271 The labyrinth exploration exams?
White Dragon Labyrinth Exploration Arc.
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(POV: Lumiere)
I woke up bright and early, ready to conquer the day, only to find that Serena was gone.
I mean, seriously, where did she go?
I scanned the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but no luck.
This was totally out of character for her.
Normally, she'd stick around after our steamy session, watching me sleep like a "creeper". Not that I didn't like it though.
Then, when I finally opened my eyes, she'd pretend to be snoozing so she wouldn't seem like a total weirdo. But today, nada. Zilch.
It got me thinking, did I do something to make her bolt without a word?
I mean, come on, I was pretty damn confident in my bedroom skills.
I know how to please a woman, no doubt about it.
So, it couldn't have been my lack of action that sent her running.
And let's not forget about my recent sexcapades with Senesica and Lilith. I rocked their worlds and left them begging for more. So, naturally, I assumed any woman would be weak in the knees after experiencing the pleasure I bring to the bedroom.
"Hm, it's definitely not me..."
I looked to my left and back.
"It's... Definitely not... Me..."
Looking around my room, I noticed a neatly folded robe placed on what seemed to be a pile of clothes.
"Hm?"
Curiosity piqued, I approached it, picking up the robe and unveiling a small paper that rested atop it.
A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I read the words written in Serena's elegant handwriting, "good luck."
"Thanks, I'll need it..."
I responded like she was actually talking to me.
Setting the first paper aside, my attention was drawn to another note tucked within the folds of the robe.
It was Serena once again, her words expressing thoughtfulness, "I know winter's coming soon, so I made this for you."
My heart swelled with affection as I kissed the paper before carefully slipping it into my pocket.
"This one's definitely a keeper..."
Unfolding the robe, I marveled at its craftsmanship.
It was a dark blue garment adorned with delicate silver accents, perfectly designed to combat the chill of winter.
"Woah, this is awesome..."
Serena had truly outdone herself.
A sense of gratitude washed over me as I took in the thoughtful gesture.
Minutes drifted by as I completed my morning routine, bustling with energy and anticipation.
I emerged from my room to begin the day and found myself face-to-face with Professor Gunther, the stern and bald-headed professor who seemed to eternally wear a frown.
At this point I knew a lot of baldies.
Gunther, Garret, Ress, Sir Reginald... Jeez...
I easily noted his disapproving expression. Well, because he always had one on.
"What's wrong?" I asked him.
With a sigh, he lamented. "I'm honestly tired of indecent young bloods like you, Professor Silva."
My brow furrowed as I adjusted my spectacles, confusion marring my features.
Gunther proceeded to elaborate.
"I COULDN'T SLEEP LAST NIGHT!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT SORT OF INDECENT NOISES WERE BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS OF THAT SEX SHELTER YOU CALL A ROOM!"
"Eh..."
"IT ROBBED ME OF MY MUCH-NEEDED SLEEP!!"
He must've overheard when Serena and I were going at it...
"So, what's you have to say?!"
"Um..."
I bowed my head in an apologetic manner.
"I apologize. I promise, it won't happen again."
Hastening my steps, I made my way down the hostel's corridors, eager to reach my destination.
Gunther's disdainful voice echoed behind me.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU! I STILL HAVE EIGHT OTHER COMPLAINTS!"
"No can do, Professor," I called back, my voice polite. "I gotta go, I have tests I'm setting today so I can't be late..."
With that, I quickened my pace, leaving Gunther's disgruntled voice behind me.
...
Finally, I reached my destination.
The first familiar face that greeted me – Luna Mercurius, with her perfectly arched eyebrow raised in surprise. "Good morning, professor," she said.
"Morning, Luna," I replied, hoping to engage her in conversation.
However, she seemed more interested in the other students gathered around us.
No, actually, it was more like she intentionally ignored my greeting.
"Luna? Is anything wrong?"
When it came to people like her, anything and everything you did could be wrong.
With an air of dismissiveness, she spoke with her mildly haughty and sarcastic tone. "If being punctual isn't a sign of incompetence, then I don't know what is," she remarked, folding her hands under her meaty breasts.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, I chuckled nervously.
"I... Was a bit preoccupied."
To be honest, I didn't even think they'd all be ready to go this early.
And yet, here they were. It felt like these bastards were actually shaping up to be model students.
Luna simply shrugged and walked towards the group of students who had gathered in the dense forest clearing.
Or not... They weren't still respecting me enough... Sigh... Bastards...
Ophelia was briefing the students on the purpose of our exploration of the labyrinth. Assuring them of their safety, she mentioned that she and a few other teachers would be monitoring the expedition closely.
"I feel a bit uncomfortable," said Ruri, looking delicate as always in the university's adventuring attire.
It was no different from the school's normal uniform. All they did was to make an addition which was that each of them were given black, hooded robes to wear. The insides of the robe was a crimson red color which instantly reminded me of vampires who would wear a similar design.
"Don't worry, Ruri. We've got this," Anastasia reassured her. "And it's not even a matter of being positive."
"Really?"
09:56
"Yeah, we just have to kill one or two monsters..."
"Wait, it isn't...?"
"No, because these tests will be nothing."
"Really?"
"Yeah, we just have to kill one or two monsters..."
"I... I guess you're right..."
"That's the spirit, it's no big deal..."
Aidan adjusted his spectacles and added "optimistically":
"Yes, with our skills combined, we should succeed. Provided the women in this group can actually pull their own weight..."
Lance, annoyingly and painfully known for his vanity, glanced at his mirror before chuckling, "Oh, I have no doubt about that. The only weight I care about is the weight of my gorgeous muscles." With a playful flex of his right bicep, he kissed it for good measure.
"Not this again..." Aidan mumbled to himself.
Anastasia folded her arms, it looked like she was thinking. "Hmmm..."
"What's up, anything wrong?" I asked her.
"Well," Anastasia gently rubbed her chin. "It's just that I expected all the students to be present for this, and yet..."
True, I didn't sign all the students names for today to participate.
I nodded in agreement, "Uh, Yeah, I thought it'd be safer to split the class into two groups, tackling different portions of the labyrinth on separate days."
Lumila chimed in with an exasperated sigh, "Sounds like you're just being lazy. Can't handle the whole adventure with one group?"
With a resigned sigh, I muttered under my breath, "Shit."
Anastasia positioned herself directly in front of me, her arms folded and her gaze steeled as she confronted me.
"So, it's true, huh? You're really taking the lazy way out," she stated.
A bead of sweat trickled down the side of my forehead as I stammered.
"N-No, that's not true!" I protested.
Anastasia arched an eyebrow, she then smirked, "Oh yeah? Then why didn't you answer the door this morning when I knocked for our early morning jog?"
Oh yeah, that...
My mind raced to come up with an excuse.
"I... I overslept," I told her. Anastasia's demeanor softened slightly, but her eyes still held some sadness. She turned away from me and muttered, "You really should answer next time. Those early morning jogs mean more to me than you can imagine."
Confusion clouded my mind as I watched Anastasia walk over to Ruri.
Ruri glanced back at me with a perplexed expression, silently questioning what I did.
I could only shrug in response.
I didn't understand either.
"Alright, are we good to go...?" Ophelia asked.
I scanned the group, my eyes searching for Elise.
"Wait, Elise isn't here yet," I spoke up.
Just as I finished speaking, a small voice squeaked out, revealing Elise's presence as she emerged from beneath a nearby tree.
She stood up and told me, "I... I'm... Here..."
"That's great," I said, trying to sound encouraging.
However, Elise avoided making eye contact with me, her gaze downcast — almost like she was about to cry.
An uneasy feeling washed over me, and I instinctively took a step back to give her some space.
Grome, counted the students. "Looks like we're good."
Ophelia let out a sigh of relief.
"Alright, now that we're all here, are we ready?" she asked.
She was exasperated...
Almost like she was asking this for the third time...
But maybe soon... Because Stellaria wasn't here yet...
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