Beatrice slumped on the ground, staring at the alchemy turret that had been turned into a metal pancake with a hollow gaze.
‘This isn’t… right, is it?’
‘Werent they supposed to have a bitter struggle, then fight until one of them was dead, and then I’d easily finish them off with the turret?’
‘What about now?’
‘Where was the scene of them being exhausted and easy to handle?’
‘How did they all end up teaming up?!’
The girl, whose intellect had never reached the high ground, suddenly realized that she might have been set up.
“What’s wrong?” Lomio’s voice rang out above her head. “Is it over already? Is this all the Cromwell family has?”
Beatrice looked up sharply, staring at him with resentment. “You actually bribed Lilith! That’s cheating!”
“Is that so?” Lomio smiled.
He looked around. Lilith was carrying her burning greatsword, the vines around Elena were ready to strike, Ibuki Rei’s katana glinted coldly, and Karenina was surrounded by swirling ice crystals. Even Kexia’s crossbow was still aimed in their direction.
“It seems your eyesight isn’t very good.” Lomio squatted down to meet Beatrice’s gaze. “You don’t even understand the basic rules, yet you dare try to play the mantis stalking the cicada? When did the Academy ever say that mutual assistance was forbidden?”
Mutual assistance?
Nearly everyone’s gaze shifted to Lomio.
“Ahahaha, Big Brother is quite the humorist,” Kexia laughed awkwardly.
‘Thick skin is also a weapon,’ Ibuki Rei thought, seemingly realizing something.
Karenina frowned, trying to figure out what he was trying to express this time.
“I…” Beatrice was at a loss for words.
“What about you?” Lomio’s tone became playful. “I’m actually quite curious. With your brain, you couldn’t have come up with a plan that had… even this tiny bit of technical merit. Who’s the person behind you? Your brother, Camu Cromwell? What exactly is he trying to do?”
Beatrice’s body shook violently, and her pupils contracted. “You’re talking nonsense! This was all my own plan, it has nothing to do with my Big Brother!”
She retorted, trying to defend him, but she had no idea what this implied to everyone else. Lilith and Elena exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other’s eyes.
Did she really pass the entrance exam with that level of intelligence?
“She’s a bit like you.”
“You dare say that, glasses girl? Want me to stab you?”
However, even they had heard of the name Camu Cromwell.
‘Is she the sister of that social butterfly? But how could a man be the mastermind…’
Lilith felt a hint of doubt, then glanced at Lomio.
‘Ah, this guy is also a man.’
‘Wait, that’s not right!’
‘What kind of standard man is he?!’
‘He’s black-hearted, ruthless, and shameless! How can there be a man like this!’
“Oh? Is that so?” The smile on Lomio’s face suddenly vanished. “Look into my eyes and say that again.”
Hidden and restrained, a glimpse of the long-unused **Charm Halo** leaked out for a moment.
“Gulp…”
Beatrice instinctively wanted to turn her head away. But her gaze felt as if it were drawn by a magnet, unable to move away from Lomio’s face.
She saw his well-defined face. She saw those bottomless eyes. She saw his collar slightly open because of the battle—no, his firm and smooth chest. Sweat slid down the curve of his neck.
It was a strong, powerful, and heart-pounding… male body.
“I… I…” Beatrice’s cheeks turned red at a visible speed.
‘Is… is this for real?!’
Her mind went blank. All the previous anger, resentment, and spite were replaced in this moment by a strange, helpless throbbing. She even forgot where she was and that she had just been defeated. She only felt that every movement and every look from the man before her radiated a fatal attraction.
“Speak.”
Lomio’s voice rang out again, like a lover’s whisper.
“Brother… he… he just wants to… integrate the Academy’s power…” Beatrice stammered, her eyes misty, completely losing the ability to think. “To fight for more resources outside the Academy for the family… What’s wrong with that? Isn’t that why you’re recruiting them, too?!”
She revealed everything without reservation.
In the distance, Lilith and Elena watched with dropped jaws. Elena’s hand, which was holding her glasses, was trembling slightly.
“What was that?”
“Is it some kind of… mental charm spell?”
“No…” Lilith’s voice was incredibly dry. “This guy actually seems to have a bit of charm! It doesn’t look like a spell.”
Elena was also stunned for a moment. She had clearly seen a graceful, handsome man, far superior to an elf, appearing before her!
“It should be… Fine, I don’t know!”
He had just stood there and said a few words. Yet he had caused a proud noble lady to lose her composure, fall head over heels, and take the initiative to reveal all her secrets. And even they had almost fallen for it?
“Whew…”
Karenina watched the scene in silence, having endured the impact just now.
‘Good. This is significant progress.’
Thinking back to her past, where she had lost her disguise and had to reconstruct her state of mind because of a single act of concern from Lomio, Karenina was determined never to make that mistake again.
The methods possessed by the examiner her mother had sent were far beyond her imagination. This power that struck directly at the heart was the most terrifying weapon.
“I see.”
Having obtained the answer he wanted, Lomio slowly stood up. The strange charm on his body vanished without a trace instantly, and he returned to his lazy, merchant-like appearance. It was as if everything just now had been an illusion.
He retracted his quietly released **Charm Halo**.
As expected of a trump card! Lomio always felt that the effect of this thing was on par with his talent tree. If he really wanted to fall into depravity, he could truly turn the Academy into an adult game!
But how could the desires of the lower head defeat the ambitions of the upper head! Only by working hard to earn credits and upgrading the talent tree could he truly change his destiny!
“Alright, thank you for your cooperation.” Lomio clapped his hands. “Student Beatrice, after this exam, I wonder if your credits will still be enough? If you have any difficulties regarding credits…”
Smiling as he pulled out a contract scroll and adjusted the interest rate, Lomio held it up before Beatrice’s eyes.
“**Talent Cultivation Plan**?”
Reading the words on it, Beatrice was momentarily confused. But as she scanned down, she immediately jumped up like a cat that had its tail stepped on.
“Borrowing 100 credits, then 300 credits of interest every month? Why don’t you just rob me?!”
“Hey, what kind of talk is that?” Lomio didn’t hesitate for a second. “Does this look like robbery? How?”
“How does it not?” Annie finally broke.
The members of the Black and White Queen team, who had been unable to join the conversation until now, also looked troubled.
“Did we sign something terrible…?”
“I feel like in order to avoid being expelled, we’ve provoked something truly terrifying…”