hotmtlnovel Chapter 74: Weapon (2)
Chapter 74: Weapon (2)
Chapter 74: Weapon (2)
Chapter 74: Weapon (2)
“...Starchis is a virgin?” @@@@
“...Is there a problem with that?”
She had heard it clearly with her own ears.
The voice of the woman screaming his name in ecstasy.
She had heard it through his clothes, enchanted with an eavesdropping spell.
Clothes she had gifted him, telling him to wear them when meeting his girlfriend.
If it were the naive Starchis, he would have done as she said.
He’d wear the clothes she had bought him, go on a date,
and eventually, the two would discard their clothes and explore each other’s bodies.
...Or so she had thought. But it turns out Starchis is a virgin.
“...That can’t be true. I’m sure I...”
“Hm? I’m not mistaken.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
Lily found her master’s words hard to believe.
Between what she had experienced firsthand and what someone else was telling her,
it was obvious which one she trusted more.
Seeing Lily’s doubt, her master let out a sigh.
“...Lily, your magical sight and mine are not the same.”
She began explaining slowly.
“While your ability is limited to seeing far or locating things, I can see details about a person if I wish—muscle mass, scars engraved on their body, the amount of mana, divine power, combat strength, and even something as intimate as their virginity if it’s related to magic.”
“...But...”
“Did you actually see them engaging in the act?”
Her master’s question made Lily glare at her.
“...No.”
She hadn’t seen it.
“Then?”
“...I heard it.”
Like confessing during penance, Lily felt compelled to confess her sins to her master.
“How did you hear it?”
“Through an eavesdropping spell...”
“...Haa...”
Her master shrugged.
“The more I look at you, Lily, the more I see how much we have in common—especially your tendency to use any means necessary.”
“....”
“You misunderstood. Either that boy was teasing you, or—”
“—Starchis wouldn’t do that!” Lily shouted, cutting her master off.
“...He’s not that kind of person...”
“It was just a joke. Regardless, he’s never embraced anyone before.”
Lily felt her head spin, yet an overwhelming sense of joy began to well up within her. It was as though the suffocating weight in her chest was finally being lifted.
He hadn’t been with any woman yet.
She was still the one who shared the deepest connection with him.
But Lily shook her head.
She couldn’t believe it so easily.
The prettiest apples often contained poison.
If she believed this and it turned out to be false, she feared the heartbreak it would cause.
She tried to calm herself, telling herself that her master could be wrong or might simply be testing her reaction.
“You’re just teasing me again, aren’t you, Master?”
“What?”
“You always do this—playing with me...”
“What could I possibly gain from lying about this?”
“...The fun of messing with me?”
“Ha, believe what you want, child. If you can’t trust me, then don’t.”
Her master’s indifferent response only made Lily’s heart race faster.
Could it really be true?
Could she believe it?
Had he really not crossed the line with Elza?
“...Is it true?”
“...Heh.”
“Master!”
“It’s true, Lily. Trust me.”
Her master’s reassuring words brought tears to Lily’s eyes.
She had envied Elza so much.
It wasn’t the act itself that she envied but the emotional intimacy that came with it—the connection they would have shared.
But now, she was told that wasn’t the case.
She didn’t know how or why, but the sounds she’d heard back then were not of him engaging in such acts.
“Think back carefully, Lily. Was there anything odd about the situation when you overheard it?”
Lily dredged up memories she had buried deep inside.
Memories she had tried to suppress because they were too painful to confront.
“I... I love you, Chis...! Hah...!”
She recalled the words she had heard that day.
And then, she thought of Elza again.
“Thank you, Starchis.”
“...Huh?”
They were different.
The voice she had heard back then and Elza’s tone were entirely different.
Elza always used formal speech with Starchis,
and she called him by his full name, not a nickname.
The voice... was harder to pinpoint.
The moans of an excited woman all sounded similar.
But one thing stood out—she hadn’t heard Starchis’s voice at all.
“...Haha...”
Her trust in her master’s words grew stronger.
He was still pure.
He hadn’t been sullied by another woman.
He was still untainted.
But then, curiosity crept in. Whose voice had she heard?
A woman who liked Starchis.
Lily had a good idea of most women who fancied him.
It was important to know her enemies, so she kept a close watch on any woman who approached him.
Who among them would call him “Chis”?
Elza never used that nickname.
That left only one person.
He didn’t need to learn new magic.
It was better to help him regain his previous skills than to teach him something new.
“...That’s fine. I’ll ask him about it next time.”
“Alright, that’s settled. Now, about the materials for this method.”
“Yes?”
“The materials are extraordinarily expensive.
The kind that can drastically shorten the time needed.
It might allow him to use his hands right away.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. But Lily...”
Finally, the side of her master Lily had always feared—and respected—emerged.
The master who would give up anything for magic.
The special treatment Lily had been receiving was an exception.
Normally, her master didn’t concern herself with others’ whims.
Her expression grew cold as she asked,
“What will you give me in return?”
It was abundantly clear this wasn’t a joke.
She wanted a fitting price.
This wasn’t something that could be settled with a trivial or simple reward.
“As I said, the materials are extraordinarily expensive.
Convince me why I shouldn’t use them elsewhere.”
“...”
“Of course, I came here because I was concerned about you,
but I didn’t come with the intention of offering help unconditionally.”
“...Is there something you want from me?”
Her master smiled seductively.
“Now we’re getting somewhere. Let’s see...”
Her master began circling Lily.
“...I’ll teach you the hypnosis spell and help that boy you like move his hands. In return...”
Tap.
Her master gently held Lily’s chin.
“You’ll come back to me.”
“What?”
“Come back and assist me with my research.
You’d be of great help.”
“...Was this your plan from the beginning?”
“No, Lily. I came here for the reasons stated in my letter.
I couldn’t focus on my research because your situation kept distracting me.”
“...”
“But, seeing you in person has awakened a lot of greed in me.
Your willingness to use any means necessary, your vast mana reserves...
I suddenly realized how valuable you could be to me.”
To return to her master meant leaving Starchis’ side.
That was unthinkable.
“...No.”
“Hm?”
“I don’t want to leave Starchis.”
“...Is that so?”
Lily raised her head and glared at her master.
“Master! Everything I’m doing is for Starchis.
And now you’re telling me to leave him? That’s far too cruel!”
“Hmm... Is that so?”
After a moment of contemplation, her master offered a compromise.
“Alright, let’s set a condition.”
“...I’m listening.”
“If that boy Starchis doesn’t choose you,
you’ll come to me.”
“...What?”
“If he doesn’t choose you, isn’t it meaningless anyway?
If he rejects you, dislikes you, or if he dies, you’ll come to me.
And when you do, you’ll dedicate your life to me—until my last breath. What do you think?”
Lily considered it briefly.
“...Fine. But I have one condition as well.”
“What is it?”
“You won’t approach Starchis. Don’t try to sway him against me with your words or actions.
And certainly, don’t... harm him.”
A sly smile spread across her master’s face.
“You know me so well. Alright, I accept.”
“...Good.”
Despite her unease, Lily shook her master’s hand.
Life is long.
And for a mage, it’s even longer.
She was prepared to stake everything.
She didn’t know if she could win his heart.
But even if she couldn’t, it didn’t matter.
First and foremost, she needed to heal his arm.
The arm that was injured because of her.
She was determined to fix it, even if it meant wagering her entire life.
After all, it was a life he had saved.
Returning it to him wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Especially if the life she had left was one without his love.
If, by some one-in-ten-thousand chance, she ended up with him, it would be as though magic itself had made it happen.
It was a gamble where failure meant losing a great deal, but success meant gaining even more.
If she failed to win his heart, she would heal his arm but spend the rest of her days serving her master.
If she succeeded, she would heal his arm, win Starchis, and have no reason to dedicate her life to her master.
From this moment on, she was all in.
Her master stretched her body and rose to her feet.
“Well then, let’s start with the hypnosis spell.”
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