Is She Really a Transcendent Being?
"Seria is a half-transcendent, half-human?"
"That's correct. It's an indisputable fact."
"Is there any chance you made a mistake?"
"Absolutely not."
Snap! Even the motion of Kimihi pushing up his glasses carried a sense of grim determination.
"You can trust the results of my magitech. Not even once have they ever been wrong!"
Kimihi emphasized the "not even once" with particular force.
"I see."
A descendant of a transcendent being. Had there ever been such a thing in history?
No. There wasn't a single record of any transcendent ever having offspring.
Yet Kimihi's results were one hundred percent accurate.
So which was it?
"A half-transcendent? No way, that can't be!"
That's when Jane cut in.
"Quiet. You're interrupting my thinking."
I pinched her lips shut between my thumb and forefinger.
"Mmph! Mmmph!"
She flailed, trying to pry my hand away, but while Jane might outclass me in magical technique as a transcendent, she couldn't match my raw strength.
She kept whimpering and struggling to escape.
Distracting.
I wouldn't get any clear thoughts like this.
"Fine, if you have something to say, spit it out."
"Pwah!"
I finally released her lips.
"A child of a transcendent? Transcendents absolutely can't have children! They were cursed after that day. You know why the rift appeared in the imperial palace right now, Minister."
"I know everything."
The great war between transcendents.
Afterward, mana rifts tore open in the imperial palace, continents vanished, and countless nations rose and fell.
Just before the laws of causality twisted completely out of shape, the gods intervened.
It's said the transcendents were afflicted with various curses.
One of them being infertility.
"But Kimihi's analysis is accurate."
"Exactly."
Kimihi's glasses glinted.
"No way. I can say this with certainty! We should just find a transcendent explorer and ask them."
"If you can tell me where they are and how to reach them, I'll consider it."
"……."
Jane fell silent, confronted by harsh reality.
"Didn't you say it messes with causality?"
"Y-Yes."
"Then it's impossible."
"Yeah……."
Jane's shoulders slumped.
"Of course, as you say, Jane, transcendents can't leave descendants. But with so many variables, it's too early to be certain."
"I acknowledge that."
"We should verify it in various ways."
I turned to Kimihi.
"Can you handle it? I heard you're in the middle of other research."
"Of course. In fact, I'm thrilled to tackle such fascinating research."
Hee hee hee. Kimihi chuckled.
"There are many kinds of transcendents. If Seria truly is a descendant, can you identify whose?"
"Not possible at the moment. However, a direct examination of the subject might reveal it."
"I see."
"Yes."
To pin down definitive results, we'd need a thorough investigation anyway.
"Good. Come to my house with us."
"It's been a while since I've visited the Minister's mansion."
"I'm already looking forward to it."
Kimihi grinned broadly as he dragged a bag nearly as big as himself with grunts of effort.
We passed through the garden and entered the mansion.
"Welcome home."
Seria bowed deeply in greeting. Her outfit was far more revealing than the other maids', blatantly accentuating her curves. Her cleavage was on full display.
"Wh-Who's that?"
She seemed flustered by the unannounced guest. Probably worried it was someone who knew her past self.
Unfortunately for her, Kimihi was a man who rarely left the academy.
He'd never even laid eyes on Seria before.
"Where's the subject?"
Kimihi was a true magitech fanatic interested only in research materials. He ignored Seria's maid outfit, tempting enough to seduce any man, focusing solely on his studies.
"Right in front of you."
"In front?"
Kimihi blinked at Seria several times.
"Ah!"
His gaze sharpened. The dull look in his eyes ignited with life.
"So you're the one the Minister asked me to research! Hmm! No mana scent at all—what's going on here?"
"No signs of training. Probably innate."
"Born with it, huh."
Kimihi nodded, scanning Seria's body.
"Fascinating. Truly fascinating."
His eyes burned with the urge to dissect her right then and there.
Seria shuddered at the blatant intensity of his stare.
"Depending on how we utilize this subject, it could change the future of human magic!"
The magitech fanatic's passion switch had flipped.
Thud!
Kimihi opened his massive bag, packed full of magical tools.
"What to use first—blood draw with a syringe, then mana stone test, followed by endurance with these straps and drugs……."
I stopped the overly excited Kimihi.
"No need for all that tedious stuff. There's a simple solution."
"Pardon?"
I wrapped my hand in mana and gripped Seria's shoulder.
"Eek!"
"Oh ho."
Kimihi's eyes widened at her reaction.
"The skin is absorbing mana. This is rare!"
He shouted in an excited, high-pitched voice.
"Simple enough. Infuse mana and check the distribution."
"Heh heh, a bit old-school, but effective. Understood."
As Kimihi nodded, Seria's expression changed.
"W-Wait, what are you planning to do?"
She looked up at me.
"Just relax and enjoy the massage."
That was all I said.
"Now, unnamed subject, let's get to it!"
Kimihi was already raring to go.
"Lie down."
"Should I take my clothes off?"
"Doesn't matter. Bare skin conducts mana better, so it's preferable if you're comfortable, but skip it if you're shy."
At his assurance she didn't have to undress, Seria obediently lay down.
"Beginning now."
Crack!
Kimihi gathered mana in his hands and began probing her body. Neither gentle nor rough—just clinical, purely for research.
"Ah!"
Seria bit her lip hard against the ticklish pleasure rippling through her entire body. It wasn't anything special—just straightforward, ordinary groping.
Why does it feel like this?
Her body started reacting with strange pleasure to the man's touch through her clothes.
Wait a second.
Suddenly overwhelmed by the sensation, she glanced at Morris, who stood nearby with arms crossed, watching impassively.
His usual emotionless gaze fixed on her and Kimihi.
Why.
Are you looking at me like that? Is this another test? To ingrain that I'm a slut who feels it from any man?
Don't make me laugh.
I won't react the way you want, Morris. She clenched her lips and steeled herself.
This was a battle between just him and her.
Hummm.
Mana rose from Morris's hand, probing every corner of Seria's body.
Seria endured the ticklish sensations assaulting her with all her might.
How much time passed? As Kimihi's massage continued from head to toe, she thought:
I can handle this.
Kimihi's touch was gentle. But far from satisfying her.
The pleasure was too mild.
I win.
Seria shot Morris a triumphant look. Whatever scheme he had bringing this scrawny guy, he couldn't break her with him.
And yet.
Not enough.
She felt an inexplicable emptiness on her skin.
Meanwhile, Morris thought:
Boring.
He was getting bored watching Kimihi cautiously examine her, afraid of damaging the subject.
He'd come to observe in case of emergencies, but this slow, dull process…….
Of course, watching Seria twitch from pleasure was amusing.
Stubbornly holding back for no reason.
She should just moan honestly.
"Hey! Stay still!"
As soon as Seria started squirming, Kimihi scolded her.
There was some entertainment value.
But.
Enough.
I approached Seria with measured steps.
"Kimihi."
"Yes?"
"Focus."
"What do you——?"
"I'll infuse mana through your body into Seria. Observe the changes directly."
"M-Minister, that could shatter the subject."
"It's fine. She can take it."
"A-Alright."
I poured my mana into Kimihi's body, coating it in multiple layers to prevent any backlash.
The mana flowed through him, reaching Seria via his hands.
The instant it did.
"Heeek!"
Seria's body jolted violently.
Her body reacted swiftly to the massive influx of mana.
My mana, channeled through Kimihi, was fully absorbed into her.
"Ooooh!"
Kimihi exclaimed at her body devouring every bit of mana.
And.
"Hngh, w-wait!"
Seria's lewd cries as every sensation of absorption converted to pleasure.
I swallowed a laugh watching it all.
As I increased the mana flow, Seria heaved even more dramatically.
"That's enough."
I stopped the infusion.
"Th-This is... incredible!"
Kimihi's eyes gleamed with excitement over his new discovery.
"I'll hear the details later. Wait outside for now."
"Understood."
Once Kimihi left, I approached Seria, who was panting heavily.
"Satisfied?"
"Hah... haah."
She was too busy regaining her composure.
"Enough energy to squirt love juices, but not to speak?"
I sat on the bed beside her.
"I... won."
"Won what?"
"That massage from the guy you brought. I didn't succumb to that weird pleasure."
Like she was clinging to her pride, she resolved herself.
"You endured it? Looking like that?"
I pointed to the fluids soaking her skirt—the result of failing to withstand the pleasure from my mana through Kimihi.
Seria flushed but said nothing.
"And besides."
Her treating Kimihi's research like my ordeal was adorable. I wanted to torment her more.
"This wasn't a trial. Just a procedure to study your body."
"Wh-what?"
"To investigate the anomalies in your body. Didn't I say that?"
I played innocent and continued. This examination was purely to confirm if she was a transcendent. No sexual intent whatsoever.
But.
"A sacred process for magical research is just... lewd entertainment for you……."
"N-No way. You're lying."
"Have I ever lied to you?"
Of course not. I always kept my word.
"I knew you'd changed, but this is quite the amusing change."
"I'm not falling for it."
Seria clung to her pride to the end.
Good. She couldn't break here.
"Think what you want. I'm done talking."
I turned to leave.
"Oh, and clean up everything you dirtied yourself."
I left those final words behind.
Kimihi waited outside.
"What did the examination show?"
"I confirmed the mana distribution. Need a bit more study, but the results are certain. Judging by the mana-absorbing constitution, mana flow, and reactions... she's definitely a half-transcendent—a descendant of an absorption-type transcendent."
"As expected."
Kimihi looked surprised at my nonchalant response.
"You knew?"
"I sought you out to confirm it."
"Hmm, interesting. Mind if I research her? If she's truly a transcendent descendant, studying her could revolutionize magitech……."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Now that we've confirmed she's likely a transcendent, further tests are too risky."
Who knows what scum might come crawling out of the woodwork if word got out.
I could handle them all, but.
It'd be a hassle.
The reason I'd called Kimihi.
His skills, sure, but more than that—
I trusted his ironclad lips, sealed against any torture.
"Can't you at least send samples like last time?"
"I'll visit sometime if the opportunity arises."
"Shame."
Kimihi sighed deeply.
"How did you manage it, though?"
"Manage what?"
"That control—infusing mana through my body into Miss Seria. One slip and it could've caused a mana rampage, killing us all."
"Technique."
"Haha, I've asked many times, but... could I study your brain, Minister? All that knowledge and skill packed in there—one examination could unlock countless possibilities for magical advancement……."
I stopped Kimihi before he went too far.
"That's enough."
"Pardon?"
"Keep your dignity, Kimihi."
"Ah, sorry, Minister."
"I'll prepare materials and samples for further research soon."
"Sigh, a pity. I'll await your generous response. Sweat, tears—saliva if possible!"
"Kimihi, exposing personal fluids is……."
"Fluids? I'm a servant of magical inquiry."
"I get it. Head to your room."
"Then I'll go settle in."
I watched Kimihi walk away, lost in thought.
The emperor had gifted me Seria.
No matter how I thought about it, he must know.
One of the people with the most information on the continent.
His intentions grew even more intriguing.
Why send her to me?
Related to those words about inflicting mortal agony...?
"Predictable."
Emperor Ryuclid gazed down at the ministers lined up in the audience chamber of the imperial palace.
They pointed fingers at each other, veins bulging in heated argument.
Siegfried of the noble faction. Solarion of the imperial faction.
Led by these two titans, the debates began and ended the same way.
Mostly Solarion's overwhelming victories.
The nobles, weakened by the recent war, had no choice but to accept reality.
The emperor found the spectacle utterly dull.
"Yawn."
Dominating others was a task for him alone.
Just one yawn from the emperor chilled the entire chamber.
"Boring."
"Your Majesty, please understand!"
All here knelt at his feet.
Even those who lorded over multitudes outside the palace were mere moths before a storm in his presence.
Weak, fragile things.
But two people.
Exactly two refused to bend their presence before him.
One was Seria, stripped of status.
The other.
Morris Dmitry.
A man he wanted to claim as his own, yet who seemed impossible to possess.
If he couldn't have him, he'd destroy him.
Like Seria now.
He'd agonized over it many times.
But wait a little longer.
It depended on what that bastard did next.
He chuckled lowly.
"Court ends here for today. The rest later."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The nobles withdrew.
"Hongryeon leader reporting to His Imperial Majesty."
A woman emerged from the shadows.
The leader of the spy Morris had planted as his agent.