Private Conversation

Dead Water Swamp - outer wooded area.

The exchange has ended.

At Han Dong's suggestion, the two temporarily left the Witch Academy by boat.

Because the following conversation is very likely to involve important privacy issues between the two parties.

After walking along the suspended wooden planks for a while, climb up the twisted trees and arrive at Mia's "Treehouse No. 89".

Compared to the witch's house, Mia's Treehouse seemed quite simple.

A large number of witch-related spellcasting items were piled up in the corner.

A wooden table, a mirror, a wooden stool, and a hammock hanging by the window.

"Would you like to sit?" Mia specially handed the only wooden stool to Han Dong.

"Standing is fine."

The two never exchanged a single unnecessary word along the way, leaving all private matters to be discussed here.

"Oh... then wait for me a moment."

Mia stared blankly into the corner of the materials section and found a white candle made of squid ink.

Hiss!

Mia spat out a large amount of Spider Silk, covering the walls of the Treehouse, and then used these white candles as the array's core.

As the candle was lit, strands of Spider Silk emitted a purplish-black luster, forming a unique sealing barrier.

This completely isolates the Treehouse from the Outside World.

"Okay... hurry up and tell me, when did you realize it?"

"I had a vague sense of unease when I first saw you."

Mia looked surprised, her expressionless eyes widening as she leaned closer and whispered, "The first time... the time when we chose our mentors?"

"Hmm... When you Credits, your smile and behavior were well disguised and relatively coordinated... It's just a pity that they didn't quite match your eyes."

At least to me, it just feels a bit off, not quite natural.

Also, I once saw you unexpectedly in the Adventurer's Guild Hall... You teamed up with others as soon as you entered the school and started completing some Bounty Mission.

The way you look at other adventurers when you're in a party is completely different from how you look when you're distributing herbs.

He doesn't seem like a Newcomer at all.

"Ah~ I bumped into you at the Adventurer's Guild too! What a coincidence!"

Mia grabbed Han Dong's arm and even rubbed her face against his arm, trying to act coquettishly.

She only let go and stepped back when streams of green energy, symbolizing the plague, emanated from inside her arm.

Mia wasn't Life Force at all and continued to ask, "Anything else?"

What went wrong during our series of encounters in the swamp area? I feel that aside from being a little clingy, I behaved quite well overall.

"Being clingy is one thing... but the main problem lies with the witch's house."

Upon hearing the strange sound, you pretended to be a naive young girl, blushing with nervousness...

Upon hearing this, Mia interrupted Han Dong in her excitement.

"Ah! Shouldn't it be like this? Should I be more proactive? Take advantage of this atmosphere and slowly pounce on you?"

"No..."

Han Dong shook his finger.

"You acted blushing and nervousness well, there's nothing wrong with that... it's just that your subsequent behavior was too deliberate."

When I saw her pretend to be nervous and stand up, deliberately knocking off her mask, I almost laughed.

first.

The mask is an important tool for sealing the curse. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for it to fall off with just one bump?

And your panicked expression after being hit was so contrived... You need to practice more in the future to make everything seem more logical and natural."

"Is that so!? But I need to find an opportunity to remove the mask and expose the 'curse' in order to pique your interest."

Only then can we find a way to get to know you better... and only then might we be able to extract your secrets.

Han Dong replied with a cold expression:

There are many ways to indirectly reveal the 'curse,' but you chose a rather inappropriate one... However, your deliberate act of exposure has made me somewhat interested in your true identity.

Only later did I agree to spar with you, and through close contact, I basically determined your true nature.

"Huh? You've already discovered my true nature... What am I?" Mia asked in surprise.

"Pretend to be a pitiful figure who has lost loved ones due to a curse, and embark on a knightly journey burdened by the curse."

Essentially, you should have an innate, direct connection to this curse, right?

Your so-called 'painful past' is most likely something you caused yourself... Not only do you feel no guilt, but you actually enjoy it, using it as a special tool to evoke sympathy from others.

As for the source of the curse you bear, it should be [outside the city].

camouflage.

You even tried to develop a second personality to perfectly embody the image of "Mia Seminovich," a model student, hoping to graduate from the Knight Academy with top grades and excellent character and infiltrate the upper echelons of the Knight Order.

That's all I can speculate on right now.

After hearing all this, Mia smiled with satisfaction and couldn't help but exclaim:

"Wow!

At first, I thought you made a living off this Eye of the Demon, but I never expected that your most powerful asset was actually your brain...

When I first saw you, I sensed a strange, yet 'same' feeling.

I thought we could become ' Good Friend,' but I never expected you to be so cold.

At this point, Mia suddenly hugged Han Dong from the front, her lips lightly brushing against Han Dong ear as she whispered:

"How about I give you another chance? As long as you're willing to be 'with' me, I can fulfill any of your needs in life!"

In terms of looks and figure, Mia is definitely top-tier among her peers, and she also possesses a unique charm.

But Han Dong just wasn't interested...

In addition, Han Dong didn't want to get into unnecessary trouble... In his eyes, Mia was a troublesome woman.

Han Dong gently pushed Mia away and walked towards the Treehouse door. "Please tell Teacher Kailonya and the Great Plague Lord that I am not feeling well and need to go back to rest."

Also, please remember my only request of you after you win the match.

"Don't bother me."

These words were spoken.

Han Dong could feel a strong killing intent coming from behind him.

Even the cracks in the Treehouse planks were teeming with venomous spiders.

But Han Dong did not turn around... because Mia dared not and could not kill him.

The murderous intent vanished in a short while.

Mia asked the last question she posed as they parted, trying to persuade them to stay, "You also have secrets you can't hide. Aren't you afraid I'll expose you?"

"... Whatever."

Han Dong Door Opening, turned his back, waved his hand, and quickly left the Treehouse.

Mia was left alone in the Treehouse, grinning as she removed the mask used for the seal.

A long, purplish-black tongue emerged from its mouth and licked its way around the face.

"Nicholas ...you are the most interesting classmate I have ever met. The bunch of stupid Knight-Errant in the Adventurer's Guild cannot compare to you."

Tell me to stop bothering you.

They've finally met someone like them, how could they just give up like that?

The more you dislike someone, the more they want you.

I'm so excited... Ah! I'm so looking forward to going outside the city with you for the Knight Training Camp... We'll probably encounter some very dangerous situations then.

Once we get separated from the main group, we can finally have some alone time!

I can't wait! I can't wait!

Just thinking about it made Mia tremble violently with excitement, and her hands and feet began to twitch involuntarily.