Chapter 7

Lily was finally of age, but that didn't mean she wasn't feeling miserable. She was in her chamber, a small space she had begun to think of as her home for the last few years. It was late in the evening, perhaps already the next day, but she was still awake, her eyes wide open as she stared at the ceiling.

Next door, though she couldn't hear the sounds of the wizard, she knew exactly what he was doing. The more she trained with him, the more she knew exactly what that sensation was. It was the feel of male arousal, and he was currently in the room with a woman, one of the countless he frequently bedded.

She tried to ignore it, tried to push it away from her mind, but it was futile. The sensation was too strong, and it washed over her own body, like it wanted to join in, and it made her completely miserable.

She had thought she would be a fully fleshed out wielder by the time she graduated from her training with the wizard and moved out to the guild, but it wasn't the case. Not at all. During her training, she wasn't able to learn much from her magic aside from sensing the conditions of men. Particularly their arousal levels, aggression and power levels, semen quantity, and urine quantity. It felt almost foolish to her, because how could any of that actually be useful on the battlefield? How could she destroy a monster with a singular ability of being able to sense men? She almost hated that she was special, what was the point of having magic abilities that no one had if they were useless in the first place?

Besides that, all she had discovered was issues with her pheromones. It was something the wizard had discovered, and what she had realized she did to Jake before she had left him. She emitted pheromones that affected male arousal, making them more aggressive or dominant. It was a problem being around the wizard like this, as she didn't mean to make him aggressive, but she couldn't help herself. Her magic read her subconscious thoughts, and seemed to act out in the way that it wished to. Yes, it did seem like a good way for her to manipulate the men she fought in the battlefield, but that would be a rare occurrence, and she didn't know how to use it properly yet, or know the extent of it.

She didn't know when she finally fell asleep, but when she woke the next morning, rubbing her eyes and sighing deeply, she felt as if she'd barely slept. She had been distracted by both the feeling of the wizard's lust, and the fear of her future, her mind spinning and whirling until it felt like there was nothing she could do about it.

She crawled out of bed and moved to the kitchen, already so used to her daily routine. The wizard wasn't the sort to care about nutritious food, as he was so busy with his head in his cauldrons and researching all the time, and so Lily had to learn about how to cook on her own, looking up recipes and experimenting over and over again until something tasted good. As well, the wizard told her she needed to help with chores in the house, mostly to earn her keep, and she was tasked with cleaning, mopping, and all the usual tasks of upkeep when they weren't training. The more she did it, the better she got at it, and at times she felt like she was better at cooking and cleaning than actual magic, which was why she was even there in the first place.

The wizard's cottage kitchen was a quaint, cozy space, tucked into a corner of the small stone space. It featured rustic wooden shelves lined with jars of colorful herbs and mysterious potions. A small, well-worn table stood in the center, its surface usually cluttered, but cleaned by her the evening before. Bundles of dried herbs dangled from the low-beamed ceiling. Cast-iron pots and pans hung from hooks, a heavy wrought-iron skillet and a large wooden mortar and pestle sat on the counter and a clay oven for baking bread and roasting meats laid in the hearth. Most of it had been untouched before she arrived, but now was used almost every day.

She was deep in thought and transferring the eggs onto a large shared plate, now covered in meats and breads from the market when she looked up and spied the wizard walking out of his own room with a woman following closely behind. She almost dropped the eggs on the floor when she realized the woman was completely naked. She'd met many other women in her time staying with wizard, but none had been so outwardly wanton as her. She had long silky blonde hair and puckered lips, but none of that was what Lily was staring at. It was her breasts. Of course, it was large, and not even comparable to hers. "Of course, another woman with giant breasts," she whispered under her breath, trying hard not to roll her eyes. Thankfully, the wizard was fully clothed in his pajamas, a dyed blue cotton set that she had sewn up and dyed for him. She didn't know what she would do if she saw the wizard naked as well.

She didn't know if the wizard heard her, but he chose to ignore her comments as he said, "good morning, young one. Or should I say - the newly mature woman. You're finally old enough to join the adventurer's guild!" He sat down in front of her, and looked down at the food with a ravenous hunger. "You've learned so much about cooking in the past months, I am going to be quite upset when you leave me."

"I will miss you as well, wizard," she said, trying to be kind, then glanced up at the woman awkwardly. Why couldn't she just wear some clothes?! "Does your friend want something to eat?"

The woman seemed like she was about to leave, but sniffed the delicious food and said, "well, it couldn't help to stay a bit longer… do you have some tea?"

Lily wanted to roll her eyes, she wasn't the help around here, and it was annoying to be bossed around by a woman who was just here to spend the night with the wizard and satisfy him. "Sure, let me boil some water," she said as she moved to the hearth.

"Are you excited, Lily?" The wizard asked, going back to the original conversation.

Lily bit her lip. Yes, this has always been her dream, something she'd been seeking her entire life, but this day had come so soon, and despite constantly training with the wizard, she just didn't think she was ready yet. Her magic was wild, and without anyone with the same mark as her, she didn't have anyone to really be her guide. The wizard only knew so much without being able to wield her magic himself, and he hadn't taught her much aside from her ability to sense men. She knew deep inside that there must've been more. She didn't want that to be all she had.

"You're still nervous?" He asked, as intuitive as ever. She only nodded in response. "Well, I'll tell you a little secret." She looked up at that, and he smiled at her mischievously. "I've always thought you would succeed, not because of your own abilities, but because you're able to easily sense the abilities of men." He paused, "you're like a succubus, Lily. You know their aggression levels, you know how much power they have, and when they're aroused. You know how to pick the best ones for your party."

She'd never thought of it like that, but he was right. It would be an important advantage, one she would have over the other women. "You really think so?"

"Yes, and besides that, the male sensing should be enough for a party to accept you. It's useful in a practical way. You will be able to sense enemies and monsters at a range, and know details like how strong they are. There's no one who will have similar abilities than you, and I think they'll fight to have you join them." Lily swelled up at that, maybe she would be accepted by her peers for the first time after all. She'd always been so discarded at the orphanage, and she really did want to eventually make some friends.

"Yes, and I have an outfit prepared for you. It'll make it all the more easier for you on your first day." He walked off, and returned with a few folded pieces of fabric and a belt. He unfolded it, and smiled at her, "consider it a birthday present."

Her cheeks blushed furiously. The skirt was way too short for her liking, and the shirt was so high up you could see her entire stomach. The white sleeves around her forearms seemed like it was more an accessory than to serve any function, and her body was almost completely exposed. It was very clear what the outfit was for, and she knew it would be a complete nuisance during a fight. "I'm not wearing that, it's too embarrassing."

"I don't think so," the woman said. Lily didn't even bother asking her for her name. She knew she would never see her again. "I think it's perfect for your little adolescent body, people might even look at you if you're wearing something like that!" The water was boiling, but Lily had completely missed it. She knew what the woman meant by that. She knew what everyone always meant. She was so used to it it almost didn't hurt as much. Almost.

"I know, I know. You have a flat chest, and it's bothered you your whole life. You have the allure, though. That's why you have the mark. Lately, you've become more and more of a woman to me. In fact, you've even aroused me a few times!"

She gasped. She knew the wizard was constantly horny and spoke his mind, but she hadn't expected something like this to come out of his mouth, especially in front of someone he was clearly seeing. "Wow, I didn't know someone like her could be your type!" The woman said, chuckling to herself.

Lily rushed out of the room at once, not being able to sit with him any longer, and went to grab her packed bag, a leather satchel that she had made herself, filled with everything she owned - which was not a lot. Before she could leave the room, though, the wizard cleared his throat, and she reluctantly took the outfit from him, stuffing it hastily in the bag and promised herself she would never wear it.

For the rest of the morning, she waited impatiently for the wizard as he finished his morning routine, wanting to start the next chapter of her life as soon as she could. He had spent an annoying amount of time kissing his lover goodbye, telling her she could come by anytime she wished to, and the woman hadn't even bothered saying thank you or goodbye to Lily before she left.

"Ready?" He asked her, though already knew the answer. She had been standing against the door all morning. She nodded, though looked back at the little cottage she had lived in for the past few years. Though he was too much at times, particularly with his comments on her body and all the women he had at night, she knew she would miss him after all these years. He had cared for her, and never bullied her like the kids at the orphanage did.

She shook the thoughts out of her mind, though, as they appeared at the guild, being easily teleported by the wizard. She told herself she would be strong.