The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 52

Arias Learns

“…Uh… ugh…”

“Hey…?”

Today, Ameri looked at the person next to her with a deeply troubled expression.

Just a few days ago, he was a sturdy boy who had faced off against a magician from the Tempeius family.

“…Uh… ugh…”

But now, why did he look more like a corpse than she did? How could someone become so emaciated in just a few days?

To resolve her curiosity, Ameri spoke to Leo.

“…Um… Leonardo?”

“…Yes?”

With a face almost resembling that of the undead, Leo looked at Ameri.

“Oh, Ameri, your dark circles have faded a lot. It seems the ring is working.”

Ameri looked at the ring with a subtle expression. If the ring were something that could be shared, she would have liked to lend it to Leo.

“…Are you okay…?”

“…Yes? Yes, yes… I’ve just been practicing magic a lot lately.”

He needed to study magic as much as he could during the remaining time since he would be leaving the Magic Tower soon.

Moreover, what he was learning this time wasn’t something that could be solved by mere effort alone.

[That’s why I said to take it easy. It’s not like you’re planning to use it in actual combat, anyway.]

[You’ve already created over ten original spells. You’ve only slept three hours in the past three days.]

As the Sage said, Leonardo had been staying up all night for the past three days, fully devoted to developing his original spells.

[That’s how it usually goes.]

However, these original spells had neither practicality nor combat effectiveness. It was more efficient to use the standard, widely known magic.

[The main purpose of creating original spells is to improve your understanding of magic. If directly creating them was the better method, then why would there be standard methods?]

Annoying as it was, the Sage’s point was valid.

The Sage had taught him the method for forming original spells purely to increase his understanding and application of magic.

It would have been strange if magic, refined and passed down over centuries, was outdone by an individual’s magic.

[Becoming a great magician isn’t about creating original spells; it’s about using magic well. Young people these days don’t understand the basics.]

Normally, he would have told the Sage to stop sounding like an old man, but since the Sage was the creator of this field, he decided against it.

[You should get some more sleep instead. You’ve already done more than enough.]

[Do you even know how many cups of coffee you’ve had in the past three days?]

He had already exceeded ten cups just today.

[Seems like you’ve given up on being human. That’s just sad.]

Although caffeine could be detoxified by amplifying the liver’s functions with aura, the real issue was the lack of sleep.

“…It would probably be a good idea to get some rest.”

Overexerting himself wasn’t good for his efficiency or stamina. He decided that it would be better to use this opportunity to catch up on all the sleep he’d missed.

“Ah…”

However, as Leo was getting up, he seemed to misstep, and his body began to tilt forward as if he were about to fall.

“Leonardo…!”

Thud.

Leonardo didn’t fall. But it wasn’t because he regained his balance on his own.

“Are you alright, Leo?”

It was because his lady, Ariasphil, had caught him just before he fell.

“…My… lady…?”

In truth, Leonardo was on the verge of complete exhaustion. The lack of sleep had made him incredibly fragile, even though he had endured many hardships before.

“You’ve pushed yourself too hard. Let’s get you to bed. I’ll help you.”

Her words implied she was going to support him, so Leonardo didn’t refuse. After all, there was no way she would hold his arm against her chest like last time, would she? Especially not when he was this tired?

That kind of criminally blissful act would be impossible to endure in such a public place.

“…Yes… Thank you…”

Leo’s body and feet lifted off the ground, rising into the air.

“…What…?!”

Ariasphil’s arms effortlessly lifted Leonardo’s sturdy body, cradling him securely. The library, already quiet, fell into an even more eerie silence at the sight of the young lady and her knight.

“Let’s get you to your room.”

“W-Wait…! Just a…! Mmph…!”

What silenced him wasn’t a hand. Ariasphil pressed her ample, voluptuous chest against Leo’s face, effectively muffling his words.

“Leo, you must be really tired~ But this is a library with a lot of people, so we need to be quiet. So…”

Arias enveloped Leo’s face more deeply into her soft chest, creating a cushion-like sensation.

“Let’s rest, just the two of us, okay?”

Leo, flustered and overwhelmed, couldn’t reply, but everyone present thought the same thing.

[Lucky bastard]

‘Lucky bastard.’

Lucky bastard.

Leo was indeed a lucky bastard.

* * *

The sweet scent of her skin and the overwhelming pressure of her chest made Leo’s mind grow increasingly hazy.

Thinking back, he hadn’t rested properly in the last three days, cooped up in his room. Surely, he could be forgiven for this one mistake, right?

But then again, this was his lady he was serving. Shouldn’t he restrain her from doing such things?

As he wrestled with the conflicting thoughts of betrayal and morality, Arias carried Leo to his room.

“We’re here. Now, let’s get some sleep, okay?”

Though he felt a bit regretful, Leo suppressed the emotion as he moved toward the door.

“Thank you. Now I’ll just…”

Just as Leo was about to step behind the door, Arias suddenly slipped her hand inside, pulling the door shut with force.

“Now we’re all alone, aren’t we?”

What was this? Why did her sweet, yet eerily cute tone send a shiver down his spine?

[I’m a ghost, so I don’t count. Just keep doing what you’re doing.]

The Sage said this as he pulled out a handful of popcorn from who knows where and stuffed it into his mouth.

[This is getting quite entertaining to watch.]

Without even needing to argue, Arias grabbed Leo by the wrist and dragged him further into the room.

“The room is full of formulas and magic circles.”

When Arias entered the room, what greeted her was a mountain of magic books and papers scattered all around, filled with formulas.

“Unlike spirit magic, general magic, especially original magic, requires precise calculations.”

Over the past three days, Leo had been so focused on developing original magic that he hadn’t taken a break. He constantly absorbed and studied various forms, principles, and ideas related to magic.

Though he didn’t create any particularly impressive original spells, the research itself was meaningful, and his overall skills had undoubtedly grown significantly.

“Even the bed is covered with papers and books.”

The bed, too, was buried under sheets filled with formulas and stacks of magic books. He had been so engrossed in his research that he couldn’t tell whether he was sitting in a chair or lying on the bed.

“I should have tidied up… It’s a bit embarrassing.”

Leo, who usually had a habit of keeping things neat and orderly, felt like he was exposing a weakness.

“It looks like a bit of tidying up is in order. Maybe later…”

“It’s fine. I think it’s okay here.”

Arias said this as she sat down in the small space available between the papers and books.

“Even so, I’d still prefer to sleep on the bed rather than the floor…”

Arias gently pushed Leo down.

“How about now?”

She laid him down precisely on her lap.

In other words, it was a lap pillow.

“…What…?”

“You can rest for a bit. You’ve worked so hard until now.”

The gentle words, combined with the soft touch as she stroked his forehead and hair, made Leo lose his resistance without realizing it.

“Go ahead, Leo.”

“…Okay…”

Perhaps due to his extreme fatigue, Leo didn’t resist any further and let his eyes close.

‘…It’s fine… After all, she won’t be able to keep this lap pillow for long…’

Before long, Leonardo began to fall into a deep sleep, his soft breaths making him appear utterly adorable and sweet.

‘…Everything is going according to plan…!’

Arias mentally noted this endearing sight, treasuring the experience she would share with Leo for the next few hours.

The thought of her legs falling asleep didn’t even cross her mind. Thanks to her training in spirit summoning and mana control, she could easily manage such discomfort.

‘Blood circulation is no big deal.’

She could even use aura to circulate her blood, dispelling any numbness—a remarkable waste of talent, but one that would allow her to endure this for ten hours without trouble.

“…Hoo…”

She marveled at the adorable sleeping expression on his face. When they had shared the bed before, she had been so busy cuddling and stroking him that she hadn’t fully appreciated his face. Now, she had the chance to enjoy it up close.

If she pushed just a little further, maybe even more intimate skinship would be possible…

“…Mmm…!”

At that moment, Leo’s head shifted slightly in his sleep. It was a coincidence triggered by his drowsy movements and her bold attempt.

“Hm…?”

Arias was momentarily flustered but quickly calmed herself down again. There was still an opportunity…

“Mmph… mm…”

Ariasphil hurriedly covered her mouth to stifle the moan that was about to escape.

The reason for her suppressed moan was the boy resting on her lap, who was exhaling softly in his sleep after turning his head.

Arias had been using her aura to stimulate blood circulation, which had heightened her sensitivity.

Because of that…

She couldn’t help but react sensitively to the movement of his hair and the gentle breaths he released in his sleep.

“…Haa, mmph…!”

To make matters worse, each time she reacted, the boy’s head moved, inching closer to a more sensitive area.

Not wanting to show this embarrassing sight, Arias kept her mouth tightly shut. If she let herself feel any more, she might not be able to hold back.

“Mm… mmm, nnnh…”

Unaware of her struggle, the boy remained deeply asleep, seemingly comfortable. A small droplet of drool even gathered at the corner of his mouth.

‘…This… this is too much…!’

Arias was already having a hard time stifling her moans. If that warm, sticky drool containing Leo’s essence touched her, she wouldn’t be able to maintain her composure.

“…Haa… ha… ngh…!”

With as much restraint and patience as she could muster, she slowly began to shift Leo’s head back to face upward.

Each time a bit of his warm saliva smeared on her, Arias felt herself succumbing more to her primal instincts.

“Just a little more… just a little more…!”

After an arduous effort, she finally managed to position his head so that he was looking up at the ceiling again. Thanks to her delicate touch, Leo remained peacefully asleep.

“…Haa… haa…”

Her breathing was heavy and labored. While it was disappointing to stop, Arias knew that if she became any more excited, even she wouldn’t be able to hold back.

“…At least he’s sleeping well…”

Arias tried to find solace in the fact that she was helping Leo get a good night’s rest. Though the act itself was innocent, the real trouble lay elsewhere.

“…This… is…”

It’s said that when a healthy man gets a good night’s sleep, his testosterone levels and blood circulation increase.

And when testosterone and blood circulate well, even without any sexual stimulation…

“…It’s… too big…”

…the body reacts.

“…It’s so… big…!”

Her loud exclamation broke the silence, and as a mercenary trained to react to any sudden noise, Leo was naturally sensitive to such sounds, even in his sleep.

“My lady… Is something wrong…?”

“I’m sorry, Leo! Get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow!!”

Creak, slam!

Without waiting for an answer, Ariasphil hastily laid Leo down and bolted out of the room.

Even after running out, the lingering image of something long and thick, as if it might tear through his pants, continued to flash in her mind.

“…What’s with her…? Maybe her legs fell asleep?”

The Sage, who had been watching from afar while munching on a bowl of popcorn he had conjured with his original magic, spoke with his mouth agape.

“This is what sex is.”