Chapter 14 Combat Potential Assessment

The storm had passed, but the mischief was just beginning.

Ellie had mostly calmed down, her head resting comfortably on Molly's chest. Across the room, Cedric had constructed a fortress of pillows and blankets to block any possible view of the girls' bunk.

She caught Ellie's gaze and tilted her head toward Cedric's pillow wall. Then she mimed making a sound with her mouth and pointed at him.

Ellie blinked, confused. "What?"

Molly leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Wanna mess with him?"

Ellie's eyes went wide. Then slowly, a small grin spread across her face.

"…What did you have in mind?"

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THREE MINUTES LATER

Cedric lay in his bed, his pillow fortress firmly in place. He was not listening. He was definitely not paying attention to the two girls in the bunk across from him.

Then it started.

"Ooohhh~"

A soft, breathy moan from Molly's direction.

Cedric's eyes flew open. His entire body went stiff.

"Nnnngh~ Aghhh~ Molly~" Another moan, this one from Ellie, higher pitched and breathless.

"WHAT?"

"Ah~ Ellie~ your hands are so soft~"

"Mmmm~ yours too~ I love when you touch me like that~"

"HUUUUUUUUH?! WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!? HELLO?!"

Cedric's face was the color of a ripe tomato. His hands gripped his blanket, stared at the ceiling, absolutely refusing to look.

"THIS IS NOT HAPPENING. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING. THIS IS NOT—"

"Oooh~ right there~ yes~"

"IYOOOO, CHIIIIILLLL! THEY'RE ROOMMATES! THIS IS INAPPROPRIATE! THIS IS HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE! I SHOULD SAY SOMETHING! I SHOULD—"

He couldn't move. He was frozen. Paralyzed. A statue of pure, mortified shock.

From the other bunk, Molly and Ellie were barely containing their laughter. They weren't even touching each other, they were just lying side by side, making increasingly ridiculous sounds while watching Cedric's silhouette stiffen behind his pillow wall.

"Ah~ ah~ CEDRIC~"

"SHE SAID MY NAME! WHY DID SHE SAY MY NAME?! WHY—"

"I think he's dying," Ellie whispered, muffling her giggles against Molly's shoulder.

"Not yet," Molly whispered back, her voice shaking with suppressed laughter. "Watch this."

She took a breath.

"Oh~ OH~ CEDRIC~ JOIN US~ THERE'S ROOM FOR ONE MORE~"

The sound of a body hitting the floor came from Cedric's side of the room.

Ellie lost it. She buried her face in Molly's chest, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Molly was right there with her, tears streaming down her face, both of them holding each other to keep from laughing out loud.

"Did he just—" Ellie gasped.

"Fell out of the bed? Yes. Yes, he did."

They peeked over the edge of the bunk. Cedric was on the floor, tangled in his blankets, his face so red it looked like he might actually combust. He scrambled up without looking at them, grabbed his pillow, and pointed at them with a shaking finger.

"I'M GOING TO THE COMMON ROOM! I'M STUDYING! IN THE COMMON ROOM! WHERE IT'S QUIET! AND NORMAL! AND FREE FROM... FROM THIS!"

He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

The moment the door clicked shut, Molly and Ellie collapsed into each other, howling with laughter, clutching their stomachs.

"His FACE!"

"Did you SEE him FALL?! Like a LOG! A mortified, red-faced LOG!"

"I can't. I can't believe we did that!"

"You totally helped!"

"I KNOW! I'm a horrible person!"

"ME TOO! WE'RE BOTH HORRIBLE!"

They laughed until their stomachs hurt, until the giggles finally faded into contented sighs, still curled up together in Molly's bunk.

Ellie looked up at her, eyes still wet with laughter. "…We're going to hell for that, aren't we?"

"Probably. But trust me, it's not as scary as you think."

Ellie giggled, assuming it was a joke, and snuggled back down against Molly's shoulder.

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Sunlight streamed through the curtains, painting warm stripes across the cozy dorm room. It was the picture of peaceful morning.

Molly's eyes fluttered open.

The first thing she felt was warmth. Soft, warm pressure against her chest.

The second thing she felt was wetness.

She looked down.

Ellie was face-down on Molly's chest, her cheek squished against Molly's boobs, mouth slightly open. A tiny trail of drool glistened on Molly's sleep shirt.

And Ellie was licking, in her sleep, little kitten-like licks against the fabric, accompanied by tiny, adorable "mrrp" sounds.

"...What? WHAT! Is she... is she LICKING me?! In her SLEEP?! Like a tiny, adorable, sleep-licking KITTEN?! Hey! There is no milk in there! Stop it!"

Ellie nuzzled deeper, making a happy little "nnngh" sound, her drool spreading.

"Okay. This is happening. My roommate is a sleep-licker. Noted. Do not let Ellie in your bed!"

Very carefully, very gently, Molly placed both hands on either side of Ellie's head and—POP—pulled her free from her chest like separating Velcro.

Ellie made a sleepy, disappointed whine, rolled over, and immediately latched onto Molly's pillow instead, resuming her kitten-licks against the fabric.

Molly stared at the ceiling, one hand on her forehead, breathing deeply.

"Okay. Let's assess the situation. I confessed to Leon. I survived the night. No one burst in with torches and pitchforks. No angry mob outside my door screaming 'BURN THE DEMON!' So that's... that's good. That's really good.

Leon didn't expose me. He kept my secret. He's thinking about everything, but he didn't run to the authorities or the council or whatever. So... now what?"

She glanced at the empty bed across the room. Cedric's fortress of pillows was still there, but he hadn't returned. Probably still in the common room, traumatized by last night's performance or already went to classroom.

"I guess... class. I go to class. Pretend everything is normal. See how things play out. See if he still wants to think about dating me. But before all that, I need to talk with Lilith."

-------------------

Molly pushed through the infirmary door.

"Big sis Lilith!"

The nurse looked up, a perfectly bland smile on her face. "Can I help you, student? I'm afraid I'm quite busy with—"

Molly grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the desk. "Cut the act, Big Sis. It's just you and me."

"Fine, fine. What's got you so wound up? Did the hero finally kiss you?"

Molly's face went pink. "Something even bigger happened! I told him I love him! I told Leon I'm a demon as well!"

 "You WHAT?!"

"I just... I couldn't keep lying to him! And he was being all sweet and talking about how he doesn't hate demons and I just... it came out!"

"You told the hero you're a demon. And he didn't immediately try to stab you?"

Molly shook her head. "No... well, not exactly! He said he needed to think about it! About us! He didn't freak out or reject me or anything!"

Lilith's hands came up to cup Molly's face, squeezing her cheeks.

"You little demoness! Moving FAST! That's a HUGE risk, you know that? But if he didn't reject you right away. If he said he needed to 'think about it'. That's actually really good."

She poked Molly's chest.

"But 'I need to think about it'? That means he's considering it. Imagining what it would be like to say YES! And the longer he thinks, the more he imagines, the harder it is to say no."

"SO, YOU'RE SAYING—"

"I'm saying there's a HUGE chance he'll accept your confession."

Molly squealed, grabbing Lilith's arms.

"KYAAAAAA! I was totally thinking the same thing!"

"Shh! Nurse's office!"

"Aaaa, I mean, EEP! Sorry!" Molly bounced on her heels, barely containing her excitement. "He's gonna say yes! He's GONNA say yes!"

"Great job, Molly. Now you just have to not screw it up before he gives you his answer."

 "I won't! I'll be perfect! The perfect almost-girlfriend!"

 Lilith winked. "Now go. Study. Seduce. Whatever order works best."

Molly bolted for the door, then paused, looking back.

"Thanks, Big Sis."

 "Anytime, little demon. Now shoo. I have 'nurse duties' to pretend to do."

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 CLASSROOM - LATER THAT MORNING

Molly slid into her seat beside Cedric, a spring in her step and a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Morning, desk buddy~ Sleep well? I hope the common room couch was comfortable~"

Cedric didn't look at her. Didn't acknowledge her. Didn't even twitch.

His eyes were fixed firmly forward, his posture rigid, his expression a carefully crafted mask of indifference.

"I see through you, Molly Moriana. You think you can break me with your teasing and your lewd sounds and your-your-whatever that was last night. But I have experience. Two older sisters. I know the tactics. The key is simple:

NO REACTION! Do not engage. Do not fluster. Do not give her the satisfaction. I am a fortress. I am stone. I am—"

"Ooh, ignoring me? That's a new strategy~" Molly leaned closer. "It's okay, I'm patient. I can wait. Or should I give you a little poke? Hmmm? No answer? That means a yes! Boop!"

"Stone. Be stone. Ignore her."

Before the teasing could escalate, the classroom door opened and Professor Hemsley strode in, looking unusually confident. Behind him, he carried a small velvet pouch.

"Good morning, class." He set the pouch on his desk and unrolled it, revealing a crystal ball. It sat on a polished wooden stand.

"Given the recent... discussions regarding the integrity of our admissions process, I have decided to conduct a practical demonstration that should put all doubts to rest."

He tapped the crystal.

"This is a Combat Potential Assessment Crystal. Rare. Expensive. Borrowed from the headmaster's personal collection specifically for this exercise." His eyes narrowed slightly at Cedric. "It will measure the overall combat capability of any individual who touches it. Raw power, magical affinity, physical strength, tactical potential. All calculated into a single, undeniable number."

He straightened up, scanning the room.

"Each of you will come forward, place your hand on the crystal, and receive your score. This will be recorded. And it will prove, beyond any shadow of doubt, that every student in this room earned their place. As you all know, minimum of 45 combat power is needed to pass."

Another pointed look at Cedric.

"Any questions?"

Silence. The class was buzzing with nervous energy.

Cedric's hand shot up.

"Excellent, Mister Valmont. You wish to go first?"

"I do, sir. Allow me to set the benchmark."

"Perfect. A chance to demonstrate my superiority through official, undeniable means. This will show her. This will show everyone. I am not just a student who scores well on written tests. I am a knight."

He strode to the front, ignoring Molly's amused gaze boring into his back. He placed his palm flat against the cool surface of the crystal.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the crystal began to glow. A warm, golden light that swirled and pulsed. Numbers flickered inside it, climbing rapidly.

47... 68... 82... 94...

The numbers stopped climbing at 157.

A collective gasp. That was high. Impressively high for a first-year.

Cedric removed his hand, allowing himself the smallest satisfied smile. 

"A solid number. Excellent work, Mister Valmont. Now, who's next?"

Cedric returned to his seat, carefully not looking at Molly. He could feel her gaze, could sense the teasing words building behind her smile.

He sat down, folded his hands, and stared straight ahead.

"Do not look at her. Stone. I am stone. She cannot break me."

"157, huh? Is that normal for a human? I wonder what I'd get if I used my real power. Probably, like, a lot more. But also, instant 'oh no she's a demon' alarm bells. So... maybe I'll just... aim for a bit lower score. I'll pick a number between Cedric and the next guy."

Ellie bounced up from her seat. "Ooh, can I go next?"

Hemsley nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Of course, Miss Vance. Place your hand on the crystal and let it read your potential."

Ellie pressed her small palm against the glowing orb. The crystal flickered.

 79... 106... 128... 152...

"Whoa! It's going up so fast!"

158... 159... 160...

The crystal pulsed once, brightly, and settled at 163.

A murmur ran through the classroom. She'd beaten Cedric. By six points.

Hemsley was scribbling notes, looking impressed. "Remarkable. Your written scores were excellent, Miss Vance, but this suggests combat potential. With proper training, you could be quite a knight."

Hemsley called out, "Next?"

Molly stood up, stretching dramatically.

"Ooh, ooh! Me next! I wanna see how strong this cute little first-year really is!"