Alicia gently stroked Clarice’s upper arm, but Clarice didn’t feel anything unusual. Partly because Alicia was already tipsy and clinging to her, acting spoiled, and partly because Clarice couldn’t imagine that Alicia, a Hero, would do something so out of character. Additionally, this kind of interaction was unfamiliar territory for a spirit like Clarice.
“Should have known better than to bring the alcohol. I’ll drink the rest with Lindy later.”
“Aah! Lady Clarice! You love Lindy only! It’s so unfair!”
Even in her drunken state, Alicia somehow caught Clarice’s murmured words and clung to her, nearly leaning into her embrace. With her right arm already looped around Clarice’s left, Alicia’s hand had somehow made its way to Clarice’s waist.
“Hehe… Lady Clarice. Cheers!”
Holding the cup in her left hand, her right hand still draped around Clarice’s waist, she offered the glass to her. Though Clarice tried to push the cup away as Alicia was clearly drunk, the more she resisted, the tighter Alicia’s grip around her waist became. Caught off guard by the unfamiliar sensation, Clarice hesitated, and Alicia seized the opportunity to clink their glasses together.
Then another hearty gulp.
Whatever was left of Alicia’s rationality finally slipped away.
“Does Lady Clarice think Lindy hasn’t done anything wrong either?”
“Well, it’s not exactly wrong, but the punishment seems disproportionate to the offense….”
Clarice had tried to correct Alicia’s statement, but she paused. Alicia’s hand on her waist had begun to lightly tickle her, and her other hand now rested on top of Clarice’s.
“Friends always share this kind of physical touch. We’re both women anyways…”
“Not Lindy…”
“Why Lindy? Do you plan to scold her too? Yuli said friends sharing a moment like this isn’t weird…”
The hand on her waist slowly crept up, reaching Clarice’s ribcage. The movement was so natural that Clarice even began to think such physical contact wasn’t uncommon between friends.
This left Clarice powerless to shake off Alicia’s hand.
Alicia’s hand, which had paused briefly as if waiting for permission, soon resumed when Clarice hesitated, interpreting the pause as implicit consent. Alicia’s hand slid onto Clarice’s fingers that rested upon the table, intertwining them carefully. The mere crossing of fingers caused Clarice to feel a strange tingle, as if there was some kind of connection.
She wondered if this was what it felt like to be bonded with a spirit.
Throughout history, only a handful of exceptionally strong spirit summoners were capable of summoning the Spirit King, and even then, only if they were harmoniously aligned. Clarice, who had never ventured beyond the Spirit Realm, had never once bonded with a spirit summoner, thus she was never quite certain of the sensation. She could only feel curious about it.
This curiosity was also part of the reason why she held affection for other beings from the material plane. For someone who had not stepped into the material world, these visitors to the Spirit Realm were capable of sparking a different kind of interest within her.
“Because Lindy was being all like this, was Lady Clarice upset?”
Alicia’s hand started to move more openly, becoming more overt than even what Lindy had previously done to the spirits. However, Alicia had only heard vague descriptions of Lindy’s behavior and had no firsthand knowledge. As such, she could only estimate that it involved a little more than the usual level of physical contact between friends.
Alicia’s hand moved higher, past Clarice’s side, stopping just below her armpit as it carefully explored her torso.
Under normal circumstances, the sober Alicia would have refrained due to some kind of moral restraint, but now, only a singular commitment occupied her mind: the mission to convince Clarice.
Alicia’s fingers accidentally grazed the side of Clarice’s chest.
“!”
Given that spirits lack reproductive instincts, they were equally devoid of sexual desire. However, while Clarice might not be consciously aware, this sensation she felt was indeed the thrilling pleasure derived from physical contact with others.
The lower-ranking spirits, such as the lowest tier and lower spirits, struggled to manifest physical forms in the material world due to their immature control over spiritual power. Only at the mid-levels can a spirit manifest its form somewhat clumsily, and only at the higher levels could a spirit fully take on the detailed likeness of someone’s mental image of them.
Yet, this was the Spirit Realm, where spirits could freely wield their powers. Even lower-level spirits who couldn’t manifest physical forms in the material plane could show their individualities in various ways here.
Naturally, the Spirit King, surpassing even the uppermost spirits in power, could not only mimic human form but also replicate the physical sensations of the human body.
This was Clarice’s mistake.
“Still, this is certainly… inappropriate!”
Even while being swept away by the alien sensation, Clarice held onto her rationality. No matter how naive she might be about the material world, the actions Alicia took clearly went beyond what could be classified as friendly physical contact. Even so, she tried to stop her, though belatedly…
Glide.
The hand that had been exploring her ribcage subtly slid out, straightening one finger to gently trace her spine.
The heat radiating from Alicia’s closeness had entirely infected Clarice. Her body, already stimulated by Alicia’s touch, succumbed completely to primitive pleasure.
“Huff!”
The tingling sensation coursing through her body made Clarice, who had intended to halt Alicia, lose focus, emitting only a groan of pleasure. It was due to her taking on a human form with limited understanding of human common sense that this had happened.
How many would dare to approach the mighty Spirit King with such audacious intent? There had been none through the long ages—not among her summoners or the visitors to the Spirit Realm.
Thus, Clarice possessed no tolerance for such pleasures, her resistance nearly nonexistent.
“Hehe… What is this feeling?”
And then, with a slight pull, a soft flick of her tongue, Alicia licked the nape of Clarice’s neck.
Clarice shuddered, feeling goosebumps rise on her neck and arms.
Licked again. The damp sensation on her neck made her feel uncomfortable.
And once more. Even as Alicia’s saliva wetted her neck, she could not help but feel the softness of her lips and the movement of her tongue against her skin.
It was disorienting. Just entwining fingers, a few strokes of the skin, and a flick of her tongue on the neck were enough to overwhelm her normal thought processes.
Clarice had definitely felt a liking for Alicia upon their first meeting. Since she usually embraced curiosity and goodwill toward most visitors from the intermediate plane, she had considered this nothing out of the ordinary: the kind of casual fondness that wouldn’t stop her from dismissing someone if they were overly rude. She had deemed it just as trivial back then.
Of course, even now, by virtue of her powers, Clarice could easily shake Alicia off. This wasn’t the material realm where her strength was restricted, but the Spirit Realm where she could fully unleash her power as Spirit King. Although Alicia was a Hero and Sword Master, it was impossible for her to stand against a Spirit King in the Spirit Realm. Perhaps, with enough time, it could happen, but not now.
Yet, despite the final strand of rationality warning her to push Alicia away, Clarice’s hand continued to firmly grasp Alicia’s collar.
For some reason, she couldn’t push her away. She knew she could dismiss the intoxicated young woman whenever she wished, but now she wanted just a little… a little more of this strange, indescribable sensation.
There was no more resistance left in Clarice. She had buried her face into Alicia’s shoulder and entrusted her body to the touches of the swordswoman.
The docile attitude Clarice exhibited pleased Alicia greatly. It finally seemed like she comprehended that Lindy’s actions were not so egregious. Because of this, she had another mischievous idea.
It was only natural that righteous actions should also be rewarded, just as transgressions needed to be punished.
The purpose of Alicia’s actions now completely shifted. If her previous actions were meant to show Clarice that this level of physical contact was common among women, then this current touch was meant solely to make her happy.
Even in her drunken state, Alicia knew her limits and didn’t cross certain boundaries. The forthcoming actions would not exceed the playful pranks friends would do to each other, and most importantly, she wasn’t the same kind of deviant as Lindy. With that clarity, she acted. Just as much as friends had done to her.
