Chapter 5

After encountering a man being treated unfairly in the streets and stepping in on impulse, I had apparently caused a misunderstanding in the eyes of Eleanor Streifen, the Mage Knight Commander, who appeared at the scene.

She seemed to regard me as partially responsible for the chaos.

Her striking black ponytail swayed with her severe expression. Her tall, lean frame was clearly visible even beneath the solid knight’s armor.

“Are you also involved in this disturbance?”

Eleanor’s powerful violet eyes fixed me with an intimidating gaze.

That look seemed to carry a distinct distrust toward men.

(Ugh… this person is seriously rigid…)

I’d acted out of a sense of justice, but it had clearly backfired.

A sense of helplessness and faint resentment spread through my chest.

“Wait, Eleanor. That man is my ‘property.’ I won’t permit you to interfere.”

Silvia materialized from nowhere, positioning herself in front of me.

At her words, Eleanor’s eyebrow twitched.

“Silvia Arclight… I had no idea you were keeping such a man. And calling him your ‘property’—I find that intolerable.”

“My, how presumptuous. What I do with my own property is hardly your concern, is it?”

A sharp stare-down ignited between Silvia and Eleanor.

(This is the worst… I’m caught in the middle…)

Upon learning that I was Silvia’s mana supply source, Eleanor’s disgust became unmistakable.

“Extracting a man’s magical power… you call yourself a mage? It’s shameless!”

“How unfair. This is a consensual ‘contract,’ after all. Isn’t that right, Yuuto?”

Silvia smiled as though seeking my agreement, but her eyes remained cold.

(Agreeing or disagreeing—either way I’m in hell!)

As I floundered in confusion, the man who’d been harassed by the women finally spoke hesitantly.

“N-no, this person tried to help me! Without him, I would have…”

At the man’s words, Eleanor’s stern expression wavered slightly.

She looked between me, Silvia, and the rescued man in turn, then exhaled softly.

“…I understand the situation now. I will overlook this incident. However, you—Yuuto Minakata, was it? I will be monitoring you going forward.”

With that, Eleanor departed, taking her knight subordinates with her.

While the misunderstanding had been partially cleared up, I’d simply gained a new watchdog, and I couldn’t help but hold my head in my hands.

“Hmph, as rigid as ever, that one.”

Silvia muttered dismissively.

But there was something that sounded like rivalry in her voice.

(Four heroine candidates now…? What’s happening to my life…?)

Silvia, Lunaria, Fiona, and Eleanor.

Each possessed a different personality, but all of them were undeniably interested in my magical power.

And it seemed possible that their interest included romantic feelings… perhaps.

“Yuuto, don’t stand there daydreaming. Let’s go.”

Silvia grabbed my arm.

Her grip felt slightly firmer than usual.

“Since Eleanor interfered with today’s session, we’ll need considerable ‘special training’ to make up for it.”

Silvia’s crimson eyes gleamed with an ominous light.

(Special training…? Could she mean the usual mana transfer…?!)

My bad premonition would, unfortunately, prove accurate.

That very night, Silvia’s “special training”—mana transfers far more intense than usual—would begin.

Chapter 6

Since the incident with Eleanor, Silvia had been in a foul mood.

And naturally, I bore the brunt of it.

She announced the start of “special training” designed to enhance my mana-supplying abilities.

Of course, I had no right of refusal.

“Listen, Yuuto. Your mana is certainly boundless. However, its quality and supply efficiency still require improvement.”

Silvia spoke with unusual seriousness in her gaze.

(I’ve got nothing but a bad feeling about this…)

Ignoring my anxiety, Silvia devised training regimens one after another.

They all involved increasingly aggressive physical contact.

“First, this: outdoor mana supply training in secluded locations.”

Silvia dragged me to a deserted corner of the Guild’s back courtyard.

In the dim moonlight, Silvia grabbed my necktie and forcibly drew my face close to hers.

“The tension from the possibility of being seen will heighten mana fluidity.”

(That’s just your preference, isn’t it?!)

My silent protest was swallowed as Silvia’s lips pressed against mine.

The kiss, laced with both transgression and thrill, did seem to make the mana flow more intense than usual.

The heat radiating from Silvia’s body and her ragged breathing only intensified my shame.

The next training involved kissing during magical combat.

Silvia summoned a training golem and demanded mana transfer while fighting it.

“In battle, mana consumption is severe. I want to test how smoothly you can supply me under such conditions!”

Kissing while moving around frantically was nearly impossible.

Several times I missed her lips, or nearly got caught in the golem’s attacks.

Each time, Silvia hurled insults—but when I succeeded, she offered clumsy praise along with slightly gentler kisses.

(This is pure carrot and stick…)

And the pinnacle was kiss training in the bath.

For some inexplicable reason, I’d been dragged into Silvia’s luxurious private bathhouse.

“Steam and humidity heighten mana conductivity. It’s worth trying, don’t you think?”

With that, Silvia drew her body close to mine in the hot water.

Her wet silver hair and flushed skin glowed bewitchingly in the moonlight.

My sense of shame had long since evaporated; I could only comply with her demands.

Each time I touched her soft skin, my heart raced like a bell.

What flowed between us along with the kisses was not solely my mana, or so it seemed.

After several nights of such intense training, there came an evening when Silvia’s magical output had grown noticeably more powerful.

That night, after training concluded, Silvia collapsed onto the bed, utterly exhausted.

Her sleeping face bore little resemblance to her usual arrogant self—she appeared almost childlike, defenseless.

“…Yuuto.”

Abruptly, Silvia murmured my name in her sleep.

Then, slowly opening her eyes, she gazed at me with glistening crimson irises.

“…Thank you. Thanks to you, I’ve come another step closer to my goal.”

It was the first time I’d heard Silvia express genuine gratitude.

And then, of her own accord, she brought her face close to mine and placed a gentle kiss on my lips.

It was not a command—it was tender, and full of emotion.

My heart swelled with surprise and joy, and I felt something unmistakably like romantic affection beginning to bloom within the complex tangle of feelings I held for Silvia.

What precious thing had she lost in her past? And what grand goal did she harbor?

I found myself desperately wanting to understand these mysteries.

But this sweet moment was fleeting.

The next day at the Guild, I spotted Lunaria and Fiona huddled together in hushed conversation.

Their gaze was clearly fixed on me.

(Somehow, I’ve got a feeling something annoying is about to happen…)

The phrase “united front between Lunaria and Fiona” flashed through my mind.