Chapter 120

Aerionis Zephyra

+10 Affection

+10 Affection

+10 Affection

+10 Affection

+10 Affection

Aether found himself clouded with affection points, and yet...

"Fuck!"

"Fuck!"

"Fuck!"

"Fuck!"

"Fuck!"

"OH MY GOD!!!" Aether shouted in shock as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, his heart pounding in his chest.

'step, step, step, step....'

Behind him, a horde of women chased after him, their laughter and playful screams mixing in the air... Yeah, He was a lucky bastard, chased by women.

but this was far from a pleasant situation.

"KIkkIIikk!"

"Sshhhh!"

"Mewooww!"

"WArfff!"

"YNnnnngggg!!"

"Chrippp!!"

Those sounds were not just the laughter of women..... but the calls of animals, all tirelessly chasing Aether.

Yeah, he was indeed being pursued, not just by women but by a mix of creatures.

"Fuck! My damn charm is even affecting animals!" Aether yelled as he sprinted along a deserted path, knowing that no one else was likely to cross this lonely stretch.

In order to understand Aether's current predicament, we need to rewind a few hours, just a few hours earlier...

Upon arriving at the teleportation station, Aether and his group were immediately escorted by the staff arranged by the Academy.

Since Princess was Royalty... The Staff came by themself, unlike the others.... This shows the Empress's weightage in the Academy!

After verifying Princess Aqualina and Kai's Arcane cards, the staff nodded and ushered them towards a special vehicle. This vehicle resembled a carriage, but instead of being drawn by horses or any other animals, it was powered by advanced magical technology unique to the Academy.

Princess and Selene boarded one carriage and departed, while the other awaited Kai, Timmy, and Aether. However, as they prepared to depart...

"Ether," Kai called out to Aether.

"Yes, Master," Aether responded with a professional demeanour, though he wondered what Kai wanted this time.

"..." Kai observed Aether closely, sensing that there was something more behind his obedient facade. He then glanced at Timmy, who appeared to be a bit anxious and hiding him like a scared rabbit.

'I need to take care of Timmy's state of mind,' Kai thought, deciding to offer Aether something to occupy him and possibly alleviate Timmy's distress.

"Here" He handed Aether a sheet of paper.

"A map?" Aether furrowed his brows as he unfolded the paper.

"Yes, although I'm tempted to discipline you for disobeying, circumstances prevent me from doing so," Kai explained with a hint of frustration.

He recalled his father's stern warning not to harm Aether under any circumstances, as if there were unknown consequences to doing so. Therefore, while Kai couldn't punish Aether directly, he also couldn't forgive him for getting too close to his future partner.

Hence, Kai resolved to impart a lesson to Aether for his insubordination.

"...My hands are tied in this matter, and Timmy and I need some time alone to discuss things. So, I'm instructing you to follow this map and make your own way to the academy," Kai said, a smirk playing on his lips.

Aether's expression turned serious. Instead of pleading, he questioned, "But won't I be a stray slave if I'm separated from you?"

"Don't concern yourself with that," Kai replied smugly, noting Aether's obvious reluctance to part from them. Kai placed a hand on Aether's shoulder and continued, "I, Hereby allow you to move freely!"

Aether's slave mark, hidden behind his neck, glimmered briefly before fading back into its usual state.

'What the....?' Aether thought, surprised by the sudden turn of events.

"With this, you are free to move anywhere you want... and I will inform the guards to let you enter the city," Kai stated.

Aether's eyes lit up with the prospect of freedom. 'Fuck!! I'm going to run away... hehe—' His inner excitement was abruptly interrupted by Kai's next words.

"You can stay separated from me as far as possible for the next 24 hours, but after that time... even a momentary separation will cause your slave mark to shine brighter than when you left us before! Others might interpret that as an ~invitation~ to eliminate you..... So, It's better to run now; otherwise, you'll be late," Kai warned before boarding the vehicle.

Timmy followed Kai, not sparing a glance at Aether.

As the vehicle departed,

"Tsk" Aether clicked his tongue in annoyance, "How many functions does this damn slave mark have?" he muttered to himself.

Taking a deep breath and clutching the map, Aether made his decision to follow it. He wasn't particularly saddened by Kai leaving him behind; in fact, he preferred the freedom of walking alone rather than being cooped up with two guys who would likely annoy him in a confined space.

Stepping forward, Aether inhaled the new scent of this unfamiliar empire. He felt a sense of liberation and began to relish his new adventure in this magical world.

"Pretty cool~" Aether smiled as he followed the map, his steps filled with newfound enthusiasm, "Although it might take a while judging by the distance..... I'm okay with that!"

'Step'

As he continued to walk with happiness, he noticed there weren't many people on his path, since he walking he decided to go path that was closer to the distance.

His surroundings were mostly filled with trees and plants as if he were in the village outskirts.

'Step'

"Aerionis Zephyra Empire... ah," Aether mumbled to himself. He realized he needed to learn a lot about this new place, especially its geography and other essential information.

'If it was the Academy, I might learn many things,' he thought.

'Step'

"Damn, I literally know nothing about my new world," Aether chuckled to himself, finding the situation somewhat amusing.

'Step'

Aether's lips twitched, and he glanced back, "Come on, how long are you going to follow me?" he asked, noticing a deer walking behind him.... more like following for more than a minute.

The deer simply stared back, unfazed. Aether shrugged and continued walking.

After a few minutes of walking...

'Step, Step..'

Aether heard more footsteps. Frowning, he turned around and was surprised to see a variety of animals.... birds, deer, cats, cows...

"What the..."

Increasing his pace, Aether couldn't shake off the feeling of being followed.

'Step, Step, Step...'

Aether stopped abruptly and looked back, surprised. "Oh, FUCK!"

A growing horde of animals was now following him, their curious gazes fixed on him. Aether felt a chill run down his spine as he realized the number of animals was increasing with each passing moment.

Without hesitation, he broke into a run, hoping to leave the bewildering scene behind. However, no matter how far he ran, the animals kept multiplying, turning what started as a curious encounter into a bizarre chase through the outskirts of the empire.

"Fuck!! I don't even have a flute!" Aether shouted in frustration.

Back to the present...

"I need to do something!" Aether thought, considering using his magic to blast the road. However, he quickly dismissed the idea. He wasn't willing to harm innocent animals, even in such a strange situation.

He wasn't that much bad guy, you know!!

"KKIKK!!"

"MMOOMMMEEE!!"

"CRRHIIPPP!!"

"Yeah, Let's blast it!!" Aether said as he sealed their fate.

However,

"HISSSS!!!!!" =

Echoed a powerful voice, startling Aether and the animals.

Snowflake, his enormous white snake companion, emerged from his pocket and expanded to its full size, towering over the surroundings. The animals, terrified by the sudden appearance of the massive snake, began to tremble in fear.

"KIII!!"

"MMOO!!"

"SSKKKK!!!"

The animals' eyes widened in horror as Snowflake fixed its gaze on them with deadly intent. Without a word, they instinctively fled from the intimidating presence.

"Sigh, you could have done that earlier, you know," Aether remarked, looking at Snowflake sceptically.

"sss~"

+1000 Affection

Snowflake affectionately licked Aether's face with its split tongue.

"Hah..." Aether chuckled, feeling the warmth of Snowflake's affection. He was content that Snowflake had handled the situation, sparing him from any further trouble. Grateful for Snowflake's protection, if not he might have turned into a village boy he read in certain books....

Just as he was about to resume his peaceful walk, a sudden explosion interrupted the tranquillity.

"BOOM!"