Chapter 160: Clearing N''s Doubts


    "Hey Althea, I''ve been meaning to ask, but I''ve seen the image on your back? It looks like the mark of a summoned creature, but I''ve never seen anything like it, so is it just a tattoo, or is it maybe even some type of curse..." N asked with a serious tone, solemnity covering her face as she started to think about what the tattoo on Thea''s back could be.


    "Hmm, stop overthinking it, hehe. It is indeed my... summoned beast," Thea replied.


    "Is it really a summoned beast?! I''ve never seen a beast like it in the books I''ve read at the city''s library," N eximed.


    "What?! You already have a summoned beast?" the twins asked with curiosity. They too had seen the markings on Thea''s back but never found the right moment to ask about it.


    "Well, Mello is a special case. I''m not quite sure how, but as I awakened, she became linked with me. I didn''t summon her, so I''m going to take the sses and find out how to properly raise her or even new summoned creatures," Thea exined, keeping the fact that Mello had been exchanged for her leftover points as a secret.


    "Woah..." N mumbled in amazement, as if she had just heard something amazing.


    "Can we see ''her''?" both the twins asked, like children wanting to see a puppy.


    "Fufufu, after you finish your lessons, girls," Lily chimed in, making the twins disappointed before their expressions turned into eagerness.


    "Oh!" Thea eximed, as if remembering something she had forgotten. "I''ve crafted something for all of you," Thea said before handing each of the girls their bracelets, grinning when she saw their happy faces.


    "Mia already got one from me, so for the rest of you, I have also made some cors and chokers with the same protective enchantments as N''s. If you don''t want to wear them, just tell me, and I''ll make you something else," Thea said as a devilish glint appeared in her eyes.


    Everyone was happy with the essories they got from Thea, everyone except Lily.


    "D-Dear, do you really want me to wear this? It''s a little..." Lily mumbled while looking at the choker Thea made for her.


    Lily''s choker was a tight ck leathery ribbon, while the ends of the ribbon were connected to each other with a metallic heart.


    Thea didn''t answer and instead walked over to stand behind Lily, taking the choker out of her hands.


    "You are the only one without a choice. This is proof that you''re mine," Thea quietly whispered into Lily''s ear with a seductive hum. Then, without even waiting for Lily''s response, Thea took Lily''s hand and pricked her finger with a strand of her hair, drawing a few small drops of blood, dropping one on the choker and one on each of the bracelets.


    Thea then put the choker on Lily''s neck with a grin.


    "I hope you like it because it won''t being off unless I take it off," Thea said with a cheeky voice.


    Only Lily''s and Elize''s chokers were a little less fitting to wear in public; the other girls had designs that made them seem like a simple essory, so they didn''t reject Thea when she came to put them on themselves.


    When everyone was wearing their essories, Thea sighed in relief while also grinning. She was happy that they were happily wearing them, but she was even happier knowing that they had a life-saving item on them.


    "You girls should start heading out," Mel suggested, breaking the strange silence that was forming.


    "That''s right, let''s start getting a move on," Lily said as she stood up from her chair.


    "Thea, you have alchemy now, right?" Mia asked, looking a little down.


    "Yep, I''ll walk with you girls to your building, but then I''ll go my own way," Thea said as she was thinking of the school''syout. The two buildings were not close to each other, but for Thea, it wouldn''t take long to get from one to the other.


    "Let''s meet up at the same table as yesterday during lunch," Reina said, to which everyone else nodded.


    "Anyways Why are you following us?" Thea asked, looking at her mother who had followed them from the house.


    "Oh, I must not have told you yet. Starting today, I will help teach here," Lily said with a bright smile, causing almost everyone to stumble as they were walking.


    "As Lily or as Z?" Thea asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Mia knew Lily''s real identity, but the twins and N didn''t. They had been calling Lily by her name at home just because Thea and Mia were calling her that. Even though the name they were calling Lily by was the same as Duca''s strongest adventurer, they had never seen Lily in her real appearance, and Thea''s mixed racial features did not lead them to think she was tentacle-kin. In short, both the twins and N still didn''t know Lily''s real identity.


    It would be hard for Lily to suddenly start teaching if she assumed her personality as Z again, but if she used her real identity


    "Starting today, I''ll be teaching monster theory," Lily said with a smile as her blond elf-like appearance changed into her tentacle-kin appearance.