The queen calls a meeting

The next day, Syvis has us train the same way. But the day after that Syvis doesn’t pick us up for training that afternoon. In fact, none of the mentors show up for their teams. A trio of replacement mentors shows up and explains our regular mentors are in a meeting with the queen and other guests. They are going to mentor us this afternoon.

The replacement mentor we get is an odd one. She’s got pink hair like Shalia, except her eyes are brown while Shalia’s are blue. A bit of an unusual hair color, but normal so far. The odd thing is her being dressed like one of the castle maids, but with exposed midriff and a heart-shaped boob window. She at least carries a sword, though the holster she has it in is quite flowery.

“Hello everyone. My name is Lilith and I am going to be your mentor for a day.” The replacement mentor says. “Well, morning has already come and gone so, more like mentor for half a day, hihi.”

Lilith also gives each of us a personal greeting. But when she gets to me, she pauses for a moment and stares into my eyes. I wonder what that was about.

Lilith then takes us to the training ground and she is going to teach us how to fight against flying targets. At first, I thought she’d make some magic orbs float and we’d have to shoot them down. But then Lilith grows a pair of green scaled wings and a green scaly tail.

“Surprised? It’s my [Shape Shift] skill. I can use it to hide my wings and tail.” Lilith says joyfully.

“I see. You are one of the Draconians.” Leona says once she sees Lilith’s wings. “I thought your people only lived in the mountains.”

“The old boring ones do. But cool girls like me go out and become adventurers.” Lilith quips.

Lilith then spreads her green wings to their fullest extent, which made her look quite impressive. Then she first bends through her knees, and jumps up while at the same time flapping her wings down and up she goes. It makes me think back to watching Kiara fly on the day of my awakening. Maybe I should try and find a skill that will allow me to fly as well.

“Now, try and hit me, if you can.” Lilith calls out to us while she flies overhead.

Shalia and I start throwing our [Water Ball] spells at her. Miranda uses her [Cleave] to try and reach her. Leona and Ryul however look on, unable to do anything since none of their skills are ranged. If Wendy still had her throwing knives with her, she might try like Shalia and I, but had given up on those when she collected her new wardrobe.

Lilith is quite skilled with her wings and easily dodges our attacks. Then she suddenly dives down and flies just above our heads. When she flies past me, her tail goes down and hits me in the face.

“Tag, you’re it.” Lilith jokes. “That’s what happens when your non ranged guys just stand around gawking.”

This gets Leona and Ryul to step and try to keep Lilith from targeting the spellcasters next time she does a flyby. But Lilith is no fool and doesn’t come close when she doesn’t see an opening. When she does see one, she closes her wings, beings them as close to her body as she can, and dives towards us at great speed. When she’s almost about the hit us, she spreads her wings again and glides up once more.

At some point Wendy tries to get in on the action. She holds her spear overhead and pulls it back. Then she aims carefully and uses her [True Aim] skill by throwing it at Lilith. The pink haired Draconian performs a barrel roll and catches Wendy’s spear in midflight.

“Wooh, almost got me with that one.” Lilith says as she lands. She then comes over to Wendy and tells her, “Careful, we’re just training. Let’s not have anyone getting hurt.”

After another while of Lilith’s training we need to take a break. Both we are too tired to attack any more, and Lilith is too tired to dodge. I still have a bit of mana left and decide to use it by training the [Water Spear]. At first, I fail. Casting it in the waking world is a lot more difficult than in my dream, like I suspected. Instead, I first summon a [Water Ball], then change its shape into that of a spear. Then I pull my arm back, like I’ve seen Wendy do when she threw her spear earlier and then I throw it. Not to anything on the ground, but high up to the sky. It flies fast and I can only imagine what kind of damage it would do if it hits something. But its trajectory is so lengthy that the spear eventually loses cohesion and falls apart into many little droplets of water. Perhaps for the best.

My friends were obviously impressed and Shalia asks me to teach her. While I am teaching her the [Water Spear] and Wendy teaches us how to properly throw a spear, Lilith gives a private lesson to Leona. She does a few flyby’s over the catgirl paladin, and Leona is supposed to use her [Divine Chains] to capture Lilith and prevent her from taking to the skies again.

About an hour before our training is supposed to end, a large group of people starts leaving the castle. We get curious and check to see who they are.

First are a group of high elves, like Ryul. Except, they are dressed in expensive looking clothing.

Then comes a group of beastkind, also dressed in fancy robes. In fact, everyone is dressed fancy. None of these beastkind are of the cat-variety like Leona, though. There is a goat-kind, a wolf-kind and I think also a squirrel-kind.

After that comes Aelbrecht, together with 2 adventurers. I’m guessing those are active members of his guild.

Next comes another group of foreign dignitaries. These are the dwarves. Followed closely by the dark elves, Syvis’ people.

Then we have the red-haired woman that was talking to Dante in the library. She too has 2 adventurers with her, similar to Aelbrecht.

The last one to come out is … ugh, Kase. He was dressed in ostentatiously decorated armor and accompanied by two girls. One of them a blonde, the other a brunette whose hair is just as black and long as Amelia’s and her boobs are equally large, but she doesn’t have Amelia’s face. To my dismay, he actually notices me and comes over to us.

“Well, well, well. You actually succeeded in getting your awakening. I’m surprised. I was certain you would fail.” Kase taunts me. “And you even made it to the castle. I thought only competent adventurers were collected. Guess this year’s ritual must have been really bad.”

He then glances at Lilith. “Or did you have such a bad result that you’re being trained as a maid.”

I wanted to say something back at him. Something to make him feel stupid. But then I’d be insulting an S rank. Because of Leona, I have personally felt how strong A ranks can be. I don’t think I’d like getting punched by an S rank. Besides, he is not entirely wrong. I got invited to the castle when I had no rank. Now I am but a C. The castle training is supposed to be for B or higher.

Before I can come up with something witty to say, Leona steps up and tells Kase, “Hey. What’s your problem?” in a very unfriendly manner.

All of a sudden, Kase starts to laugh.

“Really, Darx? You need your little petgirl to stand up for you? Gosh, I knew you were pathetic before, but this is a new low.”

When Kase insulted Leona like that, it made my feelings switch from disgust to anger. But apparently, I was not the only one. Wendy stepped up as well and stands next to Leona. Same for Ryul and Shalia. Even Miranda stepped up. If Kase wants to start a fight, he’ll have to start it with all of us.

Then the blonde who is with kase rolls her eyes and starts walking away. “Ugh, I’m leaving.”

“Tricia, stay here.” Kase calls out to her while keeping his eyes on me.

“Why should I?” Tricia replies. “We came her for the queen’s summoning and that is over and done with. There is nothing left here for us to do here.” Then Tricia places her hands on her sides and switches to mocking Kase herself. “Except maybe you doing your little dick measuring contest with a nobody. I have honestly more important things to do than watch you satisfy your ego, Kase. I’m leaving.”

After that, Tricia walks towards the castle gate.

Then the brunette grabs Kase’s hand. “She’s right, Kase. There’s better things we can do with our time.” Except she says it much more lovingly. Maybe also a bit sensually? “Let’s leave these losers be. The one with the weird eyes gives me the creeps.”

Kase smiles at her and decides to kiss her right in front of us. He makes a show of letting us see his tongue and hers together and even starts groping her breasts in front of all of us. I know she isn’t Amelia, but her hair and the sound of her voice are pretty close. It makes me feel like 6 months ago, this is what Amelia might have been doing behind my back. If Kase is doing this to make me angry, I’m afraid he is succeeding.

“See what I’ve been enjoying, Darx? Both here in Riledo and also way back in Merton. Too bad you never found out.” Kase tells me with a really big smirk while the Amelia lookalike hangs on his shoulder and smirks at me as well. “Something a virgin like you can only dream about, right.”

Virgin? I feel like telling him about all the times I fucked Mia. No, if I did that, I would be treating Mia as if she was a sex toy to me. That would be wrong in so many ways. First because I never saw her as a sex toy. Second, it just wouldn’t be right. I don’t want to be like Kase and treat women like he does, I should be better than that.

Then Wendy turns to me and gives me a really big hug. Her mouth goes for mine and she forces her tongue inside. She moans while she is doing this and even grabs my hand and places it on her breast. She’s basically doing the same thing the other girl just did to Kase.

Wendy then breaks the kiss and looks over to Kase. “You should hear of all the stuff we do in the room we share. It gets really nasty sometimes.”

Knowing how Kase is, I expected him to be pissed that Wendy proved him wrong. Instead, he was not pissed at all. He smiled even. He then reached for Wendy, took her by the wrist and pulled her to him.

“Watch this, Darx.” Kase said, and started kissing Wendy.

That bastard. First Amelia and now Wendy. Just because these girls are close to me? I feel like casting a spell on him that makes him suffer. Perhaps a [Migraine] or a [Nausea] spell? But I don’t have either of these runes charged on my scroll. If I want to cast them now, I’ll have to develop dark or **** magic. Fortunately, I have enough empty skill/magic slots on my adventurer card to make it happen.

But while Wendy is receiving Kase’s unsolicited kiss, her hands go for his shoulders and then she knees him in the groin. Based on how Kase doubles over in pain, I’m going to say the particular armor he is wearing is just for show. Wendy then takes a step back, clenches her fist and punches Kase right above his right eye.

“Don’t ever touch me again, you creep!” Wendy yells at Kase, who looks at her in shock and confusion.

Wendy then grabs me and pulls me with her while angrily saying, “Come with me, Darx! Let’s have sex!”

Wendy pulls me towards into the castle. It is only when we are out of Kase’s sight that she finally let go of me.

“Sorry about forcing a kiss on you.” Wendy apologizes. “I just really hate it when sleazy guys like that pretend to be better than anyone else.”

“It’s fine.” I say. “I really loved it when you punched him.”

Wendy then buries her face in her hands and laments, “Imris’ tits, I just punched an S rank in the face.”

That’s when the rest of my team arrived and they all praised Wendy for standing up to Kase like she did. Shortly after, we have forgotten all about it and were feasting in the dining hall.