The Village's Shadow - 2
"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, might I make use of the library?"
"The library?"
Hidden pieces existed that could only be obtained at specific times. But that was only true of a game with limited freedom. Now that I had transmigrated into the game itself, obtaining a late-game hidden piece early wasn't impossible.
"I'll show you the way right now."
Whether it was because I had built up enough contribution with the church, Reina led me to the library without a moment's hesitation. Considering how rarely the library was opened to outsiders, it was a rather encouraging development.
All that weeding work paid off.
I was still basking in that sense of accomplishment when Reina, walking ahead of me, began tempting me with that alluring sway of her hips.
"Brother, you really are a curious one."
"Me?"
"Yes. Most people around here don't even see the point of reading books."
"I simply can't stand leaving a question unanswered. And without you nuns, I never would have even thought of reading in the first place."
"Hehe. Sharing knowledge is part of a nun's duties, after all."
When I flipped the praise back onto her, Reina's hips gave a pleased little wiggle. She really was an easy woman in every sense of the word.
Hmm. I want to smack that luscious ass.
I quickly scanned the surrounding area with a hunter's skill. The moment I confirmed no one was nearby, I brought my hand down on Reina's rear.
Slap!
"Kyaah?!"
Startled, Reina let out a girlish scream and whirled around to stare at me, her face flushed a deep crimson. Satisfied with her reaction, I lied with a perfectly straight face.
"My apologies. There was a bug on your lower back — I meant to swat it, but I put a bit too much force into it."
"A-a bug?"
"Yes. It scurried off that way."
I pointed at a bug that did not exist. Reina eyed me with suspicion at first, but the dim lighting must have made it hard to see, because she eventually sighed and offered a mild warning.
"Haa… you startled me. Next time, please say something first."
"I'll be more careful next time."
Her words sparked a particular question in my mind.
So if I give her a heads-up first, it's fine to touch her? I'll have to try that next time.
Knowing Reina's personality, even outright sexual harassment wouldn't put her off — she'd probably enjoy it. She might even be the one to tempt me into touching her more.
"Brother, we're almost at the reading room. Please maintain silence."
"I'll keep that in mind."
I had been busy plotting how to sexually harass Reina next when we arrived at the reading room. Inside, nuns sat reading in an atmosphere of absolute quiet.
What's a man doing here?
Did he take a wrong turn?
Ugh, the reading room is supposed to be under a vow of silence…
A few of the nuns startled at the sight of an outsider like me.
I can hear all of that.
Fortunately, arriving in the company of a senior nun like Reina resolved the matter without any fuss.
It should be around here somewhere.
Pretending to search for a book, I made my way to a corner of the reading room. There, wedged in a narrow gap between two shelves, I found a bundle of parchment.
Not much different from the game here, either.
One of the hidden pieces from Affairs of a Country Village — the Magic Scroll: Invisible.
It was an absurdly overpowered item that granted invisibility, though unfortunately it had a limited number of uses. True to the nature of an NTR game, it had been planted purely so the player could spy on their adulterous wife. But when combined with other hidden pieces, the story changed entirely.
Time for Ian to try his hand at being a mage.
The moment I stepped out of the reading room, Reina addressed me.
"Brother, did you find the book you were looking for?"
"Yes. Thanks to you, Sister, I was able to find it."
I answered while showing her Shadow of the Moon.
"That's quite a difficult book you've chosen."
"Is it that hard?"
"Yes. It's full of technical terms — you won't be able to read it easily. If you'd like, I can sit with you and teach you."
True to the medieval fantasy setting, most people in this world were illiterate. Fortunately, Ian had the ability to read, so I didn't actually need Reina's help. But I didn't tell her that.
Meeting often makes it easier to build affection.
I put on an apologetic expression as I replied.
"I'm sorry. I've gone and inconvenienced you over nothing more than my own curiosity."
"It's fine. Helping a brother is part of our duty as nuns. And any brother who carries the Goddess's blessing is always welcome."
"Then I'll take the liberty of imposing on you."
With a reading appointment set with Reina, I headed straight for the campsite. There, I mixed the blue herbs and green herbs I'd foraged from the forest at a ratio of 0.5 to 2 and brewed a mana potion.
◈ Understanding of pharmacology has increased.
◈ Spirit+3, Dexterity+3
The Apothecary class levels up faster than I expected, too.
Whether it was thanks to successfully crafting potions using my game knowledge, the Apothecary class was leveling up just as quickly as my other jobs.
"Ugh… bitter. Next time I should add some honey."
I downed every last drop of the mana potion I'd just made. The moment the world turned blue from mana potion overdose, I seized the opportunity and tore open the magic scroll.
Invisible
A magic incantation appeared across my body, and for a moment I turned transparent. But the mana potion overdose sent my magic power surging in reverse, and the spell collapsed into failure.
Holy shit, that hurts way more than I expected.
It felt like every organ in my body had been wrenched the wrong way. If I hadn't eaten the Giant Weed beforehand, I might well have died.
Nearly get myself killed over one hidden piece…
According to a technique from Affairs of the Returning Hero, entering a mana potion overdose state caused a temporary reverse flow of magic power. Using a designated magic scroll at that exact moment produced a curious phenomenon.
You have become a Mage (Lv: 1).
The reversed magic wasn't registered as a scroll activation — it was treated as a spell I had cast myself. That single successful cast fulfilled the condition for unlocking the Mage class.
If I can memorize the flow of that reversed magic power, I should be able to cast Invisibility on my own.
Of course, that was purely theoretical. Remembering the flow of reversed magic through that kind of agony was no easy feat. Even Wendy, the protagonist of Affairs of the Returning Hero, had only managed it by burning through her regression ability. Without a regression skill of my own, the method should have been impossible for me.
But I had high stamina and mental fortitude on my side.
"No regression? Then I'll just keep trying until I succeed."
I tore open another magic scroll. Only eight remained.
"Cough! Fuck, that hurts like hell."
I coughed up blood from the magic reverse flow midway through, but my body actually felt lighter for it. All hail the Giant Weed.
You have become a Mage (Lv: 2).
You have become a Mage (Lv: 3).
"Invisible."
With two magic scrolls left to spare, I had finally made the Invisibility spell my own.
"Fuck. Talent difference."
The type of magic was different, sure, but Wendy had managed it in three regressions. I had needed a full eight attempts.
And from what I remember, Wendy's spell was a higher-tier magic, too.
True to his nature as an NTR protagonist, Ian had no talent for magic either.
Still, all this bullshit got my Mage class to level 3.
◈ Understanding of magic has increased.
◈ Magic Power+3, Focus+3
The greatest advantage of the Mage class was the ability to raise Magic Power — a notoriously difficult stat to improve. Thanks to that, my Magic Power had reached 8.
Invisibility duration is roughly eight minutes, give or take?
There were several reasons I had learned Invisibility before any other spell, but the biggest was for the sake of an alibi.
At the very least, no one will catch me dealing with a witch.
Of course, I hadn't wasted a precious hidden piece for that alone.
John's gang should start moving soon, too.
Deep in the dead of night.
In a forest clearing a short distance from the village, four village men huddled around a campfire, hatching their schemes. A handsome young man approached them — John, the village chief's only son.
"John, you're late!"
"Sorry. Isolde took some calming down."
"If you're gonna waste time on that bitch, just marry her already."
"Why? Kaylen, you want a piece of Isolde too?"
"Obviously. There isn't a man in this village who wouldn't want to fuck that stuck-up bitch."
"Just wait a little longer. I think she'll come around soon."
"Heh heh. Looking forward to it."
John's reply drew vulgar grins from his gang. The prospect of soon having their way with Isolde — the village's greatest beauty — was more than they could contain. Watching his companions, John felt at ease. Being among his own kind was far more comfortable than putting on that fake smile for everyone else.
Then someone threw a wet blanket on the mood.
"Oh yeah. John — what's the deal with that hunter everyone's talking about?"