Scroll 32: Virginity for Sale
—No. Never in all my years of study have I heard or read that the act of mating involves any kind of feeling, sensation, or associated stimulus beyond the transfer of fluids for conception.
«Just as I thought,» Alaster mused, nodding with a mix of pity and awe. «Mass entertainment doesn't exist in this world. Add to that the fact that elves are totally apathetic beings hyper-focused on magical research, and it's highly likely that the youths of their race are never taught about intimacy or sex ed. Without TV, the internet, or romance novels, they never learn about these things outside of the cold medical treatises they study.»
Alaster flashed a sympathetic smile and leaned forward, resting his forearms on the low table.
—It's not a mechanical process, Feralt —the black-haired youth explained, while internally thinking with irony: «Just what I needed! I traveled to another world just to end up teaching anatomy and explaining the flowers and the bees... How the mighty have fallen, Joseph, and man, is this awkward!» —Look, in relationships, sex isn't just a means to produce offspring. It also functions as a powerful intimate bond between two people and... well... it's a pleasurable experience for the body.
Feralt froze, processing the revelation for a long second. Another quiet moment passed until the blonde blinked, his eyes locked onto Alaster.
—Is that the reason specific clerical spells for contraception exist? —Feralt inquired with dead seriousness. —So one can enjoy that sensation of mating without the need to shoulder the burden of raising offspring?
Alaster stared at the blonde elf's serious, analytical, and professional face delivering such lines with absolute nonchalance, and he simply couldn't hold it in any longer. A loud burst of laughter escaped his lips, echoing through the grimoire section.
He had to cover his face as he laughed heartily; a small tear of pure amusement even welled up in his right eye. To him, it was a totally absurd situation: back on Earth, a guy with Feralt's attractive looks would have anyone he wanted chasing after him; but here, he was emotionally illiterate.
—Yes... —Alaster managed to say, regaining his composure and wiping the tear away with his finger. —That is exactly why. It's a pleasurable sensation, and because of that, it's an important part of a healthy relationship. Of course, it isn't everything; there's also affection, respect, and mutual attentiveness.
Feralt tilted his head, intrigued by the concept.
—Pleasurable?... Like eating a fine, gourmet dish?
Alaster barely suppressed a fresh wave of laughter, biting his lip before responding:
—Way better than eating, Feralt. By a mile.
The blonde elf's green eyes widened dramatically, reflecting monumental shock. It was the first real, unscripted emotion Alaster had seen him display since walking through the shop door.
—So the sensory response is of such a powerful magnitude? —the blonde inquired, utterly fascinated.
—Exactly —Alaster nodded, reaching out to take one of the grimoires from the table and settling more comfortably into his seat near Feralt.
The blonde merchant leaned in toward him, completely absorbed by curiosity.
—And how do you get a girlfriend, Al? Should I just approach a girl in the city and ask her to start the process?
Alaster felt a shiver run down his spine as he imagined the scene: «If this guy goes out into the streets with that innocent, direct mindset, the only thing he's going to achieve is getting scammed by a gang of thugs, kidnapped, or sold off piece-by-piece in some black market for elven components.»
—No, Feralt, things don't work in such a direct manner —Alaster clarified seriously. —You have to find a good girl. Someone you share interests with, spend time talking to her to learn her tastes, and let her get to know you, so you can determine if you're compatible on a personality level. It's from that shared companionship that feelings blossom naturally.
On the inside, Alaster continued to lament his fate: «Damn it, a thousand times over I would have preferred this guy to speak to me in some ancient elven dialect or test me on high-tier runic magic... It would have been way less embarrassing than having to explain this. I would have preferred telling him I'm just a hick elf from a backward village... Now I'm the city's matchmaker. The only thing missing is...»
—Brother Al... —Feralt interrupted, staring intently at him. —Could you introduce me to someone? I have developed a profound curiosity to experience this concept of love you speak of.
While waiting for a response, Feralt analyzed the black-haired youth in his mind: «Alaster... this neovan is different from all the elves I have ever met. He doesn't possess that distant coldness or academic apathy... He seems... happy.»
Alaster, for his part, felt like his world was crashing down around him: «Just what I needed! Joseph, the official matchmaker of the kingdom!»
However, to keep up appearances and close the deal once and for all, he forced a smile and nodded.
—Sure, Feralt, you can count on it.
In reality, Alaster's plan was purely evasive: «I'll just say yes now and wait for him to forget about it while he buries himself in his daily research. I highly doubt he's going to actively hunt me down across the city to demand results. Besides, I barely know any girls in Sibar, except for Deinderatrix... and considering she seems to have a thing for elves, that combination could be dangerous. With how bold that mage is, she's liable to buy Feralt as a slave or use him as some sort of personal manservant... I wouldn't put it past her.»
Wishing to establish clear boundaries of responsibility, Alaster adopted a serious expression and pointed a finger at the merchant.
—But Feralt, you have to understand something of vital importance: relationships are not a game. You have to be a responsible neovan so you don't hurt the other person's feelings, nor allow yourself to be hurt either. And if you truly wish to meet someone with serious intentions... I need to know what your actual stance is regarding having children in the future.
Feralt went quiet for a brief second, looking up at the golden ceiling of his establishment before responding lightly:
—That is a detail I hadn't meditated upon thoroughly... but I suppose I wouldn't mind taking a small recess of about fifty or a hundred years from my research on magical formations to dedicate myself to child-rearing.
Alaster froze in his seat, his eyes fixed on the blonde: «Taking a hundred-year vacation as if he's talking about a long weekend? And he says it with the casualness of someone going out to buy bread? Whatever... I guess it must be some kind of joke or one of those typical exaggerations stemming from his race's longevity.»
—So... you are in favor of having offspring? —Alaster clarified to be absolutely certain.
—Of course —Feralt nodded without flinching. —Half-elf children pose no issue for me. In fact, it is my understanding that they grow and develop much faster than pure-blooded elves, which would expedite the process of returning to my studies.
Alaster decided to shelve the social topic for now and turned his attention back to the covers of the two grimoires Feralt had placed on the low coffee table. The titles engraved on the covers read [Nebula] and [Glacial Wall].
Feralt, noticing his client's interest, reached out and pointed to the first, grayish-leather tome.
—The first, as I mentioned a moment ago, is the spell [Nebula]. It is the incantation I described capable of generating a vast zone saturated with dense fog. It consumes approximately 20 mana points for every minute of continuous activation, covering a radius of 150 meters. As you can see, it is a wide area for tactical purposes... and the best part is that it does not require a high level of concentration from the mage to remain active.
Then, moving his fingers toward the second volume, whose cover mimicked the texture of crystallized ice, he continued:
—The other is the grimoire for [Glacial Wall]. This is an advanced-rank spell. To be perfectly honest, I do not believe it will be of much practical use to you in dynamic, frontline combat, as it allows you to materialize large quantities of solid ice, but the formation process is neither fast nor ballistic like ice spears or needles. It is more of a structural utility spell; it possesses the capacity to erect a massive defensive wall by consuming a total of 900 mana points all at once. A fortification. However, it features a scalable mode: if you only employ about 20 mana points from your reserves, you can materialize a few ice pillars at a lower velocity.
Alaster listened intently, and his strategic mind immediately visualized the spell's tactical potential: «Scalable pillars for only 20 mana? That's incredibly useful for disrupting enemy charge lines, blocking narrow corridors, or creating quick escape routes in enclosed environments.»
Taking a deep breath, the black-haired elf looked at the blonde merchant.
—How much are they?
Feralt flashed a polite commercial smile, settling back into his armchair.
—The grimoire for [Nebula] retains the price of 7 gold coins that I mentioned earlier. However... I shall grant you the grimoire for [Glacial Wall] entirely free of charge. Consider it a token of goodwill, and my advance payment for your assistance in securing an appropriate candidate with whom I may experience this concept of love.
Alaster narrowed his eyes, looking at Feralt with suspicion.
—Feralt... my friend... I hope you aren't planning any kind of foul play or strange experiment with the girl I introduce you to, right? You have to remember that people possess real, complex feelings; they aren't laboratory test subjects.
Feralt looked at him, a flicker of curiosity and slight offense passing over his features at the insinuation.
—What kind of person do you take me for, Al? —the blonde responded firmly. —It goes without saying that I shall assume full legal and financial responsibility should a small half-elf child be born of such a union. My principles would not allow me to act otherwise.
Alaster scrutinized the blonde's features and, thanks to his perceptive skills, failed to detect even a trace of falsehood or deceit in his words. The guy genuinely seemed to be a responsible and upright individual in his own logical way.
«Well, makes sense,» Alaster thought with an internal sigh. «The guy owns his own luxury goods shop... and remembering the exorbitant prices of his grimoires, it's clear to me that he must be doing pretty well with those profit margins. Money isn't an issue for him.»
Making a swift decision, Alaster concluded: «Alright, in that case, I'll just introduce him to any decent girl I find. Maybe Liena would be interested in meeting a wealthy, cultured elf; after all, I only formally committed to introducing him to someone, I never gave him any firm guarantees that they'd end up together. My conscience is clear.»
—Alright, I accept the deal —Alaster said, reaching his hand out toward the books. —By the way, it was actually an acquaintance of mine who recommended your establishment. Arya.
—Oh, Lady Arya? —Feralt arched an eyebrow. —I know her, Al... I am not entirely certain what your relationship with her is. She is capable... but rather vexing.
Alaster stared at him, his eyes wide.
—Right?! Do you also think she is... great, but... problematic?
—Problematic, —Feralt repeated, keeping his eyebrow raised as a slight grimace crossed his refined features. —Once, I happened to trip and fall right in front of her. Upon seeing me, she simply burst out laughing and couldn't stop. To this day, she still mocks me whenever our paths cross. So yes, it appears we are speaking of the exact same person. It is rare for that cold nibira to be friends with anyone, let alone enough to recommend my establishment to them.
—Well, she told me you were trustworthy —the now black-haired elf explained.
Alaster thought for a moment. Truth be told, Feralt really did seem like someone dependable. He didn't think keeping a partial amount of trust in him would bring any trouble; well, no more trouble than he already had with this whole "dear abby" routine.
Taking a breath, he decided to take the plunge.
—The thing is, I want to acquire a Space-attribute grimoire.
—Space-attribute? —Feralt repeated. He fell into contemplation for a moment. —I believe I have something.
Alaster finally felt a glimmer of hope regarding his infamous, long-suffering attribute—the very one that had caused him so many problems.
Feralt stood up, maintaining a pensive expression, resting a finger against his chin as he walked over to a somewhat distant bookshelf. He retrieved three volumes and returned to the sofa, sitting down as he placed the books on the low table.
—I have these, but I do not believe a cryomancer would have any interest in these types of spells.
Joseph finally felt a surge of panic. It was one thing to have to place some trust in the guy, but it was another thing entirely to reveal such a compromising secret, even if Feralt had Arya's stamp of approval.
—Do you perhaps wish to conduct an experiment regarding the spatial attribute? —Feralt asked, eyeing the books.
Alaster saw an escape route open up before him in the form of a half-truth.
—Yes, I'm interested in spatial magic. That's why Arya told me you might have a grimoire on the matter —Alaster said with a slightly shaky, half-smile.
—Is that so? —Feralt asked, but then cut himself off. —Spatial magic is not very popular. It consumes vast amounts of mana and is difficult to master compared to elemental magic.
«It is obvious that Al is hiding something...» Feralt thought, maintaining his composed gaze. «But I do not believe I should probe further. If he wishes to share the nature of his research with me eventually, so be it. If not, it is none of my concern.»
Feralt looked at him with a surprisingly warm smile that caught the black-haired youth completely off guard.
—Ah, friend Al... I never did ask, what is your line of work? May I inquire?
«Yikes! Why is he suddenly being so friendly?» Alaster thought with a pang of guilt. «Now I'm going to feel bad after lying to him about why I want Space-attribute spells...»
—I'm an adventurer —Alaster replied. Technically, it wasn't a lie; it was what he was, even if he had only completed a single quest so far.
—An elven adventurer... that is not very common, save for a select few like Arya. That also explains how you know her —the blonde elf deduced. —So, that is where you met... her.
—Yeah —Alaster answered, understanding Feralt perfectly. Desiring to deflect the attention away from himself, he continued: —Feralt, I can't contain my curiosity any longer. What spatial spells do you have available?
Feralt smiled, pleased by his new acquaintance's enthusiasm, and tapped the first, modest book.
—Friend Al, the first one is [Blink]. It is a Common-tier, B-rank spell. This is precisely where spatial magic loses its popularity among common mages. It merely assists your mobility by teleporting your body a distance of roughly 32 feet, yet it drains an absurd amount of energy. It requires over 200 mana points just for a single execution. I do not believe it is highly efficient.
Feralt paused, his smile widening slightly as he gestured toward the second tome, which hummed with a heavier, more complex magical pressure.
—The second one is [Bending]. It is an Extraordinary-tier, SS-rank spell. It commands a price of exactly 100 gold coins.
Alaster's eyes nearly popped out of his skull for two entirely different reasons.
«Wait a second...» his internal programmer brain rapidly processed the description. «That's basically a gravity ability disguised as spatial magic! And 100 gold coins?! That's a ridiculous fortune!»
Noticing his reaction, Feralt maintained his pleasant expression.
—It is an Extraordinary-tier piece with an SS-rank classification, after all, so you could not possibly expect it to be cheap, could you?
In reality, Feralt knew the spell should technically not even be on display. It was a completely unpopular asset, and Alaster was the first customer to ever inquire about it since a traveling merchant had swindled Feralt into buying it for 80 gold coins. He was desperate to recover that investment.
Moving on, Feralt tapped the final, thinner volume on the table.
—The last one is a purely offensive spatial spell, [Disruption]. It belongs to the Advanced tier and carries a B-rank classification. Its price is 2 gold coins.
«And I am making triple the profit on that one,» Feralt calculated behind his professional veneer. He smiled smoothly at the black-haired elf. —As for [Blink], it will only cost you 25 silver coins.