Chapter 4: Brand New Day

I woke up with the first rays of sunrise, feeling a ravenous hunger, which constituted a big problem. Not only there was still a couple hour until the dining hall started to serve, but also I would still run the risk of being noticed by one of the students with a well-developed observation if I waited for the dinner.

The simplest way to counter that was to visit the kitchen, hoping that one of the servants would take pity and feed me, but that carried its own complications. It wasn't just the students just bullied me. Servants were happy to join when they realized there would be no consequence as long as they kept it non-physical, giving them a metaphorical way to hit back to the aristocracy that oppressed them for all their life. So, going to the kitchen meant that there would be a lot of leers and insults, and I didn't want to suffer them more than necessary. I had suffered a fair share of them until now, and didn't want more when I was finally strong enough to not to take their shit anymore.

Then a sudden realization hit me. Why not put my subterfuge skills into the job? It shouldn't be too hard to act like a different student, especially since it had been rare for someone to look at my face beforehand. With my expanded capabilities, tricking a bunch of servants them shouldn't be too hard. I turned to my wardrobe -a pitiful collection of damaged and dirty clothing, as servants long stopped helping me with my chores unless forced otherwise. Luckily, there was a group of students that dressed like that due to their daily activities, combined with their relatively lower status.

I wasn't limited to the clothes in my wardrobe, of course. Arcane spells allowed a wide range of tricks, some of which I managed to decipher already. Which meant that not only could magically-repair my clothes to create a decent approximation of a ranger uniform, but also I could have a different hair and eye color, with a distinctive illusion of a wound on my chin.

Thirty minutes later, I was walking towards the kitchen in a completely new identity, dressed as a poor approximation of ranger, with a forged note in my hand with a copied signature from one of the other documents. It wasn't a perfect disguise, and I wouldn't dare to use it under the sunshine even against the servants, but I was hoping that relative darkness of the corridors would assist me in my plot.

I arrived at the kitchen, only to find it bustling with a great cacophony of activity as the servants prepared for the breakfast. I glanced around, trying to identify the best target to reach. And then I noticed a man that was barking orders to the others around him, but dressed in the same way. I was betting for a small-time servant trying to prove himself to be management quality.

I walked towards him with determined steps, once in my life, not hunched forward like I was trying to disappear. "Master Ranger asks for some additional supplies for today's expedition," I said as I pushed the list towards him. He looked at it, his expression panicking slightly.

After a moment's silence, he stood straighter, and started spitting orders to the people around him. "You, bring me two packs of dried meat, and someone brings me three packs of dried fruits." Then, he pointed at another man, who looked less than enthusiastic about being ordered. "You bring me four dozen travel bread..."

He must have been more successful in his ambitions than I had first thought, because it took just two minutes for them to prepare me a burlap filled with everything I asked for. "Excellent," I said, trying to copy gruff but to the point voice of a ranger.

"No problem, milord, is there anything else I could do for you," he asked, his voice smarmy enough to raise my hackles. I shrugged, then started walking towards the door with rapid steps. The reason, I could see the head chef walking towards us with a stormy expression, clearly unhappy with the intrusion to his domain, compounded by the fact that I talked one of his subordinates rather than him. I made no motion of noticing him, but quickened my steps enough that when he arrived my previous position, I was about to leave the kitchens. From the corner of my eyes, I could see he started talking with the man, clearly admonishing him for giving supplies without asking him, then I turned, leaving the kitchen behind.

After a hurried dash, I was back in my room, letting out a relaxed sigh as the door closed behind me. That was close, and the fact that the head chef noticed me was a good sign that my Subterfuge skills were not high enough to avoid detection. I needed to improve it further in the earliest chance. Luckily, I was about to gain another level, and hopefully, it would allow me to do so.

And on the plus side, I had enough food to last me for at least a week. Even two, if I eat conservatively. Dried meat and hard bread wasn't exactly a feast, but it sustained me while allowing me to stay away from the view. I nibbled some food while dispelling the spells over me, my hair color turning back to its natural brown.

I focused on reading a book on basic arcana spells that I had swiped from the library for the next hour, but soon, it was time to work once more. I was quick to prepare and leave my room, wanting to go there as early as possible. I didn't know whether the Head Librarian was back, but if she was, I want to be in the library earlier than her. The less reason she had to watch me, the better...

I was one of the earliest workers in the library. I just grabbed a cart without talking with anyone and drove it towards the less-visited part of the library. After a few minutes, then the assistant of the Head Librarian took the main desk, cluing me on the fact that the Head Librarian was still away.

My morning passed in a predictable routine, occasionally walk around like I was working while spending most of my time hidden between two shelves, reading as much as I could. I had a lot to learn...

Of course, I kept my eyes open for any opportunities that would net me some experience. I needed barely less than two hundred experience points, and then I would unlock a new level. Unfortunately, the night arrived without an opportunity. There was no Marianne following me, giving me easy opportunities to sneak a grope, nor I could see Helga with her busty beauty, hidden in the depths of the library, allowing me to use magic without being noticed by the others.

I was preparing to leave when my luck had turned. I saw Cornelia stepping through the entrance, her efforts to make herself look inconspicuous making her even more noticeable, at least to me. Thanks to my earlier observations, I knew exactly how to read her signs of arousal. She looked around for a while, carefully watching her surroundings, making me afraid that I would be noticed if I continued to examine her. Another late-night encounter, I thought with a smirk, excited with the prospect of another level-up.

Luckily, I didn't have to watch her, not when I knew where she would be in a few minutes. I disappeared behind the shelves before alerting her to my position. And since I was there early, I had enough time to move the stuff around, creating a superior observation point where I could actually sit while enjoying the show.

Several minutes later, Cornelia had walked into the exact same spot she had been the last night, murmuring a careful spell while she drew several quick symbols on the table with her finger, and leaving a shiny aftermath. I was impressed. It wasn't exactly trivial to create a ward, even a simple one like hers, without a specially-prepared anchor.

But it seemed that the preparations for the night were just the beginning. Cornelia reached to her bag, and pulled out a ribbon from her bag. I looked at it curiously, as it looked like silk, not the cheapest material to find after most of the production areas had been destroyed by monster attacks, especially one that painted bright red. Then she pulled a small riding crop, curiously, in bright red as well. Fitting to her flame queen theme, but I was starting to get a suspicion for their purpose, which got stronger and stronger as she pulled more items from her bag. I couldn't help but feel curious, however, as Marianne didn't give me the impression that she would be enjoying stuff like that.

Though it didn't take long for my curiosity to turn into total shock. The reason, who had just walked into the opening. Like yesterday, a familiar blonde figure stepped to my field of vision. But it wasn't the same blonde that I had seen with Cornelia.

It was Helga.

It was a miracle that I managed to keep myself from gasping. Not seeing Marianne here had been quite a shock, as from what I had been gathering from their talks, I was willing to bet that those two loved each other enough to risk total disgrace. But despite that, Cornelia had been clearly waiting for Helga, if her lack of surprise was any indicator.

Cornelia didn't say anything, just reached for her robe, and pulled it off with a smooth motion, revealing a leather corset underneath, stylized like leather armor with, but with a lot of strategic absences to highlight her sexiness. Of course, again in bright red. She was really playing to her moniker as the Crimson Queen.

[+50 Experience]

[Achievement: Prepared Peeper. Observe a tantalizing view from a prepared position. +200 Experience, +1 Wisdom]

Level UP!

[Select one of the following skills: Advanced Subterfuge, Basic Speech, Basic Concealment]

I was tempted to choose speech or concealment, as both of them had the potential to be really useful for my needs, but in the end, I had to go with the subterfuge. I didn't trust myself to avoid the Head Librarian's attention otherwise. And as the morning showed, subterfuge unlocked some interesting options, by acting like the others. I chose the subterfuge, and then turned my attention back to the action, curious about the exact details of the surprising situation in front of me.

"Good evening," Helga said, which just increased my curiosity about the situation. Not because of her words, but the tone she used, sharp and cold, suggesting that she wasn't really happy about her situation. The situation was getting more and more curious. Though hearing what she had said had been a welcome surprise. Apparently, I was close enough to stay inside the silencing field Cornelia had set up.

"Take care of your tone," Cornelia countered sharply, followed by a dark smirk. "Unless you want a session to remember." A moment later, she raised her hand, and a tendril of electricity flickered between her fingers.

Helga looked like she wanted to answer, but chose to do the smart thing, and ducked her head, avoiding Cornelia's gaze. I approved, as I knew from firsthand that how quick was Cornelia to escalate into uncontrolled violence. At least, in the current condition, it seemed to be limited to controlled violence.

"We're going to go with the usual rules tonight," Cornelia said with a smirk. She took a step towards Helga, and caressed her cheek with the riding crop with a contrasting gentleness. "Last for ten minutes, and you earn a whole gold piece," she said. A gold piece was nothing for a noble, but for a peasant, it represented more money than they could imagine. For a merchant family like Helga's, it wasn't an amount to ignore, but certainly, it wasn't enough to justify her indignity, unless her family business was in truly dire straits.

Helga just nodded, and reached for the buttons of her robe, her fingers moving in a familiar rapidness. A moment later, she pushed her robe on the ground, revealing that, underneath, she was garbed in her birthday suit.

[+100 Experience]

I licked my lips as I drank the sight of her body, even more spectacular than what I could glimpse after my magical malfunction. Her breasts were large enough that my palms would fail to cover them, but firm despite their weight. Her stomach was smooth, but I could glimpse muscles underneath that suggested a fitness surprising for a mage. There was an unkempt bush between her legs that hid quite a bit of the detail, but her legs, toned and firm, was enough reward to ignore that fact for now.

"Where were we," Cornelia said as she gently dragged her crop on her breasts after a small break where she enjoyed the sight in front of her. "Yes, we were talking about the rules. Last twenty minutes, and you earn another scroll," she added. From the way Helga's eyes shined, I could understand that it was an important one, probably a hidden source from Cornelia's family library. "And if you can last for a full thirty minutes without admitting defeat, I'll teach you a spell. Clear?"

Helga nodded, trying and failing to hide her fear. Cornelia giggled amusedly. "It's amusing to think that you will be able to last that long. Good luck. Today, you just need to say, Mistress, this pathetic slave is at her limit, please have mercy, to make me stop." Helga's chin stiffened in a way that suggested she was squeezing her teeth painfully, but she still nodded. "Repeat it, just to make sure you can remember it," she added.

"Mistress," Helga managed to spat out from her thinned lips, her hands squeezed enough to become completely white. "This pathetic slave is at her limit, please have mercy."

"Good work," Cornelia said, patting her head in a completely patronizing manner. "Now, stand here, eagle pose."

Helga just followed her directions, seemingly understanding her fate. When she was in her position, Cornelia waved her hands, and a few whispers later, the ribbons she had prepared wrapped themselves around Helga's arms and legs, immobilizing her like a particularly delicious doe fallen into a huntress' trap. Meanwhile, Cornelia reached for her bag and pulled an hourglass, and placed it on the table to measure the time.

"Let's start with something easy," Cornelia said, and her naked hand landed on Helga's hip, the sharp voice echoing in the opening, showing the confidence Cornelia had on her silencing spell. Helga just stayed silent, looking at Cornelia. From the angle I had, I wasn't able to see her expression, but from the way Helga blanched, it didn't seem to be particularly friendly.

[+50 Experience]

With that done, Cornelia took a step forward, her ass danced beautifully, covered only by a thong, once again, crimson. I pulled my shaft free, slowly playing with myself as I watched. For the next few minutes, I have done nothing but watch while Cornelia's hands landed on Helga's body, again and again, marking her pale body with several pink patches, though it only made her sexier. Occasional insults also accompanied her slaps, mainly insulting Helga's lowborn status, mixed in with occasional financial insult. Helga's expression was just as delicious, a mixture of defiance and fear. Though it was a pity that I wasn't the source of that expression.

"Ten minutes," Cornelia said with an amused stretch, marking the end of the first section, of which I have earned another five hundred experience points. Not bad, but watching without contribution didn't seem to net that much. "You have earned one huge gold coin for your success."

While Helga took a series to deep breaths to control herself, Cornelia walked back to the table, and restarted the flow of sand by turning the hourglass. But when Cornelia grabbed her riding crop instead of raising her naked hand. When that landed on her skin harshly, a pained gasp escaped Helga's mouth for the first time. I suddenly had a suspicion whether she would be able to last another ten minutes. It would be a pity if I earned just a thousand from such an amazing opportunity. But that meant I needed to take action. But how to do it without being noticed.

Then, it clicked to me. It didn't have to stay unnoticed. Helga was already suffering under Cornelia's assault, and from what I had understood from their interaction, Helga didn't have right to ask about what Cornelia was doing, nor she seemed to have any intention of doing so.

So, I conjured another magical appendage, this time formed similar to Cornelia's crop, and waited until Cornelia's whip started to soar through the air. I timed it perfectly, and it landed on Helga's skin the moment after Cornelia's did, triggering a loud cry off her.

[+100 Experience]

Despite the approval of the system, I had neglected to repeat the action the next time, checking them to see whether it created any alarm. Cornelia slammed the whip on her skin once more with her usual joy, though this time, Helga managed to keep her mouth closed. And since I managed to avoid the detection of both parties, there was nothing to prevent from repeating the same action.

[+ 10 Experience]

While the lackluster gain was a bit annoying, it seemed to fit the pattern. Repeating the same action had a much lower impact, which probably linked to risk factor. But small wasn't the same with unimportant, as since I gained it with each repeat, it amounted to quite a bit of experience, especially when combined with the bonuses I received whenever Cornelia decided to do something different, such as biting Helga's breast without a warning, enough to leave a mark that would last for a few days, which netted me another nifty hundred experience points.

Helga's proud expression as she tried to hide the effect of pain to a limited effect had a unique sexiness to it. I could easily see why Cornelia was enjoying the treatment, which could be easily read on her face as she stepped back, enjoying her achievement, unaware that she owed some of her success to my intervention.

I decided to spice things up a bit, so when her crop landed on Helga's breast, I created a mirror image of it, landing on the other one, for the first time, extracting a loud cry from Helga. I should have tried to pace myself, but the moment caught me in its grip as well, and I started to escalate my involvement.

With my new approach, I had another seven hundred experience halfway the second part, and the achievement was enough to make Cornelia start dripping. However, there was one rather big problem. Helga's expression was getting more and more worn out. I needed to find a way to enhance her resistance if I wanted to get the full benefit of this amazing opportunity.

It would be a pity to cut short such an amazing moment...

[Level: 4 Experience: 7520 / 10000

Strength: 6 Charisma: 8

Precision: 7 Perception: 8

Agility: 6 Manipulation: 8

Speed: 6 Intelligence: 6

Endurance: 8 Wisdom: 17

HP: 132 / 132 Mana: 150 / 188 ]

SKILLS

[Advanced Subterfuge (25/50)

Basic Arcana [22/25] ]