In the bustling marketplace, a shopkeeper stood outside his small stall, his voice ringing out through the air. "Breaking news... Breaking news... The Dwarf Kingdom has just released something new on the market!" His tone was loud and enticing, designed to grab the attention of passersby.
The man, a newspaper vendor, knew he had to make the news sound exciting to draw customers in. "They've created a carriage with four wheels that can move without horses or an earth wyvern pulling it! They're calling it a 'car!' Is the Dwarf Kingdom really a hundred years ahead of us? Want to know more? Buy the latest newspaper!"
Curiosity sparked in the crowd. People had never heard of anything like a 'car' before. The concept of a vehicle that moved without animals seemed impossible, almost like magic.
"Give me one!" A lady from the crowd eagerly stepped forward, holding out her hand.
"I'll take one too!" another person quickly followed. Soon, more people were clamoring for the newspapers, forming a small crowd around the vendor.
A middle-aged man flipped through the paper, his eyes widening in surprise. "New guns that can shoot long distances? Rifles and snipers, they're calling them?" He looked closer at the pictures showing the sleek weapons and the strange four-wheeled carriage.
The illustration of the car showed a vintage model, nothing fancy like the luxurious carriages nobles were used to, but it was revolutionary. The newspaper estimated its price to be around fifty thousand gold—a sum far beyond the reach of common folk. It was clear that this innovation was meant for the wealthiest, the nobles, and the royals. Owning one would be a status symbol, akin to having a modern Rolls-Royce in the real world.
"Did you hear?" Another man in the crowd read aloud, his voice tinged with excitement. "Archduke's daughter, Lortell Mariette, is already planning to open a company for manufacturing these cars and new guns! The company will be called *Esdeath Industrial Limited*!"
The murmurs of excitement quickly turned to confusion. "Esdeath? Where did that name come from?" one person wondered aloud, puzzled by the sudden mention of the unfamiliar name. The crowd buzzed with speculation, eager to learn more.
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At the academy, the atmosphere was filled with excitement. All eyes in the hall were locked on one person—Lortell Mariette. She walked gracefully, her luxurious red dress trailing behind her as it brushed the floor, radiating an aura of power and elegance. Beside her stood the dark nun, Meldia, but today, Meldia looked different. Instead of her usual nun's attire, she wore a sleek black dress with a matching blindfold, holding a black umbrella above Lortell's head as if shielding her from the world.
"Is that Lortell Mariette?" one girl whispered in awe, her voice trembling. "She looks so elegant... It makes me feel like I should worship her."
Many other students, boys and girls alike, stood frozen, unable to take their eyes off her. Despite the attention, Lortell's expression remained blank, cold. She didn't acknowledge them, not even a glance as she continued walking, focused on her destination—the office of Vice Principal Lilith.
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Inside the office, Lilith sat at her desk, her youthful appearance always catching people off guard. With the look of a 13-year-old child, it seemed like a kid had accidentally taken the seat of authority. However, her expression was far from childish—it was serious and composed.
Lilith's secretary, standing by the door, spoke softly, "Vice Principal, Lady Mariette has returned from the monster subjugation mission. She requests to see you."
Lilith nodded without hesitation. "Bring her in," she ordered firmly, maintaining her professional air.
The secretary left and, moments later, Lortell entered the room, still exuding the same unshakable presence. Meldia, however, waited just outside, not stepping into the room, her blindfolded eyes still covered as she stood like a shadow at the door.
As soon as Lortell entered the room, Lilith's mind was flooded with a relentless wave of thoughts. A single word echoed over and over in her head:
"Esdeath, Esdeath,Esdeath,Esdeath,EsdeathEsdeath,Esdeath,Esdeath,Esdeath,Esdeath,Esdeath,Esdeath,Esdeath,Esdeath, Esdeath, Esdeath, Esdeath, Esdeath, Esdeath, Esdeath, Esdeath, Esdeath, Esdeath, Esdeath, "
The name repeated like a chant, filling her thoughts with intensity. It was coming from Lortell, who despite the storm in her mind, kept her face emotionless and indifferent. Lilith winced, pressing her palm against her forehead.
"Tch... I forgot to turn off my thought-hearing ability," she muttered under her breath. With a subtle mental adjustment, she shut off the unwanted flood of thoughts.
Lortell approached Lilith with calm but deliberate steps. Her voice was sharp, cutting through the silence, "Where's Esdeath?"
Lilith raised an eyebrow, curious but cautious. She had questions herself but knew it wasn't the time to ask. "Okay," she simply agreed, focusing on the task. Using her telekinesis, she sent a mental message to Sylvia, a teacher from Class B.
"Sylvia, bring Esdeath Crimson to my office immediately."
The two women stood in silence for a few moments, exchanging nothing but tense stares. But soon, Sylvia reached out to Lilith telepathically, delivering unexpected news. Lilith's eyes widened in shock. Her hand slapped the desk as she realized the gravity of the situation. For the first time in a long while, she felt uneasy about what she had to say.
Lortell, noticing the shift in Lilith's expression, narrowed her eyes. "What happened?" she demanded, her voice cold but pressing.
Lilith rubbed her forehead, chuckling bitterly. "Well... actually, Esdeath... has run away from the academy. She left with someone named Maruti."
Lortell's crimson eyes flared with anger. Her normally perfect, serene face twisted in fury, her lips curling as if she had just swallowed something revolting. "The fuck did you just say?"
Her words dripped with venom, her rage palpable, and the air in the room suddenly felt heavy.
"She left a letter," Lilith began cautiously, watching Lortell's reaction closely, "saying that her best friend, Luna Cassia, has gone missing. She claims the academy hasn't been able to locate her, so Esdeath and Maruti decided to find her on their own. They promised to return before the one-on-one duel competition, whether they succeed or not."
But Lortell wasn't having any of it. Her eyes burned with obsession, cutting through Lilith's words as if they were nothing more than excuses. "Don't give me that crap!" she snapped, her gaze locked on Lilith, piercing and unyielding. "I know what your academy has done to her. Everyone has a problem with her, for no reason. No one wants her to be near me! Your teachers must've pushed her too hard, punished her, trained her like a beast until she couldn't take it anymore. That's why she ran!"
Lortell's voice rose in intensity, her feelings pouring out without restraint. Her obsession with Esdeath was clear in her every word and movement. She hugged herself, her voice softening into something twisted and delusional. "Yes, yes… that must be it. My poor Esdeath, She is delicate as a flower, and you brutes tried to break her." Her eyes fluttered closed as she turned slightly, as though retreating into her own world. Her breath came faster, more shallow, and her words became an intimate murmur.
"Poor esdeath?, Which world you are living in? ", Lilith chuckled bitterly but lortell didn't even bothered hear her voice, She was still in her own world.
"Oh, my Esdeath… her soft hands, her perfect curves, her body that melts at the slightest touch," Lortell's voice turned sultry, her obsession now fully consuming her. "That pillow-like ass, That sinks as soon as you grab them… those inverted nipples that bloom under my touch, the way they feel when I bite down on them—" She started recalling the memories of ten years ago, The night she spend with Esdeath.
Her fingers traced along her body as if lost in her fantasy, her lips parting as she gasped with pleasure. "Mnhhh~ Esdeath," she moaned, her mind wholly absorbed by thoughts of the girl she adored. Her other hand began to move lower, edging toward the most intimate parts of herself as she reveled in her vivid daydream, unbothered by Lilith's presence,
"Ahh~, I wanna fuck you in academy uniform",.
Lilith's patience snapped. Her expression darkened, frustration and disgust mixing on her young face.
Red marks appeared on her forehead as she grabbed a ruby stone from the table and hurled it at Lortell. "Stop masturbating in front of me!"