Seria's Transformation Magic (1)
I nearly caused a huge disaster. Just from Emir's light touch, my body reacted. I barely suppressed the sensation of my lower half stiffening.
You have no idea how hard it was to forcibly wrap mana around it and hold it down. Especially when my whole body was drenched in sweat, making even my underwear visible. I wondered if I could even endure it.
I mustered every ounce of patience to keep my eyes from wandering. That's when I noticed Seria putting on a clumsy act. What should I call it? The way her jealousy toward Emir was so obvious and cute? Or maybe the way she pretended not to care that was even cuter?
The moment Seria, who had been feigning nonchalance, finally lost her composure, I couldn't help but laugh. At the same time, my mind settled. A sense of peace washed over me.
So when I grabbed Seria, I looked at her without hiding my expression. For a brief moment, I wasn't Morris—I was Choi Yoo-jun looking at her. It had been so long since I'd smiled honestly that it felt awkward.
Seria's eyes widened as she stared at me.
Who would believe this is the haughty lady of the Siegfried family?
I grinned to reassure her. If I left her like this, her jealousy might lead to something even bigger.
"Even if you're jealous, hold it in. I'll teach you the magic you need to master soon enough."
"Ah......"
Seria looked up at me with dazed eyes. I steadied her and handed the water bottle I'd conjured with magic to Emir.
"Do you get it now?"
"Yes. This should be enough."
"You should review it once more. Your sword is still unstable."
"Got it."
Emir clenched her fist and drank the water, wiping away her sweat. I did my best not to look at her. To forget my turmoil, I recalled Seria's comical tumble earlier. Her ridiculous sight lightened my heart considerably.
"And from now on......"
"Yes."
Emir, having finished her water, met my eyes.
"Dress a bit more securely. There's nowhere safe to look."
"Are you seeing me as a woman, by any chance?"
"......"
Was she trying to provoke me? Maybe her confidence came from making me conscious of her. Emir said something she wouldn't normally dare.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Aren't I your disciple? And you're my master."
"That's true."
From the moment I promised to teach her the sword, I became her master. It seemed like an attempt to rile me up, but it was the wrong choice.
"As your master, I'm making sure my disciple doesn't stray down the wrong path."
"What would that wrong path be?"
"Something like falling in love with your master."
I shrugged after finishing my words.
"That's too much of a joke."
Her words were firm, but her expression wasn't. Her facial muscles twitched as if she had something to say.
"That's it for today. Training's over. You're soaked—want to wash up before you go?"
"......"
Emir pondered deeply, analyzing the implication behind Morris's offer to wash up.
What does he mean? Just telling me to clean up?
Maybe he's advancing things on the first lesson?
No way. He's the one who's rejected me all this time.
But he's not oblivious to what 'wash up' implies......
All sorts of delusions swirled in her head. Emir was more interested in the feast than the sacrifice itself. If Morris knew her thoughts, he'd have sent her packing immediately.
"You weren't planning to head back to the mansion like that, were you?"
"......Pardon?"
"Whether you came by carriage or horse, going out like this means every citizen on the street will see you in that state. I can't just let you leave like that."
"Ah, right...... yeah?"
Disappointment laced Emir's voice. Morris's words crushed the expectations that had just been building.
"Were you hoping I'd treat you like a woman, by any chance?"
"Pardon?"
"Didn't you just say not to treat you like one?"
"Ah......"
Emir realized too late that Morris had been teasing her, and her face flushed red. The words she'd blurted out in her intoxication over making him flustered had boomeranged right back.
"That's too much."
"Hurry and wash up. Or rumors will spread that the Dmitry family didn't properly host the lady of Solarion."
I turned to Seria, who was watching the scene.
"Take care of the Solarion lady's bath as well."
"Understood."
Was it my imagination, or did Seria's lips curve up as she bowed her head?
"Hm."
While Seria went to help Emir bathe, I pondered—and pondered again—the magic I'd assign to her. What spell should I give her so she'd struggle with it but still pass the test?
Can she pass the exam?
When Seria said she wanted to learn magic herself, I agonized over it many times. Was teaching her magic the right choice?
If she can control mana on her own.
If she could avoid rampaging, she'd become my greatest asset. Half-transcendent, after all. With Lilith the succubus's genes, she'd be the perfect ally.
Still, what worried me was:
Even then, will Seria obey my commands?
If she refused my orders, how would I control her?
At that moment, Seria opened the door and entered.
"I've finished bathing the Solarion lady. Shall I escort her out now?"
Seeing her bow quietly, I felt a different kind of excitement than what I'd sensed from Emir earlier. Just looking at her calmed my mood instantly.
It was the same before.
When Emir's body unwittingly aroused me, seeing Seria quelled my desire. It wasn't just the succubus's enchanting scent.
My mana reserves weren't so shallow that I'd fall for the enchanting scent and pounce. If it had activated fully, my boiling lust would have erupted.
No way.
Was Seria unconsciously controlling her aura without realizing it? I recalled the curse mark I'd carved on her navel.
"Seria, lift your skirt and show me."
"Pardon?"
"I said lift your skirt."
"R-right now?"
Seria was visibly flustered by the sudden request, but she didn't seem entirely unwilling.
"Master's being naughty. The sun's still up, and the Solarion lady's here."
There was a hint of triumph in her voice. After a moment of shyness, Seria cautiously lifted her skirt.
Black string panties came into view, along with her well-defined abs and cute innie navel. But what should have been there was gone.
The curse mark I'd inscribed below her navel had vanished, as if she'd healed it herself.
"Wh-why are you just staring?"
Seria twisted her body, looking at me. Her eyes beckoned as if she could take whatever I did to her right then. It was pure seduction.
"No. That's enough—lower your skirt."
"......For real?"
"Yes. Did you think I'd lust after a woman's body at this hour?"
"Well, no, but......"
"That's quite a shock. I thought I'd been quite gentlemanly."
I sighed.
"But why did you have me lift my skirt?"
Seria, who had lowered it without complaint, finally asked.
"I needed to check something."
"Oh?"
Maybe because nothing happened, Seria pouted at me.
"Don't be mad. Thanks to that, my thoughts are sorted."
"What thoughts?"
"I've decided on the magic you need to show me."
"Really?!"
Now the hard part begins, yet she seemed thrilled.
"Yes."
"What magic?"
"Transformation magic. Specifically......"
I paused, then continued while looking at her.
"Transformation magic."
"......Transformation?"
"Transform into a form that can seduce me at once."
"That's it?"
"Yes. It doesn't matter what you turn into. If you seduce me in that form, I'll teach you the spell."
"For real?"
"Of course, whether you can grasp transformation magic properly is......"
"I'll do it! I can do it!"
"Are you sure?"
"Of course!"
She didn't grasp the difficulty, but that was fine. If she couldn't pull it off, it just meant she had no talent.
But the curse mark vanishing.
It meant the half-transcendent body of Seria was starting to activate. The curse mark was a succubus specialty tied to illusions and pleasure, so its disappearance was natural.
"Here's a reference book."
I handed her the transformation magic book I'd acquired from Lilith's dungeon.
"Read this once. I'll see the Solarion lady off."
"Got it."
"Then wait for me."
"Believe in me!"
Leaving the enthusiastic Seria behind, I headed to the lobby to see Emir off. She was waiting in pristine condition, changed into spare clothes she'd brought.
"Today's lesson was enlightening."
"We'll continue training here every other day. Remember, when learning from me, my word is absolute."
"Understood."
"You did well today. Truly."
I meant it sincerely. Emir was more passionate than any knight I'd seen. A knight with a bright future who also worked hard—she'd surpass them all.
I saw Emir off and returned inside the mansion.
That's when it happened.
BOOM!
"Kyaaahhh!!"
A loud noise erupted from the drawing room, followed by Seria's scream.
"Seria!"
I rushed to the drawing room in a panic. What happened? It was a massive explosion. Did she mess up trying the magic? Maybe her partial awakening was my misconception.
If something happened to Seria......
That can't happen.
Regretting my hasty decision, I sprinted at full speed. No further explosions followed.
"Seria! Are you okay?!"
BANG!
I flung open the drawing room door, shouting. I'd circulated mana throughout my body in case of danger.
"S-sob, Master......"
Seria stood by the desk in the drawing room, her face tear-streaked. A thick enchanting scent filled the air around her.
Had she botched the spell by forcing it? I urgently checked her body—no visible injuries.
"Are you al......?"
Confirming tears in her eyes, I looked closer. Amid her platinum blonde hair were pointed black cat ears. And sprouting from her rear was a black tail.
"Master, this is weird-nyang. It won't go away-nyang."
Seria had transformed into a catgirl beastkin.