Chapter 272 - 270 : A Passionate Night of Desire (1) ( R18 )

Chapter 272: Chapter 270 : A Passionate Night of Desire (1) ( R18 )

Night fell over the floating island of Celestias Academy.

The Golden Colosseum, which had been roaring with the cheers of more than 100,000 spectators only hours earlier, now rested beneath a calm silver moon.

Soft lights shimmered across the island’s luxurious hotels, towering buildings, and elegant stone pathways, casting a warm glow over the quiet night.

The first day of the Inter-Academy Tournament had finally come to an end.

And Celestias Academy had claimed the first major victory.

After the Treasure Hunt match, the students returned to the luxurious hotel reserved for their academy.

The banquet hall had already been prepared for a celebration.

A long dining table stretched across the center of the spacious room, covered with an extravagant assortment of food. Delicately prepared dishes, rare fruits, freshly baked bread, roasted meat, desserts, and drinks imported from distant regions filled the table.

At the center stood several elegant silver bottles.

They contained Silverleaf Vintage.

A rare Elvish wine renowned throughout the world for its smooth taste, refined fragrance, and rich mana-infused flavor.

Athena had gifted the wine to the students after their overwhelming victory.

She was clearly in an excellent mood.

Even though her face remained hidden behind her veil, the satisfaction in her voice was impossible to miss.

That night, Athena wore a beautiful white dress.

The fabric flowed gracefully around her figure, made from a soft, luminous material that seemed to reflect the moonlight itself. Pale golden threads were embroidered along the sleeves and hem, while a thin silver belt rested elegantly around her waist.

Her long golden hair flowed freely over her shoulders.

The entire outfit made her appear elegant, powerful, and almost unreal.

Like a goddess who had descended among mortals to attend their celebration.

But Arthur noticed something that everyone else seemed to overlook.

Athena’s breathing was slightly ragged.

It was barely noticeable.

Her posture remained perfectly straight, and her voice remained calm and controlled, but Arthur could still sense the subtle strain in her movements.

He wondered if it was simply because she was still recovering from the failed ritual and the enormous amount of power she had used recently.

He decided not to say anything.

’She can handle herself.’

The legal drinking age in this world was 15, so the young students freely raised their glasses.

"Cheers!"

The banquet hall immediately erupted with laughter.

Glasses clinked together as the students of Celestias Academy celebrated their victory and drank the rare Silverleaf Vintage.

The wine was smooth with a faint sweetness, leaving behind a refreshing sensation with every sip. A gentle warmth soon spread through their bodies, easing the exhaustion left behind by the day’s battles.

For a while, there was nothing but laughter and celebration.

The first day of the tournament had featured only a single match.

But starting tomorrow, there would be 2 matches every day.

However, the students who had participated in the Treasure Hunt would not be allowed to participate in the following day’s matches.

That meant Arthur, Victor, Evangline, Jasmine, and Rubina would be forced to rest while the remaining students took the field.

Celestias Academy had already secured a massive advantage.

Their victory, combined with the A-Rank monster kill, the treasures they had obtained, and the bonus points they had accumulated, had created a 12-point gap between them and the other academies.

For the first time in years, Celestias Academy stood at the top of the tournament rankings.

The students were delighted.

The atmosphere was light.

Hopeful.

Filled with laughter, excitement, and pride.

Arthur, however, sat alone on a couch near the edge of the banquet hall.

A glass of Silverleaf Vintage rested loosely in his hand.

He stared silently at the golden liquid inside.

"...."

"So this was your plan, huh?"

Layla’s voice suddenly came from beside him.

Arthur looked up.

Layla had taken a seat next to him, a wine glass of her own resting in her hand.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

He leaned back against the couch and took a slow sip of the Silverleaf Vintage.

Layla glanced toward the students who were still celebrating.

"You participated in the first match to create a massive point difference."

Arthur remained silent.

"And by doing that, you relieved the pressure from the other students in the upcoming matches."

Her blue eyes narrowed slightly.

"They won’t feel like they have to win every single match anymore."

Arthur gave a faint smile.

"Well, you’re not entirely wrong."

Layla looked at him carefully.

She understood how much Arthur had actually risked.

He had deliberately allowed the other academies to gather around the A-Rank Chimera.

He had allowed them to attack it.

He had even allowed the crystal to remain exposed while Ava and Eva moved toward it.

All for the additional 5 points he could obtain by defeating the boss.

It had been an all-or-nothing gamble.

If his plan had failed, another academy could have stolen the crystal.

Celestias Academy might have walked away with only a handful of points.

But Arthur had succeeded.

Layla lowered her gaze toward the wine in her hand.

’He risked everything to create an advantage for us.’

The realization left her with complicated emotions.

Before she could say anything else, Diana approached them.

Her cheeks were slightly red, and her steps were noticeably unsteady.

It was obvious that she had drunk more Silverleaf Vintage than she could handle.

"Who do you plan on sending for tomorrow’s matches?" Diana asked.

Arthur slowly stood from the couch.

"Let’s wait and see what the matches are before deciding."

Diana nodded.

Arthur began walking toward the exit.

Then Diana spoke again.

"You did a good job not killing the Glacier Peak Academy twins."

Arthur stopped.

"...."

He looked back at her.

Diana’s expression was slightly intoxicated, but her eyes remained sharp.

She understood.

Arthur had deliberately chosen not to attack Ava and Eva when he used Blink.

He could have eliminated them.

He could have cut them down before taking the crystal.

But he hadn’t.

Because eliminating them would have made Glacier Peak Academy even more desperate.

It would have created another powerful enemy for Celestias Academy.

Perhaps Arthur had seen more value in keeping the twins alive than eliminating them.

Arthur simply nodded.

Then he turned and continued walking.

It was hardly surprising that Diana had understood him.

Arthur liked people who could understand his intentions without needing every detail explained.

People who could look at his actions and see the meaning hidden behind them.

───────────────

Arthur was almost at the exit when someone suddenly grabbed his hand.

He stopped.

Astarte stood beside him.

She was wearing a stunning violet evening dress.

The fabric was dark and elegant, flowing around her body like liquid shadow. The dress exposed her shoulders and arms while maintaining an air of refinement, and the fitted waist accentuated her graceful figure.

A thin silver necklace rested around her neck.

Her violet hair cascaded down her back, shimmering beneath the warm lights of the banquet hall.

Astarte looked dangerously beautiful.

"Where are you going by yourself?" she asked.

Her tone was gentle.

But Arthur knew better.

"There is still time."

Arthur smiled at her.

"My lady, I’m tired today."

His voice became noticeably more polite.

"I promise I’ll spend more time with you tomorrow."

Arthur gently removed his hand from her grasp.

"Please, can you let me go for now?"

Astarte studied his face.

Her violet eyes gradually became more serious.

"Is something bothering you?"

Arthur’s smile faded slightly.

"Well, yeah."

He turned his gaze toward the nearby window.

Outside, the floating island was peaceful beneath the moonlight.

But inside his chest, an uneasy feeling refused to disappear.

"A lot of things are bothering me."

Arthur took a slow breath.

"I keep getting the feeling that something isn’t right."

His eyes dropped toward the wine in his hand.

"That’s why I’m going to sleep. I’m also quite drunk."

A tired smile appeared on his face.

"I don’t like bothersome things. I prefer to sleep and forget about them."

Astarte remained silent for a moment.

Then her expression softened.

"If you need my help, you can ask."

Arthur gave her a warm smile.

"I’m honored."

With that, he turned around and left the banquet hall.

Astarte silently watched him disappear through the doors.

After a few seconds, she turned around and returned to Aiden’s side.

───────────────

Isabella had been watching Arthur leave.

Once he disappeared from sight, she turned toward Jasmine.

"Why does he treat her so gently?"

Jasmine didn’t answer.

Isabella continued.

"And why does he keep his distance from us?"

Evangline, who was sitting nearby with a glass of wine in her hand, raised an eyebrow.

"The bastard prefers older women, I think."

Isabella’s eyes widened.

Diana, who had overheard the conversation, also looked surprised.

For a moment, none of them said anything.

But the more they thought about it, the more strangely convincing the theory seemed.

Arthur treated Astarte with respect.

He acted unusually polite around Athena.

He seemed more cautious around older women.

And despite spending so much time around girls his own age, he rarely showed any romantic interest in them.

Layla suddenly spoke.

"Now I understand."

Everyone turned toward her.

Layla took another sip of wine.

"That pervert didn’t make a move on me even though he lives with a hottie like me."

The entire table went silent.

Everyone stared at Layla in complete shock.

Layla ignored their gazes.

She calmly took another sip of wine.

As though she hadn’t just said something completely ridiculous.

_________________

Meanwhile, Arthur finally reached his room.

The corridor swayed slightly beneath his unsteady steps as he searched for his key. After a moment of fumbling, he unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Then, he stopped.

Athena was sitting on the sofa inside his room.

She wore a white dress, its pale fabric draped over her figure like moonlight. Her veil was gone.

Arthur had seen her looking beautiful before, but without the veil, she was almost unreal. Long golden hair poured over her shoulders in soft waves. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly parted, and her gold eyes shone with a strange, feverish intensity. The white dress clung to the graceful shape of her waist and hips, leaving Arthur staring far longer than he meant to.

He shut the door behind him and sighed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked. "Didn’t you have a meeting to attend?"

Athena stood from the sofa.

Her cheeks grew redder. One hand moved to her chest as she tried to control her breathing.

"I was waiting for you," she said quietly. "Something is wrong with me."

Arthur’s expression turned serious. "Why? What’s happening?"

Athena began walking toward him.

Her steps were slow and unsteady. Her breathing became heavier as she approached, and when she stumbled, Arthur immediately reached out, his hand gently cupping her arm, his thumb brushing against her soft skin.

"What’s wrong?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

Athena looked up at him.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Her golden eyes moved over his face, lingering on his lips. Then she clicked her tongue softly, her expression turning dangerously seductive.

"Why do you look so appetizing right now?" she whispered.

Arthur’s cheeks turned even redder.

"Am I still drunk, or are you?" he muttered. "Tell me your room number. I’ll take you there. You need to—"

His words were cut off as Athena’s lips met his, her kiss soft yet demanding.

Arthur froze.

For a brief moment, he did not understand what had happened. All he could feel was the softness of her lips and the heat of her body pressed close to his.

Then he tried to push her away.

"Athena, wait—"

She did not let him.

Athena was far stronger than she looked. Her fingers remained locked in his shirt as she pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. It became more demanding, more desperate, until Arthur’s thoughts began to blur beneath the warmth of the alcohol and the overwhelming pull of her touch.

His head felt hazy.

His heartbeat was loud in his ears.

And despite every warning in his mind, he was beginning to want her too.

Arthur opened his eyes slowly.

Athena stared back at him with a lust-filled gaze. Her golden hair had fallen messily around her face, and her white dress seemed even more striking against her flushed skin. Her body trembled in his arms, soft and warm, while her eyes silently asked him to stop resisting.

Only one thought entered Arthur’s mind.

’Fuck it.’