NOVEL NEXT Chapter 148: Truly a Lesson
I get up from the floor, looking at Esther with genuine annoyance. She does all these things as if they were nothing, as if my opinion holds no value whatsoever. I think about complaining, but I remember we had an agreement where I just have to accept her advances.
Does this count as an advance? She kissed me and "tried" to get me pregnant. Theoretically, is that an advance? Is this still within the bounds of that stupid agreement? I'm not sure, but I just look at her with hidden anger.
"Why... are you being so invasive?" I ask with a touch of frustration in my voice. She looks at me confused, before giving me a strange smile that grows into a mocking grin.
"Because you are my wife, and because you asked for a simplified method. I see no problem with me touching your body. In fact, I'm being quite kind by teaching you through the fastest method."
"..."
"You look at me with so much distrust, Evelyn. Do you think I'm touching you unnecessarily on purpose?" she asks while I don't answer, but I really do think the touch is unnecessary.
"..." She takes my hands again and pulls them open, putting us in a position that looks like a T together.
"Evelyn, the contact I'm having with you isn't just because I want to touch you. Think of magic like a magnet. When two magnets come into contact, their electromagnetic fields attract or repel each other depending on the type."
"When two demons have such close contact, our magics also interact with each other. Each demon's magic is unique, so the reaction is also unique."
"Some demons feel a certain discomfort when touching others. Others feel a pleasant sensation, and some get hurt just from the contact, because magic, as I said before, is unstable."
"There are demons who even die depending on who they touch, because their bodies react so negatively that they destroy themselves. Although that case is very rare, normally all that happens is discomfort." She holds me tighter.
"Do you feel uncomfortable? Do my fingers hurt you? Do you feel pain from the touch?" she asks while I shake my head.
"..." She moves closer to me, our chests pressing firmly together as she begins to rub against me. I look at her, confused by this whole strange situation.
"..." I don't understand what she's doing, so I just stay still until she stops rubbing against me.
"When we had our first night together, I rubbed against you quite a bit. With that, I was able to perceive a few things. First, our magics have a great affinity for each other."
"Second, our magics are 'opposite poles' that largely cancel each other out, with your magic focused on small areas and mine focused on large areas."
"And third, our combined magics don't destroy each other... Do you know what that means?" she asks, knowing full well I don't, because I don't understand anything about magic.
"...Demons have affinities with certain types of demons. When one demon has a child with another, but both have magics that destroy each other when combined, the child born from that magic will have a new branch of magic, albeit a somewhat weaker one."
"But when compatible demons have children, the child is born inheriting the branch our magic follows, and with a new, weaker branch of magic... If you didn't understand,"
"It means that the two of us, being compatible, would have heirs who would inherit both our current magic and a new form of magic... However, the usefulness of compatible magics isn't just for having children." She holds my hands firmly, rubbing her fingers over my palms.
"If one day I am dying, you would be my best chance of salvation, by giving your magic to me. And if one day you are dying, I will be your best bet to stay alive."
"Our magics resonate well, and because of that we are... a perfect pair for each other. Funny, don't you think? I didn't know this until our first night together..."
"But let's set those points aside. The important thing now is that physical contact between the two of us makes our magics become more active. So me touching you is just me stimulating your magic to move within your body." She finally explains the reason for the contact.
'Well... that makes sense, I guess... even if it is a bit strange...' Now that she's done all that, I really do feel the ambient magic a little better, especially after having seen it manifest right in front of me earlier.
"So... what should I do now?" I ask, holding her hands. In the end, what I want doesn't matter much; I should just try to learn magic to become stronger.
"What do you want to do? We can't make much progress until you can see magic. Seeing magic is the foundation for understanding and shaping your magic into something refined."
"If you can never see your magic, there is no training in the world that will allow you to refine it. So tell me, Evelyn, do you truly want to become stronger?" she asks, looking into my eyes.
"Y-Yes!" I don't want to be weak forever. Even if I never become extremely powerful, I can still at least aim for the strength of a Rank B using magic, strength enough to defend myself from some dangers using just magical lines.
"Great. Then how about we start with something good? There are painful methods to force you to see magic, but I'm sure you don't want me to use them, do you?" she asks, and I quickly shake my head.
"Then let's start with a very simple trick that mages often use: consuming magic. Hikishin isn't something with a fixed form; it can be liquid, gaseous, solid, or even in spiritual states."
"A good method for seeing Hikishin is to consume it in solid or liquid form. But unfortunately, consuming it is extremely damaging to the body of someone who doesn't know how to manipulate Hikishin efficiently."
"Mages do this because they know how to control the Hikishin they are ingesting. The best comparison would be trying to make a baby swallow a whole fruit; it would obviously choke to death, unlike an adult who would bite the fruit into smaller pieces to swallow."
"And do you know how animals like birds feed babies who don't know how to eat?" she asks. I think about it, quickly understand, and I'm not sure if I'm disgusted or embarrassed.
"I see you've found your answer. Although it's different from that, I will just give you my Hikishin to eat... Here, see... Aaahhhh." She opens her mouth and sticks out her tongue as a clear, purple liquid begins to trickle out, mixing with her saliva.
"..." I look away, understanding what she wants me to do. She closes her mouth, her gaze narrowing into something dangerous.
"Evelyn, do you know how mages normally do this besides eating? They cut open their own stomachs and insert the Hikishin directly inside through the cut made by a blade."
"..."
"Other methods are equally painful. Some require injecting liquid Hikishin directly into your veins, or removing your eyes to inject Hikishin into your brain. They do this to themselves, without any help, just to become stronger."
"They do this alone because they have no one to help them do it in a safer way. Seeing Hikishin isn't easy. Demons take years to learn such a technique."
"It took me 5 years to learn to see Hikishin through uninterrupted training and with the best instructors. You, who know nothing of magic but have talent, would take at least 30 years to manage it alone, since it's easier to learn as a child than as an adult."
"!!!" I'm shocked by that ridiculously high timeframe.
"Mages try to inject Hikishin into themselves because being able to see Hikishin is fundamental for high-level magic. And the fastest method to see it is to forcibly get the body accustomed to it."
"The method I'm providing will allow you to see Hikishin in just a few months at most, while I handle all the instability of the Hikishin with my own body. You won't face any risk."
"I'm giving you Hikishin directly from my mouth because this way I can personally handle the instability it has using my body. If you tried to eat my Hikishin normally, it would destroy your throat all the way to your stomach and perhaps make it explode."
"Do you know why I'm doing this? Because you are my foolish wife who said you like me. So don't be an ungrateful bitch who tramples on my help because you're bothered by something."
"If you want to remain weak forever, then so be it. I don't care... This ends here, since your discomfort outweighs your desire to learn." She lets go of me and steps back, starting to walk away, making it clear she won't help me anymore.
"W-Wait!!" Before she can leave, I grab her hand. Thirty years is time I don't have. In the game, the original Evelyn was capable of seeing magic; I don't know how, but she could do it. But I can't. And she's right; without it, I can't use high-level magic, and some high-level spells are important for me to try and learn in the future.
All I have is 3 to 5 years at most, and it will soon be 1 year since I arrived here. I don't have anywhere near 30 years to spend just trying to learn to see magic.
"I-I want to be strong. Please don't abandon me. I-I'll do anything." I need this strength. To create Rank X puppets, or puppets imbued with various powers already at layer 5 or 6, I will need an absurd level of control over magic, not just the right materials.
Since a puppet's initial abilities depend entirely on the power I possess.
"..." She looks at me, seeing the look in my eyes, and seems to ponder whether or not to accept. I can see she's genuinely considering just stopping her help. I pull her into a hug.
"Please... please, I need this... I-I don't want to be weak forever. I-I don't want to go back to being a failure. I need this strength... I-I can't wait that long to become strong..." I say, sounding a bit too desperate, realizing the chance I'm wasting.
All because I'm confusing things. No matter how strange or lewd the action seems, for Esther, who is a demon, this is just her way of helping. Just from her explaining the other methods, it's obvious this is one of the few safe options for me.
"...You are so... opportunistic. You refuse my help, and when you realize you need it, you try to come crawling back... Tsk..." She clicks her tongue and grabs my face, lifting it. She looks irritated and frustrated.
"Normally, I would never help someone who refused my help once... Consider yourself lucky. You are the first person in my entire life to receive a second chance. Don't waste it. A third time would be to abuse a luck that doesn't exist." She opens her mouth, sticking her tongue out.
I, being much shorter than her, stand on my tiptoes while hugging her. I open my mouth and take her tongue into mine, and our lips meet in a kiss.
I feel that strange liquid flowing from her tongue to mine. It has a nauseatingly sweet taste, but ignoring the flavor, I feel the magic in my body reacting just from having it inside my mouth.
I begin to lick, moving my tongue against hers, while she also moves her tongue, holding my face in place to keep it steady. And so begins our "practical" magic lesson.