Dante merely shrugged.
"They looked like that in the novels from my previous life."
Everyone chose to ignore that as a sarcastic remark, Jurian shaking his head.
Jurian continued,
"We also have an elf. Sapphire."
Dante frowned.
"...I've heard that name before."
He searched his memory but came up blank.
[Master.]
Dante blinked.
"System?"
[She is the elf you attacked while testing how the Academy punishes unprovoked violence inside restricted zones.]
"...Ah."
He remembered immediately.
"She didn't seem particularly strong."
The System remained silent for a moment before replying.
[Perhaps because Master attacked her without warning, and she had no intention of fighting inside a prohibited area.]
Dante narrowed his eyes.
"System—"
[...]
...Was it being sarcastic?
He decided not to pursue the matter. Instead, he looked back at Jurian.
"So? What makes her worth mentioning?"
Jurian answered,
"She's a half-elf. Apparently she possesses a rather unconventional skill."
Dante shook his head.
"Last I checked, she controlled ice and wind."
Aishwani looked at him curiously.
"How exactly did you discover that?"
Without thinking, Dante absentmindedly squeezed Vexion's backside. She immediately blushed.
"I punched her."
"..."
"I wanted to see how strong she was. So she blocked with an ice wall reinforced by wind."
Silence. Aishwani stared. Jurian stared. Gorgon stared. Amber slowly lowered her head. Elric rubbed his forehead. Lexa sighed. Only Vexion quietly giggled.
Jurian carefully cleared his throat.
"...So. I assume she agreed to duel you?"
Dante shook his head.
"No. It happened outside the lecture halls."
Another silence. This one somehow felt even heavier. Finally, Aishwani pinched the bridge of her nose.
"...Dante. That's a restricted zone."
"I know. I was testing the rules."
He smiled proudly.
"Knowledge requires experimentation."
The entire group sighed in unison. Even Gorgon couldn't decide whether Dante was brilliant, or simply impossible to understand. Vexion merely laughed at everyone's expressions.
Dante shrugged.
"Either way, I didn't see anything that makes me particularly cautious. Especially after seeing what the two of you can do."
Jurian accepted that with a nod.
"Fair enough. So what's the plan?"
Dante answered immediately.
"Lexa will continue training Amber and Elric. I'll occasionally supervise."
He glanced toward the two attendants.
"I want both of you approaching Level Twenty within three weeks."
Amber's face immediately lost all color. Elric looked as though his soul had quietly left his body. Lexa smiled sympathetically. Vexion simply chuckled.
More importantly, Dante would be joining them. That alone brightened her mood considerably. Dante noticed immediately. He smiled.
"You really do smile the most when you're beside me."
Vexion leaned farther back against his chest.
"I missed Master. A lot."
Dante laughed softly before returning to the discussion.
"As for the faction, we still don't know how many members we're allowed. Nor do I know whether we even need more. For now, this is enough."
Jurian nodded.
"So we gather information first."
Aishwani agreed.
"Once we understand how the academy truly operates, then we expand."
"Exactly." Dante gave a satisfied nod. "Until then — observe. Learn. Don't make unnecessary enemies."
He paused briefly.
"...Unless they're really asking for it."
Several people instinctively looked toward him. Then remembered Sapphire. Another collective sigh spread through the group.
After confirming no one had anything else to add, Dante stood. With a snap of his fingers, space folded. One by one, everyone disappeared. The mountains returned to silence. The meeting had come to an end.
The return trip back to the central didn't cause any trouble. Dante was eager to get home as fast as he could. He had a sword that was longing to rest in its sheath after a long time, and Vexion was the most impatient of all. When Dante got back to his three-story mansion, Lexa excused herself — she hadn't bathed in three days and wanted a shower. Vexion felt the same way.
Dante himself took a bath while Vexion was in the shower, and soon he was lying on the bed, wearing only sleep pants. He looked around curiously. His room was just the same, and he barely had enough AP. He decided to put things off until he was really in a tight spot.