Chapter 37: Soren is a Scumbag!

"Are you...alright?"

Soren looked at Aria, whose head had dipped so low that her face nearly disappeared behind the swell of her ample chest he had just touched.

He had to admit, they were unbelievably soft, even softer than Sylvia’s, the sensation still lingering on his fingertips.

He would have liked to explore that warmth again, but judging from the way she stood there, tense and silent, that clearly was not happening anytime soon.

Maybe he had pushed too far, too fast. But he couldn’t ignore his mission either, could he?

"H-Hey... are you angry at me?"

Soren stepped closer and gently reached for her chin, but the moment his fingers brushed her skin, she flinched.

"D-Don’t touch me, you pervert."

Aria finally spoke, her voice trembling. She still couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes, her pointed ears flushed a deep red.

She could still feel his warm touch on her breast, not to mention the wetness she noticed below that made her completely uncomfortable.

She wanted to leave and change her underwear immidiatley, but Soren stood in front of her, unknowingly blocking her path.

For a brief moment, her beautiful eyes grew misty, as if she might cry.

Not because she hated him for what he did. But because she didn’t understand herself.

When he touched her before, she should have stopped him, slapped him, or even cried for help. But what did she do instead?

She let herself indulge in that unfamiliar pleasure. She allowed him to play with her breasts, and she didn’t protest, not even once.

It was only when Soren himself finally released her, noting that the time in the training room was almost up, that it ended.

’All because of that damn charm. Is he... a demon?’

"Hey, don’t give me that look. I’m not a demon or anything, alright?"

Soren rolled his eyes and flicked her glabella, making her let out a small, pained moan.

Then, he finally began straightening her crumpled clothes and fixing her uneven hair, carefully making her look as good as before.

His touch...was surprisingly gentle. For a moment, Aria didn’t resist; she let him work while her eyes traced his face.

’He’s become more handsome again. What is his secret?’

She noticed subtle changes in him that most people wouldn’t even register. His jawline had a sharper, more defined edge, his skin looked softer and somehow more radiant, and his eyes... held a faint, almost magnetic glow that seemed to draw her in.

A soft aura seemed to surround him, giving a quietly pleasant feeling. It wasn’t as intense as Evan’s, but it was definitely there.

"Okay, now you look better. All you need now is to go to the restroom and change your wet underwear."

Soren’s teasing smile made Aria’s cheeks heat with a sudden rush of shame, breaking her out of the daze she’d been lost in.

"Y-You... d-don’t say things like that."

Aria stuttered as she stepped out of the corner, heading for the door. She really couldn’t deal with him anymore.

"Hey, did I say something wrong? I could feel it before you know," Soren teased, amused by her flustered expression as he walked alongside her.

"C-can you s-stop it already?"

"Hey, what’s there to be shy about between us now? After what already happened inside..."

"Shhh... we’re outside. Soren, don’t you dare bring that up again."

"Okay, okay, I won’t. But still, Aria, we’re both adults. What’s wrong with being a bit close?"

"Close? It was

you

who forced me! I’m not beating you up, you’re already lucky."

"Heh... but you didn’t stop me either. And that wetness... don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it."

"Shhh... didn’t I tell you to stop saying weird things already? Soren, do you want me to hate you?"

"Then... why don’t you admit it?"

"I won’t..."

"Tch... I didn’t know elves were liars, too."

"You... if anyone’s a liar, it’s you! Didn’t you invite me here under the pretense of training just to take advantage?"

"Yeah, I did..."

"Y-you...Scumbag..."

As Soren and Aria left the training room, their argument grew more intense. Aria, who had been timid at first, started pushing back as he continued to tease and annoy her.

Perhaps it was the familiar aura he carried that made her guard slip, allowing her to show a hint of her emotions.

Of course, that didn’t mean she had forgiven him for what he did to her, though.

"Hmm? Aria? Soren? What are you two doing here?"

As they quarreled side by side while walking down the corridor, a soft voice from ahead caught their attention.

"S-Sylvia?"

Aria saw that it was Sylvia, her beautiful blue eyes watching them with curiosity.

For a moment, panic hit her. It was as if someone had caught her in an affair with her...boyfriend.

Aria still thought Sylvia and Soren were together. Even though what had happened in the training room wasn’t entirely her fault, she felt a flicker of guilt.

"S-Sorry... I-I have to go to the restroom. Let’s meet later."

Unable to look her straight in the eyes, Aria stammered and hurried away from Soren.

In no time, she had vanished from their sight.

"Hmm? Why is she so flustered all of a sudden? What happened?"

Sylvia looked confused, her gaze shifting toward Soren.

"Did you do something to her?"

She couldn’t help but ask, having absolutely no trust in him after what happened before.

’Did he go mad after not getting Aurelia?’

"What am I going to do to her? Aren’t you thinking too much?"

Soren just rolled his eyes.

"Let’s go to class instead. It’s almost time. Why are you so late anyway?"

"Hehe... I went to the treasury to exchange most of those flame crystals we got yesterday. Do you know how many credit points I got? Almost 2000 from them alone. Shhh... I nearly had a heart attack."

The moment Soren asked where she’d been, Sylvia completely forgot about Aria and lit up with excitement.

Greed shimmered in her eyes, making her look irresistibly cute. If it weren’t for their location, Soren really wanted to press her against him and kiss those plump lips forcefully.

’Come to think of it... she still hasn’t gotten that gift from Evan, right? Hmm... before he does, let’s handle it myself. I want her in my harem anyway.’

Soren suddenly recalled what happened after the incident with the Wraith. After Sylvia fainted from her low mental power and fear, Evan saved up some credit points and bought her a protective amulet.

That had been the starting point of their relationship.

Now that he knew what would happen, Soren certainly wasn’t going to let anyone else take advantage of his girl.

"Hey, Sylvia... before we head to class, let’s stop by one place first."

Soren wasn’t someone to waste time. Once he made a decision, he immediately acted, beckoning Sylvia to follow.

"Hmm? Where?"

"Somewhere important. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. Just follow me."

Fortunately, he had already exchanged the credit points yesterday and had enough to buy an amulet suitable for her.

He couldn’t wait to see her reaction.

Maybe then, she’d let him complete a few more side quests with her, who knew?