[80] : Stolen Kiss! Airmid's Suspicions!

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...

The next day...

Despite Yahweh's rigorous training regimen, which had instilled in them a habit of waking early, Mika and Mellie were surprisingly late.

Airmid even went to their rooms to wake them up.

Upon hearing Airmid's call, both Mika and Mellie quickly finished their preparations and appeared at the dining table.

"What happened to you two?" Airmid asked, her brow furrowed with concern as she noticed Mika and Mellie's flushed faces.

"Nothing!"

"Nothing at all!"

Mika and Mellie responded in unison, their voices a bit too eager.

"..."

"Suspicious," Airmid muttered, her gaze fixed intently on the pair. 

Her scrutiny intensified their already evident nervousness, causing them to lower their heads in shame.

Meanwhile, Gabriel, seated at the table, watched them with a knowing smile, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Her expression clearly conveyed that she had seen through their charade.

Mika and Mellie found it even more difficult to meet their companions' gazes.

Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, Sakura, sitting beside Airmid, spoke up. "Airmid-nee, can we eat now? I'm really hungry."

Sakura's innocent voice instantly broke the tension.

Looking at Sakura's pleading eyes, Airmid immediately forgot about Mika and Mellie's unusual behavior. After all, what could they possibly be hiding?

"Of course, Sakura. Come, let's see what you'd like to eat."

"Anything is fine, as long as it's filling. I'm starving."

"Eat as much as you like."

As Airmid's attention shifted to Sakura, Mika and Mellie breathed a sigh of relief.

They both felt guilty about what they had done.

Neither of them could bring themselves to look Airmid in the eye.

"Thank goodness for Sakura!"

Relieved that the crisis had been averted, Mika expressed his gratitude to Sakura in his heart.

He knew that Sakura had intentionally intervened to help them.

Even if she didn't know what they had done.

"Sakura, I'll never forget your kindness. I promise to take good care of you," Mika vowed silently, glancing at Sakura as she ate her breakfast.

Thus, after enduring a tense breakfast, Mika and Mellie excused themselves, claiming they were full and wanted to continue their magic studies, successfully escaping the dining table.

...

"Whew! That was close!"

In the underground library, Mika collapsed onto the sofa, feeling as if he had narrowly escaped a disaster.

Seeing this, Mellie, who was about to express similar sentiments, kicked Mika's shin in annoyance.

"Aren't you usually so brave?"

"Why are you acting so cowardly now?"

"Ouch!"

Clutching his shin, Mika winced in pain.

He quickly defended himself against Mellie's accusation. "This is different!"

"..."

"It is different," Mellie conceded, unable to argue with that statement.

After all, Airmid wasn't an enemy but their closest companion.

"But since we did it, we can't let it be exposed. We need to prepare ourselves mentally," Mellie emphasized.

"I know," Mika replied glumly.

"Good."

Having given Mika her piece of mind, Mellie was about to make some tea to calm her nerves when Mika suddenly grabbed her arm. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you since last night."

Looking into Mellie's questioning eyes, Mika asked seriously, "Do you often sneak into people's dreams and spy on them?"

The previous night, faced with Mellie's unexpectedly assertive behavior, Mika, who only possessed theoretical knowledge and lacked any practical experience, had been incredibly flustered.

However, as Mellie, who had initially presented herself as an experienced expert, continued to make mistakes, Mika realized that she, like him, was only a novice in this area.

But while Mika's theoretical knowledge came from stories shared by his classmates in middle school in his past life, where did Mellie acquire her knowledge?

The answer was undoubtedly from her dream-walking escapades.

Upon hearing Mika's question, Mellie's face flushed crimson.

"I just... accidentally wandered into their dreams," she mumbled.

After gaining the ability to manipulate dreams, Mellie had developed a fondness for exploring the dreams of others at night.

However, this often backfired spectacularly.

After all, for many adventurers, their primary pursuits were fame, fortune, and beautiful women.

In such an environment, it wasn't difficult to imagine the kind of dreams Mellie frequently encountered.

"I see," Mika nodded slowly, a look of realization dawning on his face.

"So it was you who started that urban legend circulating in Orario."

"The strange phenomenon that nearly drove countless male adventurers to abstain from impure thoughts."

"It's said that many adventurers who dared to fantasize about their goddesses in their dreams suffered the most severe punishments."

"But no one knows what those punishments actually entailed."

Sensing Mika's curiosity, Mellie confessed sheepishly, "I simply... turned their goddesses into Phryne Jamil."

"What?! You mean Phryne Jamil from the Ishtar Familia?!" Mika gasped.

No wonder those adventurers looked like they were on the verge of death.

Dreaming about that creature would leave anyone feeling utterly hopeless.

Phryne Jamil was a member of the Ishtar Familia.

Unlike other Familias that focused on exploration or commerce, the Ishtar Familia ran an entertainment district.

It was a place centered around a specific type of transaction and was immensely popular among the male adventurers of Orario.

Therefore, the members of the Ishtar Familia were often referred to as prostitutes.

Their combat-oriented members were known as "Fighting Prostitutes."

Phryne Jamil was one of them.

However, compared to her fellow Familia members, her appearance was exceptionally grotesque.

Anyone who saw her would describe her as a "monster."

Her appearance could best be described as a giant, humanoid toad.

But even more terrifying than her appearance was Phryne Jamil's mindset.

She believed herself to be one of the most beautiful women in the world, rivaled only by the goddesses themselves.

Therefore, in her mind, there was no man who could possibly refuse her.

This mindset, combined with her formidable combat abilities, made Phryne Jamil a nightmare for the men of the entertainment district.

If you encountered her and caught her attention, escape was nearly impossible.

She would drag you to her residence and "torment" you relentlessly until you lost all hope in the world.

"That's brutal!"

Mika thought to himself, looking at the seemingly innocent Mellie with a newfound sense of awe and fear. 

---

"Mellie, I'm warning you, if you try that trick on me in my dreams, I'll be furious."

Mika spoke cautiously, wanting to prevent any future unpleasant surprises.

After all, Mellie's tactic was incredibly ruthless.

If he encountered something like that in his dreams, Mika felt that any goddess would vanish in an instant.

"Don't worry, I'm not reckless," Mellie reassured him, waving her hand dismissively. She then continued with a serious tone, "I only do that to those with truly filthy minds, the kind that pollute your spirit just by looking at them."

"When I encounter those kinds of people in dreams, I simply can't control myself!"

Mellie's voice hardened as she spoke, likely recalling those disturbing images.

"I see. As long as you exercise restraint," Mika said, feeling slightly relieved.

He lay back down on the sofa, attempting to regain his composure.

Suddenly, Mellie approached and sat on his lap, placing her hands on his shoulders. They gazed into each other's eyes.

Then, Mellie slowly lowered her head, bringing their foreheads together.

Feeling each other's warm breaths, both Mika and Mellie's hearts began to race.

"We can't tell Airmid about us. You need to keep it a secret, understand?"

"Understood," Mika whispered in response.

Initially flustered by Mellie's proximity and her alluring charm, Mika quickly regained his composure.

He even felt a sudden urge to laugh.

After their encounter in the dream the previous night, Mika and Mellie knew each other's true nature.

In Mika's eyes, Mellie was nothing more than a "talker."

Although her experiences in dreams had made her a theoretical expert with the potential to become a seasoned veteran, theory was ultimately just theory. Mellie was merely pretending.

As expected...

Seeing Mika's flustered expression and hearing his satisfactory response, Mellie nodded with satisfaction and prepared to stand up.

But Mika wasn't one to be easily dismissed.

He wrapped his arms around Mellie, pulling her back into his embrace, their bodies pressing closer together.

"W-Wait, Mika, what are you doing?"

Mellie panicked, startled by Mika's sudden action.

However, she was unable to break free from his strong, powerful arms.

"What am I doing? Isn't this what you started?"

Mika whispered into Mellie's ear, their faces inches apart.

"W-Wait, I was wrong, Mika!"

"Please, spare me!"

Sensing the danger, Mellie quickly pleaded for mercy.

But Mika remained unmoved.

After last night, the relationship between Mika and Mellie had undergone a significant shift.

Mika knew that this unique connection between them would continue.

However, because dreams were Mellie's domain, it was inevitable that she would hold the dominant position in this relationship.

Coupled with her mischievous nature, Mika anticipated that he would frequently find himself being "toyed with" by her.

Therefore, Mika needed to reassert his dominance.

Gazing into Mellie's flustered face, Mika leaned in and kissed her. Their lips met, and a passionate atmosphere filled the library.

Soon, amidst Mellie's surprised gasps, Mika pushed her down onto the sofa, deepening their intimate exchange.

He only stopped when Mellie ceased her struggles and surrendered to the moment.

Sitting up, Mika looked down at Mellie, her face flushed, her eyes glistening with tears. He smirked and said, "Now you know your place, don't you?"

"Still trying to act tough?"

Mellie let out a frustrated "hmph" in response to Mika's teasing.

After all, she was indeed a novice pretending to be experienced.

She had initially thought it was just playful banter with Mika, but she hadn't anticipated his decisive actions.

How could he be so bold?!

As Mellie fumed inwardly, she suddenly remembered something and grabbed Mika's collar, pulling him back down.

"I just remembered something," she said, her eyes narrowed as she stared at Mika's face.

"Why were you so skilled last night?"

"Huh?"

Mika felt a sense of déjà vu upon hearing Mellie's interrogation.

He quickly dismissed the thought and focused on her question.

This was a dangerous question!

Why was he so skilled?

Because he had done his research, of course!

Although Mellie frequently encountered such situations in her dreams, Mika doubted she would actively study various techniques.

However, Mika, having lived in the information age of his past life, had already learned everything there was to know by the time he was in middle school.

Therefore, in terms of practical knowledge, Mika was undoubtedly more experienced than Mellie.

But he couldn't reveal that.

"What do you mean, skilled?"

Faced with this question, playing dumb might not be the best solution, but it was the most suitable one at the moment.

After all, as the saying goes, "Running away is shameful, but it's effective."

"Don't answer a question with a question!" Mellie's frustration grew as she saw Mika feigning ignorance.

"Then why do you think I was so skilled?" Mika countered with another question.

This time, however, Mellie fell silent.

They knew each other too well.

During their time in Orario, the three of them had been inseparable. They trained together, discussed their Familia's plans, and explored the dungeon together.

Their daily lives were so demanding that they barely had any time to rest.

Given their lifestyle, Mellie found it hard to believe that Mika would have had the opportunity to engage in such activities.

"So? Why were you so skilled?"

Although it was the same question, Mellie's tone had softened considerably.

As expected, in such situations, the key was to restrict the other person's movements and make them listen to your excuses.

"Who knows? I just naturally knew," Mika replied vaguely.

"Huh? What kind of answer is that?!"

Frustrated by Mika's evasiveness, Mellie tried to stand up and confront him.

But Mika quickly pushed her back down onto the sofa and kissed her again.

Since he couldn't explain, he wouldn't.

Mika decided to answer her question with actions.

...

"Hum hum hum!"

Mika emerged from the underground library, humming a cheerful tune, his spirits high.

"What's with the good mood?"

"Oh, it's Merlin. Where are you going?"

"To continue teaching Mellie, of course. We agreed on a time."

"I see. Then you should go..."

Suddenly remembering that Mellie was currently in no state to be seen, Mika grabbed Merlin's clothes and pulled him aside.

"Merlin, I need to talk to you!"

"Huh?!"

...

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