Lucia's Mana Road (2)
It was clear proof that Lucia was aroused right now.
Startled, Lucia nearly covered her breasts on instinct, but she lowered her raised hand upon seeing the count's calm gaze.
It was a sight that would draw any man's eyes unconsciously, yet Yulian remained as composed as ever.
"Then let's begin projecting the Mana Roads lightly, starting from the upper body."
Lucia's flushed face nodded. Finally, Yulian's palms cupped her breasts.
"Ah?!"
Her body was already too heated. Just the touch of his hands alone made her let out a sharp, unintended moan.
"There's no need to tense up so much. If I were a skilled healer, I could have projected the Mana Roads just by holding your hand without this physical contact. I'm sorry, Lucia."
"N-no... not at all, Count Yulian! This is for my sake, so I'm perfectly fine with it!"
Lucia shouted as if to brush off her earlier embarrassing sound.
Yulian had decided to teach her the new cultivation method he was developing.
The Mana cultivation technique she'd learned in the back alleys had hit its limit, stalling her inner energy growth and Mana Heart rank.
Incredibly, Count Yulian seemed to have sensed her troubles and made the offer.
He would pass on this new cultivation method to her.
It was like rain falling at the end of a drought—like him extending a hand at her most crucial moment.
A woman like me... even as a fellow Pantheon student, there's no reason for him to treat me this well... As expected, Count Yulian is so generous.
She couldn't just accept such a precious cultivation method for free. And conveniently, her body could help him develop it.
This physical contact was part of that process. So she couldn't get aroused like before for no reason.
He said he'd have to project all the Mana Roads in my body... so there'll be even more physical contact than this.
That way, the divine power of Medica—the god of medicine—that Yulian was creating would seep into her more effectively.
Even if lewd thoughts bubbled up inside, she had to hide them somehow. For Yulian's sake. She wanted to help him.
With her resolve firm, Lucia spoke.
"That a swordsman like you, my lord count, can wield Medica's divine power is astonishing in itself. I'm truly fine, so please use my body as much as you need."
Still, embarrassment was unavoidable, so she squeezed her eyes shut. Her body was no longer that of a virgin. And the man before her was the one who had taken her purity.
Aside from that one vivid day at the Secret Salon, Lucia naturally had no other experience with men.
Even simple skinship like this felt unfamiliar.
"Then I'll continue, Lucia."
"Y-yes, my lord... haaah...!"
Yulian's hands began moving again.
She could feel the divine power blooming in his palms. True to Medica's divine power, it calmed and soothed her.
Though the count had a beauty rivaling any woman, his hands were large and masculine, befitting a swordsman with a wild edge.
Yet the touch on her breasts was the opposite—gentle.
In women, Mana Roads were distributed quite densely in the breasts. And since they were so close to the Mana Heart...
Yulian caressed them as if determined not to miss a single Mana Road.
Ugh... I have to hold back the sounds...
It was too tender a touch. Like kneading a lover's breasts. A gentle caress.
His palm circled her entire breast lightly before pressing firmly yet softly. The sensation was indescribably good.
Like her breasts were melting. Like the built-up fatigue in them was dissolving away.
"Mm... huuht..."
Lucia thought she was holding back her moans, but a low, nasal whimper escaped unknowingly.
Then Yulian used his thumbs to press the undersides of her breasts. With their ample volume, that part was always folded, making it extra sensitive.
She barely stopped herself from crying out "Haaang!"
This is weird... It's clearly divine power... where it touches feels so good... ticklish... weird... I have to endure it!
Her waist twitched. She clenched her toes to stifle the moans. But when his fingers rubbed her nipple tips, she couldn't hold back.
"Eek?!"
A dizzying pleasure shot from her nipples. She must have been more aroused than she'd realized.
Nipples could stand erect even without arousal, brushing uncomfortably against her bra with a slight sting.
But now it was entirely different. A ticklish shiver ran down her spine, electrifying her whole body.
She felt the hairs on her skin standing on end.
"A woman's nipples are where milk flows directly, so Mana Roads concentrate at the tips. No impure intent—please understand."
"Y-yes... I know... ahnng...!"
The word "milk" slipped casually from the count's lips. The shameful memory from the Secret Salon—of drinking that strange potion and leaking milk.
It resurfaced, making her heart pound harder.
Back then, he'd latched onto her breast and tasted the flowing milk. Unthinkingly, she wished he'd do it again.
What am I thinking? Calm down! Lucia! I'm a swordswoman... of Roia's combat order!
She tried recalling Roia's strict training discipline, but it was useless.
The breast caressing continued for a good while. Finally, Yulian lifted his hands.
"Haa... haa... huu..."
Lucia breathed raggedly. Fortunately, he'd stopped just before her climax, right on the edge.
The lingering heat of pleasure remained where his hands had touched.
If he'd been even a bit more aggressive—attacking her nipples with his mouth like tasting milk—she'd have shown an unseemly sight before him. So it was a relief he'd stopped.
Yet she couldn't deny the deep regret.
"Smooth so far. Thank you for cooperating, Lucia. We'll continue projecting the Mana Roads slowly like this."
"Y-yes... yes. Got it."
And so the upper body Mana Road projection continued.
**
"Heeek?! Th-there... haaang!!"
But there were mountains beyond mountains. She'd thought the breasts were the most sensitive on the upper body—but no.
The count's hands roamed her upper body after leaving her breasts.
Arms and hands were tolerable. When their eyes met as he held her hand, her heart nearly burst, but she endured.
The count's gaze was calm.
But between her breasts and arms—the sensitive spot anyone would have. When his hand touched her armpit, her whole body jolted uncontrollably.
"Haat... ugh... if you touch there!!"
His fingers reached the deepest part of her armpit. Lucia reeled. Normally just ticklish, but now...
With her senses aflame, even that touch made her secret place—her clitoris—twitch.
This is weird... my belly... something ticklish inside!!
She didn't realize it, but her womb probably clenched.
She worried sweat might have beaded there.
But Yulian continued unfazed, seeking Mana Roads. Next, his hand went to her side.
Like the armpit, it tickled while stimulating the peak of her arousal.
Was this a sensitive spot? I never imagined...
Every place his hand touched awakened unknown pleasures in her.
Why did it feel sinful?
Perhaps her swordsman's pride mixed with her inexperience as a near-virgin.
As if sensing her conflicted heart, Yulian spoke soothingly.
"Lucia, if it's hard to hold back, don't suppress your voice. It's just the body's natural reaction. Too much tension lowers Mana Road resolution. Relax a bit more."
"Y-yes... yes!! I'll do that... haaang!!"
His kind words made Lucia loosen up unwittingly.
This time, his hand touched her belly—a part most women hid.
Lucia too. As a Roia trainee, she'd done steady muscle training, but not excessively to avoid hindering movement.
Still, some muscle remained, slightly pushing out the fat above.
In other words, unintended slight belly pudge. His hand touched it. She felt his touch through the soft flesh.
"Huu... huht... heep..."
The tender touch boiled her arousal, mingled with unspeakable shame. Safe because it was the count—but shamed precisely because it was.
Good thing I skipped dinner.
Thus, the upper body projection finally ended. But the upper body was mere prologue.
"Now the head. And this part... it can affect temperament in attribute cultivation, so it needs even more precise Mana Road projection."
"More precise means..."
"As I explained first... deeper physical contact will be necessary."
She understood. Blushing again, Lucia half-closed her eyes.
"Th-then... let's hurry with the head projection..."
The moment her words ended, Count Yulian pressed his lips to hers.
**
"Mmph... hmph... slurp..."
The two entwined on the bed. The kiss continued. Yulian's "deeper physical contact" was a kiss.
Her second kiss with the count. Her second kiss in life.
His tongue entered her mouth. Lucia matched him, extending hers past his lips.
Instinctively, their tongues tangled. She'd never known—lip pecks and kisses were worlds apart in difficulty.
Kissing was physical. Entering the opponent, reacting in real-time to their moves—not easy.
Haa... my head... it's melting...
But instinct was fiercer. As her second kiss, she was bolder than the first.
True to his word, Yulian inserted only his tongue quietly, focusing on projection. So it was her tongue aggressively wrapping his.
Thus, Lucia ignited it first, turning projection into deep kissing.
Divine power flowed through his tongue. Her head should have cleared.
But with lust sparked, no complex thoughts arose.
She devoured his tongue as it moved, following instinct. Saliva mixed stickily in her mouth.
His taste in it aroused her more. Lucia went further.
One of his hands cradled her head, the other awkwardly on the bed.
Yes... this isn't just kissing...
Courtesy to her—manners hand. But Lucia wasn't satisfied with the kiss alone.
She slyly pulled his free hand to her breast. A signal: knead freely if he wished.
Wait. What if the count refuses?
She'd unwittingly seduced him. Kind Yulian might refuse to focus.
But he didn't shake off her hand, considerate as before. Like with her breasts earlier.
Softly, without rough grip, he caressed her breast.
"Hmph... haa... ahn... huung..."
The thick kiss continued in that position. Like sticky foreplay before lovemaking. Their bodies intertwined.
"Haa... haa... haa..."
But it stopped before her climax. Head projection done, apparently.
"Now, Lucia... next is the lower body..."
The count rose, moving downward. Unlike her now-nude upper body, she still wore shorts there.
She nodded, and he slid them down.