Chapter 76: The First Major Pain In The Ass*
Aegis knelt between her favorite professor’s legs, her mouth full of cock, trying to explain her Sister Mirabel problem between strokes.
"So she basically—" slurp "—put a light collar around my neck—" lick "—and said she could smell the shadow magic on me! I mean, what’s up with that!?"
Nazraya’s fingers tangled in Aegis’s hair, guiding her rhythm.
"Sister Mirabel? Oh, that woman couldn’t hurt a fly."
Aegis pulled back, a string of saliva connecting her lips to Nazraya’s tip.
"She literally threatened to burn me alive."
"Yes, well." Nazraya pushed Aegis’s head back down. "She threatens everyone. It’s her thing. Like how our dear Commander Korvo threatens to break legs, or how our headmistress Valdris constantly threatens expulsion. All bark, no bite."
[That light collar felt pretty bite-y to me.]
Aegis hollowed her cheeks, sucking harder. Nazraya’s thighs tensed.
"Besides," Nazraya continued, voice getting breathier, "divine magic is worth learning. Even for someone like you. Especially for someone like you."
"Mm?"
"Shadow and divine magic are opposites, yes, but understanding one helps you defend against the other. Mirabel’s actually doing you a favor."
[A favor. Right. Death threats are super helpful.]
Nazraya’s hips bucked. Her cock pulsed.
"Fuck, right there, pet. Keep going."
Aegis did exactly that.
Three minutes of fast head bobbing later, Nazraya came hard down her throat. Aegis swallowed everything, then sat back on her heels, wiping her mouth.
"So you’re saying I should just... ignore the murderous nun?"
"I’m saying you should pay attention in her classes." Nazraya tucked herself back into her skirt. "Learn what you can. Let her posture and threaten. She won’t actually do anything without proof, and you’re too smart to give her any."
Aegis blinked at the words "too smart".
[... Professor Nazraya thinks pretty highly of me, doesn’t she?]
"What if she follows me here?"
"Then I’ll handle it." Nazraya’s red eyes glowed faintly in the candlelight. "Mirabel and I have... history. Trust me, you’ll be fine."
[History? That sounds ominous.]
"Now go. I have papers to grade, and you have the Sky Piercer to visit tonight, don’t you?"
Aegis blinked.
"How did you—"
"I know everything that happens in this academy after dark." Nazraya smirked. "Well, almost everything. I have no clue why you insist on going through the trouble of making it up there, but, well, enjoy the view or whatever."
[... If only you knew.]
---
Aegis’s dorm room had been transformed into a semi-art studio.
Lune sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by canvases. Sophie posed on Aegis’s bed, naked except for strategically placed silk scarves.
And next to Sophie sat a girl Aegis didn’t recognize, who looked like she may have been slightly older than Sophie, with short black hair, green eyes, and the most bored expression Aegis had ever seen.
"Oh, you’re back!" Sophie bounced up, scarves flying everywhere. "This is Vera! She’s in my Theoretical Magic class!"
Vera didn’t look up from the book she was reading.
"Sup."
"She’s teaching me about magical theory!" Sophie grabbed Vera’s arm. "Did you know that mana flows through seventeen different pathways in the body?"
"Eighteen if you’re fertility-blessed," Vera corrected, still not looking up. "The extra one runs through your dick."
Sophie gasped.
"Really? Aegis, did you know you have a special dick pathway?"
"I... what?"
Lune looked up from her painting.
"That’s actually accurate. The eighteenth pathway is why fertility-blessed individuals often have higher magical capacity."
"See?" Vera turned a page. "Told you."
Aegis observed the dynamic between them and slowly decided this was a good thing.
[Sophie could use someone low-energy like Vera. like that. Balance her out a little.]
Aegis collapsed into her desk chair. Between Sister Mirabel’s threats and Nazraya’s casual dismissal of them, her head was spinning.
"So what are you all doing?"
"Lune’s painting us!" Sophie struck a pose. "She says I have ’interesting shadows.’"
"Everyone has interesting shadows," Lune murmured, adding another stroke to her canvas.
"And Vera’s just... reading?"
"Studying." Vera finally looked up. Her eyes were like a brighter shade of shadow magic. "Unlike some people, I actually care about my grades."
"Hey! I care about grades too!" Sophie protested.
"You tried to seduce the professor yesterday."
"That was for extra credit!"
"That’s not how extra credit works."
Aegis watched them bicker, a smile tugging at her lips.
[Aw, they’re cute.]
"I’m going to bed," she announced.
"Already?" Sophie pouted. "But I wanted to show you the new spell Vera taught me!"
"Tomorrow."
"Promise?"
"Sure."
Sophie beamed and went back to posing. Vera returned to her book. Lune continued painting.
Aegis changed into her nightclothes and crawled into bed, exhausted. Tomorrow was going to be another long day.
---
The dining hall was mostly empty when Aegis arrived the next morning.
She’d woken up early, too anxious about Sister Mirabel’s class to sleep in. Sophie had still been passed out across Lune’s bed, drooling onto a canvas. Vera had been gone, though she’d left a note: "Your sister snores. Tell her to get that checked."
Aegis grabbed a tray and loaded it with eggs, bread, and something that might have been bacon but tasted like regret. She was halfway through her meal when someone slammed into the seat across from her.
Talia.
The princess looked ready to commit murder. Her usually perfect hair was slightly mussed. Her yellow eyes blazed with fury. She grabbed Aegis’s juice and downed it in one go.
"Uh. Good morning?"
"Shut up."
"Okay."
Talia glared at the empty cup like it had personally offended her.
"My mother wants me to get engaged."
Aegis choked on her eggs.
"What?"
"Engaged. Married. Wed. Whatever synonym you prefer." Talia grabbed Aegis’s fork and stabbed viciously at the maybe-bacon. "To one of the new transfer students."
"Which one?"
"Darius Goldspire."
[Oh fuck.]
Aegis’s blood went cold.
She remembered Darius from the game. Tall, handsome, charming. Everything Varyn wished he was, but actually competent. If Varyn had been the tutorial boss, Darius was the first real antagonist. The kind who’d smile while sliding a knife between your ribs.
[FUCK, with everything that’s been happening, it’s been so much harder to prepare for what’s coming.]
"When did this happen?"
"Last night. Mother cornered me after dinner. Apparently, the Goldspire family has been pushing for an alliance, and she thinks it’s a good match." Talia’s grip on the fork tightened. "A good match. Like I’m livestock being sold at market."
"Have you met him yet?"
"No. But I’m supposed to have lunch with him today. Mother’s orders." She finally looked up at Aegis. "I need you to be there."
"What? Why?"
"Because if I have to suffer through this, so do you."
"That doesn’t make any sense."
"You owe me."
"For what?"
"For that time you made me cum so hard I couldn’t walk straight for two days."
"That was supposed to be a good thing!"
"It was. Too good. Now every time Mother mentions marriage, all I can think about is—" Talia cut herself off, face going red. "Just be there. Please."
[Did she just say please?]
"Fine. But you owe me."
"Whatever." Talia stood abruptly. "Noon. The Rose Garden. Don’t be late."
She stormed off, leaving Aegis with an empty tray and a growing sense of dread.
[Darius Goldspire. Fuck.]
In the game, Darius had been responsible for at least three bad endings. He was smart, ruthless, and worst of all, genuinely likeable when he wanted to be. The kind of villain who’d help old ladies cross the street while planning to burn down their nursing home, just so he could see them smile before they burned.
And now he wanted to marry Talia.
[Well, at least that hasn’t changed from the game. Though, I have gotten a bit ahead of the curve.]
In the game, you were supposed to have around three hearts of affection by this point. Then, later, if you were doing Talia’s route, she’d be up about to kiss Darius at the altar and your player character would storm in and ruin everything.
But, well, Aegis and Talia were already fucking before the storyline even got going.
[I wonder how that’s going to change things. And, does he count toward the whole "you have to befriend the transfers" thing? I mean, he’s a villain.]
But also... Talia had asked for her help.
Not demanded, not threatened. Asked. With a please, even.
[Things are already different.]
Aegis pushed her tray away, appetite gone. She had Divine Magic in an hour, lunch with a psychopath at noon, and shadow magic training tonight.
Just another normal day at Rosevale Academy.
She stood to leave and nearly ran into Scarlett, who was carrying enough food for three people.
"Morning!" Scarlett grinned. "You look like shit."
"Thanks. Really needed to hear that."
"Bad night?"
"Bad morning." Aegis gestured at the table Talia had vacated. "Princess problems."
"Ah." Scarlett nodded sagely. "She seems high-maintenance."
"You have no idea."
"Want me to punch someone? I’m good at punching."
"Maybe later."
"Cool. Oh, hey, did you hear about the new guy?"
"Darius?"
"Yeah! Apparently he’s some bigshot from the capital. Came in with three carriages and a personal guard." Scarlett tore into a chicken leg. "Friend of mine said he’s hot."
"He’s not hot, he’s..."
Aegis stopped.
She remembered how the non-lesbian portion of Queen of Hearts’ community had gushed and frothed at the mouth over the guy. After all, he had his own romantic questline.
"He’s...?" Scarlett asked, amused, with a raised brow.
"Fuck."
"Eloquent."
Scarlett winked and went back to demolishing her breakfast. Aegis left her to it, heading toward the East Chapel.
Time to face the murderous nun again.
[At least whatever transfer students are left can’t be worse than Darius.]
...
...
She really needed to stop tempting fate.