“It seems like the students are spreading arousal.”
At my words, Lupina lowered her head and shook it vigorously.
“I-I never made and sold arousal potions!”
Lupina denied it, even though no one had accused her.
Hold on.
“So, you can actually make arousal potions?”
“Yes! Using manticore hairs, and the pistil of moonlit flowers… uh!”
Chattering on, Lupina suddenly clamped her hand over her mouth.
All it did was confirm that this occult enthusiast indeed could make such potions.
‘If that’s the case…’
Though it was just a theory, I started considering that an “arousal” disease might be spreading around the Academy.
The question was how it was being spread.
‘Could it be spreading through the use of arousal potions?’
It was a plausible scenario—assuming certain conditions were met.
“That potion… is it colorless?”
“Yes.”
“And odorless?”
“Right. My clients always insist on that for some reason.”
… Of course they would.
If it’s truly colorless and odorless, then it could certainly be transmitted through food or drink.
“Does it only take effect if consumed?”
“That’s the most effective way. Efficiency drops with vapor or direct skin contact.”
“Then it’s possible that I or others have been affected by it in vapor form.”
As I considered the increasing likelihood, Lupina shook her head.
“But it’s impossible.”
“Why?”
“It’s incredibly expensive.”
“How much are we talking about?”
“At least a billion Krone per bottle. And even at that price, the ingredient costs are so high that there’s hardly any profit left. Spreading it through vapor? That would cost billions of Krone.”
That’s an astronomical amount.
Only a few people at the Academy would have that kind of money.
A few names came to mind—people like Emilia…
‘But they wouldn’t waste resources on something so inefficient.’
For now, I’ll just keep them on the suspect list. So, let’s discard the potion hypothesis.
“What other methods could there be…? Lupina?”
“Yes?”
I examined Lupina’s pupils closely.
Pink pupils.
They had a peculiar shape.
“Your pupils look a bit unusual.”
Heart-shaped eyes.
At my observation, Lupina grinned knowingly.
“Oh~.”
She pulled a potted plant out from under the desk.
Until just moments ago, she had been experimenting with it.
I took a step back.
—Wriggle, Wriggle.
The pot contained pink tentacles that moved in an oddly mesmerizing way.
At about 50 cm in length, they weren’t intimidating, but their appearance was naturally off-putting.
Yet, Lupina stroked them as if she found them endearing.
“Just add water, and it stays moist with a constant secretion of lubricant.”
“…”
“Want to try our ‘Moistie’?”
So, it even has a name, ‘Moistie’.
“I’ll pass. Can’t imagine how to use it.”
“It’s like thi…”
I grabbed Lupina’s wrist before her hand could make any questionable gestures.
“Lupina, I understand what your specialty is.”
“Yes. I like dealing with dark magic that handles desires.”
“Your tentacle creature… I mean, Moistie, is certainly intriguing, but what I want to know right now is whether people are experiencing arousal, and if so, what’s causing it.”
“Ah… right.”
Finally, Lupina set the tentacles back on the desk.
Wriggle, Wriggle.
I’d had enough of that sight.
“If it’s not arousal potions, then what could be causing people to experience arousal?”
Tap, Tap.
Lupina tapped the desk as she pondered.
“Hmm.”
I rubbed my eyes. For some reason, Lupina seemed surprisingly professional at this moment.
After a moment of contemplation, she asked.
“Are you aroused right now?”
“Yes.”
“In that case…”
Step, Step.
She approached me.
“Let’s analyze it.”
“… Analyze?”
Without a moment to reflect on her question, Lupina quickly commanded:
“Moistie!”
The tentacles wrapped tightly around my arms and legs.
Lupina grinned mischievously.
“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt.”
◆
“Wow. It’s like milk jelly.”
Squish—squish.
Only after the beaker was filled to the brim did Lupina’s hands finally stop.
… I feel violated. Actually, I think I was.
Though, thankfully, it wasn’t by the tentacle creature itself.
I shook my head to clear the unpleasant memories.
“Huff, that was tougher than I expected. It was bigger than I anticipated.”
Lupina, massaging her hands, picked up the beaker beside her.
It was filled with the white liquid she had extracted from me.
She shook it for a moment before dipping her index finger into it.
“What are you…!”
She then brought her finger to her mouth.
“Ugh—bitterer than I thought.”
Blah—
Watching her stick out her tongue, I decided not to try to understand.
“It’s not supposed to be sweet. It came from a human body.”
“Mine’s sweet.”
“… Not something I wanted to know.”
Really.
Humming lightly, Lupina sniffed the beaker.
“It’s kind of addictive. I heard eating fruit makes it smell fruity. Maybe we could experiment later?”
“Lupina, let’s focus on the main issue.”
“Oh, right.”
She tapped her own head lightly.
At times, she seemed creepy; other times, lively. I couldn’t quite figure out her personality.
“Consider it an honor to be analyzed by Lupina! My adept sorcery is the best in Lichten!”
“Adept sorcery?”
“Yes. It’s a form of magic that manipulates human desire. Desire is often symbolized in red, so it’s called adept sorcery.”
“First I’ve heard of it.”
“Well, I coined the term.”
So, it’s the best in Lichten because you’re the only adept sorcerer.
… I swallowed that thought.
Lupina’s intense focus on experimenting with the whitish substance felt distinctly professional.
“This isn’t it… hmm, these components are unique. Let’s categorize them.”
Time passed, and eventually, Lupina stretched her arms upward and shouted.
“I’ve got it!”
She jumped up from the desk, mumbling under her breath.
“Using this method, I could effectively induce arousal in people… and maybe even develop a new potion…”
With a sinister grin, she was lost in her thoughts, so I pulled her chair back with my toe.
Startled, Lupina grabbed her chair.
“Ah! Why the sudden…!”
“Focus, Lupina. And release this tentacle creature, please.”
I was still restrained by Moistie or whatever it was called.
“With your skills, you could easily free yourself…”
“Wouldn’t want to damage your precious creature, would I?”
“Ah…”
With a wave of her staff, Lupina released the binding.
“You’re surprisingly kind, Ian.”
“Exactly.”
“… And quite full of yourself.”
“It’s called confidence. Now, what did you find?”
Lupina lifted the beaker.
As she gazed intently at the substance extracted from me, I began to feel an odd sense of apprehension before she spoke.
“In my opinion, it’s a virus.”
“… A virus?”
“Yes. The arousal virus spreads and causes people to enter a state of arousal.”
“So, it’s contagious?”
“Precisely.”
Her eyes still had that heart-shaped gleam.
As I stared, an obvious question surfaced.
“Then, aren’t you infected too?”
Lupina looked up at me.
Her pink pupils stretched into a long curve.
“Looks like it?”
An unsettling grin spread across her face.
“Hold tight, Moistie.”
Once again, she was quick to act.
◆
“…Ah!”
Lupina’s toes curled with tension. After lying down as if exhausted, she slowly stood up.
In the end, nothing happened to me.
I had simply observed Lupina’s various ways of using Moistie from a respectful distance.
“That was… wonderful.”
Freshly cleaned, Lupina murmured, her gaze now showing her pink pupils, which had returned to their round shape.
“Your pupils are back to normal.”
Lupina nodded.
“It seems that these heart-shaped pupils indicate arousal. It’s a shame I don’t have other test subjects, but we should be able to tell if someone’s in an aroused state by looking at their eyes.”
I’d better pay close attention to people’s eyes from now on.
Rustle, Rustle.
Drying her hair with a towel, Lupina continued speaking.
“The cause of this arousal… is you.”
“… What?”
“It’s highly likely that you, Ian Blackangers, are the transmitter of this arousal phenomenon. The method of transmission, however, is still unknown—it could be through breath, bodily fluids, or other means.”
“And why do you think that?”
“Me. I’m not usually this… loose, you know? Not enough to ask someone to watch me… handle myself.”
“… Doesn’t seem that way. You seem quite… loose.”
“You!”
Lupina pouted.
“Anyway, there’s definitely been a change in emotions. And the basis of that change is you—since you arrived here.”
So, I’m the transmitter.
Thinking that way actually cleared up a few mysteries.
Nodding confidently, Lupina held up two fingers.
“And there are only two ways to resolve this arousal phenomenon.”
“What are they?”
“Either the infected person’s s*xual desires are completely satisfied…”
I recalled some experiences.
It did seem like Silvia, Danya, and Lina resolved things that way.
“Or they come into contact with your white fluid on their mucous membranes.”
Lupina shook the beaker she’d been examining.
“In other words, your fluid is the cure.”
So, I’m the cause of the arousal, and the cure as well.
“Unintentionally, it’s a case of being both the disease and the remedy.”
“Exactly. Hehehe.”
“Why are you laughing like that?”
“Because it would’ve been nice if I were you, Ian Blackangers.”
“And why is that?”
“You know why.”
With a dark chuckle, Lupina continued ominously.
“Oh, and one more thing. For the cure to be effective, the quantity needs to be sufficient. Only specific components within it have curative properties.”
◆
In the hallway outside the occult lab.
A girl with long blue hair stood there.
Beside her, sharp spikes of ice jutted out.
Following the cold, smooth surfaces of the ice, figures lay collapsed on the floor.
To Sharon, they appeared to be assassins who had come to kill Ian.
Leaning against the wall in the hallway, Sharon closed her eyes tightly.
“It’s okay… if no one knows.”
After biting her lip hard, Sharon slowly opened her eyes.
Her two eyes, curved into heart shapes, glowed a deep, icy blue.
