Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

CH705 The Womanly Princess

***

Hours later, Alex woke to find Eleanore already awake beside him, lazily tracing a finger along his side over the Everspring Rune Tattoo while one of her soft breasts rested comfortably against his chest.

Her elegant elven ears stood straight and slightly flushed, drawing Alex’s attention immediately. Unable to resist, he gently began stroking them.

”Mmnh~” Eleanore let out an unconscious moan.

”Stop that... they’re still sensitive,” she complained reproachfully.

Under normal circumstances, that reaction alone would have reignited the beast within him. Unfortunately for Alex, Eleanore had thoroughly drained him during their previous session. As such, he could only laugh helplessly before obediently switching to stroking her hair instead.

”Aren’t you going to create Spell Boost and Spell Penetration Rune Tattoos for yourself as well?” she suddenly asked.

”I probably will eventually, but it isn’t particularly urgent for me right now,” Alex replied. ”At the moment, I can manage well enough using my Extreme Mana Capacity and Elemental Affinity Enhancement talents. I’d rather spend that time creating Rune Tattoos for the others instead. They need the enhancements far more than I do.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

”Besides, if I’m going to design Rune Tattoos for myself anytime soon, I’d rather focus on increasing my mana capacity, recovery speed, or overall mana efficiency.”

Eleanore absentmindedly rubbed over the Everspring Rune Tattoo on his body again.

”Do you really need more of those?” she asked. ”Your Rune Tattoo already handles recovery, your Extreme Mana Capacity talent massively boosts your mana reserves, and your Happenstance chestplate already improves mana recycling and efficiency.”

”I can never have too much mana,” Alex replied matter-of-factly. ”My available Rune Slots increased after reaching the Elite Rank, so I’ll probably upgrade Everspring sometime soon anyway. I’m also planning to eventually convert Happenstance’s recycling function into a Rune Tattoo for myself as well.

”But for now, I’m currently trying to design a Rune Tattoo capable of amplifying my mana capacity in conjunction with my Extreme Mana Capacity talent.”

Eleanore lifted her head slightly from his chest to look up at him.

”I would’ve thought something like that would be easy for you. Just how much are you trying to increase your mana reserves?” she asked curiously.

Alex grinned.

”I’m aiming for roughly a fivefold increase... on top of the increase already provided by the talent itself.”

Alex’s Extreme Mana Capacity talent already granted him approximately five to ten times the mana reserves of an average Mage.

Yet even that absurd advantage failed to satisfy the silver-haired youth.

He was now seeking to quintuple it again.

Eleanore rolled her eyes but wisely chose not to say anything further.

After all, if she mocked him now and he somehow actually succeeded later, she would only end up eating her own words.

”I already know what you’re thinking,” Alex said defensively, ”but it’s unfair to compare me to ordinary Mages. I possess far too many abilities—and many of them are absurd mana-hogs. I have no choice but to continuously increase my mana capacity and mana efficiency if I want to properly keep up with them all.”

”Oh, what a tragic burden you carry,” Eleanore replied sarcastically. ”Countless people would gladly kill for even a tenth of what you possess, yet here you are complaining because you’re drowning beneath the sheer number of your abilities.”

”With great power comes great responsibility,” Alex declared solemnly. ”Those people may be thirsty for power, but at least they aren’t being buried beneath endless waves of duties and responsibilities. I’m simply doing my best to keep up.”

Eleanore lightly pressed a finger against his chest.

”Of course you are,” she replied teasingly with a smile.

Leaning forward, she gave him a quick kiss before finally rising from the bed.

”Don’t leave...”

Alex reached out lazily to pull her back by the arm, only for Eleanore to smoothly evade him.

”Get up, you lazy bum. We need to head out soon,” she said. ”Or do you want sis Zora walking in here and finding us like this?”

”Why are you acting as though we’ve done something wrong?” Alex replied with a shrug, still far too comfortable to move from the bed. ”What’s the problem if she sees us?”

”You may be capable of surviving her teasing, but I certainly am not,” Eleanore answered immediately.

A faint blush appeared upon her cheeks as she imagined the countless antics Zora would undoubtedly unleash if she discovered them together like this.

Moving with graceful agility, Eleanore quickly began dressing herself so efficiently that Alex found it difficult to reconcile this composed woman with the same person who had been moaning beneath him not too long ago.

Somehow, she had already fully recovered while he still felt lethargic from their earlier... exercise.

Fortunately, Everspring soon circulated waves of vitality and energy throughout his body, rapidly dissipating most of his lingering fatigue.

Eventually, Alex got dressed as well before the two of them left the Sanctuary Pocket Dimension and returned to the makeshift laboratory within the Fortuna Mansion.

They had only just stepped out into the corridor when they immediately ran into Zora.

After exchanging a few words, Eleanore returned to the study to continue refining her Berserk Human treatment plan while Alex and Zora made their way towards the open balcony connected to the mansion’s master bedroom—the room occupied by Alex and his wives.

The two of them settled at a table overlooking the balcony, their gazes drifting towards the distant outline of BloodIron City stretching across the horizon.

”How was the trip to the administrative office?” Alex asked.

”Honestly? Better than I expected,” Zora replied with a smile. ”Lady Wintermere’s subtle introduction opened far more doors for us than I anticipated.”

”Yeah, I never expected we’d manage to secure such a lucrative contract from the city itself,” Alex commented with a nod.

”Should we relocate our base of operations? There are bigger mansions now available to us.” Zora suddenly asked.

Alex shrugged casually.

”I don’t particularly care either way. At most, I expect our stay here in BloodIron to last only a few more months while Eleanore completes her research and Saul secures the connection we need into the Celahan Empire.”

”In that case, there’s no real need to move,” Zora concluded. ”We already used the Lost Heathens’ former base for our Guild registration procedures with both the Association and the Union. Unless there’s some strong preference involved, relocating now would just be unnecessary trouble.”

”Fair enough,” Alex nodded in agreement.

Then, after a brief pause, Zora suddenly smiled knowingly.

”Speaking of Eleanore... she seems a little different now,” she remarked. ”She looks—or perhaps feels—more mature and womanly somehow.”

”Yes, the tattooing session was a complete success,” Alex replied proudly. ”With the new SunHeart Twin Rune Tattoo, she’s become an even more formidable healer and spellcaster. Honestly, among the younger generation, there are probably very few healers left capable of matching her now.”

Zora immediately rolled her eyes before lightly slapping his arm.

”Don’t play innocent with me, Alex. You know perfectly well what I’m talking about,” she said accusingly.

”You think I wouldn’t notice after I went through all the trouble of practically serving her up to you?” she added while glaring at him.

Alex instantly straightened his posture exaggeratedly before placing a hand dramatically against his chest.

”I humbly prostrate myself in awe and gratitude before your boundless generosity, milady Empress,” he declared theatrically.

***