A few minutes passed in silence with at most some occasional words between Percy and Travis.

Aegon was no longer listening.

[ I don't understand how these guys didn't catch their meaning? Were they raised in a convent?] It didn't even cross Aegon’s mind that they understood but faked not understanding because of their upright behaviour.

[Oh poor things…well, it's not my place to explain.] His lips were already shaping into an evil smirk.

Aegon got up and lazily but loudly stretched, making everyone turn towards him.

“I'm going for a piss, might take a bath if I find a decent river, you don't have to worry if I take some time to come back.”

The boys only nodded and no longer minded him.

Aegon couldn't contain his smile any longer. [A perfect alibi! ]

He turned his back to the fire and walked towards the forest, more precisely in the opposite direction that the girls had left, however, while walking away he put his left arm behind his back and pointed to his right.

Travis was looking through the corner of his eye, but when Aegon walked in the opposite direction the girls had, he turned back to the fire.

Kuro, who was lying close to the fire, noticed Aegon, got up, and also left the camp going in the direction Aegon pointed at.

Aegon walked in a straight line for a bit, just enough to leave the camp's surroundings where the other boys could hear him, and then made a sharp turn to the right and power walked for a good hundred meters before he started hearing the sound of flowing water. His grin got even deeper. He heard the same sound a few hours earlier when he went to fetch wood for the fire and mentioned it to the girls who asked him if he had found some place to refill their canteens.

The pervert approached the bank of the river; it was empty, but a few meters downstream the river curved abruptly around a small hill and in the night silence one could hear female voices and water splashing.

Aegon's expression changed completely, his previous evil smile vanished without a trace and with a neutral expression he undressed and walked into the river where he washed as if it was a regular day. But beneath that expression a conflicted moral dilemma was taking place.

[Am I a hypocrite for judging their behaviour when I'm devising a plan to exploit these women?] He seriously pondered about this question.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hill, Bella and Linda were washing themselves with only their undergarments on.

“Maybe we are being a bit too suspicious of Aegon, although he is shameless I noticed that he doesn't seem fond of public affection, that along with his background tells me that he probably takes things like gentleman behaviour and honor seriously.” Bella pondered out loud.

Linda was silent for a moment.”Maybe that's true, but it wouldn't hurt to be a bit more careful during these next few days just to make sure.”

Bella nodded and was about to change topics when she heard movement behind her.

Both girls hid behind a rock and waited.

[Maybe he really is that shameless.]

To their surprise, what appeared on the bank of the river wasn't Aegon but instead his wolf.

“Ok, it's just his dog.” Bella sighed and was ready to come out of hiding when her arm was grabbed by her friend.

“If his dog’s here he might be coming too.” Linda whispered.

At the same time Kuro was confused looking around the river for his owner and wondering why he had even been asked to come here, after looking around for a bit he turned and walked back to the camp annoyed at his partner.

“He must be scouting ahead for Aegon, let's go around this hill before they come and finish our baths quickly.” Bella nodded in agreement and they quickly circled the hill while focusing their eyes behind them.

“Ok it doesn't look like we’re being foll…” While Bella was talking she finally turned her eyes to where they were going and her words got stuck..

A few meters ahead, a slim but toned back with growth marks was slowly dripping water.

Linda also turned when Bella got silent but while doing so she splashed a bit too loudly.

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Aegon, who was still lost in his moral dilemma, turned without even remembering his purpose for being there in the first place.

He was faced with two women wearing only their undergarments, one with blonde hair and emerald eyes and the other with pitch black air and almond eyes, but in every other aspect they were similarly beautiful…

They were submerged all the way to their shoulders but the water was mostly clear and he could still make out their bodies.

[Tsk, It seems they were on their guard because of me…] He was slightly offended that they thought he had the audacity to do something so crude such as peeking, until of course, he remembered that he did have that audacity, and he still had a bit more than that…

[Well it seems that discussing the morality of it all is useless now, might as well complete my plan.]

His previous shocked expression turned into embarrassment as he rushed to cover his private parts which were totally exposed.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING PEEKING AT A YOUNG MAN?!”

The women were still shell-shocked, they had never seen a member of the opposite gender totally naked but with Aegon's scream they returned to reality and rushed to cover themselves too.

“WHY ARE YOU ACTING INNOCENT? I BET THIS WAS YOUR PLAN ALL ALONG!” Bella screamed.

“YOU ARE DISGUSTING, ONCE WE RETURN TO THE MARTIAL HOUSE I WILL TELL THE TEACHERS ABOUT TODAY.” Linda added, screaming as well.

Aegon smirked internally. [I’m about to end your whole career.]

“And tell them what?” Aegon asked as he backed towards a rock while covering himself, even someone like him gets embarrassed being totally exposed like that but it was an indispensable way to prove his innocence.

This question took both girls aback, what could they say? They were still somewhat clothed, he was totally naked and they were the ones that found him bathing and looked before he noticed.

“Y-You used your dog to scare us into coming in your direction…” Linda rebutted but she wasn't so certain now.

“You mean Kuro, first he isn't a dog, he is a Direwolf…” He paused and the rustling of clothes could be heard behind the boulder he was hiding on.

Both girls took this chance and also changed behind some bushes near the bank.

A few moments later Aegon walked from behind the boulder he was hiding, this time fully clothed. He pondered about trying to peek into the bush but his noble side persuaded him against it.

It also helped that in that moment he needed to pass his best gentleman impression to get out of this unscathed. And so even though the girls were already hiding behind a bush he turned his back and continued talking.

“... second he was probably there because he was looking for me. Didn't he look around as if searching for someone?” He paused.

Both girls felt that made sense and what they branded as “scouting ahead for Aegon” was probably just a dog looking for his owner.

Aegon's voice and demeanor changed in that pause, they could see his back through the leaves and under the moonlight his previously offended and defensive demeanor changed completely into one of loneliness, they couldn't see his face but they could swear he had a lonely smile on his face.

That loneliness vanished just as quickly when he finished his pause and talked in a meallow and caring voice. “He is a good boy…”

That sentence hit their hearts like a boulder. They felt guilty.

It was totally irracional to infer that just because someone showed such love for a pet that they wouldn't be able to commit any immoral acts, and they knew that, but the remaining evidence pointed to his innocence as well, they walked around the camp from where they left so he wouldn't know where they went, they were the ones that walked in on him and he was the one that was completely exposed, they were not wearing anything more exposing than they would at a beach.

In fact, even Aegon was shocked at himself, his caring voice, his loneliness was meant to be an act, to tap into their feelings but it ended up being genuine.

He was lonely before his contract with Kuro.

He came to Grandfort 6 months ago, with the dream of becoming a cultivator just like his brother, being able to repay his parents and maybe make a name for himself.

But he came 6 months earlier because his brother had lied about the date, he didn't know why until today, his brother always dodges the question in his letters.

With nothing else to do, he could only train in Grandfort, he didn't know anyone, letters would take days to reach his parents or brother, his only company was himself.

That was until his contract with Kuro, his partner passed most of the time sleeping but it would always do that near Aegon, next to him, on top of him, or sometimes just close by, keeping him company even when asleep.

When it noticed that Aegon was feeling homesick it would get up and comfort him.

He smiled while thinking about the last few months. [I should give that lazy dog a good head scratch.]

He left his daydream, returning to the situation at hand, and asked in a slightly annoyed way.

“Is there anything else I need to explain?”

Both girls were now fully dressed and had walked out of the bush.

“You can turn around now.” Bella said in a meek and embarrassed voice.

Turning around, Aegon saw both women were back to their tight fitting training attire yet his mind was still in the past and he could still imagine what was beneath the fabric.

[Maybe I'm not a gentleman at all…]

Linda turned to her friend and saw a helpless expression, one she also had on her face.

“We’re sorry, we didn't mean to…see… you.” She finally talked, getting as red as a tomato in the process

Even our hero was feeling guilty now, he got to see two young nobles in such a …unique way… and somehow made himself look like the one who was wronged.

[Maybe I'm just too good at this, I feel kind of bad for them…]

He scratched his head, trying to hide his embarrassment.”Well, I guess I'm also sorry for staring a bit too long.”

An awkward silence ensued, both parties didn't really know what to say.

*Cough*

*Cough*

“I’ll return to the camp first then, see you there.” Aegon unceremoniously turned his back to his victims turned perpetrators and power walked back to camp.