Chapter 72 - Magus Veil, Part 2

"...I see. He carried that with him," Van sighed, "I guess I always had a hunch the Goddess hated me for some reason, so... it's not really a shock that she does. But the fact that he knew..." Van murmured, his gaze falling to the tea in front of him. The steam, now barely visible, escaped quietly—he'd missed his chance to blow on it."I..." Amoria began again, her expression difficult to read, her gaze lowered. "I'm still a devoted follower of Goddess Varolia," she confessed, her voice faltering with an undertone of guilt."She grants me visions, gave me Liz, and... a relatively peaceful life, except for the past two years." She forced a weak smile, trying to mask the weariness etched across her features. "And... Despite her... Motivations regarding you, I still do feel like she brought you here, Van." She lifted her eyes, meeting his gaze. He flinched, just slightly."You came here right after Magus died... right when I needed to make amends with you the most, and right on time to save us. I've... I've wanted to tell you this for so long." A flicker of light lit her gaze before it dimmed again. "But... I'd be lying if I said you were always on my mind, or more important to me than—""Stop," Van interrupted softly, though his voice carried an edge of restrained anger as he raised a hand, cutting her off. "Don't. I already know where your priorities have been, and so do you. You don't have to explain it... It is what it is." His eyes fell, the intensity in his tone dropping.Amoria fell silent, noticing the tension coiled in his expression."Van, I..." Her voice trembled. "I really... REALLY am glad you're here. You have to understand that." She leaned forward slightly, searching his face, her voice softening. "I just... hope you can forgive me for—"Van's hand twitched, as if ready to slam against the table in frustration."..!" Amoria gasped softly as she noticed his sudden motion.But his gaze drifted briefly to the hallway where Liz slept peacefully in her room. The thought of waking her stayed his hand, and instead, he clenched his fist tight, knuckles whitening, before lowering it gently onto the table."You didn't do anything wrong," Van emphasized. His eyes sharply flickering over to her. "Why are you making that face? In the end, you were the one who was manipulated, hypnotized... Why apologize to me?" His tone shifted, flickering between resentment and a reluctant tenderness that Amoria hadn't expected."I was the one who knew about it more than anyone else in this world, even when you felt that guilt for cheating on me. So quit it. Save that look for someone else. I don't deserve it." The anger that flared in his voice faded. "It is what it is..." He repeated once more, faintly.Amoria swallowed hard."...I'm not apologizing for that, Van," she said finally, her voice steadying.Van blinked, tilting his head slightly. "Sorry...?""When I said you weren't always on my mind... I meant nowadays." Her voice gained strength, her tone more deliberate. "There are things you don't know yet, but you will. And when you do... you'll understand what I mean." She exhaled deeply, preparing herself for what came next. "I need to tell you more about Magus's past. That was just the beginning..."Van's shoulders stiffened at the mention of Magus. Unease settled over him, but he stayed silent; looking at Amoria intently as she begins detailing the past.========= 22 YEARS AGO ================When Magus entered the Academy, and you went off to the barracks... things were good for the following year. Among the students and teachers, he thrived and had a great time...... But eventually... something felt off.'Ah... I really am living with her... The Elven Beastmaster Teacher... Holy shit... I've lost count of how many times we've done it at this point... We even did it before behind the scenes, and now I have an actual excuse to live in her house to do it like rabbits... But...' Magus thought as he stirred awake in her bed, the aroma of breakfast drifting in from the kitchen.'... How do I even put this?' he wondered, sitting up and sliding out of the sheets. He walked over to her quietly, wrapping his arms around her from behind as she stood cooking by the stove."Ah... You're awake?" she cooed softly, not missing a beat as she stirred the pan. "I'm making some breakfast, sweetie."She leaned into his embrace, and Magus rested his head against her back. She was several heads taller than him, but in moments like this, the difference barely registered.She felt perfect beneath his hands—warm, soft, familiar. But that excitement started to feel... Too familiar.'...It's like hugging a doll,' he thought, his hands instinctively roaming over her body."Mmm~..." She closed her eyes, savoring his touch. "I love it when you explore me like that~..."Magus let out a quiet sigh, pressing his ear against her back. His hands drifted over her torso, absentmindedly; his palm landing right between her breasts.'... She has a heartbeat... not a doll...' he thought, finding himself leaning more and more against her back, listening to her heart's rhythm. 'It's... so nice. Heartbeats... I never knew they sounded this nice. I could listen to it all day...' His thoughts began to drift, lulled by the gentle rhythm beneath his ear."Sweetie?" she asked, a note of confusion in her voice. She turned her head slightly, her tone gentle but curious. "Are you okay?"Magus blinked rapidly, as if snapping out of a trance. "A-ah, yeah," he stammered, quickly letting her go and stepping back. "Y-you just... have a great body, so... I guess I got caught up in the moment.""Ooh, my... A compliment, early in the morning? My day is so much better now~..." she hummed, her tone light and teasing.'I wonder how she'd react to that sentence if I didn't have these passives,' Magus thought, eyeing her long hair. 'She'd hate it, right? Probably.'He exhaled through his nose. '... I bet I could swear at her, and she'd still smile.' His gaze flicked to his status window. The list of passives stared back at him, like a cheat sheet he couldn't unsee. 'Heck, with all of these... I could probably beat the shit out of her and she'd still smile at me...' He thought momentarily conjuring the image of her smile, dripping with blood and a black eye as she laid helplessly on the ground.'Jesus, what am I even thinking?!!' He gave his head a quick shake, his breath hitching momentarily at the thought. 'She's being nice...!! Stop thinking shit like thaT... And just take it as it is. Nothing about this is bad.'"Yeah... Glad you liked it," he said, turning his head away as his voice lazily trailed off.She hummed again, content.Magus sighed quietly. 'Yeah...' He relaxed his breath, 'Just take it.' He resolved, 'She's hot, and the other guys hate me 'cause I actually fucked their wet dream... Which is hilarious.' He then moved in again, resting his chin on her soft, voluptuous curves. 'But... I won't lie and say I'm not even a little bored...'A slow, tired breath slipped from his lips. "I wonder how Van's doing..."The thought drifted as he pictured Van's eager face, especially that wild-eyed, hyped expression from back when Magus explained his passives. 'Maybe I should ask the headmistress to let me visit him soon...'Before he could linger longer on the thought, the beastmaster's sultry voice drew him back."Ohh..." she purred, her movements deliberate as she turned toward him. Her breasts hovering over his head as he kept leaning into her, "You're awfully clingy this morning" she murmured, her voice laced with amusement, as she let her cooking utensils fall from her hands with a soft clatter.Magus cleared his throat, trying to shift the conversation as he let go of her, stepping back. "Uh, sorry... Say, It's been two days... Shouldn't you be training me for the tournament in a week? I mean... that's why I'm here, right?" he muttered, though his words felt half-hearted.'Honestly, that sounds a bit more interesting than this...!' he thought.She tilted her head with a sly grin, leaning closer. "Oh, I know~" she whispered, her breath warm against his ear. "But everything I teach you... things that should take months or even years... you master in hours and days." Her hand brushed down his chest, sending a shiver through him. "I think we can afford to steal a little me time, don't you?"Before he could react, she pushed him back onto the bed. He bounced slightly on the mattress as she climbed atop him, her movements slow and deliberate. Her eyes gleamed with playful malice, her lips curling into a seductive smile."And since you, a mere human, dared to explore my sacred body without permission..." she whispered, her dark gaze locking onto his. "You should be punished, don't you think~?"Her voice was low, almost predatory, her heavy-lidded eyes narrowing as she leaned closer, her fingers trailing over his skin.Magus sank deeper into the pillows beneath him, a lazy grin tugging at his lips as he stared up at her.'Well... I guess meeting Van can wait a little longer. And while it isn't all that special, what we're doing... It's not like I hate it...'And with that, he let the moment take him, indulging fully in the hedonistic pleasure she offered.A while later, Magus dominated the upcoming tournament. He made his way off the stage, brushing off the applause and cheers echoing around him.'It was a little rough... but, in the end, easy. All in all... boring.' Magus sighed as he walked into the waiting area, the standing ovation fading into white noise behind him.There, waiting for him, were the two friends he'd made since joining the Academy—Fohrd Afton and Lala Brimmen."Congrats, Magus! Knew you had it in the bag!" Lala beamed as she ran toward him, pulling him into a tight hug. Magus returned the gesture with a light pat on her head.'It's so nice...' Magus thought, a peaceful feeling blooming within him, 'Looking at a girl and not wanting to sleep with her, for a change. And not feeling that energy from her either. If anything, I feel more like her big brother.'He let out a mock groan. "Agh... Maybe they should've entered you in the tournament, Lala. You'd squish everyone to death," he teased with a chuckle.Lala giggled, punching his arm playfully, while Magus's gaze drifted toward Fohrd."N-nice! Magus! I-I knew you'd win!" Fohrd stammered, his fists shaking in the air.'I never thought I'd appreciate having a male friend this much... until I met him.' Magus mused, observing the eager boy. 'Fohrd's shy, got bullied a bit... and I couldn't help but step in and protect him. He's not like the others. He doesn't hate me for the things I have.'Magus's attention shifted briefly toward Lala, who still tightly wound herself around him, 'He's got a crush on her. It's obvious... Maybe I can do something nice for him. After all, he's one of the only guys here who doesn't despise me.'An idea began to form in Magus's mind, and a sly grin crept onto his lips. 'I'll set them up. My passives make me persuasive, right? It'll be easy... And they'll be good for each other.'Magus's gaze softened as he recalled the little moments—how Fohrd would bring Lala snacks when she forgot to eat, help her catch up on missed lessons, and make sure she wasn't late for class. 'He even made her that ridiculous 'Keep-Lala-Happy-For-Life' roadmap. All of that... without any passives making him do it.'After a faint twitch of his lip, Magus shook his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. 'P-poor bastard. Doing it the hard way...''Don't worry,' Magus thought with a grin. 'She'll be all yours soon enough.' His confidence settled easily, sure of the plan unfolding in his mind....Completely unaware of Lala's trembling hands as she held onto him, her quiet breaths growing heavier. Her grip on him tightened, breaths shallow with excitement... she didn't dare to name aloud.Fohrd's smile faltered as he looked at Lala's embrace—just a flicker—but he quickly forced it back into place, masking it with a chuckle. "Y-you've always been lucky, Magus!" he said, clapping him on the shoulder.Magus raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. "Luck? Nah." His voice dripped with playful arrogance. "It's ALL skill."Fohrd swallowed hard, his eyes darting between Magus and Lala. "A-ah... I see..."