Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

Bokuboy

I ran the exam time out as I copied over the final answer onto my extra exam paper.

“Time's up!” Pavinca said loudly. Everyone stopped writing except for me. “Lord Drake, that means you as well.”

“This isn't my class exam. I finished that three hours ago.” I said and wrote out the final result.

Complete silence met my answer, except for a short giggle from the desk beside me.

“Done.” I said and flipped the second and much larger stack of exam papers over on top of the first. “I'm sure a lot of it is wrong, since I had no idea what a lot of the word problems were asking me to do.” I said as Pavinca slowly walked over to me. “I wrote out the problems first to see what was wanted in them, which made it take twice as long as normal.”

“Lord Drake, did you... did you really complete...”

I held up my extra scrap papers that looked like they were full of formulas and equations. “I even circled each part of the word problems to show where I came up with the numerical values for the problems, just so you'll know where I was coming from.”

Pavinca picked up the thick stack of papers and her eyes widened as she saw the spaces between the word problems were full of calculations. “You really did do it all.”

“I might even pass it, if your words about just doing the work counts.” I said with a smile. “I had to guess on some of them what the problems actually wanted me to solve. Those were tricky.”

“I... I'm sure that...” Pavinca flipped through the pages and her eyes scanned over everything. “Lord Drake...”

“Here's the real exam.” I said and pointed to the smaller stack. “That one was easy. No trick questions or wording that doubled back on itself or repeated the same functions.”

Pavinca tucked the thick stack of papers under her arm and picked up my actual class exam. She didn't have to flip through it to see that it was just as detailed as the much harder exam was. “How...”

“I didn't have to work it out for long or had to copy it over.” I said with a shrug as I tucked my scrap papers into my bandoleer. “You wouldn't believe the calculations needed to run a ship, rig the sails properly, adjust the ballast and balance of the hull, and then figure out where to put the cargo for the best efficiency for stacking, ship speed, and unloading.”

Pavinca stood there and stared at me for several long moments, then she took a deep breath and let it out. She didn't comment as she turned around and walked back to the desk to drop off both of my papers. She put them in separate places, I assume to keep from mixing them up, as if that was possible.

After that, Pavinca went around to everyone's desk and collected their papers before going back to the desk and added them to my normal exam. “We will have your results sometime during the next week. Anyone that believes that they need them before then, you're wrong. There's almost no job that requires math results so quickly.”

A young man's hand shot up into the air.

“No, family requirements don't count this time. They can wait for the full report card at the end of next week.” Pavinca said and the hand dropped almost as quickly as it was raised. “Be back here after lunch for your History and Geography exam.”

We all stood as one and Gella slipped by my side as we filed out of the room. A lot of the students were giving me odd looks. As usual, I ignored them and Gella held her laugh in until we were outside and had some modicum of privacy.

“Ha ha ha! Did you see their faces after what you said?” Gella asked and kept looking around discreetly for threats. “I almost burst out laughing right there!”

I couldn't stop my smile.

“You did it on purpose!” Gella accused when she saw my smile. “Well done, my lord! Well done.”

I didn't say anything and she kept laughing under her breath as we went to the cafeteria. We weren't surprised to see Jinelle and Robin sitting at our table and they also had the food and wine ready for us.

“I'm not going to ask how you are getting here before us.” Gella said as I sat her down like a lady.

“A woman needs to keep some secrets.” Jinelle said with a sly smile and gave me a pointed look.

“We're going back to the Sanctuary after the exam this afternoon, so our dorm room will be empty.” I said and she looked a little sad. “I believe Linette will be coming over tomorrow for lunch to pick up the next shipment of healing, general health, and wound cleaning potions.”

Jinelle's face lit up with a huge smile. “That is very nice to hear, Lord Drake.”

Gella covered her mouth to stop her laugh and coughed instead.

Robin didn't bother and chuckled softly before she took a sip of wine. “How are the potions stocks coming along, by the way?”

“We're almost done having enough ready for general sale.” Gella said, answering before I could. “It's going to be a huge boon to our resources and to everyone that we're allowed to sell to in the kingdom.”

That made Robin and Jinelle perk up and they both gave me questioning looks.

“The Mages Guild cut off a lot of untrustworthy sellers and suppliers when they tried to take over, essentially starving them out of business.” I said and started to eat. “I need to visit the castle first thing tomorrow morning to see if I can get a list of the businesses that the guild trusted afterwards.”

“You're going to do the same thing.” Jinelle whispered, worry clear on her face.

Gella caught on right away. “Please don't tell us...”

Jinelle sighed. “My grandmother needed certain ingredients that only the guild provided.”

I shook my head. “I should have known that she would do that, considering how vain she is about her appearance.”

“Lord Drake, please.” Jinelle said, her voice pleading. “Don't cut her off without talking to her first.”

I remembered my promise about fixing things for her and had to nod. “I'll tell her after making sure that you're taken care of.”

“That's not what I had in mind for a compromise.” Jinelle said with a sigh.

“I know.” I said.

Conversation died out after that and we ate the rest of the meal in silence. No one asked about the exams Gella and I just took, which meant that they would find out later about what happened, or not at all.

Gella and I went back to our testing auditorium and resumed our seats. Mage Victoria King was there, dressed impeccably, and she looked both stunning and depressed. When her eyes locked onto mine, she flinched. I didn't need to ask her about it to know that her husband was back. The question was if he was at her teacher's apartment here on the academy campus or back at their small manor house.

“Now that everyone is seated, I can explain what this exam will be like. It's in two parts. The first part is the history of the kingdom and it relatively long. The second half is shorter and concerns the geography of the kingdom and any notable features in other places.”

Gella gave me a smirking smile, because that was exactly what we had discussed last night.

“I will deliver your papers when appropriate and you will not talk or discuss anything with anyone, not even myself when I deliver the geography section.” Victoria said and delivered the history exam to all the desks, placing them face down.

When she reached the front of the room, she pointed to the clock.

“You have three and a half hours for this section, maximum. That leaves an hour and a half for the geography section. You can finish either at any time and I will come to you and switch the exams or just take them at your request. You can leave after that, so you won't be a constant distraction by just sitting there for hours.”

I smiled slightly at that comment, because I did do that for the first few exams. Also, if I leave early, I can check her apartment and see if her guilty husband would be there. I glanced over to Gella and she nodded slightly, so she knew what I intended to do.

“You may begin.” Victoria King said and we all flipped our papers over.

When was the Gulf Kingdom first formed into a monarchy? I read on the paper and chuckled as I easily filled in the date and then added in a notation that it was a democracy for sixty years before that and almost came to ruin from mismanagement. I laughed softly as I easily continued on and kept adding in extra notes that were relevant to each of the shorter answers, just because I could.

After two hours and a few more notes on previous questions, I raised my hand. Victoria came right over to me and bent over to rest her elbows on my desk, essentially blocking me from view of three quarters of the auditorium. I was slightly disappointed that she was giving the rest of the room a view of her backside, then noticed she wore a very heavy and thick skirt under her mage robes.

My eyes roamed back up, catching a very large view of her cleavage that couldn't be seen at all if she stood up, then my eyes locked onto hers. “I'm done of the history section.” I whispered to her, as if we were in bed together and I was sharing a deep and personal secret with her. It was a little trick that I picked up from Eludora. She absolutely loved it when I spoke like that and I had used it quite a few times the previous day on her.

Victoria's face flushed to a deep red. “L-L-Lord D-Drake.” She whispered back. She didn't try to cover up her chest, even though she knew I could clearly see most of her breasts. “May I... see it?”

I let my smile show at her flirting back at me and I slipped my hand below the desk.

Victoria caught her breath at the blatant move, then I used my other hand and passed her the exam papers. Her eyes roamed over me, like mine had over her when she first leaned over, then she looked at the exam papers. Her eyes widened at the first answer that I had left and written in the space between it and the next question. She looked at me with surprise on her face.

“May I have the next part, Victoria?” I asked in a breathy whisper.

Victoria closed her eyes and stood up, her breasts now concealed from view. She opened her robes slightly to briefly show me that her nipples were poking out, then she adjusted her robes and took my history exam papers to the desk and came back with the geography one.

“I hope you are not always this quick.” Victoria whispered as she placed the exam papers face down on the desk.

I raised my eyebrows at the sexual implication, then smiled as I wiggled my finger to get her to lean over again.

She looked like she was going to refuse, then she shrugged slightly and bent over to resume her blocking position.

“I spent about four hours with Eludora yesterday and she didn't complain about me taking my time.” I whispered.

Victoria's mouth dropped open and she seemed to have stopped breathing. I pat her hand on my desk and gave her a jolt of magic, which shook her out of her shock. She gave me a very odd look, one that I couldn't decipher. She stood up and went back to her desk without saying anything. She also didn't do anything at her desk except stare at me. She didn't read my exam over, she didn't look around for anyone cheating, and she didn't bother to monitor people talking and whispering.

I went to work on my geography exam and it was even simpler than the history one. So, I did the same thing as I did with the history one. I embellished and added in facts and figures that the normal answer didn't really need past the basic answer. It was just extra trivia for anyone that was well read in the subject and for me to show off.

Someone put up their hand at the same time I did. Victoria didn't react at all.

Pavinca had to come out of her hidden corner to essentially wake the woman up. “I'll get Lord Drake's and you get the other one.”

“Y-yes, Director.” Victoria said, her face flushed red from embarrassment. She walked quickly over to the student and exchanged papers without a word and then went back to the desk.

“You can't help but cause trouble, can you?” Pavinca asked me in a whisper.

“Did you hear what we discussed?” I asked and handed her the geography exam papers.

Pavinca opened her mouth to respond and then closed it.

“It's not a secret.” I said and she sighed and motioned for me to speak. “Yes, I really did stay with Eludora for quite some time yesterday.”

“David, you... you really shouldn't. She... she's been obsessed with you...”

“I know.” I said and she looked surprised. “She also can't move on if she keeps her feelings and desires contained.”

“David, that's not how love works.” Pavinca said.

“Of course not. She locked herself in the library since her rehabilitation started and she barely leaves the place, even though she easily can now.” I said and she sighed. “I'll send her an invite to visit the Sanctuary on Sunday. If she refuses, we'll know it will take more than that to get her to start living her life. If she does accept...”

“...she'll start seeing that there's more to life than just you and the library.” Pavinca said. “All right. I won't forbid you from having a relationship with her on academy grounds.”

I chuckled and stood up. “I helped His Royal Highness King Richard get the Royal Companion pregnant on academy grounds, Director. I sincerely doubt that you could stop me from seeing anyone on campus, let alone anyone on the staff.”

Pavinca looked slightly angry about that, until I touched her arm and shared my magic with her.

“I wasn't challenging your authority over the academy. I was informing you that you don't have the authority to tell consenting adults who they can and can't have sex with.” I said and let her go.

Pavinca looked surprised that she could still feel my magic as I walked away. “Lord Drake.”

“Yes?” I asked and looked back at her as I walked on.

“How are you doing that?” Pavinca asked and lightly touched her still tingling arm.

“I discovered that I don't have to keep touching people to be able to do that.” I said with a smile and then pulled my magic back with a jerk, taking the extra warmth with it.

Pavinca shivered and clutched her arm tightly. “You... are a dangerous man.”

“In more ways than anyone could ever suspect.” I said and closed the auditorium door behind myself as I left. I thought about visiting the library again, then shrugged. I promised her most of the day on Tuesday for the construction practical, so showing up before then might mess up whatever she was doing.

I ran over to the teacher's apartment building on the campus and quickly checked Mage King's residence. Unfortunately, her husband was not there or had been for quite some time, which meant he must be at their home. I would have to wait until tomorrow night to check and see.

I went back to my dorm room and heard a squeal of delight as I opened the door. A moment later, I was dragged inside by an excited Hanna. “Do I want to ask?”

Jill laughed and Farra had a huge smile on her face. They knew something was going to happen.

“They're completely full again!” Hanna said and pulled off her top to show off her reformed breasts. “Look! They're even pointed in the right direction!”

I knelt in front of her to get a closer look. “You're right. Even during the bath last night, they were still slightly oblong.”

“I KNOW!” Hanna said and grabbed my head and pulled my face into her chest. “They feel right, too!”

I mumbled congratulations into Hanna's perky flesh and that set Jill and Farra to laughing.

“Thank you!” Hanna said, then she turned her torso slightly and one of her erect nipples went into my mouth. “MMMM!”

“You do realize that you are supposed to be the personal slave, right?” Jill asked Hanna.

“Not right now!” Hanna exclaimed and then moaned as I suckled on her. “Ohhhh... more, my lord! More!”

I complied, much to her delight. It seemed that she was extremely happy to have her chest restored to what it was before she had been starved and converted into a slave. We ended up in bed together and she was very happy about that, especially when I was done and she swallowed it all with a huge smile on her face. She was suddenly sleepy and tried to fight against it.

“You need a bath!” Jill said to her, then fed her a general health potion to keep her energy up.

Farra carried Hanna into the bathroom and I followed, because I needed to be clean for when the carriage came for us to take us back to the Sanctuary. I had work to get back to.