Chapter 75: Time? You think we have time?!

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Tiamat wore an impish grin as she prodded, "Just friends, you say? Two attractive girls not only attending the same school as you but also living under your roof? Quite the peculiar definition of 'just friends,' don't you think?"

Issei rolled his eyes, exuding a weary patience. "Yes, they're just friends. And let's not forget they're humans, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't give them any special attention."

Vali's voice interjected, carrying with it a note of mild curiosity. "If they're going to be students here, I take it this isn't a short-term arrangement? How long do you plan to let them stay with you?"

Issei shot her a look that was equal parts dry and incredulous. "Why do you care? And while we're on the subject, why are you two still attending this school?"

Vali crossed her arms, a slight smirk accentuating her features. "Oh, the same reason you are—to soak up knowledge," she said, the irony almost dripping from her words.

Issei snorted dismissively. "Please, spare me the pretense. As for Irina and Xenovia, they'll probably finish their high school years here. Irina used to live next to me, and I think her old house is still on the market. Might as well buy it for them so they can have their own space and give me some peace."

Vali's eyebrows arched upward, a sense of genuine surprise breaking through her usual composure. "You're going to buy them a house? That's quite the generous move. Not something I'd expect from you, Issei."

Tiamat chuckled, the sound rich with a mix of surprise and amusement. "Buying them a house? Now that's a level of commitment I wouldn't expect. Maybe you should consider showering us with such acts of unexpected generosity. A dragon queen could get used to that sort of attention, you know?"

Issei looked at Tiamat, his expression as flat as a tabletop. "Let's get one thing straight—I'm fine with being friendly, but there's no 'affection' here, okay? I won a sizeable sum from that race. Buying a house next to mine for them to use is pocket change. Let's not make this into a daytime soap opera."

Tiamat's grin stretched wider across her face. "Embarrassed, are we? One only gets defensive if there's something to hide."

Issei exhaled a long sigh, the air seemingly carrying his patience with it. "Why do you have this insatiable need to be annoying?"

Tiamat chuckled, the sound tinted with genuine amusement. "Lighten up, Issei. When I'm with the devils, I have to maintain this unapproachable, stoic persona. You should feel special. With you, I can let my hair down. That's dragon camaraderie for you."

Issei shrugged, indifferent. "If you say so."

Just then, the voice of Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor, resounded in his mind. 'You might not know this, but this is a form of courtship among female dragons. They provoke to elicit a dominant response from the male. I suggest you ignore it if you're not interested.'

Issei's mental gears shifted into overdrive. 'Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me her being annoying is some twisted form of flirting? Is she like a Tsundere dragon or something?'

Ddraig responded with an awkward, almost embarrassed, groan. 'More or less, but it's more complex than that. It's a ritualistic form of provocation designed to incite you into asserting your own power. And yes, Tiamat has her quirks; she's somewhat unpredictable.'

Internally, Issei shook his head, his thoughts tinged with both disbelief and a sliver of amusement. 'Great, just what I needed—a dragon with a confusing courtship ritual acting like a high school crush.'

Issei found himself caught in a mental tug-of-war, part of him intrigued by Tiamat's enigmatic behavior and another part wary, given Ddraig's cryptic warnings. 'Well, if she does try to kill me later, at least life won't be boring,' he mused sarcastically.

"Alright, now that we're free from prying ears, it's time for some explanation," Vali declared, breaking Issei's internal contemplation. 

"Time? You think we have time?" Tiamat retorted, flicking a glance at her wristwatch as if the accessory could emphasize her point. "Classes are about to begin."

Vali nonchalantly shrugged. "Then consider this an unscheduled educational detour. There are things Issei should know."

Tiamat seemed to ponder for a moment before relenting. "Fine. Lectures bore me anyway. At least this promises to be entertaining."

The trio made their way not to a classroom, but to the school's roof. Upon emerging into the open air, the atmosphere seemed to change. It was as if the roof served as an unofficial sanctuary, free from the complexities and judgments that filled the hallways below. Vali paused, her eyes sweeping across the horizon as if searching for something intangible. The sky stretched out, endless and unobstructed, a vast canvas upon which the setting sun began to cast its golden hues.

It was a dramatic backdrop for whatever Vali had in mind, and Issei felt a tinge of anticipation. Here, high above the labyrinthine politics and convoluted relationships of their supernatural world, maybe, just maybe, they could have a conversation that didn't involve dodging metaphorical bullets—or literal ones for that matter.

"Alright, Vali, what's so important that you had to pull us away from our oh-so-engaging education?" Issei finally broke the silence.

Tiamat leaned against a wall, her arms crossed, but her posture less confrontational than usual. Her eyes, however, remained sharp and focused, as if she too sensed that the forthcoming discussion would not be trivial.

Vali seemed to take a deep breath, as though bracing herself to dive into turbulent waters. "Listen carefully, Issei. What I'm about to share with you could very well alter the course we're all on. So, are you ready?"

In that moment, Issei felt the weight of Vali's words, as if they were the prelude to revelations that would ripple through the fabric of their already complicated lives. And yet, he found himself nodding, silently signaling for her to continue.