“Thank you, Melina. Even though I'm your senior, I still had to trouble you to help me correct my content.”
In the hallway, Adele looked apologetically at the quiet, black-haired girl in front of her.
“It's no trouble at all. I'm just happy to be of help to you, Senior.”
Melina clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head slightly, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
Her tone was light and natural, carrying an approachable warmth that made people unconsciously let down their guard.
As Adele looked at her, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.
Although the girl's appearance wasn't particularly stunning and wouldn't draw much attention in a crowd, Adele could often sense a unique aura from her—one that she herself didn't possess.
That aura was hard to define, like a deep-seated composure and mystery embedded in her very bones. When it occasionally slipped out, it sent a slight shiver through one's heart.
At this moment, Melina's slightly tilted head, her hands clasped behind her back, and that perfectly measured smile made Adele's heart skip a beat.
She couldn't help but shake her head, saying half-jokingly:
“Melina, I feel like you're really charming sometimes. If I were a guy, I'd definitely have fallen in love with you by now.”
“Senior Adele, you're exaggerating.”
Melina laughed and waved her hands. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she tapped her chin with a finger in thought.
“Besides, putting liking aside, I actually met a senior at the exchange who seemed to dislike me from the very moment we met.”
Adele's expression immediately turned serious. “No way! Who is he? I'll go demand an explanation for you!”
“There's no need for that.”
Melina quickly waved her hands, her tone returning to its previous lightheartedness.
“He dislikes me, but it seems to be because he already has someone he likes.”
Adele nodded, a trace of understanding and relief in her voice. “Oh, I see. In that case, there's really nothing to be done.”
But then, as if still a bit worried, she added:
“By the way, Melina, although I don't know what kind of person that senior is, you must never choose a guy who likes multiple girls at the same time to be your boyfriend.”
“Don't worry, Senior.”
Melina spoke slowly, an imperceptible depth flashing through her eyes.
“Because the boy I like will belong to me, and me alone.”
“I see, then I can rest easy—”
Adele stopped mid-sentence. She suddenly felt that Melina's phrasing was a bit strange, though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what was off about it.
After a moment's thought, she figured Melina was such a sensible girl that she probably didn't need constant reminders, so she brushed the sliver of doubt aside.
She patted Melina on the shoulder.
“Alright, I won't keep bothering you then. It looks like you're planning to leave the Magic Tower and take a walk in the imperial capital?”
Melina nodded. “Yes. Since I'm a country girl, I rarely get the chance to visit such a big city, so I wanted to take this opportunity to look around.”
“Okay, but make sure to come back early. The secondary defense starts tomorrow, so you need to get some good rest.”
Adele gave her a final reminder before turning to walk toward her own dormitory.
Melina stood in place, watching Adele's back disappear at the end of the hallway.
The smile remained on her face, but a deep, dark look, completely different from before, gradually surfaced in her originally gentle eyes.
She turned around and walked briskly toward the exit of the Magic Tower, looking exactly like an ordinary girl heading out to shop.
Once she reached the streets of the imperial capital, she didn't stop in front of the bustling shops like a normal tourist. Instead, she quickly slipped into a deserted alleyway.
The light grew dim here, the walls were covered in damp moss, and the air was thick with a musty, stale odor.
She came to a halt. Without turning around, she said softly, “Come out.”
A hooded figure silently materialized behind her, kneeling on one knee with her head bowed in a respectful and submissive posture.
“Your Highness, Divine Maiden.”
Melina asked, “How is the situation currently?”
The hooded woman kept her head low, her voice tinged with shame.
“The opponent acts very swiftly and is extremely powerful. Other than knowing her title is 'Shadow Swordswoman', we haven't been able to obtain any other information about her.”
Melina did not show any disappointment.
She merely nodded gently.
The people who had died were nothing but insignificant pawns anyway; she didn't care whether they lived or died.
She fell silent for a moment before speaking. “Halt all actions for now. Let's lull them into a false sense of security. In a few days, gather the believers of the Demon King Cult and we will act together.”
The hooded woman raised her head, hesitating slightly.
“Your Highness, gathering all those believers to act together... wouldn't that be too conspicuous? We might suffer heavy losses.”
Melina didn't answer immediately.
She turned around, walked up to the hooded woman, and slowly knelt down. Reaching out, she gently cupped the woman's chin, forcing her to look her in the eyes.
A strange purple glimmer flickered in her eyes—a deep, mesmerizing light that seemed capable of sucking in a person's soul.
Her voice became soft, carrying a hint of enchantment. “Please, do as I say. I don't want to see you get hurt, after all.”
The moment the hooded woman met her gaze, her eyes went blank for a split second. Then, as if guided by some unseen force, she slowly nodded.
“...Yes.”
Only then did Melina stand up and withdraw her hand, her tone returning to its casual composure.
“Good, then go. Creating fear was the task Father gave us in the first place, so you don't need to feel any guilt.”
Without another word, the hooded woman vanished into the shadows of the alley in a flash.
Left alone in the alley, Melina gazed toward the area beneath the Imperial Capital.
Although her primary goal remained achieving excellent results at the exchange and securing a transfer to Glory Cael,
after arriving in the imperial capital, she could clearly sense something beneath this city—something identical to what lay under Glory Cael Magic Academy, a presence she couldn't help but fixate on.
The Dungeon.
“You granted me this power, yet you stripped away my memories of the dungeons. That proves you probably don't want me investigating them, doesn't it? If that's the case...”
The corners of Melina's mouth slowly curled upward, forming a smile that completely clashed with her quiet and gentle appearance.
“Then I'll just have to investigate them one by one, thoroughly. Because... I have no intention of remaining a pawn in your hands forever, Mother Goddess.”
Rate on N.U.
