"Koakuma, what are you doing?" Patchouli quickly recovered from the scene and looked at Koakuma without expression. Everything pointed to Koakuma intending to do something inappropriate to Kars. Why else would she be deliberately undressing in front of a child?
The fact that Koakuma had already pulled her clothes apart only reinforced the suspicion.
"Lady Patchouli, please let me explain! I… I was just planning a prank on Kars! I swear I had no other intention!" Koakuma frantically tried to explain herself. She truly hadn't reached the point of acting on her desires with Kars yet.
"Your answer is difficult to believe." How many people would believe someone who was half-undressed when they claimed they weren't planning anything?
"Kars, come over here." Patchouli beckoned Kars to her side, and he obediently went to her.
"Can you tell me if Koakuma was trying to do anything to you?"
"No, Koakuma didn't do anything. She was just getting ready to change and telling me that I shouldn't stare at girls while they change."
Phew, I'm saved… Kars's answer instantly relieved Koakuma, clearing her of suspicion.
"Is that so?" Although Kars said so, Patchouli still felt something was off, primarily due to the residual bloodstain from Koakuma's nosebleed earlier.
"And besides that? Did you two do anything else?" This question made the relieved Koakuma nervous again. However, she quickly reasoned that the kiss was Kars's action, and she bore little responsibility for it.
"Waking Koakuma up."
"Is that all?" That alone wouldn't be enough to make Koakuma get a nosebleed. Something else special must have happened.
"Do you know why Koakuma got a nosebleed?"
"No. After I woke her up, she just stared at me for a while and then got a nosebleed. It made me worried she wasn't feeling well."
After hearing Kars's reply, Patchouli concluded that Koakuma must have been having inappropriate fantasies, which led to the nosebleed. She still harbored impure thoughts.
"Kars, you don't need to come to Koakuma's room specifically to wake her up anymore. It causes inconvenience for her, understand? Sometimes you need to give girls their personal space. Otherwise, constantly clinging to a girl will make her dislike you."
"Is that so? I understand. I've learned something new and useful." Kars nodded, indicating he understood. It seemed that since he started this relationship experiment, he had quickly learned many things he hadn't known before. This method really was helpful.
"Let's go outside now. I want to see how much progress you've made with your magic." Patchouli led Kars out of Koakuma's room, intending to assess his magical progress.
Phew, it looks like I'm okay. Koakuma fully relaxed after seeing Patchouli leave with Kars. The morning had been a non-stop series of stressful events, but at least the final outcome was good.
Though I feel like Lady Patchouli is looking at me strangely now.
Outside, Patchouli asked Kars to demonstrate his learning progress. Kars did not disappoint. After his recent diligent sunbathing, the Sun-attribute energy in his body had recovered significantly. As the energy became active, Kars's body became enveloped in a golden-yellow radiance.
"Your condition really is quite unique." Patchouli observed the energy that formed a sheath around Kars's body. She touched it and felt nothing, unsure if it offered any protective qualities.
"It's the first time I've seen the activation of Sun-attribute energy within the body leading to physical enhancement. It must be due to your body's unique absorption ability, allowing you to harness it for strength." Patchouli believed only Kars could achieve this. The idea of a body absorbing elemental energy was something she had never considered before, and even now, she couldn't replicate it.
"Now, Kars, can you utilize this energy for anything else?"
"Yes, like this." Kars clenched his right fist, and his entire hand began to glow brighter than the radiance covering his body. Patchouli could feel the energy concentrating in Kars's hand, undergoing a special transformation. She knew exactly what this meant.
The Sun-attribute energy was changing, a transformation that would lead to a powerful burst of force.
"Kars, how did you learn this?"
"I don't know. I just thought about it, and it just happened naturally." Kars didn't understand the specifics of the Sun-attribute's transformation because he didn't need to. If he simply thought about launching a powerful attack and visualized how to use it, the energy would instinctively respond.
"This is a good thing for you." Patchouli nodded. This indicated that his use of the Sun attribute was becoming an instinctive behavior. He didn't have to overthink; the energy naturally achieved the effect Kars desired. This would make his future learning in this area much easier.
"However, you can hardly be called a sorcerer anymore." Patchouli could easily imagine that once Kars fully understood how to use this energy, he would likely prefer close-quarters combat over casting magic like her. The thought made Patchouli feel somewhat conflicted.
She was happy that Kars was making progress, and while she regretted that he couldn't fully inherit her Seven-Element magic, she would be satisfied if he mastered even one element to its peak. However, the path he chose was completely different from what she had envisioned, which was a point of contention for her. She briefly considered correcting his direction, but then Kars's future, muscular adult form flashed in her mind, and she decided that this style might actually suit him well.