Ch152: A Very Distracted Lesson About Magic

“Haahh~...” Beryl sighs so softly and happily as she nuzzles into her barbaric lover’s bare bosom, pointed ear pressed flat above a steadily beating heart. “Ah could stay like this all day~...”

“Yeah~...” Krvavy easily agrees, her own cheek resting atop that tomboy’s head. “But I feel like we should get back to that magic stuff at some point.”

“Do ya even ‘ave enough mana left after all o’ tha’...?”

“Sure. I mean, I did waste a lot making that stick, but I should have enough for another spell at least.” A rather impish smile fills Krvavy’s face, though neither of her girls can see it. “After all, this lovely little brat helped me recharge a bit~.”

“Mhnnhph...!” Thea’s slightly grumpy groan is muffled by the pale tits that her face is buried between.

“Oh~? Looks like tha’ girl o’ yers is coherent again~!” The Wood Elf quickly pulls herself back, leaving the three-way hug. Her bright blue-green eyes twinkle quite mischievously as she leans her head down towards that bratty girl. “Thea, Thea, Thea~! Ah know tha’ ya threw yerself at our dearest love ta get one over on me, but Ah don’t mind tha’ one bit~. And not just because it backfired on ya~! No, Ah’m just ‘appy tha’ ya so willingly gave yerself ta Krvavy~! Ya got fucked silly without actually gettin’ fucked at all~! It was–~!”

That noble girl abruptly jerks away from Krvavy’s comfortable chest, her face flushed an intense shade of red as sheer embarrassment mixes with growing anger. “Sh-shut up!” She shakily shouts, staring daggers at that playfully smug Elf. “I do not need to hear your mocking words! You Elvish hag! You degenerate whore! You –!”

“Ach, calm down.” The tanned Elf’s smile disappears in an instant. “Ah wasn’t mockin’ ya in the slightest. Teasin’, sure. But not mockin’.” Her hand reaches out and cups Thea’s cheek, fingers squishing into soft skin with just enough force to make ignoring them impossible. The noble girl twitches just a little at that contact. “Ah’m proud o’ ya. Ah’m jealous even. It is clear ta me tha’, despite ‘ow ya may act, ya truly love our Krvavy. Ya will make a good wife fer ‘er.”

Whatever frustration that Thea may have felt fades away into nothingness as Beryl’s firm tone grows gentler with each spoken word. “I...” The girl trails off before she can even really begin. Her eyes glisten a little as she turns away from the Elf, too embarrassed to look Beryl in the eyes. “Thank you... And... I am sorry...” She quietly mutters back, trying to maintain her composure even as her blush spreads down her neck and to her shoulders.

“No problem. Ah’m used ta ya bein’ a pain in the arse~.” Beryl’s teasing smile returns as she lets the brat’s face slip from her gentle grasp. “Now get back ta cuddlin’ yer fiancée~! And enjoy bein’ the only one who can call ‘er tha’ while ya can! It is only a matter o’ time before Ah get tha’ title as well~!”

The corners of Thea’s lips curl upwards ever so slightly. A faintly smug aura surrounds the brat as she grabs onto Krvavy’s hand, locking fingers with the larger Drakling, before resting her head on her fiancée’s shoulder. Not a single word escapes past her lips as she cuddles close to Krvavy.

“Ahem, now...” Beryl puffs out her pert breasts and puts on an overly serious act, letting her expression shift into one of mock professionalism. “Ya wanted ta get back ta learnin’ some more magic, my dearest love? Do ya ‘ave any other ideas in mind?”

“Yes... and also no.” Krvavy replies with the faintest of shrugs, as to not disturb the brat cuddled into her lap. “I was thinking that, maybe, my next beast magic spell could be something that’ll make me stronger? I’m not really sure what else I could do with it. I already have Windborne Haste if I want to move fast and Oakflesh if I want to be more durable. Plus I already see pretty well in the dark, so that little bit of utility doesn’t really seem worth it...”

“Hmm...” The Wood Elf woman taps on her chin in an exaggeratedly thoughtful manner. “It wouldn’t be too ‘ard ta teach ya some sort o’ spell tha’d enhance yer Might... Tha’ is definitely within the capabilities o’ Beast Magic. But it also doesn’t seem all tha’ important. Or at least not time sensitive. Ya don’t really need any extra Might ta ‘unt, nor would it ‘elp all tha’ much wit’ killin’ those pesky slimes... So Ah’d say tha’ it isn’t really worth the effort tryin’ ta make tha’ sort o’ spell on yer own. Ya could just wait until yer Beast Magic skill reaches level ten. Ya’ll get a new spell automatically at tha’ point.”

Krvavy slowly nods her head as she considers the tomboyish Elf’s words. “Yeah. You’re probably right about that... I guess the same goes for my Blood Magic. Except that I have absolutely no idea what I might want from it... And it isn’t as close to the next milestone either...”

“And yer Earth Magic is even further from it’s next milestone level.” Beryl nods back. “Which leaves just yer Fire Magic fer us ta work wit’.”

“Unless I try to learn another type of magic.”

Beryl’s lips twist down into a faint frown. “My dearest love, Ah know tha’ ya ‘ave the affinity ta learn every kind o’ magic tha’ ya desire. But Ah’d caution against doin’ so. Ya should focus on improvin’ the magic ya ‘ave first, otherwise ya’ll spread yerself too thin. Plus ya mus’n’t forget tha’ most people are incredibly limited on the Schools o’ magic they can cast from, and revealin’ tha’ ya can access such a wide range will put a target on yer ‘ead.”

“I know, I know.” Krvavy slowly sighs, holding her free hand up in surrender. “I’m not trying to learn every single type of magic that comes to mind. Just what might be useful.”

The Wood Elf’s brow knits together. “So Ah take it tha’ ya ‘ave a specific spell in mind?”

“Well, not anything specific, but sure.” That fairly vague response earns Krvavy a rather skeptical stare. One that encourages her to quickly explain what she means. “I was thinking that it’d be good to know a bit of ice magic. It would be so much easier to deal with those annoying slimes if I could just freeze them solid and then smash them into bits. But, more importantly, it’d also be helpful in our everyday lives. Wouldn’t it be convenient if we could store food for longer? Without having to dry it out into some sort of jerky?”

“Ach, food is better when fresh. But... Ah see yer point.” This tanned tomboy of an Elf reluctantly relents, giving her head a soft shake. “Though Ah do think tha’ now isn’t the time fer tha’. Unless ya’d like ta make yer body frigid and less pleasant ta cuddle?”

“Hmph..! Not happening!” Thea grows tense... and a little hotter... as she breaks her silence, quickly burying her face into the crook of Krvavy’s neck to hide her embarrassment.

“Fine...” Krvavy clicks her tongue, pulling her beautiful brat tight against her body and tilting her head so that her lower horn doesn’t get in that girl’s way. “But I feel like Fire Magic has the same problem. Just in the other direction.”

“Aye. But we can still come up wit’ some ideas, right? If ya don’t ‘ave any, tha’ is.”

Krvavy slowly nods her head, furrowing her brow in thought. “Alright... Just what sort of spell could I use...? What could I do with fire that I can’t already do...?”

“Wha’ about a spell tha’ll imbue yer weapon wit’ flames?” Beryl suggests after a couple seconds of relative silence. “Those javelins likely wouldn’t be able ta ‘andle it. Not fer long at least. But yer Soulbound weapon should be fine.”

“Hm. That would be cool...” The barbarian briefly trails off, imagining her huge axe coated in a crimson inferno. “But...” She pushes those thoughts aside. “I feel like that might be a bit... counterproductive. I don’t really want to cauterize the wounds I make. I want my enemies to bleed so that I can quickly top up my mana... It would be pretty useful against the slimes though... And maybe armour...?”

“Well, wha’ about somethin’ akin ta yer new Wind Magic spell?” The Wood Elf gives her next suggestion, idly tapping at her chin. “Some sort o’ fire storm swirlin’ around ya? Tha’d make anyone ‘esitant ta fight ya, no doubt.”

“That also sounds pretty cool...” A faint frown makes its way onto Krvavy’s face. She honestly doesn’t know what kind of Fire Magic spell she’d like. “But... It sounds like it’d be pretty expensive to cast... And I’m not sure if I’d be able to use Turbulent Shroud at the same time, so it might backfire and just make people decide to shoot me instead...”

“Tsk...” The tanned Elf clicks her tongue and leans back. “My dearest love, both those ideas ‘ave a flaw ta them: ya’d be castin’ them alongside yer other magics.”

“Yeah?” Krvavy stares rather blankly at her tomboy. Isn’t that obvious?

“Just ‘ow many different types o’ magic can ya cast at once, my dearest love?” Beryl prods at the barbarian, both verbally and physically.

The Drakling glances down at her Elf’s finger as it presses against her chest. “Oh.” She remembers getting a sharp headache back when... when she raided that little caravan Adeline was in. And at that time she was only using... was it three different types of magic? Calm Creature was definitely active, as was Oakflesh... Right, casting Grasping Ground when those two spells were already being used is what sent that spike of pain into her head...

“Aye, ‘oh’ is right.” Beryl’s brow knits together as she puts a bit more force into her poke. “But it isn’t a number.”

“Three.” The barbarian blurts out, before quickly correcting herself. “Or, well, three is when... it started to get a little uncomfortable. The spells still worked, but... Two is a, uh, safer number. I guess.”

“And ya ‘ave ‘ow many different types o’ magic already? Five?”

“Okay, okay. I get your point...” Krvavy lightly gnaws at the inside of her cheek. “Is there anything that I can do about that?”

“Seriously?!” Thea abruptly breaks her cuddling hug as she shouts in exasperated anger. “You...!” The girl’s voice hisses slightly as her brows furrow and her lips twist into a scowl. “Ugh...!” She shuts her eyes completely and forces herself to take a few deep breaths, trying to remain composed.

“Not goin’ ta ‘ave another outburst~?”

One of Thea’s eyes opens ever so slightly, glaring heatedly at the Elf. “No.” She firmly grumbles. “I am not a child. I will not throw a tantrum simply because this lizard is taking her ridiculous magical talent for granted...!”

Beryl leans forward, resting her chin on her hand. “Tha’ so~?”

“Do not test me, crone!” The bratty girl visibly twitches as her frustration grows. “I–!”

“Alright, enough of this.” Krvavy cuts off her wife-to-be, firmly placing a hand on both Thea and Beryl’s shoulders. “You shouldn’t provoke her like that.” She sternly tells the Wood Elf, before turning her attention towards the grumpy brat. “And you... You’re right, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take this for granted. You spend hours each day trying to get better with your own magic, while I get all of my magic handed to me on a silver platter and still have the gall to act like it isn’t enough. I’d completely understand if you just snapped and started yelling at me.”

“Hmph...” Thea weakly glares at the hand on her shoulder, before slowly sighing and resting her cheek atop it. “Thank you, Krvavy. But... I should be better than this. I should not resent your success out of some sort of idiotic envy. I am to be your wife. I should be happy and proud that you can do all of these ridiculous things. You... are truly special.”

The Drakling’s thumb lifts up and playfully presses against the noble girl’s lips. “Honestly, Thea, I cannot stress this enough.” She leaning her head in towards her beautiful brat, smiling widely as her fiancée’s cheeks flush red. “I love you~.”

“I love you too~...!” Thea melts in her lover’s embrace, soft-blue eyes slowly closing as she gives herself to Krvavy’s chaste but loving kiss.

“Ach, now Ah’m feelin’ a bit left out~.” Beryl presses herself against the embracing couple, eyes gleaming with a lighthearted light. “Don’t ya love me too~?”

“Of course~.” Krvavy smiles as she pulls back from her brat’s lovely lips, missing the flash of annoyance that action brings to Thea’s face. “I love you Beryl, my sweet berry~.”

The Elf brims with joy as her Draconic lover leans in for a kiss, their lips pressing together for just a few seconds before parting. “Oh?” She blinks. “Not ta sound disappointed, but Ah was ‘opin’ fer more than just a quick peck.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have interrupted Thea’s moment~.” A slightly malicious twinkle fills the Drakling’s emerald eyes as she shoots that pouty tomboy a teasing smile. Her hands idly trail up the backs of both of her girl’s necks, fingers running through brunette and silver-blonde hair. “But if you’d like a kiss that lasts a little longer~...!”

“Wai–mmph!” Thea’s protest is almost immediately muffled, realizing too late what was about to happen. “Hhhm!”

Without any hesitation, Beryl’s nimble hands latch onto that brat’s body. “Mmhhh~...!” She hums in mischievous joy, blatantly groping at the noble girl’s rear as their lips are squished together.

Thea glares at Krvavy out of the corner of her eyes, though there isn’t actually any anger in that soft-blue gaze. Just a degree of annoyance. The silver-blonde brat is simply acting like she doesn’t want to kiss the tanned tomboy, even though she is doing absolutely nothing to resist. She isn’t even trying to push Beryl back, instead grabbing at this lithe Elf’s hips.

“Mnhhn~! Mhmnnh~!”

Those lewdly muffled moans are like music to Krvavy’s ears, sounding so beautiful and wonderful even though she can’t tell just which girl each separate sound is coming from.

The tip of her tongue trails across this Drakling’s lips as she watches that wonderful show. A part of her is content to simply be a spectator. After all, this isn’t exactly a sight she gets to see every day. But she is also feeling rather affectionate right now... And why simply watch when she could instead join in~?

“Mhnnh~!” Thea’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise as she sees her Draconic lover pull closer. “Mnh!” She winces slightly as one of Krvavy’s upper horns bumps into her forehead, followed shortly by the lower one poking into her chin.

“Mwhah~!” Beryl makes an exaggerated kissing sound as she rotates her head slightly, opening up some space for the clumsy barbarian with those cumbersome horns to join in on the fun.

A shiver of lewd joy rolls down Krvavy’s spine as her long and tapered tongue presses out from her mouth, the tip squeezing its way into that kiss. The awkward position that they are all in hardly matters right now. Krvavy is simply indulging in how close she is to two of her girls, their noses gently bumping and lips lightly grazing.

Beryl, likewise, seems to be enjoying this three-way kiss as well. Though for her it is clearly more of an amusement than a mind-meltingly meltingly sweet experience. Judging by the way she is just barely holding back her giggling laughter, at least.

“Ugh...! E-enough!” The brat suddenly pushes back against Beryl and the barbarian, escaping from their embrace. Her flushed face completely betrays her true feelings, as do the stiff nubs of her nipples. She enjoyed that just as much as Krvavy did, perhaps even more. Not that she would ever admit it. “You incorrigible pervert! Can you truly not restrain yourself for more than a few minutes at a time!?”

“I’m surrounded by two of the most beautiful women in the world~...” Krvavy’s every word drips with affection and joy. “Who both just so happen to be women I love oh so very much~! Women who also just so happen to be completely naked as well~! So do you really expect me to just sit idly by~?”

The silver-blonde noble girl pinches the bridge of her nose and takes a deep breath. “Hmph! Just...! Just get back to your stupid lessons!”

“We ‘ave ‘ad quite a few breaks already...” Beryl idly states, her lips curled into a slight smile. “So... where were we?”

“I was wondering if there was some way for me to cast more types of magic at the same time.” Krvavy calmly replies, playing along with her Elf.

Thea suspiciously narrows her eyes, not trusting the serious act that those two have suddenly put on.

“Aye, tha’ is right.” Beryl nods her head and completely ignores that brat’s prickly glare. “Beyond rare instances, Ah’d say tha’ there are two ways fer ya ta get better at castin’ multiple schools o’ magic at once. The first is our good friend practice. Tha’ is right! If ya often cast multiple different spells at once then ya’ll find yerself ‘avin’ a much easier time o’ it! O’ course, this isn’t a quick process. Fer ya, my dearest love, it would mean tha’ ya’d ‘ave ta get used ta castin’ three spells at once before movin’ onta four. Do not rush it. It will not do ya any good ta over strain yer channels like tha’. Ya don’t want ta burn them out.”

“Okay... and the other way?”

“Tha’ would be ta simply raise yer Perception.” Beryl cheerily states, her eyes twinkling like gems.

“Why do I feel like it isn’t that simple?” Krvavy skeptically wonders, ignoring her beautiful brat’s annoyed huff.

“Because it isn’t, my dearest love.” The Wood Elf plainly replies. “If ya wanted ta rely only on yer Perception fer this, then ya’d likely ‘ave ta devote all o’ yer points ta tha’ one attribute fer yer next, say, few dozen levels before ya truly see any improvement.”

“Let me guess, the best option would be to do both then?”

“Aye, my dearest love, aye. An ‘igher Perception will ‘elp ta make yer practicin’ an easier task.”

“Ugh! Enough!” Frustration and annoyance alike underline Thea’s shouted words. “Are you two really just resuming your little magic lesson?!”

“Isn’t tha’ wha’ ya wanted~?” Beryl reaches over and ruffles the brat’s silver-blonde hair, quickly pulling her hand back before it can be slapped away. “Ah’d ‘ave thought tha’ ya’d be ‘appy ta ‘ear tha’ our dearest love ‘as ta actually put in some ‘ard work and practice somethin’...” She dramatically sighs out, before abruptly turning her gaze towards the barbarian, those bright blue-green eyes twinkling quite mischievously. “My dearest love! Ah think Ah know why yer princess is being such a brat right now! She wants ta cuddle wit’ ya again~!”

“What!? Where are you getting that fro–hmm!” Thea’s protesting words are muffled into silence as Krvavy pulls the brat into a tight hug, that beautiful blonde getting smothered by a pair of pale tits.

“There, isn’t tha’ better~?” The tomboyish Elf holds back a laugh as an earnest smile fills her face. “Now tha’ we won’t ‘ave any more disruptions, ‘ow about we get back to our little magic lesson? My dearest love, do ya know why castin’ different schools o’ magic at once is a strain on yer channels?”

“Well...” Krvavy takes just a moment to consider that question, though she is mostly just enjoying the squirming girl squished up against her body. “I’d assume that it’s because you’d have to keep the different, uh... flavours... of mana from mixing together so that each spell still functions properly. And having to move the mana around to different parts of your body probably doesn’t help either...”

“Ha~!” Beryl quickly covers her mouth to try and hide her laughter. “Sorry, sorry, Ah just...! Different flavours o’ mana! Oh, ‘ow adorable o’ ya, my dearest love~!”

The barbarian’s face flushes a bit as she weakly glares at the Elf.

“My dearest love~! Ha~! Ah wouldn’t put it exactly as ya did, but ya’ve got the right idea~!”

“Mmph! Haah!” Thea takes advantage of Krvavy’s slightly distracted state, pushing back against the barbarian just enough to free her face. “Hey! I am not some doll for you to manhandle like this! I...!”

The bratty girl’s shouting trails off as her Draconic fiancée plants a single kiss on her forehead, the already rather red hue filling her cheeks flushing even deeper.

“Well~...!” Beryl struggles to maintain a straight face as she takes in that sight. “If ya’d like ta be more involved, then maybe we can talk about yer magic instead~?”

“You Elvish crone!” Thea’s eyes narrow as her attention snaps towards the Elf. “You just want an opportunity to tease me about my... my degenerate sex magic!”

“Ach, not at all~!” Beryl defends herself in perhaps the least convincing way possible. “Ah don’t need an opportunity ta do tha~! No, no~! Ah’ve just been sittin’ on an idea tha’ might lead ta ya bein’ capable o’ magic beyond Eromancy, but if ya don’t want ta ‘ear it~...!”

Thea’s lips press together in a thin line as she glares quite heatedly at Beryl. After nearly half a minute of furious silence, the girl slowly speaks up. “Fine...! But do not make me regret this!”

“Oh~? Now tha’ is no way ta ask fer ‘elp~! Can’t Ah at least get a ‘please’~?”

“No.” The silver-blonde brat coldly states. “Spit it out or I will zap you into a state of mindless lust.”

“Tha’ is ‘ardly a threat~.” Beryl leans forward, resting her chin on her hand. “Especially because Ah wouldn’t be able ta talk if Krvavy is fuckin’ me while Ah’m like tha’~!”

“Who says she would be fucking you?” A smug smile fills the brat’s face as she asks that question. “I would, of course, zap her as well. And she would be far too occupied with me, her fiancée, to even notice you off to the side furiously trying to satisfy your unending lust all by yourself!”

“Ya sure about tha’~? Ah–~!”

“Okay, okay, enough already!” Krvavy loudly groans, glancing between those arguing girls. “Beryl, just tell her your idea already...!”

“Aww... Ah was kinda ‘opin’ she’d go through wit’ ‘er threat...” The tanned Elf sighs in exaggerated disappointment. “But fine, if ya say so, my dearest love... Thea,” she locks eyes with the unhappy girl, “Ah was thinkin’ tha’ ya should completely give up on tryin’ ta cast ‘tangible’ magics, no matter ‘ow much ya want ta throw fireballs around, and instead focus on wha’ ya are good at.”

“And just how does this lead to me being able to cast any form of magic beyond Eromancy?” Thea’s glare intensifies as her patience is pushed to the limit. “Which, need I remind you, I am not even that good at?!”

“Ach, ya are plenty good at inducin’ and shapin’ lust.” Beryl gently shakes her head, as if Thea just said something rather stupid. “And, Ah’ll ask ya: wha’ is lust? Wha’ is arousal?”

“Just get to the point already, you hag.”

“Tsk.” Beryl looks incredibly disappointed as she clicks her tongue. “Ah think tha’ ya should give emotional magic a try. And perhaps even some mental magic as well. Eromancy is already closely aligned ta both o’ those wide-reachin’ categories, so it isn’t too much o’ a leap.”

Thea opens her mouth... only for a single, tanned finger to press over her parted lips.

“Now, Ah won’t lie and say it’ll be easy. It very much will not be. But because it is, sorta, connected ta wha’ ya can already do... it won’t be impossible. And even if ya fail, it should still give ya some insights that’ll ‘elp wit’ yer Eromancy.”

The noble girl frowns and continues to glare at that Elf, even after Beryl’s hand drops away. “I will... give it some thought.” She reluctantly speaks up after a few moments of thought. “But...!” The bratty girl holds up a finger of her own, almost pointing it at Beryl. “I do not have high hopes for that suggestion! For one, just how would I even practice those sorts of magics?! I would most certainly not use myself as a test subject, and it would still be far to risky to practice on any of you as well!”

The tomboyish Elf simply raises an eyebrow. “Ya could start wit’ insects or even fish. Those simpler bein’s ‘ave simple thoughts and emotions. So not only would it be easier fer ya, but it’d also be safer: there isn’t much damage ya could ta somethin’ tha’ ‘ardly thinks. Did ya really not think o’ tha’?”

“I...! Of course I considered using animals as test subjects...!” Thea indignantly huffs back, turning her gaze away as she blatantly lies. “I just...! I just did not think that you, as a Wood Elf, would allow such a thing...!”

“Ah trust ya not ta be cruel ta those critters.”

The silver-blonde brat’s cheeks flush even further as Beryl so casually states that. “Ugh...! Are... are we done here or what!?”

“Depends.” The Elf simply shrugs her shoulders. “Ya’d ‘ave ta ask our dearest love.”

“Well...” Krvavy smiles as she meets the noble girl’s impatient gaze. “Hmm... Guess I’d say that I’ve learned enough magic for one day. So sure, I am done here. But are you~?” Her grin widens as a teasing tone enters her voice. “Aren’t you eager to learn some emotion magics~? I’m sure you’d love to dive right into that~! And I’m sure Beryl would be more than willing to help you get started~!”

“Aye, tha’ Ah would~!”

“Ugh...!” Thea groans and lowers her face into her hands, but she doesn’t turn down the offer.

“Great~! That’s settled then~!” The barbarian holds back a laugh as she ruffles the brat’s silver-blonde hair, quickly leaning in to plant a kiss on Thea’s forehead before the girl can push her away. “And don’t forget: I love you~!” She coos, those honest words leaving her fiancée even more flustered.

Beryl bats her eyelashes and smiles as she waits for her turn, patient and eager.

“I love you~!” Krvavy’s lips gently press against her tanned Elf’s cheek, emerald eyes glimmering with teasing joy as she purposefully ignores those waiting lips. “See you two later~!”

“Just... just get going already...!”