Seeing that her contracted spirit was about to surrender to the enemy, Claire immediately burst into tears, the red-haired girl running in small steps toward Leon.
Now she had only one method of attack left.
"Bandit! Pervert! Lolicon! Give me back my Scarlet right now!"
"Who are you calling a child! I'm already sixteen! I'll burn you to ashes!"
Claire pounded her fists against his chest.
Leon glanced down at the little fists that couldn't possibly hurt him—in fact, they felt rather comfortable—and sighed helplessly.
Compared to the wise and cunning fire cat spirit, the red-haired girl who was its contractor was obviously immature.
A naturally foolish, arrogant girl with a sharp tongue… someone you just throw across your lap and give a proper spanking.
"This is a good chance to teach you a few principles about life."
"Eh? What are you planning to do?!"
Claire froze for a moment, and then the small hand that had been pounding helplessly against Leon's chest was seized. With a single motion, he lifted her into the air.
No matter how the redhead twisted her body or kicked her legs, she couldn't break free. Even her contracted spirit remained in Leon's arms, wearing an expression that seemed to say, Master, I can't do anything about this.
"In this world where strength rules, the weak must show proper humility and respect to the strong. Otherwise… you'll die easily."
"That hurts!!"
Leon lightly squeezed Claire's hand and simultaneously released his dragon's power, letting it wash over the girl's not-so-strong spirit at close range.
It immediately trembled in fear, no longer daring to be arrogant or talk back.
Alpha didn't stop him at all. She knew Leon wouldn't actually kill the girl, and that this was ultimately for her own good.
At first glance, this world seemed to have fair rules, but in truth, it was still ruled by the law of the jungle. This girl's venomous and violent personality didn't match her actual strength.
If she ever encountered someone truly cruel in the future… she might not be killed because of her cuteness, but she could very well suffer something far worse.
"This time, I'll teach you a lesson."
"What else are you going to do?!"
"As I said, I want you to understand the consequences of provoking someone stronger than you. You can scream all you like, but no one will come save you, even if your throat gets sore."
Leon gave her a frightening smile. He shifted his grip, caught her around the waist, and then slapped his palm.
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
Loud slaps echoed through the forest.
Leon even coated his palm with magic, and his physical strength had doubled after being blessed by two Dragon Kings.
The force behind his strikes was ten times that of an ordinary father!
As a noble daughter, Claire had never been treated so roughly. At that moment, her petite bottom became a musical instrument in someone else's hands.
...Ten minutes later...
"I-I'm sorry, I was wrong! I was too arrogant! Please, give me back Scarlet! Please!"
The once-rebellious red-haired girl was now kneeling before Leon, expressing her regret with uncharacteristic politeness.
Her bottom, hidden under her miniskirt, was completely numb by now.
Leon's expression, however, was… complicated.
He returned the cat spirit in his arms to the girl, then crouched near the lake to wash his hands.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the clear pool beside Claire.
His eye twitched, and he scrubbed his hands a little harder.
It seems you can't judge things by their surface alone.
On the outside, she was an arrogant, sharp-tongued brat with a fiery temper—and fittingly, her exclusive attribute and weapon were fire and a whip.
But at her core? She was a natural-born masochist!
She had screamed at the first spanks, but gradually her cries had turned into something else. By the end, her face was flushed with fascination.
Leon muttered, "You're as red as a teapot."
With the last strike, the water element infused his palm.
At the same time, Claire seemed to snap out of her masochistic trance, but her crimson eyes were now hollow. She looked as though this wave of humiliation had made her want to die on the spot.
Alpha, too, wore a complicated expression. They had thought she was just a cranky little wildcat, but inside she was clearly an M. She had just called Leon a pervert, yet she was the real pervert here.
Oh~ what an adorable little girl.
Turns out she was an M all along.
"Ahem… okay, let's recover now."
Claire looked at Leon with tears in her eyes, clutching her sore bottom and pouting in protest.
Leon turned his head away in embarrassment.
He felt a twinge of guilt.
Even though he had lectured her about how the weak should stay humble before the strong, deep down, he hoped this girl would eventually return to her true self.
"Ahem… so, what are you doing here?"
"I came here to purify myself and form a contract. The lake beside the ancestral hall is pure and sacred. Elemental spirits are drawn to pure and innocent girls…"
Claire forced a bitter smile as she spoke.
Can I really still be called pure and innocent after what just happened?
She feared that only by drinking the entire lake's holy water could she ever wash away the shame.
"Contract? Don't tell me your target is the Demon King's Sacred Sword?"
"How do you know!?"
Claire couldn't hide her shock when Leon said the name of her goal.
"Is that your objective too?"
"Hmm. That's right."
"How could this be…"
The redhead's eyes widened in disbelief. She had just experienced his cruelty firsthand—or rather, his strength.
And now, he had the same objective as her?
Then how could she possibly still stand a chance?
The thought made her feel so wronged that she wanted to cry.
"Haha~ In that case, I'll let you try first. If you succeed, I'll back off."
"R-Really?!"
Claire's eyes widened even more, full of disbelief.
"Of course. Consider it an apology."
Leon replied with a smile.
Of course, he had no intention of actually giving up.
Either way, this girl was bound to fail, and since he didn't know much about forming spirit contracts, it would be useful to watch someone else attempt it first.
---
End of Chapter