Chapter 41: A New Research Subject

Nina closed her eyes, luxuriating in the young mage's intimate embrace. From time to time, she shifted her seating posture, either to vent certain surging emotions or out of concern that her heavy frame might be more than he could bear.

Zohan remained entirely composed. He had just maintained his magic detection specifically to guard against such contingencies, though he had not truly anticipated that it would come in handy so soon.

The path of wandering was fraught with peril at every turn, allowing not even a single moment of laxity—not even when a beauty rested in one's arms during a leisurely interval of mana recovery.

He did not turn back. Intuition told him that this magical wolf who had sneaked into the depths of the estate was none other than Talissa Clement.

As a magical wolf, she lacked the animalistic musk of creatures like Sese; instead, she carried a delicate fragrance that reminded Zohan of a silver-shaded British Shorthair cat he once kept—the kind of fragrant, natural scent it would emit shortly after a bath.

Of course, the bodily scent of Talissa was distinct from that of mere beasts. Was this seemingly one of her distinguishing traits as a fifth-tier magical wolf, making her far more advanced than the likes of Sese?

What baffled him was how she had managed to track him down. Could it be that he had inadvertently left some trace behind in the magical wolf camp's tent?

"Are you the mage who just sneaked into our tent?" Talissa asked coldly.

"Ah—"

Nina opened her eyes in a daze. Just moments before, she had been immersed in the subtle game of tempting the gentlemanly mage into taking further liberties with her. She had sensed that they were approaching that critical threshold where he might make her turn around, or impulsively and impatiently hitch up her dress.

She never expected to suddenly hear a woman's voice. Just as she thought her first group activity was about to commence, she discovered a terrifying magical wolf standing right behind them.

"Stop squawking, or I'll kill him!" Talissa threatened cruelly, casting a look of utter disgust at Nina.

She intensely loathed women who only knew how to scream; it was the instinctive reaction of the weak. Moreover, such women invariably believed that women were simply meant to be that way, utterly clueless about the need for composure in a crisis, trembling in reality like a dog that had just taken a beating.

Women were frequently looked down upon by men to a large extent precisely because there were far too many women like Nina—or rather, because such women were the final product of male conditioning and oppression.

This must be what men considered the ideal image of a woman, she thought, looking at that plump, fertile expanse of hers, which seemed to proudly proclaim how well-suited she was for breeding, as if that in itself were her greatest pride.

The moment Talissa had sneaked in, she had immediately noticed Nina exploiting this primary asset of hers to the fullest in order to seduce the mage. What an incompetent and low-class display!

"I won't yell—please don't kill him—" Nina panicked, still desperately trying to think on her feet. "Are you here to rescue your companion? It's in another room!"

Zohan could barely suppress a chuckle. Nina was actually attempting a diversion, trying to lure the wolf away from the mountain; it had to be said she was quite quick-witted, but how could this creature possibly abandon them both just to run off and rescue her cohort?

He already knew that this Talissa possessed the typical military demeanor of the Roland Continent, prioritizing the successful completion of missions above all else, willing to sacrifice companions without hesitation when necessary.

She probably didn't value that dead magical wolf all that much, and might not even care whether it lived or died.

"So it was captured by you people?" Talissa hadn't expected Sese to be taken prisoner, but now that the presence of a high-tier mage here was confirmed, Sese falling victim to him was hardly surprising.

"Would you like to go keep it company?" Zohan asked nonchalantly, taking the opportunity to grip the squirming Nina tightly and deliver a sharp, heavy pat to her thigh.

Even at a time like this, she let out a soft whimper, her body trembling slightly before settling back against his chest, completely still.

She could hardly believe how she had suddenly become as timid and shy as a young maiden, like a flower bud being forcibly pried open. The exposed core of her heart could not bear the brush of even the slightest breeze, trembling so delicately and softly that she simply wanted to fold up those petals—not yet ripe for full bloom—to hide that raw, unseasoned vulnerability from the world.

This must be the miraculous effect of the River Clam Cleansing Technique; it was simply wondrous... At this thought, Nina quickly shook her head. Was this really the time to be dwelling on such matters? How was the gentlemanly mage going to shake off this annoying magical wolf?

After calming herself slightly, Nina recalled the slain magical wolf, Sese, and abruptly decided that the situation wasn't all that dangerous after all. Since he had dispatched that one so easily, this one would surely be just as effortlessly slain by him.

"If you make another sound, see if I don't kill you first!" Talissa remained unfazed by Zohan's casual attitude; instead, Nina's whimpering and groaning filled her with intense revulsion.

The magical wolf was undeniably fierce, causing Nina's fear to return. She dared not make another sound, lest she inadvertently bring trouble upon Zohan.

"I'm curious, how did you manage to find me?" Zohan inquired once more. Talissa had displayed far more emotional stability when facing Mahaut and Beaumarchais back in the tent; why did she seem so triggered by Nina?

Could it be that some woman resembling Nina had once inflicted emotional scars upon her? Women acted this way almost exclusively for reasons of that sort.

"Stench," Talissa replied with utter revulsion.

"You're lying!" Nina couldn't help but retort, unable to bear the thought of anyone suggesting that the powerful, handsome gentlemanly mage—who radiated a scent that made women's hearts race—smelled bad enough to be used as a trail marker.

"You're exuding that exact same stench of lust yourself," Talissa said, displaying an equal measure of disgust toward Nina. Sniffing the air deeply, she fixed her fierce gaze squarely on Zohan.

"I memorized this scent back in the tent, and after infiltrating the Aldous Estate, I found the stench grew even stronger—and sure enough, the moment I stepped inside, you were already impatiently toying with a woman!"

Nina felt a mixture of shyness and quiet pride, for she considered it the highest honor to be the kind of woman enjoyed by the young mage.

Yet, she dared not say another word now. This magical wolf appeared to be female—was she perhaps harboring feelings of jealousy toward her?

That seemed highly probable.

"You can actually smell other people's lust?" Zohan asked, pleasantly and incredulously surprised.

Lust ought to be a psychological emotion, perceptible through facial expressions, demeanor, or tone of voice, but "smelling" it was something he had never heard of before.

The only creatures possessing similar sensory capabilities were magical beasts born with inherent charm skills. Magical wolves possessed sharp senses of smell, but records of such an ability had never appeared in any ancient texts.

Or perhaps she was simply catching the scent of hormones secreted more abundantly by humans during such moments? That seemed far more likely.

No, no—hormones were not secreted exclusively during those times.

"What is so strange about that?" Talissa felt provoked. The young mage didn't seem to be taking her seriously at all; otherwise, how could he remain so calm and composed under the threat of her sharp wolf claws while concerning himself with such trivial matters?

"I find you rather extraordinary—a magical beast worthy of deep research. I think I shall capture you and use you as a research subject." Zohan turned his head back, smiling as he gazed upon Talissa's beautiful, semi-兽化 face.