Chapter 73
Chapter 73
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Responsibility Without Pleasure (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Next week, I visited Isolde.
The official reason was Void's routine check-up.
The real intention was to check on Isolde's condition.
[Squeak, squeak.]
As always, Void climbed up onto Isolde's chest and licked her cheek. Isolde beamed, stroking Void's head, but the vibe was markedly different from before.
It wasn't just the atmosphere—it was her outward appearance, too.
"No glasses today."
"Yeah. My eyesight isn't that bad, actually. They were just a hassle."
Isolde had ditched her old horn-rimmed glasses, revealing her gray eyes fully.
'The original fans' dreams have finally come true.'
Throne of the Academy was a character-driven game, so there were tons of costumes for the cast. Sophia in her wild boar onesie had cult classic status, for one.
Isolde had her share of outfits, too, but the hilarious part was that no matter what you dressed her in, she never took off those glasses.
Even in a swimsuit. No-glasses faction players modded game files just to strip them off.
For purists who wanted the authentic experience, it was baffling...
'She does look pretty, though.'
Seeing her without glasses now, I could kinda get their obsession. The plain vibe was gone.
She'd even done her makeup, it seemed—standing out sharply against her drab Faculty of Magic robe, making her look more vibrant.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"Oh, no reason. You just seem... different. A whole new vibe."
"Lately... how do I put it... I've had a bit of a change of heart."
Isolde smiled brightly, petting Void's fur.
"I feel like I can finally see the world... in my own way."
"That's... great to hear."
She looked way more relaxed than before.
Otilie and my team-up must've worked wonders.
I smiled back, and Isolde shrugged, setting Void down.
Void grumbled like a kid being lifted from mom's lap, and she explained.
"This little one's body is fine otherwise. It's grown a bit more, so with some luck, it might evolve into a mid-to-low-grade spirit by month's end."
"Spirits evolve?"
"Rare, but it happens. Some have so much potential their rank shifts entirely, evolving them."
Isolde poked Void's nose. It melted into a puddle, rolling wildly across the desk like it was a bed.
The same Void that snarled bloody murder at Sophia's touch turned into a total lapdog for her.
"Its growth rate suggests evolution soon. Mana flow's surging all over the place."
"What happens when it evolves?"
"Changes form, gets stronger, needs more mana."
I frowned at her words.
"More mana... how much?"
"At least five times as much? Up to ten, worst case."
The numbers hit harder than expected. My jaw dropped.
"That'd be a huge burden on you, Isolde."
She gave an awkward smile at my question.
"My total mana pool's pretty big, so feeding it isn't the issue. It's something else."
"Something else?"
Isolde poked my chest with a finger. Her face flushed as she continued.
"Mana link. The weak one we've got works now, but as it evolves, it'll be tough to supply enough. Like trying to push a ton of water through a narrow pipe."
"So, we need to strengthen the mana link. Widen the pipe, basically."
"Exactly. If you're okay with it, Father, we could do it right now."
I pondered her suggestion briefly.
No real reason to refuse. Turning down her offer to help would be ruder.
"Sure. Let's do it."
"Great!"
Was it my imagination?
The moment I nodded, a sly glint flickered in Isolde's eyes.
*
Strengthening the mana link wasn't hard.
Not hard, but kinda embarrassing.
"Do I really have to take it off?"
"Of course. Mana resistance happens in air alone. Clothes make it worse."
I undid my priestly robe's buttons per her instructions, standing before her in just a thin undergarment.
Isolde grinned, untying her robe. A sheer slip underneath, white skin glowing through the fabric. Exposed shoulders, collarbone, curves pressing boldly against the cloth.
Far from her usual prim look—utterly vulnerable and intimate.
"Don't stare too much."
"Uh..."
Before I could protest, she pressed against me. The soft sensation hit harder than last time, skin to skin...
"Ngh."
A soft moan escaped her. Then her mana flowed into me—thicker, stickier than before.
Isolde's mana coursed through my veins, tickling everywhere. Like invisible fingers probing inside me.
'...Lord have mercy.'
I silently recited a hymn.
First time praying since coming to this world.
My heartbeat thrummed like drum accompaniment. Hers or mine? Couldn't tell, bodies pressed so close.
Time passed. The tickling mana in every corner faded. She pulled away, looking a touch regretful.
"There... mana link's stronger now. Cleaned your internal mana circuits while we were at it."
Felt refreshed, for sure.
The lingering foreign mana inside? Unavoidable, given the setup.
"No more worries about mana supply?"
"Not for now. But if it evolves... might need another boost."
A chill ran down my spine.
"Just to be safe... how would the next strengthening go?"
I asked while redressing. Isolde looked up with damp eyes, then averted her gaze. Her red lips murmured softly.
"...That's a secret."
"Right."
All I could do was pray Void never hit final evolution.
*
The evolution Isolde predicted hit exactly one week later.
I'd just finished morning mass, prepping lunch for Sophia—and dog food for Void.
[Squeak.]
A squeak echoed from the chapel loft.
Then a thud, like something heavy dropping.
This rickety wooden dump's finally collapsing, I thought.
That notion lasted a second.
"What the...?"
Frowning, I climbed the loft stairs.
Thick mist filled the space.
Parting it, I spotted a small figure.
"...You Void?"
No answer.
But the familiar aura confirmed it: this was Void, evolved into a mid-grade spirit.
Especially since...
"...You're no bear spirit. Why turn human all of a sudden...?"
Void was a little girl now.
No ginseng or garlic—just mana, and boom, human form.
The problem?
"Huh..."
She looked way too familiar.
"Isolde...?"
No glasses, sure.
But gray eyes, dark brown hair.
Delicate features and face shape not hidden by baby fat.
Ten years younger Isolde, plain as day.
"What now...?"
Not incomprehensible.
Void fed off Isolde's mana. Formless spirit, true to its fierce name. Like in Act 5 of the original, its form shifts by mana source.
Fur had turned Isolde's dark brown lately, too.
So her mimicking young Isolde? Logical step.
Logic aside, acceptance was another story.
"Any other forms? Boy? Or back to puppy?"
Void tilted her head.
Gray eyes stared innocently up at me.
"Can't talk yet, huh."
Seemed to understand, but no speech. Vocal cords underdeveloped, maybe.
Whatever. Not a mage, no time to deep-dive spirit biology.
——Thud, thud.
Familiar footsteps outside the chapel.
One visitor at lunch hour.
And she hated Void.
"Sophia..."
Sophia Veronica Aquilova was here.
"...Void, could you pretty please turn back into a dog?"
She shook her head no.
"...Damn."
This was a nightmare.