The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1263 - 194 - The Start Of Conflicts Of Interests (2)

Chapter 1263: Chapter 194 - The Start Of Conflicts Of Interests (2)

Chiaki’s POV

I woke up feeling more restless than usual.

Not the kind of restless where you just toss and turn because your pillow’s too warm or you forgot to close the window. No. This was deeper. It sat under my skin, prickling at my nerves like static electricity before a storm. The air itself felt heavier and thicker, like it was pressing down on my chest in a way I couldn’t quite explain.

There was an eerie presence lingering around us. The unsettling part? I should have noticed it sooner. It wasn’t new. It had probably been there for days, maybe longer, and it was probably quietly simmering beneath everything we were doing. But today, it felt louder and sharper. Like something beneath the surface had finally started to boil.

It was the kind of feeling that made it impossible to relax. Like waiting for bad news that hasn’t arrived yet.

"Hasegawa-sensei."

Sakai-san’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked over at her and immediately noticed the faint sheen of sweat on her forehead and the way her chest rose and fell from exertion. She had just finished training.

"The knights seem busy," she said, glancing toward the courtyard. "Do you feel like something’s going on?"

Sakai-san’s intuition was honestly ridiculous. In a good way. It was almost unfair how often she was right. If intuition were a sport, she’d be undefeated.

"Yeah," I admitted after a second. "I can feel it too. The knights seem... restless."

That was putting it lightly. They were moving around more than usual, conversations hushed, with their expressions tight. It wasn’t panic, exactly, but it wasn’t calm either. It was the kind of tension that crawls along the spine.

"Do you think it has something to do with the Vice Commander getting defeated in the tournament?" she asked, lowering her voice slightly.

I paused.

I didn’t think that was it. Not really. Still, I understood why she’d think that. The whole thing had felt surreal, like a scene ripped straight out of a manga. A shocking upset. Expectations flipped upside down. If someone told me that was the root of all this unease, I wouldn’t laugh in their face.

But something told me it wasn’t that simple.

"Well," I said carefully, forcing a small, reassuring smile, "for now, I don’t think there’s much to worry about."

That was the responsible answer.

The adult answer.

The calm-and-collected answer.

The lie.

Because if I were being honest with myself, I was the most anxious one here.

After everything that had happened to us, after all the instability and unexpected turns, it would’ve been strange if I wasn’t anxious. We’d been pushed around by fate enough times already. I didn’t trust quiet periods anymore. Quiet often meant something was about to explode.

But I couldn’t let them see that.

If they started thinking the only adult here was wavering, that I was cracking under pressure... they would break. And once morale cracks, it doesn’t mend easily.

I didn’t want that.

If they were going to stay strong, then I had to be stronger.

Even if it meant swallowing my own fear.

While I was thinking that, I noticed someone approaching us from across the courtyard.

Sir Leon.

Even before I could properly make out his expression, I felt the shift in atmosphere around him. His aura wasn’t subtle. It rolled off him in waves, dense and powerful. It didn’t feel like a person walking toward us.

It felt like a storm moving in.

He had soft features, almost gentle at first glance. But his eyes were sharp, and his nose had that refined, clean line that made him look sculpted rather than born. It was unfair, honestly. If someone told me he’d been illustrated before being summoned into reality, I would’ve believed it.

He looked like he’d stepped straight out of a fantasy novel.

Then again... this was a fantasy world. So maybe that wasn’t so surprising.

He glanced at us.

And smiled.

It was such a simple thing. A small curve of his lips.

But my heart skipped.

Actually skipped.

I instinctively pressed a hand to my chest, blinking.

What was that?

Don’t tell me I’ve developed some kind of heartsickness. That would be incredibly inconvenient right now. Of all the times for my body to betray me.

He walked past us, unhurried.

Then he headed straight toward the Commander’s office.

There were no guards stationed outside the door.

He didn’t knock.

He just went in.

Sakai-san and I stared at each other for a full second.

Neither of us said anything.

***

Leon’s POV

I stepped into Lilia’s office without knocking.

She was seated behind her desk, composed as always, a teacup resting lightly between her fingers. Steam curled upward in delicate wisps, the scent faint but calming.

When she looked up and saw me, her expression shifted instantly.

Her eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing here?"

There was no greeting. Straight to the point.

"I figured I should pay you a visit after that night," I replied casually, as if we were discussing the weather.

Her jaw tightened.

For a brief second, she genuinely looked like she might lunge across the desk and bite me. There was a faint tremor in her shoulders, not from fear, but from irritation.

"You think I’m your woman?" she shot back, her voice sharp but slightly unsteady. "That I’d be easily swayed and act like a dog for you just because we did that?"

Her words were fierce.

Her face, however, was bright red.

The contrast was almost impressive.

"I am the Commander of the Magic Knight," she continued, lifting her chin. "I belong to no one. Perhaps I was confused in that moment... perhaps I didn’t understand why it happened. But I’m not confused anymore."

She set her teacup down a little harder than necessary.

"Now, unless you want me to slice your hands off, you should leave my office."

Strong words.

Very strong words.

Her bravado didn’t last.

"Nnn... mchu..."

So much for slicing my hands off.

She was kissing me now. It was fiercely, almost desperately.

Her fingers had fisted into the fabric of my clothes at some point. Her lips pressed hard against mine, and her tongue slipped in and out without hesitation.

The shift was almost comical.

From dignified Commander to this.

Her expression had softened completely. Melted, even. The rigid composure she’d been clinging to dissolved under the heat of the moment.

And yes, there it was. That unmistakable horny look in her eyes.

For someone who had just threatened violence, she was currently doing the exact opposite.

After a while, we pulled apart.

A thin strand of saliva stretched between our lips before finally snapping.

I placed my hand on the back of her head and gently guided it downward.

There was no words were needed.

She understood.

She lowered herself to her knees without argument, movements slower now, and much more deliberate. The authority she carried was nowhere to be seen in this moment.

She reached for my belt and unbuckled it carefully.

The moment she freed it, my cock sprang out, casting a shadow over her flushed face.

She gulped.

The sound was subtle, but I heard it.

Just the sight of it was enough to make her breath hitch.

She leaned forward slightly, paused for a second as if steadying herself, then took a slow sniff.

And then she wrapped her lips around it.