Conquering The Novel

"Wow, this is very tragic news for the Elven Empire," Aegis began. "The Althaeon Pharmacy was well-known not only among elves but also among various races, thanks to their unique remedies.

The Hero Association was even planning to collaborate with them and open branches in other kingdoms." Aegis stated.

Mika shrugged. "Who cares, it doesn't concern us. There's no need to waste time watching the news."

"Well, I was friends with the wife of the previous owner," Aegis said.

"But they died in an accident. Of course, that's only what is told to the public. It's not hard to guess that they were assassinated by higher-ups in the company. They even had a young daughter who also died at the time.

This must be their retribution," Aegis spoke in a dramatic tone.

"...The lack of evidence allowed the killer to walk free without consequence, and people quickly moved on from the incident," She added with a shake of her head.

'I'm not sure how Aegis knows so much about the assassination, but what she says is true.

The former owner of the Althaeon Pharmacy was Meira's father, who was murdered along with his wife by an assassin hired by his own brother, who subsequently took over the company.

But they were unaware that the assassin spared the life of their daughter, Meira, and instead chose to adopt her for unknown reasons.

And now, Meira has taken her revenge, all the while remaining unknown to them.'

"People have short memories, they easily forget about things like this. So what if a pharmacy owner was killed? As long as they can still get their potions, that's all that matters to them," Mika commented," But I can't judge them, I'm just like them." she added.

"The only ones that really suffer are those who were close to the victims," Aegis muttered.

"Now that the leading potion-making company in the elven kingdom is gone, there will be high demand for potions. This could be your chance to get rich, Aegis," I said jokingly.

"The downfall of one can often bring opportunities for others, is that what you're saying?" She asked.

"Yeah," I replied while nodding.

"But, I already have enough money to lead a comfortable life and I don't want to deal with the hassle of making large quantities of potions," Aegis replied.

"So you'd rather watch anime than make potions, huh?" I asked with a grin.

"Exactly!" Aegis exclaimed.

"..."

"Even if you wanted to sell your potions in the elven kingdom, you wouldn't be able to," Mika interjected. "Because you'll be joining us in the dungeon." She spoke nonchalantly as if it was a given.

"...Ahhh no! I never agreed to that," Aegis cried out.

"I'm not asking for your consent, I'm informing you that you're coming with us," Mika declared, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"What about my right to refuse?" Aegis asked, her voice rising as she grabbed onto her hair in frustration.

I couldn't help but think to myself that when it comes to Mika, there really is no such thing as the freedom to refuse. I remembered Aegis telling me that herself when I first met Mika.

"So, when are you entering the dungeon, Master?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts.

"Our departure is imminent, within the next day or two, depending on how quickly Aegis can gather the necessary supplies," Mika informed us.

Aegis sighed heavily at the thought of the added workload she was about to face.

'The more she tries to avoid work, the more work she ends up with,' I thought to myself with a shake of my head.

"And what about you, my disciple? Are you planning on returning to the Academy?" Mika asked, turning to me.

"Not just yet," I replied with a smile. "I have some errands to run nearby. I'll leave after I've finished."

I had been considering asking Mika if she wants to accompany me to the abandoned Kingdom, but with her schedule for entering the dungeon, it wouldn't be the best idea.

Telling her about my plans to visit the abandoned kingdom might result in her either trying to stop me or postponing her own schedule to come along.

***

After chatting with Mika for a few more moments, we exited the restaurant.

However, Throughout our conversation, Aegis remained quiet, her mood still surrounded by a sense of gloominess.

As we were about to part ways, Mika hugged me and spoke with a smile on her face, "I will do my best to clear that dungeon before the start of your tournament, so I can be there to witness your victory, my beloved student." She held me in a tight embrace for a moment before letting go.

I then gestured for her to come closer, as if I wanted to whisper something in her ear. She bent down to meet my height and I gave her a tender kiss on the lips.

!?

Though I had grown taller, the height difference between Mika and me was still quite noticeable, and I still couldn't reach her lips.

"I hope you find what you're looking for in that dungeon, Master," I said, smiling after giving her a kiss.

"...."

Mika stood there, stunned and motionless, while Aegis, who had been looking downcast just moments before, now had her eyes and mouth wide open in surprise.

My unexpected kiss had caught both of them off guard.

"Okay, I'll see you later, Master," I said, still smiling as I turned to leave.

As I walked away from Mika and Aegis, I couldn't help but feel anxious as I think about their reactions. Mika had stood motionless with a straight face, but I could tell that her mind was in turmoil.

Meanwhile, Aegis was still in shock, her eyes and mouth wide open in disbelief. I couldn't help but smile at the sight.

'Maybe I acted too soon,' I thought to myself. 'But Mika is a grown woman, she can handle it.' I shrugged it off.

***

Mika and Aegis remained silent, their eyes fixed on Ares's departing figure.

Though Mika appeared calm and composed on the outside, her mind was racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions.

'What does this mean?' she thought to herself. 'Did he kiss me because he loves me? I love him too, but...wait a minute. Is this just a new trend among young people to kiss goodbye like that? Does he kiss every woman he meets?'

Mika continued to ponder these thoughts for a few moments before finally turning to look at Aegis, who was still in a state of shock.

"...Did he kiss you goodbye too?" Mika asked Aegis, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"What? Are you crazy? Why would he kiss me?" Aegis replied quickly, her face reddening with embarrassment.

"Really? He didn't kiss you?" Mika pressed, still looking at Aegis skeptically.

"O-Of course not! Why would he kiss me?" Aegis exclaimed while making exaggerated hand gestures, denying it.

"That's a relief," Mika said, her tone neutral. She then turned away from Aegis.

"Wait a minute, did you kiss him?" Mika suddenly turned back to Aegis and asked again.

"W-What? N-No! Why would I do that?" Aegis replied, flustered.

'Ahhh, Why is she asking such questions to me?' Aegis screamed inwardly.

"Good. You better not. What if he's kissed other girls too? Should I go kill them?" Mika muttered to herself, her eyes darkening as if under a spell.

"....."

Aegis was left speechless when she heard Mika's words.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea. Ares wouldn't be happy if you did that," Aegis said cautiously.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't want to make my precious disciple unhappy or angry with me," Mika said, shaking her head.

"Then...What should I do if someone tries to steal him from me?" Mika asked in a serious tone, her eyes now locked onto Aegis.

Aegis sighed inwardly, thinking, 'It's like that bastard has flipped her Yandere switch and left me to deal with it. She's already crazy enough for me to handle.'

"Don't worry, you're asking the right person. I have experience with this kind of thing," Aegis declared, puffing out her breast.

"But you don't have any experience with love, same as me though?" Mika asked with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"...."

"Ha—Haha, Y-Yeah, I guess you're right. We're both inexperienced with love, B-But I love men from anime series, if that counts?" Aegis said as she chuckled nervously.

But suddenly, Mika's expression grew darker as she repeated, "I wonder if he kisses every girl he meets goodbye like that."

"...."

Aegis raised an eyebrow at Mika's tone, sensing her jealousy.

"I-I don't think you should worry about that," she said carefully. "I'm sure he only kissed you because he cares about you."

"You think so?" Mika asked, her eyes brightening a little.

"Y-Yes, I'm sure of it," Aegis said with a nod, trying to calm Mika down. "J-Just don't overthink things, okay?" Aegis added with a nervous expression.

Mika nodded, still looking a little uncertain. "Okay, I'll try not to. Thanks, Aegis."

"Haha, Don't worry about it," Aegis said, relieved that the conversation was shifting away from the previous topic.

"S-So, shall we start formulating a strategy for our next foray into the dungeon?" Ageis remarked to which Mika merely nodded.

***

"Ares, you jerk! I'm going to give you a piece of my mind next time I see you for putting me through that terrifying experience," Aegis thought to herself, fuming with anger towards Ares.

...

...

Meanwhile Ares~

Achoo!

"Wow, that was a weird sneeze. I wonder if someone's talking about me?" Ares muttered to himself as he rubbed his nose.

However, he shrugged and continued on his way. Little did he know, Aegis was cursing him in her mind.