Clive sat alone on the bed of the private room of the Great Village Hall, the early morning light barely seeping through the small, high-set window. He had made sure to not get the attention of Chief Nava or Prince Marcus as he sneaked into the Hall. The room had an air of seclusion, tucked away from the rest of the village, its stone walls thick and cold. The single window provided little light, casting long shadows that seemed to cling to the corners. The heavy wooden door remained closed, muffling any sounds from the outside, making the room feel even more isolated. The room was also located on the upmost floor, where it is almost barren.
Suddenly, the door creaked open, breaking the quiet. Clive turned his head, expecting some kind of meeting or instruction. His eyes widened in shock as Tipha stepped inside. She wasn't wearing her usual adventuring gown and witch hat. Instead, she stood there in her underwear—black lace that hugged her body in a way that left little to the imagination. Her hair was slightly tousled, her violet eyes catching the dim morning light. Clive's heart skipped a beat, his face flushing red as his brain tried to process what he was seeing.
"M-MISS TIPHA??!" Clive stammered, quickly averting his gaze, his hands instinctively gripping the edges of the bed.
Tipha, seemingly unfazed by his reaction, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? You said you would help me with the ritual, didn't you?"
Clive's cheeks burned even hotter. "N-no w-wait...!"
"We need to do it quickly before Chief Nava finds out." Tipha walked further into the room, her movements as graceful as ever, despite her current lack of attire. She paused, tilting her head. "You also need to strip for the Ritual, seventh prince."
Clive's eyes darted around, trying to focus on anything but her. "W-WHAT!? ME? Uhh, I-I M-Miss…."
Tipha let out a soft chuckle, amused by his flustered state. "I'll keep my back turned, don't worry." She then made her way over to the bed, and looked away. Clive hurried over to the far corner of the room. His hands fumbled while taking off the outfit that Arianna had bought him yesterday, quickly pulling them off until he was down to just his underwear. As he turned around, he was shocked to see that Tipha was now on all fours on top of the bed. "Are you ready?" she said, looking back at Clive.
"Y-Yes…" Clive gulped. Instinctively, he climbed up onto the bed and stood behind Tipha, her ass directly in front of him. He grabbed the sides of Tipha's waist, making her shiver a bit. Instead of doing what she thought was going to happen, Clive pushed himself on top of Tipha's back, sitting on her as if she was a horse. His legs dangled from her sides, as he bounced to secure his position. The warmth of her skin against his was both thrilling and terrifying. To him, this seemed like the most logical thing to do.
"Seventh Prince?" said a defeated Tipha, "I don't think that—"
Suddenly Clive's attention was suddenly drawn to the emblem on his wrist, which began to glow with an intense purple hue. The light pulsed rhythmically, as synching with Tipha's heartbeat.
"Ahn~" Tipha yelled and bent forward, forcing her face into a pillow. Clive hopped off Tipha at her erratic movement, and stared at his bodyguard from afar. Tipha arched her back, her ass now in the air for the taking as she felt the surge of magical energy envelop her. "Oh my gods~"
"M-Miss Tipha?!" Clive said, trembling. Tipha's body then started to shimmer with a surreal, otherworldly light. Her skin darkened, transforming from her usual pale hue into a rich, milky brown tone. Her hair, once a lustrous gold, darkened to a striking jet black. It flowed down her back like a silken curtain, catching the light and reflecting it with an almost iridescent sheen. The change was not just in color but in texture, with each strand taking on a glossy, sleek quality.
"Yes! Yes! YESH~" Tipha moaned, sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes. Clive never thought he would see someone as serious as Tipha make a face like that. Runic tattoos began to appear across her body. They started at her arms and thighs, intricate patterns glowing with a faint purple light. The runes were ancient and elaborate, curling around her limbs and thighs, accentuating the new, darker look. Her body trembled with each appearance. "D-don't stoooop!" She panted as she curled her toes.
At the same time, the emblem on Clive's wrist began to glow with an intensified, pulsating light, its purple hue deepening and spreading. He fell to his knees, grabbing his wrist in pain. Intricate runic text emerged near the Oshoen emblem, written in a strange ancient script. The runes were delicate and interwoven, their lines forming a network of symbols that wrapped around the emblem and his wrist. The symbols were detailed, but none of them looked similar to ones of Tipha's body.
"OWW!" Clive yeleld, fighting the pain on his rift. He then felt some force, compelling him to touch Tipha's body. With great effort he stood back to his feet and put his hand in front of him. He trudged towards Tipha with the best of his ability, even though it felt like something was pushing him away. At last, he made it, and placed his hand on Tipha's thigh.
"Ahn!" Tipha yelled upon the touch. Both the runes on her body and on Clive's wrist glowed a bright violet for a second...until they slowly dimmed down.
"Ohhhh it feels so good!" Tipha sighed as the runes reverted back to a normal tone. Both Tipha and Clive panted as they reeled back from the ritual.
"Miss Tipha…" Clive muttered, seeing the dark elf on the bed. "Is that really you?"
"S-Seventh prince, I see you are well." panted, a tired Tipha. She slowly got up and took a seat on the bed. Tipha's gaze slowly shifted downward, taking in the profound changes that had overtaken her body. Her new dark skin seemed to glow with an ethereal light, accentuating the intricate runic tattoos that had appeared on her arms and thighs. She ran her fingers over the runes etched into her skin and played with her now glossy black hair. "What…"
"Miss TIpha?" Clive asked. "I-Is anything wrong?"
She shifted her stance slightly, feeling the newfound grace and power in her movements. Her body felt different, as if it was more potent and agile. The curve of her hips and the strength in her legs were enhanced. Not only that, the mana inside of her felt as if it was about to burst out at any minute. "I feel…stronger…" she whispered. "The ritual…worked?"
"It did! Miss Tipha it—ACK!" With a mix of excitement and relief, Tipha enveloped him in a tight embrace without warning. She wrapped her arms around his back pulling him close to her body.
"Thank you," She sighed, "You have my gratitude, Prince Clive!"
Clive smiled, seeing as this is one of the few times that Tipha had called him by his name. "I am but a prince of Oshoen, after all."
Pulling back, Tipha ruffled his hair after seeing his wide smile. "I suppose the intricacies of this ritual turned me into a dark elf, but that doesn't matter."
"It doesn't?" Clive asked, "Wasn't the ritual supposed to transform you into a greater elf?"
"It's fine. I definitely have more mana than before." Tipha said, looking at her body. "With these runes, I suppose I do not need my grimoire anymore either. Being your bodyguard is much easier now!" Hearing this, Clive felt nothing but triumph. He had saved the one he trusts from being defiled by his older brother. Yet another problem solved by his humble actions, which is exactly how a future king should act like.
Suddenly, he felt Tipha grabbing his hand and inspected it. At this moment, Clive finally noticed the runes on his hand. "My hand?! What happened to my hand?!"
"Is this a side effect of the ritual?" Tipha said in awe, "I have never seen anything like this before…"
"Is it bad?"
"No…These are the ancient runic scriptures for Illusion magic." Tipha then looked Clive intently into his eyes. "Seventh Prince, you can use Illusion Magic!"
"M-me?!" Clive said, taken aback.
"Yes!" Tipha said excitedly, "This is perfect! I can teach you how—"
BOOM!
The two then heard a large crash from the lower floors of the Great Village Hall. Tipha immediately stood up to head out the door. "That shall wait until later. Change, we must hurry!"