--
"..."
Kanzaki Kaori's beautiful eyes widened involuntarily, her small mouth falling slightly open.
An exceedingly rare expression appeared on her usually composed face.
The sorrow and pain she had felt over being deceived and over Index's plight instantly turned to wariness.
But the girl did not feel she had lost her composure. After all, he had brazenly made such an indecent demand at a time like this.
Any other woman would have backed away with both arms across her chest, wary of someone giving in to his animal urges.
In fact, it was not just Kanzaki Kaori. The girls of ITEM around them already looked embarrassed.
"Does this guy... only ever think about things like that?"
Mugino Shizuri held her forehead and spoke with some exasperation.
That rampaging Index Librorum Prohibitorum was already starting to regroup, you know?
Even though she had prepared herself, her understanding of how low Roland could sink had been revised yet again.
Still, even she had to admit that, although Roland had most likely made this demand deliberately,
if Kanzaki Kaori went along with his wishes, she would probably get the result she wanted.
Enjoying a girl's reluctant compliance while indulging his own desires, achieving his own peculiar kind of win-win, had always been Roland's style.
Of course, Roland noticed the change in Kanzaki Kaori's gaze.
But he still had no intention of changing his words.
"Then, may I begin?"
"Huh? Wait!"
Even the serious female Saint could no longer remain calm at a time like this.
She waved her hands frantically to express her resistance.
"Who would believe that kissing can transfer experience and wisdom?!"
"Transferring knowledge is a perfectly legitimate spell." Roland smiled calmly. "But as you said, kissing isn't generally a common method. Unfortunately, you're a Saint."
"A Saint's constitution gives