A crisp, pleasant sound echoed through the space, and even Frieren, who had been spacing out, looked over.
Just then, she made eye contact with Serie, who was clamped to Shichen's side like a child, facing Frieren.
Her golden pupils widened, her proud little face froze, and she looked incredibly disbelieving.
Frieren didn't gloat; instead, she felt a bit worried, wondering if she would be treated the same way.
Given her understanding of Shichen, it was indeed possible.
Why did her butt suddenly start hurting for no reason?
"You… what did you do?" Serie didn't notice Frieren. Her expression stiff, she asked blankly.
"Hm? Didn't you feel it?" Shichen retorted, a little surprised.
The force he had just used was not small; if it were a normal child, they would be wailing by now.
A normal girl would probably be crying too.
"You… you actually spanked my butt?" Serie asked in disbelief.
She naturally felt it, and a burning pain was radiating from the right side of her backside. It was a pain she had never experienced before, nor had she ever imagined she would.
"Hehe~ What did you think I was going to do?" Shichen looked at his hand and laughed.
And it had to be said, although Serie was petite, she was quite round. That slap just now was very elastic and firm.
"Why did you spank my butt? Don't you like me? Do you have some special fetish? Let go of me!" Serie began to struggle.
But she was tiny, clamped to Shichen's side, completely powerless to resist, only able to flail around aimlessly.
"Stop moving!" Shichen gave her butt another slap.
It was the same spot, though a little lighter this time, but adding injury to injury, it still hurt a lot.
Serie, who had never felt such pain, immediately froze and stopped moving.
"Who told you I like you?" Shichen asked once she quieted down.
"Isn't it true? Don't you like elves? What did that bet of yours mean? Wasn't it just that you had designs on me?"
Serie could still answer questions normally, and she wasn't even embarrassed. Shichen thought he could spank her butt in front of Flamme next time.
"I like Frieren; she just happens to be an elf," Shichen explained.
"Then your bet?"
"Oh, that was for this very moment." As Shichen spoke, he raised his hand again and slapped the other side hard.
"Pow!"
The same crisp sound echoed through the space, and Frieren, standing nearby, shivered.
"Hiss~" Serie couldn't help but gasp.
"You're asking for it…!"
"Still daring to be arrogant?" Shichen slapped her again.
Very fair; now both sides had exactly two slaps each.
"...What exactly do you want to do?" Serie gritted her teeth and asked fiercely.
She could only move her mouth now. She was just a mage, with very little strength, completely unable to resist Shichen. Magic was also useless against him, and she was afraid that using magic would lead to even worse treatment.
He had already spanked her butt; what else wouldn't he do?
This pain was a bit much for her to bear.
"Nothing, just want to educate you a bit."
"Educate me? Why?"
"Because you don't know how to cherish the young."
"What?" Serie didn't understand.
"Grandmaster, you must have lived a very long time, right?"
"Is there a problem?"
"Then do you know that you should be gentler with those younger than you?"
"Why should I be gentle with those younger than me? Everyone in the world is younger than me. Am I supposed to take care of everyone? What do they have to do with me?"
"They might have nothing to do with you, but we have something to do with you, right?"
"What do you want to say?"
"It's simple. Stop being so harsh with your words while having a soft heart. Can't you just follow your true feelings and treat your disciples well?"
"Heh, I don't understand what you're saying."
"Oh~ Still stubborn?" Shichen raised his hand and slapped her perky bottom hard.
"Hiss—You bastard!" Serie grimaced in pain.
"Hm?" Shichen felt no pity and slapped the other side again.
"Mph!" Serie dared not speak further, just grunted with her mouth closed.
When had she ever suffered such humiliation? And she couldn't do anything about it!
For the first time, she felt an emotion called despair, and also regret.
Perhaps, she shouldn't have challenged him in the first place. Wouldn't it have been better to just be a proper Grandmaster?
"Are you going to be obedient?"
"Obedient about what? I've always been like this!"
"Still stubborn?" Shichen raised his hand and brought it down sharply. This time, the force was a bit heavy.
"Pow!"
"Mmmph!" Serie's legs tensed, her toes curled, and her entire body seemed to freeze.
Her skin was delicate, and even through her pants, she couldn't withstand Shichen's disciplinary education.
"If you're not obedient, I'll keep doing this, you know." Shichen threatened, raising his hand again.
"!" Serie nervously turned her head to look at Shichen's hand, terrified.
"I… I understand!"
"Understand what?"
"I'll treat Flamme well, and I'll treat you all well. My attitude will be gentle, just like how you treat Frieren."
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Very good." Shichen nodded, and his large hand came down.
"Pow!"
Serie groaned in pain, her eyes wide, and she asked, not understanding, "Why… why are you still hitting me?"
"Isn't this fairer? Both sides should get hit the same number of times." Shichen reluctantly withdrew his hand.
Serie clenched her fists, ultimately choosing to grit her teeth and swallow her anger.
Now was not the time to show off; otherwise, she would only suffer worse treatment. She had to endure and find an opportunity for revenge.
"Can you put me down now?"
"Yes."
Shichen gently put Serie down.
Her feet touched the ground, but Serie hadn't yet felt a sense of security when a burning pain shot through her butt.
She frowned slightly but maintained her expression.
"Can you walk back like that?" Shichen asked, suppressing a smile, feigning concern.
"...You don't need to worry about me."
"Don't be like that. I'm your grand-disciple. It's only right for me to care about you. And did you forget what you just said?"
"No need. I'll walk back by myself."
"Alright then."
Shichen nodded, not insisting, and turned to walk towards Frieren.
Frieren saw Shichen approaching her and proactively stood up, staring at him intently.
"What's wrong with you?" Shichen asked curiously.
"You wouldn't… treat me like that too, would you?" Frieren asked, covering her butt, fearfully.
"Haha~" Shichen laughed and shook his head, "Are you afraid of getting spanked?"
"I've never been spanked, I just feel like it would hurt a lot if you did it."
"Then do you want to try?"
"Forget it." Frieren took a step back.
Shichen's mouth twitched. He reached out and flicked her forehead, "Why are you so afraid of me?"
"Mmm… I'm afraid you'll awaken strange preferences," Frieren replied, covering her forehead.
"What strange preferences? Where did you learn that?"
"It's true! You like playing with my hair, and you like patting my head. What if you suddenly start liking to spank my butt?"
"...That depends on your behavior." Shichen turned his back to her.
Frieren climbed onto his back, wrapped her arms around his neck, and asked, "What kind of behavior?"
"If you're obedient, I won't spank your butt." Shichen carried her on his back and chased after Serie, who had already walked far away.
She was walking a bit slowly, and her steps seemed off, as if she were walking with stiff legs.
Shichen's gaze fell on Serie's backside. Unfortunately, he couldn't see the exact condition, but he guessed it was already red.
After all, her clothes were so thin; the sensation was as if there was nothing there.
"What are you looking at!" Serie glared at him angrily.
"Attitude," Shichen reminded with a smile.
"Shichen, maybe you should leave early," Frieren suddenly said.
"Huh?" Shichen panicked for a moment, turning to look at her.
Was he being disliked?
"I'm afraid you'll hit me…" Frieren explained. She really didn't want to end up like Serie.
"Say one more word, and I'll hit you right now!" Shichen breathed a sigh of relief and said exasperatedly.
"Ah—no!"
"Then be quiet!"
"Then, then can I let you touch it? You can't hit…" Frieren said hesitantly.
"Touch what?"
"My butt."
Shichen's footsteps paused, and he stopped.
"Is that okay?" Frieren asked cautiously. She still didn't know how devastating her words were.
"No!" Shichen resolutely refused.
"Why?"
"If I want to touch it, can't I do it myself? As long as you're obedient, I definitely won't hit you."
"Really? Not lying to me?"
"I promise, alright?"
"Okay then, I'll reluctantly believe you."