Chapter 63: Wild Change (6)
Thump, thump, thump
- ‘Young man, you’ve got a letter. Open the door.’
Starchis, who was meditating to feel the mana, opened his eyes at the knocking sound.
He quickly walked to the door and opened it to find the innkeeper holding an envelope.
“Who is it from?”
“You take a look. I haven’t seen anything.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Oh, no need to thank me... young man?”
“Yes?”
The innkeeper couldn’t meet Starchis’ eyes, as if she had done something wrong. Seeing her like that, he asked,
“...Is there something you want to say?”
“Well... here.”
The innkeeper grabbed Starchis’ hand and handed him a few coins.
“Huh? Ma’am, what’s this?”
“Thinking it over, remember the tip you gave before? I realized I didn’t need to keep it... Anyway, that’s all! I’m returning it, young man!”
Handing over the coins, the innkeeper hurriedly went down the stairs. There were several things bothering her.
One thing that particularly weighed on her conscience was opening his door when a beautiful woman named Luss came looking for him.
Although no big trouble seemed to have come from it, her conscience still pricked at her.
Starchis, puzzled by the hurried innkeeper, checked the letter in his hand. Turning it over, he saw the name ‘Stion’ written on the back.
“It’s from my brother?”
He muttered to himself as he closed the door.
Starchis opened the letter.
---------------------------------------
Starchis, if you have time today, come see me. I have something to tell you.
And about Rose Nisti, is it true?
Explain in detail when we meet.
---------------------------------------
It was a simple request and a reply to the letter Starchis had sent.
Starchis’ only plan for today was to visit Lily and rehabilitation.
He felt guilty about breaking his previous promise to have a meal alone with Lily, and he intended to make it up today. But now, he thought it might have to be postponed a little longer.
****
“...Huff... Huff...!”
“...L-Lily Noona?”
“Yes... yes?”
“Are you tired?”
“Oh, no? Why are you asking that?”
“Well... your breathing is so rough.”
Starchis and Lily were in the midst of rehabilitation. Lily was once again interlocking fingers with him, helping to move the mana within his body.
Her heart was beating so fast that she couldn’t help but breathe heavily.
Lily, unintentionally making such embarrassing sounds, felt flustered.
She covered her face with one hand but didn’t let go of Starchis’ hand.
“Ahem..! No, really. Let’s keep going.”
“...Let’s take a break, Noona. I’m worried about you.”
“...I’m really fine...”
Starchis unlinked their fingers. Lily let out a quiet, disappointed sigh.
Starchis wiped the sweat from his hand on his pants.
Lily, secretly bringing that hand close to her nose, pretended to think while sniffing it.
Taking in the mixed scent of sweat, she asked him,
“...Starchis, didn’t you feel anything?”
“...Nothing.”
“Starchis, you can’t be impatient. Try to stay relaxed.”
“I’m trying... Ha... Last time, I could feel the mana, but not today. Why is that?”
Lily didn’t know either. She was doing her best.
Even though these moments might disappear if his hand healed, watching Starchis become disheartened and struggle was harder for her.
She was doing everything she could to help him, even reaching out to her old master for assistance.
“...Just try to relax a little more.”
But even as she said this, a small voice inside whispered to Lily,
‘Go for more intense contact...’
Gulp.
Lily swallowed. Her master’s letter had mentioned this.
To increase the area of contact while helping.
The letter suggested that moving the mana through more intimate touch would be more effective.
Starchis had felt more comfortable when she intertwined their fingers and stirred the mana than when she merely touched the back of his hand.
Lily looked over Starchis’ body.
Maybe it was because she had liked him for so long that he had become her ideal type.
His legs, his arms, his height, his scent, his expressions... Everything was hard to resist.
There would never be a better opportunity.
She had the perfect excuse.
Lily clenched her lips once, steeling herself, and spoke with a resolute face, like a Noona, maturely.
“...It’s not working, Starchis. Why don’t you lie down on that bed for a moment?”
Starchis blinked his eyes.
“...What?”
“You heard me. Lie down for a moment.”
It was an absurd request, but seeing Lily’s resolute expression as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Starchis got up and went to Lily’s bed, lying down gently.
There was a trust that emanated from her determined expression.
It was the kind of feeling that made you follow even the most nonsensical advice when a professional suggested it.
Lily felt a dark pleasure, a sense of forbidden delight.
He wouldn’t know. He wouldn’t know that the spot he lay on was where she had consoled herself countless nights thinking of him.
The heart-pounding thrill of having her beloved lie in her bed wasn’t something that happened easily.
As she dazed out for a moment, Starchis awkwardly spoke up.
“...Noona? I’m lying down.”
“Yes, just a moment?”
Lily was startled by his voice that broke her dark reverie but didn’t show it.
It was time to muster courage.
Lily approached Starchis, unbuttoning the front of her dress. The cleavage created by her ample chest became visible.
Startled, Starchis sat up abruptly.
“Noona, what are you doing?”
But Lily pushed the rising Starchis back onto the bed. Her heart felt like it was going to burst, but she continued to act maturely.
“It’s for treatment.”
“What kind of nonsense—”
“I’m serious.”
Lily snapped her fingers. A drawer in the corner opened, and a letter flew into her hand.
“This is a letter from my master. Read it.”
Starchis, puzzled, took the letter from her. Her confident expression left him no room to argue, so he did as she said.
He read the letter aloud.
“...To Lily. It’s been a while. I wasn’t planning to reply, but hearing that someone dear is in trouble, I couldn’t just sit by...”
“When Starchis got hurt, I wrote to my master. I asked for ways to make mana easier to feel.”
Starchis glanced at Lily and then back at the letter.
“Not just anyone can become a mage, my child... Skipping ahead... If they could feel mana even once, the potential is quite high..?”
“When you were with me last time, you felt the mana once, right? I believe that if Starchis continues diligently, he will be able to feel the mana.”
“...That’s good news. But what does this have to do with me lying in bed right now?”
“Keep reading, Starchis. Trust me.”
“... Increase the area of contact with the subject to better move the mana... Hm?”
“Remember when you felt the mana better when we interlocked fingers compared to just touching the back of your hand? It’s because of that. Now, even holding hands isn’t enough, so I asked you to lie down.”
Starchis felt uneasy, but with the evidence right in front of him, he found it hard to argue.
“...I understand increasing the area of contact, but why lying down...”
“Just try it once. It would be great if you could feel the mana quickly, right? I’ll lie on top of you.”
“What??”
“I...”
Out of habit, Lily almost lied and said she didn’t want to.
The words, ‘I’m not keen on this either,’ were on the tip of her tongue. But she no longer wanted to draw that line.
“...If it’s for you, Starchis, I can do it.”
“Noona, it’s not about whether you can do it or not, it’s just that I have a girlfriend—”
“Your hand. It needs to heal quickly.”
She whispered as she gently sat on the bed, moving close enough that they could feel each other’s breath.
“...Just try it once. I also want your hand to move again soon.”
“But still, this is...”
“Think wisely, Starchis. If this can help your hand move, is it not worth having our bodies touch for a moment? We’ve already held hands...”
Lily’s emotions were conflicted. Half of her wanted to help move his hand, the other half was driven by desire.
Her actions weren’t purely selfish. She wanted to do this for him too.
Starchis began to consider her words seriously.
...There was no loyalty to a girlfriend he had to protect.
Because he didn’t have one.
There was no reason to reject the best method to heal his hand, even if it meant compromising for a fictional Elza.
He couldn’t give up on his practically immobile arm for the sake of maintaining a lie.
If he really had a girlfriend, he would have gotten up immediately.
He wouldn’t have hesitated. No matter how important his arm was, his girlfriend’s feelings were equally important.
But the inconvenience of his injured arm was greater than he thought.
He hadn’t realized how crucial both hands were.
Even someone as upright as him wavered in the face of an opportunity to move his arm again.
He wavered in the face of a chance to achieve his dreams again.
Especially when someone as beautiful as Lily was offering to help him recover.
“C... Cough...”
Starchis still pushed Lily away and sat up straight. Now sitting on the bed, Lily moved closer, pressing her shoulder against his.
Starchis was nearly convinced. To diffuse the awkward tension, he decided to read the rest of the letter.
“....I wish you luck... From your master. P.S..”
Whap!
The letter vanished from Starchis’ hand at lightning speed. It happened so quickly that he couldn’t even comprehend what had occurred.
Lily had her hands behind her back, hiding the letter.
“...The rest is personal information. I can’t show you.”
Lily trembled slightly, forcing a smile.
“Anyway, you saw it, right? My master also mentioned it. Increasing the area of contact makes it easier to feel the mana.”
“.....”
“Starchis, I know you feel guilty about your girlfriend. But it’s also unfair to her if you can never move your hand again. She would be happy to see you healthy, wouldn’t she?”
Lily didn’t really care whether Elza would be happy or not. What bothered her was the slight guilt of seducing someone else’s lover. But she couldn’t suppress her feelings any longer. She had to do this to survive.
And of course, she was genuinely concerned about his hand.
Despite all their efforts, he hadn’t been able to feel any mana.
This action was a significant step forward for his sake as well.
“...”
Starchis was deep in thought. If his brother was here, what would he have said? Would he have insisted on maintaining the lie, or told him to fix his hand first?
...The answer was easy. His brother would have told him to heal his hand first, even if he had a girlfriend.
His brother always prioritized health.
“...Alright, Noona. Let’s do it.”
Starchis asked himself to lessen his guilt.
How many people would pass up the chance to heal their hand for a nonexistent girlfriend?
“You made the right choice.”
Lily was elated, but she didn’t show it. Her heart was pounding, and she eagerly anticipated the future.
“But, let’s lie back to back. That way, the contact area is large, and I won’t feel as guilty towards my girlfriend.”
“No, Starchis. My hands need to touch your body. Back-to-back won’t work because it’s too uncomfortable.”
Lily gently laid Starchis down on the bed. Seeing him lying there in her bed was overwhelmingly lovely.
If she let her guard down, she might pounce on him.
As he lay on the bed, Lily lay down beside him, close enough to touch but not overwhelming him.
Before he could say anything else, Lily quickly began the treatment.
“Alright, I’m starting.”
A blue glow, like fireflies, appeared above Lily’s hand. She moved the mana within Starchis’ body.
Almost immediately, Starchis felt a flow crawling through his heart. Something he had struggled to feel for so long now came so easily.
“Haha... This is unbelievable...”
Starchis closed his eyes and murmured.
“I told you...”
Lily was delighted that he was gaining confidence in this method.
...Because it meant she could stay close to him.
Gently, Lily wrapped one of her legs around Starchis.
“Noo—”
“—Focus. I’m going to increase it a bit more.”
As Lily wrapped her leg around Starchis like a snake, he felt the flow intensify.
His left hand began to move naturally. No matter the position, the effect was genuine.
Starchis couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. He focused more deeply, trying to familiarize himself with the sensation of mana flowing through his entire body.
“Huff...! Huff...!”
Lily’s excitement didn’t subside.
She wondered if he could hear her heart pounding. She didn’t want to stop.
Her lower body kept tingling.
Gently, like a snail, she rubbed against him, climbing onto his body.
She nestled her head against his chest like a cat, and wrapped her leg tighter around him, mounting him more fully.
Starchis, though initially resistant, found himself getting lost in the sensation of mana.
The physical closeness, while distracting, was proving effective.
Lily, feeling his heart and body responding, whispered,
“See? This is working...”
Starchis, feeling the genuine progress in his hand, nodded slightly, allowing himself to fully embrace the method, despite the unconventional means.
Slowly, ever so slowly, their navels touched.
Lily, regaining her senses, found herself atop his sturdy body. Instinctively, she rubbed her chest against his.
Starchis, deeply focused, seemed oblivious to everything around him.
“Huff..! Haa..!”
‘No.’
Lily told herself. She felt as if she might start moving her hips on top of him.
This was a scenario she had dreamed and fantasized about countless times on this very bed.
Imagining herself on top of him, exploring him.
The only thing different was that they still had their clothes on.
At that moment, his scent filled her nose.
‘Ah.’
For a moment, she lost control. Her hips lifted slightly, and as she prepared to bring them back down...
“Urgh..!”
Starchis raised himself, pushing Lily off. He clutched his heart.
Lily rolled off him, but Starchis still felt the flow of mana.
The brief sharp pain subsided.
But he could still clearly feel the flow of mana.
“...Noona... I can feel the mana.”
His hand was still immobile, but Starchis looked at his body in disbelief. A joyful laugh escaped him.
“I can feel the mana, Noona..!”
“Huff..! Huff..!”
Lily, catching her breath, quickly gathered herself and looked at Starchis.
She had almost done something highly inappropriate. His scent was always a dangerous trigger for her.
“That’s... great..!”
Though embarrassed by her actions, Lily was just as elated. There was now real hope.
“But my hand still doesn’t move.”
“Feeling it is the first step, Starchis. You’re halfway there. The next step is to try moving the mana yourself.”
“Haha... I can’t believe this method actually works...!”
“I never lie. Shall we try a little more?”
Lily swallowed hard. She didn’t want to stop.
Starchis, overjoyed, looked out the window. The evening was approaching.
He remembered the letter from his brother that he had received in the morning.
“...No, Noona. This much progress is already a big achievement. I have an appointment now.”
“...Elza?”
“No. I’m meeting my brother.”
“Oh, right..? ...Well, it would be good to continue while you still have the flow going...”
“Now that I know the method, we can try again next time.”
“Next time? Yes! Yes..! Sure. We can do it again next time.”
Lily was satisfied with the thought of doing it again, even though she wanted to continue now.
And besides, it had become harder for her to control herself. Letting him go didn’t seem so bad after all.
.
.
.
.
As quickly as he had arrived, Starchis left Lily behind and departed.
Once he was gone, Lily hastily discarded her clothes.
“Liar...”
She was drenched, feeling as if she had committed an indiscretion.
But Lily didn’t dwell on it long. She used her mana.
...A figure began to form in front of her.
Having infused Starchis’ body with mana, she had perfectly understood his physique.
So, she couldn’t help but be aroused.
A suggestively protruding pillar formed on the bed.
It was a replica of his penis.
“Ahh..!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Lily climbed onto the bed.
The cold model touched her vagina.
It was disappointing that it wasn’t warm, but she had no choice.
...Her hymen had been broken during horseback riding practice.
Back when she met the Tigerwolves, her inability to ride a horse had become a regret, so she had practiced diligently.
Thus, she felt less resistance to her actions now.
Lily closed her eyes and imagined Starchis.
She recalled the sensations she felt when she had climbed on top of him.
The strong beat of his heart.
The warmth of his chest.
The reassuring strength of his arms...
Lily lifted her hips.
Then, she positioned herself over the model that perfectly replicated him.
Trembling, she hovered above it before letting herself go.
-Squish..!
“Ahhh!”
The model entered deeply into her with the force of her weight.
Lily’s body shook.
Collapsing into a position identical to when she was on top of Starchis, she lay down.
And then, like a beast, she began to move her hips.
Alone, she uttered the vulgar but desired words she had always wanted to say.
“Mine..! You’re mine..!”
For a while, the sounds echoed from her room.
Thump, thump, thump.
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