The room became silent. After Vale's words, Rosaline fell silent. She didn't know how to react.
A kiss. It was a risky request. But the risk was small compared to a request like a one-night stand. There was a chance that the teacher would scold him, but Vale had prepared a good excuse. As a young man, Ms. Rosaline would surely understand if he was curious about such things, right?
"Ms. Rosaline, I can no longer lie to myself. I love you, Ms. Rosaline. I know that's not a feeling a student should have, but I can't help it. You are an excellent teacher, and you have helped me all this time. I'm sorry if my request earlier and my words today were rude."
With a convincing expression, Vale expressed his feelings for Ms. Rosaline. He liked Rosaline. Who wouldn't like a beautiful, kind and understanding teacher like her? Of course, Vale would never put his love and his loved ones above his interests.
After struggling in her mind, Ms. Rosaline finally replied, "You are indeed old enough to have your love life. I think I can give you a kiss, of course, just this once. But for your love… I'm sorry, I just consider you to be my little brother."
"Really? Thank you, Ms. Rosaline." Vale's face looked delighted, a big smile on his face.
"Then…" Rosaline got up from her chair and walked to the side, Vale following her. Now the two of them were facing each other without being blocked by the table.
The young man's heart pounded with nervous excitement. This would be his first kiss in this world. Vale looked into Miss Rosaline's eyes, which seemed to draw him in. Her lips also looked so soft and inviting.
Vale took a deep breath and gently pressed his lips to the plump and shiny ones. At first, Rosaline looked a little uncomfortable and wanted to push Vale away. But Vale gently and slowly embraced his beautiful teacher. Rosaline's resistance began to fade. Moments later, Rosaline allowed herself to sink into a sea of lust.
As their kiss deepened, Rosaline felt his tongue brush gently against her lips, opening them to let him in. As their tongues met, she felt a surge of heat through her body, and she knew she wanted more. With a moan, she responded in kind, their tongues dancing in a passionate embrace.
It was then that they began to forget everything. It's just instinct they followed, embracing and pressing their bodies together as they explored each other's mouths.
After a few moments, they pulled away. Vale was left breathless and exhilarated, his heart pounding in his chest. When Vale glanced at his teacher, the latter responded with a backlash. The woman appeared disheveled and confused, uncertain of what to do next. After a few moments, she gave a curt command, "You can leave now."
Vale nodded slightly and said, "Thank you."
He turned and left Ms. Rosaline's office, taking care not to rush. Vale believed that, given time, they would both be able to move past their differences. His outburst had been driven purely by momentary emotion. However, Ms. Rosaline had little to offer him once he became a beginner magus anyway.
Love and relationships. He could enjoy its, but its were not a priority for Vale. As long as he focused on strengthening himself, those things would sort themselves out. If he ever found himself in a situation where he had to risk his safety to help Ms. Rosaline, Vale would prioritize his safety above all else. This was a principle that would never waver.
There was nothing more valuable than oneself.
***
Vale sat on his narrow bed, crossing his legs. The moonlight shone through his window, casting a glow over his body. He wasn't meditating now, but rather reflecting on the events of the annual test.
"At first, I wanted to help Brenda Martine because of her noble identity. Now, I not only know Brenda but also Frida Inger, a student from the royal family of Windeast Kingdom. She is one of the most talented students in this school, and will likely break through to the realm of beginner magus in six to eight months."
Was it advantageous to know and be friends with Frida? Certainly, it was. But was it risky? Absolutely.
High-risk, high-reward. If Vale succeeded in helping Frida regain control of Windeast Kingdom from the nobles, his influence in the kingdom would be immense. However, if he failed, the nobles would not hesitate to kill him and Frida.
"I completed two missions from the system and received two rewards. The first was a magic technique called [Ghost Effect], which I categorized as a movement technique. The second was Redrick Chakuva's diary, which contains important information. If Valentine doesn't want to tell me the truth or lies to me, I can check this diary to confirm."
The [Ghost Effect] magic technique allowed Vale to enter a ghost-like state for two seconds. In this state, he could pass through obstacles such as walls or let physical attacks pass through him. However, the technique did not work on magical objects or objects created by magic. In a world full of magic, this technique was not as powerful as it sounded.
This was the personal diary of Redrick Chakuva, a text that Vale had yet to lay eyes upon. During his time in the puppet maze, he was too preoccupied to read its contents. As such, he had decided to partner with Valentine. Even tough, It's possible that within these pages lied the entirety of Valentine's knowledge about his father.
""Finally, I got a mysterious box that I haven't opened from the system. System, open the mystery box you gave me earlier," Vale said.
[Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the Four Layer Elephant Formation]
Vale raised his eyebrows. "A formation? That's good enough. By the way, you mentioned an upgrade or something, can I see your new features now?"
Thereafter, plenty of words floated again.
[Menu]
[Status]
[Task Progress]
[Shop]
After observing it for a moment, Vale said, "Open [Status]."
[This is the Host's current status]
[Name: Vale]
[Level: Apprentice Magus (Stage Two)]
[Mana: 350/350]
[Strength: 3.3]
[Speed: 3.4]
[Agility: 3.6]
[Magic Technique: 0]
[1.0 is the average strength of an adult]
[System only counts Magic Technique level 1 and above]
[The above calculations may not be accurate]
[The higher the system level, the more detailed the status it can provide]