“Huu—”
Letting out a heavy sigh, thick with annoyance and worry for what lay ahead, suffused with a dense sense of defeat, Ange finally opened her door—which, in truth, could barely close anymore.
“You’re here?”
Naturally, the person at the door was Ingrid.
Perhaps because it was already late at night, the golden-haired young lady had changed into her pajamas, but Ange couldn’t spot a trace of sleepiness on her face.
“Mm, I’m here, Teacher.”
“All right, come in.”
Ingrid hadn’t come on her own.
Just a few minutes earlier, Ange had made a decision: as their teacher, she needed to teach them everything about being a Demon Hunter, and since the future would almost certainly require them to act as a Team, she had to prepare them for that too.
As their teacher, and in a sense the Team’s Commander, she had to let her members know: even if she still appeared to be in full health, even if she looked capable, being under a Curse meant they couldn’t count on her as a competent fighting force.
“Sorry for… disturbing you…”
Because of what happened that morning, Ingrid seemed a bit reserved. She quietly took off her shoes and stepped barefoot into Ange’s room.
“You don’t have to take your shoes off. I don’t bother either, most of the time.”
“Oh, really?”
With barely a change in expression, Ingrid slipped her slippers back on. For the first time, she took in the sights of Ange’s room.
She found it strange—at this age, most people would care a lot about their appearance, and Ange looked barely in her twenties, with no ring on her finger, so she likely wasn’t married.
At this stage, shouldn’t she be all about beauty? But there wasn’t even a vanity here.
Then again, Ingrid thought, with her teacher’s looks, she probably didn’t need makeup at all.
Over 170 centimeters tall, with a full bust, slim waist, shapely hips, and long, straight legs—Ingrid had even spotted her abs earlier, the kind of lines only earned through real training.
With looks like that, maybe makeup really was unnecessary.
But then—there was so much trash on the floor. Tons of burger wrappers, quite a few pizza boxes… Ingrid was a bit taken aback. Eating this stuff every day, and still keeping that figure?
“Sit down.”
“Yes.”
Obeying Ange’s words, Ingrid sat on the chair and immediately straightened her posture.
She started to wonder why the teacher had called her—was it some special training?
It was late and she was tired, but for a Demon Hunter, nights meant nothing.
Maybe the teacher wanted her to stay up late—to get used to the Demon Hunter’s lifestyle?
“All right, now that you’re seated, just listen.”
It was nothing like Ingrid imagined—no formal atmosphere at all.
Ange plopped down on the bed, wiggling her toes, her feet bare after taking off her stockings and black boots.
Her slippers shifted as she moved, revealing the soft pink soles of her feet.
She wore only a shirt, and it was so oversized that it reached down like a dress. Ingrid couldn’t see what she was wearing underneath.
Still, since the teacher had asked her to listen carefully, she focused all her attention.
“I have no idea when your other two classmates will show up. I just hope they don’t make things as difficult for me as you did.”
“Sorry… Teacher…”
“Sigh, don’t apologize. If apologies fixed anything, people wouldn’t need us.”
“Teacher, I still have a lot of questions. The way you crossed your gun and sword into a cross was so practiced—it’s clear you’ve done it a lot. The Academy doesn’t let just any Demon Hunter perform such an act of divine agency. You’re different, but I’ve never heard of you.”
“I told you to listen carefully. Wait until I’m done before asking questions, OK?”
“………………OK.”
“Heh, such a talkative brat. I’m Ange. Ange Lina is my current name. Because of a Curse, I became a woman—this is what I look like now.”
“What?! You’re the First Demon Hunter?!”
Silver hair… that cross-shaped gesture… strength… and called Ange… It all made sense now. Ingrid’s eyes lit up.
She was actually studying under the legendary First Demon Hunter?! If only she’d known—she would’ve shown even more respect!
“Done being surprised?”
Ange reached out and helped Ingrid close her jaw, which had dropped in shock.
Propping herself up with both hands on the bed, she leaned back slightly, causing her ample chest to stand out even more.
“Why would you—”
“Quiet, quiet! Honestly, no discipline at all.”
“…Sorry…”
“In short, I became this way because of a Curse. And then, there’s this Magic Mark.”
Ange pulled her shirt aside, revealing a pattern on her lower abdomen that looked extremely ambiguous.
But even so, the impressive lines of her abs drew Ingrid’s gaze.
Ingrid trained too, but could never achieve lines like that—was Teacher Ange using some kind of performance enhancer? Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin, maybe?
Ange, aware of Ingrid’s rather rude stare, let go of her shirt.
She reached out and pinched Ingrid’s chin, realizing she needed to intimidate this rich girl a little or she’d never behave.
“Uh! Why are you pinching my chin?”
“Just giving you a little warning, Ingrid. Now that you’re here as my Student, my Team member, I can fake your life or death. Even if I killed you here and dragged you out to dispose of the body, no one would ever know afterward.”
“I… I understand!”
Heh, this kid is actually pretty cute—so easy to scare. Hey, big shot, you’re the precious darling of your family, aren’t you?
If you die at someone else’s hands, that’s one thing, but if you die by mine, I’d be on the run for the rest of my life.
“Let’s continue. In short, this Magic Mark of mine acts up once a day. When it does, I have to use my White Gun to deal with it.”
“Do you mean… Massage?”
“Massage…”
Well, you’re not wrong…
Ange nodded slightly, confirming Ingrid’s guess.
“That’s right. I need a Massage.”
“What happens if you don’t get the Massage in time?”
“Nothing good.”
“Understood! I absolutely won’t let that happen! I’ll make sure you always have a chance for a Massage! If you need, Teacher, I can give you a Massage too!”
“No need.”
Her face was cold and indifferent, but inside Ange was already cursing. Let you do it? Would I ever show my face again?
“Understood…”
Ingrid looked a little disappointed. She’d once again failed to win her teacher’s trust.
But really, it was her own fault—she’d acted so high and mighty the first time they met.
“In any case, from now on, the three of you will handle Demon Hunting yourselves. I can’t help much—at most, I’ll just command you. Any questions?”
“It’s midnight, Teacher.”
“What about it?”
“Didn’t you say it acts up once a day? Well, now it’s a new day.”
“How could it possibly act up right at midnight? That’s never happened before. Don’t worry, I—”
Ange instinctively clamped her right hand between her legs.
She could really feel it…