Victoria's sudden remark made Greg's shoulders tense up for a fraction of a second, and Silvia's fingers gripping Victoria's arm tightened slightly for an instant as well.
But since Victoria was looking at Greg, she didn't notice Silvia's momentary awkwardness.
Silvia quickly adjusted her expression and, with a trace of subtle guilt in her voice, still gently tried to smooth things over:
“I-It must be your imagination... After all, both of us have only conquered a dungeon with Senior Greg once, right? How could he have had so many chances to hog all the action behind your back?”
Victoria tilted her head in thought, a glimmer of contemplation flashing in her gray eyes.
After a moment, she nodded. “Hmm... I guess you have a point.”
She finally turned back to Greg, her tone carrying the last lingering trace of anger and an uncompromising promise: “You promised, so you'd better make it up to us when the time comes!”
“I definitely will this time! I promise!”
Feeling as if he had just been granted a grand amnesty, Greg scrambled up from the ground, brushed the dust off his knees, and decisively changed the subject.
“By the way, Silvia, how are things on your end? Is your mentor nice?”
Victoria immediately shifted her attention to her friend, her face filled with concern.
“Oh, right, Silvia, I'm sorry... I originally wanted to choose the same mentor as you, but now you're all on your own...”
Silvia quickly waved her hands, her pink hair swaying gently with the movement.
“You don't need to worry about me so much! My mentor is actually very nice, and I'm not alone, it's just—”
Before she could finish her sentence, a fiery red figure appeared before the three of them like a whirlwind.
It was a young girl with gorgeous red hair that looked like a blazing fire.
Her appearance was like a blazing fire bursting into this quiet corner, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
She glanced at Silvia, then swept her eyes over Greg and Victoria, her tone carrying a sense of urgency. “Silvia, what did you suddenly run over here for? Our mentor is still looking for you.”
“O-Okay, I understand. Thank you, Princess Lilith.”
Silvia nodded quickly, then looked apologetically at Greg and Victoria.
“I'm sorry, my mentor is looking for me, so I have to go over first.”
With that, she hurriedly departed.
However, Lilith did not leave immediately.
“Do you want something?”
Victoria spoke without standing on ceremony, her tone carrying clear hostility and a hint of gunpowder.
She hadn't expected Lilith to have the same mentor as Silvia, but even so, her attitude wouldn't change in the slightest.
Ever since the incident during the Placement Exam, there had been no sign of improvement in their relationship.
They were like two highly territorial felines; every time they met, they would bristle their fur and bare their teeth at each other, adopting a stance of mutual exclusion.
Watching from the side, Greg found this to be quite a headache.
Lilith unhurriedly raised her hand to brush back her beautiful hair, her movement elegant yet carrying a hint of provocation.
She tilted her chin up slightly and said in a condescending tone, “Hmph, my exam score is higher than yours this time too, you sore loser.”
Victoria clicked her tongue, an unyielding fire igniting in her gray eyes.
“Tch, if this were a real combat exam, I would never lose to you like last time!”
“Heh, as if you could—” Lilith originally wanted to mock her further, but halfway through, she suddenly shut her mouth.
Her gaze fell upon Greg once more.
There was no hostility or contempt in her eyes; instead, they held a trace of indescribable, complex emotion.
Greg's heart began to beat like a drum.
What was with that look?
According to the setting she had established herself, they were supposed to be barely acquainted.
She should still remember that whenever she spoke to him before, she had maintained a disguised persona, right?
But if she exposed herself first now, what kind of expression would be appropriate for him to make?
Pretend to know nothing?
Or play along with her act?
Just as Greg was undergoing an intense brainstorming session, Lilith suddenly withdrew her gaze.
She lowered her eyelashes, her fair fingers gently twirling a strand of red hair hanging by her ear, her movements carrying a bashfulness that was completely different from her usual image.
Then, she turned to Victoria and spoke in a tone that was feigned indifference but clearly carried a clumsy softness:
“Well... anyway... for a commoner, your score is actually quite decent, so I suppose I'll give you a little praise.”
After saying that, her cheeks flushed with a faint layer of crimson, like the first glow of evening clouds. She then turned around and quickly walked away.
Her departing back carried a hurried rush as if she were fleeing in panic, as though that single sentence had drained her of all her courage and reserve.
Although it was just a short sentence, it made Greg clearly feel that Lilith seemed to have changed a bit. At the very least, she was no longer a terminal-stage tsundere like in the original game.
Victoria froze on the spot, blinked, and then turned to look at Greg, her face written all over with confusion and disgust. “What kind of sickness is she suffering from?”
Greg shrugged, pretending to be clueless. “Beats me. I've only ever been her former brother-in-law, and we're not close now. Why are you asking me?”
Victoria cast a suspicious glance, her gray eyes scanning his face back and forth like a searchlight. “Then why was she looking at you just now?”
Greg kept a straight face. “Maybe she was accidentally captivated by my good looks.”
Victoria stared at him for two seconds, then decisively turned around and walked toward where Alice was. “Hmm, that must be it. After all, that's your only redeeming quality.”
“Hey! Apologize to me!”
Greg immediately chased after her, his tone filled with exaggerated indignation:
“What do you mean that's my only redeeming quality?! I have plenty of other shining traits, okay?! Like... like my humility! My low profile! My personal charisma!”
“Do you actually have any of those?”
“...No.”
The two bickered back and forth as they walked back to Alice's side.
The petite purple-haired mentor was standing there, her oversized professor's robe wrapping her up like a bewildered purple penguin.
She looked at Greg and Victoria, who were still bickering on her left, then looked to her right, her ice-purple eyes filled with confusion.
She hesitated for a moment and asked cautiously, her voice carrying a trace of uncertainty:
“Um... could it be... that you two actually knew each other long ago... and are on very good terms?”
Victoria: “I'm not close with him.”
Greg spoke up at the exact same time: “Victoria, you disgust me!”
The two exchanged a glance, snorted in unison, and turned their heads away from each other.
Looking at the two who were perfectly in sync, Alice's ice-purple eyes gradually filled with a deeper level of confusion and self-doubt.
She lowered her head slightly, her wide sleeves swaying gently with her movement as she muttered to herself:
“Could it be... that I am... currently being fed dog food?”
Rate on N.U.
