Morning Erections Are Just a Physiological Phenomenon, Aren't They?
I did my absolute best to treat Cecilia. First, I checked her condition. Her severed tongue, eyes burned inside out by magic, and ruptured eardrums. Restoring all of that to normal would take quite some time. As I told Emily, at least three months. And this was the most crucial first treatment.
Regenerating severed areas was undoubtedly a tricky and difficult procedure, but not impossible. The reason the priests had declared Cecilia untreatable was because this world's priests had such simplistic, brute-force healing methods. Pouring holy power into the wound. That was it. If Cecilia's injuries could be fixed just by dumping holy power on them, the emperor wouldn't have come to me.
But this was surgery to revive and transplant regenerative cells. Even among mages, very few could perform such delicate work. I mobilized every ounce of mana in my body, plus the thick mana from the mana stones embedded in this room.
Recovery. I pushed the regeneration spell to its limits. My goal was singular: create regenerative cells right now at Cecilia's damaged sites. The artificial cells, forged by magic and bathed in dense mana in this recovery chamber, would grow rapidly and become her new organs.
As I summoned my mana, the mana stones resonated. Whoooong. Mana rose from my body like smoke, touching Cecilia's form.
Hmm. She flinched at the unfamiliar touch of the mana but soon relaxed, sensing the comfort.
The Recovery incantation softly enveloped her wounds. Regenerative cells began forming at the injured spots. Now, I had to engrave spells on her to accelerate those cells' growth.
I drew a magic circle in the air, smaller than my palm. A mana-composed circle floated lightly. One to aid regeneration recovery. Another to promote cell growth. Even ones to alleviate the various pains from cell expansion.
Eyes closed, I focused on inscribing the circles. How many hours passed?
Ziiing. Mana circles spread around Cecilia in all directions—intricately etched, visible only to the mana-sensitive.
Sweat poured from my body. Confirming the cells had taken root safely, I wiped the sweat from my brow.
Whew. The hardest part was done. Anchoring the cells and inscribing the recovery circles had taken eight hours.
Now, just wait. The tough steps were over. All that remained was verifying if Cecilia's wounds regenerated properly and if the circles continuously healed her. I couldn't leave the room during treatment, though.
Better than being locked in the imperial palace dungeon. I'd have Seria attend me in the meantime.
"Is Cecilia all right?" Seria asked from the recovery chamber's entrance, where she'd been waiting.
"She'll be fine. We've passed the dangerous hurdle safely."
"Really? Thank goodness."
Seria patted her chest in relief.
"That woman was your former rival. Doesn't it bother you that I'm helping her?"
"Why would it bother me? We're not fighting over a lover anymore."
"Is that so?"
Her feelings for the emperor must have completely faded. Seria's eyes sparkled brightly.
"Cecilia's so pitiful. To live after suffering like that at the emperor's hands... If I'd married that man, I'd be the one lying there, wouldn't I?"
"That wouldn't have happened."
Unlike the heroine, Seria had the massive backing of Duke Siegfried. Even the emperor wouldn't have touched her lightly. Of course, I couldn't guarantee she'd have emerged unscathed.
"Worried about your former rival?"
"I'm not worried about Cecilia."
"Then?"
"If something happens to her, you'd get hurt, Master. Oh, and this isn't because I'm worried about what might happen to me if you get hurt."
Seria's voice was gentler than ever. Where had the old villainess gone? She even wore the expression of an ordinary noble lady now.
Maybe that's why. Without thinking, I stroked her head.
Seria startled and looked up at me. Surprised myself, I quickly pulled my hand away.
Ahem. "Don't worry. Neither you nor I will get hurt because of this woman."
"As expected... Right?"
"Of course. I'm a far greater mage than you imagine."
"I-I already knew that."
Seria averted her eyes, turning her head. Her haughty demeanor made me smile unwittingly.
As I'd just said, there'd be no issues with Cecilia's future treatments. The only potential problem was the emperor. What he'd make Cecilia do when he visited. If he ordered her trained like Seria...
I couldn't send in a substitute like Lilith. The emperor would notice for sure.
Troublesome. I needed a plan.
Emily scanned the nobles bickering in the meeting hall. Heavyweights from the noble faction, each holding a seat, were yelling with veins bulging in their necks.
"Are you lot looking down on us? We've been acting for the empire's safety from the start. What were you doing while the emperor rampaged? Hiding like cowards, just watching!"
But the neutral faction nobles weren't backing down.
"The empire's safety? Safety just for those following the noble faction! Where's your proof you acted for the empire? You were all too busy grabbing your own shares!"
The neutrals, long ignored, glared at the nobles with no fondness.
"Without Duke Siegfried, you're nothing."
"What? You half-baked nobodies?"
"Fat pigs bloated on pork bellies, spouting off!"
Ronald looked distressed amid it all.
"Everyone, please hear me out..."
Emily clicked her tongue at him. Smart and good at rallying people, but he couldn't wrangle those of higher status. Was that the limit of nobility?
Guess I have to step in.
With a sigh, Emily inserted herself.
"Everyone, quiet."
But the insults flew unabated.
"QUIET DOWN!!"
Bam! Emily slammed the table, shouting. Her intensity silenced the glaring, shouting nobles, all turning to her.
"......"
The room fell silent.
"Thanks, everyone. Now focus on me."
Emily smiled brightly.
"Why'd you let this woman in? Even if she's the empire's top merchant guild master, she has no title!" Marquis Mangrev, leading the nobles without Siegfried, bellowed.
"But she holds the greatest wealth here."
Emily kept smiling. Owner of the Gold Guild, handling nearly half the empire's logistics—magic items, weapons, clothes, everything.
Ahem.
Even interim noble leader Mangrev couldn't deny it.
"Fighting like this before the unification meeting even starts? The emperor must love it."
"......"
They'd gathered to ally the shaky nobles with the unrooted neutrals. Ronald and Emily had arranged it—a proposal the attack-prone nobles couldn't refuse. Yet they clashed over pride.
Classic nobles, blind to front and back. At least Duke Siegfried knew what profited him.
Emily swallowed a sigh and spoke.
"Straight to the point. We'll form a new noble faction. Centered on me and Count Ronald."
No need for preamble; all knew why they were here.
"You think that's feasible? We have interim leader Marquis Mangrev, and Count Lavolle basing from the capital. How can a neutral like Count Ronald lead?"
A noble asked. Mangrev nodded; most nobles looked unconvinced.
"You're all fine candidates. But each has a weakness. Marquis Mangrev, mighty in the west but precarious in central politics. Count Lavolle, strong centrally but lacking to lead the vast noble faction."
The top candidates were relatively weak.
"Can you two gain the upper hand politically against Duke Solarion?"
"......"
Silence. They lacked confidence even against the emperor's right hand, let alone the emperor. Siegfried led because he could handle Solarion alone.
Urgh.
"But Count Ronald can."
"How? What does that man have?"
"House Ronald was once a founding merit house of the empire. Pushed out of politics now, but no family matches their legitimacy. Never betrayed the empire once."
"......And you'll fund Emily?"
"Naturally. With the empire's top legitimacy and funds, we match Siegfried. Even Solarion."
No one could refute.
"So you two lead the nobles?"
"Yes. No plans to oust anyone. We just want to carry on the noble faction's power as is."
"Taking Duke Siegfried's position?" Marquis Mangrev asked.
"Yes. No one wants the faction to crumble like this."
"I see."
They'd already clashed big with the imperial faction. They raised voices to keep control, but options were slim. If they'd knelt at the emperor's ascension, he'd have accepted—nobles were solid, still threatening. But with Siegfried secluded, too late. The emperor wanted war; signs showed.
The cores bowing first wouldn't be spared. All knew his cruelty, his willingness for any act toward his goals.
"Emily, you're pushing because you don't want the emperor's overwhelming power?"
"Close. We need checks on him. More dominance, and the empire crumbles."
"On that, we agree."
Mangrev nodded.
"But you overlook one thing."
"What?"
"Siegfried led not just for countering Solarion, but his two Swordmasters. How to fill that power gap?"
Emily smiled.
"Don't worry. I can bring someone stronger than those two."
"Can we trust that? It means we stake everything."
"Staying put dooms the nobles. You know."
"Fine. Suppose we reform under you. How to check the emperor? You skip daily council meetings."
"Simple. If no seat, make one."
Emily grinned.
Did overusing mana yesterday catch up? I only woke after the sun was high.
Something feels off? I looked down at the unfamiliar sensation below.
Seria had my cock in her mouth.
Phuha. "G-good morning, Master."
Meeting my eyes, she pulled off, flustered.
"What are you doing?"
"W-well, I came to wake you, but it was hard, so I thought you were pent up and... tried to help..."
Misread morning wood as buildup?
"That's physiological for any man. Not buildup."
"I-is it? I didn't know..."
Shed only been trained, never serviced a man. Makes sense. Morning fellatio just because it was erect?
She's changed a lot.
I faced her. Shyly avoiding my gaze, she exuded strange allure.
"S-sorry. I-I'll go. Showing such an embarrassing sight first thing..."
"Wait." I grabbed her wrist.
"You caused this and now run?"
"But... you said it's physiological..."
"It was. But after your stimulation, it won't go down easily."
The lust her actions uncovered surged.
"You'll take responsibility, right?"
Seria trembled.
Ah. A moan of ecstasy. Hearts shone in her eyes.
I formed two shackles with mana. Slapped hasty ones on her wrists, linking to arms and legs.
Left arm to left leg. Right to right.
"M-Master?"
Arms and legs spread, every shame exposed.
"You stimulated me, so you'll resolve it."