Steel and Mana

"Thank you for accompanying me to the city." Mikan said, smiling kindly at Sasha, who walked beside her, shaking her head.

"It is fine. I also wanted to go out for a little stroll. More and more people chose to open shops and try running a business after attending Lady Lousie's classes."

"She has nice boobs, but Mikki's are better!" Yuri cut in from the other side of Mikan, no longer making the two girls flinch at her remarks. They simply walked on, not looking at her. "What, no reactions? Tsk!"

"I already learned that the best way to deal with you is to ignore you." Sasha quipped back, making her grin, but Mikan's answer was mellow in contrast.

"You went through a lot, Miss Yuribisaida. I do wish you would later on look at me as a friend so we could work on it, and I could grant you a happy life!"

"Wooah, babe, I'm in! We can fuck, no worries! I am already a concubine, so let me get you into the club. I know guys like to watch, so Leocchy won't be mad!"

"I... I meant a less... physical relationship, Miss Yuribisaida..." Mikan murmured, blushing but somewhat getting used to her filthy mouth.

"Ignore her." Sasha commented, rolling her eyes, "She is just a pleasure toy."

"Brrrr, you know how to fire me up, Sacchy! We will have a great orgy tonight!"

"We won't. Leon is busy with the printing press and compiling the books with Merlin, so the school gets equipped with all it needs as soon as possible. He needs rest, so the most we do is massage him, and that's it!"

"Yeah, yeah, Lunchichi had already told me she is getting even better at sucking dick with all the practice you two are having every day!"

"Miss Yuribisaida, please!" Mikan begged, waving her hand as the trio exited the palace's grounds, going through the gate guarded by girls from Yuri's gang and entering the city itself. Since Yuri's official inauguration, her gang truly became the palace's guards, getting their own homes and maids to serve them. 

"Worry not Mikki! I won't shame you before civvies!"

"Before who?" The priestess gawked, never hearing that word before.

"Leocchy mentioned it. I liked how it sounded; it meant civilians in some way... That is how he explained it. The people, the guys and gals, the blood in the meat of a system! You get it!"

"You are weird." 

"I know, Sacchy! But I am feeling good! Even the ministers are bowing to me, fufufu; I love this! I could go out, walk into any shop, and take anything without batting an eye!"

"Don't. Do. That." Sasha stopped at once, warning her with an aura of power emanating from her whole being, making Yuri flinch for real. 

"I won't..." She mumbled, pouting, "I'm just saying! I am not stupid; I won't jeopardize my and my girls' place. Did you know Leocchy said I should recruit more people?"

"To your gang? Yes, I know. He told me about it. We will use up all our CC sooner or later, which is unsurprising. Your face is already known, so others will have to get it for us. You will have to organize it and not do it directly anymore."

"Ahhh, the good life!" Yuri moaned, stretching, beginning walking again with a wide grin, "Sitting back, moving pieces on the board and no longer doing the hard stuff. This is what I dreamt of!"

"I was surprised you could procure CC and this many to boot..." Mikan added, sounding just as surprised as when she first heard it.

"It is not, really." Yuri replied to her, making Sasha remain silent as she was also interested in it. Why were there so many CCs so readily available? It was a question that was unimportant yet the most important. A complete paradox.

"So?" The two asked after Yuri failed to continue.

"Ah, you want to know more?" She giggled, making it obvious she was teasing them, "There are multiple reasons for it! First, mining CC is a massive operation with too many cogs to look after each and every one of them. Crumbs will fall to the sidelines. Do you think what I brought back is much? Or big? Bah! I saw real CC shipments once... There were pieces as big as a house. Do you get it now?"

"That big? How..." Sasha whispered, biting her thumb, her brain already coming up with methods to cut it and use it.

"That's what I'm saying, my pussy-siblings! These crumbs I gathered are nothing! Chipped-off parts from a big one! Scraps swept under a rug! Then, there is another source. The Empire's enemies."

"Why would they be involved?" Mikan asked, her eyes innocently waiting for Yuri's words.

"The Ishillia Empire has too many enemies; it has been making them for 2000 years. They would be thrilled to see it implode on itself and are always looking for ways to make trouble for its rulers."

"I... I know that we haven't been the best neighbors..."

"That is a mild way to put it!" Laughed Sasha and Yuri simultaneously, making them exchange glances before Sasha continued, turning her head away. "What Yuri is saying is logical. The Empire is massive, and I am not surprised to see the underworld having CC sources provided to them by foreign agents. One rogue mage could do a lot of damage."

"There are examples of that..." Mikan whispered after a brief silence, "But we were taught they were traitors of the Empire, of its people, and most of all, of the Six Gods."

"Oooh? Do tell us!" Yuri insisted, getting excited, wanting to hear more, especially the bloody details.

"That does sound interesting..." Sasha agreed, holding Mikan's hand, with a smile, "Let's go to the bakery I told you about! We can buy something tasty, sit down, and you can tell us!"

What Mikan told them was more interesting to Sasha than to Yuri. She finally had a look into how the Empire looked at its mages and what type of fate she escaped from. After getting their creamy parfaits, they sat down outside, enjoying the first sunny days of the spring they were finally getting.

"The last rebellious wizard appeared 150 years ago." Mikan began her tale, enjoying the simple yet delicious dessert, "It is not taught to many; I learned about it because it was part of the education of new witches and wizards. We were not told his name; it was expunged from all records, along with his looks and origin. We were only told that he was a wizard with a low-level aptitude, most capable with lightning-based spells, up to Intermediate level formations."

"Woah, woah! I need more than that!" Yuri raised her hand, "What does aptitude have to do with anything?"

"Oh, yes, yes... The Empire categorizes the strength of formations into the following levels!

1. Basic
2. Intermediate
3. Adept
4. Expert
5. Master

These are the main categories, and low-level aptitude meant that he could only cast spells up to the Intermediate level by himself. Elyzien was someone who could go up to the fifth tier all by herself... so she wasn't lying; she was mighty and influential in her time. From what we learned, all those who sat on the throne were Master level mages. I was... only... a-"

"A basic bitch!" Yuri said, almost reflexively, blinking her eyes rapidly and doing something Sasha had never heard her do before. She apologized. "Sorry. It was a bad habit... I used to have a friend who we always said was in sync... I sometimes can't hold back." She murmured, in a somewhat more melancholy voice than she realized, making the two girls look at her with a mixture of surprise and pity.

"Well... I did some stupid things, and I realize it now! I had time to review my life and know I wasn't using my own powers but someone else's, who happened to live within me..." Ultimately, she couldn't help but trail off, subconsciously stroking the bracelet on her wrist and playing with the CC secured within it. 

"So what?" Yuri snorted, unabashedly leaning over and taking a spoonful from her parfait, "You are you! That bitch is living in you, so she should have paid the rent, no? It wasn't borrowing; it is within your body! It is just as much yours as hers. Plus, she kept silent for twenty-plus years! What type of psycho does that?!"

"I agree with Yuri." Sasha nodded, hitting the thieving concubine's hand with her spoon to stop her from eating out of hers, too. "That woman is wicked. You shouldn't feel bad about it or yourself! You now know what you are and what you will do in the future. Focus on that! I am just happy that the Church did not find me and managed to escape..."

"It was because they did not report you first. I think..." Mikan replied, smiling softly and happily, no longer looking so lost, "The Empire wouldn't have let you go if they knew. Every reported mage is collected and then kept within the inner city of the Ishillians. I was, too, for ten years; I could not leave the Academy's grounds and then the inner city for another five years. Only after that was I allowed to explore, but under the heavy supervision of the Church... anyone with the aptitude of an Adept or higher they are kept under very close surveillance. In luxury, but... they can never be free... and I don't think they want to leave either. Not those who are high-tiered... They can get anything."

"Yeah, with that power... I can imagine." Yuri murmured, licking her spoon very suggestively, "I would want to stay close to the source of the almighty, so yeah... Shit, imagine being capable of dropping the sun on others! How cool would that be? I will masturbate to that!"

"Here we go..." Sasha groaned, signaling to Mikan to ignore her.

While they were sitting there, talking, they couldn't help but notice that a smaller crowd was gathering nearby and inside the shop, too. The reason was simple: Sasha. No matter how direct she wanted to be, she was still the 'Queen' in everyone's eyes, and seeing her out, sitting there, enjoying a warmer afternoon, was gathering a crowd who wanted to see her. Maybe even meet her. The only reason nobody dared to come close was Yuri. Even those who didn't know who she was or what type of woman she was, the scars told enough. You will be cut down without mercy.

"What is it?" Sasha asked, noticing that Yuri raised her head, scrunching her brows as if she was trying to listen to something... or had to sneeze.

"I heard something weird. I am not sure from where, but it sounded like badmouthing Mikki and her mommy milkers."

"The what of mine?"

"No need to blush, they are biiiig," She continued, wanting to grab them, but Sasha, like a mantis, slapped her hands away from Mikan, "Ahaha, with every step you take, they go, 'boing, boing, boing' and your ass sways like a professional dancer's bottom! Shiiiit, I want to bury my head between your thighs and die! Squeeze me, mommy!"

"I think it's time to go!" Sasha said, raising her voice and standing up, making Mikan grateful as she had no idea how to handle her. She became so baffled that when standing up, she managed to kick her own leg out, landing on her butt with a cute moan.

"See?" Yuri grinned, watching Sasha's head go up and down as she followed the jiggling of Mikan's boobs, "She is made out of jelly, one that you want to taste!" 

"Are you okay?"

"T-thank you, I'm fine... Luckily, I am used to it!" Mikan answered with an innocent smile while Sasha began helping her up, "The glasses should arrive by summer, so... It probably will help. I hope. I just... Haaaah... No witch ever was known to have a defective body. But... I am not a witch, huh..."

"Drop it!" Yuri shouted, which was followed by such a loud slap that it silenced everyone, even the onlookers. Mikan forgot to yell out, barely even registering the stinging sensation, feeling her bottom jiggle and wiggle from the force of Yuri's palm. "You are Mikki, Leocchy's future meat toilet! Act like it! Be proud of this true Goddess-like body and own it! Glasses? Even better, you can look at him without having too much cum in your eyes! They sting when it goes into it, you know!"

For a moment, not even Sasha knew what to say as it was crude... way too crude. And presumptuous... but it was a good, no... a... well... a piece of kind advice? Maybe... yes... a type of advice only Yuri could give someone.