After the little episode where Richard forced Miguel to stay silent, the dinner was uneventful except for Marie’s report about the day’s hunt, and Gwen’s report of the administrative work.
By ten in the evening, each person had retreated to their respective rooms. Since Cassie and Fel were going to be evolving tonight, he let Marie guard them while he put Nora to bed.
Rather than having the maids misunderstand the situation again, it was better if Marie stayed behind to protect the two ladies.
Leon stayed with Nora until she fell asleep, then quietly slipped out of the room. He was going to return later to rest, but not now.
There were some things in his storage ring that he needed to sort out.
Gwen’s suggestion of building an elite team had been on his mind, and he had begun to plan ahead for it. He had quite a lot of abilities with him at the moment, and not everyone was compatible with him or his subordinates’ fighting styles.
Yes, they could still learn it, but it wouldn’t match their fighting styles. He had been particularly tempted to learn Mary’s lightning ability, but held back. The limitations of the ability were pretty much visible, and it was only a slightly powerful attack ability.
Sitting alone at the dining area, he dumped every ability scroll, trait scroll, and treasure cube in his storage ring on the table.
Then, he began to check them one after the other, writing down the names and functions, even going as far as to group them according to their compatibility with each other.
Quietly, half an hour passed while he was engrossed in his work, unaware that a certain ice princess was watching him.
Only when he paused slightly did he notice someone else’s presence, and he turned to look.
Selene stood not far from him, wearing an oversized cotton T-shirt and loose pajama pants that gave her a casual, relaxed charm.
A surprised expression crossed Leon’s face, and he asked, "Why are you awake? I thought you’d be sleeping by now."
The young lady walked towards him, then stopped and glanced at the papers and scrolls on the table.
"I simply couldn’t sleep. I was expecting you to also be asleep, though. What are you doing?" She asked, crossing both arms under her chest and unconsciously causing her prominent bosom to rise even more.
Leon managed to keep his eyes locked on hers, and he answered, "I’m simply sorting out these ability scrolls based on their compatibility. I’m planning to build an elite legion."
Hearing this, Selene was slightly surprised. "An elite legion, huh? That’s actually not a bad idea."
She nodded slowly, then glanced at the scrolls again. "How do you have so many ability scrolls, though? Have you been killing a lot lately?"
Leon blinked, then glanced at the table. Indeed, he had a lot with him, and any normal person would be curious about how he could amass so much.
His lips curled slightly, and he spoke in mock pride. "I made most of them. Aren’t I a god?"
He didn’t lie—theoretically. After all, he had made most of the ability scrolls and trait scrolls from balls of light extracted from his dead opponents.
Still, it was obvious that what he said had little credibility. Selene rolled her eyes and snorted.
"As if I’d believe that. Why don’t you create one and let me see?"
She pulled a chair and sat beside him, resting her elbows on the table.
Leon gave a disdainful laugh. "You want to see my legendary ability manufacturing technique? No way, it’s my family heirloom."
Surprisingly, Selene showed an amused smile and said, "Is that so? Then what if I want to buy this heirloom of yours? Would you sell it?"
She leaned on the table, resting her head on one hand while turning her body to face him.
Because she had lowered herself, Leon was forced to acknowledge something he had been actively trying to ignore. Selene’s T-shirt had the buttons loose, which revealed a slight portion of her smooth skin and cleavage.
Perhaps Selene herself hadn’t noticed it, which was why she hadn’t bothered to button it up. She might have loosed them in the room, wanting to feel free and comfortable in the clothes.
However, she hadn’t expected to meet Leon when she came out, and somehow, she had even totally forgotten about it.
Leon stared at her for a moment.
She had gotten far too comfortable around him. Not that he minded. They were close enough that neither of them usually bothered with formalities anymore. Still, there were moments when her complete lack of boundaries caught him off guard.
"Why are you giving me that blank look?" Selene asked with a frown, causing Leon to smile wryly.
"You should adjust your clothes," He said, sounding tired. "In case you’re unaware, I’m a perfectly healthy young man in his twenties."
Selene paused, then looked down. Upon catching the bewitching sight, she blinked for a few seconds, then adjusted her position.
As she buttoned up, she said sarcastically, "Sorry, I got careless because I thought you weren’t attracted to women."
Leon’s gaze darkened, and he couldn’t help but feel offended.
"Hello? What nonsense are you spouting? Just because I’m always fighting doesn’t mean I’m a machine. And I’m definitely not gay."
Selene elegantly raised an eyebrow, lowering her hands after adjusting her clothes. "Is that so?"
Noticing the teasing edge in her tone, Leon felt dismayed. He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling that Thyra was possessing the women around him, and using them to haunt him.
’Haa... I just want to bathe in monster blood,’ He thought, ignoring Selene’s words.
He wasn’t ready to engage in a useless argument that, sadly, couldn’t allow him to prove himself in actions.
"Anyway, I’m planning on giving out the abilities that aren’t useful to me or the others to this elite team," He said calmly. "You can check to see if there’s anyone that’d suit you, though."
Hearing his generous offer, Selene’s eyes glittered, and she smiled beautifully. "Oh, really? You’re such a generous man. Apologies for my earlier misconception."
Leon rolled his eyes. "Did I say it’s for free? As long as it’s worth Tier One, you’re paying with a soul crystal."
Selene’s smile froze, then twisted into a scowl. "As expected, you’re a man of many colors. Whatever. I’ll check if you have anything useful."
Leon’s lips twitched, and he quietly cursed.
’Damn it! I’m not a man of many colors! This Daddy is straight!’