Tutorial Boss Meets the Female Mage

"By now, they've probably set out."

It was early morning. As I left the inn, I passed the guild under the faint sunlight of dawn. At the boundary between the noble district and the commercial district stood a building made of red bricks. It was the workshop of the exclusive mage backed by the lord's family, where magical research was conducted under the lord's permission. They were somewhat exempt from legal liability for explosions, gas leaks, or escaped test subjects. In such workshops, where all sorts of dangerous experiments took place, you could obtain hazardous magic tools not circulated in the markets.

But the most useful thing about the workshop was the ability to enchant items with magic. Mass-produced enchanted goods sold in stores all had the same standard effects, like factory stamps. But if you visited a workshop ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in person, you could request custom enchantments.

However, mages were by nature deeply immersed in their research. They rarely met anyone. To them, who poured their lives into magical studies, guests were nothing but nuisances.

Of course, there were exceptions.

Knock knock. I rapped on the firmly shut iron door.

Thud thud. I hit it harder.

There was no response, but I couldn't miss it with Eck's senses. I could hear the scratch of a pen nib on parchment inside.

Thud thud thud! "Pila Emoson. I know you're in there. Open up."

"...."

Pila had come right up to the door but hesitated on whether to open it. I eased her dilemma.

"I came on recommendation from the lord."

Click. The inner lock disengaged, and the heavy iron door creaked open.

Pink hair in disheveled long waves cascaded down past her waist. The mage, thick glasses perched on her nose bridge, stammered in her shabby robe.

"Th-the lord... why?"

"Here's the letter of introduction."

Pila blinked after reading the letter, her face screaming utter annoyance, but she carefully folded it and flung the door wide open.

"C-come in."

She welcomed me as a guest.

The moment I stepped inside, acrid smoke assaulted my nostrils. A pungent herbal stench stung my nose. Something irritated my skin. The workshop was a chaotic mess of experiment tools and scattered parchments, barely enough room to set foot.

In front of the forge at the back of the room, a woman in a robe-over-robe timidly cleared a space on the floor. She brought a chair from the inner room and set it down.

"S-sit here."

Pila the mage. In the game, she handled one pillar of the advanced enhancement system, bearing the lord's seal as his direct mage. Her abundant pink hair, overflowing with mana, gleamed vividly even in the dim workshop. Her robe couldn't hide breasts that created a thick air pocket between robe and belly, fluttering with every movement. When she bent to tidy the floor, the robe draped over her hips outlined shameless curves.

"...."

But I squeezed my eyes shut and averted my gaze.

Pila had a fatal flaw. Born with beauty rivaling Elena's, she was a named NPC who journeyed with Elena to the late game and fucked her particularly often. Pila was a woman—but a futanari with a man's dick sprouting from her.

Tch. I clicked my tongue inwardly.

It's too much, being a futanari with a body like that. Even with the debuff from her glasses dulling her looks, wandering outside she'd make plenty of men weep... and downstairs...

In the game, it was fine. Elena was the one getting fucked, after all. She was basically a super pretty guy with severe gynecomastia. Yet so defenseless. As a man, it felt off.

Thinking that way dulled Eck's lust bit by bit.

"W-wait a moment. Something's still brewing."

Pila stirred the cauldron on the forge a few times with a ladle.

Pila was the lord's direct mage. Whatever she researched got reported to him. But at this point in the game, I hadn't heard what she was working on.

"Mind if I ask what you're making?"

"Y-yes? S-some noble commissioned it. Uh... something like a potency potion."

Whoa, figures it's a porn game. Potency potions show up. Even in reality, it'd be worth researching, I guess.

No way she's testing it on herself?

Come to think of it, Pila boasted top-tier stamina in the game. If self-testing the potion led to that, it was a resounding success.

Should I snag one? Lately, I couldn't drain properly, making my mind savage, but as a man, I couldn't resist a stamina boost.

"Do ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you test the effects by drinking it yourself?"

"Y-yeah, well. People don't trust potency potions made by a woman, so... I guess I have to drink it."

"Hm..."

So that's the secret behind the stamina she poured into Elena. Stamina so potent even brothels rejected her. The kind that covered Elena's enhancement fees by fucking her all day when money was short. By the time she appeared in the game, she was on other research.

So that's the secret to that stamina.

"If I volunteer as a test subject, how much would you pay?"

"Wh-what? Eek? Really?"

Pila panicked, but her eyes sparkled behind her glasses.

"Really...? For real real?"

Pila jiggled her breasts. Her pink hair shimmered like sprinkled gold dust in the forge light.

"For real, right? You can't back out later!"

"Why confirm so much? If I say yes, it's yes."

"Everyone does that. S-says they'll drink, then runs when it's time."

Pila returned to the cauldron and scooped up a thick purple liquid with the ladle. It dripped with viscous stickiness into a bowl. A strange scent tickled my nose, and the more I inhaled, the more my lower body itched.

"Oops. It's not fully finished yet."

Pila coughed awkwardly and poured the liquid back into the cauldron.

"A-anyway, you came on Lady Lijet's introduction—what brings you here?"

I'd sought Pila for three reasons: building connections for Elena, refining materials for Elis's medicine, and gear enhancement. As a guest, I started with what was feasible.

"Can you enchant something with magic?"

"Magic? Depending on the material, enchantable spells vary wildly. Got something specific in mind?"

"Yeah. I researched ahead."

I pulled the Ogre Leather Armor from my bag. Pila's eyes widened behind her glasses.

"It has red power infused... With this, you can embed almost anything. Minimal damage too. Mana preservation this clean... Haven't seen it since leaving home."

She fondled it like a kid with a new toy. Her eyes devoured the armor.

"What spell to add? Hardening? Poison resistance? Reflection? Heat resistance? Regeneration? Name it. Snort."

Excited, she snorted, adjusting her slipping glasses that caught the forge light.

"Mental interference resistance, and hallucination resistance."

"Huh? That kind of magic? With such prime material? Why not transformation? Turn into a red ogre and wield its power temporarily."

Transforming into a red ogre to temporarily use its power. Powerful spell, makes hunting easier. But that was it. I shook my head.

"Mental block and hallucination resistance. That's what I need."

The elite monsters I targeted only appeared during the Red Moon. They drove witnesses mad with their power. To resist, you needed defenses against mental interference and hallucinations. Magic resistance covered most mana-based stuff but was too general to be effective.

"Hmm... Hallucination resistance is tricky. Expensive reagents too. Sure? Might not even use it much for the cost."

"Just do it. I'll cover materials and costs, so proceed."

I pulled out my money pouch and prepaid for the prep work. Pila counted the coins and handed the pouch back.

"Not enough?"

"N-no, plenty... Y-you said you'd be the test subject? Materials only, that's fine."

"...."

Even when fucking Elena in the game, she was like this. Gave me chills for no reason. Before pulling out material costs, I asked.

"Do I source the materials separately? Or do you have them?"

"I have them."

"Then I'll get fresh ones later. Use what you have for now."

"Now?"

"Need it for the Red Moon, so as soon as possible."

Only then did Pila seem to grasp why for mental and hallucination resistance. She fetched reagents from the shelf one by one.

"Urgh."

"This one?"

"Y-yes."

I grabbed the reagent from the high shelf she reached for on tiptoes.

"Th-thank you."

Don't blush. She's not into guys anyway. Not after fucking Elena like that.

I couldn't voice her secret and turned away.

"I'll come back tomorrow then."

"Yes. It'll be done by afternoon tomorrow."

Click. The iron door shut with a heavy scrape, echoing through the workshop.

Pila stared blankly around the workshop. Her gaze lingered on the faint dust Eck had left.

Unconsciously, she hugged her ample bosom tight with both arms.

Men were always the same. Esteemed nobles by the lord's side, honorable knights guarding ladies, adventurers or thieves prowling back alleys. They all raked her breasts and hips with sticky, disgusting gazes. She forced down the shame each time. Her stepmother's sharp, neurotic voice echoed in her ears: Only vulgar men swarm a vulgar body like yours.

Pila loathed her body, wrapping it in thick robes, growing her hair long ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to hide her face.

But Eck was different somehow. Like he was looking at something repulsive.

Never felt a gaze like that before.

Right in front of him, she'd carelessly squished her breasts together with her arms, or bent over exposing her hips' obscene outline. Each time, he grimaced and looked away. Clear disgust in his eyes.

Unlike men's gazes fantasizing how to fuck her. It thrilled her. First time experiencing that.

Eck wouldn't pounce even seeing her vulgar body. She felt certain. Among all men she'd met, he was the only dignified one. First man who made ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her feel safe.

"Ehehe. If I keep him coming as a guest, he could be my boyfriend?"

Boyfriend. Such a sweet word.

"G-get close, and maybe share essence. Then my research progresses too."

Ehehehe.

After the guest left, Pila tossed her robe onto a chair. Beneath revealed thin undergarments. A camisole strained to hold her breasts. Her panties dug deep into her crotch—nothing hung there. Just a normal woman's.

Pila hummed cheerfully and began preparing reagents for the enchantment.