As soon as Cendrarsa's words left her lips, both Zagonnas and Dave were taken aback.
Dave wore an expression of disbelief, while Zagonnas felt his heart skip a beat. Was that look she gave him an invitation? Had she truly said she preferred scholars?
What was this enchantress up to?
Rumor had it that in the Southern Region, there existed sorcery that transformed strong men into medicinal puppets. Perhaps Cendrarsa had come here to select her medicinal subjects after failing to find a suitable man in the South.
Indeed, this woman was as cunning as a serpent, utterly venomous.
If her intentions were truly so malevolent, he could not allow her to harm the people of Maple Village. After all, this was the only place he wished to remain.
Lowering his gaze, Zagonnas feigned a bashful demeanor.
"Cendrarsa, you jest. I am but a poor scholar, possessing little beyond this exterior, with no remarkable qualities to speak of."
Yet, despite his words, when Zagonnas raised his eyes to meet Cendrarsa's, his gaze burned with intensity.
He had resolved that he could not allow Cendrarsa to poison others; he would sacrifice his allure to lure her in, waiting for her to drop her guard before striking.
However, that very gaze sent a chill down Cendrarsa's spine.
Why was he looking at her with such fervor? His eyes were too, too direct.
Without uttering a word, just the look in his eyes seemed to convey, "I desire you, I wish to have you, and I am already contemplating how to possess you."
They had only met twice; was he truly this deranged?
"Uh, heh heh heh, sir, I was merely joking. I have matters to attend to at my clinic, so I must take my leave."
Cendrarsa took a step back, nodded at Zagonnas, and then turned to leave briskly, her demeanor betraying her discomfort.
Zagonnas watched her slender figure retreat, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Was that it? She was fleeing? He had merely cast a glance her way; he hadn't even spoken yet.
This reaction was vastly different from the arrogant Demon Lord who had dismissed him at the Demon-Slaying Conference.
No, she must be playing a game of feigned retreat, first showing weakness before revealing her true ferocity.
This woman's schemes were indeed unfathomable.
As Zagonnas wrestled with his thoughts on how to handle Cendrarsa, Dave could no longer contain himself and gave Zagonnas a shove.
Dave, tall and robust from his daily meat consumption, had the strength to send most people staggering with a mere push.
However, when his hefty hand met Zagonnas's shoulder, the latter remained utterly unmoved, as if he were a solid stone wall.
"Hmm? Dave?" Zagonnas snapped back to reality, looking at Dave.
Dave stared at his hand, bewildered.
Zagonnas quickly realized he was merely a weak scholar, and he could not let this façade crack.
"Ah!" he exclaimed dramatically, clutching his shoulder as he leaned back against the door, allowing himself to fall to the ground.
"What are you doing?"
"…"
Dave observed Zagonnas's slow descent, his dark brows knitting together in confusion.
Although this was a typical reaction, Dave felt something was off, though he couldn't pinpoint what it was. Anxious to assert his claim over Cendrarsa, he chose to dismiss it.
Pointing a finger at Zagonnas, Dave spoke vehemently, "Sir, you teach the village children, and I respect you. But if you dare to vie for my bride, don't blame me for turning hostile. Cendrarsa is the one I have set my sights on; I will marry her!"
Zagonnas sighed inwardly at Dave's fervor.
Who was trying to steal your bride? But this woman was no ordinary person!
If you truly married her, you might not live to tell the tale.
If Dave were a villain, Zagonnas would not care, but he was merely a simpleton with a good heart, a filial son. He could not bear to see him fall into the clutches of a viper.
Resolute, Zagonnas stood up from the ground, pretending to shake off the dust.
"Dave, you heard it too. Cendrarsa said she prefers scholars like me, and you two are simply not a match."
"How are we not a match? Besides my illiteracy, what makes you better than me? If she marries me, she will enjoy a life of luxury, while you, in your coarse garments, wash and wear them as if they were rags. You have no land, no property, living in a straw hut, exuding an air of poverty. Cendrarsa must be blind to fancy you."
Though Dave was not a malicious person, he fought fiercely for love.
Yet, his words were indeed excessive. Zagonnas only wished to save him, but now it was no longer about saving him; it was a matter of dignity.
Zagonnas was born to greatness; by fifteen, he was already renowned for his swordsmanship, and his mother's beauty had blessed him with extraordinary looks. Yet today, a mere butcher had reduced him to nothing.
"Ha!" Zagonnas scoffed, straightening his back.
"Very well, let us compete and see who Cendrarsa will choose in the end. If she becomes my wife, you will kneel and apologize for your insults today. If I lose, I too will kneel before you. What say you?"
"Agreed." Dave was confident in himself; after all, over the years, countless families had sought to marry their daughters to him, and the matchmakers had nearly worn a path to his door. He was just a poor scholar; he could not possibly lose.
Unbeknownst to them, a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered at the academy's entrance, eagerly listening to the exchange between Zagonnas and Dave.
Before long, the rumors in Maple Village about Dave and Zagonnas competing for Cendrarsa spread like wildfire, embellished with every imaginable detail. Bets were placed, with wagers of one-to-one for Dave and one-to-ten for Zagonnas.
Everyone believed that as long as Cendrarsa was not foolish, she would never choose Zagonnas. Although Zagonnas was strikingly handsome, he was penniless.
In contrast, Dave was robust; surely, he would excel in the bedroom! Zagonnas, on the other hand, was too slender—one could only wonder about his capabilities.