"In return..."
"Tell me your full plan."
Emerald smiled. "I plan to build a force strong enough to travel the world safely. Eventually, I'd like to establish a small organization of my own." She paused briefly before adding, "And if possible...I want to enter the Midvest Graduate Guild."
Dante simply nodded. That was all he needed to hear. Almost immediately, his attention drifted elsewhere. Emerald noticed and could only chuckle inwardly.
Typical.
This monster of a brother of mine couldn't care less about anything unless it directly benefited him... or threatened him.
Even so...As she quietly watched him turn toward his subordinates, there remained a faint trace of admiration hidden within her eyes. One she only felt for her 2nd Oldest brother and 2nd oldest sister
Dante signaled toward Vexion.
Understanding immediately, Vexion smiled as she stood up. Taking several plates of food from her spatial ring, she carefully arranged them before kneeling beside Dante. Picking up a plate, she began feeding him bite by bite while he leisurely enjoyed the meal. Before long, everyone else had begun eating as well. Vexion would occasionally take a bite herself before returning to feed Dante with the same quiet devotion as always.
Chewing thoughtfully, Dante looked toward Lexa.
"Lexa, I assume Vexion already taught you the basics?"
Lexa, who had stopped eating, gave a respectful nod. Thanks to Emerald's healing, her injuries had already completely disappeared.
"Yes, Master."
Dante nodded.
"Tell me... what do you think you need more than anything right now?"
Vexion couldn't help but smile.
It reminded her of her own first training session with Dante.
Lexa carefully reflected on her battles with Vexion. Throughout their fights, she had realized Vexion herself had been learning while simultaneously teaching. Lexa knew she lacked proper combat experience against genuinely powerful opponents. Her control over her skills was still crude, and even her Blood Swords often behaved inefficiently under pressure. There were countless flaws she had already noticed herself.
She understood what Dante wanted.
He wasn't asking for a random answer.
He wanted her to identify the weaknesses she already knew she possessed. Patiently, Dante listened before gradually explaining each point, just as he had done with Vexion during her very first lesson.
He made sure Lexa fully understood the fundamentals he had once taught Vexion, though he intentionally withheld the more advanced concepts. After all, she only had roughly a year and a half before they entered Midvest Academy. If she couldn't master the basics in a few months, teaching her higher-level concepts would simply be meaningless and impossible before they left.
Even Vexion still understood very little about how skills truly functioned. Truthfully...
Even Dante himself didn't fully understand them. Or rather... He simply didn't care enough to. As long as he understood enough to exploit them effectively, that was more than sufficient.
Satisfied with the lesson, Dante left alongside Emerald before the siblings eventually separated and returned to their respective duties. Entering his room, Dante sat down on the edge of his bed before lazily falling backward onto the soft mattress.
Once someone reached the Ascended Saint Realm, sleep became more of a luxury than a necessity. Skills naturally regenerated mana over time, while the body itself continuously absorbed ambient mana through both sleep and meditation. Most Mythical Beings only needed two or three hours of sleep each day before feeling completely refreshed.
Still... Dante loved sleeping. There was simply something comforting about lying on a warm bed with nothing to worry about. Sleeping for hours while peacefully drifting through dreams was surprisingly satisfying.
He chuckled to himself.
"Only head probably compares..." He paused.
"...And sex?"
He frowned thoughtfully.
"No..."
"What about a fat ass just resting on my lap..."
"...Grinding a little..."
"Hmm..."
"Wait..."
"Boobs."
"Hmm... boobs are good too."
"Sucking on boobs is pretty relaxing." After thinking it over with complete seriousness, Dante nodded to himself.
Life really was good.
For what was likely the first time across hundreds of lives—even if he couldn't consciously remember most of them—he had been reincarnated into a world where he possessed overwhelming talent, unimaginable potential, and, above all else...
Complete freedom over his own life. No one controlled him. No one dictated his future. As long as he continued growing stronger, his safety was practically guaranteed. A faint smile spread across his face.
Life is good.
As he lay there comfortably, the familiar voice of a woman echoed inside his mind.
[Master... realistically, don't you think you're taking things a little too calmly? As in... not treating everything with the seriousness it deserves?]
Dante opened one eye.
"Nah." He shrugged lazily. "You want me to stress myself into an early grave or something? What exactly do you mean?"
The System remained quiet for a moment before replying.
[What I mean is... don't you think your approach is perhaps a little too relaxed? There are many matters you deliberately leave until later instead of considering them immediately. Do you truly believe that is wise?]
Dante thought for a brief moment before slowly shaking his head.
"Hmm...No. You hold most of the information I have anyway, so it's unlikely I'll overlook anything important." He folded his arms behind his head.
"Besides...This world practically runs on novel tropes and clichés. People are predictable. Kingdoms are predictable. Heroes are predictable. Villains are predictable. If you recognize the pattern, you can usually predict what's going to happen long before it actually does."
He closed his eyes again.
"Knowledge about this world is important. But what I know about worlds like this...is even more valuable."
Silence filled the room. Eventually, the System quietly responded.
[I see...My apologies, Master. It appears I asked an obvious and rather pointless question.]
Dante merely chuckled.
Something about the System definitely felt... different lately. Not dangerous. Not malicious. Just...Different.
Based on everything he knew from countless novels, he already had a fairly good guess as to what was happening. There was simply no point worrying about something he couldn't yet confirm. He still had around a year and a half before departing for Midvest Academy.
Plenty of time, time to train, time to prepare. And, more importantly...Time to enjoy life. With that thought, Dante smiled to himself, closed his eyes, and peacefully drifted off to sleep.