[Spirit of Lust 2] Chapters 514 & 515. (Patreon)

Chapter 514: Luke, Oliver and Diana (Part 1).

“...So you see, I had this incredible idea,” Luke said, keeping his hands in front of himself as if said idea was a box he was holding. “We can’t exactly produce the elixir by the gallons, correct? It’s not a matter of raw materials needed, but the complexity of the process and what comes out of it. Even if we could, flooding the market ourselves with such a rare and desired concoction would be an awful strategy.”

I nodded along, following his train of thought. Across from us, Diana had her arms crossed and listened closely as well. She was in her work clothes since she was on a late shift.

Luke had called me to the hotel to discuss some stuff, mainly things regarding the start of the construction of the house. Before that, though, he wanted to show me the finished lounge bar, the thing Diana had been working on for the last couple of months.

It was surprisingly small when you considered the size of the restaurant. Luke said it was because the restaurant was open to everyone, not just hotel guests, while the lounge bar was only for those renting a room. You could probably only seat around 20 people at most. The rooms did have either their own bar or a mini-fridge, so if you wanted to drink something straight, you could do it there. This was a cocktail bar, a place you came to get a fancy drink and have a more relaxed experience.

The place had dark red carpet and brighter red walls, all shaded in dark purple with the soft neon lights on top. The mahogany counter was long, in itself enough to seat eight people on the tall, dark wooden stools in front of it. Behind it, bottles and bottles of liquors of different colors. Golden, red, green, brown and others clear like water.

Then there were the four cubicles along the wall across from the counter. Their entrances covered by dark curtains, they each had a table and two couches, enough for four people, maybe five.

“So… Do you expect people to…” I had asked Luke when I saw those.

“It’s for a bit of privacy, mostly,” he told me. “People come here to get intimate. I’m here to provide. Of course, sex here is prohibited. That’s what the rooms are for.”

Couldn’t help but wonder if the curtain would make the cubicle be considered a ‘closed space’ for the purposes of the Silence rune. Probably not.

“It looks really nice,” I told Diana. “And you chose everything here?”

“Mostly,” she said, tapping the mahogany counter. “This one is Luke’s own property.”

“Bought it at an auction on a whim. Finally have a good place for it.”

So basically, this was the place I’d be working at soon. Despite the relaxing vibe of the place, I felt pretty nervous at the prospect.

Anyway, as I sat beside Luke at the counter with Diana behind it, he continued telling me about his idea. “So I was thinking, how about a weaker, more affordable version of the elixir? I rejected the idea at first because purposefully making a lesser version of it would be a waste of time, effort and resources. But then I thought… What if we mixed the elixir with something else? Say, what if we made wine with it and sold it here as a house specialty?”

Diana stroked her chin. “Thus giving customers yet another reason to prefer this hotel over others. Drink a miraculous wine with strong aphrodisiac effects, then head right over to the room for an unforgettable night.” She sighed. “You really know how to squeeze every out of people, don’t you?”

Luke waved his hand with a small, proud smile. “The trick is to have them feel like it was completely worth it. That way they come back again.”

“I could’ve never thought of something like that…” I admitted with a faint chuckle.

“Better that way,” Diana told me. “Leave the shrewd business stuff to him. You keep yourself innocent.”

“Hah! Innocent,” Luke said, laughing. “If what you two are doing is anywhere near what the elixir lets me do, then I’M the pure and innocent here.”

“True,” I told him.

“Well, anyway. The production of the elixir is becoming more streamlined and the quality is improving with every new attempt. With you delivering so well on your part of the deal, Oliver, I must continue to deliver on mine as well. I give the specifications of your requests to the construction company and they’re drafting plans already. They’ll be sending them the day after tomorrow.”

“Ah. That’s…”

“Yes, I remember,” Luke smiled. “That’s prom night, isn’t it? You have a reservation for that night here.”

“I still think we should pay like everyone else…”

“Nonsense!” Luke said, lightly smacking the counter. “You, my friend, along with your girls, will enjoy the full hospitality of Pleasure Lake Hotel! And it’ll all be on me! My treat on such an important day. The room you enjoyed before? It’s waiting for you once more! Unless, of course, you’d like the whole top floor for yourselves.”

“Um…”

“Don’t, Oliver,” Diana said, shaking her head. “It’s too big. That’s for parties of around 15 people.”

“Ah, then yes, that’s too much. But thank you.”

“And you, Diana,” Luke addressed her with a very noticeable wink. “You only have one job that night. After you’re done, you’re free to join them.”

I saw Diana trying to hide a smile, which wasn’t exactly difficult for her. Really, it was mostly me sensing her good mood that gave her away. Other than that… It was pretty suspicious.

“By the way,” Diana said. “I hope this won’t be weird to you, but… Thomas and Maria have a reservation for that night here as well.”

“That’s…” We were going to the same hotel? That was… I shrugged. “Eh, whatever.”

“Ah, a friend of yours? If you’d like, I can give you all a bigger room to…”

“No, no. That’s fine,” Diana said before I could get a word in. “We’re not that kinky. I… Think?” she looked to me as if looking for confirmation.

“I don’t know, but please keep them in their own room.”

“Alright, just thought I’d extend the offer.”

Having sex in the same room as Thomas and Maria? Oddly enough, while I wasn’t into the idea, I didn’t find it as repulsive as I thought I would.

************

Chapter 515: Luke, Oliver and Diana (Part 2).

There was one more thing I wanted to talk to Luke about. For a moment I considered doing it in private, but really there was no reason to keep Diana out of it. It was only that she might feel a bit lost because… Well, it was about magic.

“H-Hey, Luke? There’s something I’d like to know, if you wouldn’t mind telling me.”

“Of course, Oliver. Anything.”

“The world of the supernatural… There are people with powers that have no relation to spirits, right?”

“Hm, that’s right. We call the energy that fuels magic ‘aether’. The theory is that humans were once able to wield aether naturally, but the ability was lost with time. Like muscles gone unused for centuries, the ability began to disappear. Sometimes, however, people are born with magical power.”

“But… isn’t that like one in a million or something like that?”

“I’m not sure of the concrete numbers, but yes,” Luke nodded. “If it remained as such, then we wouldn't have the underground society we do now. There are two things that help the spread of magic abilities. One is that ordinary people can awaken the power dormant in their souls. They CAN learn to use aether, but the process to do so is dangerous. We’re talking about direct stimulation of the soul, after all. Someone else has to do it to you, and any mistakes can lead to serious permanent injuries if not death. There ARE safer, consistent methods, but they are related to the second cause of spread. See, when aether awakens in someone, the chances of them having a child that is naturally born with it is higher. And if they aren’t born with it, awakening to it is a lot simpler. That’s how families with magic lineages either form or have continued for generations. Then, of course, there are the odd ones out, like you and me. People who have come into contact with the supernatural and can wield powers thanks to that. In our case, it’s the spirits living inside us.”

“...”

I was conflicted. I wanted to ask him directly, but I felt like I both shouldn’t inquire directly about his powers nor reveal too much about mine. But then again, going about it with roundabout questions felt as bad as lying, so…

“Has your spirit ever told you that you’re awakening your own power? Magic other than his?”

Diana remained quiet, though at this she did raise an eyebrow. Luke, on the other hand, looked thoughtful. He didn’t answer immediately, instead taking the time to think things through.

“I know the possibility is there, but it hasn’t happened to me, no,” he admitted. “My powers are, to put it simply, still reliant on Danglars.”

“I see… Thank you.” It wasn’t hard to imagine how important of a revelation this was. Luke had enemies, and if they knew they could take away his powers if they got rid of Danglars, their source… Not that I knew if such a thing was possible, but it still felt like sensitive information. And on that note… “Frey says I might be awakening to my own. I’ve been… feeling strange lately. It’s like… that hunger we talked about, but even more intense. She says part of it is because my awakening was influenced by the nature of her own magic, so…”

Luke nodded. “So you’re awakening to sex attuned aether instead of what would normally be neutral in nature. Your aether and Frey’s are clashing and… No, clashing is the wrong word. There’s no opposition here. It’s… an overflow. Yes. Okay, I think I understand. But… it’s odd. In theory, you should be okay if you use your power and fulfill your desires. You’ve been working with us on the elixir, so you HAVE been using magic. That just leaves the matter of desires. Is there something you want that you can’t have?”

“Oh.” Dianna muttered in realization.

“‘Oh’? What’s with the ‘oh’?” Luke asked as I felt my own cheeks burning.

“Um… Will he be okay if he stays like that for a couple of days or will he suffer and get worse?” Diana asked.

“Hm? Considering his current condition, he should be fine,” Luke said. “He seems like he’s holding out well enough, and if his aether was getting out of control or something, I’d sense it. That said, I wouldn’t recommend holding onto that for too long, but…”

“I’ll be fine,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s not a big deal. I just… figured I’d ask, since you know a lot more about this stuff than I do.”

“I do know more about this than you, and it is a big deal,” Luke said, his smile growing. “Oliver, if you’re awakening to aether of the same nature as the spirit inside you, there’s a chance you could grow incredibly powerful. Things once impossible could now be within reach.”

“…” That was in line with what Frey said before. Still, it differed in something important. “I… I don’t want to grow all powerful or something like that. I really don’t think I’m fit for all this supernatural stuff, and if I get as powerful as you, I bet I’ll also be making enemies.”

Luke frowned. “That’s… not impossible.”

“That said, I do want to grow stronger, at least a bit. Frey enjoys theorizing about magic and developing spells. Usually what she makes is something we can… play around with.” Diana blushed and turned away. “If growing stronger gives Frey more options, then I’ll do it, but I want to keep it at that.”

Diana smiled at me while Luke sighed with a resigned smile. “Seems like a waste to me, but it’s also possibly the smartest choice anyone with powers can make, and not one many do.”

“So… You wouldn’t know how to train to get the hang of this, would you?” I asked him.

“Not at all,” Luke said with a shrug.

“Oh, really?” Diana asked him, arms crossed. “I thought you knew a lot about magic.”

“I do, but need I remind you that I spent five years looking for someone with powers like his? The nature of his aether is exceedingly rare. I wouldn’t know where to start on training something as complex as that. Besides, he already has the best teacher he could ask for, doesn’t he? A real succubus in his head, the undisputed masters of sexual energy.”

Diana sighed. “All of these magic terms make my head spin…”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up,” I told her.

“Relax, I’m just complaining for the sake of it. Just… Tell us if it gets too unbearable, okay? The point was never to make you suffer.”

I chuckled. “Hey, we’re 2 days away from prom. Might as well see it through.”

“Seriously, what IS it that has you this way?”

I groaned. “I haven’t had sex, Luke!” I told him bluntly.

“O-Oh…” He frowned. confused. “But WHY!?”

It was my turn to sigh.