episode_0029

Ultimately, my appointment with Aspi was postponed…

Thinking about it, it was the day I was supposed to have a three-way meeting with Yuri and Eve, but bringing outsiders in when making an adventurer’s contract felt a little off.

That was the external reason.

“…”

Actually, Yuri hasn’t said anything since a while ago.

On the rooftop, the moment our eyes met, she immediately left as if fleeing.

Since class was about to start, I apologized to Aspi, saying I’d see him later, and quickly went down the stairs.

Yuri walked down the hallway at a brisk pace.

My teaching on footwork seemed to have taken hold, as catching up was a bit of a challenge.

“Yuri, wait a minute!”

Thump-

The moment I grabbed her hand, unfortunately, the class warning bell rang.

“…”

She nodded silently, saying that going to class came first.

And this is the current situation.

“Um… in magic, the most important thing would be mana, wouldn’t you say—”

Even during class, we’d occasionally exchange questions or share thoughts, but now she’s leaning against her desk with her back half-turned.

The complete opposite, she wouldn’t give me a single glance.

I wrote a small note and slid it to Yuri next to me.

[I need to talk to you]

Then she said,

“Ah, this is important. It’ll definitely be on the midterm. Precise magical formulas are also important, but—”

Swish, swish.

She focused more on the lecture, diligently noting down what the professor emphasized as important…

“Ultimately, magic is composed of mana, so the more finely you can manipulate the flow of mana—”

Swish, swish.

As she diligently took notes on the lecture, time continued to pass, and a gust of wind blew my note to the floor.

Flutter…

It landed powerlessly on the classroom floor, like an autumn leaf.

‘Damn… she seems really angry…!’

What should I do?

Should I just completely trash-talk Aspi?

Various bad thoughts began to flood my mind, and soon the class ended.

“Hey, Yuri… listen to me, okay…?”

Even after class, Yuri didn’t stop taking notes. She seemed to be organizing things she’d thought up independently, in addition to what she learned, making it harder to approach her.

The professor, leaving the classroom, called out to the cadets.

“Does anyone happen to have time to move these materials to my research room? I have to go to my next lecture…”

“I’ll do it.”

Creak.

Yuri was the first to volunteer as a messenger, getting up from her seat.

‘Is she really that bothered by me…?’

At this point, I’m getting annoyed too. I stood up as well.

“I’ll go too.”

“Two of you would be great help. I’ll add extra credit to your semester grades.”

That’s not important right… no, thank you, Professor.

I received half of the materials the professor handed over, and chased after Yuri, who slid out of the classroom with the other half.

“Where is the research room again…”

It was definitely Professor Freese of .

I slowly recalled the map in my head, reviewing the professor’s name…

Whirl-

Yuri took the lead.

“W-wait… let’s go together.”

Does she know where the research room is?

Thud, thud-

Seeing her head straight for Professor Freese’s research room, which I couldn’t quite recall, it dawned on me that Yuri had quickly learned the academy’s layout. She walked straight to the research room, without any hesitation or detours, taking the shortest route.

Thump, thump-

Passing many hallways and stairs, we arrived at the research room located in a corner of the magic department building.

There weren’t many people around, so it felt like this was chance to properly talk.

“I’m sorry, Yuri. Today’s events were unavoidable. You saw it too, right…? That guy was a member of the 2nd Knight Order—”

Creak!

I followed Yuri as she entered the dark room.

“Turns out, he’s someone I met when I was a child… Apparently, I helped him grow as a knight or something, anyway, so—”

But… is this the right research room?

There are hardly any people, and it’s dark…

Whatever.

I need to apologize first…!

I first neatly placed the materials on the desk in front of me, and apologized to Yuri’s back.

“It’s really nothing, don’t worry too much… I’m really sorry, next time—”

Then.

Whirl, Bang—!

Yuri, after putting down the materials she was holding, spun around and pushed me against the wall.

Her face was devoid of expression.

“Oof, Yuri, so what I mean—”

And at that moment.

Yuri raised her heels, wrapped her arms around my neck,

Pulling her face close, she slammed her lips against mine.

“Oof—”

Yuri’s weight, clinging to my neck, was heavier than I expected. My back, colliding with the wall, was throbbing.

But more than anything,

Yuri’s saliva, wrapping around my tongue, was sticky and sweet.

“Hup, oop, pff- haop…”

Like a predator hunting its prey, she savagely and intensely devoured my lips.

Saliva dripped from our colliding lips. Hot breath escaped the gap, filling the empty room with erotic sounds.

Chup, chroot, chub, pchoop…

Yuri’s tongue, which assaulted me like a tsunami, violated my lips several times before she released me from the kiss.

“Pff… haa, haa…”

The midday light streamed in through the unclosed door, illuminating Yuri. The room, wherever it was, was quite dark, so only half of her face was lit.

It was as if she wore two expressions at once.

A dark expression as if she were tired of her husband’s infidelity.

And a bright expression of madness, as if everything went according to plan.

“Look… while doing this.”

“…?”

“While being this scared… while being an anxious coward…!”

Everything was revealed in that expression.

“Why don’t you tell me…!”

She was angry, but she was also pleased with having successfully teased me.

She had the face of the world’s most wicked woman.

“To do this… to do this all morning…”

Something boiled up inside me.

It wasn’t anger.

As I gradually got used to the darkness of the room, the first thing that caught my eye was Yuri’s flushed face.

“Why, are you angry—”

Whirl-Thwack—!

I pulled Yuri into my arms, spun her half a turn, and threw her against the wall.

The place where my back had been was a blackboard; there was a ledge at just the right height.

I lifted Yuri’s hips and gently sat her on it.

“Haat, haak…”

“You, you started it first…?”

“Yes…♡”

Opening her legs, Yuri wrapped them around me and looked up longingly. I devoured her lips, which were conveniently raised.

Chp, chroup…

With one hand I supported her nape,

with the other, I loosened my tie and undid my buttons.

After opening my shirt collar, I left my mark along her exposed white neck with my lips and tongue. Yuri, tightly held in my arms, was also getting hot, inserting her hand inside my skirt.

“Me too… already, like this…”

“It’s your fault…!”

Hoo-hoo- Yuri laughed.

I couldn’t leave those wicked, audacious lips alone, so I devoured them once more, and she bit the corner of my lip.

Gnaw-

Blood gradually flowed from the corner of my mouth. I sipped the blood mixed with saliva, its tangy scent stimulating my nerves.

Intertwining our tongues like clasped hands, we were about to cast off our outer clothes, overcome by heat.

At that moment.

A rustling sound of a large amount of paper spilling came from the open door.

“Chup, oup…!”

I reflexively turned to the bright area, and saw…

“…”

Eve standing there.

… … …

After hastily getting dressed, I revisited our favorite restaurant.

Eve impatiently slammed the menu shut.

“Do things of that nature at night…”

“Sorry, sorry~”

Eve seemed to have known to some extent.

I just laughed it off.

“At that time… I chose a place with few people… why on earth…”

Yuri’s face flushed, slightly embarrassed.

Since that room wasn’t Professor Freese’s research room, we had to go back there together with Eve.

So how did Eve find that place? She might have sensed us—

“Phew… what a day.”

With her chin resting and her gaze diverted and her cheeks flushed, she pretended to be uninterested.

‘She followed after all…’

Before I had a chance to ask, the food arrived, and the commotion was hastily glossed over.

Flare-

The adventurer’s contract spread out once again.

We briefly exchanged information, and Yuri’s name, alongside mine, was also etched in blue flame on the contract.

“There, that does it.”

In a dimly lit corner of the restaurant.

The blue glow that filled the surroundings gradually subsided.

“Whew… an adventurer.”

“This path is going to be tough. You better be prepared.”

Eve gave us a stern warning, tucking her adventurer’s pass into her bosom.

I know that much.

No, I probably know more than Eve.

In terms of experience… I’m almost a 20-year veteran adventurer.

Taking Yuri along, knowing the dangers so well,

is because I have made sufficient preparations.

I’m not confident. That’s why I need to prepare even more fiercely.

After Eve told us a few necessary things, we parted ways.

“See you on the qualification exam day.”

After she left, Yuri and I spent some time drinking tea on the terrace.

“It seems like we achieved our goal… but somehow we ended up becoming adventurers.”

“No. The important part is that from now.”

If we think of each small goal, chapter 1 completion, we have achieved our goals, but

The story that remains, and the things we have to do, are still mountainous.

Especially one thing I realized by chance.

“Ah, that’s right. After listening to Professor Freese’s lecture, I’ve made some of my own notes…”

“You noticed it too.”

Perhaps the Artemis ruins, my growth, and the second story, the ‘midterm exam.’ These three things might be connected.

The content of this lecture, which delved into the unique characteristics of the flow of mana.

The ancient civilization, which was known for its highly advanced magic.

Pure Mana I borrow from nature.

It likely has something to do with ‘neutral attribute mana.’