Chapter 38: What Is the Price?

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Mu Wan secretly glanced at Lisiluo.

After finishing with the clothes, Lisiluo had kept her head down the whole time, as if she were still immersed in the feelings from just now and had not noticed anything unusual about Mu Wan at all.

It really did seem to have given Lisiluo quite an emotional impact.

What is this supposed to mean.

The more I let my guard down, the more Lisiluo’s heart stirs?

So Lisiluo likes this kind of thing?

Mu Wan sank into thought.

What she had done today had actually been based on the interactions between Lisiluo and Yu Weian in the game.

In the game.

Once the plot revealed Lisiluo’s talent, the player could take control of Yu Weian during specific times and tease the airheaded junior in all sorts of ways.

The option chosen most often was to initiate intimate interactions, the kind that might not pass review.

Aside from collecting CGs, it was also because the stat growth it provided was the highest.

Then.

What was the price?

The answer was simple: it deducted HP.

The main reason was the sudden surge in strength caused by Lisiluo’s talent, which gave her a chance to lose control during intimate interactions and take a vicious chunk out of the player’s health bar.

If the player lagged too far behind Lisiluo in combat power for various reasons, there was even a risk of death.

Don’t ask Mu Wan how she knew.

If you asked, it was the curiosity of a completionist player acting up.

Obviously this method would not work with Mu Wan’s current numbers, so she had settled for second best and chosen the safer “teasing.”

The stat boost gained from making Lisiluo shy would be much smaller.

But at least it would not get Mu Wan hurt.

So Mu Wan only needed to strike at the right moment, tease her junior until her face was scarlet and she did not know where to put her hands, beautifully harvest stats, and pay no price.

—At least that had been Mu Wan’s plan up until just now.

It could also be called a blessing in disguise.

Although the teasing had failed, Mu Wan had unintentionally discovered a new option.

Then the plan afterward… would probably have to be adjusted a little too.

Mu Wan switched back into obedient-maid mode and pulled the curtain aside to confirm their location.

“Young Lady, we are almost at our destination.”

“Please get ready, Young Lady. We will be getting out soon.”

— — — — — —

The carriage slowed smoothly and stopped on a stretch of gravel clearing.

Mu Wan got out first, turned in a circle to the other side, and opened the door.

First the wide brim of the sun hat poked out, followed by a pale dress that drifted faintly with the wind.

Lisiluo pushed up her sunglasses.

Because the lenses were larger and the sun-blocking effect was better, even under the daytime sun Lisiluo could observe her surroundings normally.

A peculiar scent of grass and trees filled the air, and the mana was unusually dense.

Even Lisiluo could sense it.

Lisiluo looked up, then froze at the sight before her.

This forest was quite unusual.

The trunks were not the common brown or gray.

They each had their own colors, and the leaves on the crowns were transparent and glowing, of every kind imaginable.

They also grew unusually tall.

From a distance they looked like a wall of color.

Mu Wan came to stand in front of Lisiluo, inclined her body slightly, and spoke in a perfectly serious voice.

“Young Lady, please watch your step when getting out.”

A small hand reached over, palm facing up, meaning for Lisiluo to rest her hand on it.

After a brief hesitation, Lisiluo chose to do as told.

Mu Wan immediately tightened her grip.

Her thumb hooked over the back of Lisiluo’s hand, and the other four fingers rested in her palm, the strength just right.

When Lisiluo stepped onto the gravel ground, tiny stones rolled under her soles and gave off a faint crunch.

Only after she was fully steady did Mu Wan let go.

She stepped back to her side again, switched to a standard maid stance, and smiled faintly.

“Young Lady looks very lovely today as well. You are not the least bit inferior compared to this forest.”

“Eh?! Th-that, thank you for the compliment……”

Lisiluo was thrown off by Mu Wan’s sudden praise and could only lower her head to respond, using the hat to hide her shyness.

Although Lisiluo also knew that this sort of thing from Mu Wan counted as half a compliment.

She still could not help it.

The moment Mu Wan said it, Lisiluo recalled that scene in the dressing room earlier.

And was instantly broken through.

Mu Wan stepped forward, straightened Lisiluo’s sun hat, and pressed her advantage.

“Young Lady, how can you get shy so easily? You have to maintain your image in front of other people.”

“Ngh… that’s why I said I wasn’t suited for this……”

Lisiluo answered in a small voice and quickly looked around.

Just now she had only been looking at the forest and had not noticed that seven or eight vehicles of various kinds were also parked nearby.

A group of people stood on the clearing in the distance.

Some of their clothes were luxurious and some were plain.

From their appearances they came from all over the continent, and their ages were all different as well.

But almost without exception:

They were all wearing mage robes or carrying staves.

—Mages.

And unlike a student like her, they were true mages who used magic-stone staves and had actual combat experience.

Though that made sense when she thought about it.

Never mind the special nature of magic stones.

Ordinary people without magical aptitude could not even approach this place.

Furthermore, just as Mu Wan had introduced in the carriage.

The Magic Stone Forest was the best place to select raw materials for staves.

Since they were all mages, they had definitely come here for that.

Lisiluo subconsciously touched her empty waist.

The only staff she owned was still the apprentice staff issued uniformly by the academy, and she had not brought it this time.

Although her mana had already reached Rank 2 and she had the entry ticket to use a magic-stone staff, that was all.

Lisiluo was undoubtedly the weakest one among this group.

“What is Young Lady thinking about?”

Mu Wan’s voice suddenly rang beside her ear, and Lisiluo jumped.

At some point Mu Wan had already pressed close to her side and taken her hand.

“I… I just feel like the people here all seem really strong.”

Lisiluo said in a small voice, unable to hide the guilt in it.

Mu Wan followed her gaze around once, then lightly patted the back of her hand.

“Young Lady doesn’t need to worry. This time we’re only here to enjoy the scenery. We won’t go deep into those dangerous areas.”

Only then did Lisiluo remember that the original purpose of this trip had not been to look for materials, but to accompany Mu Wan on a date.

She had just now been completely carried off by the atmosphere and had almost forgotten the real matter.

Mu Wan paused, leaned in close to Lisiluo’s ear, and added in a lowered voice.

“Besides, I’m here. Relax.”

The words were very light, yet they made Lisiluo feel inexplicably at ease.

“Then… what are all those people here to do? They all look eager to try.”

Lisiluo looked toward the mages who were fully equipped and ready to set out.

“Them? They should be here for the warmup event before the festival.”

“After all, there aren’t many chances to legally enter the forest and gather materials. This area is closed off at ordinary times.”

“A warmup event?”

Lisiluo blinked in surprise.

“So there’s an event like that too……”

“There is. Every year they open it for a few days before the festival. You could call it a little benefit for the mages coming from all over. However—”

Mu Wan withdrew her gaze, looked at Lisiluo again, and hooked the corner of her mouth into a meaningful smile.

“None of that has anything to do with us. Young Lady, we can just take the sightseeing route.”

She reached out again, making an inviting gesture.

“Please follow me. There’s a route here with the best scenery, the most suitable for two people on a date.”