The Venus Naga Business District of Euphemia Imperial Academy on the western campus of Olsylvia Academy. Coincidentally, this was the day that the district was holding its special promotional activities and the shops were all selling their wares at discounted rates. The area was so crowded with customers that they were nearly bursting at the seams.
Bella did not pay much attention to the calendar when she left. It was the weekend, and the Venus Naga Business District was filled with customers doing their shopping. Aside from some of her dorm mates, many of her close friends were here as well. The popular shops were currently running all sorts of promotional activities.
“Ladies, are you interested in taking part in the promotional activity here at the Matilda Store? Entry is free! Also, discounts are determined based on your appearance. The prettier you are, the more discounts you get. The absolutely stunning girls will get everything completely free. For example, this lady over here will get everything she wants for free!”
Lisha and Princess Kriss had been strolling aimlessly along the streets of the business district when they were stopped by a few beautiful female staff members. Their sales tactics were so incredible that one could not help but feel amazed. Most people would not be able to act so nonchalantly and ignore the terrifying aura around the Assassins, Noreya and Lola.
Lisha looked admiringly at Princess Kriss with a hint of jealousy in her eyes. The fact that Kriss was able to get her bill for free meant that she was really that beautiful. If she had known about this earlier, she would have transformed into her original form, the Demonic Dragon Emperor Alisha. Like Princess Kriss, the Assassin Noreya was a top quality beauty. If she had not concealed her appearance, she would have gotten anything she wanted for free as well.
“Are you coming? Perfumes are free now. Many customers have already gone inside the shop to select their purchases.”
Once they saw that Kriss and Lisha were slightly tempted, the sales staff began to rush up to them to promote their items. The staff had automatically assumed that the Noreya and Lola were their personal bodyguards and did not attempt to curry favor with them at all.
Just as Lisha and Kriss were about to head to the Matilda Cosmetics Store for their promotional activities, an unexpected situation occurred, preventing them from moving on to the next step. A three meter tall Ogre was carrying a petite loli as it turned the corner nearby.
In that moment of urgency, Lisha and Kriss did not even say anything to each other before they sprinted in that direction. Assassin Noreya had seen the entire scene unfold as well. She immediately chased after them without saying another word, leaving Assassin Lola standing there confused. Lola had not seen anything at all. However, as her three companions had already left, she was too embarrassed to remain there and went running after them.
As they had left in too much of a hurry, the girls seemed to have forgotten some of their common sense. They did not realize that it would be impossible for even a half meter tall Goblin warrior to move through the crowds unnoticed, let alone a three meter tall Ogre warrior who was carrying someone in its arms. There was no way it could stroll through a busy street like this.
As they rushed off, none of the girls noticed the flash of annoyance that sparked in the beautiful sales staff’s eyes. They had planned to invite Lisha and Kriss to join the Matilda Store, and then they would… It was truly a pity that they had run away.
“Damn it, that silver haired girl was some top quality goods. How could we…”
“Forget them, let’s wait for someone else to take the bait. There are so many goods here. Although the top quality ones are hard to come by, there are still so many good quality ones around here. Why are you still worried about not getting any prey?”
The Assassin Noreya was the first one to notice that something was not right. Was everybody here blind? Were they the only ones here that could see them? By then, Lisha and Kriss had already turned the corner to follow that shadow. Although Noreya and Lola, who had finally caught up with her, were slightly suspicious of that fact, both of them chose to follow their companions to ensure their safety.
However, when Noreya and Lola turned the corner, the most surprising thing happened. All they saw were Lisha and Kriss, who were staring blankly at thin air with confusion written all over their faces. The girl and Ogre that they caught sight of earlier were nowhere to be found. They must have been hallucinating, as the little girl was not there at all.
In another corner far away, the little girl who had been carried around by the Ogre was left completely unharmed as that Ogre was merely an illusion. The little girl’s body gradually grew transparent and in a flurry, she transformed into an exceptionally stunning young lady with a regular figure. If Bella was present, she would have recognized that young lady as the Phantom Princess Malvina from the mystery florist.
“Apparently, other than those few girls, there are more people who can see me. The girls here are incredible. Never mind, I will play with such summonings somewhere less crowded next time. Seriously, how is it so troublesome to summon an Ogre to transport me when my feet get tired?”
The moment Malvina finished her sentence, she faded into the shadows and disappeared. Unbeknownst to her, she had unintentionally helped Lisha and Kriss. After the minor fiasco, Lisha, Kriss, and the others had long forgotten about the invitation by the Matilda Store to participate in their promotions. Instead, they went on their way to find Bella.
Bella was currently inside a quiet clothing store somewhere within the Venus Naga Business District. This shop actually belonged to President Isaman. After silently changing into her invisibility suit, she snuck quietly into the area behind the screens. As she did not know if President Isaman had any artifacts that could detect invisibility, Bella tiptoed around, and slipped inside while barely making a sound.
Behind the screen, the beautiful girl who had gone in earlier had been taking off her clothes. By the time Bella made her way inside, she had already taken everything off. Completely naked, she walked over to a large mirror where President Isaman promptly began to take her measurements. Bella took a quick look and realized that it was simply a process to take measurements to tailor clothes! There was no point in making it look as though an underground sexual transaction was going to happen. Bella had gotten excited over nothing.
President Isaman was quite skilled in fashion design as well. When Bella first arrived at Olsylvia Academy, the girls around her were all wearing regular undergarments. Apparently, President Isaman had designed them personally. As Bella admired the designs on the wall, she noticed that Isaman’s newest designs were getting increasingly sensual and erotic. By now, it was more like lingerie.
However, if she was only designing erotic lingerie, she would have nothing to hide. Unless… President Isaman had ulterior motives for designing them. Bella took a closer look at the materials used to create the lingerie and she seemed to have discovered a problem.
“Alright, next customer… Mmm, where did she go?”
By the time President Isaman was done with taking the measurements of the previous few female customers, the female Dark Mage who was the last to enter the store was nowhere to be seen. Confused and suspicious, she walked back into the measuring room where Bella was seated with a curious look in her eyes.
Bella was still wearing the Dark Mage’s robes. She had only taken off the veil that covered her appearance. She held up one of President Isaman’s designs, a black sheer tube top, and was scrutinizing it with an expert eye. Looking at how Bella was simply standing there in all seriousness, President Isaman was rendered temporarily speechless.
“B…Bella, how did you get in?!”
“President Isaman, we meet again. Can’t you tell? I didn’t know that you liked to design such… wait, don’t be in such a hurry to run away. Your younger sister, the Puppet Master Elaine, is standing guard outside for me.”
President Isaman was nearly about to make a run for it before Bella’s words stopped her in her tracks. She hesitated for a moment, her fists clenched tightly, as though she was seriously considering if she should knock Bella out. Bella could clearly feel the flash of murderous intent but she did not panic. No matter how powerful President Isaman was, she was only a Priest, and was unlikely to have any earth shattering abilities that would take down a Knight within a short period of time.
Bella, I… this is the only hobby I have. It’s not your place to interfere, right? As long as you do not tell anyone about this, we can pretend that this…”
“Pretend that nothing happened? President Isaman, did you integrate tracking magic into those undergarments? You’re so naughty, when I…”
“How did you… wait, I did not. You… don’t speak nonsense. Bella, I’m not like you at all, nor do I like…”
“Is it so hard to say? Why don’t I invite your younger sister, Princess Elaine, to take a look as well? She knows magic too, maybe she could…”
President Isaman looked at Bella, who was brimming with confidence. Finally, she resigned herself to her fate and lowered her head. Once she made sure that no one was around to overhear the conversation, Isaman walked over to Bella, sat down beside her, and began to tell her the truth. At this point, she had no other choice.
Apparently, Olsylvia Academy was currently in a state of turmoil. Ever since the preliminaries for the internal rankings within the school began, various unknown powers have been becoming increasingly active within Olsylvia City. No one knew if it was a single power or a combination of powers. The issue was that it was definitely trouble.
Recently, President Isaman noticed that many girls from four out of five academies had shown signs of being placed under a psychological control curse. The only exception was the girls from St. Louis Church Academy as they did not venture out often. All signs pointed to the fact that all those affected girls had visited the Venus Naga Business District and returned home showing signs that their minds had been tampered with.
Despite her efforts, President Isaman could not figure out where the problem was. Previously, she had sent a group of students from the imperial academy’s student union to investigate the matter. In the end, the male student union officers did not find anything at all, while the female student union officers had gone missing. Until now, they had not returned. By this point, President Isaman had no choice but to investigate this matter personally. Her plan was to disguise herself as a designer, specializing in undergarments. She would then tamper with the undergarments of the many ignorant female students who would act as bait. This way, it would be difficult for the other party to realize that anything was wrong.
“Can you report this to Chief President Angelia or Natasha, the Chief of the Disciplinary Committee? They can help you with this. President Isaman, your efforts alone won’t be enough…”
“They… they all have pretty close relationships with you. I…Forget it, Bella. Will you let this matter go? I have my ways…”
As President Isaman spoke, she was rather hesitant, her voice trailing away with every sentence. This was a stark difference from her usual self. After a round of coaxing and pestering, President Isaman finally gave in and revealed the real reason. She felt that those girls who had been intimate with Bella, the top problem student, were highly problematic as well and could not be trusted.
Upon hearing President Isaman’s reasons for being unwilling to work with any girl who had a close relationship with her, Bella did not know if she should laugh or cry. It almost seemed to be tinged with jealousy. This was the problem. Other than President Isaman herself, every single girl that she could think of had already gone over to Bella’s side. President Isaman was the only girl left untouched.
“President Isaman, let’s make a deal, shall we? I’ll help you out this time. In return, I need you to help me open that case. To prove my sincerity, I will reserve every single piece of clothing in your store. Mmm, if only I could do the same to the owner of the store as well…”
“Reserve me? Bella, dream on. I have not agreed to your deal yet. You’d better take your stinking money and…”
Bella took out the gift that the magical prince had given her a while back and casually placed it on the table. It was a debit card with a value of a few hundred thousand gold coins. It would only take a little more than one hundred thousand to buy out a little store like this. While they were conversing, Bella realized that President Isaman had another weakness. Although she was also a Dark Warrior who had transmigrated here, she was evidently not as skilled in making money as her “colleagues”, such as Lisha and the others. In fact, compared to the rest, she was doing rather poorly and led a relatively normal life.
This was not Isaman’s fault. She was a priest by profession. However, as she was not registered with the Radiant Church, she could not earn a single cent at all. In order to register, the church needed to verify her abilities. The verification process for Radiant Priests were notoriously difficult to fake. If it was revealed that her abilities were far stronger than President Maria, who was the heir of the Radiant Pope, as well as the four Holy Maidens, her peaceful life would come to an end.
“No way, no one can refuse me. Not even you, President Isaman. If you do not agree, I will help you on my own accord. But then, do not blame me if I end up making a mess!”
“Bella… you’re too dominating. Can’t you just… just take a small step back? Fine, I agree to your deal. However, you cannot take it too far. You have to listen to my commands.”
“No problem, I’ve always been obedient.”
Once the deal was in place, Bella graciously appeared to agree to President Isaman’s every request. It was not easy to get her to give in at all. If it could happen once, there was a definite possibility that it would happen again. By the time Bella was done with her, President Isaman would have moved into her dorm. There was a chance this could happen much earlier and did not need to wait for that time consuming bet.
After waiting outside the small store for hours, the Puppet Master Elaine and Princess Ariel were nearly prepared to break down the doors and barge in. However, they ended up with incredulous looks on their faces when they saw Bella walk out while holding President Isaman’s hand. The girls on Bella’s arm were constantly changing. However, they did not expect President Isaman to be on such good terms with Bella. After all, the girl was filled with distaste when it came to Bella.
“Older Sister Isaman… you… do you remember me?”
“Elaine, don’t take a feather out of Bella’s book and start bullying your older sister. Do I look like someone with memory loss?!”
“President Isaman, if you were to be seen like this, so many boys would have their heart broken! Based on the polls by the news club, they said that you were the last goddess whom the Grand Duchess Bellina had not had a fling with.”
“You’re Princess Ariel, right? I… how can it be called a fling if it’s between girls. Those boys have nothing better to do than to come up with this nonsensical gossip. Don’t take it too seriously…”
Keeping a straight face, Bella silently held onto President Isaman’s hand as she watched President Isaman’s constant frantic efforts to try to convince Princess Ariel and the Puppet Master Elaine that she was not a “philandering” woman. The more she tried to explain, the more Bella’s heart filled up with glee. Her explanations were now being mistaken as a desperate attempt to hide the fact that she had already defected to Bella. This Dark Warrior Priest was now gradually falling into Bella’s “lily trap”.
As soon as she dealt with President Isaman, Bella swiftly changed her plans. She used her communication magic crystal to contact Lisha and the others. They agreed to meet at the Rose Society’s Elven Tavern at Benedict Mansion. Once she knew that there was a problem with the Venus Naga Business District, Bella did not dare to stay here any longer. She knew that she needed to find somewhere safer to talk.
While they retreated, Bella had sent out an individual message to her most trusted subordinate, the Assassin Lola. She had tasked her to check if there were any girls whom she was close with that were still hanging around the district and ask those who were still around to leave as quickly as possible. No matter who ended up getting involved, Bella would be heartbroken.
When Bella finally met up with Lisha and the others, their jaws dropped at the unexpected image of Bella and President Isaman holding hands. For a moment, Kriss and the others were stunned into silence and none of them knew what to say. Lisha quickly came to her senses. She approached President Isaman and gently held her hand in an intimate manner, showing that she was acknowledging this “older sister” in advance.
As Bella and the other girls were about to leave, they realized they were being followed by a high-level assassin. Fortunately, Noreya, who was a much higher level assassin, noticed that someone was on their tail when Bella met up with the other girls. Otherwise, none of them would have been aware of this at all.
“Bella, someone is following us, and it seems like they are not rookies. Do you want them dead? My dagger is already…”
“Wait, Noreya, do not be rash. We are in the middle of the street. Also, killing people is not the right thing to do. If we really want to kill them, we have to be somewhere quieter. I have an idea; we can throw them off our trail.”
Bella thought for a moment and led her friends into a public female restroom to teleport to their next destination. She had gotten into the habit of carrying a teleportation scroll with her wherever she went. As long as she used her private teleportation scroll and did not go through any of the official teleportation arrays, information about her next location would not be revealed.
Those assassins who had been following Bella and her friends from a distance had relatively high qualifications and were definitely not the regular low-level cannon fodder. When they saw that Bella and the others had walked into the female restroom, they lay in wait outside. They did not dare to venture further, not because of moral reasons, but because of status and manners.
“Damn it, we did not bring any female troops. Go to His Majesty and report to him that Princess Elaine and Princess Isaman have followed Grand Duchess Bellina… or was it Grand Duchess Baize… Anyway, they had been hiding inside the restroom for most of the day and we… we request reinforcements.”
The men in black never expected that Bella and the other girls would hide inside the female restroom and refuse to come out. After all, they were members of the Imperial Guard of the Manasvir Imperial Army and were loyal to the royal family. This meant that they would never dare to step foot in the female restroom. If Princess Isaman and Princess Elaine were simply relieving themselves inside, peeping on a princess would cost them their lives.
