When their lips touched, Layn felt something that he didn’t experience in a few long years. This innate excitement on closing the girl’s mouth with his own while feeling how her body reacted to the kissing in his arms. For the first time in years, Layn felt a true excitement.

“Or that’s what I would like to say.” As their lips parted, a single strand of saliva refused to let go, still keeping them connected in this minuscule way. Only when Layn spoke up, the strand finally snapped, putting an end to the moment of pleasure.

“Are you for real?” Snuggling forward, Irea rested her forehead on Layn’s chest. Squirming lightly in the archmage’s arms, she brought her arms around his waist, refusing to let go. “Can’t we… just once again…” Raising her head up, Irea looked at Layn with passion brimming in her half-open eyes. Moving her head higher, her trembling lips went on the attack.

Closing Layn’s mouth, Irea didn’t hold herself back this time. Pushing her tongue forward, she invaded Layn’s jaw, rubbing her wet muscle against Layn’s own tongue. Once their saliva started mixing up, Irea’s hands moved upwards, swapping their hold from archmage’s waist to his neck.

‘We shouldn’t…’ Even though the treasure would take a long while to fully load and start operating, it didn’t mean the entire plan was already a success. ‘We still need to get it to its location…’ All Layn’s internal breaks broke apart when Irea climbed even higher on him, resting her bottom high on the archmage’s lap.

Every time their tongues would touch or entangle, Irea’s body would shake a bit, squirming around in Layn’s embrace. With her robe riding up, only a single layer of undergarment stopped her precious place from rubbing against the peak that slowly grew in Layn’s pants.

“No, we can’t.” Before his instincts would sweep him away, Layn grabbed Irea’s shoulders before pushing her away. While still sitting atop his lap, she could no longer ensnare the archmage with the agile movements of her sweet tongue.

“We can’t?” With her head hanging down and her eyes tearing up as he looked up at Layn’s face, Irea dealt yet another critical attack. Yet when compared to the cuteness right within his arm’s reach and securing the last phase of his plan, Layn had no trouble picking what took priority.

“I’m sorry, but not yet. We will have all the time in the world for that later. But now,” Averting his eyes, Layn rustled Irea’s hair before shaking his head. “Now, we need to finish the job.”

For a moment, the two of them just continued to stare at each other, enjoying the intimacy stemming from how close they were. Every Irea’s breath, every beat of her heart was a glorious yet calming melody for Layn. The way her eyes traced every slightest movement on his face, the way in which she constantly attempted to snuggle back into his arms…

“I get it. I really do.” In the end, Irea gave up. She already bore witness to how obstinate Layn was when he set his mind to something. ‘Just like back when he started the topic of those stones…’ Recalling how annoying his persistence was back then, Irea’s lips surprisingly formed a smile.

‘But isn’t this kind of decisiveness, a good thing?’ Asking herself, Irea then shook her head before using Layn’s shoulder as a support to stand up. Once freed from the girl’s weight, Layn accepted Irea’s hand and stood up as well.

“What now, then?” Irea moved forward, resting her forehead on Layn’s chest once again. This time though, this act was completely devoid of any sexual undertone, overflowing with exhaustion and affection instead.

“We need someone to quickly build a rudimentary shrine. The simpler and cruder, the better.” Moving his eyes a bit upward, Layn pictured his idea in his mind once again. He figured out the best way to market their new treasure when he first saw the academy grounds. Filled with dirt paths and gazebos, it was free of any sort of ‘heavy’ architecture.

‘If I were to build something detached from that naturalistic atmosphere… It would do me no good.’ That was the single, stray thought that set Layn’s entire plan in motion. And now, he had to somehow build such a thing on an academy grounds, without any permission from their elders, within two hours at most!

“I know some stonemasons in the city, but you know…” Easily switching her mindset to the new topic, Irea moved her head away from Layn’s chest before rubbing her chin with her hand. “Stonemasons won’t do. The entire thing needs to be wooden.” Before the girl could finish her words, the archmage already pointed out the problem.

“Wait, wooden shrine?” Raising her beautiful, deep eyes at Layn’s face, Irea leaned her head slightly to the side in an adorable expression of confusion. “Won’t that invite people to steal the treasure from it? You know, wood is pretty easy to break.”

‘Well…’ For a moment, Layn didn’t know what to say. ‘I can’t be naive to think she would know about this point…’ Given how Irea visited the prince with him, she was bound to know that they had maybe not his support and backing, but his investment. And while a hundred grade one stones might not be a fortune for that man, it was still a rather substantial sum.

Rather than pointing out the obvious flaw in Irea’s worry, Layn suddenly sunk in his own thoughts. ‘If she still disregards the prince’s influence… This might work for far shorter than I hoped it would.’ Rather than despairing over a sudden appearance of a possible flaw in his plan, Layn ended up just shaking his shoulders and smiling.

“It doesn’t matter if someone steals it or not. To be frank, I was pretty aware this entire scheme could only last for so long.” Amongst all the things that Layn always aspired to be, a pragmatic was the main trait he aimed for. And given how he never planned to remain in this one, particular place for long, once he would set out to explore the greater world, it wouldn’t matter at all what would happen to the shrine he wanted to build.

As such, while a flaw for others, Layn was still pretty happy with how his plans progressed.

“Listen, the entire wooden and crude build is all to emphasize the name of the shrine. Rather than relying just on the Prince’s authority to shield this place from the hands of others, its myth will be actually its main defense.” Putting a wide smile on his face, Layn grabbed the treasure from the floor before hiding it in one of his pouches along with several grade-one stones.

“Myth? What do you mean by that?” Surprised by the sudden revelation, Irea brought her eyes up at the archmage whilst grabbing a coat to cover her messy clothing.

“What we are going to erect, will be a shrine of humbleness, where those willing to cultivate in peace will be rewarded with great benefits!”