An experiment? No matter what, would I experiment on my husband? I narrowed my eyes and clicked my tongue.

“Really? Here we go again.”

“It’s because you keep trying to experiment on me with dangerous magic.”

“It’s not dangerous. But we’re not ordinary people. We have more variables to consider than others.”

I’ve never attempted to teleport with another person, but if the partner for joint transfer has an enormous amount of magical power like Cedar, there’s bound to be errors with the general teleportation magic formula.

‘Just as mass distorts gravity, with that level of magical power, the entire magic formula would need to be rewritten.’

To do that, I’d need to confirm exactly how much magical power he has.

“I guess there’s no choice. To analyze your magical power, I’ll have to kiss you…”

“Are you slyly trying to steal my magical power? I refuse.”

“Ah, no! It’s just to redesign the magic formula!”

‘Of course, I also want to replenish my magical power.’

There wasn’t any particular need to use magic, but I greatly wanted to keep feeling the sensation of my empty heart being filled with magical power.

“I don’t need spatial transfer magic. I’m not in a hurry to go back.”

“What? You’re not in a hurry?”

But didn’t you tell Marquis Krantz earlier that we needed to hurry back?

Not understanding what he meant, I tilted my head. Cedar didn’t explain further and gently pushed my back.

“Get on the horse. Let’s leave before others catch up to us.”

“Should I sit in front?”

“Then do you want to hold the reins?”

That’s too much. I obediently sat on the horse as Cedar helped me up.

When Cedar sat behind me, I could smell a refreshing scent from behind.

‘Ugh, the magical power bank is right behind me! I could fill up on magical power with just a kiss!’

Despite Cedar’s firm refusal, I couldn’t let go of my lingering desire and fiddled with the hem of his clothes.

Cedar didn’t gallop quickly due to the dark forest path.

The cool night breeze brushed against my face.

My hair poked my eyes, and as I squirmed to avoid it, I lost my balance and tilted backward.

‘Ack!’

But there was no accident of rolling around. My head just bumped into Cedar’s firm chest with a thud.

Despite the hard collision, Cedar didn’t even flinch and said in a calm voice.

“You might as well lean back completely. That would be better for you.”

“Is my physical ability that poor?”

“It’s not about ability, but because you’re not used to horseback riding. When we get back, I’ll teach you properly.”

“Ugh, I don’t want that either.”

Can’t we just use teleportation freely? Time and energy are limited, so why should I put effort into something I’m not good at?

I should focus on improving what I’m already good at.

‘It is more comfortable to lean back.’

I leaned my whole body against Cedar and relaxed. It felt like floating leisurely on a stream, going wherever it takes me.

‘It feels like magical power is flowing in like this.’

Although it’s an insignificant amount compared to a kiss, the fact that magical power can be transferred to another person just by this contact is amazing in itself.

‘If the academy professors heard this, they’d come running in a frenzy. They’d want to experiment if it works on people born without magical power, not just those in a magically depleted state like me.’

That’s not all. I could list at least ten experiments I wanted to do on Cedar right now.

Looking up at the star-studded sky, I spoke in a light tone.

“It’s amazing that you weren’t kidnapped by the academy. To think such a person with so much research potential exists. God must have split His own heart and put it in you when He created you.”

I thought my heart was world-class in terms of magical power, but there’s always a higher sky above the sky.

Hearing my muttering, Cedar chuckled.

“It’s good for you. You can monopolize me as a research subject for life.”

“Can I really monopolize you?”

“As long as you don’t want a divorce, I’ll continue to be your husband.”

I fiddled with the tip of my ear with my palm.

I felt that being married wasn’t the same as owning someone, but somehow I didn’t want to say it out loud.

I just kept repeating Cedar’s words in my mind.

It felt like I finally understood what it meant for words to linger.

A tickling breeze brushed over my head. Cedar must have sighed softly.

“…Why aren’t you answering?”

“Huh?”

Was he waiting for my response? But I couldn’t think of anything appropriate to say.

As I struggled, Cedar asked first in a slightly impatient tone.

“Now that you’ve obtained a precious research subject, don’t you want to experiment more?”

“Experiment?”

Didn’t you just grumble about me treating my husband as an experimental subject? I tried to look back at Cedar over my head, wondering what he meant, and Cedar stopped the horse that had been walking slowly.

Then, to make eye contact with me more comfortably, he added:

“You said you can absorb magical power by contacting me. There are countless conditions you could change there.”

“Conditions to change…”

There was only one thing that came to mind right now. I pondered, muttering in a small voice with my chin resting on my hand.

“Should I try kissing other people too?”

“…”

When I brought up the quickest and most convenient condition to change, Cedar didn’t respond.

Is it just my imagination? The air around us seemed to have gotten colder? I tilted my head and called out to him.

“Cedar?”

Cedar was narrowing his eyes like a hawk looking down at its prey.

“Are you deliberately teasing me?”

Teasing? What is he talking about? I shook my head vigorously.

“Huh? I was just thinking about how to change the experimental conditions like you said. Why would I tease you?”

“So after much deliberation, your conclusion is to kiss other people too? You’re boldly saying you’ll cheat.”

“Ch-cheat?”

What is he talking about now? I was startled, but a beat later, I realized the situation and nodded.

“Ah, that’s right. Since I have a husband, kissing a man other than my husband would make me an unfaithful wife. I didn’t think of that.”

“It’s a bit disappointing that you didn’t think of it in the first place.”

Cedar’s fingers played with my hair. Along with the light touch, he whined cutely.

“You’re so lacking in awareness that you’re my wife. That’s why you say such things so casually.”

“I woke up and suddenly became a married woman, it’s hard to be aware of it. It’s not my fault.”

“You’re right. We need time. That’s what I meant by changing the conditions. We’re in a situation where we’ve just started to like each other.”

“Ah! So you mean there could be changes in magical power transfer as we develop deeper feelings for each other?”

“That’s right.”

Cedar muttered in a very small voice, ‘I should have said it like this from the start.’

What he wanted was a closer bond, but I talked about kissing other people, so it’s understandable that he’d be dumbfounded.

But that’s that and this is this. I coolly pointed out the flaw in his hypothesis with a researcher’s attitude.

“I don’t think it’ll have much effect. Rather, changing the method of physical contact seems like it would show more significant results. Should we try something other than kissing? Seeing how it’s faintly transmitted through hugs too, there’s clearly a difference in strength depending on the type of contact.”

“…”

“Cedar?”

I gave him a serious analysis as he wanted, but Cedar fell silent again. Did he not understand what I said?

“I can explain again… Eek!”

I had even thought about which contact would be most effective! But just as I was about to explain, Cedar made the horse start moving.

Startled by the sudden movement, I screamed.

“Wh-what are you doing! How can you suddenly start moving like that?”

“We need to move before it gets darker.”

I guess that makes sense! But Cedar’s voice coming from the darkness sounded a bit strange.

“Are you catching a cold? Your voice sounds hoarse.”

“…”

Cedar fell silent again. This man, now that I think about it, he clams up whenever things get a little unfavorable for him!

‘He has a bad habit.’

But what bothered him so much that he won’t answer? No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t find anything wrong with what I said, so I felt a bit wronged.

‘But even if I ask, he probably won’t answer.’

There’s no need to waste time and emotions trying to force an awkward topic. I asked something else in a light tone.

“By the way, where are we going?”

“Have you forgotten our original purpose?”

Was there a reason we came here other than the subjugation mission?

“Monster exploration?”

“Besides that. There’s something more personal, right?”

“Monster exploration was the personal matter. It’s completely personal since it’s not for reporting to some academic society, but to satisfy my curiosity.”

“Were you going to look at that alone?”

Of course, if it’s content that could be of great help to others if shared, I would share it here and there.

‘As of now, it doesn’t seem very significant. Wouldn’t magicians majoring in monster studies at the academy already know this much?’

Actually, I’m not sure since monster studies isn’t mainstream.

The title of Archmage is evidence that I made discoveries in my field that no one else could achieve, rather than proof that I possess a lot of magical knowledge.