The other four girls had now fully regained the fair, smooth skin Eros had seen when they first met. Realizing they were restored, they were momentarily moved to tears of joy; they finally didn't have to worry about turning into monsters. Caught up in the emotion, they leaned in one by one to hug Eros and pressed their soft lips against his cheek in a brief kiss.
Eros didn't refuse. After they finished, he said simply, "Let's head out."
The four girls nodded, straightened their clothes, and followed him out of the vine hut. The other students waiting outside for purification saw the girls' completely normal appearances, and their eyes lit up with a fervent longing. However, they didn't rush; they remained orderly, waiting for their turn.
After purifying the first group, Eros addressed the crowd. "Next, go in one by one. Five minutes per person. You can arrange the order yourselves." Having said that, Eros prepared to return to his own vine hut.
Annie left shortly after Eros. She needed to go wipe herself down; she didn't know if it was because of the leftover saliva, but she felt a persistent, chilly dampness.
Back inside the vine hut, Eros leaned in close to Doreen and whispered a clandestine question: "Doreen, how old are you really?"
Hearing this, Doreen blinked her large eyes. She didn't try to hide anything and told him directly. Upon hearing the answer, Eros blinked back at the well-behaved girl.
After a moment, Eros took a quick glance at Undine and the others to ensure they weren't paying attention. He then leaned into Doreen’s ear and whispered, "Why did you attend that 'gathering' last time?"
Doreen blushed, lowering her head in shy embarrassment. "Sister Mary said it would be fun, so I went."
Eros’s mouth twitched. Classic Mary! You really know how to corrupt people! Well done... I mean, how scandalous! He checked his surroundings once more, and seeing that eyes were still elsewhere, he whispered one more sentence into Doreen’s ear.
Doreen looked confused, but she nodded earnestly. Seeing her nod, Eros cleared his throat and asked again, a bit louder this time: "So, Doreen, how old are you?"
Without hesitation, Doreen replied in her crisp, clear voice, "I just turned eighteen!"
Eros nodded with great satisfaction. Her age was exactly what he had guessed: eighteen. Exactly! How could she not be eighteen? He’d have a bone to pick with anyone who suggested otherwise.
A while later, Claire came knocking. When the door opened, she offered a slim smile. "The students needing purification have all been handled."
Eros looked at her curiously. "Wasn't Annie in charge of that?"
At his question, Claire’s expression turned melancholy. She said with a hint of grievance, "Does the Prince not wish to see me? Is my charm truly inferior to that tomboy's?"
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"Not at all! How could that be?" Eros explained quickly. "In terms of allure, Annie certainly can't compete with you. I was just curious where she went."
Hearing Eros admit that Annie’s allure was inferior to hers, Claire’s face lit up with a proud smile. As expected, that tomboy can't match me. What good are large breasts if you have no charm? Since Eros himself had acknowledged her superior appeal, Claire felt like she had won a significant battle. She didn't hide anything and replied directly:
"She suddenly ran off to bathe, so she asked me to take over."
Eros nodded. After a few more words of small talk, he stepped out to retrieve The Brilliant Sun. Shortly after putting it away, he was intercepted by Annie, whose hair still carried a faint mist of water vapor.
Annie looked at him expressionlessly, her tone cold. "Claire told me you said my femininity is far inferior to hers? That I’m like a tomboy?"
A look of perfectly measured surprise appeared on Eros’s face. "When did I say that?"
Annie scrutinized him. Eros maintained a frank, calm expression under her gaze. After a long moment, Annie’s gaze softened. "It wasn't you?"
Eros curled his lip. "Do those sound like words I would use?"
Annie thought about it. "It does sound exactly like Claire’s phrasing."
Eros threw up his hands. "Exactly. Claire probably just wanted to cause a misunderstanding between us. Actually, I find your charm much greater than hers. You know I like... well, 'grand' proportions. In that regard, you far outclass her, don't you?"
Hearing Eros personally confirm that her charm was greater and that he preferred her, Annie’s face flushed. She looked somewhat bashful.
"I knew it! Claire was just talking nonsense!" At the thought of Claire, Annie felt a surge of annoyance.
Eros said nothing. Annie huffed, "I’m going to go teach her a lesson!" With that, she hurried away.
Watching Annie’s departing figure, Eros gave a casual shrug. Complimenting whoever is standing in front of you—is there anyone who hasn't mastered this skill? With a light chuckle, he continued back to his hut.
Deep in the night, the sleeping Eros suddenly snapped his eyes open. He sat up in bed and nudged Undine, Joanie, and the others, waking them up. Undine rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked groggily, "What’s wrong?"
"The spirits are coming. Many of them," Eros said succinctly.
Undine was instantly alert. The others also jolted awake, their sleepiness vanishing in a heartbeat. Eros stepped outside. The red moon was still high, bathing the land in its crimson glow. He strode toward Annie and Claire’s tents.
When they heard the news, both Annie and Claire froze. Many spirits? Then why haven't the sentries sounded the alarm?
Seeing their confusion, Eros explained, "They are still three kilometers away. They haven't entered the sentries' line of sight yet, so naturally, there’s no warning."
"Three kilometers? How could you possibly know that?" Annie asked, her face full of shock.
Eros fabricated an excuse on the spot. "Elven perception of evil is very strong. I can already feel a massive wave of malice approaching. Three kilometers is just my rough estimate of the distance."
Hearing this, Annie and Claire’s expressions turned grim. They didn't know if Elves truly had such a talent, but Eros wasn't the type to joke about such things. If he said it, it was almost certainly true.
Annie took a deep breath and asked with a trembling voice, "Can you sense exactly how many there are?"
"If I perceive the malice of a single spirit as '1', then the malice I sense now has already exceeded ten thousand—and it’s still increasing."
Annie and Claire’s pupils shrank violently. Without another word, Annie rushed out of the tent. Casting aside all caution, she drew her pistol and fired a shot into the sky. The thunderous boom of the gunshot woke the entire camp.
Looking at the students scrambling out of their tents, Annie suppressed her internal terror and shouted: "We move out tonight! We leave in one minute! Anything not packed in sixty seconds is to be abandoned on the spot! Move! Fast!"