Chapter 160: Bee

Amon sat quietly in the backseat as the car moved across the enormous overbridge spanning the Grand Elysian River.

The city stretched out around them, filled with towering buildings and countless mana-powered public vehicles moving along the roads.

Amon turned his head toward the window.

From this height, he could see the massive mountains surrounding the capital in the distance, their peaks rising beyond the city like enormous guardians.

...His gaze lowered slightly.

On the Grand Elysian River, dozens of ships sailed through the water, their sails and mana engines carrying them along the wide river.

The sight was impressive yet Amon’s attention wasn’t really on any of it.

His eyes slowly narrowed. ’How am I supposed to complete this mission?’

He glanced toward the system window still floating in front of him.

The reward remained unknown.

Normally, Amon wouldn’t have cared about something so ridiculous, but experience had taught him one thing.

Whenever the system gave him a reward, it rarely disappointed him.

’There has to be a way to do this without making things awkward.’ His gaze shifted toward the driver’s seat.

Marielle was driving calmly, one hand resting on the steering wheel while the other occasionally adjusted the controls.

She looked completely relaxed. Amon stared at her for a few seconds.

Marielle noticed his gaze through the rearview mirror.

She raised an eyebrow before glancing toward Seraphina, who was sitting beside her and looking through the window.

"So..." Marielle suddenly spoke. "...Is he your boyfriend?"

Seraphina’s face immediately became red. She hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. "Yes."

Marielle smiled gently before she sighed dramatically. "I can’t believe my favorite child has grown up so much."

Seraphina chuckled shaking her head.

"I never actually planned on having a relationship." She looked toward Amon through the corner of her eyes. "...But things happened."

Marielle nodded knowingly. She glanced toward Amon again, studying him through the rearview mirror.

"I can understand why you fell for him." Her lips curved into a teasing smile. "He has a very handsome face."

"That’s not all." Seraphina smiled. "He got better things to him than just his face."

Marielle’s expression suddenly became strange.

She slowly looked at her niece. "Seraphina, you shouldn’t talk about his bed skills with your aunt."

Seraphina’s face instantly turned bright red.

"Wha--?! I wasn’t talking about that!"

Marielle giggled. "Relax. I was only teasing you."

Seraphina covered her face with both hands.

Amon lips twitched softly. ’...She is way too comfortable.’

Marielle eventually shifted her attention toward him again. "I’ve also heard that you have very good eyes."

Amon raised an eyebrow. "Did Felicia tell you about me?"

Marielle smiled. "How did you know?"

Amon ignored her question and leaned back against the seat. "She probably told you to keep me away from her daughter."

Marielle shrugged. "Probably."

She paused before adding casually, "I’ve never been very good at listening to my big sister anyway."

Amon sighed inwardly. ’...Wow, she is naive.’

Though he couldn’t help feeling slightly grateful that Marielle didn’t seem particularly concerned about Felicia’s warnings.

After a moment, Amon looked toward the front. "When do we need to go to the university?"

Marielle answered without taking her eyes off the road.

"Tomorrow." She briefly glanced at him through the mirror.

"You’ll need to submit your details and choose your subjects. After that, they’ll give you your student identification and class schedule."

Amon nodded. "I see."

He turned his attention toward the window again. ’Subjects...’

He began thinking about what he should choose.

There were several fields available at the Royal University, and considering his current abilities, choosing the right ones could be important.

’I’ll have to look into the options before deciding.’

The conversation between Marielle and Seraphina continued in the front seats.

Amon listened occasionally but mostly remained lost in his own thoughts as the car continued through the capital.

---

The car eventually slowed down and turned onto a quieter road.

Amon looked outside. The noise of the central city gradually disappeared as the buildings became more spacious.

A few moments later, the car stopped in front of a large bungalow. Amon stepped out and looked around.

The property was located surprisingly close to the Royal University.

From here, he could even see the upper portions of the academy’s enormous buildings in the distance.

Beyond them, the top of the royal palace could also be seen rising above the surrounding structures.

’This place is pretty premium.’ Amon turned toward the bungalow.

The house itself was large but tasteful, with two floors, wide windows, and a spacious entrance surrounded by carefully maintained gardens.

Several small mana lamps were positioned along the walkway, already beginning to glow as evening approached.

Marielle parked the car and said. "Come inside. You two should freshen up."

Seraphina immediately nodded. "Alright."

Marielle smiled. "After that, I’ll take you both out to see the city at night."

Seraphina’s eyes immediately lit up.

"Really?" She practically bounced on her feet. "I’ve heard so much about the capital at night!"

Marielle laughed. "It’s even more beautiful in person."

The three of them walked toward the house.

As they entered, Amon looked around curiously.

The interior was just as impressive as the outside, with polished wooden floors, elegant furniture, large paintings, and several mana lamps built into the walls.

While they were walking inside, Amon suddenly remembered something.

"Marielle."

She turned toward him. "Hm?"

"Can you tell me more about foreign languages?"

Marielle blinked.

"Foreign languages?" She tilted her head. "Why would you need to learn those?"

Amon smiled mysteriously. "I have something really interesting for you to see."

Marielle stared at him for a moment before a beautiful smile appeared on her face. "Now, I am interested in you."

Amon’s heart skipped a beat. ’Why does even her normal conversation sound like flirting?’

He quickly looked away.

Marielle led them toward the stairs as they eventually reached the second floor.

She pointed toward one of the rooms. "Amon, you can stay here for now."

She opened the door as Amon stepped inside. "Thank you."

Marielle nodded before turning toward Seraphina. "You come with me. Your room is on the other side."

"Okay."

Seraphina followed her toward another section of the house but not before waving her hand towards Amon.

Amon remained behind as he slowly looked around his new room.

It was considerably more luxurious than the room he had been staying in back home.

A large bed occupied the center of the room, covered with clean white sheets.

A wooden desk stood near the wall, while a bookshelf filled with various books occupied the opposite side.

There was even a small sitting area beside the window.

Amon raised an eyebrow.

’This is a guest room?’ He chuckled. ’These people really know how to live.’

He placed his bag beside the bed before walking toward the window.

....He opened it.

A cool evening breeze immediately entered the room.

Amon took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air after the long journey.

However, just as he looked toward the sky, something caught his attention.

A small black-and-yellow creature was moving through the air.

Amon’s eyes widened as it slowly flew closer to the window.

He stared at it as a smile slowly appeared on his face. ’...A bee.’

He remembered what Seraphina had told him earlier.

Marielle hated bees...Really hated them.

Amon glanced toward the system notification still floating at the edge of his vision.

Amon rubbed his chin. ’Maybe I don’t need to do it directly.’

His eyes followed the bee as it hovered near the window.

A mischievous smile slowly spread across his face. ’All I need is the right opportunity.’

The bee flew around as Amon’s smile widened.

Just then he heard footsteps approaching from the hallway. He quickly turned toward the door.

Marielle’s voice came from outside.

"Amon?"

Amon looked toward the window as his eyes gleamed with amusement. ’Perfect timing.’