Free Web NovelLinhart awoke the next day with a renewed sense of optimism. His head was filled with purpose, and his body still tingled with joy from the mind-bending sex he'd had with Xenia. He couldn’t wait to see her again at the private lesson today, but at the same time he warned himself not to get too attached. He didn’t want to become as obsessed with her as Quan was.
He prepared a satchel of important items, including the three remaining ID bracers, and left his dorm room in a positive mood. The world was full of infinite possibilities and he had infinite lives to experience them.
Reflecting on all his difficulties so far, he realized that he'd been acting very defensively, avoiding the unknown and trying to stay out of danger. How was he to rise through the ranks if he never took risks, placing his trust in his Mnemon powers?
His mission now was to find out more about how magic could benefit him as a Fighter. To follow the lead that Quan had given him. To ‘manhandle’ all those girls that have their way with him, just because they’re stronger or better trained. And to maintain his perfect attendance… he didn't want to give up on that.
And of course, he had to lock down his harem of girls.
Chloe sat directly behind him and Serapha in Anatomy 101. He could feel her presence as she arrived and took her regular spot, the cold glare of her eyes drilling into the back of his head. Linhart knew he had to get back in her good graces fast. He remembered all too well what it meant to have this vengeful girl hate you.
“Hey, Chloe,” he said, spinning around to face her. “Sorry I missed our rendez-vous at End of Day meal yesterday. The Stratega kept me late after our private training. I'll tell you and Zoey all about it at Mentor Hour.”
“Oh, it's okay,” Chloe replied, her face brightening all at once, “That’s a relief, When you didn’t come for End of Day, I thought you were avoiding me. I want to hear all about it.”
Linhart tried his best to maintain eye contact while she was talking, though it was difficult to ignore her innocently spreading her legs while she spoke. His head was at the perfect angle to peek at her Fighter Greens.
He smiled and hoarsely replied, “Can’t wait for Mentor Hour!” Then he leaned forward, and gestured for her to lean in close. She slid forward until her thin legs were an inch in front of his face. Her bouncy blond hair smelled like a bouquet.
“I have that thing I wanted to give to you…” he winked at her, pointing to his own ID bracer. He nearly laughed, watching her eyes open wide. Teasing her was kind of fun. He could see her mind was racing with questions.
"What is it?" she begged.
"Wait... I'll show you at Mentor Hour."
He then turned to the front, ending the conversation. Keeping her happy was necessary, but he would make her work for it.
He smiled in anticipation. After he bonded with her and her sister, he would start training them to obey his every command.
He sat smugly imagining the twins both submitting to him, until he felt something firm bump. It was Chloe's knees grazing his back. He turned back to peer at her, but she gave him was an innocent look in return. The body contact was so light that it could've been unintentional, but somehow it kept happening for the entire lesson; her knees bumping and stroking his back, while occasionally her hand would reach out to touch his hair.
The battle for dominance had begun.
* * * * * * * * *
During Men's Studies, Linhart decided to try something new. He left the relative safety of grouping with the Healer boys, and instead sat with the group of mages that were bunched up across the room.
They welcomed him, though it was clear they weren't a friendly group. He looked at each of the boys in turn. Three freshman boys, all of them mages, and all of them looked at each other with that air of superiority that mages carry about with them. Also sitting with the group was the sharp-toothed mage named Vivian, who out-classed them all.
Thankfully, she didn't seem interested in his presence, ignoring him right from the start. But that didn’t make it a pleasant experience being in the same group as his old tormentor. One of the freshman mages had been her victim from the day before and she wasn’t through playing with him yet.
She sat across from him this time, a toothy smile on her face, as she watched his every move. The boy, who introduced himself timidly as Reynold, was muttering to himself and hopping at shadows, even before the lesson began. Linhart took up the desk right next to sit, and started speaking to him as the lesson started.
“Reynold, are you experiencing terrors here and now?”
The young man looked at him, teary-eyed and shaking. “Y- Y- Yes… It’s just like yesterday. There are demons and beasts in this room, and only I can see them.”
Linhart looked over at Vivian. All the students were focused on Magister Vale, who was speaking enthusiastically on the subject of ‘the Old Girls Club,’ which he was saying maintains the status-quo in the matriarchy.
She looked so elegant in her silver mage robes and long, straight hair. She was doubtlessly more powerful than the boys in the group, though how many years she’d been at the Academy, he still didn’t know.
Vivian was facing Vale, with her legs crossed and back straight, acting like the perfect student. The only indication that she was to blame for the boy’s situation was her frequent glances in his direction. Every time her violet eyes landed on him, his shuddering would begin anew.
“I’m here to help you, Reynold.” he said, unable to stand by and watch him be tormented any longer, “Come with me.”
Linhart pulled at Reynold’s arm, and the boy rose stiffly from his seat. Linhart guided him towards the riverside entrance to the Hall. Curious eyes turned to look at them, and even the Magister paused in his lecture to ask if everything was all right.
Linhart smiled apologetically and said, “This is his first time hearing the truth about the matriarchy, and he's a little shaken up. I'm just going to take him outside for a few minutes.”
As if to emphasize his point, Reynold’s muscles tensed again and he let out a low, guttural sound. Even walking towards the exit, his suffering continued, and Linhart had to force the boy movements, until they was out of the building. The moment they stepped outside, the brilliant morning sunlight and fresh breeze hit them and Reynold’s body folded to the ground, wheezing and panting as though he’d just run a mile. He was pulling at his clothing, hair, and hands.
He looked up at Linhart with wide eyes, saying, “They’re gone again…by the gods. They had eaten my flesh and torn my clothes off. Was it all in my mind?”
Under the bright sunlight, Reynold resembled an innocent child, so young and wide-eyed. Linhart couldn’t believe they were the same age. He patted the boy on his head and said, “You’re suffering from phantasms, Reynold. But phantasms can’t reach you in the daylight, so…”
But before he could finish the sentence he was cut off. Someone spoke from directly behind him, and Linhart spun around in surprise. The voice was melodic, but it rang with authority and made his skin crawl.
“What are you doing, Fighter?” she demanded. “This is my play-thing. You’re interfering with a mage’s work.”
Vivian had followed them out, and was now standing very nearby but still in the shade of the building, just out of the direct sunlight. Her skin was so pale and ghost-like and the smile had disappeared from her face.
“Your work is to torment your fellow students?” Linhart countered. “You’ve been casting phantasms on this boy, trying to drive him insane. How is that ‘mage’s work’? He is under my protection now, so you won’t be using him anymore.”
“What do you, a freshman boy, and a Fighter no less, know about magic…?” she demanded. “Boys are idiots. Their only job at the Academy is to provide girls with pleasure and help us achieve greater success. You’re like a child next to me. A naughty child who is interfering with my work and needs to be taught a lesson.”
While she was talking, dark tendrils began to emerge from her clothes and from her hair. The tendrils reached out and swatted at Linhart. Each touch was tangible, feeling as light as a feather, but it left a cold chill that sank into his skin. The tendrils crept under his clothes and played across his arms and chest. Behind him, Reynold was freaking out once again. He was being attacked by the tendrils as well!
“Now, go and sit down again, and listen to the Magister’s very important lecture,” she ordered, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “And you’d better get that little mage back to his seat, or you’re going to be taking his place, got it?”
Linhart could still feel the chill sinking into his flesh, burrowing into his ribs. It felt dirty and uncomfortable, but it was far less brutal the feelings she would inflict on them once she had them back in her trap. Linhart was ready to take a risk.
“I have a better idea,” he snapped back, his body already in motion.
He lunged at Vivian, there was a sickening crunch as his closed fist caught her in the throat. She didn’t even have time to prepare a spell, he hit with such speed and force that she stumbled, lost her footing, and hit the ground hard. Her scream was barely audible, a low and wretched sound. She could barely breath through her damaged windpipe, but Linhart wasn't done with her yet.
“Grab her by the arms,” he commanded Reynold, “We’ve got to get her away from the shadows. The worst of her powers require that she have dim light or semi-darkness.” He had learned that through months of her teasing and tormenting him. freēwebnovel.com
Reynolds sprang to obey. He may have been a frail-looking mage, but Vivian was a thin reed of a girl herself, and he and Linhart had no problem carrying her between them. Linhart held her bare thighs in his arms, and despite the hatred he held for this girl, he couldn’t ignore the softness of her skin or the enticing sight of her frilly underwear. They were gold and silky, and they looked expensive. They made her private place look that much more tempting.
“Over here,” Linhart directed, as they carried her away from the river and onto a grassy hillside. “Get her as far from the shade of the trees as you can.”
The tendrils of darkness had returned, and even though Vivian was unable to talk and could barely breath, they seemed intent on attacking the two boys. Each lash of the thin gray wisps added to his discomfort, and soon Reynold couldn’t tolerate anymore.
“Oowww! I’m sorry I can’t do this. I have to go.”
He dropped Vivian’s head and shoulders unceremoniously on the ground and turned and fled. He didn’t seem to care which direction he was heading, and Linhart hoped he’d be able to find his way home. The poor boy was probably half-way insane already.
Looking down at the mage girl, he was startled by the hatred that burned in her eyes. She still couldn’t speak, but the rasping sound of her breathing seemed to have settled. What was he to do?
There wasn’t an ounce of fear or respect within her. If he let her go like this, she would make his life miserable, or perhaps just kill him outright the next time they met. Of course, if that happened he would just loop back again, so he wasn't afraid of being killed, but he needed to find a permanent solution to dealing with Vivian.
The hill was scattered with rocks, and Linhart hefted one now. It was bigger than his fist and heavy. More than adequate to smash her head in.
“Vivian…” He addressed the girl, hoisting the rock with one hand above his head. “I’m going to cast a spell on you, and if you resist in any way, I will cave your head in with this rock.”
He wasn’t bluffing, and from the look of fear that appeared on Vivian’s face, he could see that she knew it too.
Still holding the rock up high, he cautiously reached out his other hand and laid it upon her chest. Her skin was silky smooth and cool to the touch. Was this girl made out of ice? His palm slid beneath the neckline of her magic robe and closed gently around her small, well-formed breast. He massaged its firm shape gently, greatly enjoying holding this power over her. His eyes never left hers.
She wasn’t resisting, but her eyes were still filled with unbridled anger. His fingers prodded closer to her heart, trying to detect how his spell would affect such a hostile target. She was a much stronger caster than he was. He may end up having to kill her.
That was not the case.
As his mana forced its way into her chest, the Honey Jar spell took hold. He knew right away, by the look on her face and the sudden squirming of her body, that she was at his mercy.
