Villain's Odyssey: Enslaving heroines, Conquering Villainesses
Chapter 36: Bind

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Bind

’What do you mean by Bind?’ I thought with a frown, still not understanding what exactly the entity meant when it said I possessed a [Bind] blessing.

"Where is the Dean?" The maid asked a staff member, and we were directed to a huge building. We were in the administrative block, so I had yet to see any students. It was still 11:30 am, and lunch break starts at 12:00 pm. The reason we made it here this early was because we used the teleportation zone’s relic that led straight to Elflame, and from there, we arrived in less than an hour’s time.

[It is a unique skill that binds you to another individual, and through the connection you would be able to use their ability]

’Hmm... so that means I bound to someone to get the skill that aided me in destroying the barrier...? Wait, no, what if I had someone destroy it for me... then the whole incident where I was attacking Auston was just a distraction for my accomplice to carry out the plan...? Hmm, I don’t think that’s it. Just what exactly am I in for?’ I thought, taking in a deep breath as we now stood before an ornate wooden door.

Knock knock.

"Come in," a voice was heard from within the room. The maid grabbed the brass doorknob and twisted it with practiced ease.

Creak.

We stepped into the spacious office, and I looked to the left to find a woman dressed in a dark blue suit standing by the wall, positioned right behind another woman who looked a bit older. The seated woman’s golden eyes were fixed directly on me, studying my every movement. She was dressed in an elegant black and white dress that did well to accentuate her mature figure, though her disturbingly large chest strained against the fabric. Her long white hair flowed down over her shoulders to cascade over the back of the high-backed leather chair she occupied. She held a silver pen between her teeth, her eyes squinting as she peered through wire-rimmed glasses at me—someone who had long anticipated this problematic encounter.

’Can she tell?’

[No. Well, unless she has some ability to read the soul.]

’...That doesn’t help.’ I walked forward with measured steps, the maid remaining dutifully by my side.

"You may sit," she said, gesturing to the chair across from her mahogany desk. I nodded and settled into the cushioned seat.

"Is he the one?" she turned to the maid and asked, to which the maid nodded with a crisp, "He is." The dean nodded in return before fixing her penetrating gaze on me once more.

"What’s your name, young man?" she asked after scrutinizing my appearance for what felt like a whole minute or two, her eyes cataloging every detail.

"..." To this I looked towards the maid, who instantly understood my intention and spoke on my behalf.

"He can’t remember," she said, and the woman’s expression darkened.

"What?" She looked towards the maid with surprise, then removed her glasses with deliberate slowness. In the next instant, her eyes began to glow with an intense golden light, and a strange, intricate magic circle materialized within each iris, rotating slowly with arcane symbols.

"Young man, what is your... name?" she asked once more, her voice carrying an otherworldly compulsion.

I maintained my silence for several heartbeats, then spoke with careful neutrality, "I don’t know." At this response, her frown deepened considerably.

’It seems I was right?’

[What?]

’Since the moment I formulated my plans for returning to the academy, my only concern was facing the dean, and the reason for that is this troublesome ability of hers.’

[But this is a spell, though.]

’What?’

[It’s not her natural ability.]

’Hmm, good thing I accounted for all possible outcomes, then.’

[...I see. It seems your lack of emotions is even more beneficial than I initially thought.]

’Indeed.’

"..." She remained quiet, staring at me with increasing intensity, and I felt like something was amiss.

’What’s happening?’

[She knows you are lying.]

’What?’

[She also knows you are telling the truth.]

’...How is that possible?’

[Your understanding of the effect of her spell isn’t exactly correct. She uses the spell to infiltrate a person’s mind, then directly induce commands into their thoughts. Most people fall under the trance of her words and respond as compelled.]

’I see...’

[Yes, she can’t penetrate and influence your mind since you’re basically...]

’Blank,’

"...Then give me a name. You have to be registered with something," she said with obvious frustration, leaning back in her chair.

"Asher," I said without hesitation, and she nodded curtly before looking at the woman behind her, who promptly wrote something on her leather-bound notepad.

"So, Asher, why are you here?" she asked, her golden eyes still faintly glowing as she maintained her magical probe.

I responded as I should, "To recover," though the words didn’t seem right for some reason.

’Was that not a satisfactory answer?’

[...No, it most certainly isn’t.]

"...Fine," she sighed heavily, looking thoroughly annoyed for reasons I could only guess at. "Get him everything he would need, and tell him everything he needs to know about academy life." She tilted her head toward the lady behind her, who nodded professionally and stepped forward.

"Come with me," the assistant said with businesslike efficiency, and I nodded, rising from my seat.

After we had left and the heavy door closed behind us, the office fell into contemplative silence.

....

....

"...So?" asked the woman with hazel brown hair and sharp green eyes.

"He’s strange," the dean said, removing her glasses to rub her temples. "Very strange. Tell Floyd this is the last time I’m doing him such favors."

"Don’t worry, he will hear," she said with a knowing smile as she turned and prepared to leave.

"Wait..." the dean called out, her voice carrying a warning edge.

"Yes?"

"If I notice for even a moment that he has any connection to ’them’..." she trailed off meaningfully, her golden eyes flashing with dangerous intent.

The maid nodded, understanding the unspoken threat. "Do as you please. Those are my master’s words as well."

With that, she departed, leaving the dean alone with her troubling thoughts about the young man who had just entered her academy.