Chapter 142: Meeting Vaelis
The next morning, Eren let out a long, lazy yawn as he walked through the bright corridors of the Royal Academy.
Yesterday’s conversation with the voluptuous demon queen still remained in his mind. The moment Carolynn’s eyes had locked onto that liquid, her cheerful, doting persona had completely vanished. She had looked at that glass vial as if it were a ghost from her past she had been trying to bury.
In the end, she had practically begged him to leave the vial in her custody for two days, promising that she wouldn’t consume or misuse it and swearing she would explain the full context once she confirmed a few personal theories.
’The demon queen is definitely hiding something,’ Eren muttered under his breath, side-stepping a pair of gossiping first-year students . ’For a three-hundred-year-old demon queen to look that genuinely shaken...’
Deciding to bench those thoughts for a few minutes, Eren opened up his translucent system window to check on his progress after the date.
[Current Fate Points: 4,000]
Eren raised a brow, whistling softly at the huge balance.
’System, when did you start being kind to me?’ Eren smirked internally at the interface. ’You become so ridiculously generous with the point payouts just for taking my girls on a wholesome date?’
[HELL NAH!]
The system’s lady voice chimed inside his head, dripping with heavy disdain.
[Do not flatter yourself, host.]
[Your progression rate is objectively Slow. The system simply calculated that at your current pace.]
[Now kindly exit your little delulu fantasy and proceed to your assigned mission.]
Eren chuckled softly, entirely unbothered by the system’s sharp tongue. He ran a hand through his hair.
It was time for his class that was personally taught by his petite girlfriend.
Eren reached the lecture hall and stepped inside.
Instantly, the chatter among the students slowed down into low, hushed whispers. Dozens of eyes snapped directly onto him like he was a imperial celebrity.
It made complete sense.
In the span of a few short weeks, the narrative around the notorious Eren Volsver had undergone an absolute ideological revolution. He had transformed from the academy’s most reviled, arrogant degenerate into a devastatingly handsome, easygoing prodigy who had publicly declared his devotion to protect his lovely fiancée three days ago right in front of the entire student body.
Casually ignoring the staring NPCs and their wide-eyed gossip, Eren walked up the ascending stairs toward his sanctuary in the back row.
However, as he approached the familiar space, his stride came to a sudden halt, his blue eyes narrowed, his brow twitching in bafflement.
Sure enough, the purple-haired cutie was sitting in her usual spot. But merely two seats away from her sat a tall, sharp-featured youth with split black-and-white hair with red streaks.
Why the hell fourth capture here with Violet?
Before Eren could think of possibilities of his presence, Violet noticed his presence, her purple eyes instantly lit up with a spark of excitement, giving him an uncharacteristically bright, welcoming wave.
"Good morning, Eren," Violet greeted softly.
Alerted by Violet’s cheerful greeting, the demon youth turned his head, spotting Eren and giving him a polite smile.
"Good morning, Volsver," Vaelis spoke smoothly, his voice carrying the refined cadence of high-tier nobility. "It has been quite a few months since our paths last crossed."
Violet shifted over on the long bench, creating an open space and offering Eren the middle seat.
Slipping smoothly into the chair between the purple-haired cutie and the undercover demon commander, Eren crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back with a thoroughly amused smirk.
"Good morning to you as well, Lord Vaelis," Eren greeted, looking at the fourth capture target. "Though I have to admit, I’m quite curious... what is the esteemed, high-ranking exchange student from the neighboring nation doing sitting in an advanced mana circuitry lecture that is entirely outside your academic syllabus?"
Violet blinked innocently, pointing a finger at the split-haired youth. "He mentioned he was waiting here specifically to discuss a collaborative project with you, Eren."
"A project?" Eren repeated, tilting his head slightly as he directed his gaze back toward Vaelis. "Don’t tell me the Vice-Principal already requested you?"
"Indeed she did," Vaelis replied, resting his forearms against the desk with a smile. "When Her Eminence—ah, pardon me, Madam Carolynn—personally issues a direct request, what choice do I have but to dutifully comply?"
Eren gave him a side eye.
Sus.
Violet tilted her head with pure, airheaded curiosity. "What kind of project are you two collaborating on?"
"I’ll brief you properly in the evening, Miss Violet," Eren muttered with an easy smile.
Leaning sideways so his shoulder was barely an inch from Vaelis, Eren lowered his voice into a whisper. "Alright, jokes aside... cut the noble exchange student act. What is your actual motive for crashing this specific lecture hall?"
Vaelis casually stretched his arms over his head, leaning in just close enough to ensure his reply didn’t carry past their radius.
"A little bird informed me that the young professor in charge of this class shares an exceptionally familial bond with Madam Carolynn. Curiously enough, I have never had the privilege of laying eyes on her. I simply thought I would inspect the woman keeping the Vice-Principal anchored to this place... also, I wanna discuss our little engineering project."
Vaelis shot Eren with a knowing side-glance.
’Right,’ Eren thought, his blue eyes narrowing. ’In this guy’s demon-centric logic, he believes Norelia is the leash preventing the supreme demon lord from returning to their homeland.’
Before Eren could respond, the professor in question arrived.
Norelia walked in with her usual crisp stride, carrying a stack of books. The petite genius set her materials on the podium, adjusted her round spectacles, and smoothly commenced the day’s lecture on complex mana flow harmonics.
Eren leaned back, keeping half an eye on his brilliant girlfriend’s lecture while maintaining a full eye on the demon commander beside him.
Few minutes into the lecture, Vaelis subtly leaned over once more.
"Since fate has officially made us as project partners, Lord Volsver," Vaelis murmured in a whisper, "how about we foster some mutual camaraderie by sharing a little juicy gossip?"
"I don’t have any gossip for you, buddy," Eren deadpanned, not even turning his head. "So kindly shut your mouth and wait until I drop the mechanical schematics for you."
Vaelis chuckled, entirely unbothered by the hostility. "Pity. Because I happen to possess a rather fascinating piece of intelligence myself. Just two days ago, during the holiday... a rogue smuggling den in the central district was completely demolished."