Chương 175: The Hug That Lit A Spark
Early in the afternoon, Phelia and her four guards arrived at the Twilight Manor. They were warmly received and led to one of the main manor's living rooms by Jakk, Kalin, Lefiya and Mina, who had been waiting for them at the manor grounds' entrance.
As this was their second visit already, it took only a couple of minutes for Phelia's group to fully relax. Nikyos and the other guards soon began to generously partake in the snacks plus drinks that had been prepared in advance. Because the Loki Familia - more specifically, Isaac - was classified as a close ally, they were mostly released from their duties for the time being and could enjoy the rest of the day in whatever way they wanted, as long as they stayed on the premises.
Although she had witnessed everything that had been broadcasted throughout Orario the day prior and had picked up a rumour here and there, the Pirate Queen still wanted to hear the details directly from the horse's mouth. With that in mind, after having stuffed herself and reclining on one of the sofas, she inquired about how the Knossos operation had played out.
Seeing no issue with sharing this information with her, because he had already made her aware of most of it before it had taken place, Isaac explained the whole ordeal from the very beginning. Due to how many stories he had consumed throughout his lifetime, he felt it simple to tell a tale that kept the listeners on their toes and glued to his lips with excitement, no matter how dreary the topic.
Only after his retelling of events had concluded did Phelia awaken from the slight daze that she had found herself in throughout. Despite Isaac only using his words to describe the scene, she had easily gotten immersed within the lifelike, at times thrilling, at times horrifying, pictures that he had painted in her head.
"You're quite good at this, aren't you?"
In response to her praise, which was accompanied by raised eyebrows and her playful smirk, the corners of Isaac's lips rose as well. However, inwardly, he couldn't help but sigh.
To be honest, it wasn't like he had a gift for storytelling. Instead, he had simply consumed enough tales to figure out a plethora of prevalent patterns that achieved a desired effect. Combining these with his unfathomable mental capabilities, he could deduce a close-to-optimal way to draw his listeners or readers in. But he still had to admit that he couldn't truly compare to talented authors, bards or writers of any sort, no matter how well-crafted his narrative.
When it comes to stories, following patterns as well as working through a check-list to achieve something tried and tested could get one a great result, but anything beyond that would forever be out of reach. Superb storytelling needed practice and knowledge, yes, but even more than that, it needed a kind of intuition… a talent. One that he didn't have.
"I'm decent, yeah. But really, I don't think that I'm all that amazing. If you want to experience tales far better than anything I can come up with, then there are a couple of books that I could recommend."
Slightly taken aback by his unabashed humility, Phelia's eyes widened a little, then she nodded.
"Sure. Just tell me the titles and I'll get my subjects on the case. It shouldn't take too long to get a copy. Or do you have some here that I can borrow?"
Apparently feeling somewhat apologetic, Isaac cleared his throat before elaborating.
"Ahem. Yeah… about that. You won't be able to get any of those books, because they're not from around here. They're from where I come from. I don't have any of them at hand at the moment, but I plan to create some copies of them when I have enough free time. I'll give them to you then, alright?"
Even though the mention of his place of origin had piqued Phelia's interest initially, something else came along that made her put that matter aside for the time being.
"Wait. You don't have any of them with you, so how do you plan to make copies of them?"
His expression unchanging, as if he was simply stating an inconsequential fact, Isaac responded.
"From memory. And don't worry, I'll translate them as well, so you won't have to learn a new language."
At first, Phelia's hand, which had been reaching for one of the snacks on the table, froze in midair. Then, she raised her head and stared at him with her eyes widened in disbelief.
Amongst all of the shocking things that she had been confronted with, even the revelation that his magical capabilities were way beyond what the current inhabitants of the Lower World thought to be possible hadn't struck her as hard. But recalling entire novels to the letter and being able to casually translate them properly as well… that was simply beyond what she had ever imagined to be achievable. On the surface, it didn't appear as impressive as the powers of the deities, but in actuality, this mental feat was orders of magnitude beyond mere power.
"You're not pulling my leg, right? You can actually do that!?"
Shrugging with a very faint trace of smugness in his eyes, Isaac answered unhurriedly.
"But of course. Outside of the times when I deliberately misled others, when have I ever claimed to be able to do something that I cannot do?"
For a moment, Phelia stayed silent, then she snorted with faux annoyance.
"I've known you for two days, so how would I know?"
"Touché!"
Grinning in amusement, Isaac emptied his glass of fruit juice, then he sighed, let go of Ais' hand and shifted around a little until he sat with his legs crossed in a relaxing, meditative pose. Taking note of Phelia's confusion, as well as that of most others who had paid attention to him aside from Ais and a few other quick-witted ones, he elaborated.
"I'll have to focus for a few minutes now. It's another breakthrough in Mana Cultivation. Please don't mind me."
Before anyone even had a chance to say anything, he had already closed his eyes and turned all of his attention inwards. With Ais right next to him, there was no need to stay on guard excessively, after all.
"Mana Cultivation? What's that?"
Even more perplexed now that he had told her about what was going on, Phelia tilted her head in confusion. Only then did she realize that everyone, even including Ais, had turned various degrees of solemn.
Jakk, who had been chatting away with Nikyos in a corner, dumbly grinning at provocative images when they thought nobody could see them, looked over, his fists clenched. Mina, who had taught Aselina how Phelia's braids were made by letting the silent raccoon girl experiment with her long hair, was close to tears, but holding herself back.
"I'll explain."
Kalin, who had gone to get more snacks from the canteen, plopped down next to the bewildered Pirate Queen and placed the tray down on the table in front of them. Then, he summed up the basics of what Isaac had taught them about magic, Mana Cultivation as well as the potential dangers of a breakthrough. By the end of it, despite being fascinated by the topic, Phelia had also gotten nervous and muttered under her breath.
"... I hope he'll be alright."
"Then I guess you won't be let down today, because I'm indeed fine. Didn't I tell you all not to mind me? Why the long faces?"
Slightly amused, but mostly feeling helpless, Isaac grabbed Ais' hand and stroked it gently, while glancing at everyone who had been observing him worriedly. He would be lying if he said that he didn't feel the slightest bit moved by their actions, but he also felt exasperated - even on the odd chance that something did go wrong during his breakthrough, he would still be able to recover with relative ease, after all.
"You need to take better care of yourself."
Rolling her eyes at him because she knew exactly what he was thinking, Ais poked his side with her free hand and shook her head, but there was a small smile on her lips.
Whilst he was busy dealing with the emotional tension that was the aftermath of his nonchalant breakthrough, Isaac took a look at the latest system notifications.
[ Mana Cultivation - Foundation Establishment (SSS): Enables one to interact with their surroundings by using mana. Reduction in mana expenditure: 50% ]
[ Mana Cultivation - Foundation Establishment has reached its maximum grade.
Quest 'Make six Development Abilities' grades reach the maximum.' completed. 6,000 AP rewarded. ]
The percentage had jumped from 37 to 50 in one go, which was a lot bigger of an increase than had been seen before. However, it wasn't unreasonable either - prior to this, adding 40,000 drops to his mana flow had resulted in an eight percent increase, but this time, he had needed to work through 70,000 drops for 13 percent. When looking at it like that, he had gotten a bit less 'value' out of each drop than before. His total was now at slightly above 250,000, while the 250,000th drop was the SSS-grade hurdle that he had just overcome.
What intrigued him more than this, or the AP that he had gained, was the matter of how to take the next step in terms of Mana Cultivation.
For now, he didn't know what to do. There was no predecessor's path that he knew about and could follow - well, he could technically ask around in the godly community, but he preferred to discover these things on his own. That was how he had stumbled across Mana Cultivation itself to begin with. All that he would allow himself to do for the time being was to make hypotheses and explore his mental layer to the best of his abilities.
'I can still add more drops despite having reached the maximum grade, so it is likely that walking further on this path also has mana drop requirements. However, it's very unlikely that it's that simple. If I had to bet, I'd say that there is likely still something else.'
Even though Isaac was inwardly contemplating this topic along with many others, on the outside, he looked to be joyfully immersed in conversation, partaking in it without any issues whatsoever. Amongst everyone present, only Ais could vaguely grasp just how terrifyingly busy his mind was at most points in time.
About three hours later, at around 8 p.m., Phelia knew that she would have to bid her farewell very soon if she wanted to have a good night's sleep before setting out on the voyage back home early tomorrow morning. With that in mind, she brought up an important topic.
"After I leave this time, I probably won't be able to come back to Orario for quite a while, possibly even years, depending on the situation in Mystldom. So how about you all visit my country when you get the chance? I can promise you a nice vacation, at the very least."
Leaning her head on Isaac's shoulder, the usually quiet Ais showed a smile and was oddly enough the first to speak up.
"Sounds lovely. We'll make sure to drop by."
Adding on to what she had just said, Isaac responded as well.
"I can't say when we'll have the opportunity to start our journey across the Lower World yet - it might be weeks, it might be months. But we'll definitely come to Mystldom. I mean, I already promised to deliver you those books that I mentioned, and you surely have a couple of libraries back home as well. I can't miss out on that."
Glancing at Mina and Lefiya, whose eyes were glistening with anticipation, as well as Kalin, who had been sitting next to the Pirate Queen for most of the evening - primarily because Phelia had pressured him into returning to her side by patting the seat cushion right next to hers multiple times with a teasing grin - Isaac continued.
"I'm sure the kids will enjoy the vacation too. I doubt many of them have ever been to a proper beach, after all."
Before Phelia could begin to say her goodbyes now that she had gotten the response that she wanted, Mina had already crept up next to Isaac and was excitedly wagging her tail, desperate for his attention.
"Thank you, milord! Does that mean we will be picking out swimsuits before we leave? I've always wanted to try one on!"
As she was beaming with joy, suddenly, the Chienthrope girl realized something and started to blush, evidently feeling considerably uncomfortable. With a shy look, she glanced at Phelia, who was wolfing down some more snacks while she still had the chance.
"Uh… Pheli. Will there be many people at the beach…?"
Understanding what she was worried about almost immediately, the Pirate Queen flashed a knowing smile.
'So adorable! You don't want strangers to ogle at your mostly exposed body, right? Well, I can't say that I don't feel the same.'
"I literally own the country, so any and every beach can become my private beach whenever I want it to. Don't be so anxious, you'll have the beach all to yourselves!"
After being stumped for a second, Mina beamed brightly, the sheepishness all but melting away.
"You're the best!"
-----
"Get home safely!!"
Despite the strained smile she was sporting, Mina's ears were drooping low and her spirits were anything but high. She hadn't known Phelia for long, but the black-haired, heroic-looking beauty had long since turned into someone she genuinely cared for - in part perhaps due to the mature big sister vibe that she gave off when the two interacted.
"I got it already. Don't worry about me, these guys are normally quite reliable. And if even they fail, then I can just take care of any remaining troublemakers myself."
In an attempt to cheer Mina up, Phelia grinned and motioned at her guards, before pointing at herself. She wasn't a fan of parting either, so she always aspired to leave a good memory in those that she would be separated from.
"Now come here and give me a hug. You'd better grow strong enough to spar with me by the time you visit, you hear me?"
As if she had been waiting for it, Mina dove into the open arms of the Pirate Queen, embracing her tightly. She didn't have too many female friends, so she truly cherished all of them, even if she hadn't known them for long. Although she was feeling sappy, she still managed to squeeze out a combative remark accompanied by a smirk.
"Got it. You'd better not slack off either, or you'll be too weak for me to spar with you."
Rubbing the dog girl's head in a playfully annoyed manner, Phelia rolled her eyes and separated from her, before pulling both Aselina and Lefiya into a hug too. The two of them had stood to the side and hadn't expected to suddenly be cuddled like that, so they showed various forms of surprise. Lefiya yelped, before blushing, and Aselina's eyes widened, then she reciprocated the group hug.
Seeing his queen act like this, Nikyos momentarily looked over at Jakk, contemplating whether such a form of farewell would be appropriate. But before he could even mentally discard it as a foolish thought or move a single finger, the youngster had already shot two meters backwards and was eyeing him cautiously.
"You'd better not! I'm really not into that touchy-feely stuff. No offense."
Chuckling and scratching his cheek, Nikyos nodded.
"None taken, and same here. Anyway, can you bring me some more 'literature' when you visit?"
Relieved that he wouldn't be forcibly held close by a rugged soldier, Jakk walked forward again and put a bag full of 'research material' into Nikyos' hand. For a good portion of the evening, the two of them had been studying these 'treasures' and deciding which ones he would be taking home with him. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Jakk had snuck out last night and had stocked up on a fair portion of erotic works, which he had stored in his room. By giving him some parting presents, he could hopefully avoid Nikyos dying of thirst while he was away. As they say, anything for the boys.
"Sure thing! I've written down what to specifically look out for, so you can expect a great haul!"
While the two perverts were having a chat, the other three guards - Agapetos, Kleon and Phanios - exchanged helpless looks. All three of them had gotten married close to a decade ago, and were in their late thirties. They had long since grown out of that energetic, youthful phase of their lives. During the entire evening, they had mostly observed their queen, ready to jump in at a moment's notice, despite having been given the time off. They didn't really fit in with the young'uns anymore. Well, maybe they did with Quinn, who had mostly been sitting at the sidelines quietly, just like them. Speaking of, the cat boy had long since stolen away when he had gotten bored.
"Should we introduce him to a nice girl sometime? I don't want it to get out of hand."
In response to Kleon's remark, Phanios released a powerless sigh and nodded.
"That would probably be for the best. But… do you know any women his age?"
Neither Kleon nor Agapetos replied. It seemed like Nikyos would have to brave the path of culture for a fair while longer.
After Aselina and Lefiya had escaped Phelia's clutches, the Pirate Queen set her sights on Kalin, who had accompanied the group as usual. This evening, he had felt her stare on him a lot more often than last time, and for some reason, she was a lot more aggressive than before as well. Was this just her being more open with those that she was close with, or was it more? He honestly couldn't tell. That cheeky grin on her lips didn't help much either.
"Wait, why are you approaching me---!"
Before he knew it, Phelia had already wrapped him into a tight hug, leaving him both flustered and ever so slightly excited. He couldn't help it - after all, this woman's body was truly a breathtakingly stunning work of art, in all the right places. Even though he didn't have a crush on her, this physical closeness was still very much welcome, to say the least.
Smirking to herself, Phelia let him go after an amount of time that felt excessively long to him, then she ruffled his hair. Shortly after she had first met Kalin, she had already felt that he would turn into someone she would be absolutely enamoured with in a few years, and she only got more certain of it the longer that they interacted. But why was it that her intuition was telling her to 'claim' him as soon as possible, or it would be too late?
'A few days ago, my gut wasn't warning me about any of this. Did he meet someone special in that short period of time…?'
No matter how much it irked her, she couldn't figure it out. So to leave at least a bit of a mark on his heart while she still had the chance, she had pressed herself against him extra-closely during their embrace. Any more than that… yeah, that would have been a bit too much, even for her.
"Until next time~"
With a playful wink, Phelia turned around and marched off into the distance, waving at everyone one more time. Her guards, save for Nikyos, followed behind in file. As for the pervert amongst them, he could only hurry after them as quickly as possible when he noticed that they had already left.
-----
None of the students were aware that a certain someone had been paying attention to their parting with Phelia's group. They were standing in one of the adjacent courtyards that had a decent view on the main gate, silently taking note of everything that was taking place.
At a specific moment, they clenched their fists, before taking a deep breath and attempting to calm their rampaging emotions. But try as they might, it didn't work! Whenever they thought about that scene, their heart would feel a strong sense of discomfort and nag them to no end.
Eventually, they returned to their room and laid down, staring at the ceiling with a reminiscing, conflicted look on their face.
For more than an hour, they didn't make a sound as they were weighing their options carefully.
Suddenly, they opened their eyes and sat up, resolution exuding from their very being.
They had finally decided.
To hell with it! What use was there in thinking about it rationally when their emotions had gone impossibly out of control?
Therefore, they had chosen to follow their heart.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
Shiro_the_Hero
Shiro_the_Hero Who is that stalkermon? I don't think it's too difficult to guess, so let this be a test to check if you've paid proper attention to the story so far ;D
Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! \o/
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Shameless self-promotion aside, I hope you have a wonderful, fantastic day!! o/
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