Chapter 123: Blowing The Cover
"Well..." Fredrinn hummed, deciding to reveal half truth as he said, "I get stronger the more partners I have."
It wasn’t the whole story, but in a way, it was.
He technically wasn’t lying.
"..."
"..."
"..."
A suffocating, dead silence hung in the rear corner of the bus, barely competing with the low, grinding roar of the diesel engine over cracked asphalt.
The three girls in the back and both Andrea or Jenny hadn’t expected his response.
"What?" Andrea asked incredulously. She didn’t even appear mad... just surprised.
Her brow furrowed deeply, her wide, expressive eyes blinking in utter disbelief as her hand dropped limply to her lap.
She had prepared herself for a barrage of typical excuses—uncontrollable urges, the stress of an apocalypse, or sheer opportunism.
But a metaphysical, class-based requirement that literally demanded a harem for survival? That felt almost too absurd to parse.
"For real...?" Jenny whispered to herself as she stared blankly.
Her jaw remained slightly slack, her thoughts racing. A strange knot tightened in her chest.
Part of her wanted to scoff and call it the most shameless lie ever concocted by a man, but the sheer absurdity of the explanation, paired with his supernatural strength, made it terrifyingly plausible.
Rose however, on his right side, still licking the lollipop couldn’t help but giggle, "You didn’t even know that..." lick "And you want to be lovers." lick "Funny."
It was clear that most of her focus was on devouring the sweet dish, but she also didn’t want to lose the chance to mock other girls.
Her long, delicate tongue swiped across the bright orange candy with exaggerated, deliberate strokes, her sharp little fangs clicking against the sugar.
Of course, she would never reveal that she also found that out just a little while ago.
Both Andrea and Jenny’s expressions hardened at Rose’s provocative words, but they forced themselves to calm down.
This wasn’t the point to lose their temper.
That hateful demon was intentionally riling them up. Rose’s mocking purr was designed to bait them into making fools of themselves in front of Fredrinn, and neither woman was eager to give the smirking demon the satisfaction.
But, her provocation did prove one thing... That Fredrinn wasn’t lying.
Rose was a terrifying creature that cared nothing for human customs or social face. If Fredrinn had fabricated the claim out of thin air, she would have torn the lie apart without a second thought. Her gloating confirmation carried heavy weight.
Jenny stared into his eyes, blushing slightly when she felt the itch resurface, but she ignored it, trying to find the truth behind his gaze.
To her, he didn’t seem like the guy to lie. Not to them, at least.
He was undeniably blunt, reckless with his affections, and brutally pragmatic, but he had never hidden his flaws behind honeyed deceptions. He laid his cards on the table, however outrageous they were.
"How do you gain power? What even is your skill, really?" Jenny asked outright.
Rose’s gaze snapped to Fredrinn in an instant, and he could see several emotions behind her seductive, hearty eyes.
The conversation he held with her came rushing back to him.
’I see... That makes sense. Don’t tell anyone else about this, okay? It has to remain strictly between you and me.’
These were her words when he told her about the fact that her system had came from him.
Although she couldn’t tell him why she didn’t want him to tell others, he had felt the genuineness in her words.
And he knew that she wouldn’t harm him.
Her straightforward nature and her identity as a voluntary thrall made that impossible. The mental tether ran both ways; her absolute devotion wasn’t a facade, and her possessive nature was rooted in an instinctive urge to shield him from external threats.
Thus keeping Rose’s words in his mind, Fredrinn couldn’t tell them the whole truth. After all... Jenny hadn’t told him about the system either when she gained it.
These things weren’t meant to be shared so openly. In an apocalyptic wasteland where knowledge dictated life and death, laying bare the core architecture of one’s power was an invitation to ruin.
"My skill... It is like dual cultivation. It strengthens me when we... you know," His lips curled into a teasing, playful smirk, "When we have an intercourse."
Rose blinked several times, her eyelids twitching at his chosen excuse to get laid, but she kept her mouth closed while licking the lollipop quietly.
At least he hadn’t ignored her warning and broadcasted his real powers.
That much was enough for now.
A small gasp escaped a woman’s lips, but it wasn’t Andrea or Jenny... It was Rhea.
Her cheeks were blushed beet red as she realized she involuntarily made a sound, revealing that the three little troublemakers were secretly eavesdropping on their conversation.
Naomi’s eyes widened when she saw Fredrinn turning around as she pulled out her phone. Vivienne also averted her eyes, acting as if she had been looking at her students.
Rhea had blown the cover, but the least they could do was protect themselves... As for Rhea... Rest in peace.
Rhea shrunk in her seat when she realized that Fredrinn along with the other three girls had turned their attention onto her.
Her two partners in crimes were pretending like they were never involved, as she was left all alone. She desperately pulled her collar up, her fingers gripping the fabric as if a thin layer of cotton could hide her mortification.
"Rhea..." Fredrinn said quietly, his lips curled into an almost amused, playful smile, "Why did you suddenly gasp?"
"I-I ahm... hear... uhm..." Rhea’s entire face was turning red visibly as she felt like jumping on a bed and turning herself into a burrito, "I s-saw... a... cockroach!"
"A cockroach?!" Vivienne and Naomi instantly supported their partner in crime, yelping and putting their legs up, playing along with Rhea’s shy, cute excuse.
Vivienne tucked her knees to her chest, her soft skirt riding up slightly as she feigned terror, while Naomi stared frantically at the floorboards, tapping her heels like a frightened schoolgirl.
Fredrinn chuckled heartily at the acting, embarrassed faces of the girls, "Is that so? Then next time you see a cockroach, tell me directly."
"Y-Yes!" Rhea nodded several times, like a hen pecking at grains.
Naomi and Vivienne nodded as well.
Despite Vivienne being several years older than the other girls surrounding her, she didn’t feel too awkward.
Instead, she felt more comfortable than she felt at the school, under the gazes of her coworkers and the young students.
No one in the Fredrinn’s group treated her any differently even though she was older... and she liked it that way. After all, she had missed most of her youth chasing studies and academics, believing her parents teaching that career mattered first.
The rest can be enjoyed later...
Yet, watching the teasing warmth in Fredrinn’s eyes and the playful camaraderie among these younger women, a quiet, long-buried longing stirred in her chest.
Being included, even in such a bizarre, scandalous moment, felt oddly liberating.
When Fredrinn let the girls off the hook for listening secretly, the three sighed in relief before instantly continuing to eavesdrop like nothing even happened.
But of course, Naomi made sure to give Rhea a stern look this time. No more blowing up the cover anymore!