Chapter 119: Greeting everyone for dinner. Class and Magic dinner-talk, teasing Shirley. +17

You move upward slowly, hands finding her breasts as she lies recovering on the bed. Arche's breathing remains uneven, her blue eyes following your movements with lazy contentment.

Your fingers work gently at first, massaging the soft flesh before focusing on her nipples. They respond immediately to your touch, tightening under your palms despite her recent climax. She makes a small sound in her throat, somewhere between protest and encouragement.

"Still sensitive," she murmurs, though she doesn't pull away.

You lean down to take one nipple into your mouth, tongue circling the peak before releasing it. The contrast between the careful massage and the wet warmth makes her gasp softly. You alternate between both breasts, giving each the same thorough attention until her breathing quickens again.

"Master Blank," she says quietly when you finally pull back. "Thank you for everything."

You pause, genuinely surprised by the statement. "Thank you for not holding our rough meeting against me."

Her smile is small but genuine. "You kept your word. You've treasured me even more than you promised, even when I had nothing to offer but desperate hope." She sits up slowly, reaching for your hand. "I know what I have now. A home. Safety. Someone who actually cares about my pleasure instead of just taking what they want."

You help her dress, retrieving her clothing with a thought and adjusting the fabric with your fingers so it sits properly. Her hair needs attention too, so you smooth the strands back into place until she looks presentable rather than freshly ravished.

"There," you say, checking her appearance one final time. "Ready for dinner."

She laughs softly. "More ready than I'd be if you'd gone further. Though I wouldn't have complained during."

You redress yourself, pulling your own clothing from inventory as she watches. When you turn toward the door, she follows close behind, her hand brushing against yours.

The main hall comes into view as you exit the residential wing. The space is already filling with returning residents. Alicia and Prim have just entered through the front entrance, both flushed and slightly disheveled from whatever training kept them late. Their revealing combat attire shows signs of exertion, they swiftly make their way to their rooms.

Enri appears moments later, leaving her goblins behind, already given instructions about perimeter patrol for the evening. She spots you immediately, her expression shifting to something warmer.

From another direction, the group from magical classes arrives together. Neia leads the way, still wearing her training clothes, followed by Euphemia, Kallen, Milly, Shirley, Villetta, and Lacus. Several of them show signs of magical practice, small scorch marks or dampness on their attractive clothing.

Lisara approaches last with Kuuderika and Ureirika, the younger girls chattering about their school day while Lisara carries their books.

You step forward into the gathering crowd, opening your arms in welcome. "Everyone, it's good to see you back."

Enri reaches you first, rising onto her toes to press a warm kiss to your lips. "Thank you for welcoming us home, Master Blank." Her green eyes shine with genuine affection before she steps aside.

Lisara follows immediately after, her kiss lingering a moment longer. "The girls did wonderfully in their lessons. Thank you." her thanks implying a deeper generality.

Neia approaches more hesitantly, her hands clasped at her waist. "Thank you for... for welcoming me home." The words come out slightly uncertain, as though she's still adjusting to the concept of having someone greet her return. "I've never had that before. It's... nice."

Villetta and Milly exchange glances before attempting to move in synchronization, adopting formal postures with hands folded demurely. "Would Master prefer tea before dinner?" Villetta asks, her tone shifting into a gentler precision.

"Or perhaps we should check if the kitchen requires assistance?" Milly adds, matching her companion's energy.

Euphemia watches them uncertainly, her violet eyes flickering between the two as though trying to decode their sudden shift. Her hands move halfway to mimicking their posture before stopping awkwardly. "Should I... am I supposed to...?"

Kallen snorts from across the hall. "You two look ridiculous playing maid. Though I suppose the outfits do most of the work."

Milly turns smoothly, her smile sharp. "At least we're playing a role instead of just standing there in a bunny suit looking lost."

"Your posture really does make that outfit attractive," Villetta adds, her amber eyes sweeping deliberately across Kallen's figure. "Very... attention-grabbing."

Kallen's face flushes immediately, her arms crossing defensively over her chest. "I didn't ask for fashion commentary from the maid brigade."

Shirley speaks up from near the doorway, her voice carrying genuine surprise. "I still can't believe we actually have the option to learn magic. Real magic. When you said it this morning, I thought maybe it was just... I don't know, theoretical?"

Lacus seizes the opening smoothly, her pink hair catching the light as she turns toward the dining area. "What classes is everyone considering? I've been thinking about healing specializations, but I'm curious what appeals to others."

The group begins drifting naturally toward the dining hall, conversation flowing around magical education possibilities. Alicia and Prim emerge from the residential hallway moments later, both freshly rinsed and wearing clean versions of their preferred attire. They slip into the gathering without fanfare, picking up the thread of conversation as though they'd been present all along.

"Offensive evocation," Kallen says bluntly. "If I'm learning magic, I want something practical."

"Transmutation offers versatility," Milly counters. "Adapting to situations seems more valuable than raw damage."

Neia listens quietly, her expression thoughtful as she processes the options being discussed around her.

You gesture toward Shirley as the conversation about magical classes continues. "Shirley, come sit with me."

Her amber eyes widen, glancing around the table before she steps forward awkwardly. "I... okay." She approaches your chair, hesitating before carefully settling onto your lap sideways.

The moment she shifts her weight, her entire body goes rigid. Her face flushes bright red as she feels your erection pressing against her through the fabric of both your clothing. "I- I..."

"Relax." You adjust her position slightly, one arm circling her waist to keep her stable. "We're discussing magic."

She nods quickly, her breathing shallow as she tries to focus anywhere except the situation she's currently in. Across the table, Kallen snorts quietly while Milly's expression remains carefully neutral.

"Arche," you continue smoothly, "explain the spell tier system for everyone who hasn't heard it yet."

Arche straightens in her seat, clearly grateful for the academic focus. "Magic operates on a tier system from one through ten, beyond that is the realm of legends and myths. Most practitioners never exceed Tier Three. Tier Four requires exceptional talent. Tier Six exists only among the most gifted mages in recorded history." She pauses. "Master Blank seems to use Tier Ten and above magic casually."

"Princess Renner," you say, noting her arrival at the dining hall entrance, "you're just in time. What are the greatest spells you've heard of or experienced before meeting Albedo and myself?"

Renner glides into the room, her golden eyes taking in the assembled household before fixing on the still-laden table. "The feast is still active? I assumed it would have dissipated hours ago." She sits gracefully. "The greatest magic I witnessed personally was a Tier Three healing spell cast by adventurer-priestess Lakyus. Before that, rumors of Fluder Paradyne's Tier Six capabilities seemed like legend."

"Context for scale," you acknowledge. "Now, everyone needs to understand something critical about magical education. Combat spells are impressive, but utility magic will save your lives more often."

You feel Shirley slowly relaxing against you despite her obvious embarrassment, her attention shifting toward the lecture.

"Prestidigitation alone is worth an entire occupation," you continue. "Cleaning, food preparation, basic maintenance. Without civilization and amenities, your lives become exponentially harder. The time required to clean, prepare, and cook food manually takes hours."

Arche nods enthusiastically. "During my adventuring career, even simple fire starting spells made cooking faster and alarm spells allowed safer rest. I cannot overstate how much utility magic matters in practical situations."

"Your clothing," you gesture at the household's various outfits, "automatically created daily for any occasion, clean and perfectly fitted? That's a Tier Four spell called Noble's Closet. This table before us is Tier Six, Hero's Feast. It feeds an entire group and sustains them for a full day. None of you actually need three meals daily. We gather like this for household cohesion. I simply cheated and enchanted them into the mansion to make them permanent."

Villetta and Milly exchange glances, both clearly processing the revelation about their automatic wardrobes.

"Throwing fireballs may feel powerful," you say firmly, "but I'm begging you all to prioritize utility spells first. When you come crying to me because you haven't bathed or changed clothes for weeks during some mission, I will ask why you didn't learn Prestidigitation or Create Water."

Neia speaks up quietly. "What utility spells should we prioritize?"

"Start with Prestidigitation, Create Water, and basic alarm wards," Arche answers before you can. "Then progress to Mending for equipment repair, Light for visibility, and Detect Magic for safety. Combat specialization comes after you've secured basic survival capabilities."

Wrap one arm around Shirley's back holding her shoulder to enjoy the sight of her partially unbuttoned blouse(publicly acceptable, children are present) and move my other hand between her legs stroking her inner thighs slowly up her skirt(acceptable as long as the children are ignorant of it, they are.), continue the magical education discussion while the girls eat asking them what specializations interest them and why. Illusion magic and bardic magic for example sounds amazing at high levels, but getting there is like playing a flute for an audience of one for years. Evocation magic is a common desire, but the first three tiers, can be matched by keeping an extra pack, darts, throwing spears, a flask of oil or a bag of flower will match the damage results, only after you step into fourth tier do you get evocation that can't be matched by basic efforts. It's main appeal is being able to use the spells with just your fingers when you run out of the basic utility options.

You shift your arm around Shirley's back, your hand settling firmly on her shoulder while pulling her closer against your chest, her blouse already partially undone from this morning, the fabric gaping just enough to hint at cleavage without crossing into inappropriate territory. Your other fingers tracing slow paths along her inner thigh up the fabric of her skirt. She stiffens immediately, her breathing catching audibly.

Your actions careful from Kuuderika and Ureirika's presence at the far end of the table.

"So," you continue smoothly, "what specializations actually interest each of you, and why?"

Kallen speaks first, her red hair catching the light. "Evocation still sounds practical despite what you said about the lower tiers. Being able to throw fire without multiple steps matters when you're traveling light."

"Fair assessment," you acknowledge. "Just understand the first three tiers can be matched by basic supplies. A quiver of darts, some throwing spears, oil flasks, even a bag of flour for blinding opponents. Fourth tier is where evocation becomes irreplaceable. Its main appeal earlier is using spells when you've exhausted mundane options."

Shirley shifts slightly on your lap, trying unsuccessfully to ignore your hand continuing its exploration. "What about illusion magic?" Her voice comes out slightly higher than normal. "That sounds useful for... for avoiding fights entirely."

"Illusion and bardic magic are amazing at high levels," you agree, your fingers pressing more insistently against her inner thigh. "But getting there is like playing a flute for an audience of one for years. The progression is slow and frustrating until you reach the thresholds where the magic becomes genuinely impressive."

Milly leans forward, her analytical bearing evident. "Transmutation still seems most versatile. Adapting materials and situations provides broader utility than specialized damage output."

"Agreed," Arche interjects. "During adventuring, transmutation solved problems evocation couldn't touch. Altering terrain, modifying equipment, even temporary enhancements to physical capabilities."

Neia speaks quietly from her position near the table's edge. "What about abjuration? Protective magic seems... valuable."

"Excellent choice for someone interested in defense and survival," you confirm. "Abjuration provides shielding, warding, and counterspelling capabilities. Combines well with martial training."

Euphemia finally ventures a contribution, her violet eyes thoughtful. "Divination might help with planning and anticipating problems before they develop."

Lacus nods approvingly. "Information gathering does seem aligned with diplomatic approaches."

"You're partially right, at low and mid tiers divination lets you see and hear even places you're not present at, some of the best spies in the world do so from different cities. The Scrying magic I use commonly to make sure it's appropriate for me to teleport into a location is in that category, but be careful about communication and future sight with it, for every spell to use it there's another to block and fake, making the usage a question of if the spell was valid or faked. Once we reach higher tier worlds, I'll need to question if my scrying sight is genuine or a trap." Your hand slides higher beneath Shirley's skirt, your fingers brushing against the edge of her underwear. She makes a small strangled sound that she tries desperately to disguise as clearing her throat.

You lean in and press a gentle kiss against Shirley's flushed cheek, feeling her entire body tense beneath your touch. Your fingers continue their slow exploration beneath her skirt, providing her with plausible explanation for the sudden intake of breath she can't quite suppress.

"That's right," you continue smoothly, your voice carrying across the dining table. "Even I'll need careful consideration once we reach worlds with similar power scales. Though that will be quite a while from now."

Shirley makes a small sound that could charitably be interpreted as agreement, her amber eyes wide and her breathing carefully controlled. Across the table, Kallen's expression shifts between amusement and something more complicated.

"Tomorrow, I advise you all try mapping out your class progressions from one to one hundred," you say, your hand moving deliberately. "Then imagine how using that path could go wrong through adventures. Most have simple fixes that just need planning ahead of time."

Arche nods enthusiastically from her seat. "Exactly. During my adventuring days, I watched talented mages fail because they specialized too narrowly. Someone focused purely on fire evocation becomes helpless in the water or in air-limited environments."

"Or someone who learns only combat spells discovers they can't solve basic logistical problems," Milly adds, her analytical bearing evident despite the exposing maid outfit. "The utility emphasis makes sense strategically."

Princess Renner speaks from her position near the table's far end, her golden eyes thoughtful. "What about multiclassing? Combining different specializations to cover weaknesses?"

"Advanced strategy, often accidental." you confirm. "Using it right requires understanding both paths first, then mixing them by intention. Trying to learn everything simultaneously, especially without intention, leads to mediocrity across the board."

Shirley shifts uncomfortably on your lap, her face crimson as your fingers brush against increasingly sensitive areas. She grips the edge of the table, knuckles white with the effort of maintaining composure.

The conversation continues around magical education as the household finishes their meal. Kuuderika and Ureirika chatter excitedly about showing Arche their homework progress. Neia listens quietly, absorbing information about abjuration specializations. Lacus engages Euphemia in discussion about divination ethics.

As plates empty and conversation winds down naturally, you withdraw your hand from beneath Shirley's skirt. She exhales shakily, relief and disappointment warring across her features.

"Shirley," you say quietly, standing and helping her to her feet. "Come with me."

Her amber eyes widen with understanding. "Yes. Master Blank."

You guide her toward the residential hallway, her hand trembling slightly in yours. Behind you, the household continues their post-dinner activities without commentary, the intimate departure accepted as routine household behavior.