Although Vespa was a thief, she actually possessed a tiny sliver of spellcasting talent—translated into the terms of a cultivation novel, she’d have something like a five-element mixed spiritual root, the kind where she’d have to thank her lucky stars if she ever managed to successfully refine qi in her entire life.
But she always had a dream: to learn 【Ignition】.
That way, she wouldn't have to carry tinder with her everywhere. How convenient would that be?
Based on the mindset of "hiring a mage lord for lessons is expensive, so it’d be a waste not to learn for free," she had the thick skin to come and audit the classes.
The result was a total waste of time.
After listening for a few days, she felt that not only had she learned nothing, but she was also on the verge of qi deviation.
"It’s just first like this, and then like that!"
Leo looked at the bewildered Vespa, feeling a bit of frustrated disappointment:
"Sigh, there’s no helping it. Some things just require talent. Since you don't have it, it's hard for me to explain it clearly to you!"
Currently, Leo was like a mathematical genius holding the answer key, trying to teach calculus to two academic failures who couldn't even memorize the multiplication table.
What do you mean my teaching is bad? This is simple; you can see the answer at a glance. Why do you guys still need to calculate the steps?
It was simply infuriating.
"Whoosh—!"
Right then, the flame in Lucrezia Sylvania's hand suddenly expanded, instantly transforming into a nimble little fire dragon. It circled her cheerfully twice before accurately diving into the stream ahead, exploding into a cloud of mist.
"Hmph!"
Lucrezia raised her chin triumphantly, looking down her nose at Vespa.
"As expected, the stinky cat is an idiot! You don't even understand such a simple principle?"
"Leo explained it very clearly! Just first like this, then like that, and doesn't it just come out?"
Veins throbbed on Vespa's temple.
"Who are you calling a stinky cat?! You brat!"
Vespa's fur stood on end instantly, and she jumped up in embarrassment and rage. "This meow is going to tear your mouth apart!!"
"Blehh! You can't hit me, you can't hit me!"
The two bickered and fought along the way. Although they seemed at each other's throats, Leo could tell that Lucrezia, who had lacked playmates since childhood, didn't actually hate Vespa.
It was just that this fallen princess's personality was truly atrocious. That tsundere, sharp-tongued way of expressing herself really made one get hard...
My fists, I mean.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, isn't it just because you were born lucky! Born well!"
Vespa obviously knew the real reason Lucrezia could release magic so easily, and she spoke with heavy sarcasm:
"This has absolutely nothing to do with your pitiful IQ! It's entirely because you're a goddamn sorcerer!"
"With sorcerers, all you need is a bloodline awakening, then just release more, follow your feelings more, and you naturally get stronger!"
"What did you say! Stinky cat! This is all the result of my hard work!" Lucrezia retorted indignantly.
"You're right, but this is the dragon-blooded sorcerer."
Vespa suddenly adopted an extremely exaggerated and punchable tone, beginning a rhythmic rant:
"Born with mana reserves, can transform after reaching adulthood. After transformation, armor is thicker than plate mail, and magic resistance is higher than mithril! Has wings, has breath, can tank and can deal damage!"
"Can even fly after transforming! Doesn't even need to channel; spells go off just by thinking about it!"
"When meeting someone, just take a deep breath—and then AAAAAAAAH, I AM POWER INCARNATE!! 【Dragon Breath】!"
"And you call this hard work?! We dragon-blooded sorcerer sure require a lot of skill!"
Vespa finished in one breath, accompanying her words with wild gestures, before finally slumping to the ground with a look of utter despair.
"We ordinary classes work ourselves to the bone to increase our strength, while you guys just wake up from a nap and awaken... The class balance of this world is a total load of shit!"
"Pfft..."
Leo almost choked on a rabbit leg.
This flavor... it was too pungent!
Though she put it that way, dragon-blooded sorcerer were originally rare as phoenix feathers, and those who could fully awaken and control their power without turning into beasts were even rarer.
"Alright, alright."
Leo wiped the grease from his mouth, acting like a homeroom teacher separating elementary students.
"Lucrezia performed well; she indeed has talent. But don't be proud; you still need more practice with micro-control."
"As for Vespa..."
Leo glanced at the cat girl who was still questioning her life and comforted her:
"Diligence can make up for a lack of talent. Come, I'll demonstrate the subtle flow of mana to you one more time."
As he spoke, Leo reached out quite naturally toward Lucrezia's flat lower abdomen.
He had been doing this the whole way.
Out of mana? Touch the princess.
Want to demonstrate? Touch the princess.
Sometimes his hands were just cold... ahem.
It had already become a habit, a "charging" behavior that didn't require conscious thought.
However.
Just as Leo's palm was about to press against that layer of soft fabric.
"Ugh..."
Lucrezia's body suddenly trembled slightly.
It was unclear whether it was because her bloodline had awakened and her control over mana had significantly improved, or because that strange sense of shame had reached a breaking point during this period.
Lucrezia's small face was instantly flushed with a layer of crimson. She subconsciously pressed her chubby thighs together, and the mana within her body instinctively produced a resistant suction.
Hum.
Leo's hand pressed down.
But...
He couldn't draw any out?
Leo was stunned.
There wasn't that silky-smooth feeling of mana extraction like usual.
Instead, there was a sense of blockage, as if he were pushing against a Wall of Sighs.
Refusing to believe it, Leo frowned and pressed gently again, even adjusting his angle.
Still no reaction!
And with his movements, Lucrezia's small face turned visibly redder—from embarrassment, annoyance, and a strange, never-before-felt sensation.
Vespa, who was drinking water nearby, almost spat it out seeing this scene.
Again? Now he wasn't even pretending anymore? Groping her in broad daylight?
Those amber cat eyes instantly went wide.
This guy... is definitely an irredeemable lolicon, isn't he?!
It was one thing for the two of them to sleep in one bedroll at night, since conditions in the wild were harsh.
But every day in broad daylight, right in front of this meow, he used the obviously made-up excuse of "absorbing mana" to keep his hand on a young girl's private area without letting go!
And he even pressed again and again!
And looking at that expression... he seemed to be enjoying it?!
Wait!
Vespa suddenly hugged her own shoulders, her tail wrapping tightly around her waist.
He's hiding it less and less now. Could he be doing this on purpose for this meow to see?
Is this a hint to this meow: "Want to learn spells? Want a permanent position? Then you have to pay a price..."
Is this the legendary... workplace unspoken rules?!
If you want to learn the trade, you have to sleep with the master first?!
What to do, Vespa! What to do!
Is this the path one must take to become an adult?!
For the sake of a stable job... do I have to sacrifice my tail?!
Vespa clutched her tail, falling into a deep crisis of chastity and workplace anxiety.
On the other side.
Leo finally withdrew his hand, looking at his palm with a face full of confusion.
"Something's wrong. Did the power bank gain sentience? Why is it locked?"
As for Lucrezia.
After experiencing the initial shyness and panic, seeing Leo's frustrated expression, she suddenly had a moment of clarity.
An unprecedented sense of "control" welled up within her.
So...
As long as I want to, I can refuse him?
So... this stinky small fry who seems omnipotent, who always bullies me and treats me like a tool, his lifeline is actually held in my hands?
As long as I don't provide power, he goes limp?
Rate on N.U.
