Currently, Cecil was having a huge headache dealing with the extra accessory currently attached to his back.

"I'M COMING!"

"NO!"

"I'm coo~ooming~"

"STOP. SAYING IT LIKE THAT!"

He didn't understand why, but the way Serilla was saying it sounded kinda wrong to him and it caused him to feel embarra.s.sed.

"Please, understand your position a little here, okay?! Aren't you supposed to be this Kingdom's next Sword Saintess?!"

"NO! I'd rather be this world's next Silvaria!"

"What the h.e.l.l?!"

"I'm coming!!!"

"Oh. My. G.o.d!!! Will you stop SAYING THAT?!"

At the moment, Serilla was clinging onto his back like a koala. Her legs and arms were wrapped around Cecil's now tall and well-built frame.

"Please...don't be unreasonable. You've been eavesdropping on our conversation already, right?! Then don't you know that I'll be leaving and going on journey for an indefinite amount of time?!"

"Yes! And that's why I wanna cooommmeee!!"

"Think about your family and your parents!"

Serilla immediately reb.u.t.ted him.

"They won't care if I'm gone! They've got plenty of children already!"

"What the heck?! What kind of parent wouldn't care if their child suddenly disappeared?"

"Well, I'll just tell them I'm eloping with my beloved...So, I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming~!"

"ARGH! Stop. Saying. That!"

"NO!"

Cecil grabbed his hair in frustration. He turned to the side and looked at his friends and especially towards Lucia.

His face was practically screaming and begging for help, but Fina, Eli, Ainz, and the rest only avoided his gaze while snickering.

Lucia was smiling brightly and her face read 'give up already Cel~'

"d.a.m.n...seriously, YOU'RE 18! HOW CAN YOU ACT LIKE THIS?! LIKE A CHILD!"

"So what?! I'm coming!!!"

Cecil through his hands up in the air and surrendered.

"That's it...I give up...I give up, do what you want."

Cecil immediately sat down on the floor and lowered his head into his hands as he let out a frustrated breath. He couldn't believe how unreasonable this young lady was! She was almost 4 years older than him basically the same age as his eldest brother, but how could she act so childish?! It was such a stark contrast to his eldest brother who was so mature and rational.

"Really?"

"..."

"I can do what I want?"

"...hmmm..." Cecil half-heartedly responded.

"Yay! Yeeeaayyy!!"

Serilla began to jump around Cecil like a child. Seeing her so happy, Cecil grew even more frustrated, but eventually all that frustration immediately disappeared for some reason and it was replaced with a sense of profound helplessness.

"...don't regret this later..."

"I won't~"

"...whatever, I'm leaving tonight...so if you have any regrets and don't want to follow, take the day to think about it."

"I won't regret anything~ AND! I'm coming~"

"...seriously, stop saying the last part like that..."

"Why~?" Serilla said with a sly smirk.

"I dunno, alright?! It...Just sounds weird..."

"Hihihi~"

Serilla patted Cecil on the head and smiled brightly, "Take care of me from now on, Cel~"

"...Yeah, likewise..."

"Hihihi~"

Serilla and Cecil were practically the same height now. Before Cecil was still a little bit shorter than her, but after some time, he had already caught up. He was also half a head taller than Lucia now.

Cecil couldn't help but think, 'Hm~ I've actually grown much taller huh? Hehe, that's good! I wouldn't want to stay short for the rest of my life! And...'

He looked back at the infatuated bunny girl in front of him and at Lucia who was now making her way over to them and said inwardly.

'Man...It'd be embarra.s.sing to have these two towering over me all the time...'

His previous height was really appalling. The sight of these two girls sidling up beside him and towering over his short height caused him to feel extremely bothered.

'Thank goodness I grew taller...sorry mother, it's not that I'm rejecting your shortness, but I'd really like to be as tall as dad one day...well, not as tall, but at least taller than I am right now.'

Since their plans were already decided, Cecil thought it was best to prepare for the journey ahead. He checked his spatial ring and decided to transfer all the items inside his black ring into his white ring.

Since he was leaving, the ring obviously had to be returned to the Academy. Also his Academy-issued MID and all the resources he got from the Academy he kept inside the black ring and tossed it over to Ainz.

"Hey Ainz, take it back to the headmaster for me. You can have all the resources inside since I won't need them anymore."

"Eh? Oh yeah, sure..."

Seeing him do this, Lucia and Serilla did the same and gave their rings over to Fina and Eli. Fina couldn't help but tear up when she saw the ring in her hand.

"Y-you're really going..."

"Yeah...sorry for being selfish, but y'know...where he goes, I go..."

"I understand..."

Fina sighed and faced Cecil with a hardened face.

"Cecil...you better take good care of her...or else."

WOOOSSSHH

"Woah!"

Cecil immediately ducked away and avoided the barrage of Mana Armaments sent his way.

"Hold. Still!"

Fina yelled as she continued pursuing Cecil with her armaments. Cecil dodged away and laughed as he did.

"Ahaha! Fine! Let this be the last lesson!"

Cecil smirked and jumped into the air. He looked down at his party members and he locked onto Ainz.

"s.h.i.+t!"

Cecil flashed in front of Ainz who had swiftly taken out his staff and defended against his attack.

"Take this!"

Cecil continued kicking and punching at Ainz all the while he was dodging Fina's attacks. He sent mana volley after mana volley at Fina to keep the little girl away. He locked eyes with Eli and Velicia, Cecil backed off from Ainz and fired a Flash Canon at the two girls.

"HAH!"

"Oh, now you've done it!"

"You're going down today Cecil!"

Lucius was just about to back away before he noticed a large mana bolt flying his way.

"Hey! Are you kidding me?"

"NOPE! You ain't going anywhere fatty!"

"No one calls my Lucius fatty!" Velicia immediately said as she flashed in front of Cecil and sent a barrage of kicks and punches his way.

"Jeez...Veli was right...you ARE a combat and training freak!" Lucius said as he began prepping his concoctions and spells.

The battle was totally chaotic. Eli had her rapier out with her Intent-fused Aura wrapping around her and she was sending attack after attack at Cecil. Fina was behind her providing support and sending Mana Armaments towards Cecil.

Ainz and Velicia would sometimes jump into the battle and take over when Eli's guard was suddenly broken apart by Cecil. They covered for her and pressed the a.s.sault on the boy.

Lucius was there sending spells and concoctions his way while coordinating with the others. Only Serilla and Lucia were sitting this one out.

"...Is he...always like this?"

"Yep~"

"Hmmm...Can't imagine how he'll be like in bed..."

"Wh-what're you saying Seri?!" Lucia replied in shock.

Serilla giggled in response and replied, "Well, I heard from my mother that a man's way of fighting directly reflects how they'll be like in bed~"

"Wh-wh-wh-what?!"

"Hihihi~ Just imagine him going all out on us 2~"

Lucia was just about to imagine it, but then it suddenly hit her...what...was she supposed to be imagining actually?

"Uhm...what is it am I supposed to be imagining again?"

"Eh? Ahahaha~" Serilla almost forgot that they were only 1st years. That kind of education still wasn't given until they were in their 2nd year. Since it was during that age when the students would start to seriously develop and pursue relations.h.i.+ps and whatnot.

Serilla found it quite funny to see the still pure Lucia. When she was shocked earlier, it was most likely because of the aggressive things Cecil had begun to do, but things like 'that' weren't still in her understanding as of yet.

She leaned in and began explaining all about 'that' to Lucia. Cecil had his explanation given to him by Yuna, but Yuna didn't expect her very own master to still not be aware of the things only adults would do.

Speaking of Yuna, she was currently out with Silver procuring some of their travel goods inside the city.

"Th-th-th-that's what we'll be doing when we get married?!"

"Shhhh...Lulu, don't go announcing it to the world now!"

"B-b-b-b-but...but...I thought...."

Lucia's face was fully dyed red now. Her previous understandings of marriage and love had received a wakeup call. Her 'understanding' had broadened even further and she felt a little ashamed.

"Agh...so...that means...with Cel...we..."

"Yep~ well, we want his affection and that's our end goal when we marry him~"

"Uhm..."

"You do want his children, right?"

"O-Of course!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Well then, no need to be so shaken up over this...right?"

"R-right...right...but...uwaaaahhhhh!" Lucia still couldn't wrap her head around the new knowledge she had gained. She thought that kisses, hugs, and the stuff that Cecil's been doing to her whenever she crept into his bed were the limit, but no, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

"Don't worry, Lulu~ big sis here will take care of everything~"

"Hmmm...Big sis huh...you definitely are older than me...but I don't think I can get used to calling you that..."

"It doesn't matter~"

The two girls turned their attention back to the fight and saw that Cecil was slowly being pushed back and cornered by everyone else.

"Hm? Cecil's...losing?" Serilla tilted her head in confusion.

"He's going to get serious now...watch, he still hasn't used Mana Burst yet."

"Eh?"

At Lucia's words, a large golden aura pushed Ainz, Eli, and everyone else back. The golden aura condensed around Cecil and the boy laughed before rising once more into the air and dropping an axe kick onto Eli.

Eli immediately dodged and the ground where Cecil struck immediately erupted with a bang. The fight once more resumed, but this time, it was Cecil who was pus.h.i.+ng everyone back.

"Ohh...I didn't see his golden aura yet~ no wonder~"

"...he gotten stronger again...no fair..." Lucia complained.

******

When the sky was dyed in a red orange hue, everyone was sprawled around the broken battlefield, panting in complete exhaustion.

There were no visible injuries on their bodies since Cecil had healed them all up using Ki and the healing arts he mastered from the book inside his inner mind. So all they were feeling was the fatigue their minds and bodies had acc.u.mulated after a whole day of fighting.

"Haha! That's going to be our last lesson together. Make sure you guys keep training, alright! If one day I come back, I wanna spar with all of you!"

His words caused everyone to laugh despite their exhaustion. Their party leader really was leaving, but it seemed that it wasn't for forever. He did say he was coming back and this gave them a sense of relief.

Lucia walked over and casted a water and cleanse spell on Cecil and everyone else.

"Thanks Lulu."

"Mhm."

Cecil turned to look at the sky the sun was just about to set over the horizon.

'Guess it's almost time...'