Chapter 13. Hunter's Wife (6)
Chapter 13. Hunter's Wife (6)
"Master-nim.."
"You've solved the riddle."
Lieselotte said that as she pressed her lips to my forehead.
It was warm.
"Yes, with a married woman."
"I know."
Awkward atmosphere.
I unnecessarily shifted my gaze to my toes.
"A lot has happened in the meantime, hasn't it?"
"It'd take a while to tell."
"I still want to hear it."
Lieselotte said that and pointed to a chair.
As soon as I plopped my butt down on it.
She took a seat opposite me.
On the table, two cups of tea were steaming gently.
I spilled everything that had happened.
The ongoing trysts with Anna.
And the pregnancy.
In the end, Baron Kargon found out.
And I got thrown into the underground dungeon.
"Thanks to Master-nim, I was able to escape."
"You could think of it that way."
Stun.
If it hadn't been for that spell Lieselotte taught me, I would've slowly been tortured to death.
"You really went through a lot. But don't think of it as unfair. The greater the adversity, the stronger your will becomes. And the more steadfast your will, the more your magic will improve by leaps and bounds."
"I'll keep that in mind."
A brief silence.
I asked Lieselotte something I'd been curious about.
"Is there no magic to remove scars?"
"Of course there is. But I can't teach it to you right now."
Lieselotte tilted her head.
It seemed like she was telling me to drink the tea.
I took a sip of the lukewarm tea, and she smiled faintly.
"Today, I'll teach you two spells as well. Fire Ball and Stun Chain."
Fire Ball.
It was the spell I'd been looking forward to.
Since I didn't have any proper ranged attack magic.
But what was Stun Chain?
When I asked Lieselotte, she immediately demonstrated it.
Pajijijijik!
A flash of lightning started from her fingertips.
It wove and intertwined like chains, stretching out.
"Wow.."
I couldn't help letting out an exclamation at the quite flashy effect.
"Fire Ball and Stun Chain. Both are ranged attack spells. Any Battle Mage worth their salt should be able to intercept enemies from afar. So these two spells are fundamentals."
"What's a Battle Mage?"
"A mage who walks the path of battle."
Lieselotte held up two fingers.
"There are two kinds of mages in the world. Battle Mages and Scholar Mages."
Her explanation continued.
It was a bit of a boring theoretical rundown.
But I listened attentively.
According to Lieselotte.
There are two types of mages in the world.
Battle Mage.
And Scholar Mage.
Battle Mages tread the path of slaughter.
Throwing themselves into countless battles.
Wandering the crossroads of life and death.
It's a perilous path.
But their magic skills grow quickly as a result.
Scholar Mages seclude themselves.
Like monks.
Their interests are mostly skewed toward alchemy.
They get criticized for chasing pipe dreams.
But sometimes, even among them, archmages emerge.
"The path I should take.."
"No need to agonize. Become a Battle Mage."
Lieselotte was firm.
I pondered for a moment.
The path of slaughter..
I might lose my life.
But holing up in some remote place to research magic didn't appeal to me either.
"Understood."
Lieselotte beamed at my answer.
"Yeah, most Scholar Mages are armchair mages. Cowards who don't even have the guts to step out into the world."
Soon, the magic lesson began.
First up was Fire Ball.
We couldn't practice indoors.
So Lieselotte took me outside.
"Wow.."
An endless expanse of grassland.
The fresh scent of grass wafted through the air.
And there, all alone, stood the Cabin.
That was Lieselotte's dwelling.
"First, I'll show you a demonstration."
Lieselotte closed her eyes.
Then aimed her staff, pulled from her robe sleeve, forward.
"Fire Ball."
An ember formed at the tip of the staff.
It swelled up like a balloon.
Soon growing as big as a basketball.
"Urgh.."
The heat felt like it would cook my skin.
I involuntarily stepped back.
But Lieselotte seemed totally unfazed.
Did she have fire resistance or something?
The fireball shot from the staff.
Incredible speed.
I couldn't even follow it with my eyes.
All I could see was a faint afterimage.
I clapped.
Genuinely impressed by my master's magic prowess.
"Come here and give it a try."
"Yes!"
"First, grip the staff."
Lieselotte handed me the staff.
"Can't it be done without a staff?"
"Of course it can. But using a staff makes it a bit easier to control mana. So..."
A detailed explanation followed.
It was pretty boring.
But Lieselotte's voice was so pleasant, it was fun to listen.
According to her, Fire Ball was a high-level spell incomparable to Fire.
So for a beginner like me, using a staff was the wise choice.
Magic staff.
Just holding it boosts mana control.
And that's not all.
You can charge mana into the staff, making it essential for someone like me with a pathetic mana reservoir.
"How do you increase your mana reservoir?"
"Figure that out yourself. Of course, I could tell you. But a good master doesn't give her disciple a fish—she teaches how to fish."
Another riddle to solve.
I gripped the staff and aimed forward.
Lieselotte whispered advice right in my ear.
What image to visualize.
And how to project the mana.
Visualization was pretty complex.
Plus, stray thoughts kept intruding.
Lieselotte didn't scold me.
She gently stroked my shoulder.
Patiently guiding me until a fireball formed at the staff tip.
"Fire Ball."
Finally, an ember appeared at the staff tip.
But that wasn't the end.
I had to grow it.
And hurl it forward with all my might.
Neither was easy.
Growing the ember was tough from the start.
Mana consumption was enormous.
My legs buckled from the sudden exhaustion.
Lieselotte wrapped her arms around my waist to keep me from collapsing.
The ember didn't grow much.
Nor did it fly far.
It barely went 5 meters before fizzling out on its own.
"It's always hard at first. Don't get discouraged."
Lieselotte patted my shoulder comfortingly.
"Yes, Master-nim."
A short break.
Lieselotte pulled something else from her sleeve.
A waterskin.
"Drink."
"Water?"
"Water mixed with a bit of mana."
I gulped it down.
Incredibly refreshing.
Like temperature right before it freezes.
Felt like it would tear my throat.
Surprisingly, after drinking, my depleted mana refilled in an instant.
Next spell to learn was Stun Chain.
"It's way more mana-intensive than Fire Ball. So until your mana reservoir grows enough, try not to use it."
"Got it."
I gripped the staff again.
Listening to Lieselotte's explanation.
I visualized lightning extending forward.
Suddenly, Lieselotte took off her robe.
Down to just a breast cover and panties.
As expected, her figure was stunning.
But I couldn't ogle.
A disciple eyeing his master's body like that would be irreverent.
Lieselotte hugged me from behind.
I felt her heavy breasts.
When I asked why.
She said it was to supplement my lacking mana through physical contact.
Anyway, Stun Chain was tough.
Just a spark like pajik- popped from the staff tip.
After several tries.
I finally succeeded in casting.
A chain of lightning stretched forward.
But the range was too short.
Barely 2 meters.
My shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"Don't get down. You're doing really well for your level."
Lieselotte encouraged me.
I kept practicing.
On the deep blue grassland.
With my master's help, honing the two spells.
Suddenly, Helen popped into my head.
I was having sex with her.
All this was an illusion.
In reality, I was gripping Helen's ass and ejaculating.
"It's about time to head back."
Lieselotte murmured.
She pulled another staff from her robe sleeve.
"A gift for you. Take it with you."
I took the staff in hand.
It fit perfectly in my palm.
Like it was made just for me.
"I'll see you again, Master-nim."
"I'll miss you."
Lieselotte said that and hugged me tight.
So cozy.
When would we meet again?
As she said, I'd really miss her.
The illusion dispersed in an instant.
And I faced reality again.
I was gripping Helen's ass with both hands, gushing semen buk-buk-buk.
The orgasm hadn't subsided yet.
My thick rod buried in her exquisite pussy.
Pulsing vigorously, spewing loads of cum.
"Urgh.."
"Haa.. honey.. I.. I came.."
Helen confessed in a trembling voice.
I stayed like that for a bit.
Savoring the afterglow.
"Maybe I'll get pregnant.."
Still in doggy position, Helen turned her head to look at me and murmured that.
Could be.
Doggy lets you thrust deep.
I'd drenched right up to her womb.
Pregnancy wouldn't be surprising.
If she really got pregnant, what then?
I'd have fatherly duties.
But it wouldn't be easy.
I'd chosen the Battle Mage path.
I checked the upper right of my vision.
0/1 was visible.
Staring at it, text appeared.
[Between love and friendship. Sometimes you need the courage to cross that line.]
Still cryptic.
Couldn't pin down the meaning.
Well, I'd figure it out eventually.
I slowly pulled out.
Half-flaccid erection.
Plus slippery with cum and juices, it slid out smoothly.
Juruk.
Her gaping slit.
Cum poured out from between.
I reached out in a hurry.
But most splattered onto the bedsheet.
I grabbed a towel.
And wiped Helen's slit.
Carefully cleaned the insides of her thighs soiled with fluids.
Wiped the sheet too.
But the absorbed cum left clear stains.
Wait. Where's the staff?
Not on the bed.
Panicking, I got off the bed and looked around it.
Fortunately, a staff lay right beside the bed.
"Huh? What's that?"
"Magic staff."
At my answer, Helen's eyes widened.
"Not important right now."
I lay down beside Helen.
As if waiting, she snuggled into my arms.
Faint sweat scent rising.
Didn't hate it.
I hugged Helen back.
And kneaded her breasts.
"You like these that much?"
She asked with a grin.
"Damn right. Maybe men live for these."
Helen burst out laughing at my joke.
We stayed like that for a while.
Caressing each other's bodies.
Enjoying the afterplay.
A grim face popped into my head.
Hunter Bruno.
He'd be back in two days.
A fight was inevitable.
My heart pounded, cold sweat already trickling down.