Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!-Chapter 127: Junior Sorceress Melisa Blackflame, Part Thirteen

{Melisa}

"Aqua, virtute, surge!" Melisa chanted, her wand moving through the air as she focused on the spell.

A jet of water burst forth from her fingertips, shooting across the training ground with incredible force. It slammed into the target dummy, sending it flying backward and breaking it into four big pieces.

[Holy shit, that was awesome!] Melisa thought, a grin spreading across her face.

The spells Zephyra had been teaching her were genuinely on a whole other level. Sure, the spellsigns were a little hard to learn, but after a few minutes of looking at them, Melisa basically had them burned into her memory.

Maybe that was why Zephyra’s eyes were slightly narrowed, her posture inclined as she leaned in just a little.

"Excellent work, Melisa," Zephyra said, her voice warm with approval. "Your ability to memorize new spells is... borderline frightening if I’m being honest. By the way, what is that thing you’re using?"

"This?" Melisa raised her stick. "It’s a wand."

"A... wand?"

"Yep. Basically, it’s a stick you can use to cast spells with. A friend of mine invented it."

Zephyra nodded twice.

"What’s the point?"

"Well," Melisa began to twirl it in her hand, "increased stability, mostly. I haven’t had a misfire yet using this thing. And, this part is just a theory but, if we could make this out of some sort of magical material, my friend thinks it might end up boosting the potency of spells too."

Zephyra’s brows shot up.

"That does sound impressive. Perhaps your friend could procure one for me? I have half a mind to try one of these out myself."

"I’ll ask her about it!"

With that being said, Melisa kept practicing and Zephyra kept showering her in compliments.

Melisa turned to face her mentor, basking in the praise. But then she noticed the faraway look in Zephyra’s eyes, the hint of nostalgia tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"What’s up?" Melisa asked, cocking her head to the side. "You, uh, look like you’re taking a little trip down memory lane there."

Zephyra chuckled, shaking her head ruefully.

"You caught me," she admitted, her gaze still distant. "Watching you practice just now... it reminded me of my own training, back when I was your age."

Melisa perked up at that.

"Oh yeah? I bet you were a total badass, even back then. Who was your teacher? Some ancient, wise master who lived on a mountain top and spoke in riddles?"

Zephyra laughed, the sound rich and throaty.

"No, nothing quite so dramatic," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I was self-taught, actually. I had to be."

Melisa’s eyes widened, her mouth dropping open in shock.

"Wait, seriously? You learned all this..." she gestured around at the training ground, the scorch marks and shattered dummies, "...on your own?"

Zephyra nodded, a hint of pride in her voice.

"I did. It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. I had to scrounge for every scrap of knowledge I could find. But I was determined to master my craft, to become the best sorceress I could be."

She paused, her expression turning wistful.

"I grew up in a small village, you see. My parents were farmers, simple folk who didn’t understand my love of magic. They thought it was a waste of time, that I should focus on more practical things like tending the crops or finding a husband."

Melisa made a face at that, and Zephyra chuckled.

"I know, I know. Not exactly the most enlightened of worldviews. But I refused to let their narrow-mindedness hold me back. I knew I was meant for something more, something greater than a life of drudgery and conformity... Or, at least that was what I wanted to believe."

Melisa nodded, her heart swelling with some sudden admiration for the older woman.

She couldn’t imagine having the kind of drive and determination it must have taken to strike out on one’s own like that, to defy everyone’s expectations and carve your own path.

[... Well, in a way, I guess I’m figuring it out right now, huh?]

Zephyra was about to say something else when a sharp knock at the door interrupted her.

"Enter," she called, her voice crisp and authoritative.

A palace guard stepped into the room, bowing low before the two women.

"Forgive the intrusion, Lady Vortell," he said, his voice gruff. "But His Majesty has requested Miss Blackflame’s presence in the throne room."

Melisa’s stomach did a little flip-flop at that.

The king wanted to see her?

Now?

Zephyra just nodded, her expression calm and unruffled.

"Of course," she said, turning to Melisa with a reassuring smile. "You’d better not keep His Majesty waiting, my dear. I’ll be here when you’re finished."

Melisa swallowed hard, trying to quell the butterflies in her stomach.

"Right. Yeah. Okay. I’ll just... go see what he wants, I guess."

She squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

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[Alright, Mel, you’ve got this. You’ve got this.]

---

Melisa walked into the throne room, trying not to let her nerves show. She’d faced down a lot of scary things in her life, but there was something about being summoned by the king that made her feel like a kid called to the principal’s office.

[Come on, Mel, keep it together.]

To her surprise, the king was alone, no guards or courtiers in sight. He smiled as she approached, his expression warm and welcoming.

"Ah, Melisa. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

Melisa bowed, remembering at the last second not to go too low. The last thing she needed was to flash the monarch.

"Of course, Your Majesty. How can I be of service?"

The king chuckled, rising from his throne and descending the steps to meet her.

"Actually, I wanted to thank you. I know I sent a letter and arranged for your tutoring with Zephyra, but I never got a chance to express my gratitude in person, without a whole crowd around us."

Melisa blinked, taken aback.

"Oh, uh... it was nothing, really. I mean, I didn’t do that much..."

The king held up a hand, cutting her off.

"Nonsense. If it weren’t for your quick thinking and incredible skill, I would be dead. You saved my life, Miss Blackflame. That’s no small thing."

Melisa felt her cheeks heat at the praise, a warm glow of pride spreading through her chest.

"I... thank you, Your Majesty. I’m just glad I could help."

The king nodded, gesturing for her to walk with him. Melisa fell into step beside him, trying not to gawk at the opulent surroundings.

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"I must admit," the king said, his voice turning serious, "I’m still troubled by the events of that night. The fact that someone was able to get close enough to poison me, and that they were able to escape..."

He trailed off, his brow furrowing.

"The queen is still free, you know. Still able to move about the palace, to interact with the court. I have no proof of her involvement, but..." He gestured vaguely.

Melisa’s eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat.

She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady.

"So... You understand, then?"

The king sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Of course I do. And, that’s the problem. I have no concrete evidence. Whatever her co-conspirators had, they made sure not to implicate her. But I know this much: she does not care about my life. Not one bit."

Melisa nodded.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The king stopped walking, turning to face her with a grave expression.

"I want you to be careful, Miss Blackflame. As you gain more recognition for your abilities, lying low will become less and less of an option. You need to start thinking about your long-term goals, about what you want to achieve in this vast world of ours."

Melisa’s mind raced, a thousand possibilities flashing through her thoughts.

"I... I don’t know," she admitted, her voice small. "I’m still, uh... Trying to establish myself first."

The king smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"That’s alright. You’re young, and you have time. But I want you to know that you have an ally in me. I won’t forget what you did. Whatever you decide to do, whatever path you choose... I will do my best to support you, within reason."

Melisa felt elation bubbling up.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she managed to choke out, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. "I... I don’t know what to say."

The king chuckled, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"You don’t need to say anything. Just promise me you’ll think about what I’ve said, and that you’ll be careful. I have a feeling that things are going to get a lot more interesting around here, and I want you to be prepared for whatever comes next."

Melisa nodded, a newfound sense of purpose settling over her like a cloak.

"I will, Your Majesty. I promise."

The king smiled, stepping back and inclining his head in a small bow.

"Good. Now, I believe you have a lesson to get back to. Don’t let me keep you any longer."

Melisa bowed in return, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Of course. Thank you again, Your Majesty. For everything."

With that, she turned and strode out of the throne room, her head held high and her heart pounding with excitement.

Of course, that excitement was tempered by one fact.

[The queen...] Melisa thought. [She’s obviously anti-nim. What’s she going to do next? I don’t know...]