Chapter 40: No Enemies Yet? It is Not Too Late to Make One Now
"Heni? It's really you!"
"What are you doing here?"
Erika was pleasantly surprised—she hadn't expected to run into soone she knew when she ca to the Academy's back hill.
Though she was also a little curious what Heni was doing up here on this deserted summit.
At the sight of Erika, the cold air Heni had been projecting dissipated almost entirely. Her eyes shifted away, and when she replied, she was hesitant and fumbling.
"N-nothing……I just ca up here for a walk."
Erika didn't know about Heni's expulsion, and Heni had no intention of telling her—she didn't want to worry her.
Still, Erika's appearance here surprised her too, and she asked:
"What are you doing here?"
"How co you haven't been to the Academy lately?"
At Heni's question, Erika puffed her cheeks and explained irritably:
"Father had so sort of episode—when he got back, he had locked up for several days."
"Yesterday was even worse. Out of nowhere, he decided to hire a whole string of Private Tutor Mages for ."
In truth, Duke Livi had also warned Erika to keep her distance from Viktor—and it was precisely because of that warning that Erika had learned from Duke Livi that Viktor was back.
Under the royal family's ruling, both of them had been declared innocent.
But none of that was sothing she could tell Heni.
So Erika, in a sowhat sour mood, gave a pebble at the summit a kick. It clattered and tumbled down the cliff face with a crisp, rolling sound.
"I couldn't stand it anymore today. I slipped out while Father wasn't ho—I just wanted to co to the Academy and see if Professor Viktor was around."
Erika had planned to sneak into the Academy from the back hill, and hadn't expected to run into Heni at all.
At the sound of Viktor's na, Heni's heart gave a small lurch.
She recalled what Professor Dewen had said.
Professor Viktor very likely perished at the volcano.
She thought it to herself, but said nothing of it to Erika.
Erika didn't seem to know, and Heni decided to keep it that way.
Watching Erika breathe in the fresh mountain air, Heni spoke in a calm, even voice:
"Professor Viktor still hasn't co back. I've been covering his classes for the past few days."
At that, Erika's face fell.
She had been hoping to hear from Viktor himself what had actually happened at the volcano that day.
And yet after all the effort of sneaking out, Viktor wasn't even at work.
There was nothing she could do. Erika had no choice but to accept it.
"Alright, then I'll head back."
"If Father finds out I snuck out, he'll definitely lock up at ho and never let leave again."
Heni had just started to say sothing when she saw Erika hesitate, then continue:
"I'll co again tomorrow. If Professor Viktor gets back, make sure you tell ."
Heni gave a small nod—a silent agreent.
She watched Erika's face light up, eyes brimming with anticipation, before she turned and hurried away.
How nice it must be, to be her……
Heni's eyes were filled with envy.
She envied Erika.
Erika had an illustrious family na, staggering talent, and perfect looks.
She could live without a care, full of hope for what lay ahead.
And herself?
Spending every day on edge, passing through each one without a trace of hope.
It was just as that Professor had said.
Trash. Only fit to rot in the trash heap.
In a daze, she looked again toward the direction Erika had gone—but the girl's radiant silhouette had already vanished from sight.
Heni shook her head, and let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh at her own misery.
Tomorrow, it was.
That was fine.
She no longer needed to look forward to the future.
Everything—including herself—would co to an end tomorrow.
"Let's continue."
***
A ball of scorching fla erupted suddenly from beneath Professor Dewen's feet. In an instant, the violent burning sensation shot through his soles and jolted him awake.
Professor Dewen felt searing pain across every inch of his body.
"Ahhh!"
He snapped into full consciousness, the pain tearing a scream from his throat.
Then, piece by piece, he beca aware that he had been bound—his body swaying, suspended from the ceiling.
The flas receded, and Professor Dewen's vision opened up considerably.
The 1st thing his eyes landed on was Viktor, seated in a chair, expression cold and unmoved.
In an instant, terror climbed into Dewen's eyes.
"Viktor! What do you think you're doing?!"
"You'd kill over a Teaching Assistant?! Have you lost your mind?!"
"Do you really want to make an enemy of my Rether Family?!"
Viktor sat in the chair, watching him with cool eyes, and asked in a flat tone:
"Haven't we already?"
Dewen's voice caught. He scrambled to reply: "No……not before, no. Believe , Viktor—there's no bad blood between us."
"Then knowing full well that Heni was mine, why did you do what you did?"
Dewen's eyes went wide.
"You……already know everything?"
"That's not—believe , Viktor, at first I just couldn't stand you, but I never ant to take it out on that……Heni-whatever-her-na-is……"
BOOM!
A fireball like a charging tiger crashed into the wall behind Dewen.
Dewen trembled from head to toe and blurted out hastily:
"Heni! I rember now—Heni! That little girl is lovely, yes, absolutely!"
"I was jealous! I was jealous that a re Teaching Assistant sohow got to teach Class 1. You know, after you left, a lot of Professors had their eyes on that class—the lecturer who leads Class 1 gets trendous treatnt and prestige."
Viktor watched him with eyes utterly devoid of feeling.
"Just out of jealousy?"
"How ugly."
"Yes! Yes, ugly—I'm ugly! I know, I know! Please, Viktor, let go—there's no bad blood between us!"
Dewen writhed like a fat pig fighting for its life at the slaughterhouse—so ridiculous a sight that anyone who saw it could only find it laughable.
He kept repeating it, as though making a vow:
"I'll apologize! I'll apologize to that girl!"
"I can give her all kinds of compensation! I can get her a noble title! A young Baroness—how does that sound? The Rether Family has that kind of power!"
"Believe , Viktor—let go, and there's nothing between us that can't be worked out……right?"
A look of desperate expectation crept across Dewen's ugly face.
Viktor's icy voice rang out:
"What did you say, at the very beginning?"
Dewen froze, then ventured in a trembling voice:
"Kill over a Teaching Assistant—have you lost your mind?"
Viktor gave an approving nod.
"Good mory. And the 2nd line?"
"……Do you really want to make an enemy of my Rether Family?"
Dewen wasn't stupid. It was as though sothing had dawned on him.
In that mont, he abandoned all pretense of dignity and broke into frantic, desperate pleading.
"Don't! Viktor! That was just getting carried away in the heat of the mont!"
Viktor rose from his chair. His Coat flickered with a dangerous red light.
"You couldn't stand because you know who I am."
"And if you know who I am, then you should have always rembered—what kind of person Viktor Clavena is."
Dewen's entire body began to shake. The fear was setting in.
A madman! Viktor—he was a complete madman!
"Viktor! Don't……don't……"
BOOM!
A shriek like a pig being slaughtered erupted from Dewen's throat—and with it ca the sound of bones shattering.
He felt his 4 limbs shatter all at once, the pain beyond anything he could bear.
The reason he remained conscious was that Viktor had placed several magical shackles over his mind, keeping him alert—unable to pass out no matter how great the pain.
"You said there was no bad blood between us. That's fine."
Viktor suddenly smiled—a radiant, brilliant smile.
He pressed close to Dewen's ear, his voice soft, like the whisper of a devil.
"Now there is."
"Kill ! Viktor! Kill !"
Dewen was in agony beyond endurance. He would rather die right then and there than remain conscious through this pain and humiliation.
But now, even taking his own life was beyond him.
"Soone may co to claim your life—but that soone won't be ."
Viktor wiped his hands thoroughly with a white handkerchief. He hadn't touched the man even once, yet sohow still felt as though his hands had been dirtied beyond asure.
When he was done, he tossed the handkerchief onto Dewen's face, covering that snot-streaked ss.
He released the shackles on Dewen, and Dewen lost consciousness instantly.
Now the world was quiet.
Viktor narrowed his eyes and left the Mage Tower.
A Teleportation Magic later, Viktor appeared outside the Academy. He looked up at the sky outside, nearly dark now, and drew a long, slow breath.
The magical elents in the air around him felt sowhat disrupted.
Then Weija's voice sounded in Viktor's ear.
"Beneath the Academy—soone has deliberately concealed a Magic Formation."
"A Demon's work, most likely."
Viktor showed not the slightest surprise, and so Weija said nothing more.
It knew Viktor would handle everything. It clicked its beak and asked a different question.
"If that girl's mind has truly been corrupted by the Demon—what will you do?"
Viktor thought for 2 seconds, then answered:
"Heni is a very clever Teaching Assistant. Having her work for , I can rest easy."
"She's a timid little thing—but she shouldn't have to keep being pitied."
Weija perched on Viktor's shoulder and ruffled its feathers.
"I like how you put that."
***
The night fell like a curtain drawn swiftly shut, and countless tiny, brilliant gems climbed up across the dark.
By the ti Erika returned to the Manor gate, the rooms inside were already blazing with light.
Her heart gave a nervous skip. Surely her dear old father couldn't already be back.
"It's fine, it's fine—as long as I act a little cute, Father will definitely forgive ."
Erika took a deep breath and was just about to step into the Courtyard.
Then the gate swung open without warning.
Her father, Duke Livi, ca out accompanied by a beautiful woman with purple hair, a slight smile on his face, his manner perfectly gracious.
"Hmm???"
Erika was montarily baffled.
Her father was already sixty. Where on earth had this strange woman co from?
Was he trying to have a second spring?
Erika puffed her cheeks. She absolutely was not going to allow sothing like that to happen.
The last thing she needed was to randomly end up with a stepmother.
Erika had just charged forward when she caught the 2 of them speaking.
"I hope Duke Livi will keep a watchful eye out for any Filth."
"I understand the gravity of this matter, Miss Kavra. I will mobilize every resource at my disposal to investigate."
Erika ca to a sudden, blank halt where she stood.
It seed the situation was…… a little different from what she had imagined.
But her sudden appearance had already drawn both their gazes.
Duke Livi looked over at Erika, raised an eyebrow, and made introductions with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes:
"Miss Kavra, this is my younger daughter Erika. I believe this is your 1st ti eting."
Kavra looked at Erika, her elegant brows arching as her alluring eyes narrowed.
"Indeed, it is. Though……"
The corner of her mouth curved upward—and in the next instant she was already standing directly in front of Erika.
The speed was so absolute that Erika couldn't catch even a single afterimage.
"Pretty little girl—would you mind telling where exactly you went today?"
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