Note: All characters here are above the legal age group of 18...
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"This is rather weird…" Luxer murmured after finally organizing his thoughts. The Codex's quest still burned in his mind, yet a simple question left him unsettled.
'How was he even supposed to start with Celia's quest?'
She wasn't the type. Reserved, soft-spoken, and loyal to a fault—Celia wasn't someone who would simply betray her boyfriend. To her, Luxer was little more than a traveling companion, a friend she had come to know during their five days together. Nothing more.
'Not that I can do anything about it.'
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. The Codex had painted the path clearly, but walking it was another matter. Celia had a boyfriend—and not just anyone.
Holand came from a wealthy merchant clan, his name carrying enough weight to book out an entire floor of the inn for their stay. And tonight, the Codex claimed, Holand would be absent. Luxer couldn't tell if it was luck or manipulation, but he couldn't deny it gave him an opening.
Celia wasn't a fool. She must already have suspicions about why Holand had chosen this particular night to be away, especially after their awakenings.
Perhaps the thought lingered in her heart, gnawing quietly.
Alcohol might have softened the edges of her doubt, but here, fine spirits were costly—luxuries only the rich could indulge in. Luxer had no coin to spare for such tools.
"This is… difficult," he muttered under his breath, rising from the bed.
The room Holand had arranged was spacious, too spacious for a simple stay.
It bore the mark of wealth—balcony doors that opened to overlook the lantern-lit streets and a private washroom lined with hardened clay tiles enchanted by craftsmen to stay cool in the heat of summer and warm in the chill of winter.
Even the floor beneath his bare feet held an earthy, calming texture.
Luxer stepped onto the balcony, crossing his legs as he sank into quiet meditation.
Behind him, the faint silhouette of his Incubus Martial Soul flickered to life, its shadowy form inhaling and exhaling in rhythm with his breaths.
With each cycle, ether from the night air was drawn into his chest, refined through the Martial Breathing Method—a basic technique granted by the Royal Academy to all new students. Simple, but effective.
This was the foundation every cultivator built upon.
And for Luxer, whose Martial Soul was deemed worthless, it was all he had to cling to.
The minutes stretched.
Then, light footsteps approached.
The balcony door slid open with a soft creak, and a familiar figure emerged. Celia stepped into the night air, her slender frame outlined by the glow of the moon.
Her gaze swept across the balcony until it landed on Luxer, still seated in meditation. For a heartbeat, she only watched.
Then a gentle smile curved her lips.
"It's a long night tonight," she said softly.
Luxer's eyes opened, catching hers. He chuckled. "It seems so."
She tilted her head slightly, studying him.
"Even now… you're still practicing?" There was a trace of admiration in her tone, tinged with surprise.
Most students struggled to endure more than two hours of breathing exercises, yet here he was, focused even at this late hour.
"This is all I have," Luxer replied with a small smile. "So I have to make it count."
Her expression softened. She walked over and settled down beside him, her eyes drifting to the road below. Lanterns flickered along the street, and the sound of distant chatter floated up from the taverns. Yet her mind was clearly elsewhere.
'Holland.'
Luxer could see it in her gaze, the way it wavered between calm and worry. She wasn't suspicious—at least not yet.
In her heart, she was telling herself that her boyfriend was only delayed, perhaps dragged away by friends like Dennis, the southern noble they had met earlier.
That was easier to believe than the alternative.
"Do you have something on your mind?" Luxer asked, breaking the silence.
Celia turned to him, startled, then quickly composed herself.
A faint smile touched her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"…Maybe," she admitted quietly.
Luxer studied her. For a moment, he wondered if she truly doubted Holland at all. In this world, polygamy wasn't unusual.
Many women turned a blind eye, considering it part of a man's right if he was strong or wealthy enough. Perhaps Celia was that type, or perhaps she was only forcing herself to be.
And now, sitting beside him under the moonlit sky, with shadows flickering across her face, Luxer couldn't help but feel that tonight would decide more than just his next step in cultivation.
Luxer didn't notice it himself, but his [Charm Lv. 1] was not as simple as the Codex described. For a man of ordinary appearance, the skill would have been little more than a slight boost in likability.
But Luxer was far from ordinary. His sharp features, calm bearing, and natural handsomeness amplified the effect exponentially. Combined with the passive aura of charm, his presence became quietly magnetic.
Celia, seated beside him, tried her best to ignore it. Yet the longer she remained in his company, the more she felt her gaze drifting toward him.
The way he leaned forward attentively, the seriousness in his tone when speaking—it all tugged at her heart in ways she wasn't prepared for.
"Well," Luxer said, his voice steady, "I'm all ears. If you want to vent, I'll listen."
The words caught her off guard. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment.
How could she say what was truly on her mind?
That she had been looking forward to tonight with Holand, only for him to vanish, leaving her waiting like a fool?
That the emptiness gnawed at her chest because of a promise left unfulfilled?
"It's nothing," Celia murmured, stretching her arms lazily to disguise her unease. Her thin nightclothes shifted with her movement, clinging to her waist and outlining her slender figure under the lantern light.
"I'm just… feeling a little empty, that's all."
Luxer's eyes flicked toward her, catching the subtle curve of her posture. For a fleeting moment, a warmth stirred in his chest—a flicker of lust he tried to push down.
His lips curled into a faint smile.
"Is that so? Well, I'll wait until you're ready," he said lightly, scratching his chin as if brushing off the matter.
Celia blinked, then smiled softly.
"Mm. Thanks, anyway."
She rose soon after, stepping back inside, only to return moments later carrying a small tray of juice and fruits she had found on the table.
Together, they shared a quiet drink beneath the night sky.
She spoke of her days in primary school—childhood friends, fleeting joys, and the kind of innocent memories that glowed brightest in her heart.
Luxer listened, occasionally interjecting with a chuckle or nod.
Time slipped by unnoticed. Yet Holand never returned.
Gradually, Celia's tone dulled, her laughter fading into silence. The cheerful light in her eyes dimmed as doubts crept into her thoughts.
'Did he… even remember our promise?'
Luxer noticed. Her shoulders slouched, her posture weary. She looked smaller somehow, weighed down by exhaustion and disappointment.
Without thinking too much, he shifted closer.
His hand brushed lightly against her shoulder, pressing into the tense muscle with careful pressure. Celia startled, her body stiffening.
Her cheeks flushed red as her wide eyes snapped to him.
"What are you—"
"Relax," Luxer said calmly. "Your shoulders were slumping. I thought you might be tired after sitting so long."
His tone was casual, but his fingers pressed with a practiced firmness that sent a wave of relief through her stiff muscles. The tension seemed to melt away at his touch. Celia blinked in surprise, then experimentally rolled her shoulder.
"Ah… it does feel lighter," she admitted softly, touching the spot he had pressed. "What… what did you do?"
"It's called a massage," Luxer explained with a small smile. "Want me to give you one properly? It'll ease the strain in your body and clear your head. Though… we can't really do it out here."
His offer lingered in the air between them.
Celia bit her lip unconsciously. The temptation was clear in her eyes. Today had been long—hours of standing for the awakening ceremony, the endless waiting for others to finish, and the draining emotions of hope and doubt.
She hadn't allowed herself to rest properly since morning.
And now, late at night, with Holand still gone… her exhaustion was peaking.
The thought of easing it away—of surrendering to relaxation, even just for a while—was almost too inviting.
Luxer watched her carefully, concealing his satisfaction.
After all, unlike others in this world, he had real experience. In his past life, he had worked part-time at a massage parlor.
He knew the techniques, the pressure points, and the way to draw relief from even the most tired of bodies.
And tonight, those skills might just open the first door on his Incubus path.