Chapter 312 – Academy Arc (85) – Archmage Scarlet (8)
313. Academy Arc (85) – Archmage Scarlet (8)
Scarlet sighed.
“I didn’t expect to get hit like that. I was sure I wouldn’t let my guard down.”
“I’m sorry. It’s because you used your barrier on me…!”
“It’s okay. It was my misjudgment.”
Raul, looking hesitant, spoke about the practical problem they were facing. He was also flustered by the current situation.
“Yes…. But what do we do now? Is all our mana gone?”
“Probably. I can barely feel any energy…. But it doesn’t seem to have affected our bodies. In this case, staying still is the fastest way to recover. We’ll move to the portal at a moderate pace, and once our strength returns, we’ll use it to go back to the capital. How about the academy? Is it okay if you miss a few days?”
“Yes, it’s a holiday anyway, and classes are ending soon, so there aren’t any.”
“I see, that’s a relief. Then… ah.”
“Countess!”
“I’m okay, I just lost my strength for a moment….”
Scarlet’s legs gave way, and she slumped to the ground. The mana condensed within her body also acted as a kind of stamina, and with it all gone, she was completely drained. In comparison, Raul, with his robust physique and physically trained body, was somewhat free from such limitations.
Raul, with a thoughtful expression, slowly approached her and bent down.
“Get on my back, Countess.”
“……On your back?”
“Yes, it seems difficult for you to move right now.”
“……………….”
Scarlet looked at Raul’s back and secretly made a suggestive expression.
Was it because she saw something like this in the foresight orb? She had a feeling that something might change just by touching skin. But the current situation was very normal. She felt foolish for thinking like this even in this situation, so she quickly nodded in agreement.
Under the clear sky, she rode on Raul’s back, moving along the vast meadow path.
A charismatic archmage being carried by a young man—it was an unusual sight.
‘This is strange….’
Scarlet found her current state truly bizarre. She had always lived a dignified and aristocratic life in noble society. For Scarlet to be carried by a man like this was a first for her. Especially by a young man who was (probably) conscious of her….
Her sharp eyes were the same, but the pupils within them had grown slightly larger as she gazed intently at Raul’s back.
“Hehe….”
“Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”
“Ah. It’s… it’s nothing.”
“Tell me right now.”
“Well… this might be rude, but seeing you like this, I thought, ‘Ah, the Countess is just a woman after all.’ I’m sorry.”
“……So you’re saying I’m not a woman normally?”
“Ah, no. You look like a woman normally too, but today you look much more… no, I mean…!!”
“………….”
Raul, whose words had started to tangle, simply shut his mouth. Scarlet didn’t say anything more either. Instead, the phrase ‘you look like a woman normally too’ kept replaying in her mind. She lightly moistened her lips and swallowed audibly.
An awkward and strange atmosphere.
Scarlet was wary, wondering if Raul might start touching her legs, or if his hand, which was holding her behind her knees, might gradually move back and touch her buttocks.
Although her only experience with men was her husband, she wasn’t ignorant of the basic physiology and behavior of men.
Skinship with a woman who was physically weak. Especially if the woman was someone he liked, it wouldn’t be easy to restrain himself in this situation.
She watched Raul with a complex mind.
But Raul didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.
For the next ten minutes or so, he just walked straight ahead.
“……………………………………….”
Scarlet stared intently at the side of Raul’s face, which was visible to her.
With her eyes slightly raised—
Something didn’t sit well with her.
Thump.
“Ah, Countess…!?”
“I lost my strength… What are you doing? Hurry up and carry me properly again.”
“Ah. Yes!”
At Scarlet’s haughty tone, Raul quickly straightened his back and corrected his posture. Scarlet, as if losing her strength, leaned her body against his back… and pressed her already touching large breasts firmly against his back. She wrapped her arms around his front again, and her soft breasts continued to press against his back.
Scarlet stared at the side of his face again.
A flustered look.
Cheeks that were gradually flushing.
The sight of him swallowing.
‘…………Hmph.’
Only then was she somewhat satisfied.
She hugged him tighter and leaned closer, pressing her body against Raul’s.
There was nothing strange about it.
She was actually exhausted from the mana burn, after all.
Yes, it wasn’t like she was doing it on purpose.
Because of the mana burn, she was occasionally breathing heavily, which created the image of her breasts gently rubbing against his back.
“Haa…. Haa…….”
“Ah. U-um……….”
Seeing Raul’s neck now completely red, a strange feeling continued to surge within her.
And what should she say, Raul seemed to have been attracted to her intellectual side, but here she was, playing these kinds of pranks on such a young man, making her feel ashamed… as if she had become a perverted old woman.
If she could have seen her face in a mirror while doing these things, she would have realized how stunning her expression was.
‘Why am I doing this….’
Actually, there was no particular reason.
At the time when a woman’s libido is at its peak, Scarlet’s mature body was reacting to Raul’s young body, especially since she was already conscious of him, resulting in a variety of honest physiological responses. Added to that was her dissatisfaction with her sex life with her husband, leaving her frustrated. Moreover, Raul, who was becoming more like an incubus as he absorbed yin energy, was becoming even more fatally attractive to women.
Scarlet was no different.
The scent of the young male tickled her nose.
Her heart continued to pound.
She felt like she might let out a sweet moan if she lost her grip on her sanity. Was it because they were alone in such a different environment? She became acutely aware of the male pressed so close to her. In fact, anyone, male or female, could have such thoughts in their head, couldn’t they?
In any case, Scarlet’s actions stopped right there.
Of course, this was just a leaning act, after all…….
…………
The group found a resting place to take a break.
They rested for a while under the natural shade created by a large rock. The two on the ridge looked around and briefly discussed their plan again.
“My strength still isn’t returning. We need to find a place to sleep. Do you see that mountain over there?”
“You mean that mountain in the distance?”
“Yes, let’s head that way and see if there are any natural caves nearby. If not, we’ll just camp out near there.”
“That’s a good idea. We might even be able to find some meat.”
“Do you know how to prepare it?”
“Yes, I learned such miscellaneous things as part of basic survival skills. Hehe. If we catch something, I’ll grill it for you.”
“Hmph…. Well, I’ll look forward to it. Let’s rest a bit and then set off again.”
The two of them recovered their strength in the shade.
While the exhausted Scarlet rested against the rock, Raul looked down the gentle slope and surveyed the surroundings.
About 20 minutes passed.
Then, Raul’s eyes lit up at a certain sight.
He had spotted several horses coming to a nearby stream to drink. Raul said he would be back in a moment and walked towards the horses.
But one of them stood out. Not only was it the largest, but it also had a brand on it that was quite worn, and it looked unruly, making him think it might be an escaped horse. But that didn’t matter. A means of transportation had come to them on its own, so he had to catch it somehow.
As Raul approached the stream, the other horses ran away, but that one horse became agitated and charged at Raul. It roughly raised its front hooves and circled around, sending a warning message. Still, Raul had some faith in himself. When Louis first gave him his body, he said it was a blessed body with top-tier affinity for spirits and nature, so it was time to put it to use.
Sure enough, as Raul cautiously approached, the horse’s wariness decreased, and it gradually began to stare at him with its large, clear eyes. He mustered his courage and stroked its head several times, and the horse stood still, soon making a pleasant whinny and becoming friendly with Raul. Raul led the horse back to the shade of the rock.
“You have an amazing affinity. It looks like an escaped horse….”
Scarlet stroked the horse as well.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a big horse.”
“It’s a Peculis breed. They’re not common in the central kingdom, but they live in the northern Kieh. It’s one of the largest horses… It should be enough for two people. It has a saddle, though it’s quite worn. What unexpected luck. Shall we set off now? You go up front first.”
“Countess. This is a bit embarrassing, but… I don’t know how to ride a horse at all.”
“You’ve never ridden a horse before?”
“No.”
“I see. Then I’ll hold the reins.”
The two of them mounted the horse.
As she said, Scarlet took the reins in front, and Raul sat behind her. It was a reversal of the situation from when he carried her on his back.
If a suggestive skinship were to occur, the initiative would be with Raul. But even if he had the initiative, there was no way the polite Raul would do anything to her… No, it wasn’t like she wanted that at all.
When Raul behind her seemed unstable, Scarlet quietly snapped at him.
“Don’t be so hesitant, just grab my waist properly. Do you want to fall off?”
“Ah, yes….”
Then, awkwardly, Raul grabbed Scarlet’s waist.
Clop clop….
And so, the two of them set off towards the small mountain, choosing a route that led there. They chose a relatively gentle terrain to avoid injuring the horse’s ankles on the uphill slopes. Since their goal wasn’t to climb the mountain, but to scan the surroundings and find a cave or similar terrain, that would be the best.
As the horse swayed, the bodies of Raul and Scarlet, who were riding on it, gradually came closer.
The two men and women were getting closer and closer.
Even if they were riding, it was clear that they were getting much closer than what would be considered normal. Even if Raul didn’t know how to ride well, Scarlet did. She knew that this scene was more suggestive than necessary. But she didn’t intend to dwell on it.
Raul, being a beginner, would be anxious.
The firm chest of the male had already pressed against her back.
Scarlet’s eyes were as charismatic and sharp as ever… but her cheeks were already shyly flushed.