Stealing the Body Swap Potion
After pouring out that torrent of emotions, the fog-shrouded haze in my mind cleared a little, leaving me somewhat refreshed. I had no idea how many times I'd cried today. Twice? Three times? But did the count even matter? What truly counted wasn't the outcome, but the journey there. There were far too many agonizing events that had wrung tears from me, yet none of them had been forced upon me. No unavoidable circumstances had driven them. They were all my choices. Fellatio? I chose it. Pushing all the way to the edge of sex? That was my will too. Nowhere was there a trace of anyone coercing or meddling. I couldn't make excuses for any of it. I couldn't flee. I couldn't look away, play dumb, or pretend it never happened.
Next time, I'd probably take it more easily. The first time is always the hardest with anything. The second is shockingly simple. If someone ordered fellatio or demanded sex, I might consent with ridiculous ease. Tucked away in a corner of my mind were memory fragments I couldn't hide no matter how I tried. Every time I faced a similar situation again, they'd unconsciously seep into my thoughts. 'I've done it before, and it wasn't such a big deal. So this time will be easy too.' Even without meaning to, my mind would drift that way. Was this what they meant by "the thief who learns late fears more"? Was there really such a thing as a lunatic who conditioned themselves? But that was me. I was stripping away, one by one, the protective shells around my identity and morals.
Once I'd calmed down a bit, I gathered my clothes and dressed. My throat felt raw, and my voice came out hoarse and ragged.
"Um... I'll be going now."
"...Are you really okay?"
"Yeah... I must've drunk too much."
I forced a weary smile, trying to act fine. Right after that bout of dry heaving, I'd babbled incoherently to Cain, explaining my state in a jumbled mess. My stomach hurt, my head throbbed, I was scared it might actually hurt once we got to it—rambling excuses spilling out in no order. Fortunately, he seemed to understand in his own way. Or maybe he'd just given up trying. Slaves weren't like blue-blooded nobles with their flowing veins of privilege; maybe he figured our thought processes were just different.
"Cain... do I seem crazy to you?"
"...Has anyone ever said something like that to Terria?"
"No, but... even to me, I don't feel right in the head."
Cain smiled at me gently, like he was looking at a child.
"Well, anyone can lose it like that sometimes. Getting swept up in a moment's impulse is common enough. Especially when you're drunk—who wouldn't? Don't worry about it. Go home and get some proper rest."
He had every reason to be angry, every right to snap, but his voice stayed soft and soothing. His attitude made me hope that next time we met, he'd treat me like nothing had happened. I'd been the one to hurt him, so was it okay to harbor such a selfish expectation?
Cain gently stroked my hair. Unlike my ravaged spirit, the golden strands still gleamed with luster.
"You need to treasure your body more. It's yours—who else will look after it if not you? So next time, think it through more carefully before deciding."
"Yeah... thank you..."
He was right. It was a truth I'd been desperately avoiding. I didn't want to admit it, but until I could switch back, this was my body. This was the body that saw, heard, felt, and experienced everything. It was this body that hurt when injured, welled up with tears when sad, growled with hunger and sleepiness, and smiled when happy—not my original one. No matter how much I denied it, nothing changed. Whether I planned to return later or not, right now, this was my body. So I shouldn't have treated it so carelessly. I should have cherished it more.
I couldn't bring myself to meet Cain's eyes. I just hung my head and fled the room like a coward.
The corridor was silent now that dawn had broken and the drunks had cleared out. The only sound was the dull thud of lifeless footsteps as an empty-faced woman descended the stairs. Where was that handful of warmth I'd craved? Was even that too greedy? Did I have to keep living like this forever?
Room 306. I dragged my heavy feet toward Terria's room. I didn't want to go in, but I had nowhere else. Where else could I possibly go? In the old days, I could've commandeered a subordinate mage's room, but in this state? Fat chance.
I eased the door shut slowly, careful not to let even a speck of dust stir. In the pitch-black room, only the occasional snore from him broke the silence.
I'm exhausted. I just wanted to collapse and sleep without a thought. But as I headed to the bed without even changing, my eyes caught Terria's coat hanging on the rack. He kept his small items in there. The coat pockets were enchanted with sub-space magic, able to hold far more than they looked.
I approached with a faint hope. 'Did he just stuff the leftover potion from his lecture in the pocket?'
There were three vials of potion. I'd drunk one, and he'd probably used another for the lecture—not feeding it to anyone, but extracting components to demonstrate or something. That left one.
I racked my brain. After the lecture ended, we went to the banquet, and up until I sucked his dick, I never saw him open his bag. Right before I left for Cain's room, Terria had been lying on the bed, getting ready to sleep. If he'd passed out like that, the potion would still be in his coat.
I crept forward, heart pounding like when I'd sneak money from my parents' wallet as a kid. I glanced at Terria. He seemed deeply asleep, no sign of stirring.
'What if he wakes up?'
Let's weigh the odds. Terria had never drunk as much as he did today since the swap. He was out cold—probably wouldn't wake even if I screamed in his ear. He couldn't use magic, so no security spells on the coat. Like confirmation bias, I only recalled reasons it wouldn't get me caught.
'Even if I get busted now, what does it matter?' Things couldn't get worse. Nothing left to lose, but success meant everything. No reason not to.
The body swap potion vial wasn't large—just a bit bigger than my thumb. I carefully rummaged through the inner pocket.
The potion was colorless, odorless, transparent. With eyes adjusted to the dark, relying on moonlight through the window, I examined the vials inside.
This one is...
Then I spotted a transparent vial. I took it to the window and read the label.
Perverted bastard. It felt so filthy touching it that I nearly dropped the vial, but I held on.
I crept back and slipped it into my pocket, then rummaged longer until I found another transparent one.
This was it! Stupid idiot. Had his guard slipped after just one week? Or was this some trick of his? I uncapped it and sniffed—no odor. No other transparent vials in the pocket. This had to be it.
I let out a silent cheer. Then I pulled an identical vial from my bag, filled it with water, labeled it Body Swap, and tucked it into his coat pocket.
"Mm... Ariel..."
!?!
Terria's voice suddenly rang out. I clapped a hand over my mouth, startled. My heart hammered wildly. I couldn't even turn my head—just froze, body rigid. Adrenaline surged, cold sweat pouring from my brow nonstop. I worried my tail, shaking on its own, might wake him. I'd cut it off if I could. Even staking my life against foes with meager magic skill hadn't tensed me this much.
After what felt like minutes, his snores resumed. Only then did I slowly turn to check the bed. He was still asleep. Wait, had his position shifted slightly? Looking closer, it was just my imagination.
Haa...
I'd thought getting caught wouldn't matter, but when it seemed real, I'd panicked anyway. I let out a self-mocking chuckle.
I crept to the bed and lay down carefully. Clutching the vial like the world's most precious treasure, my sweat-soaked hands gripped it tight. Without even washing up, I lay there thinking.
The last remaining potion. Remaking it would take at least six months, if I could even succeed. Terria would never allow it. Sad. It was my lab—why did I need his permission...? Focus. First, make a plan.
Made with the blood from Terria's—now my—body, he had to drink it. It'd do nothing for me. How to make him ingest it? Ideally, exactly the way I'd been tricked.