Chapter 204: LAP

Instructor Vance took one single step forward, and Seraphina's head tilted upward by just an inch.

She didn't lift her hands. She didn't unleash her black flames. She simply shifted her blindfolded face toward the squad of instructors.

Yet, the moment her chin raised, an invisible wave of freezing, heavy pressure rolled across the grass.

Instructor Vance froze mid-step. His boot hovered in the air for a second before he stumbled backward, his face turning pale. Behind him, the four junior instructors flinched hard, their hands instantly flying to the hilts of their swords as cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.

"Don't come any closer," Seraphina said softly.

Her voice wasn't loud. It wasn't angry. It was just flat, cold, and emotionless. But coming from the girl sitting next to a headless Demon Apostle, it sounded like a absolute threat.

"S-Senior Instructor Vance..." one of the junior instructors whispered frantically from the back, his eyes darting between the decaying giant corpse and Seraphina. "Look at the demon's neck! That was a single clean cut! Who did that?!"

"Is it... is it the girl?" another instructor stammered, his sword trembling in his hand. "The one Cian is controlling?!"

"Quiet, both of you!" Vance snapped, though his own forehead was dripping with sweat. He kept his eyes locked on Seraphina, taking care not to make any sudden movements. "We... we are here to secure the area. The academy is under attack. We need check Cian for injuries."

I opened one eye, looking up at the nervous instructors through the gaps in Seraphina's small fingers.

"I'm fine, Instructor Vance," I called out, keeping my voice calm so they wouldn't panic and do something stupid. "My mana channels are just completely drained from using an experimental alchemical disruptor. Seraphina delivered the final blow while the demon was paralyzed."

Vance blinked in shock. "An alchemical disruptor? You... you paralyzed a Demon Apostle with alchemy?!"

"It was a joint effort," I replied smoothly, lying without dropping a single beat. "Seraphina protected me, and I opened an attack window for her. But right now, we both need a few minutes of quiet to recover our energy. If you move any closer, her magic core might react defensively. You know how volatile high-tier mana can be after a major battle."

Vance looked at the headless mountain of black steel lying on the grass. Then he looked at Seraphina, who was still silently stroking my hair as if the entire army of instructors didn't exist.

"Right..." Vance cleared his throat, taking another small step back to give us space. "We will set up a perimeter fifty yards away. So please do not leave the courtyard until the Headmaster arrives to inspect the site."

"Understood," I said.

Vance quickly gestured to his squad. "Fall back! Form a circular defense line around the eastern wing! Keep the medical team on standby at the edge of the courtyard!"

The instructors didn't need to be told twice. They practically scrambled backward, retreating to a safe distance while keeping their eyes fixed on us with a mixture of terror and utter confusion.

Once the sound of their heavy boots faded into the distance, the quiet atmosphere returned to the ruined courtyard.

Seraphina let out a small, soft breath. The heavy, cold pressure in the air vanished instantly, returning the surroundings to a gentle, quiet peace.

"Thank you, Cian," she whispered, her hands continuing to stroke my messy hair. "I... I did not want them to ruin the reward time."

I chuckled softly, closing my eyes again. "You really take these system rewards seriously, don't you?"

"It is a system requirement," Seraphina muttered, though the tips of her ears turned a bright shade of pink once again. "It said... thirty minutes of optimal recovery."

We stayed like that for a long time.

The cool night breeze blew through the cracked stone pillars, carrying away the lingering smell of sulfur and smoke. Up above, the dark clouds completely parted, letting the bright silver light of the moon spill over the green grass.

My tired body slowly began to absorb energy from the atmosphere. The heavy, burning sensation in my chest faded, replaced by a comfortable warmth. Resting my head on Seraphina's lap really did feel surprisingly relaxing.

Time passed quietly.

DING!

Suddenly, a bright blue holographic screen materialized right in front of Seraphina's face.

She paused, her fingers stopping in my hair.

"Cian..." she murmured, her voice sounding a little flustered.

"Hmm?" I asked, opening my eyes. "What happened? Did another demon show up?"

"No..." Seraphina stammered. Her head bowed lower, trying to hide her face behind her hand. "The... the voice appeared again. Fifteen minutes have passed."

"Oh? Halfway through the reward?" I asked.

"Yes... but..." Seraphina fidgeted nervously, her fingers twisting the hem of her white skirt. "It says... [Phase 1 Complete]. To maximize the mana recovery effect... we must... change positions for Phase 2."

I tilted my head, looking up at her blindfolded face. "Change positions? How?"

Seraphina swallowed hard. Her face was completely red now, the dark purple blush spreading all the way down her neck.

"It says..." she whispered, her voice barely louder than a tiny squeak. "It says... Target must sit up... and Target must let the Host rest her head on Target's lap for the remaining fifteen minutes."

I stared at her for a second.

Target must let the Host rest her head on Target's lap?

I almost laughed out loud. This mysterious system was playing matchmaker with zero shame. First, it forced the world's future Final Boss to give me a lap pillow, and now it was forcing her to take one from me.

"Well," I said with a small smile, pushing myself up into a sitting position. "A deal is a deal, Sera. If the system says so, who am I to complain?"

Seraphina stiffened slightly as I sat up beside her on the grass.

"Are... are your legs okay now?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, my mana is back up to about twenty percent," I said, leaning my back against the low stone wall behind us. I stretched my legs out on the grass and patted my right thigh with my hand. "Come on. We still have fifteen minutes left on the clock."

Seraphina hovered in place for a few seconds. Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled her knees in, looking completely flustered.

Slowly, very carefully, she shifted her body over. She turned sideways, folded her legs neatly on the grass, and slowly lowered her head down onto my lap.

The moment her head rested against my thigh, her entire body went completely rigid.

She was so light. Her soft, red hair spilled across my knees like smooth silk. The scent of clean rain and dark starlight drifted up from her, completely covering up the dirty smell of the battlefield around us.

"You okay, Sera?" I asked softly.

"U-Um..." Seraphina squeaked out, her blindfolded face turned slightly into the fabric of my coat. "Yes... I am... fine..."

I smiled gently. Reaching out with my hand, I slowly rested my fingers on her hair, just like she had done for me a few minutes ago. I began to stroke her soft hair in smooth, calm motions.

Seraphina let out a tiny, soft gasp when my hand touched her head. But after a few seconds, the tension in her small shoulders began to melt away. She let out a quiet, relaxed sigh, her body sinking comfortably against my lap.

"This... feels strange," Seraphina murmured into my shirt.

"Bad strange, or good strange?" I asked quietly.

"...Good strange," she whispered back. "Nobody has ever... done this for me before. People usually stay far away from me."

"Well, those people are idiots," I said plainly. "You're not a monster, Sera. You just have a lot of power. And as long as I'm around, you don't have to worry about losing control."

Seraphina didn't answer right away. But I could feel her hand reaching out, her small fingers lightly clutching the hem of my shirt, holding on as if she was afraid I might vanish into thin air.

We sat together in the quiet starlight while the system timer ticked down silently in the background.

Fifteen minutes passed faster than expected.

DING!

[Hidden Reward: '30-Minute Lap Pillow' Complete!]

[Host Mana Alignment: 100% STABLE.]

[Host Emotional State: OPTIMAL.]

[Bonus Reward Unlocked: System Store Discount Voucher (50% Off First Purchase).]

Seraphina didn't move right away. She lay on my lap for a few seconds longer before slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position. Her face was still slightly flushed, but her posture was calm and composed once again.

"The time is finished," she said softly, adjusting her blindfold with her fingers.

My joints popped happily as full strength finally returned to my limbs. "That felt pretty nice, actually."

Seraphina looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting her white clothes again.

"Cian..." she began quietly.

"Yeah?"

"What... what is this voice inside my head?" Seraphina asked, her tone turning serious for the first time.