books44 Chapter 175
Chapter 175
Chapter 175
She stood under the scent of abundant trees.
The sophisticated interior and her graceful posture.
This place alone glowed softly, as if it were a serene Eastern painting.
Asilia, the Snowflake Sword.
The beauty that elicited a small gasp upon seeing her couldn’t define her alone. Her long, dark blue hair flowed smoothly. Her eyes, deep as if they held the entire world within them. Even her elegant body, tracing soft curves, was insufficient to describe her.
A gentle smile rested on her lips.
Her faint smile, as delicate as the first snow, was marvelous. It was so calming and graceful that it dissolved any wariness or tension.
A softness and righteousness that seemed to know everything. A warmth that felt like it could embrace anything.
To understand her, one must only gaze upon that smile.
And usually, it wasn’t necessary to be conscious of that fact. Because when you saw Asilia, your eyes naturally drifted to that smile.
Swish.
The sound of cloth brushing gently together could be heard.
Asilia walked towards me. Even the sound of her footsteps blended into the scenery with elegance.
Her smile remained as her lips gently parted.
“Ian, my disciple.”
With her smile still present, her hair flowed down like rippling waves.
Absorbed by her atmosphere, I responded as well.
“Master.”
Sometimes, when there’s too much to say, it’s all compressed into a single word.
This was enough of a greeting between us. Asilia smiled, and so did I.
Asilia smiled, and so did I.
There was no need for lengthy words.
Just hearing each other’s breathing was enough.
That sound formed the background as we met each other’s gaze.
For a while, this continued.
Asilia’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“...?”
“My disciple.”
“Yes, Master?”
Click.
This time, the sound of footsteps was unmistakable. Only a handbreadth of space remained between us.
Through the faint scent of her presence, she spoke.
“I didn’t know my lovely disciple had such tastes.”
“...Tastes, Master?”
Asilia let out a soft snort.
“Hmm. Hiding it even from your master?”
“I’m not sure what you mean...”
“My disciple is still so cute and cheeky.”
Asilia’s eyes gently narrowed. Her lips parted playfully.
“I saw you outside, hugging another woman outside.”
“...You saw that?”
I turned to look at the door.
It seemed like that thick wooden door had been properly shut.
“Seeing beyond things is not difficult.”
Asilia smiled serenely. That smile was slightly intimidating.
Seeing through things? That’s not an easy skill.
It requires an exceptional level of mastery, not to mention it drains a lot of mana.
Is Master... angry?
As I was thinking that—
“My disciple has such preferences, huh.”
Click.
The small gap between us was completely closed.
“It’s not like that... Mmph.”
I didn’t even have time to explain. Suddenly, my face was enveloped by something soft and warm.
Larger, softer, and more resilient than expected. A comforting sensation surrounded me.
It had been a while since I smelled my master’s scent.
“...”
It was simply comforting.
Her embrace was so warm and cozy that, for a moment, I felt like I could fall asleep right there.
Yes.
I swear, my thoughts were pure.
Until the blood suddenly rushed through my body.
“...?”
This is confusing.
Why is this happening all of a sudden?
The last time I felt something like this was with Danya... and because of that...
‘Ah.’
The image of Lina and Danya, busily cleaning the blankets earlier this morning, flashed through my mind.
And their bewildered expressions as well.
‘...What did they do to my body?’
“Master, wait a moment...”
I hurried to escape from my Master’s embrace.
I thought, it’s not that noticeable yet.
“Why? I’d like to stay like this with my disciple a little longer.”
“Oh my.”
Master laughed softly, like melting snowflakes.
It felt good to see her so happy, even though I had only spoken the truth.
— Bzzzzz
It was then that I heard a vibration.
“Oh, right.”
My master stood up and pulled something out from the desk drawer.
A small, leather-bound device.
Ah, is that a Kirtos terminal? It looks like a high-end version.
“This is... a bit embarrassing to admit, but...”
She fidgeted awkwardly as she held the terminal.
“Well, you see...?”
Hmm. I think I know what’s going on.
She must be confused about how to use it, right?
I remember struggling a lot with it myself at first.
I sat down next to her.
“Watch closely. You just have to do it like this.”
“...Ian?”
I gently took her hand, guiding her step by step through the process.
‘This reminds me of when I first learned swordsmanship.’
Back then, my master would hold my hands and teach me one move at a time.
Her hesitant fingers slowly followed my lead.
Drag, swipe, double-click...
That should do it.
I released her hand.
“...?”
She looked up at me, blinking in confusion, tilting her head slightly.
It was such an adorable expression, like she was wondering why I stopped. So this is why people love teaching their disciples.
“I’ve taught you everything. You’re free to graduate.”
“Oh.”
She lowered her gaze to the terminal and swiped through the screen before looking back at me.
“...But I feel like there’s still something I haven’t learned.”
“What are you curious about?”
“...Well.”
She met my eyes for a moment, then quickly looked away, a blush forming as she spoke cautiously.
“How do I add my disciple’s number?”
“Oh, for that, you just do this.”
I instinctively reached for her hand again.
— Gasp!
Did I move too suddenly?
She jumped in surprise and dropped the Kirtos terminal.
It’s a high-end version; it must be expensive... I have to catch it!
Without thinking, I lunged for the device. Naturally, my master was in its trajectory.
There was a soft ‘Ah!’ followed by an impact to my face. For a moment, everything flashed as if electricity coursed through me.
It seemed my face had collided with her body.
I tried to regain my balance.
But the falling terminal caught my eye again.
“Hup!”
With a sharp breath, I managed to grab the device.
My victory was short-lived, though.
Thud!
I tumbled to the floor, entangled with Master.
I ended up sprawled on top of her, cushioned by her soft body.
“Are you okay?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Thankfully, despite the fall, we both seemed fine.
I had landed in her embrace, and we were both unharmed.
At least until my body reacted unexpectedly again.
— Squish!
The position we were in... was very unfortunate.
“Dis... disciple?”
Her voice was a mix of embarrassment and confusion.
I tried to get up quickly.
But then—
—Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart started racing uncontrollably.
“Master...”
My body began to heat up, much like Danya’s during her... heat day.
“We... shouldn’t be doing this...”
My master shifted beneath me.
I knew it, too.
But—
—Thump. Thump. Thump.
How can I stop when my body won’t listen?