A week had passed since I heard that
I was still staying at an inn in the Duchy of Bashelant.
I wanted to set off for the Begaritto Continent as soon as possible, but winter was right around the corner.
So I decided to remain in this country for a while.
Winter in the Northern Lands, the northern region of the Central Continent, is brutal.
Snow falls in massive quantities, and accumulation exceeds five meters.
Within the country, the highways are maintained and the state keeps things somewhat passable, but once you cross the border, it becomes far more difficult.
You could use magic to quell blizzards and melt snow to push through.
But even with magic, you can't see every road, and you won't necessarily make it to the neighboring country without sleeping outdoors.
You'd end up a casualty, most likely.
Well, Zenith was alive and apparently exploring labyrinths.
There were apparently some issues, but
"You don't need to rush,"
Just wait until winter ended and travel at a leisurely pace, without taking any unnecessary risks.
With that in mind, I continued my daily training.
Wake up in the morning, train.
Back in my previous life, I could never stick with physical exercise for long, but for some reason my current body responds well.
Maybe getting a new body really does change your disposition?
Today was a day I wasn't visiting the
A once-a-week day off.
I'd train until around midday, then head to the market.
If winter was coming, I should pick up some cold-weather gear too.
Thinking this over, I began my drills.
Since it was my day off, I went a bit harder than usual.
Running with my staff in hand, and once I reached the town's outer wall, I climbed it with magical assistance.
"Whoa!? What the— it's a mud pit! You're not training today?"
"I am. Training as always."
"You're one hell of a worker. Oh, right, fix up our wall sometime, will ya? I'll buy you a meal."
"I'll rebuild your whole house if you give me the right to fondle your daughter's chest."
"You..."
"I'm joking."
I exchanged greetings with a soldier on the outer wall, then leaped down to the outside.
Then I ran a full lap around the town.
Unlike the streets inside, which were regularly cleared of snow, the outside was buried in it.
I melted the snow with fire magic, carving my own path as I ran.
After the lap, I used the wooden sword I'd brought along for swinging practice.
Once I'd finished the forms Gillerne and Paul had taught me, I moved on to shadowboxing, visualizing an imaginary opponent.
Today's match was against
I couldn't lay a single hand on him.
I'd need to train a lot more.
After that, I retraced my route home.
When I returned to the inn, Elinalise was leaning out of a second-floor window.
"Oh… oh my,
She started talking when she saw my face, but something was clearly off.
Her hands gripped the windowsill, her face was contorted, and her head bobbed at just the right intervals.
She was moaning in a suppressed voice: "Mmn… mmn…"
Her shoulders were bare.
Yep. Completely obvious.
"I'm back, Elinalise. Hard at it again today, I see."
"Huh? Hard at it? Whatever do you… I don't know what you're— ahhhn!"
Behind that window, there was undoubtedly a man doing Elinalise from behind.
Out here in this freezing cold, they'd gone out of their way to open the window and play at high-class games.
What a performance.
I averted my eyes from her, entered the inn, and returned to my room.
I'd figured out over the past week that Elinalise was an absolute slut.
She was the kind of woman whose very existence constituted a sex crime.
I wouldn't mind being swept up in that crime myself, but…
The truth was, for the past two years or so, I'd been suffering from a certain ailment.
A sickness of both mind and body.
It's hard to explain in detail.
Let me put it this way using a flower bulb as an analogy.
When that bulb looks upon mountains and valleys, it sprouts.
It grows upward toward the sky, developing a sturdy stem that wind and rain cannot topple, and at its tip blooms a magnificent flower.
However, my bulb doesn't grow, and no flower blooms.
…In short, I have ED.
Not the cassette-tape kind.
That's right.
After my experience of parting with
Of course, I tried to fix it.
In an unfamiliar land, I visited a red-light district.
A place I'd never once set foot in during my previous life either.
But the result was a catastrophic defeat.
My tulip remained dormant, its stem lying quietly on the ground without ever sprouting.
After that, as I built a reputation as an adventurer, I attracted a certain amount of attention, and female adventurers occasionally made advances.
I'd lead them back to the inn with my spirits high.
Or maybe it was because a professional was too much.
You'd get all tense, after all.
But as expected, useless was useless, and eventually the woman would get angry and storm out.
I gave up.
Looking at a naked woman still aroused me.
But there was no response traveling up my spine, and the lower half stayed silent.
What followed was a wave of helplessness and loneliness.
My spirit broke.
I wasn't thinking about getting together with anyone anymore.
I didn't have anyone I liked.
If I was just going to be betrayed, I might as well look, touch, and admire from the start.
There was no need to wish for anything beyond that.
It had always been like this, hadn't it?
I'd managed it once. What more could I possibly wish for?
There was no need to push forward.
All I needed to do was perfect my solo play.
I didn't need companions.
I hated being part of a group.
No, lately even that solo play…
I— I wasn't crying or anything!
"Haah…"
I returned to my room.
Using magic to warm the room, I conjured hot water and wiped down my sweat-soaked body.
After changing clothes, I stepped out to get something to eat.
"Oh."
"Oh."
I ran smack into Elinalise and company, who were just coming out after finishing their business.
The one with his arm around Elinalise's shoulder was Soldat, who'd been taking on quests alongside me quite a bit lately.
The moment he saw my face, his complexion drained in an instant.
"No— wait, it's not what you think, Mud沼— I didn't mean to go after your woman—"
"No, you've got it wrong, Soldat. Elinalise is absolutely not my woman.
Besides, you already know I can't get it up, don't you?"
"R-Right, yeah, sorry. I said something that really dug into your emotional wound there…
I'm not trying to pick a fight with you. Last time, remember? You really let us earn our keep."
"It's fine… By the way, did you enjoy yourself?"
"Yeah, it was amazing."
Soldat said that with a dopey grin on his face.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue, even though I'd asked.
"She says it was amazing, Elinalise. Glad to hear it."
"Naturally. Any man who's with me is sure to be happy."
"…Ah, right."
I knew.
The male members of Soldat's party, and several others, had already fallen prey to Elinalise.
Each and every one of them had come to me with some combination of apology and lovey-dovey rambling.
I didn't need their apologies.
But did the others know about each other?
Wouldn't this eventually blow up into a massive scene?
Well, not my problem.
I wasn't involved.
Getting tangled up in that mess sounded like a pain.
For the past two years, I'd been careful to avoid getting caught up in anything troublesome.
I hadn't done anything to earn anyone's resentment, and I hadn't gotten into fights with anyone.
So what I should say here wasn't something cutting toward her.
"Elinalise."
"Yes?"
"Feel free to eat as much as you like, but clean up your own mess, would you?"
A purely self-serving remark.
She nodded as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course."
"Whoa, what's this about?" Soldat wore a confused expression.
Elinalise planted a quick kiss on his cheek and steered him toward the stairs.
"Nothing at all. Come now, let's go have lunch."
What a terrible woman.
--- Elinalise Dragonroad.
A former member of Paul's party.
Apparently, during the teleportation incident, she and Roxy had both searched for Paul's family.
Together with Roxy, she'd crossed the Demon Continent, met Kishirika, and traveled all the way to the Central Continent.
Together with Roxy.
What a great help.
Roxy had turned back from the far edge of the Demon Continent to go report Zenith's discovery to Paul, it seemed.
In other words, if this woman hadn't been so selfish, the one who would have come here was Roxy.
Damn it.
Well, from what I'd heard, the right thing would have been for everyone to return to Millishion together, and I would have had no grounds to complain about being left behind.
I supposed I should be grateful.
Whatever.
Once I headed to the Begaritto Continent, I could meet Roxy.
There was no need to rush.
Elinalise's adventurer rank was S.
Her class was warrior.
We'd taken on a subjugation quest together once, and as expected of an S-ranker, she was far from weak.
Her attack power was a touch on the low side, but her aggro management was outstanding.
As a warrior, she was first-rate.
Of course, not the strongest.
The strongest "warrior" in my book was Ruijerd.
It wouldn't be fair to compare her to him.
With her luxurious golden curls and a beauty that carried herself like a noble lady, she was an elf.
Her demeanor was gentle, and she was notably attentive in making men feel valued.
Her gaze was always fixed on a man's eyes, and every casual touch and subtle gesture was designed to draw him in.
It had been the same with me—wait, was she actually falling for me?
She had a way of making you think that without ever being obvious about it.
And when you added the fact that she was skilled in combat, the men of this world were completely smitten.
On top of that, her combat ability in bed was apparently exceptional as well.
That said, it wasn't as though she looked down on women or dismissed them.
She also had a side that offered advice to lovelorn maidens, teaching them the art of winning a man's heart.
In party battles, she took the lead in protecting the women, carrying herself like a dependable big sister.
If you set aside the one trait common to elves—her modest chest—she was, by all accounts, a flawless woman.
You might even call her bewitching.
Her only flaw was that she devoured every unattached man in range without any concern for who was watching.
As a result, from an outside perspective, she had all the subtlety of a lit fuse.
Still, thanks to her excellent aggro management, things rarely escalated to actual violence.
Even so, there were always problems.
She'd never stayed in one party for long.
Among the men in the southern Central Continent, her reputation preceded her, and there was an unspoken rule that you shouldn't let her join your party unless you wanted trouble.
As it happened, she was currently in a party with me.
Playing the part of guardian angel, she'd declared, "If you're heading to Begarrito, I'll make sure to see you there safely."
Well, I had learned over these two years that traveling alone had its inconveniences, so I couldn't complain.
Her combat ability was nothing to scoff at either.
She could handle just about anything a solo adventurer needed to do.
The only annoying thing was that during meals, she'd deliberately sit down next to me, lean against me, and pat me all over.
"Soldat, you mustn't. Rudeus is watching."
"So what? It's fine, right?"
"Oh my, you naughty thing…"
And right now, she was flirting with Soldat right in front of me.
We could have eaten separately, so why share the same table?
Was she trying to rub it in?
Damn it.
I wasn't jealous at all. Not one bit.
"…"
Soldat was completely love-struck with Elinalise.
Every member of his party was the same way.
How was Elinalise going to avoid this reverse-harem situation from here on out?
As long as she didn't direct the fallout my way, I'd be fine, but I had a sinking feeling it would eventually circle back to me.
I wanted to resolve the situation before that happened, but I had zero experience in these matters.
Opening my mouth felt like it would backfire horribly.
Just as I was thinking this— "Well then, here's the money I promised."
"No no, I'm sorry. Getting something that amazing and then receiving money too…"
"In exchange, you mustn't fall for me for real."
Elinalise was handing over money to Soldat.
So that's how it was.
She was essentially a reverse prostitute.
If that was the case, then there was no problem.
…Was there?
--- About a month of this lifestyle went by before one day, a letter arrived for me.
It was sealed with considerable care.
On the front was written: "
What's this?
I broke the seal and looked inside.
"To Rudeus Greyrat, Greetings.
My name is Jinous, and I serve as the Vice-Principal of the Ranoa Magic University.
Your distinguished reputation as 'Mud沼 Rudeus' has reached even the Kingdom of Ranoa.
I hear you are a remarkably skilled adventurer capable of casting without incantation.
Upon further investigation, I discovered you are none other than the student of the Water King-Class Mage Roxy herself!
Would you not wish to further refine your extraordinary magical techniques?
The Ranoa Magic University is prepared to welcome you as a special student.
A special student is exempt from both classes and tuition fees.
You would have full access to our library and facilities, free to conduct whatever research you wish.
If you complete a single research project within seven years (before graduation) and cede it to our university or the Magic Guild, you will also be eligible for an unconditional recommendation to C-rank membership in the Magic Guild.
Of course, even without any research results, you may register as a D-rank Guild member, same as any other graduate.
I would be most grateful for the opportunity to meet with you in person.
I apologize for the abrupt nature of this request, but I hope you will give it your consideration.
Sincerely, Jinous Halfas, Vice-Principal of the Ranoa Magic University"
That's what it said.
A special student…
In essence, this was a recommendation letter for a scholarship… of sorts.
I knew the Magic Guild existed in this world.
I had no idea what it actually did.
For the record, I did know about the Thieves' Guild.
They dealt in fencing stolen goods and selling slaves, among other things.
But the Magic Guild was a mystery.
I could guess that they wrote and sold books on magic, or conducted magical research, but beyond that, I knew nothing.
What exactly did they do?
And why were they sending this to me now?
It was true that I'd been feeling somewhat stuck when it came to magic.
But I'd learned over the past two years that I had more than enough power to make a living.
Just the other day, I'd even taken down a stray dragon.
…It had been weakened considerably, but a win was still a win.
A victory justified anything.
Either way, I didn't feel any particular need to enroll in what amounted to an advanced study program.
A recommendation letter from a place I'd never heard of, for reasons I didn't understand, pointing me toward a destination I had no clue about.
This had to be some new kind of scam.
If I went there like a fool, I'd get surrounded by intimidating thugs, slathered in gold dust, and turned into a sideshow attraction.
Joking aside, though.
I'd be lying if I said receiving a letter like this didn't make me happy.
The Magic University was Roxy's alma mater.
And the fact that a recommendation had come from such a place— I wanted to look into its true intent.
Or rather, whether the letter was genuine.
"Elinalise, I'm heading to the Adventurer's Guild for a bit."
"Oh? I thought today was your day off?"
I called out to Elinalise, who was grooming her luxurious hair instead of her usual man-hunting.
"I found something I want to look into."
"Wait. I'm coming too."
Elinalise set down her brush and stood up.
Her hair didn't look fully styled yet, but it probably didn't matter.
"I'm not taking on a quest. I'll be right back."
"A long time ago, Paul said the same thing and then went to the Adventurer's Guild to pick up girls."
"Really? That does sound like dear old Father. And your point is?"
"Two is always better than one for picking people up. We'll target couples."
What was this slut saying out of the blue?
"Absolutely not. A man and a woman together? If they're a couple, we'll just end up getting resented."
"It'll be fine. I can tell at a glance."
"For the last time, I'm not picking anyone up. You don't need to come."
Elinalise's mind, in peacetime, contained essentially nothing but these kinds of antics.
But the moment she took on a quest, she switched instantly into a sharp, professional adventurer.
That kind of gap was probably one of the things that attracted men.
"Don't be so cold. You won't do anything for me, so at least let me go scrounge for men. Think of it from my perspective."
"No, I'm perfectly willing to keep you company—if you can help me get my groove back."
"I'd love to try, but I can't very well do that with Paul's son, can I?
Besides, I made a promise to Roxy.
I don't want Roxy to dislike me."
What she was saying was completely incoherent.
How haphazardly did this woman live her life?
But "I don't want Roxy to dislike me"—that much I understood.
And that single sentiment was enough to keep me from hating Elinalise.
"I don't want anyone to dislike me."
I knew that feeling.
But even a woman like Elinalise felt that way about someone.
Incredible.
Oh my God.
Setting that aside— "But that's not my problem, is it? That's your personal business, Elinalise."
"True. But what's the harm? Every healthy young man does a little girl-hunting now and then."
"I'm a health-challenged young man, thank you very much."
"Oh, well played."
Through some convoluted chain of events, I ended up taking Elinalise along to the Adventurer's Guild after all.
Not to pick anyone up, though.
--- The time was already past midday.
At this hour, the guild was fairly sparse.
Soldat and the rest of the "Step Treader" party didn't seem to be around today.
They were probably out on a quest.
Even in winter, subjugation requests were plentiful.
Monsters worked year-round.
Luster Grizzlies didn't hibernate just because they were bears, after all.
Scanning the room, I spotted the members of the A-rank party "Cave à Monde."
Their party was magic-focused.
Four members, a small group.
One magic swordsman and three mages.
All of them were mid-tier mages or above, with the leader being a high-tier fire mage.
"Yo, Mud沼. On a date today?"
"That's right. My lovely lady kept pestering me to take her out man-hunting."
"Huh?"
I addressed Conrad, the leader of Cave à Monde.
He was a seasoned adventurer past forty, a rough-hewn man with a handlebar mustache.
He hadn't joined the last subjugation quest, but he and I got along fairly well.
He'd invited me to join his party on multiple occasions.
An offensive mage who could also cast intermediate healing magic was apparently a rare find.
"So, you've finally decided to join our party?"
"Hmph. I'm a lone wolf who despises groupthink. I don't crawl under anybody's umbrella."
"What's with the tough act? You already formed a party with that woman over there, didn't you?"
When I turned to look at "that woman," Elinalise was in the process of picking up Marlorey, a D-rank adventurer.
Picking up was putting it mildly—she was seducing him.
Even from a distance, his face was beet red, and I could practically smell what beast races would call "the scent of arousal."
Marlorey was a sixteen-year-old boy, and his class was warrior, if I remembered right.
We'd never met.
He looked inexperienced, and rather than excitement, it seemed more like bewilderment at Elinalise's advances.
"That aside, Conrad. I had something I wanted to ask you."
"What, if it's something weird, I'm charging you? You killed that stray dragon the other day and loaded up on cash, right?
Ah, we should've gone too. If I'd known you could take it down alone…"
"I'll treat you next time. So, here's my question—Conrad, did you attend Ranoa Magic University?"
"Yep. Dropped out after five years, though."
At this point, I didn't care whether he was a dropout or whatever.
I asked Conrad about the letter.
First, what exactly was a special student?
"Ah, special students. Yeah, I've seen a few.
At the Magic University, they actively recruit people like you—mages who use weird magic, or adventurers who've built a name but aren't registered with the Magic Guild, or foreign royalty and nobility with absurdly high mana reserves.
They basically say, 'You don't have to attend classes. Just keep your name on the roster.' The idea is, if any of those people make a name for themselves later, it doubles as publicity for the university."
So that was the idea.
I vaguely remembered something similar in my previous life.
Was it different from a scholarship?
Maybe more like an honorary membership?
Either way, it didn't seem like an outright scam.
"What exactly does the Magic Guild do?"
"Selling scrolls, supporting magic item production, that kind of thing.
I don't know the details myself. I'm technically a member, but I'm only F-rank."
"Oh, right—when you graduate from the Magic University, you get a D-rank qualification, don't you?"
"If you graduate, yeah."
Apparently, the Magic Guild provided broad support for all matters related to magic.
As your rank increased, so did your privileges and the support you could receive.
At minimum, if you could cast basic magic, you were eligible to join.
At a normal magic academy, you could register as an E-rank member upon graduation.
The head of the Magic University also served as an executive in the Magic Guild, and since the university itself was run under the Guild's umbrella, graduating from the Magic University earned you D-rank membership.
For special students who submitted a research project, C-rank.
Naturally, even without being a special student, outstanding mages could receive C-rank certification.
"I wonder what you get at C-rank."
"Beats me. You could ask the Guild, but there's no Magic Guild branch in this town…"
For the record, F-rank members received no support whatsoever.
The Magic Guild's rank increased by successfully completing Guild requests, or by contributing to the Magic Guild in other ways.
Unlike the Adventurer's Guild, there was no clear formula for ranking up.
Someone with connections to the Guild's leadership who was good at schmoozing could see their rank climb steadily.
In blunt terms, Magic Guild ranks could be bought with money—up to B-rank.
"So, Mud沼. You never went to school, huh?"
"I had a private tutor."
"Ooh. You must've come from a pretty well-off family."
"Like my name suggests, a minor branch of the
"…Sorry, what was your first name again?"
"Greyrat. Rudeus Greyrat."
The name Mud沼 Rudeus was fairly well known, but my real name hadn't spread as far.
That was just how it was.
I didn't know Conrad's family name either.
I'd heard he had one when he first introduced himself, but I'd never remembered it.
"Greyrat—aren't those like provincial lords in Asura? That's impressive. So why are you out here doing solo adventurer stuff?"
"Well, you see…"
As I started to answer, Eris's face flashed through my mind.
Eris's face. The warmth of a single night. And the sense of loss the following morning.
Since then, the one thing I should have been able to count on was useless…
Before I knew it, a tear slipped down my cheek.
"H-Hey…?"
"Sorry. Everyone's got their stuff, right? My bad."
He was being considerate.
I probably needed to get over Eris soon.
She moved on quickly—she'd surely forgotten about me by now.
There was no point clinging to those feelings like a fool.
Don't think. Feel.
"But hey, if they're offering you special treatment and all, why not check it out?"
When Conrad said that, something occurred to me.
Come to think of it, I'd taken a tutoring job at Eris's place specifically because I needed to save up for the admission fee at a magic academy.
Going to a magic academy with
That had been the original goal.
But now, I didn't feel much need to go.
Everything was too different from back then.
If I registered with the Magic Guild, there might be some benefits.
But there was no urgent need to act right away.
More importantly, I should probably go meet up with Paul first.
"That's right. Rather than staying with the likes of Paul, you'd be better off enrolling in school or something.
You're not getting any younger, you know. Isn't it time you stood on your own two feet?"
When I looked up, Elinalise was standing beside me.
She really did seem to despise Paul.
"There's no rush. It wouldn't be too late to go even after my family gets back together."
"They say Zenith is safe. As long as you see her while she's alive, isn't that enough?"
"Even so, since we're a scattered family, shouldn't we all gather first?"
"Paul and the others will end up going back to Asura anyway. You can just take a little trip and meet up with them then."
"They might settle down in Millishion."
"That's no place where a man with two wives can live comfortably."
The Millis Church apparently considered monogamy the norm.
I could see how someone like Paul would find it a bit uncomfortable.
"Besides, Elinalise, you just don't want to see Father, do you?"
"That's exactly right."
She said it with complete candor, shrugging her shoulders.
She didn't want to see Paul, but she had no intention of dropping the job of delivering me to Begarrito.
Sometimes I really couldn't figure out what was going on in this woman's head.
"By the way, Mud沼."
"Yes?"
"So, are you going to introduce me to that lady soon, or what?"
Conrad was eyeing Elinalise with a somewhat lecherous gaze.
How did this woman manage to be so popular?
Well, whatever.
There was no reason to hesitate.
The proposal was undoubtedly attractive in various ways, but for now, I'd pass on enrolling at the Magic University.
--- The night of that decision.
I was in a white place.
Him.
That guy. The one with the mosaic.
Two years since the last time.
"Hey. Long time no see."
Ah, no doubt about it. It was
"What's with that tone?"
Nothing. Don't worry about it.
"I won't. I'm used to you saying strange things by now."
Is that so.
Still, it had been a while since this dream, but it didn't carry that same unpleasant feeling as before.
Maybe I'd gotten used to it.
"It's not so much that you've gotten used to it as you've adapted, don't you think?"
Maybe.
More importantly, while I was searching for Zenith, I'd called out to you more than once.
Would it have killed you to show up at least once?
"I have my own circumstances."
I see.
Well, in the end she was found, so I guess it was fine.
But I felt like I'd lost two solid years for nothing.
"I'm glad. Your mother was found."
Yeah.
I never expected Roxy to be the one searching for her.
"She's a hard worker, that one."
Seriously. The pride of my master.
It sounded like she was heading to the Begarrito Continent too. I was looking forward to seeing her.
"Are you sure about that?
Showing your proud master what a pathetic state you're in now?"
…What?
Pathetic? Me?
"Well, isn't it true?
Eris ran off on you, you can't get it up, and while your magic has improved a little, it's basically the same as before.
Your sword training—sure, you swing every day, but you haven't really gotten any stronger, have you?
Your body's tougher, I'll grant you, but can you honestly say with confidence, 'With confidence, your student has grown into someone admirable'?"
Grrr.
He was really going in, wasn't he.
So what was he trying to say?
"Isn't this exactly the time to train yourself? If you go to the Magic University, you should be able to learn all sorts of things that a ragtag bunch of adventurers could never teach you."
What was this, a cram school recruiter?
Ah.
He'd said it pretty casually, but was that the usual advice, or…
"Yeah, something like that."
You were as suspicious as ever.
"Is that so? Well, this time I think you should listen to me.
If you go to the Begaritto Continent, you'll definitely regret it."
Regret? Why?
"I can't tell you that."
Ah, right.
Well, it wasn't exactly new for you to hide things you needed to hide.
But you had to know that "I can't tell you" was a pretty weak reason.
In any case, my whole family had been found, so I wanted to settle down for a bit too.
"Mm. So, here's the real advice."
Alright. Let's hear it.
"Ahem. Rudeus, enroll at the Ranoa Magic University.
There, investigate the teleportation incident in the Fittoa Region.
If you do, you will be able to regain both your ability and your confidence as a man."
Huh?
Seriously?
My erectile dysfunction would be cured at the Magic University, Master Hitogami?
It would… it would… it would…
His words echoed as consciousness faded.
--- When I woke up, Elinalise's face was right in front of me.
I shot upright in alarm.
I remembered what had happened last night.
For once, she'd failed at man-hunting.
When night came, she'd declared, "It's so cold, I can't sleep," and slipped into my bed.
It was true—the Northern Lands' winter nights were frigid.
The inn had a fireplace, so it was much warmer than outside, but this was a world without air conditioning or gas heaters.
Upscale inns had fireplaces in every room, or magical heating systems that warmed the entire building.
But unfortunately, this was a budget inn for C-rank adventurers.
The most they had was a thick comforter.
I could warm the entire room with magic, so it wasn't an issue for me.
But Elinalise, who seemed to have very little body fat, looked genuinely cold.
So I figured it was a perk and let her in.
It was absolutely not because I'd wanted some fun last night.
That's right. Not fun. Definitely not fun.
Lying next to this impossibly beautiful woman who had zero concept of chastity, my sea otlier lay collapsed and lifeless, offering only a hollow silence.
I'd tried groping her sleeping body, and sure enough—the otlier remained silent.
The act of freely handling the female body I'd always dreamed of in my previous life.
My brain was extremely excited by it, but there was no response traveling up my spine.
"Nnng…"
When I pulled my hand away, she latched onto me like an octopus.
She was generally on the lean side, but her body had that distinctive feminine softness as it enveloped me.
She clung to me with deeply provocative movements, but once again— No response.
My brain was clearly aroused…
Eventually, Elinalise's movements stilled, and her quiet breathing returned.
My arousal evaporated in an instant, leaving behind emptiness, loneliness, and a deep sense of shame.
Tears welled up.
"So that's what getting cured feels like…"
I quietly made my decision to attend the Magic University.
--- Three months later.
When winter ended, I set off for the Kingdom of Ranoa.