The Archmage Denies the Word Spirit (2)
"Ah, I know about that... It was a truly remarkable discovery, wasn't it... By the way, this bed is so delightfully fluffy."
"You seem quite drunk, Tower Lord Irina."
"Drunk...? Me? Hehe."
Ah, when did I drink this much? It started innocently enough—just sipping tea and chatting casually—but then Leon Sodus pulled a bottle from the shelf, saying it was the perfect occasion for fine liquor...
"One bottle... two... threeee... I'm not drunk!"
What began as a light drink with one bottle had somehow filled an entire corner of the room with empties.
"Sigh, you really do seem drunk."
"I'm not! Hehe!"
A buzz like this? I could dispel it anytime. But why on earth would I want to chase away such a pleasant feeling?
"Sigh, alright then. So, what was it you were originally so curious about?"
Curious about...? Was there something like that? Oh right—I came here not to get plastered, but to win Leon Sodus's favor. What was the plan again...? My sluggish brain finally dredged it up.
"Oh yeah, the Word Spirit. There's a part I just don't quite get~"
"Well, that makes sense. The Word Spirit has aspects that are hard to parse with magic."
"Parse it? Hard...? Pfft!"
Something about young master Leon's words rubbed me the wrong way. Hard to parse with magic? Every phenomenon can be explained by the workings of mana, so nothing is truly impossible to unravel with magic. Even holy power or the Word Spirit—it's just that we haven't analyzed them yet, not that we can't. It's a matter of will, not capability.
"What's so funny?"
At his question, I confessed my brief take on the Word Spirit.
"Parsing the Word Spirit wouldn't be that hard~"
I held out my empty glass to him as I spoke.
"Oh ho, is that so?"
He refilled it to the brim and replied. I took a sip from the freshly chilled glass and continued.
"In my view, the Word Spirit is like a primitive form of magic. It's just crude and sloppy, manifesting according to will without any refined design, right?"
"The records of the Word Spirit in myths? In my honest opinion, they're just magic exaggerated with a lot of hype~"
"Hehe, by the way, this liquor is delicious. Got any more? Young master Leon?"
I knew I was rambling like a typical drunk, but I couldn't hold back. I'd always believed every phenomenon could be explained by magic.
"Then, even if I use the Word Spirit on you, Tower Lord, you'll be able to parse it magically?"
"Of course, right? Hehe."
Even in my thoroughly intoxicated state, I was confident I could detect his Word Spirit at work. So I boldly assured him.
"Use any Word Spirit you like. Go ahead."
The gem embedded in his greatsword glimmered, humming with a low-frequency vibration. Mana swirled like a vortex, awaiting the words from his mouth.
I analyzed the gathered mana, breaking it down with my eyes.
"Oh ho, an impressive amount of mana, stably converged. Now, depending on your words, young master, what phenomenon will this mana create?"
"Well, yeah."
"Fascinating, but ultimately, efficiency is what matters~ Clink. If you have this much mana, a well-designed spell could achieve twice the effect."
"Actually, the point of the Word Spirit is that it can do things impossible with magic."
"Hmph, we'll see."
"From now on, Lady Irina will perceive everything I do as a 'harmless, fun prank.'"
The terrifyingly dense mana surged toward my head, trying to scramble my thoughts.
This feels like... mind manipulation magic...
My buzz vanished in an instant. I deployed a textbook mental defense spell, but the Word Spirit—utterly alien to conventional magic—slipped through the gaps in my barriers. Like using a tuna net and missing a school of anchovies, the unblocked mana began shaking my mind.
This sensation, like my thoughts wobbling... No, I can't let it...!
"That's it."
Huh...? Something feels like it changed... but I couldn't catch it.
I'd been so sure something bad would happen, yet no change occurred. Goosebumps prickled my arms, a chill ran down my spine, and my vanished buzz left me feeling foolishly anxious.
Nothing... happened...?
That was the most plausible hypothesis. It couldn't pierce my mental defenses, so the fragmented Word Spirit couldn't twist a grand mage's mind. The malice I'd sensed? Probably just tension-induced illusion...
If I couldn't detect a change... maybe there wasn't one...?
"Do you feel any change?"
Seeing him grin expectantly, I decided to play along a bit.
"Kinda~ Feels like something's different~"
His dopey expression of confidence that his Word Spirit had worked melted away my lingering tension.
Sigh, I wasted that nice buzz for nothing.
I drained the strong remnants in my glass.
"What do you think, young master? Hehe, seems like it worked well?"
He'd kept his distance before, but now he scooted right up beside me.
"Guess I'll have to check. See how you react to my absurd actions."
As he fondled my thigh, he draped an arm over my shoulder.
Oh ho, treating me this familiar already...
If we weren't on friendly terms, it'd be gross and offensive, but now? Just friendly banter between pals, so it's fine.
"Tower Lord's thighs are so soft and squishy. Like glutinous rice cakes. Do you work out?"
Young master Leon poked my thigh playfully with his finger.
"Hey! I do plenty!"
I shoved his arm away to stop him from groping my leg. Undeterred, he casually moved his hand to my chest for more mischief. He lowered the arm around my shoulders and started kneading the soft mounds inside my robe.
"Eek, what are you doing...?"
"Massage. Massage."
"Where do they teach this kind of massage?"
Sigh, even if it's a harmless prank, isn't this a bit much? He insisted on showing a "proper" massage, exposing my breasts fully before gently massaging from my ribs upward with both hands.
"Hmm, your nipples are adorable."
"Ha, first time hearing that kind of compliment."
He groped the inner curves of my breasts, fiddling with my nipples. It was just friendly fun I could allow, but having another man touch my chest stirred strange sensations.
"Your mana pouch seems a bit lacking, no?"
"Mana pouch? What're you...?"
He grabbed my breasts with both hands and declared,
"Obviously, these tits that fit in one hand? Grow 'em bigger by tomorrow."
Sigh, what lame pun is this? A mage's breasts aren't some mana pouch. Size has nothing to do with mana capacity! If it did, mine would be bigger than my head. Lame joke, but I'd play along.
"Hehe, so... what size mana pouch does young master prefer?"
"For starters, ones that don't fit in one hand."
"Got it, got it—I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, have you confirmed if the Word Spirit worked? I've given you plenty of time."
"Huh?"
"You said you'd check my reaction to absurd actions, but you've just been doing these minor pranks..."
"Khk, haha... yeah, true."
I shifted position, standing tall before him. I wanted to hear from his own mouth that his Word Spirit had zero effect on me.
"Come on, stop groping and playing with my body without permission!"
"Heh, so my actions right now aren't the least bit weird to you, Tower Lord Irina?"
"...? What's weird about them?"
I mulled over his words and our situation, but nothing seemed off. In my tipsy state, having my breasts toyed with was just normal, right? With our rapport, it was a perfectly harmless prank between friends. No one was hurt—just light physical contact...?
Having my nipples teased and intimate parts fondled? Totally a fun, innocuous joke between buddies, yeah?
"This... this is weird? Isn't it, young master?"
I slipped my hand into his pants for some payback mischief.
"Hehe, if my chest was a 'mana pouch' and this of yours a 'mana pillar,' you'd be the grand mage~"
No staff I'd ever held was this thick. It felt like gripping a stout broom handle—barely manageable with both hands. Unlike a broom, though, it was firm yet soft, and hot.
"Oh ho, your face looks funny. My prank feels good, doesn't it? Right!?"
I'd stumbled on an unexpected way to bond faster. Leon Sodus loves this kind of play, huh?
"Hmm, so you like this kind of... ngh...!"
Mid-sentence, a moan escaped me. He'd started gently teasing the ears I'd hidden under my hat and hair.
"Oh, ears are your weak spot, Tower Lord."
"Eek, touching my ears without permission? That's a penalty!"
I squeezed the cock in my hand hard, but he just laughed, clearly enjoying my kneading touch.
He tugged at my robe, undoing the buttons and pulling down my inner clothes.
"Kyaa! What are you doing!?"
Half-naked, I squirmed.
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His hands didn't stop, trying to strip off my panties. Even as a prank... isn't this too far!?
...This is a prank... right? My head's starting to hurt.
As I winced, he halted his naughty attempt to undress me.
"Looks like this is the limit for now."
"What do you mean 'for now'!? This area's off-limits forever! For-ev-er! Obviously!"
I barely stopped Leon from crossing the prank line. Seriously—even as a joke, going for a woman's most precious spot? So mischievous.
After all the back-and-forth fun, I felt like I'd gotten quite close to Leon. Even if he'd tried that ridiculous Word Spirit nonsense on me, he seemed decent enough. We promised to meet with the other heroes next time, wrapping up our encounter.
It was a whirlwind, but a pretty enjoyable time. Guess I'm a natural at socializing too!