Embarrassment at the Knight Academy Entrance and Scorching Gazes

The Royal Knight Academy, situated to the west of the Imperial Capital Sacrifice, exudes an aura of masculinity, iron discipline, and order, a stark contrast to the elegant mystery of the Magic Academy. Towering grey stone walls, a vast training ground, the constant shouts of drills, and the pervasive scent of sweat, leather, and steel form the dominant melody here.

Leon had just finished a day… or rather, another session of grueling extra training under Captain Hans's "special attention." He felt as though every bone in his body was about to fall apart, every muscle screaming in protest. Sweat soaked through his rough training uniform, clinging to him, both sticky and cold. He dragged his leaden legs, blending in with a crowd of equally exhausted students, and trudged dejectedly towards the academy gates, yearning to return to Count Strauss's Mansion, soak in a hot bath, and collapse onto his bed.

However, fate seemed to delight in delivering "surprises" when he was at his most pathetic.

Just as he was lowering his head, contemplating whether to continue poring over the Fundamentals of Magical Mechanics that evening or simply pass out, a familiar female voice, sharp and arrogant, sliced into his ears like a whip:

"Raymond! Over here! Why are you so slow? Making me wait this long!"

Leon instinctively looked up, and instantly, his blood seemed to freeze.

At the grand entrance of the academy, amidst the bustling crowd, a figure as dazzling as a flame stood with her hands on her hips, impatient. With curly red hair like a burning sunset, emerald eyes like cat's eyes, and a delicate yet haughty face, she wore a crimson mage robe that, even at the entrance of the Knight Academy, made no attempt to conceal its splendor and magical fluctuations—who else but Eleanor Soros?

She was clearly here to pick someone up. Beside her stood a tall young man in a knight student uniform, bearing a five or six-tenths resemblance to Eleanor, but with the untamed arrogance of youth in his eyes. He was scratching his head and smiling sheepishly. It was her younger brother, Raymond Soros, that tagalong who was in the same "class" as Leon (meaning they were both Intermediate Knights, though Leon was two years older).

Leon's heart lurched violently, and almost reflexively, he wanted to lower his head and disappear into the crowd. Good heavens, why would he run into her here?! In his current disheveled, sweat-soaked state…

But it was too late.

Eleanor's gaze had initially been fixed on her brother Raymond, but the moment Leon looked up, her sharp eyes were drawn like a magnet and swept over. Their eyes met!

Time seemed to stop at that moment.

Leon's mind went "buzz," turning blank. Immediately, an uncontrollable torrent of memories, originating from the deepest part of this body, belonging to the original Leon von Hohenzollern—a mixture of intense desire, shame, embarrassment, and a strange, pathological excitement—crashed through his rational dam like a bursting flood!

A summer afternoon… the misty outer women's bathing area of the Royal Baths… a vine-covered window ledge… a fleeting glimpse of a snow-white body through a gap… wet, fiery red curls clinging to a smooth back… water droplets tracing the delicate curve of her waist… and, upon being discovered, that face, flushed red with shock and anger, yet appearing even more stunningly beautiful, followed by ear-splitting screams and a chase…

These images were terrifyingly clear, carrying the thrill of a successful voyeur and the trembling guilt of the original owner. They acted like the strongest aphrodisiac, mixing with Eleanor's current gaze—filled with contempt, anger, and a condescending scrutiny—forming an irresistible torrent that violently assaulted the nerves of Leon (the new soul)!

"Pfft—!"

Two streams of warm, slightly metallic-smelling liquid erupted uncontrollably from Leon's nostrils!

He could even feel the tickle of the hot flow along his philtrum and the salty taste of the liquid dripping onto his dry lips.

The entire world seemed to fall silent. The surrounding students' chatter and footsteps seemed to fade instantly. Leon froze in place, maintaining his upward gaze, his eyes vacant. Two bright red streams of blood trickled down his chin, landing on the front of his dirty training uniform, quickly creating two conspicuous dark red stains.

He was completely stunned. His soul seemed to have left his body, floating in mid-air, watching the "Leon" shell below, looking like an idiot with a nosebleed.

Eleanor Soros had clearly seen this as well. She was taken aback at first, but then, the emerald fire in her eyes instantly ignited with towering rage and utter disgust! Of course, she knew why this scoundrel Leon was bleeding from the nose! That damned peeping incident a few years ago was one of the greatest disgraces of her life! This lewd, shameless, dirty wretch! To… to get a nosebleed just from seeing her and recalling that sordid event?!

"L!E!O!N! H!O!H!E!N!Z!O!L!L!E!R!N!" Eleanor spat out his name, her voice trembling with extreme anger. She clenched her staff, the ruby at its tip beginning to glow with unstable, dangerous light, and the surrounding air temperature suddenly rose. "You… you… you damned pervert! How dare you… how dare you still think about it?!"

Raymond Soros beside her also reacted. This sixteen-year-old knight, though "equal" in strength to Leon, was impulsive and especially admired and protected his sister. Seeing Leon in this state and hearing his sister's furious reprimand, his blood instantly surged. He stepped forward, blocking Eleanor, and pointed at Leon's nose, shouting curses:

"Hohenzollern! You're asking for death! How dare you use those filthy eyes to lust after my sister?! Believe it or not, I'll break your dog legs right now!"

The surrounding students also noticed the commotion and stopped, casting curious, surprised, and schadenfreude-filled glances. The useless Hohenzollern and the fiery Soros siblings confronting each other—this was a rare spectacle! Many began whispering:

"Look! It's Leon, that good-for-nothing!"

"What's wrong with him? A nosebleed?"

"Heh, what else could it be? Probably saw Miss Eleanor and remembered those past misdeeds, right?"

"Tsk tsk, a leopard can't change its spots…"

"Raymond's going to fight? This is going to be good!"

The various gazes and whispers pricked Leon like needles. He finally managed to snap back from his dazed state, a wave of immense shame washing over him like icy water, instantly bringing him to his senses! He fumbled to wipe his nosebleed with the back of his hand, only smearing it across his face, making him look even more pathetic.

"N-no! Miss Eleanor… you've misunderstood!" Leon tried to explain, his voice thick with a nasal tone due to his panic and blood running down his throat, sounding comical and ridiculous. "I… I'm just too tired from training… it's the heat!"

This feeble explanation was utterly powerless in the face of the living "crime scene" before them.

"The heat?" Eleanor trembled with rage, her green eyes practically spitting fire. "The heat from looking at me?! Leon Hohenzollern, I warn you! Stay away from me! Look at me again, and I'll use Scorching Ray to burn those disgusting eyeballs out!"

The light from her staff intensified, and the fire element in the air churned violently. If not for the fact that they were at the entrance of the Knight Academy, with instructors and rules, she probably would have attacked.

Raymond, meanwhile, had rolled up his sleeves, faint red Battle Qi beginning to flicker around him. He glared fiercely at Leon, "Useless! Can't own up to it? If you're a man, step up to the dueling grounds! I'll beat the shit out of you!"

A duel? In his current state, Leon would be walking into a slaughter. The flimsy Battle Qi within him was barely enough for his usual training, let alone fighting Raymond, who was at the peak of his anger and of comparable strength.

Panic, shame, and a hint of anger at the original owner's misdeeds intertwined, making Leon feel utterly disgraced. He wished he could find a hole to crawl into! He stumbled backward, waving his hands incoherently, "Misunderstanding! It's truly a misunderstanding! I'm leaving! I'm leaving now!"

He no longer cared about his pride or wiping the blood from his face. He turned and, like a startled rabbit, stumbled through the crowd, fleeing in the direction of the Count's Mansion. Behind him, he heard Eleanor's angry snort, Raymond's disdainful scoff, and the undisguised laughter of the surrounding students.

This was undoubtedly the most mortifying, embarrassing, and explosive moment Leon had experienced since his transmigration!

He ran all the way until he turned the corner, no longer able to see the Knight Academy's gate or hear those grating sounds. He leaned against the cold wall, gasping for breath. His face was a mess of sweat, tears (of shame and anger), and dried blood.

"Damn… damn original owner!" Leon punched the wall, the pain in his knuckles sharp, but far less than the humiliation and anger in his heart. The instinctive reactions of this body were a disaster! This time, he had lost face completely and thoroughly offended the vengeful Eleanor Soros!

He slumped to the ground, feeling the exhaustion of his body and the trauma to his mind, a deep sense of powerlessness about the future. Surviving in this world meant not only facing open attacks and hidden daggers but also constantly guarding against the "surprises" sprung by this unreliable body!

On his left wrist, unnoticed by him, the dusty bracelet seemed to flicker faintly for a moment when his emotions had been extremely agitated and his blood had surged (causing the nosebleed), as if touched by some strong emotional fluctuation. However, it quickly returned to its dormant state.

Today's encounter was like a basin of ice water, waking him up. In this world, he not only needed to become stronger but also learn to completely control this body, and… deal with the mess left behind by the original owner! Otherwise, similar embarrassing situations would likely continue to occur. Elisa's Coming-of-Age Ceremony had not yet arrived, but new troubles had already found him.