บท 36: Second Day

"There was one more thing I wanted to ask before I forget."

I was hesitant to talk about it in front of the others, but they already knew everything at this point. Trying to be secretive around them will make things more difficult.

"Are some people more affected by my bloodline than others?"

"Why do you ask?"

"While I've noticed women seem drawn to me, there have been a few with stronger reactions," I said, glancing over at Luna.

"Mako, Haruka, it seems like some girls are unnaturally aggressive."

This was never a problem before. If I had to guess, it all started around the time I used body activation for the first time. That was when I noticed I was getting a lot more attention. And some women, without a doubt, are more proactive about approaching me. Mako and Haruka are a few of them. Coming on that strongly right from the start was abnormal.

"Hmm, I thought I mentioned it before. That's certainly the case. Those of noble bloodlines have the potential to be more strongly affected. You have to remember your kind was created to be the ideal partner. Most Beast girls will sense that, and there will naturally be those with a greater reaction. It's uncommon, but some records of extreme cases also exist."

"Extreme. . ."

"Yes, extreme. I'm aware of the problem you two are having." Vivienne said, glancing between Luna and me.

"What do I do?" I said. Luna echoed a similar question.

"You want my honest opinion? Sleep with her. That's all you can do at this point. Take responsibility and keep her by your side."

". . ." Luna was silent. I expected a dramatic response from her, but it never came. It was rather strange, to say the least. I could not stay silent and suggested distancing myself from her to decrease the burden, but Vivienne shot the idea down.

"That's not going to work. Luna is likely already sexually dependent on you; that's how strong the effect is. There is a good chance that if you left her, she might never find a suitable partner. Whether you find that morally acceptable, there's nothing else you can do."

It certainly didn't sit right with me. I mean, she's basically being forced. It's the same as when Haruka charmed me to bring out my desire against my will. Now that I think about it, there's a big possibility that it was my fault I got charmed. If what Vivienne said is true, then Haruka likely lost control after being influenced by my bloodline.

Argh, this would be much easier if Luna reacted somehow, but she's not. What could she be thinking in silence over there? Doesn't she care about what's happening? Shouldn't she be angry at me for this?

The conversation ended shortly after that. It was almost time for class, and there wasn't really anything else to be said on the subject. The only thing left was for us to decide how we would proceed from here on out.

There was an awkward silence as we walked to our next class, likely due to the gloomy air around me. I was feeling guilty about Luna. Sure, it's not something I could have controlled, but it doesn't change the fact that it's my fault this is happening to her. It didn't go on for long, though, since Luna finally spoke out.

"Ugh, I can't take this anymore, " she said, irritation clear in her voice. She had been walking in front of me until now but stopped to face me.

"What's the matter with you, Rune?"

"It's my fault that-" I started, but she cut me off

"Stop acting so pathetic. Didn't we already settle this before?"

"What do you-" I tried responding, and again she cut me off this time before cupping my cheeks with her hands and pulling my head down for a kiss. The kiss was short, and Luna buried her face in my chest while clutching onto my clothes when it ended.

"I already told you, didn't I? Take responsibility and assist me."

"Wait, does that mean?"

"Geeze, don't make me say it, idiot. You should know by now that I'm not so weak-willed as to stick with someone I have zero interest in."

Yeah. Right. She has a point. Luna is too stubborn for that. She's more likely to spend the rest of her life alone out of spite.

"Worry about the consequences later and do what you can now, right?" Raya said as she grasped my hand from the side. Fleur did the same, grabbing my other hand and flashing a smile up at me.

After a few reprimanding words from Luna and some teasing from Raya and Fleur, the mood returned to normal. I felt stupid for overthinking so much. A habit I seem to be falling into a lot lately. As we were about to enter the classroom, we were interrupted by a call from Carin.

"I was calling to let you know that the two of you will meet me for another training session today. Be ready and meet me at the same time as yesterday."

"But I thought we were only supposed to train with you every other day?"

"That's true, but after witnessing how pathetic you two were, I changed my mind. We'll be training every day from now on. That's all."

With that brief exchange, Carin cut the call leaving no room for debate. Not that I cared. It's become clear to me just how famous the woman is; any additional time she wants to spend on us is a plus in my book.

Our first two classes were rather uneventful. Nothing too interesting was talked about during our first class on the study of monsters. It was mostly the same with us learning about the different types and their weaknesses. The second class was no different and was just a bunch of jargon about adventurer rules and regulations. Important to know for sure, but not very engaging. I almost dozed off a few times, but Luna, who had been sticking closer to me than usual, kicked me in the leg whenever she noticed. Before I knew it, we were already splitting up, and Luna and I were making our way over to meet Carin.