Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!-Chapter 40: The Prodigious Nim, Part Nine

{Melisa}

As they entered Armia’s room, Melisa gasped softly.

[This is...] She raised a brow. [Not what I was expecting.]

Pink.

That was all she could see, all around her. She’d stepped into a pink and fluffy abyss, with plush pillows, a carpeted floor, and stuffed animals scattered across the room.

Melisa looked up at the woman and then back at everything around her.

[Is this really Armia’s room?] Melisa thought. [She didn’t accidentally take me to her little sister’s room, or something, did she?]

There was one thing that hinted at this actually being Armia’s room, and that was how everything in the room was oversized. From the enormous bed to the floor-length mirror and the spacious closet.

It made sense, given Armia’s towering stature, but it only added to the surreal feeling of being in such a... unexpectedly feminine space.

Armia cleared her throat, drawing Melisa’s attention back to her.

"Let’s sit down and get to work," she said, gesturing to the bed.

Melisa nodded, gingerly taking a seat on the plush comforter. She sank into the soft mattress and yelped, fearing she was going to hit the floor with how soft it was.

[Ohhhh fuck, this is comfy.]

"So," Armia began, settling down beside her, "I think our first step should be to do some research on the spell creation process. We need to make sure we understand the fundamentals before we start brainstorming ideas."

Melisa perked up, a smile spreading across her face.

"Oh, I’m actually pretty familiar with the process already," she said eagerly. "I’ve even made a few spells of my own before."

Armia blinked, staring at Melisa in disbelief.

"What?"

For a moment, they just looked at each other.

"I-It’s true," Melisa insisted, her tail swishing behind her. "It’s not that hard. Once I figured out how it worked my curiosity got the better of me now and then and... Yeah, I’ve made some spells.

"B..."

Armia opened her mouth, looking like she was about to say something along the lines of "bullsh-", but she caught herself.

"I find that... difficult to believe," she said instead, her tone more measured. "Spell creation is a complex and delicate art. It takes years of study and practice to master."

Just as Melisa was about to respond, a knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

Armia sighed, rising from the bed.

"That’ll be Darien, to be certain," she muttered. "Wait here, I’ll deal with him."

She strode out of the room, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Left alone, Melisa’s curiosity got the better of her.

She stood, her eyes drawn to Armia’s closet. Something colorful was peeking out from behind the partially closed door, and Melisa couldn’t resist the urge to investigate.

Carefully, she pulled the door open, her eyes widening at the sight that greeted her.

[Holy shit...]

Armia’s closet was filled with the most feminine clothing Melisa had ever seen.

Delicate dresses, flowing skirts, and soft, silky blouses in every shade of pink and gold imaginable. Though, off to the side, were a few trousers and shirts that looked like stuff that could fit Armia’s demeanor more, in Melisa’s opinion.

[Wow,] Melisa thought, reaching out to touch a particularly beautiful sundress. [I never would have guessed Armia had a side like this.]

The sound of the door opening made Melisa jump, and she quickly shut the closet, spinning around to face Armia.

The darian girl raised an eyebrow, her eyes flicking from Melisa to the closet and back again.

"Find anything interesting?" she asked with a subtle glare.

Melisa flushed, her cheeks burning with embarrassment at being caught snooping.

"I... I’m sorry," she stammered, "I didn’t mean to pry. I just saw something and I got curious and..."

She trailed off, biting her lip as she waited for Armia’s reaction.

Armia sighed.

"It’s fine," she said, though her tone suggested it was anything but. "Let’s just... focus on the project, okay?"

Melisa nodded eagerly, relieved to have been let off the hook so easily.

"Right, of course."

---

{Armia}

Armia sighed, her tail, a lot bigger and thicker than Melisa’s, swishing behind her as she tried to push aside her annoyance at Melisa’s snooping.

Curiosity got the better of her as she thought of Melisa’s earlier comment and she said:

"So..." Armia settled back down on the bed, "what exactly did you mean when you said you’ve created spells before?"

Melisa’s eyes lit up, and she sat down next to Armia, her earlier embarrassment seemingly forgotten in a flash.

"Yes! Yes, yes. Well, you see," she began, her hands gesturing animatedly as she spoke, "incantations and spellsigns all follow certain patterns. These patterns can be divided into different categories based on their effects and the type of magic they draw from. Activators, modifiers, and so on."

Armia raised an eyebrow but remained silent, allowing Melisa to continue.

"By mixing and matching these categories in specific ways," Melisa explained, "you can create entirely new spells with unique effects. It’s all about understanding the underlying structure and how the different components interact with each other."

Armia couldn’t help but be intrigued by Melisa’s explanation, even as a part of her remained skeptical.

It sounded plausible in theory, but when she’d been training, preparing for the academy, her instructors had been adamant about how spell crafting was a long, complicated process. Something many took years to master and others never did.

She just couldn’t believe this. But, well, there was no harm in entertaining it, she supposed.

"Alright," she said, deciding to humor Melisa for the moment, "why don’t you show me one of these spells you’ve supposedly created?"

Melisa grinned, bouncing slightly on the bed in her excitement.

"Sure! Watch this."

She held out her hand, palm facing upward, and spoke in a clear, confident voice:

"Glacies, radix, crescere!"

A soft blue glow emanated from her palm, and Armia watched in astonishment as a small, icy plant sprouted from the floor in front of them.

[What?]

Its delicate, crystalline leaves glittered in the light, and a thin layer of frost coated the carpet around it.

Armia instinctively pulled back, her eyes wide with surprise.

She had never seen a spell quite like this before, and the ease with which Melisa had cast it was impressive.

But she quickly schooled her features, not wanting to give Melisa the satisfaction of seeing her amazement.

"That’s... interesting," she said, her tone carefully neutral. "But I have no way of knowing if you actually created that spell yourself or if you simply learned it from someone else."

Melisa’s smile faltered slightly, but she didn’t back down.

"I understand your skepticism," she said, "but I really did create that spell on my own. I can prove it to you."

Armia raised an eyebrow, a challenge in her eyes.

"Oh? And how do you propose to do that?"

"By creating a new spell, right here, right now," Melisa said, her voice filled with determination. "You can watch me go through the entire process, from start to finish. That way, you’ll know for certain that it’s my own work."

Armia blinked, taken aback by Melisa’s boldness.

She had expected the nim girl to back down, to admit that she had been exaggerating her abilities. But instead, Melisa went and proposed this test herself?

"Very well," Armia said, trying to mask her surprise with a nonchalant shrug. "If you think you can do it, then by all means, go ahead."

"Okay," Melisa clapped her hands. "Give me three spellsigns and the incantations that go with them. In writing, preferably."

Armia rummaged through her desk, pulling out a few sheets of parchment.

She quickly jotted down three of her favorite Water spells, along with their corresponding incantations and spellsigns. They were relatively simple spells, nothing too impressive, but she figured they would suffice for Melisa’s little demonstration.

"Here," she said, handing the parchment to Melisa. "These should do."

Melisa took the sheets eagerly, her eyes scanning over the information. Without a word, she grabbed a quill and some blank parchment and set to work, her hand flying across the page as she began to write and sketch.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Armia leaned over Melisa’s shoulder, trying to make sense of what the nim girl was doing. But as she watched Melisa work, she found herself completely lost.

The spellsigns looked like nothing more than random squiggles and lines to her, and the incantations Melisa was scribbling down seemed like utter gibberish.

[How in the world is this supposed to create a spell?] Armia thought, her brow furrowing in confusion.

As if sensing Armia’s intense gaze, Melisa glanced up, with a little smile.

Armia flinched.

Melisa reached up, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her pointed ear, her red eyes sparkling as she took them back to the parchment on her lap.

Armia felt her breath catch in her throat, and she quickly leaned back, putting some distance between herself and Melisa.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she couldn’t quite understand why.

[What is wrong with me?]

It was then that she noticed Melisa’s scent. A subtle, sweet fragrance that reminded Armia of wildflowers and fresh spring rain.

It was intoxicating, and Armia found herself fighting the urge to lean in closer, to breathe in more of that alluring aroma.

Shaking her head, Armia forced herself to focus on the task at hand.

Melisa was still working diligently, her tongue poking out slightly as she concentrated on her writing.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a few minutes, Melisa set down her quill and looked up at Armia, a triumphant grin on her face.

"Done," she announced, holding up the parchment for Armia to see.

Armia took the sheet, her eyes widening as she took in the intricate spellsign and the words beneath it. Yep, she could confidently say she had no idea what this spell was or what it would do, if it could even work.

Melisa stood, taking a deep breath as she prepared to cast the spell. Armia found herself holding her own breath, her heart racing with anticipation.

"Aqua, lux, et ventus!"

As the final word left her lips, a brilliant blue light appeared in Melisa’s outstretched hand.

As the soft blue glow illuminated Melisa’s face, Armia found herself completely captivated.

"If my theory is correct," Melisa began, her voice soft, "this spell should function similarly to the Illuminate spell. Well, it’s... it’s basically the same, but through Water magic."

Armia just stared at the shimmering orb, her mind struggling to comprehend what she was witnessing. A spell, crafted from scratch, right before her very eyes.

How!?

"I know it might seem a bit redundant, given that the Illuminate spell already exists. But different mages have different elemental affinities," Melisa shrugged. "Having a variation of the spell that draws upon a different school of magic could prove valuable for those who struggle with the traditional version, you know?"

Armia barely registered Melisa’s words, her attention still fixated on the mesmerizing glow.

[She actually did it,] Armia thought, a mixture of awe and disbelief swirling within her. [She created a new spell, just like that. I... But...]

Slowly, Armia tore her gaze away from the spell and looked at Melisa.

Really looked at her, for the first time, maybe. Gone was the timid, unassuming nim girl she had thought Melisa to be. In her place stood a confident, brilliant young woman, looking absolutely proud of herself.

[I’ve underestimated her,] Armia realized, a newfound respect blossoming in her chest. [All this time, I thought she was just some random nim, someone I’d have to carry through this project. But now...]

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Armia’s heart raced as a sudden thought struck her.

[She’s not just my partner,] Armia thought, a chill running down her spine. [She’s the one. My rival. My #1 enemy.]