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In the Knowledge Lair

Uli: Wan!

Wan: (lying on a pile of books) Hmm? (reading a book, with librarian glasses on)

Uli: I want new books with pictures!

Wan: °It's true that I only have books with words, and only the ones I bought two weeks ago have pictures...°

Uli: I like books with words, but I want books with pictures!

Wan: °You can really tell she has the mental age of a 7-year-old, not that it's a problem, of course° (closes his book) In the outside world, I'm not in a place where there are picture books, so wait until Madame Savio comes; I'll ask her to buy some for you and bring them.

Since Wan was under contract with Savio, she could come to the Knowledge Lair.

When Savio came a few days later, she brought about twenty picture books.

Wan: You didn't need to bring so many, you know...

Savio: (petting Uli's hair) It was a request from my little dragon Uli. How could I have brought just two or three! (stars in her eyes)

Wan: °A teaching enthusiast.°

In IT0, the author writes word for word when describing Savio: "If asked to choose between teaching or living, he wouldn't understand the question and would answer without a hint of hesitation, 'teaching.'"

Wan: Well, have a good session.

Savio: You're leaving?

Wan: Yes, and I'd prefer if you used informal language with me. After all, I'm only 17.

Savio: 17?...

She seemed surprised but not shocked.

For Wan, that was for the best, because otherwise, it would have become a topic of conversation, and Wan wouldn't have been able to leave quickly.

Wan: Yes, anyway, good luck with Uli. (A book appears in his hand)

Savio: Yes, goodbye...

Wan looked at her one last time, with her jacket over her teacher's outfit, her black hair, her blue and violet eyes, her pointed ears, and her blue Qilin horns and tail.

Wan: (opens the book and disappears)

Savio: 17 years old... °And yet, from the way he acts, I'd give him 27, and from how he looks, I'd give him 19. I thought he seemed younger... but he just looks older...°

After the lesson.

Savio: Tell me, Uli.

Uli: Yes, Professor Savio? (lying on her stomach with a picture book in her hands)

Savio: Do you like Wan?

Uli: Yesss! (cheerful tone)

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Savio: And can you tell me some things about him?

Uli: What do you want to know, Professor Savio?

Savio: I don't know... for example, have you ever seen him smile?

Uli: No! But Wan tells me when he's happy and when he's not; he just always keeps the same face.

Savio: °Emotions, but he never shows them, he just states them° And how long have you known him?

Uli: It's been three weeks!

Savio: °So he met Uli two weeks before he met me.°

Savio then asked Uli a lot of questions about Wan, and after that discussion, her curiosity was at its peak.

And when there's curiosity, there's something to learn, and when there's something to learn, there's something to teach, and where there's something to teach, there's Savio.

[The character 'Savio' now feels a huge curiosity about you.]

[Thanks to your involvement with the character 'Savio,' you've obtained 5 tokens.]

Wan: °I don't know what they're talking about, but thanks, Uli and Savio. Thanks to you, I've finally surpassed 75 tokens!°

[Current number of tokens: 76]

Hoe: Master, come here, I found a cave! (a little further away, on a path)

Those two were in the sinister forest of Pandia, apparently searching for a cave that, for Wan, housed the {Seed of the Limit}.

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Meanwhile, Shin-hee, Mia, Sangho, Anna, and Yeong were forming a team—which, by the way, they didn't choose—for today's real-condition training.

Anna: We should try to get to know each other's abilities better.

Sangho: (arrogantly) And who said you're the leader here!?

Mia: (gives a smack to Sangho) Shut up, she's the most tactical and strategic person here.

Sangho: Owwww...

Shin-hee: °She hits where it hurts° (chimes in)

Mia: And even if that weren't the case, you wouldn't be the leader; you're too dumb.

Anna: °And she finished him off without mercy.°

Yeong: Can I start if you allow me?

Shin-hee: I'm listening.

Shin-hee didn't look down on her, it's just that, to him, he's superior, so he acts that way.

Sangho: Yeah, we're listening!

He, on the other hand, clearly looked down on her.

Yeong: I can play the tank role thanks to my gift.

Anna: I'm DPS type.

Mia: DPS as well.

Sangho: DPS too!

Shin-hee: From what I hear, I'll have to play support, but don't worry, I'm perfect, so it won't be a problem, hahahaha!

Well, actually, the scene that just happened is a scenario directly from Shin-hee's brain and imagination when he heard the team compositions.

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Meanwhile, Ama-ne was practicing with her bow. She was now able to shoot two arrows at the same time.

It wasn't as fast and precise as Wan's, but she was still excellent, even compared to someone whose gift was aligned with shooting.

Ama-ne: (puts down her bow) I can't do it like Wan... (puts her hands on her temples and massages her head) Maybe I'll remember if I'm lucky (tries to recall).

No matter how hard she tried to remember all the details, she had already imitated Wan perfectly.

Ama-ne: I can't remember anything else; maybe I don't have enough dexterity?

The real issue is that Wan has too much dexterity.

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Wan: Repeat that for me?

Hoe: (a bit hesitant with her words) The contract... of servitude, I altered it before we signed it. I thought that since Master isn't very sensitive to magical power, you wouldn't notice...

Wan: ... °And she's right; I didn't notice...° You could have altered whatever you wanted, but you...

Wan sighed. Of all the things she could have altered, Hoe chose to alter the duration and the contract cancellation options.

Wan: ... You decided that the duration would be infinite, and that there wouldn't even be any options to cancel the contract...

Hoe: ... Yes, Master. (very low voice)

Wan: Me... well, it works out for me since I can order you to do whatever I want, but you, you've just bound yourself to be my slave until the end of your life.

Hoe: Yes! (stars in her eyes)

Wan didn't need to think much to come to a conclusion.

Wan: °Now, she'll be a major asset in my plans, and she won't be able to refuse anything...° It's for the best.

Hoe: (excited, a wide, happy smile) Maaaaster! (jumps on Wan)

Wan: (falls to the ground) Aargh, your chest is crushing me! (still monotone)

Hoe: All the more reason to stay like this, hihi~

Wan: °I'm going to have to deal with this issue of her behavior.°

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Wan: (in the Knowledge Lair, sitting at a desk) It annoys me to have to do this.

Savio: It's for Uli, so do it.

Wan: (with a brush in hand) Just admit that you're curious.

Savio: Where there's something to learn, there's something to teach! (stars in her eyes)

Wan: (sighs) Calligraphy, right?

Savio: Yes, write a word or a phrase that's symbolic.

Wan: (looks carefully at the brush and ink) It seems like good quality.

Wan wasn't really expecting an answer.

He placed his brush on the paper and delicately and gracefully moved it across the sheet.

Wan: (stops and sets the brush down)

Wan then said nothing for the next ten minutes, and then he stood up.

Wan: Sit down. (offers her the chair)

Savio: (a bit surprised) Oh... o-okay... (sits in the chair)

Wan: Alright, now what do you see?

Savio: It says "complete and finished," in a very beautiful script, by the way.

Wan: I know, but try to see beyond that. That's what I was doing during the time I didn't speak.

Savio: Beyond...?

Wan: My father and even my oldest brother once told me, "There's a world behind the walls, but to see it, you first need a window and then a door."

Savio: That's... that's deep, for sure.

Wan: Back then, I didn't really understand, but I learned later. And where there's something to learn...

Savio: There's something to teach! (smiling, with stars in her eyes)

Wan: Yes. I'll be—literally—right next to you on my phone, so don't hesitate to call me if you think you understand the meaning behind those two words.

Savio: Absolutely! But... why are you doing this?

Wan: Doing what?

Savio: Trying to teach me something. I heard from Uli that you don't do anything unless it benefits you.

Wan: Hmm, that's not entirely false, but... I suppose I appreciate your passion for teaching.

[Your title "Manipulative Pervert" activates one of its effects.]

[• The chances that people believe your words, whether true or not, increase significantly.]

Wan: °I was half-telling the truth, so it's not a lie! This title is a lie!° Ahem, and let's just say it's a gift because you're teaching Uli for free.

Savio had refused any form of payment. She enjoyed teaching, and since it was Uli—one of the few remaining dragons—she didn't even want money.

After hearing these words, she gave Wan a huge, wide, happy, and sincere smile, then she focused on the paper on the table.

[Your words have been perceived as true.]

[As a result, and thanks to your title: "Manipulative Pervert," you gain 0.050 stat points, which will be randomly distributed between variable and secondary stats.]

Wan: °Who said this title was a lie? Me? Impossible. It's the most beautiful and honest title I've ever seen.°

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End of chapter |