desk, holding a thick stack of parchment manuscripts.
It was the complete transcript of Greg's speech during the secondary defense, copied down word-for-word by someone and eventually making its way into her hands.
“Ah, ah...! As expected of a Heroic Spirit who once fought alongside Lady Serafina... Such profound knowledge, such elegant words! Everything in here... is simply flawless...!”
A look bordering on obsession filled Veronica's eyes. Her eyes, which were usually gently squinted, were now wide open. The characters on the paper were reflected in her pupils as if she wanted to engrave every single word into her mind.
There was a knock at the door.
Veronica's movements froze for an instant.
She quickly closed the manuscript, locked it in the safe beneath her desk, stood up straight, and hid the obsessive expression on her face, returning to her usual gentle, squinted-eye demeanor.
Clearing her throat, she spoke in a warm and calm voice, “Come in.”
The door was pushed open, and a guard nun in a white habit entered. She bowed to Veronica and reported:
“Lady Saintess, it was confirmed yesterday that the Director of the Inquisition died shortly after returning to the imperial capital to investigate the clues. Bishop in White Bernard deduces that the target the Director was tracking is likely still in the imperial capital. He is asking how you would like us to handle this.”
Veronica's squinted eyes opened slightly, revealing a trace of surprise.
First, she hadn't expected that the fellow who escaped from the dungeon would actually dare to remain in the imperial capital.
Logically, after leaving a dungeon, such a person should have fled as far as possible from the scene to evade capture. This person's boldness was truly immense.
Second, although the deceased was only the Director of a branch Inquisition, his level was still above LV50, making him a powerhouse in his own right.
Yet he had died, and so silently that he wasn't even discovered until several days later...
Veronica sighed softly. “It seems quite a troublesome fellow has emerged from the dungeon.”
With her strength, Veronica didn't believe she would be unable to deal with this individual.
However, she had originally envisioned the battlefield to be in some uninhabited, deep mountains.
There, she could unleash her full power without any reservations or fear of harming innocents.
But with that person staying in the imperial capital, the situation was entirely different.
First of all, just conducting a search would consume a great deal of time.
Furthermore, if a battle suddenly erupted between her and that person within the imperial capital, it would not only affect many innocent commoners but also risk exposing the secrets of the dungeon to other factions.
This was something she wanted to avoid as much as possible.
Just as she was feeling somewhat troubled, the guard nun who had just left returned, bowing to report once more:
“Lady Saintess, a student named Greg is outside requesting an audience. Shall I allow him in?”
Rate on N.U.
