"Come oonnnnnn, please let me train under you!" Sephtis complained, using puppy dog eyes to try and convince me as I whipped the sweat off of my face from my workout.
Ever since I told him about my time in the Peril Kingdom and all the fights I had, sugarcoating the knight troop parts, of course, he's been begging me to train him
I didn't exactly mind it, I mean, it's a sign that my plan might work, and he'll probably accompany me in Eveleen's stead if I ask. Though I'm not the type to teach people things, in addition to his size being big for my techniques…height and muscles-wise.
"Haaa, you can ask all you want, but the answer is still going to be no," I sighed, an annoyed expression on my face. Walking over to the pitcher pump and sink he had on the side of his house, I began to wash my face as his begging continued.
"But why? I'm pretty strong…I think. And I learn quickly, I'm sure I can adapt to your style of fighting! So if that doesn't convince you, won't you at least tell me why?" Sephtis continued, grabbing the side of the sink and looking at me with a pleading face.
'There he goes being cute again, stubborn fella. But this isn't going to make me give in!'
"You want to know why? Well…" I was going to tell him why, but standing up straight and looking at his body again, I realised I couldn't tell him why.
For starters, his calves were strong and large, along with his thigh muscles, which even his pants had a hard time covering up. His hips were wide, and his waist was slightly snatched in, his arms perfectly muscular and not too manly to where he would be called a bull…but then came his chest.
Sephtis' chest was large, or, at least, his muscles were. He clearly didn't skin arm and core day, it was like to perfectly large burger bun tops were placed onto a perfectly carved statue with wolf ears and a tail and a cute face.
'There is no way I can risk jumping him while training, especially considering that when Victor and I train, we occasionally did so shirtless…then I'd really lose it.'
"Uh, Sir. Kallisto?" Sephtis tipped his head at me with worried eyes, making an extra cute face.
"Huh? Oh! Well, it's just that I won't, and that's that!" I announced, immediately turning around with a flushed face to go and rush back inside.
'Oh come on me! I was totally staring too much! Like seriously, you have a fiancée, you can't go thirsting after other guys, even if you do hate your fiancée's guts!'
"Please, won't you at least give me a chance? A trial run, you could say, just to see how well I'd do?!" Sephtis continued as he followed Lev onto the house's porch.
"Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you for you to-!" I was going to open the door, but then stopped to turn around and lecture him, but was cut off by him slamming his hand on the door behind me, pinning me to it with his other hand going to the other side of me.
"...Kallisto…Please. I'm begging you, just give me one chance to show you what I can do." Sephtis looked down on me with tears in his eyes, his lips in a pout, and an absolutely desperate look on his face.
Oh, how I wanted to give in, seeing him look like that with such an expression on his face. And with the way he was begging me, and the words he used, it sounded like he wanted something else than just me training him.
'Oh god, his face and expression…can't you do back to being shyly cute rather than sexy cute?! Ugh, this is too much!'
My face was one of confusion and uncertainty; I was wavering with his adorable expressions of pleading. Whether he was aware or not, Sephtis was seducing me, and was succeeding more than he should be.
Noticing this, Sephtis took it one step further. He removed his hands from the door and instead wrapped them around me as he kneeled and hugged me, placing his chin on my lower torso.
With even bigger puppy dog eyes than before and his ears folded as a show of obedience, he mouthed 'please.' My face heated up immediately, as I tried to push him off of me in a state of panic.
'Fuck fuck fuck! There is no way he is not doing this intentionally!' I thought, my eyes darting between him and the door as I tried to open it while pushing him off me to go rush inside and into the room I was occupying.
"FOR THE LAST TIME, A NO IS A NO!" I yelled, kicking him and sending him flying across the lawn while I scrambled inside, almost tripping on the stairs as I bolted into my room, locking the door behind me.
"..." Sephtis sat there for a moment before sitting himself back up with a newfound determination to become my student, especially after seeing my sudden burst of strength.
"Well, well, both of you guys seem to be getting along pretty well, hm~?" A teasing voice comes from behind Sephtis, making him swiftly turn to see who it is, revealing it to be Eveleen, Daelan, and Zemira.
"Oh…H-hello you three, lovely weather we're having, no?" Sephtis said shyly, trying to change the subject.
***
'Ugh, man, that was the most stressful I've ever been! Let's hope that never happens again!'
I stumbled against the door, sliding down as I sat with my arms around my folded legs. Doing a lip trill of frustration, I hit my head back against the door, lightly, of course; I'm not into hurting myself.
'Well, this is awkward, especially if I'll be staying with him till Eveleen decides I have everything I need to continue onward to find Praxis…'
"Waaahhh! Why did this have to happen!?" I complained aloud, placing my hands on either side of me and making a regretful face.
My complaining about me fucking things up for myself, like usual, was met by some noise downstairs. Focusing on it more, it was laughter, Eveleen's laughter.
'Huh, why is she here? I thought it'd take at least another day…' I thought, standing up and pressing my ear to the door to try and make out what they were saying.
"Hahahaha, so that's why you were all the way across the yard, how amusing!" Eveleen laughed, perhaps clutching her stomach.
"P-Please don't make fun of me, I was being sincere!" Septhis whined back, probably with wilted ears and a wilted tail.
'...Are they talking about earlier?... That's it, I'm going down there!' I swung open the door, then ran downstairs, sliding on the floor as I stopped to squint my eyes at Eveleen in a stare.
"Hm, oh, hello you! I heard you had a fun time this morning," She teased, holding her hand to her mouth with a cheeky grin.
My face immediately heated up, as my mouth opened and closed like that of a fish, then I sighed in defeat.
"Hello Eveleen, it's a surprise to see you so early in the morning!" I gave a fake smile with gritted teeth as I walked over to her, Sephtis, Daelan, and Zemira.
"Hello, Sir. Kallisto, it's good to see you looking so refreshed!" Zemira greeted, kicking her brother's foot to get him to say the same.
"Good Morning, Sir!" Daelan exclaimed, giving a bow, with a nervous expression on his face.
"Yes, good morning, you two. Daelan, I'm glad to see that your wounds seem to have healed so quickly," I continued, smiling, this time genuinely. I was worried about whether Daelan's wounds would heal all right or end up like the ones I had gotten in the past.
'Just thinking about the way Arwan treated me back then sends a shiver down my spine. Never will I ever let that happen again.'
"Oh! Yes! Thank you for your sympathy! We werewolves are lucky to have such rapid recovery, so it really isn't something worth worrying about." Daelan smiled back warmly, shaking his head in the last sentence.
"That's good to hear! It must really not be a big burden on your village to not have any priests then," I wondered, looking over at Eveleen to signal that there was something I wanted to talk to her about.
"Not really…While the goddess Jocasta was an important figure for our village and many people relied on her priests and priestesses for healing, the were people didn't exactly require it…" Zemira trailed off, seeming to leave something important out.
After hearing what Zemira was talking about, Eveleen seemed to understand what it was I was wanting to talk about. She returned my look with a nod of understanding, then cut into the conversation.
"Well, sorry to but in, but Kallisto and I do have something we need to discuss. If you would both excuse us, we are going to go and have a little chat upstairs. Thank you, Daelan and Zemira, for showing me the way here," Eveleen chimed, taking my arm and starting to lead me up the stairs.
"Oh, it's no problem at all!" Zemira waved her hands with a smile as Eveleen and I headed upstairs, "Um, Sephtis, if you don't mind, could Daelan and I wait for Madame Eveleen and Sir Kallisto to finish?"
"I-i don't mind, as long as you guys are comfortable with being around me for that long…" Sephtis said, looking away with folded ears and tail.
"What? Of course we are! Just because everyone else in the village avoids you doesn't mean we feel the same! In fact, I've gotten a better view of you ever since you helped me in Luno Forest," Daelan insisted, his kindness overbearingly bright.
"Th-Thank you guys! I guess I'll go get us some tea then," Sephtis bounced off with a smile, happy to have seemingly gained some new friends.
***
"King Llyr De Vellamo, do not do something you will regret," Lancelot Viatix advised with a worried look, watching on as the foolish king's servants reluctantly strapped him with light armour.
"Something that I'll regret? Pfft, don't make me laugh. Lancelot, you know better than anyone that if I don't do this, I'll regret it," Llyr answered back, looking out his balcony with an expression of an emotion one could easily mistake for obsession-filled determination.
After making his way back from Marino Temple Labyrinth with Unnur Trident in hand, thus signaling that he was fit to sit upon the throne, every servant in the Terra Palace had grown cautious of the changed King.
In addition to the scars he had gained from his fight with Cordelia's mimicking avatar, Llyr's personality had also changed quite drastically.
Llyr had a new sort of confidence, one filled with a kind of knowing and determination of getting what he wanted and calling his own. One of a King filled with ambition and opportunities, he will easily find and grasp.
"...Just…Listen to Lord Lev for once and what he really wants, not what you want… that's what got us here in the first place," Lancelot reminded, understanding that whatever he said wouldn't change Llyr's mind.
"...Yes, I know that. Well, now I do," Llyr chuckled, thinking back to his foolish old self, sheathing his trident on his back, putting on a cloak, he said one last thing to his closest and most loyal servant, "When I return, expect me to have changed. But, for now…You will act in my stead, make sure to carry out my will."
"Of course, after all, there is no one here who understands you better than I," Lancelot bowed and smiled, watching the king he faithfully serves walk off onto his own sort of self-discovery adventure while also searching for the one he loves.
'I just really hope he doesn't end up doing something to screw himself and the kingdom up…surely the Goddess has something planned. Whatever it is, it shall be as she intends.'
***
In another realm, devoid of mortals and the short-lived, where only the immortal reign, sat three of the ones responsible for moving this world's chess pieces.
"Your Majesty, are you sure it's right to just leave this be? I mean, shouldn't we at least let him know of the storm coming to affect his life?" Cordelia asked, worried about what was next to come that may personally affect her.
"Oh, it'll be fine, the children will figure this out for themselves. I selected those three for a reason, y'know? Do not doubt my decisions just yet," Hunapo reassured, gesturing with his teacup over at Cordelia before taking a sip.
"Only you would say something like that, Fate. But he is right, Water. I, too, have faith that Anzhong and the other two will succeed in this endeavour," The third one said, putting his feet up on the table in a relaxed manner, his fedora fixed right above his glowing red eyes.
"Please, don't even! You and I both know that you are only saying that because you have other interests and bodily knowledge that holds your faith in Mr Anzhong, Mischief!" Cordelia argued, her face red in embarrassment.
"Come on, Cordelia. Can you really blame me? Even you are curious about what secrets that soul has," Mischief continued to tease, taking his feet off the table and leaning towards Cordelia with a knowing smile.
"Ugh, at least I know not to do that with an engaged man!" She lectured, standing up, the chair clattering to the ground behind her, "Seriously, Thien, could you not hold yourself back?! Going so far as to have sex with a mortal, especially in disguise as a half-demon merchant!?"
"Alright, alright, you two. We have more pressing matters to get to than arguing over Mr Saito Anzhong's sex life," Hunapo interjected, then quickly added, "But can you really call him engaged when he doesn't even have a ring and had it forced upon him?"
"W-Why you!-...Haaaaa, yes I suppose that's true…" Cordelia admitted, sitting down in defeat as Thien laughed his ass off at her.
xxxxxx
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