After the battle to subdue the fake Bigkrum finally came to an end, Knox decided that, no matter what, they would need to wait for Simon to wake up first before moving again.
After all, Simon's condition clearly wasn't normal.
The four of them did not immediately head toward the center of the island after defeating the fake Bigkrum.
In fact, Simon was so exhausted after the battle that he could barely remain standing.
The aftereffects of connecting with the thoughts of an Ancient Undead had turned out to be far worse than expected.
Although his body itself did not appear heavily injured, Simon's mind had been pushed to its limit.
The fact that he was even still conscious at this point already felt like a miracle.
So, in the end, Knox decided to bring Simon, Lorain, and Serene back to his basecamp first.
After arriving there, Lorain fell silent and simply stared at the hidden basecamp in front of her.
A house concealed within layers of camouflage, guarded by skeletons, hidden so thoroughly that even standing directly in front of it made it difficult to notice properly.
Still—
Perhaps because she had already grown used to Knox's endless shenanigans, Lorain's adaptability was surprisingly high.
She only stared blankly for a few seconds before calmly accepting the situation like it was somehow normal.
Meanwhile, Serene quietly narrowed her eyes as she observed the surroundings once more.
Knox then walked toward the entrance before opening the door with an exaggeratedly elegant motion.
Bowing slightly like a butler, he welcomed the three inside.
"Welcome, everyone~"
After bringing Simon inside and placing him onto the sofa, Knox immediately headed toward the kitchen to start cooking something.
Lorain sat down nearby, still occasionally glancing around the bizarrely comfortable hidden basecamp.
As for Serene—
Without even asking for permission anymore, she calmly headed straight toward the bathroom to take another bath.
After finishing the dishes, placing them neatly onto plates, and carrying them over to the dining table, Knox suddenly heard a voice from behind.
"Oh my, what a delicious smell."
Serene, who had apparently finished her bath, slowly walked out from the hallway.
Knox and Lorain, who had been arranging the food on the table, turned toward her at the same time.
"Well, after moving around that much, delicious food is a must! So I made some… food?" Knox said casually before his voice abruptly stopped midway.
Lorain also froze.
Then, a second later—
"…You!!"
Her voice rose sharply.
The reason for their reaction was simple.
At the sight of Serene appearing wearing nothing but a towel, again, Knox immediately stopped speaking midway and quietly turned his head away.
Meanwhile, Lorain's expression instantly crumpled.
"…What are you doing?"
"Oh? Nothing much. I just finished washing up."
"Then why would you come out looking like that when Knox and Simon are here?!"
Serene tilted her head slightly.
"That's ridiculous. Are you my mother or something? What I wear after bathing is my own business."
Lorain's eyebrow twitched.
"Knox is the owner here. I understand that you used the bathroom because he allowed it, but shouldn't you at least have some basic courtesy?! Can't you see Knox is already having a hard time over there?!"
"Even so, isn't that something Knox himself should decide?" Serene replied smoothly. "Don't you agree?"
After saying that, Serene calmly walked over and sat down right beside Knox while still wearing only the towel.
In the suddenly awkward atmosphere of the living room—
Knox silently looked away even harder.
"Guhh…"
Lorain let out a low grumble filled with irritation.
You thieving cat! Are you seriously trying to seduce Knox?!
Her eyes narrowed sharply at Serene, who looked completely relaxed despite only wearing a towel.
Should I also do something like that…?
The thought suddenly crossed Lorain's mind.
But then—
…No, wait. Knox has already seen me like that several times after my baths anyway…
For some reason, that realization only made her feel even more conflicted.
Meanwhile, Lorain sat on Knox's left while Serene occupied the seat on his right.
Serene, in particular, leaned comfortably against Knox's side without the slightest hesitation, still wrapped in nothing but a single towel.
Her damp hair rested lightly against her shoulders, and the faint fragrance from her recent bath drifted through the air.
Fresh from washing up, her fair skin almost seemed to glow softly under the light.
Feeling the increasingly uncomfortable atmosphere around him, Knox quietly let out a small sigh.
Then, Knox glanced toward the unconscious Simon lying on the sofa.
Simon… should I consider you lucky for fainting right now, or unlucky…?
"Oh my, oh my~ Don't tell me… are you perhaps jealous?" Serene teased while looking at Lorain.
"!!!!!"
Lorain felt her blood pressure instantly rise.
To Knox, the current scene looked exactly like a bristled-up black cat facing off against a mischievous ivory fox.
"Alright, alright," Knox said while raising both hands slightly. "Serene, be a good girl and put on some clothes, okay? I mean, the last time you came here with Claudia and Merida, you weren't this mischievous…"
Lorain froze.
"…What?"
A second later—
"Wait, not only her?! There were others too?!" Lorain shouted in disbelief.
"Sigh…"
Knox let out a tired sigh.
"Tch."
Serene clicked her tongue in annoyance after realizing her teasing was no longer effective against him.
Eventually, she took a fresh set of clothes out from her subspace.
But just before heading to change, something seemed to cross her mind.
She slowly turned toward Knox with a sly expression that looked extremely similar to a certain shrine maiden fox.
"Should I change right here~?" Serene asked playfully.
"You really…! There's a room inside!" Lorain snapped immediately.
Seeing that Knox still remained completely unfazed, Serene puffed her cheeks slightly before snorting in annoyance and finally heading toward the room.
Some time later, the sly fox returned after changing into proper clothes.
After that, the three of them finally began eating.
Perhaps because good food truly had miraculous powers, the atmosphere gradually softened.
Both Lorain and Serene visibly brightened after tasting Knox's cooking.
And somehow—
The speed of their hands picking up food gradually became faster and faster.
Of course, that also led to several small "duels."
Their forks repeatedly collided whenever they reached for the same dish at the same time.
Tiny sparks practically flew between their gazes as neither side wanted to back down.
Fortunately, before the fork war could escalate any further, Knox calmly resolved the issue by simply refilling the dishes they had been fighting over.
Only then did peace temporarily return to the dining table.
After everyone finished eating, Simon suddenly twitched slightly on the sofa.
"Ugh… urgh…"
His eyelids trembled before slowly opening.
While Simon still looked dazed and half-awake, Knox suddenly spoke with a perfectly serious face.
"Congratulations. Your surgery was successful. You're a girl now."
"…Huh?"
Still confused, Simon instantly lifted the blanket and checked his pants in panic.
"Huft…"
Simon let out a long sigh of relief. For a moment there, he genuinely thought his little brother had disappeared forever.
After calming down, Simon slowly lifted his head and glared at Knox with an annoyed expression.
Meanwhile, Lorain was already trembling slightly as she desperately tried to hold back her laughter.
As for Serene—
She had completely given up.
The ivory-haired girl was already rolling on the sofa while openly laughing without restraint.
"Hahahaha!!"
Looking at the chaotic reactions around him, Knox simply shrugged innocently.
Eventually, after the skit finally ended, Simon decided not to argue with the three of them anymore and quietly focused on eating instead.
And after the meal was over—
The four ultimately decided to join together and form a team.
A team that could easily be called the strongest among the students of the 329th batch.
After all, the group consisted of:
The duo Special Entry No.1, Knox Aznable and Simon Polentia.
Special Entry No.2, Serene Aidark.
And Special Entry No.3, Lorain Archbold.
But their terrifying lineup didn't end with merely their student identities.
Knox Aznable was a transmigrator, the Shadow Monarch, and the 8th Legion Commander.
Simon Polentia was the successor of the 7th Legion Commander.
Serene Aidark was the future successor of the Ivory Tower.
And Lorain—
Not only was she the future successor of Kizen, she was also someone capable of wielding the power of 'the Demon Realm' itself.
A gathering of monsters among monsters.
Truly—
The strongest team.