Chapter 24: The Lioness's Den
Mia's bright smile lit up the room when Hajime arrived in the headmistress' office. Their contrasting emotions filled the room with a strange aura.
"Hello Hajime," Mia greeted happily, "Headmistress Charlotte is waiting for you."
His warm sweaty hands gripped tightly on his pants as he prepared to face off against Charlotte. Secrets had to be protected.
"Thank you, Mia. Could you tell her I'm here to see her?"
Mia nodded, "Of course."
She walked to the door behind her and knocked gently. A voice called out from within the room, "Come in."
Mia opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Hajime to enter. Before he could take a step, she blocked his path and whispered, "Good luck, you'll need it."
Hajime swallowed hard, nodded at Mia, and walked into the room. Headmistress Charlotte sat behind a large desk covered with papers. She looked busy but stopped her work to look up at Hajime. Her expression changed immediately when she saw him.
"Please sit."
Hajime closed the door behind him, walked over to a chair, and sat down. Charlotte watched him closely. Her gaze reminded Hajime of a lioness eyeing its prey. It sent shivers down his spine.
"You must be wondering why I called you here today."
"I assume it has something to do with my roommates?"
Charlotte nodded, "Indeed. There has never been so much royalty here before. Not to mention the Radiantes have left their empire for some reason. Something that hasn't happened in ages."
Hajime smiled playfully.
"Are you perhaps afraid of them?"
Charlotte raised her eyebrows and smiled back at Hajime, amused by his suggestion.
"On the contrary, I am delighted to have them here."
"So you want to take advantage of them. That's crazy."
Charlotte chuckled softly as she leaned forward. Her elbows rested upon the table, while her fingers interlaced.
"Perhaps. Wouldn't you do the same? All that power and influence."
His fingers rubbed his jaws as he contemplated the thought. "No. I like living a peaceful life without dealing with politics or manipulations."
Her lips covered in red lipstick, slowly curled upwards. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly as she eyed Hajime closely. "I don't believe that for a second."
"Trust me, Headmistress. I don't plan on becoming king or anything like that."
Charlotte hummed in acknowledgment of Hajime's statement. Then, without warning, she changed the topic abruptly.
"Have you bonded yet?"
Hajime blinked a few times. He hadn't expected such a direct question.
"Uhh... no."
Charlotte leaned back against her chair and crossed her legs. She tapped her nails against the armrests as she thought. After a short pause, she finally spoke again, "Hmm... do you have any partner in mind?"
"I take it you have one for me?", he asked as he crossed his legs over the other. Charlotte kept trying to take control of the conversation and he wanted to interrupt her flow.
Charlotte grinned mischievously. "Maybe..."
Hajime raised his brow curiously. "Really? Who?"
"Me."
"Hahahaha! Good joke! But seriously who is it?"
Charlotte stared at Hajime intently. Her gaze remained fixed upon his face for a few seconds. The only sounds were Hajime's foot jittering on the pinewood floors.
"Do you not want to bond with me?"
A fake smile appeared on his face. Her words sounded genuine. However, the status screen in front of Hajime proved otherwise.
[Charlotte Daisae,
Title: Headmistress Of Rosevale Academy, Former Aicte
Soul Age: 32
Species: Floralith (Passiflora Incarnata)
Flower Realm: Pothos (Middle)
Root Realm: Purple Stem (Middle)
Lineage: The Taste of Time,
Threat Level: Guaranteed Death in a fight]
[Once Charlotte gains control over her Lineage she'd be an indispensable ally. If she doesn't kill the host]
'That's just lovely.'
"If I were to bond with someone, I'd like to know who I'm bonding with. What kind of person are you?"
"Someone who has a lot of experience, and knowledge, which makes them perfect for teaching young students like you."
"That's not what I meant. I'm talking about values and beliefs."
Charlotte's gaze shifted to the side for a split second, but Hajime caught it. He could tell she was uncomfortable answering this question.
"I was just kidding." she snorted. "What kind of question is that? Asking about my values and beliefs? Have you forgotten who you're talking to? I'm the headmistress."
"The real reason I brought you here was to give you an assignment."
Hajime gulped nervously. He knew this day would come sooner or later, but he hoped it would've been later. Much later.
"An assignment? What kind of assignment?"
"To put it crudely. I want you to make the princesses your bitch."
"Uh can you repeat that?"
Charlotte smirked devilishly. "Make the princesses your bitches. I want them to be able to burn down their empires for you."
"Yeah, that doesn't make any sense. I mean they're royalty. I'm just some random dude. How does that work?"
"I'm sure you can think of some way. You seem to have lots of secrets."
"Are you stalking me?", he crossed his arms over his chess.
"I can smell secrets and I can smell lies. You smell like a dirty old man lying to his about their mistress.."
"Wow, that's rude and kind of creepy no?"
Charlotte's smirk widened further as she continued speaking.
"I don't think you fully understand how important this is for me. If the princesses become loyal to you, then they'll become loyal to me. And that means they'll help me achieve my goals."
Hajime scratched the back of his neck. He hated situations like this. Having to deal with something he didn't want to. Especially when he didn't even know why Charlotte needed his help.
"If I refuse?"
Charlotte narrowed her eyes dangerously. Her demeanor became cold and menacing.
"The church and Empress will know about your ability to touch floraliths without permission. Needless to say, you'll be subject to inquisition. Those that survive are either brain-dead or crippled. In your case you'll most likely end up with both." she chuckled. "After all the holy blade of faith only leaves ashes."
The corner of Hajime's mouth twitched. This wasn't good. But Charlotte wasn't done.
"If that's not enough for you." Charlotte took a piece of paper from a drawer, placed it on the table, and slid it towards Hajime. "You can read it. It's from Empress Tella."
Hajime hesitantly reached for the letter. His hand trembled ever so slightly as he picked it up. He unfolded it slowly, revealing the contents inside. His eyes scanned the document carefully. He read it multiple times, making sure he understood every word correctly.
"You're really going to use Sakura against me?"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone