Moen suddenly leaned down and captured Anna's lips, softer than any flower, in a passionate kiss.
“Mm…”
Anna’s delicate body tensed for an instant but quickly melted into a seductive softness. As she gazed into Moen’s autumn-water-like eyes, her expression became increasingly dazed.
She extended her slender hands, wrapped them around Moen’s neck, and eagerly parted her rosy lips to receive him. She leaned into him, responding intensely and ardently.
Their lips touched, tongues entwined, grinding against one another. Sweet saliva was exchanged between them as if an electric shock surged through their whole bodies, making them tremble uncontrollably before their actions became even more feverish.
Moen reached out with one hand, wrapping it around Anna’s slender waist. Gazing at the enchanting face, flush with intoxicated allure, so close to him, and breathing in the youthful fragrance filling his senses, his movements grew stronger, as though he wanted to fuse her entirely into his embrace.
Anna, feeling herself immersed in the ever-thickening masculine energy surrounding her, felt it driving into the warmth and softness of her being—a wild and burning serpent incessantly invading, endlessly colliding. She collapsed into Moen’s arms, as if about to completely melt away.
They parted their lips after a long moment.
Anna sat up, dazed for a bit, savoring the remnants of the passion just moments ago.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her gaze was misty as she looked at the man before her. Whatever hint of indignation she'd held moments earlier had floated away, leaving only warmth and affection filling her heart completely.
“You’re such a bad man, you know that?”
Anna pouted playfully and lightly tapped Moen’s chest with her delicate fist.
“What am I supposed to do when you’re like this?”
“Well, bad it is, then.”
Moen chuckled and took hold of Anna’s dainty hand, placing it in his palm, gently kneading it before lifting the flowers he had been holding in his other hand.
“So… now, could the best senior in the academy accept the most beautiful flowers in the academy?”
“Hmph…”
Anna cast him a flirtatious glance and took the flowers, lightly sniffing them.
“They smell wonderful.”
“Of course. I picked them out with great—”
“Absolutely steeped in magic-driven ripening charm.”
“…Uh.”
“And this ripening charm seems to have been cast by a young female mage. Judging by the scent, no older than twenty…”
“How can you even tell that just by sniffing!”
Moen pulled her into his arms, pleading gently, “Please forgive me, senior! It’s the middle of winter, after all; I had no other way to get flowers for you! The academy plantation only grows medicinal herbs. If I dare pick those, the professors would kill me!”
“…”
Anna tilted her head, gazing at Moen for quite a while. Suddenly, her expression blossomed into a bright smile. She brushed his hair lightly and crinkled her crescent-like eyes.
“Alright, alright, I forgive you. You’re such a big baby, aren’t you?”
“Well… only with you, senior.”
Taking advantage of the moment, Moen once again pressed himself against Anna’s plush and springy chest before lifting his head, changing the topic abruptly.
“Oh, senior, what’s going on over there?”
“What do you mean?”
“Those…”
Moen gestured towards the back of the classroom.
At that moment, the bookshelves in the latter half of the room had already been emptied. Ancient tomes that once filled those spaces had been packed away into boxes. Delicate instruments had been wrapped in cloth and tightly bound with ropes.
Moen had noticed these changes upon entering the classroom but only now seized the opportunity to question her.
“Senior… are you moving to another classroom?”
“No.”
Anna shook her head.
“I’m just packing up my belongings.”
“Packing? Why?”
“Because I’m dropping out of the academy.”
“Dropping out… dropping out?”
Moen froze momentarily, and then a sharp look flashed in his eyes.
“Why? Why would you drop out of the academy for no good reason? Is someone forcing you? The Silence Agency? No way, I’ll go confront them right now! This is too much; they—”
“Alright, alright.”
Anna pressed a finger against Moen’s lips, her mouth curving into a sweet smile.
“No need to panic; I’m dropping out voluntarily. No one’s forcing me.”
“Voluntarily?”
Moen looked even more perplexed. “But why?”
“Because…”
Anna ran her fingers through her hair and spoke softly, “I’m joining the Silence Agency.”
“What… did you say? Joining the Silence Agency?”
Moen stared at her in obvious shock, unable to process the sudden twist. His mind spun dizzily for a moment.
“But why?”
Moen said angrily, “They were the ones who persecuted you before!”
“Well, they were just following protocol, weren’t they?”
Anna reassured him.
“Besides, at the time, their intent, to some extent, was also to protect me. They just couldn’t predict how reckless those cultists would be, daring to storm the Silence Agency’s branch directly.”
“But…”
“Enough already, no need to get worked up. Let me tell you a little secret, okay?”
Anna again pulled Moen close, leaning toward his ear to whisper.
“Remember the old man I introduced you to last time?”
“You mean… your adoptive father?”
“Yes. His true identity is actually…”
Anna smiled faintly.
“… the Swordsman of the Silence Agency.”
“Wha— the Swordsman?”
Moen’s head spun again, failing to absorb yet another revelation.
That old man had indeed left an impression that he was no ordinary individual, but Moen had never imagined him to be the legendary Swordsman!
The Silence Agency—an organization that bowed to no one except the Dark Gods and His Majesty themselves—was a name that caused tremors in anyone’s heart.
And the title of Swordsman was even more…
“I knew it no long ago.”
Anna brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and sighed.
“I used to think he was just some crafty old man with mysterious skills.”
“…”
Moen’s lips twitched involuntarily.
What kind of protagonist scenario was this?
An adoptive father running a humble shop turns out to secretly be a top-tier figure pulling strings from the shadows?
One who, with a single command, could summon tens of thousands of Silencers to boost his sales?
“And joining the Silence Agency isn’t just about this one reason.”
“Not just this one?”
“Mm. I’ve mentioned it to you before…”
Anna smiled deeply.
“But it’s probably better if I show you directly.”
With that, Anna suddenly raised her hand and gestured.
At the back of the classroom, from under the packed items and supplies, shadows began to writhe and ripple in the light streaming through the window.
In an instant, they transformed into pools of dark liquid, swallowing everything in sight.
Moments later, the back of the classroom was completely empty.
“Is that…”
Moen swallowed hard.
“Part of Moon of Silence's power, I guess—a remnant left within me when it didn’t have time to extract it fully.”
Anna explained.
“This…”
Moen recalled how the Moon of Silence had once desperately tried to take senior away and suddenly came to a realization. He then turned back to Anna with growing unease.
“Are you sure this is alright? It’s Dark God power, after all—”
“Don’t worry; the moon is already dead.”
Anna spoke softly.
Moen immediately realized.
Right, the moon was dead.
The horrors of Dark God power always stemmed from the unavoidable link forged between the wielder and the Dark God itself once exposed.
But with Moon of Silence gone, its power remained nothing more than masterless energy.
There wasn’t a shred of danger left in it—only pure, untainted force.
“So, you’re joining the Silence Agency?”
“Mm. Other than the Church’s Tribunal, perhaps nowhere else in the world understands the Dark Gods' powers better than the Silence Agency. It’s the only place where I can learn to fully control this power.”
Anna lightly nuzzled her cheek against Moen’s and said softly,
“Didn’t I tell you already? From now on, I’ll be the one protecting you.”
“Senior…”
The tenderness in Anna’s words caused warmth to well up in Moen’s heart. He instinctively pressed himself against her ample chest once more, soaking in the comfort.
“Still, this is only one of the reasons.”
“Another one?”
Senior joining the Silence Agency—how many factors had she considered?
Moen blinked in surprise. “What’s the other reason?”
“Well, as for this final reason…”
Anna stared intently at Moen, her expression tinged with mystery.
Under her gaze, Moen began to feel a bit unsettled, as though her eyes held secrets he couldn’t understand.
Just as he felt himself growing increasingly self-conscious under her stare, she suddenly broke into a mischievous smile.
“I won’t tell you, you naughty boy~.”
