Hinata fidgeted awkwardly, her fingers nervously poking together. "Lilia, there's something I need your help with," she said, trying to sound calm but failing miserably. Her eyes darted around like a guilty cat.
Lilia blinked. "My lady?" She tilted her head, confused. Why does she look like she's about to confess to a crime?
Still, ever loyal, she placed a hand over her chest. "Please tell me, my lady. I'll do my best to accomplish any task."
"Anything?" Hinata asked, her voice barely audible.
"Anything," Lilia repeated without hesitation.
Hinata let out a small sigh of relief. Her next words, however, came out in a stammer. "C-can I touch your…"
"Pardon?" Lilia blinked, not catching it.
Hinata's voice grew even smaller. "I said… I want to touch your—"
Silence.
"My lady?" Lilia leaned in slightly, trying to catch the words that seemed to evaporate in the air. "If you don't wish to say it aloud," she said kindly, "perhaps whisper it in my ear?"
Hinata froze, the suggestion settling in slowly. Then her eyes lit up as if someone had handed her a way out. "Y-Yes! Let's do that!"
She leaned forward quickly, hands trembling, and whispered into Lilia's ear—
"Lilia, I want to touch your… oppai."
The moment hung still then Hinata jumped back as if burned, her face exploding into a deep red.
Lilia, however, stood frozen. Two seconds passed before her composure returned. She blinked and asked calmly, "Should I remove my clothes, my lady?"
Hinata flailed. "N-No! I mean—yes—but no—but—oh, never mind!"
Seeing her flustered reaction, Lilia made her own decision. "Understood," she said firmly and with a soft rustle, her upper body was bare.
Hinata's eyes widened. "B-big…" she muttered before swallowing hard.
"You can touch them, my lady," Lilia said matter-of-factly, as if performing another household duty.
Hinata hesitated, then whispered, "Sorry, Lilia… I'll explain later." Her body moved before her mind could protest. A soft gasp escaped her lips as her palms met warm skin. The texture was impossibly smooth, the heat of living flesh pulsing gently against her fingertips. "It's so soft…" she breathed out, lost in the moment.
Her heart raced. She wanted to stop she really did but her hands disobeyed, moving with hesitant curiosity. A squeeze, a trembling brush of fingertips over a hardened peak. The sensation sent her mind spinning until, finally, she jerked away, breathing hard.
"Thank you, Lilia," she murmured, though her face held no trace of satisfaction.
Lilia tilted her head. "What is it, Lady Hinata?" Her voice was gentle, but a thought flickered behind her eyes. Could it be curiosity? She's still young, after all.
But Hinata's next words crushed that thought. "Well, I've gained a skill that recovers my magicules through certain activities, like eating good food or, um… doing intimate things."
Lilia's eyes widened. Ever since traveling with Hinata, she had learned that skills of this kind were extraordinarily rare. Her own Mana Perception had taken month of effort—and Hinata had guided her through all of it. No matter how kind Hinata seemed, her strength was terrifying beneath that gentle smile.
"Wait," Lilia said suddenly, piecing it together. "A skill that restores magicules? But your natural regeneration is slow. That means… if this one works, you'll be even stronger!"
Hinata nodded. "Yes. It does recover while eating, but it's far too slow. The rate didn't even increase by one percent."
"So you tried to test the other method with me?" Lilia sighed in realization. Then her eyes widened. "That's why you hugged me this morning!"
"Correct," Hinata admitted. "But it didn't work."
"And now?"
Hinata slumped. "It failed again." Her thoughts darkened. Do I really have to reveal my other form for this?
"What now, my lady?" Lilia asked carefully, recognizing the shift in her tone.
"Well," Hinata murmured, touching her cheek in thought, "the description says it only works through intimacy with the opposite gender… I needed to confirm that."
"You mean—?" Lilia stopped, her eyes widening.
Hinata waved her hands wildly. "No! Don't even think about that!"
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself. "Lilia, I'm going to show you something, but promise me, you won't tell anyone. Not a soul."
Lilia straightened, her expression solemn. "You have my word, my lady."
Hinata nodded once, then activated her alternate form.
In the next instant, Lilia's eyes widened in shock. The black-haired girl standing proudly before her transformed, into a brown-haired boy barely reaching her waist.
"This… this is a transformation skill?" Lilia whispered, disbelief lacing her tone.
Hinata, her voice now softer and slightly different, nodded. "Yes. It's limited, though. I can only switch between set forms, not freely change appearances. This one… is male."
Lilia immediately understood Hinata's intention, though embarrassment prickled at the edges of her thoughts. Seeing her lady as a small boy made her cheeks flush in spite of herself.
"Can you sit down?" Hinata asked, trying to sound calm. "I'm… not tall enough to reach them properly like this."
Lilia obeyed without hesitation, kneeling gracefully as her long hair cascaded over her shoulders.
From Hinata's perspective, the view was… overwhelming. Everything seemed larger now, more daunting. Heat burned across her cheeks. They really do look massive from this angle, she thought ruefully.
Taking a steadying breath, she gave a faint, wry smile. Rudeus, I'm about to accomplish something you never could.
***
Hinata pov
Whew… that was embarrassing. Still, at least now I know the skill actually works in this form.
I've already reminded Lilia to keep everything to herself. I don't want to share it will many but I'll eventually have to tell Ghislain as well. She's my bodyguard, after all, and will be spending most of her time by my side.
Speaking of Ghislain, she's been progressing quickly. As expected of someone seasoned in combat, she grasped the basics of aura manipulation almost immediately. According to her, the technique feels very similar to handling battle aura. She's sharp. Efficient. Reliable.
Lilia, on the other hand, recently asked to increase her combat ability after seeing Ghislain's progress. Admirable, but… she's not exactly gifted with the sword. Despite her earnest effort, her moves feel awkward, unrefined. Still, she has potential, with a spear, interestingly enough. It's not just my intuition; both ghislain too during her assessment.
So that's where I'll direct her training next, spear, magic, and assassination.
Magic, because even though her magicule reserves are low, it will at least broaden her options in battle. Assassination, because she serves as both maid and attendant. She needs the skill to complete silent, dangerous tasks when necessary. It's not only about striking with a knife; it's also about understanding poisons, observation, reading movements, and maintaining one's own physical condition.
I know it'll be difficult for her to juggle everything at once. Still, I don't need her to become overwhelmingly strong. Her role is that of a caretaker, someone capable of handling a variety of tasks. A jack-of-all-trades, but ideally, master of one.
If she discovers a talent she truly excels in, she can focus on that instead. I won't restrain her path.
As for Ghislain, she'll continue focusing primarily on swordsmanship and aura development. That's her foundation. Still, I plan to introduce her to basic magic, starting with fire. I recall that she once learned that element from Rudeus in anime. It'll be a good starting point.
Then there's Alpha. Being a Majin, she naturally will excel in magic, but for now, I've directed her attention toward sword training. According to Ghislain, she has a knack for it, and I can't disagree. That's why I decided she'll train under Ghislain for a full year before I move her to magic studies.
Since most opponents expect Majin to rely solely on magic, diversifying her abilities gives her a tactical edge. Anti-magic fields are common these days; I don't want her caught unprepared. I still remember Shion's death all too vividly… just thinking about it sends a chill down my spine.
As she completes her sword training, I'll have her undergo assassination training too, six months later, perhaps.
Maybe it's because two out of my three templates come from spies and assassins, but I want everyone under me to possess at least a basic understanding of stealth tactics. Even Ghislain. Though I doubt she has the natural affinity for it, her decade of focus on swordsmanship has made her too straightforward, it's still useful to know.
In the end, versatility is power. If I'm going to lead them, then everyone around me must possess both strength and subtlety, the means to survive, no matter the situation.
…Hm? What was that sound?
A faint rustle reached my ears. Strange. This forest usually remains silent at night. Monsters don't wander this close to the settlement—it's too near the outer barrier. So what could it be?
I narrowed my eyes, suppressing my presence entirely.
Normally, I come here to train after dark. The night suits me, it's quiet, detached. A good time to focus on Assimilation without distractions. There are still techniques I cannot share with my summons. Not because I doubt their loyalty, but because loyalty itself is a fragile concept. With the right skills or magic, anyone's mind can be pried open like an unlocked chest.
Sometimes, I wonder why that ridiculous [Gacha] system never included a proper safety mechanism, something to bind summoned beings from betrayal. Moral concerns aside, it would have saved me from taking such… tedious precautions.
Maybe direct summons have those safeguards? Unlike recruited ones, they might be bound more tightly. I suppose I'll find out eventually.
For now, I focus. Mana Perception spreads outward in an invisible net, and the scene becomes clear: four men surrounding a young girl. Kidnapping, perhaps?
I should save her.
Hahahaha.
How heroic of me.
Well, that would be the ideal reason. In truth, these bandits are among my regular targets, they bring in decent coin. After all, to survive one needs money, and who better to rob than a thief?
"Rifle creation."
I whispered the command softly. A weapon materialized in my grasp, not a proper rifle, but an iron cylinder with a grip and finely carved grooves within. Crude in appearance, but deadly in effect.
I loaded a tungsten round into the chamber.
Each bullet crafted manually through Lugh's template, his world's magic allows the manipulation of atomic structure itself. Adjust the number here, change the mass there, and with Transform Magic, shape it at will. Technically, that means unlimited access to gold… though where would the fun be in relying on that? I prefer the hunt.
Lugh's [Spell Weaver] skill is another treasure. It allows the rewriting of magical syntax, forming entirely new spells. Sadly, there's no internal AI to automate the process; every formation requires study and precision. Tedious, but rewarding.
Still, there's an annoyance I can't ignore. My access to these skills isn't constant. Lugh's abilities only manifest when I take on his form—the problem with templates. Magic remains available universally, but the skills do not.
According to the [Gacha] notes, some powers and item's are bound to specific forms or templates. It's understandable, but bothersome nonetheless. That's why I often adopt Lugh's form at night, for hunting, experimentation, improvement.
His abilities justify the effort:
[Rapid Recovery]: My mana, stamina, even wounds regenerate a hundredfold faster. The more I train, the greater the multiplier grows.(Not hundredfold since the body is stronger/different than lugh original body but recovery still better than hinata form)
[Spell Weaver]: The art of creation through magic, endless invention, unrestricted by precedent.(Restricted to lugh magic)
[Limitless Growth]: The body's natural boundaries cease to exist. Potential made infinite.
[Martial Arts]: Heightened reflexes, precision, and mastery of close combat.
[Playing Dead]: A useful trick for survival, should the situation demand deception.
Though I cannot use them in my normal form, their effects linger. So long as I grow stronger under Lugh's mask, the skill's benefits carry over to my true body.
It's efficient, train harder, recover faster, learn more. Each small improvement echoes across every form I possess. Since my mana reserves and magicule capacity are shared, transforming growth into something exponential.
And with [Limitless Growth] constantly breaking what should be my natural limits… perhaps, just perhaps, it will lead me closer to enlightenment.
Explosive magic.
BANG.
One of man's head bursted out like balloon.
It's not a normal bullet after all, after making the bullet I let stay near alpha since she is releasing magicules continuously due to still not proficient in maintaining them.
Although slowly the bullets get adapt to this world.
Before the rest could understand what happened I decided to send them to meet their friend.
BANG BANG BANG
*****************
Should summon beings couldn't betray/harm her?