Aftermath: 1

AN: Was very busy that's why this is only just now coming.

…

I left the arena victorious, dodging the random trash being thrown at me as I did so.

The prince remained on the floor for a while, laying there not unconscious but on his hands and knees.

Duels in this world were sacred, it was not an easy thing to escape especially when it was so widespread.

He wouldn't be able to get out of this so easily.

As I walked the halls after leaving the fighting area it wasn't long before I stumbled upon my two supporters.

Livia stood off to the side with a blush on her face. Her right hand held her left arm and she tried her best to keep her pupils from landing on mine.

Angelica on the other hand looked straight at me. Her face was positioned in a smile, a much calmer one than I had ever expected her to wear.

"You really did it, huh?" She questioned as she stared into my soul. Looking at me as if I was a completely different man.

"Was there ever any doubt… don't answer that I'm already aware." I joked as I walked past her and sat on a bench.

"…" She stood in silence before directing her gaze away from me and moving to sit on the same bench.

"Let me guess." I started tapping my armored finger on the bench. "You're regretting this duel."

"…I am." She answered honestly. Gesturing towards the flushed Livia I patted the space next to me offering her a seat.

"It feels… pointless, like all I wished to achieve through this duel was pointless." She continued as she pressed down hard on her hand.

"Because, at the end of that day… he still loves her, and not you," I concluded as the weight of Livia settled down directly next to me.

"Yes… even if she is gone, he will only resent me more, he will not look in my direction no matter what." Angelica continued with a self-deprecating look.

"Well, at the very least, you got rid of the girl. We both know she was nothing but trouble." I tried to help, but it didn't seem to work.

"It wasn't worth it. To separate them you put yourself in the eyes of multiple high-ranking nobles." I was about to remind her again that this was something I wanted as well but she didn't let me.

"I had a while to think after your fight with His Highness. About those years I spent dedicating my life to being the perfect woman for him. Truthfully, when I really think about it I cannot say for certain the feelings I had thought I had for him were one's I actually had."

'That is a sad realization.' I thought, that just goes to show how pressured she is though.

"What am I thinking, I shouldn't talk about this, I'm sure if it became public knowledge my family would only get a worse reputation." She shook her head as she sighed and stood up.

"Well, I won't say anything, and I'm sure Livia won't either." I nodded, before I too stood up. Staying here much longer would only bring trouble in the form of angry losers.

"I thank you again, Stardia."

"Noir… Just call me Noir, plus, I think I'll need to change my last name soon anyways."

I was now separated from my house and considered a noble. It was best I adopted a new name to match as such. Though I have been putting it off.

"Noir then." Angelica easily accepted before she too thought for a moment and nodded.

"Then, when we're in private like this please feel free to drop the formalities and just call me Angelica."

"Will do."

With that Angelica left, leaving me and Livia alone.

…

We started walking back to the academy soon enough. As for my armor, Luxion had placed it back in storage when I left with Livia.

The walk was quiet, neither of us speaking as we walked.

In order to avoid some of the annoyances that were destined to appear I had taken us on a different route that would lead back to the academy.

I was conscious of Livia who would look at me regularly before looking away when she saw I noticed. Her blush since earlier hadn't faded.

It was only when we were three-quarters of the way there that I heard her speak.

"Y-you kissed me…"

"I did." Her lips were delicious, I was almost tempted to go in for round two. "You didn't like it?"

"NO!… no, I-I liked it," She stuttered out as she looked down. "I…was just a little surprised."

'Surprised? Say's the one who was clinging to me when it happened.' I faced her looking at her hair that, with her head down, completely blocked me from seeing her facial expression.

"Why… why did you do it?"

"Because I like you?" Was that not obvious? I thought both our feelings weren't hidden well but maybe I do a better job at concealing mine.

I could practically hear her heart beating as she twitched at my words.

"You like me?" Her words were a whisper but they reached my ears all the same. "Noir, likes me."

"Is it that surprising?" I wondered out loud.

"Very… Noir is so amazing, but I'm…just a commoner." Even now her self-deprecation remained.

"I do like you, but that part of you is annoying." I tried not to sound too brutal. Probably not the best thing to say to someone you like but, it was the truth.

"Wha." Livia in her shock finally turned her head to me. She probably expected some kind words like 'your much more than that'.

With a sigh I moved closer and held her face, not letting her turn away from me again.

"You're attitude towards life, your kindness, your enthusiasm, your intellect, your perseverance. I could go on and on about the things I really liked about you." I stared into her eyes as I spoke, her face remained in shock as she was forced to look at me.

"But, the way you think so low of yourself, the way you let those Nobles get to you. It makes me wish you weren't so kindhearted sometimes." Her shocked expression turned into one of sadness.

With another sigh, I let go of her face and before she could drop it, I held it up by pinching her cheeks.

"Oww." She groaned at the sharp pain.

"Stupid, I just said I like you, I'm not bashing you." I stretched out her cheeks.

"I'm aware of how you think. Livia. I'm aware how you're probably thinking that you're too over-reliant on me, that I deserve someone more high class, am I wrong?" I stopped pinching her cheeks and let her go entirely.

"You are not." She didn't lower her head but her gaze remained not on me.

"Well personally, I think you're dead wrong. I've only ever helped you or done something for you of my own accord. Not because you needed it."

"You learned magic mostly on your own, you got a scholarship into this school all on your own, you Livia have got to where you are all on YOUR own."

My eyes never left hers and eventually, she built up the courage to look back at me, looking as if she were hanging onto my every word.

"Just because you were not born into a position of power does not mean your fate is forever sealed as 'just a commoner.'"

"I will not lie and say this world treats commoners and nobles the same, but you are so immensely talented and smart that you can overcome that."

"You're wrong…," She finally spoke. "I'm not as amazing as Noir."

Actually, she was far greater. The only reason I got where I am was because of The Mediocre Sage, and some prior knowledge. I'm just lucky.

Still, I wasn't like her, I'm aware of the fact that I've been given everything that makes me great, yet I will still remain arrogant nonetheless.

"I know you think that way too, and as much as I want to say differently, I'm aware words won't do much."

It's a shame but it is what it is.

"That is something you need to figure out yourself, and I'm sure you will." I didn't want a relationship where she put me on a pedestal.

With that, I moved closer to the girl and wrapped my arms around her, bringing my head to hers. She smelt nice, like always.

"I like you, Livia," I said again. I needed to make sure she understood that and didn't take this as negativity.

"I-like you too." She stuttered out, and I could feel her warm breath on my neck.

"So, I'll wait. When you can see the great and wonderful person you really are, I'll be here." I moved back a bit, still holding her but just far enough that I could see her face.

She didn't say a word, but her face said it all. She understood what I was saying. She understood that I liked her, but she also understood that I wouldn't date her when she thought so low of herself.

We hugged for a while, not saying a word. The atmosphere was bittersweet.

Finally, though, we let go. She wiped at the tears falling from her eyes but otherwise didn't look away from me.

"Don't go trying to distance yourself though, that'll just piss me off." I scolded any potential misinterpretation she may have taken from my words.

"No, I want to stay near Noir." She shook her head in denial.

"You're seriously too cute." It was nice being able to say things like that now.

To satiate my desire to take her lips again I pulled her back in and kissed her on the forehead.

"Noir is cuter…" The hell girl, I'm not cute, I'm manly. A manly man.

I guess something about my face was humorous as the girl with a smile giggled into her hand.

"Tch, let's go back." I huffed as I began walking ahead of the giggling girl.

Who the hell does she think she's calling cute?

…

As it turned out, we we didn't make it back first. That was clear by the fact that when I arrived at my dorm, I found everything yet again destroyed.

Thankfully, Livia was spared this time around, though she seemed even more upset than me.

Poor bastards couldn't stand the fact that they lost all their money. Not a problem though, this time, I had Luxion leave cameras around and so I knew exactly who was responsible.

They'd go back to their dorms to find not only their room completely destroyed, but incriminating pictures of them scattered all throughout the campus.

So incriminating in fact that they were all called back by their families and never heard from again. Too bad fuckers.

…

The night my room was destroyed, Livia offered me to stay at her place until things were figured out.

I had told her that might bring problems but she seemed to not care and insisted anyway.

I ended up giving in.

…

"Um, please make yourself at home." She said as we took off our shoes near the door. The room looked a lot like my own, and I could tell after the last room destruction she hadn't decorated as much.

She was a neat girl, everything was organized and completely clean. The place smelled like her too.

"Ehm, I'm going to go in the shower. Please wait here. You can help yourself to anything." She said before she grabbed a few things from her drawers as well as a towel and went to her bathroom.

Sitting on the floor I looked around the room. I'm sure I didn't smell the best after what I just took place in.

Thankfully, I managed to scavenge some boxers, pajama pants, and an extra toothbrush so at the very least I could shower and brush my teeth.

I'd go out tomorrow and get some more clothes and new uniforms. Thankfully, there were no classes tomorrow.

For a while, I just sat in thought planning tomorrow's events, until the bathroom door opened and a towel-covered Livia came through the door.

Her hair was slightly damp and her cheeks flushed.

"Uhm…" She began and I could tell something was wrong.

"Did something happen?" I questioned.

For a while, she just stood with her head down.

"I-I don't have sleepwear…"

Ah, so that's it.

"I did before but, it got destroyed, when… you know… I forgot to buy more when we went to the capital because I usually sleep without them anyway." She continued looking embarrassed.

Holy, did this girl just admit to sleeping naked?

My eyes unconsciously wandered down to below her neck, where her ample cleavage was not completely hidden by her towel.

My gaze must have been noticed as she twitched a bit uncomfortably.

"I see. I'll try not to look." Like hell.

"Thank you… you can use the shower now. She said embarrassed as she sat on the bed clinging to the towel for dear life. "You can use that towel."

She pointed to a side of the room where another towel lay folded as well as a washcloth.

…

As I was showering my imagination went wild imagining what was under the towel. My second me was thoroughly engorged and ready for some fun, but unfortunately, there was none to be had.

It was funny how after our previous conversation we ended up like this. She wasn't my girlfriend, yet at least, but it felt so sensual.

When I was done I stepped out of the shower and dried off, my penis had still yet to soften.

Opting to hide it, I tucked it down in my underwear and put the pajama pants on. There was still a clear bulge so I put my left hand in the pocket and stretched it out.

How to Hide a Boner 101 was a multiversal skill every man needed to learn.

I brushed my teeth after, and took a piss before I finally left the bathroom. My hands were in my pocket as I exited the bathroom.

I was shocked to see the girl who was the cause of my erection lying on the floor with nothing but a single small blanket and a pillow below her.

As our eyes met her face began turning increasingly red. I felt her eyes move down to my chest.

Like what you see? Yes, this is the result of intense dungeon diving. I held back my desire to flex and show off more. There was something that needed to be fixed.

"What exactly are you doing?" I asked the girl who lay on the floor.

"Ehm, I think it would be rude to make Noir lay on the floor." She stuttered.

"No, this is still your room. I can manage sleeping on the floor."

Our argument lasted for a while before I got annoyed and swooped the girl into my arms even as she was wrapped in the cover.

Her cover shifted a bit and her white lingerie-covered breast were visible before they were hidden again.

Being gentle I placed her on the bed, before I climbed on myself.

"This solves all our problems no?" I asked.

Maybe I shouldn't have done that, is she uncomfortable? I wondered before I saw her nod.

"Okay." I nodded before moving over to the other edge of the bed.

"Then…good night." She spoke softly. A moment later the light flickered off from the bedside lamp.

"Good night." With that, the dark room fell silent.

Even this far apart I could still feel her presence.

Minutes passed without much sound besides the occasional shuffle of sheets.

"…Noir." Just when I thought she had fallen asleep I heard her speak.

"Yes?"

"I… want to know more about you." By the shuffle of the sheets, I could tell she turned to face me.

Following along I shifted as well until I was facing her.

I overestimated how far we actually were as when I turned I found myself face to face with the girl, only an inch apart from one another.

Even while surprised we didn't move apart. I became conscious of the fact that not only were our legs touching but, her breast were slightly pushing into my chest.

I couldn't tell because of the darkness but I was sure she was blushing at this moment. I expected her to move back but on the contrary, it felt like she moved a bit more forward.

"I, don't know much about your past." She said, as her blue orbs penetrated the darkness and stared into my eyes.

"Well, it's not exactly a secret… though, you'll have to tell me more about yourself too." I shrugged moving the covers a bit.

"Okay." She nodded lightly signaling me to start.

"I was born-."

…

An hour passed as we both talked about ourselves, telling each other about our past. I had skipped out on some details but I was sure I'd tell her one day.

Somewhere along the way we had forgotten of the compromising position we were in and just talked without any embarrassment.

It was mid-way through her own story that she began dosing off.

Her soft breathing told me she was asleep. For a while I watched her. Taking into mind her every detail. I was happy, I'm sure even my LP would tell me that.

Eventually, my own eyes fell and I drifted away into a nice slumber.

My dreams, were filled with a certain shoulder-length hair blonde.

The next morning I was surprised to find myself squished between two soft pieces of flesh and a nice view of an uncovered Livia with pure white lingerie.

…

AN: Plot will start to change from the original starting now. Though I will like to adapt parts of it.

POWERRRSTOONESSSS