Chapter 140 – Mark
It wasn’t very difficult to grasp the true intention behind Minerva’s words. I stopped in my tracks.
After all, Minerva had her arms wrapped tightly around my shoulder and neck, pushing against my chest from behind, making it impossible to move. The refreshing scent of lemon was an unexpected bonus.
The intention behind her words was obvious, and I knew that if I answered ‘I know,’ the situation that would follow was even more obvious.
“Was that too abrupt of a question, child?”
“Is that what knowledgeable people say?”
“Then, to make it easier for you to answer, I’ll give you options.”
Her right hand extended forward. The fingers looked remarkably soft with no calluses, and long nails painted with black nail polish stood out.
Minerva, with her palm open towards me, brought her lips to my ear and began to whisper gently.
“First. Answer that you know.”
With that word, her thumb folded down. It was an absurd choice, revealing Minerva’s true feelings.
“Second. Answer that you know.”
Her index finger folded down. Filled with disbelief, I spoke up.
“The first and second options are the same, you know?”
“Aren’t the words different?”
“…….”
“Third. Of course, answer that you know.”
This time, her middle finger folded. The remaining fingers stood upright. I wondered if it was possible for a human body to position the ring and little fingers erect while the other three were folded.
It was so ridiculous that my gaze could only go in that direction.
“Fourth. Answer that you are prepared to reveal the locations of the ancient scrolls immediately.”
“Isn’t that option too obvious?”
“Hoohoo, is it?”
Minerva barely paid attention to my words, waving her unfurled pinky finger back and forth.
“Fifth. Answer that you cannot reveal them right now.”
The last finger folded down. Her fist was gently closed.
“Would this make it a bit easier to answer? Now, child, make your choice. Which one?”
“It feels like you’re asking your question under the assumption that I know.”
“Oh dear? If that’s how you felt, I’m sorry. Instead, I’ll add one more option. Sixth. Answer that you do not know. How about that?”
Minerva smiled sweetly and tickled my cheek with her finger. Although a sixth option was given, it didn’t seem to have any meaning.
“What happens if I choose 6?”
“Unfortunately, I’ll have to say it’s correct.”
“Then what about 5?”
“That will also be declared correct, and a small bonus will be given.”
“I can guess what 4 is. It’ll be correct, followed by a substantial bonus, right?”
“You’re sharp. If you want the bonus given directly by the Eternal Magician, feel free to choose.”
Options 1 through 3 were ones I didn’t want to ask about. I knew what their answers would be.
“Can you tell me what happens with the bonus?”
Instead of answering, Minerva bit my left earlobe gently with her lips. The strange sensation made my body twitch reflexively.
Realizing my reaction, Minerva pressed her lips against my ear, starting to nibble. She lightly pulled and nibbled my earlobe, her tongue flicking against it. I heard a sss sound right near my ear.
After teasing my earlobe for a while, Minerva pulled back and whispered in a sweet voice.
“Don’t you know, child?”
“……”
Instead of responding, I held back my words. Yes, I could guess. If mixing bodies could help find the ancient scrolls, Minerva would surely welcome it with open arms.
The problem would be what happened after that.
‘I’m not ready yet.’
More precisely, I wasn’t ready to handle the consequences.
Lizé, of course, had to take responsibility, and since I found myself vaguely in that sort of relationship with the Pope sisters, they would also expect something. But now, with Kaiquilia suddenly showing her possessiveness over me, Minerva joining in?
The events afterward were painfully predictable. I’d have to draw the line until I grew enough to handle that situation.
Of course, the feelings Kaiquilia and Minerva had were not the same as love, like those of Lizé and the Pope sisters, but that’s precisely why I couldn’t cross the line with Minerva.
“If you dislike that, how about making a trade? I can offer anything I’m capable of.”
While I kept silent, she proposed a trade. It seemed she recalled our agreement about helping to save the Wingless Nightmare in exchange for the Crystal Scroll.
This was something I seriously pondered. After all, the Eternal Magician was saying any condition could be put on the table for trade. It was undoubtedly an alluring option.
Only if I were confident that I could handle Minerva once I had everything I wanted, though.
Just helping to find a single Crystal Scroll led to this level of chaos; I couldn’t even imagine what would happen if I were to bring forth all the other scrolls.
“You’re pondering, aren’t you, child?”
Noticing my indecision for the first time, Minerva pressed herself closer. It seemed she saw this as an opportunity. The warm sensation at my back grew even stronger.
“If it’s really troubling you, how about trying this?”
“……”
Having used teleportation magic to exit the Mage Tower, I stared blankly at the ring clasped in my left hand. Made of platinum, it had a gemstone as small as a fingernail embedded in a silvery-white hue.
This was a symbol representing Minerva, as well as a mark that all my actions in the Empire would be taken responsibility for by Minerva.
To put it extremely, even if I killed someone while wearing this, the guilt would revert back onto Minerva.
‘That’s not something I plan to do in the slightest.’
Minerva was surely convinced that I wasn’t the type to commit crimes recklessly. That’s why she could offer this without a second thought.
Amidst all this, the fact that she could easily brush off any incidences of murder at her level made her even scarier.
According to her words, this was a kind of ‘bribe.’ A bribe to ask her to think positively of her proposal later. Separate from the deal Minerva was proposing.
It was meant to give her power a trial run, and if it pleased her, to ask for something larger next time.
‘I can’t let Kaiquilia find out.’
As for what the Pope sisters had given me, I could somehow let that slide, but there was no way she would overlook the fact that I received a mark from Minerva.
As I currently stood, I had no means to suppress Kaiquilia, so it was imperative that I stayed under the radar.
Suddenly, I wondered if Kaiquilia, like Lizé and the Pope sisters, might be endlessly submissive in bed, but I quickly shook that thought away.
It wasn’t like this was some sort of fantasy, let alone a 19+ rated world where I could make women submit in bed. That had to make sense.
With that thought, I opened the door to the room I had been staying in, and there was Lizé sitting on the bed. She smiled at me as I entered.
“You’re here? You’re late.”
“Yeah, I had some things to do.”
I casually walked past Lizé to gather my things, but suddenly felt something was off and turned my head.
“……Lizé, what are you doing here?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing here? I’m here because of you.”
“Me? What about me?”
“You don’t know why I’m asking?”
Lizé sprang up from the bed and strode toward me. Then she pulled me toward the bed. I complied, my wrist caught and being led along.
Now right in front of the bed, Lizé laid back first, pulling me so that I was above her, looking down. I placed my hand beside her face.
“Didn’t I say we should have one last intense moment before I go back?”
“……Did you really mean that? I thought you were joking when you sent me off with a smile?”
“You thought it was a joke?”
Her blue eyes widened. I desperately turned my gaze away from hers.
“Are you going to take responsibility if I end up with a spider’s web down there because of you? No one else is going to help me with that.”
It was always dizzying to hear such words, but since it was my misunderstanding, there was no room for excuses as I pressed my lips against hers. Lizé eagerly wrapped her arms around my neck.
For a while, we exchanged kisses, playfully swirling our tongues together, then pulled back for a moment. Lizé looked absolutely dazed from it.
I spoke in a playful tone.
“But I already mentioned I’d be going back around dinner time. Shouldn’t we stop here to pack?”
Lizé’s eyes narrowed as she pinched my side. It wasn’t meant to hurt, but more of a playful reminder to keep kissing.
Chuckling, I pressed my lips against hers again, pushing my tongue inside. Lizé accepted my tongue without hesitation.
As our tongues intertwined for what felt like ages, we finally pulled apart, Lizé panting slightly, her eyes hazy as she spoke sporadically.
“……You can come in the morning, right?”
“You’re saying I should stay here until the next morning? That would really leave a mark for my first day as Knight Commander.”
“But you’ll be standing here from dinner until the next morning anyway, right? It’s the same.”
Lizé deliberately mirrored my words, her full lower body accentuated. I lightly laughed and slipped my hand inside her dolphin shorts.
In the end, we really didn’t come out until the next morning. Since we had spent most of our time in the bath to avoid leaving traces, our skins felt the softest.
It turned out that Lizé had already coordinated with three other Knight Commanders. She asked Aurora and the knights under my command to relay that the assembly time had changed.
She had kept that information to herself because she wanted me to feel the guilt of remaining hard while the knights waited outside.
I squeezed the butt of that devilish knight with a hint of vengeance. Lizé jumped at the sudden action, shivering, but then complained for me to stop since she was getting wet again.
Watching us, Aurora gave a strange look.
