I, Herrscher Slayer

Shen Gonglin was in quite good physical condition. He bit at Kiana's tender skin for a long while without even breaking it, though he had held back a little. When he had bitten Kiana just now, he had felt his two canine teeth itching to act up. Afraid of hurting her, he restrained himself from using them, so all he could leave behind now was a tooth mark and a large smear of saliva.

"If there's no blood, there definitely won't be much of a mark left. It'll probably be gone by tomorrow. Kiana, go wipe it off... Consider it doing me a favor. Can you two just eat properly and stop fighting for now?"

Mei was utterly exhausted. Grabbing Kiana by the shoulders, she warned her off. If Mei had not held her back, Kiana would have gone looking for Shen Gonglin to fight again. Ever since Shen Gonglin woke up, Mei's workload had skyrocketed. It was as though he had become the perfect playmate for Kiana. Kiana was happy, but Mei was the one suffering.

Those two were far too rowdy. Bronya was much less troublesome. If Teacher Himeko and the Class President were here, they could help keep them in line. But when Mei was alone...

Mei felt that managing the two of them would shave at least ten years off her life.

"How was it? The cream stew was pretty good, right? If you like it, have some more."

At the dining table, Mei smiled at Shen Gonglin across from her. This sweet-and-sour dish seemed to suit his tastes. Resting her chin on her hand, the girl paid no attention to the food in front of her. It was wonderful to have someone enjoy her cooking so much. Shen Gonglin was already on his second helping. He really seemed to like it.

"Mm-hm. It doesn't glow, but it really is delicious. Keep it up, Mei. Sooner or later, you'll make dishes that glow. That will be the true pinnacle of deliciousness."

Having gone without food for a long time, Shen Gonglin ate with great enjoyment, as though he wanted to make up for every dish he had missed during his coma. The sour cream was especially appetizing, but even so, it was not perfect. In Shen Gonglin's memories, perfect dishes needed to glow. It seemed Mei still had a long road ahead of her.

"Glow? How could food glow, Shen Gonglin? Is that some special technique?"

Mei had her own ideas about cooking. Seeing that she still had room to improve piqued her interest. Watching others eat her cooking with satisfied expressions made Mei happy, and if there was a chance to improve, she naturally did not want to let it slip by.

"I'm not really sure either. Maybe it's some kind of LED effect..."

Whenever it came to something important, Shen Gonglin could not remember. He scratched his head uncertainly. If he tried making it himself, perhaps muscle memory would let him recreate it, but Mei refused to let him into the kitchen. It seemed those legendary glowing dishes were destined to remain a legend.

"Mei, don't listen to his nonsense. Even I know LEDs are lights. Your cooking is already delicious... Another bowl!"

Compared to Shen Gonglin, Kiana was the one truly wolfing down her food. Though she was clearly a girl, both her appetite and eating speed left Shen Gonglin far behind. Wiping the food scraps from the corner of her mouth, she raised her bowl toward Mei. No matter how much of Mei's cooking she ate, it never felt like enough. If it was delicious, she had to eat more.

"Sorry, Kiana, there isn't any left. And don't eat so much. Overeating isn't good for you either."

Mei shook her head helplessly. Kiana's appetite had really grown. Valkyries burned plenty of energy and did not need to worry about gaining weight, but letting Kiana eat that much truly was not good. Mei wanted to save the rest for Fu Hua when she returned. Teacher Himeko had not been around lately, but once she returned, Mei's daily workload would probably increase too. She had a whole household to feed.

"Eh? Why was there some when Shen Gonglin ate, but none when I did? Mei, you're so unfair."

Though her little belly was already slightly rounded, Kiana still felt she had not eaten enough. This double standard also made her unhappy. Since Shen Gonglin woke up, it felt like Mei no longer doted on her as much. Was that just her imagination?

"Uh... Then how about I give you a little more?"

Having Kiana point it out made Mei feel a little embarrassed. She was clearly doing it for Kiana's sake, afraid she would eat too much and make herself sick. Why did it sound as though Mei really was giving Shen Gonglin special treatment? The key was that Mei truly had no reason to deny it. Just now, she had planned to give Shen Gonglin her own portion, but if she said that... would that not be even stranger? Two people sharing one serving of food was probably something only couples did.

Mei wondered whether the Class President would return tonight. When she came back, Mei would make her something fresh.

"I'll give you mine. I'm pretty full anyway."

Unexpectedly, Shen Gonglin pushed his own portion toward Kiana. After finishing the sour cream and meat, only carrots and other vegetables remained. Shen Gonglin had been wondering how to deal with them when Kiana came over. The cream stew really did taste good, but Shen Gonglin simply could not accept carrots and the like. This was when he needed Kiana.

"Eh, really? Shen Gonglin, you're such a good person."

Kiana easily threw their earlier fight to the back of her mind. Happily taking Shen Gonglin's bowl, she began eating. Mei, however, stared fixedly at Kiana. She ate so naturally, without the slightest hint of disgust, but Shen Gonglin had just used those utensils... Was Mei overthinking it? Did that sort of behavior not actually carry any special meaning?

"You can praise me for anything, just don't call me a good person... Bronya, do you not like meat? I'll help you eat it."

Shen Gonglin did not want to be any sort of good person. After handing his remaining food to Kiana, he set his sights on the fried chicken pieces in Bronya's bowl. Without hesitation, he extended his chopsticks, ready to put one into his mouth. He really was such a helpful person. Bronya had left that chicken untouched, so she must not like it. There was nothing wrong with him helping her finish it. Who could blame him for being so kindhearted?

He might not be a good person, but Shen Gonglin was kindhearted. There was no contradiction in that.

"...Shen Gonglin, Bronya was saving the most delicious piece for last."

Her gray eyes fixed on Shen Gonglin. Bronya reacted quickly, speaking up to stop him just as he was about to put it into his mouth. This guy had not even asked her. To Bronya, the most important parts of a meal were the first bite and the last bite. She had deliberately saved the delicious part for the end, so how could Shen Gonglin steal it from her?

"Sigh, how could this happen... Then, Bronya, ah~"

If only he had moved a little faster and stuffed it into his mouth before Bronya spoke. Then she would have had no way to stop him. But now... Sigh. He would just treat it as feeding a little girl.

Holding the chicken piece near Bronya, Shen Gonglin did not think there was anything improper about what he was doing. Bronya hesitated briefly, but ultimately could not resist the temptation of the fried chicken. Her thin lips parted slightly, and the expressionless little girl calmly accepted Shen Gonglin feeding her. Expressionless girls were pretty nice sometimes, at least because they would not let anyone notice they were embarrassed.

Next should be her turn, right? Watching everything unfold, Mei looked at the chicken in her own bowl. Shen Gonglin should turn his attention to her now. But what should she do? Generously let him have it, or declare her ownership like Bronya had? But if she did that, would Shen Gonglin treat her the way he had treated Bronya? It was so hard to decide.

Mei sat up straight. She was ready, like someone pretending not to notice when a classmate handed out candy or sunflower seeds, even though she had long prepared herself inside. She had even rehearsed the expression she would make. Come on!

Accommodation Problem

Then Shen Gonglin stopped.

Just as Mei had prepared herself for every possible outcome, he stopped. Shen Gonglin set down his chopsticks and sat quietly in his seat. Seeing him like that, Mei nearly dropped her bowl. Was he targeting her? He would not even spare the single piece left in Bronya's bowl, yet Mei still had so much food left and he did not even glance at it. It was not that Mei had to make Shen Gonglin eat her food, but she felt he was deliberately targeting her. What was going on? Was he afraid she would refuse to give him any?

Mei was probably saving the best part for last too. Drink water and kill the well digger... No, drink water and remember the one who dug the well. Mei had made this whole meal, so no matter how lacking in conscience Shen Gonglin was, he would not snatch food from Mei's mouth. He understood the feeling of saving the best for last: the final strawberry on a cake, a pile of shelled sunflower seeds, or the last sip of an ice-cold soda. Those were the finest delicacies in the world. Mei had worked hard today. Not only had she charged him up and cooked for him, she had even shown him her panties. Shen Gonglin felt sorry for her, so he definitely could not do anything so immoral again.

Even being immoral depended on the person.

"Shen Gonglin, try this. It should taste good."

Fine. If he would not come to her, she would give it to him herself. Otherwise, she would probably think about this all night. Had she done something that made Shen Gonglin target her? Why could he act so naturally around Bronya and Kiana, yet be so polite with her? This special treatment was utterly unbearable for a girl with a slight compulsive streak like Mei. She picked up a piece of chicken from her bowl and brought it directly to Shen Gonglin's lips. Eat it. Eat it.

What was going on? Why was it being delivered straight to him? And this feeling... was a little strange.

Shen Gonglin's sixth sense was sharp. Looking at the fried chicken in front of him, he felt as though some strange malice had enveloped him. Yet calling it malice did not quite feel right either. The source of it all was the girl with long black-purple hair before him. In Shen Gonglin's eyes, Mei seemed to have suddenly changed. How should he put it? The Mei from before had been purely a gentle girl, but the current Mei gave Shen Gonglin a sense that he could not refuse her. This aura... was it just an illusion?

"Oh, Mei, you're so nice. It's so good."

Without doubting her, and besides, how could he possibly let a delicious offering pass him by? Shen Gonglin opened his mouth and ate the chicken Mei fed him. After swallowing it, that inexplicable feeling instantly vanished. Mei was still the same gentle girl. That feeling from just now really had been an illusion.

"If you like it, I'll make it for you again."

Completely satisfied, Mei began eating slowly with her bowl in hand. The three girls had distinctly different eating styles. Kiana wolfed down her food as though terrified someone might steal it, while Bronya retained a soldier's habits, consuming what her body needed first. Mei, on the other hand, ate with the elegance of a refined young lady. Looking at the girls before him, Shen Gonglin became even more interested in St. Freya Academy. How had these three girls with such utterly different personalities ended up together?

"Mei, are only you three living here?"

Only after dinner did Shen Gonglin get the chance to properly observe the room. It was called a dormitory, but it was completely different from the dorms Shen Gonglin understood. It was more like an exquisite suite, complete with a kitchen, bathroom, recreation room, and everything else. Was this not a school for training warriors to fight Honkai? The dorm life seemed rather comfortable.

"Not exactly. Teacher Himeko and the Class President are here too, and sometimes the principal comes by. But Teacher Himeko and the principal both have other places to live. That room over there belongs to Teacher Himeko."

Water ran noisily in the kitchen as Mei and Bronya washed the dishes. Kiana, stuffed full, was lying on the sofa like a polar bear to digest her meal. With nothing else to do, Shen Gonglin wandered around the room. Teacher Himeko... That was a name he had never heard before.

Muttering to himself, Shen Gonglin casually pushed at the closed door. To his surprise, it was only ajar. With one push, he opened it halfway. What a coincidence. It did not feel right to enter someone else's room when its owner was not there. Shen Gonglin was quite polite toward strangers, so he hurried to close the door. But as he pulled it shut, he inevitably glanced inside.

And that one glance left his eyes glued in place.

Is this the adult world? That size... Adults really are something else.

Looking at the bra hanging over a chair, Shen Gonglin could not help swallowing. He was like some country bumpkin who had never seen the world. Mei already had a great figure, but even she probably could not fill a bra like that. Was that what one should expect from a teacher? Shen Gonglin began to look forward to meeting this teacher he had yet to see. That combat power... Tsk, tsk. She was definitely a busty woman.

"Shen Gonglin... Honestly, did Teacher Himeko forget to close her door again? Shen Gonglin, you didn't see anything you shouldn't have, did you?"

At that moment, Mei finished washing the dishes and came over. Seeing Himeko's door open, she hurried over and closed it. Mei naturally knew that teacher's messy habits in private. Normally, it was just girls in the dorm, so there was no need to care too much. But this time, a boy had joined them, so they needed to be more careful. Mei would help Himeko tidy up her room later.

"No, no, I didn't see anything... But, Mei, where am I supposed to sleep?"

Shen Gonglin hurriedly shook his head in denial. At the same time, he quickly stuffed the item in his hand into his clothes behind his back. He had absentmindedly picked it up to admire it, then when Mei arrived, he had somehow decided to hide it. Mei could not find out, or she might think he was some kind of weird pervert. To keep the girl before him from noticing anything, Shen Gonglin swiftly changed the subject. He did not actually care where he slept tonight, as long as Mei did not find out about what he was hiding behind his back.

"Right, where should Shen Gonglin stay?"

That question instantly drew Mei's attention. It really was a major problem. Shen Gonglin had been staying in the hospital before, but now that medical room had been reclaimed. As a boy, how was he supposed to live at St. Freya Academy?

Could they... let him stay in the dorm?

Pure and Untainted

That was right, where was Shen Gonglin supposed to stay? It was indeed a problem. The three of them had taken turns caring for Shen Gonglin before, but now that he was awake, having a boy and girls living under the same roof was a little... awkward. This was also a girls' dormitory. Even Kiana, wise as she was, felt it was inappropriate. Where should Shen Gonglin live? He was someone the three of them had brought in, so they could not just abandon him.

"How about this? No need to make things complicated. I'll sleep in Kiana's room. I'm not afraid of a small bed."

After thinking for a moment, Shen Gonglin proposed this arrangement. At the same time, he pushed the bra farther into his clothes behind his back. He had to find a way to return it to its owner. After all, he was not truly some pervert.

"...I really have to admire how seriously you spout nonsense. How can you say something like that so confidently? This lady is not sleeping with you. Dream on."

How could this guy act as though he were the one getting the short end of the stick? Kiana immediately snapped back. She had not agreed yet, so how could she possibly let him go into her room? It was not as though they had never slept together before, but that had been when Shen Gonglin was unconscious. Under the current circumstances, Kiana was certain he would take advantage of her again. Being short on brains did not mean she was stupid. Kiana was not giving Shen Gonglin that opportunity.

"Did I say I was going to sleep with you? You look pretty good, but you also dream pretty big. Of course you'll sleep on the sofa. It's big and soft, so Kiana, you'll be perfectly fine sleeping there. This young master is pure and untarnished. How could I casually sleep with a girl? You're dreaming."

Shen Gonglin patted the sofa. That was what he had in mind. He would reluctantly sleep in Kiana's room, while she would naturally sleep on the living room sofa. Shen Gonglin was a respectable man. They might know each other well, but they had only met today. Sleeping together on the first day was absolutely out of the question. Shen Gonglin was simply protecting his own purity. Trying to hit a home run on the first day? What was this, some cheap porn game?

Even cheap porn games did not move that fast.

"Huh? Pure and untarnished? Shen Gonglin, stop, you're going to make me laugh myself to death. You think you still count as pure and untarnished? Mei and I have seen you naked who knows how many times already. Let me tell you, this lady knows exactly how many moles you have on your body!"

Trading barbs with Shen Gonglin seemed to be Kiana's nature. Hearing him say that, Miss Kiana could not help herself. She did not care what she was saying. As long as it made Shen Gonglin unhappy, it was worth it. The moment this loose-lipped girl spoke, Mei covered her face. It was fine for Kiana to talk about herself, but why did she have to drag Mei into it? Did Mei not have any dignity?

Mei had wanted to bury that matter for good, yet Kiana, who could never keep anything to herself, blurted it out. Shen Gonglin had been unconscious for months. Helping him bathe and wipe him down was perfectly normal. Aside from the first time, when the two of them had no experience and accidentally stripped Shen Gonglin completely naked, they had left something on him every other time. So... Forget it. There was no point arguing. Nothing she said would help.

"What? Mei, is what Kiana said true?"

Shen Gonglin was horrified. He had thought he was pure and untarnished, only for Kiana to smack him with that revelation. He could hardly believe it. He immediately turned to Mei and asked her. This girl was a good person. She would not lie to him.

"Uh... I don't know how many moles you have. Kiana counted them all. And Shen Gonglin, listen to me, we only did it to wipe you down. You had fallen straight down at the time, and you were covered in mud and blood. We had to clean you up. But don't worry, it was only necessary treatment. I forgot everything the moment I finished looking. And aside from the first time, whenever I wiped you down, I always left something on you."

Mei tried to organize her words and reassure Shen Gonglin, but she panicked too. Her incoherent explanation made Shen Gonglin's heart sink halfway. What Kiana said was probably true.

"Mm. Bronya can testify. Once, Mei and Kiana left socks on you."

The expressionless little girl added another stab to Shen Gonglin's wounds. Left socks on him... Shen Gonglin imagined the scene for a moment and felt himself cracking apart. What had they done to him when he had no consciousness? Beasts. They were all beasts!

"So that means I'm no longer clean? Mei, where's the bathroom? I want a bath. I want to bathe like the tragic female lead in a TV drama!"

Being suddenly told something like that, Shen Gonglin felt uncomfortable everywhere. Was he actually some kind of tragic heroine? He had barely woken up before learning that this had happened to him. They truly did not do a single thing that could be considered human. He wanted to bury himself in some older sister's arms and cry his heart out.

"Hehe, that's right, you're dirty. This lady has already defiled you. No matter how much you wash, you'll never remove this lady's mark. Shen Gonglin, you're finished!"

Having obtained the standard villain script, Kiana kept laughing wickedly. Mei watched the scene with complicated emotions. Had the two of them gotten their scripts mixed up? And no one described themselves as having defiled someone. If Kiana did not know how to speak properly, she should speak less. Her cultural education truly needed work.

"It's okay, it's okay. I bought a new bottle of body wash. It'll definitely clean you up. How about this, Shen Gonglin? Go take a bath first, and I'll find you something to change into. You can't keep wearing that. Once you're done bathing, we'll discuss the other matters... Kiana, stop making trouble and sit properly!"

Mei still had to be the one to comfort him. Sighing, she patted Shen Gonglin's head reassuringly, then glared at Kiana, who was still egging him on. That white-haired girl was rotten to the core. Talking about herself would have been enough, but she had to drag Mei into it. How was Mei supposed to maintain her gentle and virtuous image now?

So, wanting to salvage her image, Mei thought of this. Shen Gonglin was still wearing hospital clothes, and he obviously could not wear that school uniform again. Having finally woken up, he should take a proper bath and change into clean clothes. Mei hoped that doing this would somewhat restore her image in Shen Gonglin's heart.

"...Okay."

Sniffling, Shen Gonglin could only nod. Nothing that had been done to him could be undone, and all of it was caused by Kiana, the chief culprit. He had not expected even a girl like Mei to be like this. What a loss. The more Shen Gonglin thought about it, the more he felt he had lost beyond all measure.

Even if he had been unconscious, they could not just refuse to pay him. What, did they want to freeload? At the very least, they should have given him some money.

Valkyries Are All Perverts

"It's about time. Shen Gonglin has probably taken all his clothes off by now. Mei, let's go peep on him!"

Crouching outside the bathroom door, Kiana listened to the sound of running water inside, and the smile on her lips became increasingly devious. She now knew Shen Gonglin's weakness. He might be great at taking advantage of others, but his skin was actually thin. What she had done just now was enough to prove that. The Kaslana family's young lady, whose conscience had long vanished, raised the phone in her hand. Now all she needed to do was rush in, take embarrassing photos of Shen Gonglin, and use them to force him into doing even more embarrassing things!

"Kiana really is a pervert."

Holding a strange yellow doll, Bronya looked at Kiana and offered that assessment. Based on her previous conclusions, Bronya had thought Kiana was only interested in Mei. But now, it seemed her perversion had intensified. Ordinary people could not do something like this.

"...Bronya is right. Kiana, can't you stop being a pervert for even a moment? You'll scare Shen Gonglin."

Was this girl seriously going to do it? Was she really planning to barge in while Shen Gonglin was bathing? Mei rubbed her temples helplessly. What was wrong with Kiana? Why was she so interested in Shen Gonglin? Could she not leave him alone? She had already tormented the boy so badly just now that he had looked like petrified ash. Was she really going to seize every chance to torment him to death? What benefit was there in taking Shen Gonglin down?

"Eh, neither of you wants to? Then this lady will do it herself... Mei, what are you doing? Don't stop me!"

With no teammates, Kiana decided to work alone. But just as she was about to act, Mei grabbed her by the back of the collar. How could she possibly stand by and watch Kiana do something so awful? Shen Gonglin had suffered enough. Mei would protect him while he bathed. She could not let him truly believe that all girls were perverts.

"If I didn't stop you, I'd be the crazy one. Come with me. Until he finishes bathing, you're not allowed to act alone. I remember you have lots of clothes that would fit him, right? I only have dresses and things like that. Come with me now and find him some clothes. Bronya, you too."

Mei dragged Kiana into her room. In any case, she did not intend to let Kiana out before Shen Gonglin was done bathing. Bathing was supposed to relax the body and mind. Leaving Kiana out here would only cause trouble. It was better to make her do something useful. This was a girls' dormitory, so if they wanted clothes for Shen Gonglin, they could only look through Kiana's or the Class President's things.

"Phew... You still have a bit of conscience after all, Mei. Love you, love you."

Inside the bathroom, Shen Gonglin pressed himself against the door and carefully made out the voices outside. Boys had to protect themselves when they were alone, especially when there was a female pervert outside coveting their flawless bodies. Since entering, Shen Gonglin had not started bathing at all. Only after hearing their conversation clearly did he relax. Compared with Kiana, that awful girl, Mei could practically be called an angel.

Taking off his hospital gown, Shen Gonglin comfortably sank into the bathtub. St. Freya Academy really was nice. The bathroom had both a shower and a bathtub. Shen Gonglin loved soaking in baths, so he let out a long sigh. Ever since waking up, he had been busy all day. This was the perfect time to rest.

Come to think of it, he could deal with that bra here. Everyone knew that finding underwear in a bathroom was perfectly normal. If he hung it here, it would have nothing to do with him. Even if someone saw it, they would probably assume Teacher Himeko had forgotten to put it away. The plan was perfect.

"I'm back... Is nobody home?"

As night deepened, Fu Hua pushed open the dorm door and walked in. After finishing her report on Shen Gonglin, she had also helped Theresa handle paperwork for quite a while. Was it because capable people were always burdened with more work? Though she was only a student by status, Fu Hua handled everything from guiding students and processing documents to working part-time and training. One person did the work of several people. That was Fu Hua.

Today, the dorm seemed a little different from usual. Normally, the others would be in the living room watching television, playing games, or resting. But when Fu Hua returned, there was no one there. Had they all gone out to spend time with Shen Gonglin? Leaving her alone in the dorm... Perfect. She could rest properly for once. In a place with no one around, she could relax a little.

Fu Hua stretched, feeling as though she had not moved her body properly in a long time. It almost felt as if her body were rusting. Sparring with Shen Gonglin had given Fu Hua new insights into the path of martial arts. This world never lacked geniuses, but genius alone was not enough to walk the martial path. One also needed a resilient heart. Shen Gonglin... did he possess such a resolute heart?

For some reason, she thought again of that blond boy. His talent for martial arts was something Fu Hua had rarely seen in her life. If he received her proper guidance, surpassing her would probably only be a matter of time. Then there would be another powerful force in the fight against Honkai. But how was she supposed to invite him? They had fought the moment they met today, then her chest had even knocked a nosebleed out of him. How exactly was she supposed to speak to him after such a meeting?

Thinking about such things, Fu Hua took off her outer clothes and headed toward the bathroom. She had not bathed after training today. After sparring with Shen Gonglin, she had stayed with the principal to help out. Besides, it was perfectly normal for a girl to take a bath. Busy with her thoughts, Fu Hua did not notice the sounds coming from inside the bathroom. So she simply pushed open the door. After Kiana and the others had left, Shen Gonglin had completely let down his guard. What boy locked the bathroom door while bathing?

And so, this happened.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't notice someone was using the bathroom... Shen Gonglin?"