When The Flower Blossomed

Chapter 32 - When The Flower Blossomed

-

An aggressive shaking forced me to wake up from my slumber. The unusual disturbance jolted my sleepy brain into alertness, compelling me to open my eyes and address the person responsible for such a rude awakening.

"H-Hey, what's your problem this morning, Lil—"

My eyes blinked rapidly, attempting to confirm whether what I was seeing was real. The woman before me was undeniably familiar, but today, she wasn't the same Elf girl I remembered. Her once-slight figure had blossomed into a captivating, feminine form. Golden, straight, silky hair now exuded a livelier vibrancy, adding to her allure as an Elf. Yet, what captured my attention the most was her previously modest bosom, which had transformed into a beautifully contoured landscape—comparable to Luna's. It's a bit exaggerated, though, but you get what I mean.

"I-is that you, Lily?" I hesitantly asked, my half-awake brain struggling to process the transformation.

"Y-yeah, that's why I came here. I'm also as surprised as you, you know?!" Lily replied.

"M-master..."

Behind the transformed Lily stood Luna, already donned in the Academy Uniform, wearing the same expression of disbelief. Hold on! Now that I think about it, I'm currently looking at two beautiful girls who almost resemble goddesses of their respective races...

"GUHAA—!!" I clutched my chest in response to my delusions. "I just woke up, and I'm already seeing two goddesses—I must be a lucky guy or something..."

"Y-you don't need to say such embarrassing things early in the morning!" Lily said, a flush creeping up her face.

"H-He is a guy after all..." Luna awkwardly laughed, her cheeks also turned pink.

"Well, jokes aside. I'm really glad that you've become better than before. It probably affected your confidence, right?" I continued. "I knew you were beautiful from the start, but this time, it even exceeds my expectations."

"St-Stupid, aren't you the one who made me like this?" Lily blushed.

"Haha, you're welcome," I gave her a warm smile. "Anyways, I probably should go get ready. I might be the reason we're going to be late for school, so please wait for me in the living room."

I then left the bed and walked to the bathroom but stopped midway near my bedroom's door, casting a glance at Lily and employing the ⟨⟨Appraisal⟩⟩ Skill on her.

『Lily Helianthus』

『HP: 360』

『MP: 200』

『Armor: 0』

『AGI: 290-580』

『DEX: 120』

『ENDURANCE: 280』

"Haha... Seriously?" I muttered and grin.

She was likely the strongest among us in terms of stats. Her almost-maxed HP and additional stats created a significant gap between our abilities. With experience, she could become one of the most formidable students at the academy. The only ones capable of challenging her might be the top dogs of the Academy.

It was still a tad early for her to compete with the Frontliners; the Royal Guards remained obscured in the haze of uncertainty, but with time, she would undoubtedly reach those heights. I couldn't help but feel excited!

After contemplating such thoughts, I proceeded to take my morning shower. Following a bit of preparation, we all headed to the carriage and made our way to the Academy together.

* * *

"Seriously... is that Lily?"

It begins...

"I don't remember Lily being that vibrant... I always knew her beauty had immense potential, but today... What happened to her?"

"The bloomed Lily, together with Luna... I can't believe this..."

A murmur of many students echoed through the hallways as we walked towards our classroom. Every student, whether girl or boy, offered their opinions on Lily's sudden transformation. While I expected attention, I didn't anticipate it being this intense. Literally, every student's gaze was fixed on Lily. Some expressed confusion at her sudden change, while others engaged in comparisons between Lily and Luna to determine who was more beautiful.

"Wow! Popular, aren't we, Lily?" I teased.

"It's not like I wanted this or anything, you know?" Lily retorted.

I chuckled at Lily, who was walking uncomfortably as we headed straight to our classroom. As our classmates caught sight of the transformed Lily, they swarmed her with questions about the remarkable change that occurred overnight.

"Lily?! Is that you?!" One of our classmates asked in astonishment.

"Hey, what did you do? In just a day... Can you tell me how you did it?!"

"Uwah—?!"

A multitude of questions from every direction overwhelmed Lily, creating chaos. Luna and I attempted to help and ease the situation, but our efforts proved futile. Luna, too, was overwhelmed, and to make matters worse, I was brushed off when I tried to intervene. You're going to make me cry, you know?

In the end, thanks to Instructor Miss Sherry, she managed to quell the chaotic situation and handle it with ease. It was evident that this wasn't her first time dealing with such incidents. Miss Sherry began the class after resolving the situation.

* * *

After Class - Pond near the Villa

After the class concluded, I invited the same group for another sparring session, picking up from where we left off. Luna and Seia were noticeably adapting to my training, showcasing significant improvement compared to the previous day.

"Look at them go..." Seia mumbled. "Amazing..."

However, a drastic change required my attention, one that even I needed to compensate for. Despite a slight difference in status, I had to make adjustments, especially when sparring with Lily.

Even with a small disparity in mobility, my specialization in close combat couldn't keep up with Lily's newfound speed in various aspects. Not only did she enhance her sniping skills, but her precision was also becoming overwhelming.

"Look at you go, Lily, looking more energetic than ever, huh?" I said, skillfully parrying the volleys of training arrows.

"Hehe, even I can't believe it," Lily responded, continuing her barrage. "Do your best, teacher." She added sarcastically.

"You're getting ahead of yourself."

However, despite Lily's advantage as a Ranger and the slight difference in stats, you can't expect an amateur to triumph against someone with experience.

Let's give her a reality check.

I changed my stance and began deflecting the arrows back towards Lily. Releasing a bit of my mana throughout my body, I activated the ⟨⟨Bloodlust⟩⟩ skill, causing Lily to grow agitated.

"Guh—?!" Dodging the arrows returning toward her, Lily, still struggling to develop muscle memory in combat, began to falter in her attacks and movements. Seizing the opportunity, I closed the distance to the bewildered Lily and took her down with a swift kick.

"It's my win," I declared, pinning her down.

"U-Ugh, it's my loss..."

I extended my hand to Lily, helping her up.

"And here I thought I could finally beat you..." Lily frowned.

"You're a million years too early to beat me," I stated. "But well, it was a commendable effort on your part."

I placed my hands on Lily's head and started patting her. "Congrats on getting stronger, Lily."

"W-well, thanks to someone, I guess." Lily hid her face, attempting to conceal her blushing cheeks.

"Wow, she even got stronger all of a sudden... Lily is so amazing, isn't she? Right, Luna?" Seia, who watched the match with Luna, wagged her tail in astonishment.

"Eh...? Ah right, of course..." Luna responded, a faint forlorn tone evident in her voice.

"..."

* * *

Afternoon // Capital - Marketplace

Me and Luna headed to the Marketplace to make preparations for the upcoming Student Exploration set to happen in a few days. In this narrative, the students would be teleported to either the Ghost White Tundra or the Ebon Land—a wasted barren land, each harboring formidable monsters. Those two biomes will determine Sora's fate depending on the biome we got into.

In addition, I planned to purchase coats for everyone and ammunition for Lily and Seia, since a Ranger or a Gunslinger without arrows or bullets is nothing more than monster food. I also sought items that could be essential for the expedition if I ever get my hands on such.

"..."

"..."

However, after a while, I noticed Luna's prolonged silence. Today, I had intended to ask Sora to accompany me, but he seemed occupied. The girls had their own commitments, leaving Luna as the available companion. I couldn't help but wonder why she appeared so quiet. It had been a while since we spent time alone together.

"Luna, is something bothering you?" I asked.

"Eh...? Um, nothing, Master," Luna replied, her gaze downturned.

"You suck at lying, you know? Your face says otherwise."

"..."

"Sigh... How about we take a rest? Over there, let's sit on that bench by the fountain."

We settled on the bench, bags of supplies beside us. As the sun set, casting an orange glow over the beautiful park, the lampposts began to illuminate the surroundings. It could have been a serene moment if only Luna wore her usual smile.

"Hm, ah." Contemplating how to uplift her mood, I noticed a shop that might bring her some joy. "Luna, can you wait here? I just need to buy something. I'll be back," I declared before heading off.

"Y-Yes..."

I purchased an ice cream cup and returned to offer it to Luna, who still seemed downcast.

"Luna, here," I handed her the ice cream.

She took it but held it without eating. Luna appeared lost in thought, and I felt compelled to initiate a conversation.

"Luna, mind telling me what's bothering you?"

After a brief silence, Luna finally spoke.

"Lily... is amazing, right?"

Ah, I see now. That's what's been on her mind.

"Yeah..."

"She became a beautiful woman and possibly became even stronger than me..."

"..."

"I feel like she can do everything better than me, especially in fighting since she's stronger now," she said timidly. "I wonder if I'm even needed here..."

"Why do you think that?" I asked.

"I'm scared... If I lose my purpose, I might get abandoned. I—"

I interrupted her mid-sentence, gently guiding her head onto my lap and started caressing it.

"M-master?" Luna widened her eyes, blushing.

"That saddened me, Luna. Is that truly how you see me?" I asked.

"Eh? N-No! I—"

"I'm joking. I know you've experienced something similar; that's why you reacted like that," I continued. "But let me promise you again, no matter what happens, I will never abandon you."

Luna's eyes finally lit up. I smiled at her reaction while continuing to caress her head.

"If you ever feel something like this again, just come to me, and I'll do something about it," I assured.

"Yes..." Luna replied, finally in a good mood. That's more like it. Knowing how she once lived her life, I didn't want her to experience sadness again.

"It's already dark now. Let's go home, Luna," I picked up the bags, and Luna followed. "Also, I suggest you eat your ice cream already; it's melting, you know?"

"A-Ah! I forgot."

"Also, Luna," I called her to a halt. "I know you want to be my personal maid, but I want us to treat each other equally. So, I'll be glad if you became more selfish for yourself. Remember, you are not a maid of Crimsonheart but mine."

"Master..."

"You... are my special someone now..." I added.

"U-Um... I'll keep it in mind," Luna said, a flush creeping up her face.

Having said what I wanted to convey, we finally returned to the villa. Witnessing Luna return to her usual happy self lightened my heart.

"Ah, welcome back, you two," Lily, currently on the sofa, greeted as we returned.

"We're back!" Luna replied enthusiastically.

"Wow, Luna, you're kind of lively today," Lily observed, happy but puzzled. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing? Hehe~!" Luna replied, flashing a lopsided smile.

"You're a liar. Haha." Lily responded, sporting a defeated smile.

This moment might not seem too bad. More like, I hope it's like this every day...

* * *

Imperial Center Academy - Otherworld Portal

"Today marks the commencement of the Academy's Student Exploration. I trust all students have prepared adequately for the perilous journey that lies ahead, so please keep that in mind," announced the authoritative voice of the instructor.

All the first-year students gathered at the forefront of the vast portal known as the Otherworld Portal.

This event held significant importance in the game, serving as a checkpoint for players to obtain permission of Portal usage upon successful completion. For Sora, it was a crucial juncture where he would unravel the mysteries surrounding the Shell left to him by his deceased parents.

It seems like it's also the time for me to unravel the mystery of that artifact as well as get my pair, huh. Just thinking about it filled me with exhilaration.

"You guys ready, everyone?" I inquired, my gaze shifting to the three girls beside me, their expressions a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation.

As we stood on the precipice of the unknown, the air buzzed with the thrill of the impending exploration. Alright, it's time for us to go, huh.