“Ugh, yea, I’m stopping there.”

Letting out a belch, I set down my glass.

As I pat my stomach, Umara walked over and sat beside me on the couch.

She leaned over, looking toward the other end of the room where four people sat.

“Hey, is that Feiden?”

“Shit, I don’t even know anymore.”

I waved and let out an exasperated sigh.

After about an hour, Feiden got just drunk enough for his shell to disappear. But it seems the shell was there not for his sake, but for the sake of other men.

After gathering a group of people, Feiden and I sat down and started talking with all of them. Umara joined, nesting under my arm to claim me as girls started to show interest.

At some point, we started telling stories about our patrol where I was wounded.

In an attempt to help him, I pushed most of the storytelling to Feiden, letting him have the spotlight.

And after that, things spiraled out of my control.

Men got pushed out and some girls slipped in, taking up spots around him while asking all sorts of questions and gasping at his dramatic recollections.

Before I knew it, three different girls had claimed him. Now, he was all alone in a corner with those three still all over him. They had been talking for an hour, and the girls were beginning to get touchy.

I couldn’t help but think that I had unleashed a monster. This guy had so much charm that simply opening his mouth to speak had women swooning.

And these weren’t just any women. They were Elites! I recognized them, but we had only been acquainted before.

Still, this man had three of them all over him.

Alcohol was truly amazing.

I raised my Aerial for the dozenth time today, snapping several pictures.

I couldn’t help but think it was rather hilarious, in a way. Feiden didn’t even realize what he was doing. He was so dense that it would take them stripping naked for him to realize they weren’t just there to have a nice conversation.

Suddenly, Vetsmon walked over, sitting by me while looking at Feiden.

“How wonderful. It’s like watching a unicorn shit diamonds.”

“...That’s a unique analogy.”

“I think you mean weird.”

“Yea.”

I agreed with Umara. Where did he get that one from?

He laughed, taking a sip from his drink.

Like that, the three of us watched Feiden get pulled in three directions as each girl pined for his attention.

It was amusing, but didn’t last forever.

After another hour or so, the Rail began to slow to a halt. I could hear the chatter of the central terminal before the doors even opened.

“Time to disembark!”

We all heard the Puppet Master’s shout, standing to leave.

I took a puff from my cigar while walking over to Feiden.

He sat with his eyes closed, his legs crossed on his seat and his arms resting on his knees.

At some point, he had entered a state of meditation. Vetsmon said he wasn’t actually asleep and what he was doing was a training exercise to enhance control over the body and focus of the mind.

Why he suddenly started doing that, I couldn’t even guess. But the girls with him had basically been blown off, so two left, and only one stayed for some reason.

She sat next to him, also meditating. Because they had a lot to drink though, both of them were swaying a bit, looking like they would fall over any minute.

But we had to leave, so I tapped his shoulder.

“Come on, Feiden. Time to go.”

“I’ve almost reached enlightenment, hang on.”

“You’re a monk now? Get up.”

“Wait! I’m almost there.”

“...”

We all went silent and waited.

Then, he suddenly bent over, vomiting.

“Bleghhh…”

“Bwahahaha!”

“I don’t know what I expected.”

I shook my head as Vetsmon laughed his ass off.

After that, we got Feiden on his feet and helped him out. He seemed to have sobered up for the most part, so he could walk normally.

But his face was flushed and he still seemed slightly woozy. Well, it would make for a fun memory with his parents.

As for his friend, after sitting there for a few moments in silence, she suddenly opened her eyes and ran off, probably to do the same thing as Feiden.

Well, so much for that.

With Feiden, we walked out with the rest of our class.

After unpacking all our chests and luggage, everything was packed onto wagons that we boarded to take to the Magisterium.

We arrived at the school promptly, and there, we found crowds of people waiting for us.

They all looked like parents and relatives, along with some students of the other classes.

We all disembarked, receiving some cheers as we did so.

“Elites! Gather!”

We were suddenly called, all of us turning to gather around the Puppet Master.

He gave us a faint smile.

“Congratulations on your first trip. The military bases we travel to in the future will gradually become bigger and bigger, the threats you face growing likewise. You all are the most talented in this institution, and so you will be pushed to grow as much as you can before we let you go. But we will do our best to make sure that you can keep up. Expect squads to change based on your performances. I will discuss more changes during our next training session. But for now, you have four days off. Enjoy your time and recover. Dismissed.”

He let us go succinctly, everyone cheering for the small vacation.

With that, we could finally go greet everyone waiting for us.

My squad split up, and after grabbing my chest, I went to go find my welcome party.

Soon enough, I found Rayla. She stood with Plex and Libitus as well, surprising me.

“John!”

“Hey guys.”

“Wait, what happened?!”

Rayla ran over, checking my face that very obviously had a few new scars on it.

As I set down my chest, Plex smiled and looked over.

“Seems he got intimate with some beasts. I forget that regular humans scar easily.”

“Yea, I can’t just regenerate chunks of flesh like you knights. Poor little me has to be careful.”

“Mm, indeed. If only there was a way to solve that issue.”

He shrugged, as if helpless. It made me narrow my eyes at him.

“Teach me how to turn invisible.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Too much of a pain.”

“Then tell me where I can get a manual.”

“As if.”

“Tsk, cheap ass.”

“Hehehe…”

He chuckled.

After brushing Plex off, I gave Libitus a brief hug.

“Good to see you John. Are you alright?”

“I’ll be completely healed in a few days. Nothing lost.”

“That’s good. What gave you that?”

He pointed to my face, causing me to run two fingers down the scars.

“I think they called it a Red Eye Bandit.”

“Those monkeys? They’re known for ambushing caravans. They can be vicious. I’m honestly surprised you didn’t get your face ripped off.”

“My squad got to me in time.”

“Seems you’re in good hands then.”

“Mm.”

I nodded, but then, I looked at Rayla.

She had a stern face as she jabbed me with her finger.

“What did I say about keeping yourself safe?”

“That it was generally advisable.”

“Don’t play smart. From what I can see, you almost died. Those Bandits have poisonous claws that shed as they attack their targets. I can see scars around your fingers meaning they got cut off and reattached. And it’ll take you a few days to recover even with your cigars. I can assume that had anything gone any worse, you’d…”

“...”

I was silent, my smile having faded into nothing as she continued.

I was beginning to see a pattern with her, one that I’m not sure I liked.

She stopped herself though, and after taking a few deep breaths, settled down and gave me a hug.

“...I’m glad you’re safe. That’s all that matters.”

“Hm.”

I returned it lightly, hearing Libitus sigh in the background.

“Wait, mom!”

Right then, I heard a familiar shout.

Separating from Rayla, I turned around and saw Umara walking toward us.

In front of her was Duchess Talleria, the city lord of the City of Joffrun.

I suppose I had forgotten that Umara was her daughter. No wonder she offered to go to a restaurant in Joffrun. With her mom being the city lord, she could go wherever she wanted.

The Duchess walked up to me. She stood only a few inches shorter than me, but she seemed much more overwhelming. The way she carried herself simply demanded subservience, a feeling of suppression I could sense through her Aura.

Despite how she seemed to be generally stoic like her daughter, she gave me a faint smirk.

“John Cooper. This is the second time we have met.”

“Indeed. I hope you’ve been well, Duchess.”

“Hm. I came today simply to make sure my daughter was okay. I didn’t expect for her to want to introduce me to her new boyfriend.”

“Mom!”

I saw Umara flush from behind her mother, looking toward me with half apologetic and half embarrassed eyes.

It put me in an awkward position too. Rayla was here and I hadn’t been planning to break the news like this.

Umara and I were assuredly in a romantic relationship, but since we hadn’t been on a proper date yet, the boyfriend/girlfriend label wasn’t yet plastered, even though it was technically true.

Well, I knew she was fine with it being said, but I was beginning to understand that this Duchess had no sense of subtlety.

I gave the Duchess a smile.

“I hadn’t realized Umara was your daughter until well after our meeting, Ma’am.”

“Did you pursue her after she told you?”

“Well…”

“I-I pursued him first!”

Umara shouted, standing between me and her mother defensively.

“I did it, so you can’t say anything!”

“Your actions surprise me, dear. But that changes little. This matter cannot be decided on so simply. How do I know this charming young man hasn’t seduced you due to your status as my daughter? Perhaps he used his rugged looks to his advantage while sweet talking you. A woman would be hard pressed to resist that.”

“Mom, please!”

Umara looked like she was going to cry as her mother continued speaking. And I also couldn’t help but smile weirdly.

Come on lady. At least try to hide your preferences.

But those words about Umara’s status as her daughter brought up a few questions.

Inwardly, I tried to recall the various titles of nobility. I never deigned to pay attention to the pompous adventures of the british crown, so I wasn’t entirely sure about the order of ranks or the titles the wives would hold, or if it was even the same in this world.

‘Duchess, is that a Count’s wife? They both have c’s in them.’

Curious about my conjecture, I leaned over toward Umara and asked.

“Hey, what level is a Duchess at? Is it like, Count equivalent?”

“...Huh?”

This time, she was the one who looked at me weirdly.

I raised my hands in defense.

“I don’t know the levels of nobility.”

“You’re kidding, right? Everyone knows them. Even village kids know them. It’s the first thing they teach in school.”

“I just got the male and female titles mixed up.”

“You’re lying.”

Suddenly, the Duchess spoke up, interrupting us.

Her eyes were narrowed at me.

“I refuse to believe you don’t know what my title means.”

“I can confidently say I would bet my life on it.”

“...Alright.”

She smiled and raised her hand.

Then, an impossibly complex spell formation appeared above her palm, spreading into hundreds of layers before collapsing into a single circle that flashed with overwhelming power.

“This is a spell that will detect if you’re lying. If it determines that you have, then it will kill you.”

“...I’d like to rephrase my earlier statement.”

“So you admit you’re lying?”

“I’m not, but I don’t know if your spell will kill me due to a misinterpretation. I can’t say I’m a very lucky person, so I’d rather not take the chance regardless of the circumstances.”

“Fine. It won’t kill you.”

When she said that, the spell greatly diminished in power, though remaining just as complex.

I sighed, but then she made another stipulation.

“If you want to pursue my daughter, you must answer three of my questions truthfully. If I don’t get satisfactory answers, then I’m putting a halt to this relationship.”

“Mom! You can’t do that!”

“I can and I will.”

She ignored Umara and held out her hand in front of me.

I looked at her with a neutral face. And with a grumble, I put my hand in the spell.

At that moment, I felt a jolt throughout my body. I felt my Aura flare out as an odd power surrounded my mind, feeling like my every thought was being read.

“Question one.”

I snapped out of my daze as the Duchess asked.

“Do you understand where my title lies among the ranks of nobility?”

“No. I never cared to learn the titles of nobility because it didn’t concern me. I know them briefly and know that Duchess is a female title, but don’t know the male equivalent. If I knew the male equivalent, I would know where it fell among the ranks because I generally know the male titles.”

*Flash*

The spell glowed blue, causing the Duchess’ eyes to widen a bit. I assumed blue meant that I told the truth.

“...More ignorant than I thought. Next question.”

She moved past it, asking again.

“You still knew that she was my daughter and that I am the City Lord of Joffrun. Are you pursuing my daughter because of her status, my wealth, or my power?”

“No. While it’s impressive that she’s rich, I would never date her or any other girl just because of that. Rich girls can be nothing but spoiled, pretentious princesses with no redeeming qualities other than knowing how to wave daddy’s money around. From what I’ve seen, Umara is nothing like that, and I find that both relieving and attractive. As for you, I barely knew you were a warlock when I first met you, let alone how powerful you were. It didn’t even cross my mind until a minute ago when I got confused about your noble title.”

*Flash*

After I stopped talking, the formation flashed blue again.

This time, the Duchess was smiling a bit at my answer. But she still moved on to the next.

“Alright, last question. Your intentions seem pure, but I question your seriousness. Do you pursue this relationship simply because my daughter is beautiful and you seek her virginity, or do you seek a long term commitment with the prospect of marriage?”

“Mom! That’s too much!”

Umara almost screamed, her face turning entirely red.

But I simply looked the Duchess in the eye as I answered.

“I don’t fuck around with my relationships. More than anything I’ve wanted a woman who would love me and support me just as much as I loved and supported her, as generic as that may sound to some people. If we reach that point in the future, and enough time passes to affirm our compatibility and cement our relationship, then there’s no reason why marriage wouldn’t be in the cards.”

*Flash*

I saw yet another blue glow, smiling to myself.

Sure, Umara was beautiful and I’d be lying to say that I didn’t want to get intimate with her. But like almost every man, I’ve always wanted a mutually loving relationship that could become something more than just a temporary fling or a sex friend. Unfortunately, that seemed to be hard to find while I was on Earth as a college aged male.

“Hm.”

The Duchess hummed while dispersing the spell.

“Fine, I’ve heard enough. Dear, could you please get off the floor?”

We both looked down, seeing Umara curled up in a ball on the ground, her head completely covered by her robes.

I barely held back a laugh as the Duchess sighed.

“I’ll be in the city for today, so I’d like to see you for dinner, daughter. I’ll be here at 8 to pick you up. And you.”

She turned to me, making me stiffen a bit.

“I won’t interfere, for now. We'll see how you handle being in this position. But regardless, keep my daughter out of your business, please.”

“Rest assured, ma’am. I don’t really work anymore. But I did want to bring her to a restaurant behind the Black Spider Hotel.”

“Depends.”

“The Caviar Restaurant.”

“Oh. Fine, I’ll allow it.”

She waved, almost looking pleased that I had chosen that one.

With that, she took her leave, saying she had business to attend to. And it was only after she disappeared that Umara finally pulled herself off the ground.

Plex also nudged me with his elbow.

“Hey, what did you talk about? She isolated the sound.”

“Nothing.”

“Yea right. I saw the lie detection spell.”

“Nothing that concerns you.”

“Fine. Now, who’s the girlfriend?”

He looked at Umara as she dusted herself off, doing her best to look like nothing had happened.

Seeing Plex, she smiled and put her hand out, her face still rosy.

“Hello, I’m Umara. A pleasure to meet John’s friends.”

“Oh, they’re his friends. I’m just his boss. Still, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Plex smiled and shook Umara’s hand, his words making my brow twitch as I kicked him in the shin.

When he backed away, Umara greeted Libitus and Rayla as my girlfriend. It seems that after the Duchess’ line of questioning, there was no more suspense about where we were at so she openly went with it.

But she spoke with none of the embarrassment or shyness from earlier. I could see what looked like her noble etiquette kick in as she carried herself professionally and relatively confidently.

Still, I could also see the surprise on Rayla’s face. And I couldn’t help but stress a bit.

This wasn’t how I was planning to do this at all.