Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Aria Learns - 6
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“...Ugh... Huh...”
“Over there...?”
Today, Ameri looked at the person next to her with clear bewilderment.
Just a few days ago, he had been a sturdy boy capable of facing off against the mages of House Temperius in direct combat.
“...Uh... Uh...”
So why did he look like a corpse now, even worse off than her? How could someone waste away so much in just a few days?
To unravel that mystery, Ameri spoke to Leo.
“...L-Leo... Leonardo...?”
“...Yes?”
With an expression of utter exhaustion bordering on undead, Leo looked at Ameri.
“Ah, Ameri, your dark circles have improved a lot. The ring must be working.”
Ameri glanced at the ring with a subtle expression. If it were something she could share, she would have gladly lent it to Leo.
“...Are you okay...?”
“...Yes? Oh, yeah... I've just been practicing magic a lot lately.”
He had to leave the Magic Tower soon, so he needed to study magic as intensively as possible during the remaining time.
Besides, what he was learning now couldn't be solved with mere effort.
But I have to at least see how far I can get.
Just as the Sage said, over the past three days, Leonardo had pulled all-nighters, devoting himself entirely to developing unique magics.
But they're completely useless.
Yet none of those unique magics had any practicality or combat utility. It would be more efficient to just use standard, proven general magics.
As annoying as it was, the Sage's point was spot on.
The Sage had taught him the method of forming unique magics solely to enhance his understanding and application of magic.
Standard magics, refined and passed down over centuries, wouldn't be outdone by some individual's spells—that would be the real anomaly.
Normally, Leo would have shot back with something about not being a boomer, but since the Sage was the founder of the field, he let it slide.
But... just a little more...
He had already passed ten cups today alone.
Does the Sage keep track of every bit of water you've drunk all this time?
Caffeine could be handled by amplifying his liver's detox with aura, but the real issue was sleep deprivation.
“...Yeah, I probably should get some sleep.”
Pushing too hard would hurt his efficiency and stamina. Better to catch up on all the postponed rest now.
“...Ah...”
As he tried to stand, his foot slipped, and Leo's body began to tilt and fall.
“Leonard—!”
Thud.
Leonardo didn't fall. It wasn't because he regained his balance himself.
“You okay? Leo?”
His lady, Ariasfil, had caught the falling Leo and lifted him up.
“...M-Milady...?”
In truth, Leonardo was on the verge of total exhaustion. Lack of sleep had made even him, who had endured grueling labors, endlessly frail.
“You've pushed yourself too hard. Come on, let's get you to bed. I'll help.”
It seemed like she meant to support him, so Leonardo didn't refuse. Surely she wouldn't hook his arm around her chest like last time—not for someone so worn out?
Such criminal bliss would be impossible to endure in a public place like this.
“...Y-Yes... Thank you...”
Leo's body—and feet—lifted off the ground into the air.
“...Huh...?!”
Ariasfil's arms effortlessly cradled his sturdy frame. The library had always been quiet, but now an even stranger silence enveloped it as people stared at the lady and her knight.
“Let's get to your room quick.”
“S-Sle... ep...! Wai... Mmph...!”
It wasn't a hand covering his mouth. Aria smothered his lips by pressing her ample, voluptuous breasts against his face.
“Leo, you're so tired~ But this is the library with lots of people, so you have to be quiet. So...”
Aria gradually enveloped him like a cushion with her chest, creating a soft, plush sensation.
“...Let's rest just the two of us?”
Flustered yet aroused, Leo couldn't respond, but everyone there thought the same.
[Lucky bastard]
‘Lucky bastard’
Lucky bastard
Leo was a lucky bastard.
The sweet scent of her skin and the brutal pressure of her breasts gradually clouded Leo's mind.
Thinking about it, he'd been holed up in his room for three days straight without rest. Surely this little indiscretion could be forgiven.
But still, she was the lady he served—shouldn't he restrain such behavior?
As guilt and morality clashed in conflict, Aria arrived at the room still holding Leo.
“We're here. Now sleep soundly?”
A bit disappointed, Leo suppressed the feeling and headed for the door.
“Thank you. Now...”
The moment Leo tried to slip behind the door, Aria suddenly reached in, grabbed it with force, and yanked him inside.
“Now it's just the two of us?”
What was that? A tone both chillingly eerie and sweetly cute?
...Not exactly just two...
With that, the Sage pulled out a bucket of popcorn from who-knows-where—created with unique magic, no doubt—and shoved a handful into his mouth.
...Wasting unique magic on that... Before he could complain further, Aria grabbed Leo's wrist and pulled him into the room.
“It's covered in formulas and magic circles everywhere.”
What greeted Aria upon entering was a graveyard of magic books and papers scribbled with formulas littering every surface.
“Unlike spirit magic, general magic—especially unique magic—relies most on calculations.”
Over the past three days of focusing solely on unique magic development, Leo had relentlessly studied and devised forms, principles, and concepts without rest. No good unique magics had emerged, but the research itself held value, so his skills must have grown remarkably.
“Even the bed is buried in papers and books.”
The bed was covered in scrap papers with formulas and magic tomes. Back then, he'd been so immersed he couldn't tell bed from chair.
“I... should have cleaned up. This is embarrassing.”
For Leo, who always kept things tidy, this felt like exposing a flaw.
“Looks like we need to tidy a bit. Later...”
“It's fine. This spot should work.”
Aria sat in a small clearing amid the papers and books.
“Aw, even I'd rather sleep on the bed than the floor...”
Aria grabbed Leo and laid him down.
“How about this?”
Precisely on her lap. The so-called lap pillow.
“...Y-Yes...?”
“You can rest a little. You've worked so hard.”
Her gentle words and the soft caress on his forehead and hair melted away Leo's resistance without him realizing.
“Sleep, Leo.”
“...Yes...”
Was it because his body was so exhausted? Leo gave in without protest, letting his eyes relax. ‘...Lap pillows don't last long anyway... should be fine...’ Before he knew it, Leonardo had fallen into deep sleep. His soft, even breathing as he slept was adorably cute. ‘...Going according to plan...!’ Aria etched that sight firmly into her memory. For the next few hours, she would savor this happiness with Leo. A numb leg was no issue. Training in spirit magic had also honed her mana control. ‘Blood circulation is a cinch.’ She could even waste prodigious talent by using aura to circulate her blood and relieve the numbness. At this rate, ten hours would be a breeze.
“...Mmm...”
His sleeping face was so lovable. Last time sharing the bed, she'd hugged and stroked his face, missing the full view—but now she had the perfect close-up chance. A little further, and even more intimate contact might be possible...
“...Nngh...”
At that moment, Leo's head turned in his sleep. A coincidental overlap of her bold attempt and his sleepy mumble.
“Eek...?”
Aria panicked briefly but quickly regained composure. There was still time...
“Nnh... Ah...!”
Ariasfil hurriedly clamped her own mouth shut to stifle the moan threatening to escape. The reason for the moan? The boy exhaling in his sleep with his head turned. Right now, Aria had amplified her blood circulation with aura, making her senses hypersensitive. Thus. She couldn't help reacting sensitively to the movement of his hair and breath in his sleep.
“...Hah, nngh...!”
Each time she reacted, his head shifted deeper into that intimate valley. Aria kept her mouth covered, desperate to hide this embarrassing scene. Any more sensation, and she might not hold back.
“N... Nngh, mmph...”
Unaware of her plight, the boy slumbered deeply. Comfortable as he was, a bit of drool pooled at the corner of his mouth. ‘...This... not this...!’ Already struggling to suppress her moans, if that warm, sticky fluid laced with his essence touched her, even she couldn't maintain reason.
“...Haaah... Hah... Nn...!”
Exerting maximum self-control and patience, she gradually maneuvered his turned head back to center. Each adjustment left faint traces of warm saliva, turning Aria into a mere beast in heat.
“...Just a bit... just a little more...!”
After painstaking effort, his head faced forward again, toward the ceiling. Thanks to her delicate touch, he remained asleep.
“...Hah... Hah...”
Ragged, heaving breaths of lingering regret. Pity, but any more excitement and even she might not endure.
“...At least he's sleeping well...”
Aria tried to console herself that she'd helped him rest. The act itself was fine, but the real trouble lay elsewhere.
“...Th-This...”
They say a healthy young man sleeping soundly experiences heightened male hormones and blood flow. And with male hormones and blood circulating vigorously, even without sexual stimulation.
“...Too... big...”
The body reacts.
“...So big...!”
Her loud slip escaped despite herself. As a mercenary trained against ambushes, Leo was sensitive to such sounds.
“Milady... what's wrong...?”
“Sorry! Leo! Sleep well and see you tomorrow!!” Creeeak, slam! Without waiting for a reply, Ariasfil hastily set Leo down and bolted out the door. Even as she fled, the long, thick afterimage straining against his pants lingered in her vision.
“...What's her deal...? Numb legs?”
From afar, the Sage—who had emptied a full bucket of unique magic popcorn—gaped and said, This is sex.