Chapter 268: One of the Reasons

Muen suddenly leaned in and pressed his lips against Anna’s, softer than any flower.

"Mm..."

Anna’s delicate body went stiff for a moment, then turned sinuous and soft. The gaze she lifted to Muen’s autumn-water eyes grew ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) gradually misty.

She slid her soft hands around Muen’s neck, opened her red lips of her own accord to receive him, arched forward, and answered him with heated enthusiasm.

Lips met, tongues and teeth crossed, tangling again and again, trading sweet saliva without end. The tingling like an electric shock ran through both of their bodies, making them tremble, and then their movements turned even fiercer.

Muen slipped one hand around Anna’s slender waist. Looking at that intoxicated, peerlessly beautiful face so close he could breathe it in, filled with the girl’s fragrance flooding his nose, his grip only grew stronger, as if he wished to fuse her wholly into his arms.

And Anna, drinking in the ever-thickening masculine scent enveloping her—feeling that thing plunging into her warm cave, capturing her softness, the hot, savage serpent that kept ** kept ramming straight through—couldn’t help but grow limp in Muen’s embrace, as if she might melt away entirely.

After a long while, their lips parted.

Anna straightened up and stared blankly for a beat, as if savoring the passion just now.

Her cheeks were flushed; her eyes, hazy, gazed at the man before her. Whatever trace of anger she’d had had flown off to who knew where, leaving only warm love brimming in her heart.

"Junior is such a bad man."

Anna pouted playfully and thumped Muen’s chest.

"Like this... what am I supposed to do with you?"

"Bad is fine by me."

Muen chuckled, caught Anna’s soft hand and kneaded it lightly in his palm, then lifted the bouquet he still held in his other hand.

"So... can the Academy’s best senior accept the most beautiful flowers in the Academy now?"

"...Hmph."

Anna shot Muen a look all charm and mischief, took the bouquet, and gave it a gentle sniff.

"So fragrant."

"Of course. I picked these out with great—"

"Full of the scent of magic-forced ripening."

"...Uh."

"And the one who ripened them was a female mage. Judging by the scent, no older than twenty..."

"How can you even smell that out?!"

Muen slipped his arm around Anna and pleaded softly:

"Forgive me, Senior. It’s the dead of winter—this was the only way I could get you fresh flowers. The ones in the Academy’s planting gardens are all medicinal herbs. If I picked any of those, the professors would flay me alive."

"..."

Anna tilted her head and studied Muen for a long moment, then suddenly smiled, ruffled his hair, and her eyes curved like crescent moons.

"Alright, alright, I forgive you. Junior really does love to act spoiled."

"Hmph-hmph... only with you, Senior."

Muen took the opportunity to nuzzle once more against Anna’s springy chest, then lifted his head and changed the subject:

"By the way, Senior—what’s going on over there?"

"What is?"

"Those..."

Muen pointed toward the back of the classroom.

At the moment, the bookshelves in the rear half of the room had been cleared out. The ancient tomes that had been stored there were packed away into box after box.

The delicate instruments were swaddled in cloth, bound tight with rope.

Muen had noticed all this the moment he walked in; he only now had the chance to ask.

"Senior... are you moving classrooms?"

"No."

Anna shook her head.

"I’m just packing things up."

"Packing? Why?"

"Because I’m withdrawing from school."

"Withdrawing... withdrawing?"

Muen froze, then a sharp light flashed through his eyes.

"Why? Why withdraw when things are fine? Is someone forcing you? The Silent Bureau? No way. I’m going to them right now. They’ve gone too far. You clearly already—"

"Okay, okay."

Anna pressed a finger to Muen’s lips, the corners of her mouth curving in a sweet line.

"Don’t get so worked up, Junior. Withdrawing is my decision. No one’s forcing me."

"Your decision?"

Muen looked even more puzzled. "Why?"

"Because..."

Anna flicked her hair and spoke softly:

"I’m joining the Silent Bureau."

"Wha... t? Joining the Silent Bureau?"

Muen’s eyes flew wide. He couldn’t process the turn at first; his mind went blank for a beat.

"Why?"

Muen snapped, angry: "They clearly persecuted you before!"

"They were acting according to regulations, weren’t they?"

Anna soothed him:

"And their intent at the time, to some extent, was to protect me as well. No one expected those heretic believers to be that deranged, to attack a Silent Bureau branch outright."

"But..."

"Alright, don’t be mad, Junior. I’ll tell you another secret."

Anna slipped her arms around Muen again, leaned to his ear, and whispered:

"Remember the old man I introduced you to last time?"

"That... your foster father?"

"Mm. His true identity is... the Swordbearer of the Silent Bureau."

"Wha... the Swordbearer?"

Muen’s mind blanked yet again at the twist.

That old man had indeed seemed unusual at the time, but he had never imagined he was the famed Swordbearer!

The Silent Bureau—what kind of place was that? Other than Evil Gods and His Majesty, they didn’t give a damn about anyone.

And the Swordbearer, moreover...

"I only learned it recently myself."

Anna brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and sighed.

"Before, I always thought he was just some mysterious old man with a few tricks."

"..."

The corner of Muen’s mouth twitched hard.

What kind of power-fantasy plot was this.

My foster father who runs a general store... turns out to be a super-terrifying mastermind behind the scenes?

The kind who can call up a hundred thousand Silent Ones with a word to help boost the shop’s sales?

"Also, joining the Silent Bureau isn’t my only reason."

"Not the only one?"

"Mm. The thing I mentioned before..."

Anna smiled slightly. "But it’s more straightforward to show you, Junior."

As she spoke, Anna suddenly pointed.

At the back of the classroom, beneath the sorted odds and ends, the shadow cast by the light from the window started to writhe.

Then it turned into a pitch-black pool, swallowing all the clutter bit by bit.

In no time, the whole back of the classroom was empty.

"This is..."

Muen swallowed.

"A portion of Silent Moon’s power. I suppose it was what She didn’t have time to take back out of me then," Anna said.

"This..."

Muen remembered how Silent Moon had tried to take Senior away at all costs back then, and sudden understanding dawned. He looked at Anna, tense. "Is it safe? It is an Evil God’s power..."

"Don’t worry. The Moon is already dead," Anna said softly.

Muen relaxed at once.

Right—Silent Moon was dead.

The terror of an Evil God’s power lies in how, once you’re tainted by it, it’s nearly impossible to sever your link to that god.

But Silent Moon was already dead, and Her power had become ownerless.

There was nothing purer under heaven than that.

"So, you’re joining the Silent Bureau?"

"Mm. Other than the Church’s Tribunal Sanctuary, there’s probably nowhere that understands Evil Gods better than the Silent Bureau. Only there can I learn how to fully master this power."

Anna nuzzled Muen’s cheek gently and said:

"Didn’t I say it before? From now on, I can be the one to protect you, Junior."

"Senior..."

Anna’s tenderness made Muen’s chest warm; he promptly buried his face once more against her ample bosom.

"However, that’s only one of the reasons."

"Only one?"

Senior had considered so much in joining the Silent Bureau?

Muen blinked, curious:

"What other reason is there?"

"As for the last reason..."

Anna stared straight at Muen, her expression a little hard to read.

Just as Muen was squirming under that gaze, she suddenly pursed her lips in a smile and teased:

"Not telling you, you bad man~"