Chapter 19: Comparison

The look in his eyes just now was way too familiar.

But when Liz tried to take a closer look, Litt still wore that angelic smile as if nothing had happened.

It was as if it had all been a trick of her own mind.

Speaking of which… where had Letia gone?

She hadn’t come home for almost a full day and night.

Could she have gotten lost after visiting that succubus shop?

“Liz…”

Just as Liz was lost in thought, a small hand tugged at her sleeve.

When she turned, two towering peaks much larger than her own came into view.

“What’s wrong, Bethany?”

Although Bethany was an Elf, her development was a bit ridiculous.

Weren’t Elves supposed to be flat-chested monsters?

Liz bit her nail in frustration, glancing at her own figure.

Then she looked at Lett’s figure not far away…

Not that much bigger?

So why did Red seem like he was bewitched?

There was no way he was into flat chests, right?

“It’s nothing. On the way to the guild, I was talking to someone when I suddenly overheard some strange comments about our team being all female. It just felt kind of off.”

“…”

Liz was momentarily at a loss for words.

Bethany continued.

“Although it sounded like praise, people kept asking me if the team was really going to stay 100% female. It left me completely baffled. By the way, Liz, when did we ever say the team was going to be all female?”

“I never said that!”

Liz’s face flushed, but she didn’t know how to deny it.

Because when she had talked with Red before, she did mention keeping the team mostly female, and that letting him join was out of kindness and pity.

So Red bringing this up was somewhat related to her.

But how had this rumor spread so fast?

Liz didn’t understand.

How could a few women surrounding her have spread it?

It wasn’t like one person on the street knew and then, ten minutes later, the whole street knew.

“Yeah,”

Bethany scratched her head, “being talked about like that is really annoying. Denying it feels wrong, but admitting it feels even worse.”

Bethany had wanted to recruit new members, but suddenly there was this idea that Dawn’s Edge would maintain its original all-female composition, even if recruiting, only females were allowed.

With that situation, where was she supposed to find a strong woman?

“Tch…”

Liz looked toward Red in the distance.

The man was chatting happily with the White Priestess, as if they were old friends who had known each other for years.

The demon nearby chimed in every so often and was not ignored—the atmosphere seemed very pleasant.

What was Red’s relationship with this White Priestess?

Liz studied Red’s eyes carefully.

To be honest, his gaze toward the White Priestess was very clear—more admiration than desire…

Had he ever looked at her that way?

Probably.

Liz couldn’t remember.

Her heart sank little by little.

“Liz? What’s wrong?”

Bethany, seeing Liz silent, waved her hand in front of her face.

“What about recruiting new members?”

“…Let’s go back first.”

Without looking back, Liz left, leaving a confused Bethany and Jessica, who had already finished watching the scene unfold.

***

“Red, you’re a Creation Mage?”

Elsewhere, Tessaia timidly raised her hand.

“I think that profession is only offered at the Capital’s prestigious institutions, right?”

Perhaps from long periods without much social interaction, Tessaia showed an unusual social anxiety.

If Litt hadn’t been there, Red probably wouldn’t have been able to have more than a few words with her.

But there was no denying that this little demon was quite pretty.

Silver long hair, blood-red eyes, and a pair of bat wings on her back.

The only odd thing was her skin—it wasn’t the deep gray typical of demons.

If one didn’t look closely, they might think she was just an ordinary girl cosplaying as a demon.

“Mr. Red… please don’t look at me like that…”

Faced with Red’s unreserved gaze, Tessaia pulled her collar up as much as possible to hide her face.

“Red means no harm,”

Litt said then, “He’s probably just curious about your skin color. Don’t be afraid.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking?”

Red was a little stunned by Litt’s words.

He half suspected Litt had some mind-reading ability, since many of his actions had been seen through by her.

That wasn’t right.

“I see.”

Tessaia nodded slightly.

“I’m not a Pureblood Demon. I’m a Mixed-Blood Demon, half human and half demon, which is why I look like this.”

Mixed-Blood Demon?

Litt’s expression grew even more surprised.

Though Yeming Town had no racial discrimination, and different races coexisted peacefully, there was naturally a hierarchy between them.

Like racism in her past life.

Mixed-Blood Demons were the biggest victims of that hierarchy.

Since that was the case, there was no need to dredge up other people’s painful stories.

“Back to the main topic. Tessaia, what were you saying earlier?”

“Nothing much, just a little… envy of Red’s profession?”

As mentioned before, Creation Mage was a profession unique to the Capital’s top schools.

Graduates from there were naturally high-ranking nobles.

But Red didn’t look like some wealthy second generation at all.

Lett also recalled that Red had never told her where his profession came from.

When she joined the team, she saw that Liz and Red were always together and naturally assumed they were both nobles.

But now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

If Red really were a noble, he wouldn’t be so down-and-out as to share a room with her.

Facing the curious looks of the two girls, Red shook his head wryly.

“I’m not from the Capital Mage Academy.”

“Then where did you get your profession?”

“Of course, self-taught. Where else?”

Hearing this, Litt and Tessaia were dumbfounded.

Self-taught?

You expect me to believe you can master something as difficult as advanced mathematics on your own?

“May I ask, Red…”

Litt took a deep breath and looked at Red with utmost seriousness.

“How long did it take you to go from self-study to professional certification?”

“About three months.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

What the hell was he supposed to say?

Litt half suspected Red was bragging, but looking into his eyes, it didn’t seem like that.

To have self-taught creation magic, from beginner to master, in only three months.

That was like mastering and excelling at all the knowledge from first grade to high school in three months.

And yet, Liz still complained he had no talent or skill?

Was he even human?