I Became The Academy’s Narrow-Eyes - Chapter 61: A New Master (2)

“Ha ha ha ha ha!”

Rize burst into uncontrollable laughter, clutching her stomach, as she looked upon Adryn, whose face seemed about to explode from humiliation.

“Wow, isn’t this the young lady from the Teln family? You’ve certainly grown haughty, haven’t you? No, it’s beyond that, you’re just behaving like a child, aren’t you? Hey, Missy, do you know how to care for a child? Make sure you’re careful not to sleep without holding Daddy’s hand~.”

“Shut up, you crazy wench…! You’re vulgar! How can you be so obscene!?”

“Of course, everything must seem dirty to your pristine eyes, miss. Ah, I’m just asking out of curiosity, haven’t you ever wet your bed and been surprised? What did the maid who found it say?”

“…!”

Adryn was once again horrified at the over-the-top sexual harassment, far beyond the level shown by a drunken mercenary. In response, Rize burst into laughter once again.

Ah, it’s so damn funny.

After laughing for a good while, Rize, finally catching her breath, spoke up.

“Anyway, I’ve said all I have to say. Leave that guy with the slit eye alone and leave. Before I change my mind.”

“Hah! Go ahead and change your mind! What are you going to do about it? Mizu! Ceylon! Let’s finish her off!”

“I’m ready.”

“As am, I, prepared initially.”

Upon seeing Ceylon getting himself ready, Rize let out a disappointed sigh.

“Hey, the guy with the slit eye, should we be fighting amongst ourselves?”

“Amongst ourselves? Ceylon, what is she talking about?”

“A shocking twist?”

Adryn and Mizu looked at Ceylon, confused.

“Well, I don’t know…?”

Ironically, Ceylon himself seemed not to understand either.

“That’s right? It’s nonsense, right? That crazy woman is just babbling madness, isn’t she?”

“Hehe, Miss Adryn. It seems like your words have suddenly become rather harsh.”

At Ceylon’s remark, Adryn clamped her mouth shut and glared at Rize.

“It’s all her fault.”

“Hey, damn it, she’s been going on and on about bitches since a while ago. Such a small lady.”

“Indeed, what she’s saying seems to be hurting the emotional state of those around us. So, what should I call you?”

Rize, leaning on her crutch, spat out her name.

“Miss Rize, could you please show some respect?”

“Get lost. Who are you to tell me what to do?”

Rize snorted in response.

“Huh…?”

Suddenly, her face became serious.

“What, what the…why is that happening-”

Rize’s dark magic resonated, suddenly becoming weak.

As if a strangled breath was starting to fade.

Soon, Rize realized the cause.

The entity currently controlling Rize’s dark magic had done so.

The White Serpent.

At present, Rize’s dark magic was under the control of that mighty demon, whose tail attributes were embedded in the spirit world of that man with a loose mind.

Thus, the existence of Rize’s powers as a dark magician was entirely dependent on the White Serpent.

If Rize was within the vision of the White Serpent, she would gain power.

If Rize was outside the vision of the White Serpent, she would lose her power.

Now, Rize had lost her power.

She was outside the sight of the White Serpent.

‘Suddenly…!?’

Rize felt extreme exhilaration at the fact that she had just been under the control of the White Serpent.

So, now, the possibility of her having fallen out of favor with the White Serpent suggested her elation was akin to experiencing a profound sense of despair.

Distraught, Rize desperately sought the reason.

Why was she outside the sight of the White Serpent?

Why did the White Serpent suddenly express disappointment in her?

There was one thing that stood out.

‘Could it be…?’

Rize had responded to Ceylon’s request for respect with an insult, and she lost her strength.

‘Is it because I did not respect that guy?’

Rize felt a lingering, precarious power akin to a candle at risk of going out. Uncertain yet desperate, she cried out.

“Ah, got it! Respect, I just need to show respect, right!?”

Rize’s face was flushed with humiliation.

But that was short-lived.

“…!”

Feeling a slight recovery of her lost strength, Rize exhaled a sigh of relief.

However, it was still insufficient.

The White Serpent had not yet fully returned the strength it had taken from Rize.

Was it an indication that her respect towards it was still lacking?

Gritting her teeth in anger, Rize turned to Ceylon, her voice shaky.

“I… I apologize for any rudeness I’ve shown so far…”

“…What’s wrong with her?”

“Why is she acting like that all of a sudden?”

Adryn and Mizu exchanged puzzled glances as if they had seen a ghost.

On the other hand, Ceylon.

He appeared somewhat amused and spoke in his characteristically smug tone.

“Hmm! I wasn’t expecting an apology. Anyway, I’ll accept yours.”

Snapping her teeth, Rize felt as if she were about to lose her mind in her humiliation.

However, feeling her power recovering, and realizing that the White Serpent was reeling in its disappointment, a sense of relief that far outweighed her humiliation flooded in.

“Well, why don’t you apologize to Miss Adryn and Miss Mizu now? You ought to do it far more politely than before. After all, unlike me, these two are noble individuals.”

Rize couldn’t help glaring at Ceylon.

This situation of having to show respect to such a dimwit.

It couldn’t be more humiliating.

It was humiliating, but somehow, she could accept it.

Because it was what the White Serpent desired.

“Can’t you keep it down a bit?”

But that was a separate issue from following Ceylon’s direction.

There had been a similar case when Rize was serving the Necromancer.

Just like Rize, there was another dark magician who served the Necromancer and received even more attention from him.

Rize didn’t recognize that black magician.

Then, a warning came from the Necromancer.

He said that denying someone who serves him was the same as denying him.

So, Rize had no choice but to acknowledge the other dark magician.

And then one day.

That dark magician told Rize about him getting more attention from the Necromancer.

The Necromancer cherished him more, so he was a higher being than her, according to him.

And so, she should follow him.

Rize naturally let his words go in one ear and out the other.

The Necromancer didn’t intervene at all.

To the demons, the dark magicians who served them were no different from slaves.

It was a problem if a slave did not recognize another slave.

But it wasn’t a problem at all if a slave didn’t follow another slave.

Even if the White Serpent cherished Ceylon more than her, in the end, he was just one of the slaves of the White Serpent.

It was the same as her.

So, she didn’t need to follow the orders of another slave.

“Now that the situation is like this, you seem to be something, right? But wait and see. Soon, I will be-”

Rize defied the direction of another slave who told her to follow him, just like she had done before.

“…!”

At that moment.

Her power weakened again.

‘Damn it, what is this!’

Why?

Why did I fall out of the White Serpent’s favor?

Did I treat another slave as just another slave?

Having her knowledge as a dark magician questioned, Rize was in a state of extreme confusion.

‘Surely…’

Could it be…?

Did the White Serpent want me to follow that slave?

‘No.’

No, that’s not it.

‘He is—’

To the White Serpent, that man was more than a mere slave.

He was something greater.

The White Serpent has twined around, observing that individual’s spirit world.

It was not simply because the White Serpent was generous and interested in humans.

Just because that man was a special entity to the White Serpent.

To win over the White Serpent.

First, she had to win over that man.

“…!”

Rize, who realized this, looked at Ceylon

Her eyes were filled with envy and jealousy, burning intensely.

Soon, Rize bowed her head and spoke in a trembling voice.

“I-I am a good-for-nothing and inadequate girl who has offended you all… Apologies from the bottom of my heart..”

Adryn and Mizu unwittingly moved away from Rize.

“What, what’s with her…!? Why is she suddenly acting like that?”

“It’s a surprise attack. She seems to be gathering momentum for a surprise attack. Everyone, get ready.”

They were serious, not joking, and immediately went into combat stance.

At that moment, Rize looked up at Ceylon and said,

“H-how can I make up for what I’ve done to you…?”

Rize was earnest and desperate.

For her, losing the power of dark magic was a horror even more dreadful than death.

Also, losing the chance of interest from the White Serpent, a great demon, was more dreadful than death.

Even if she lived hundreds of years, Rize didn’t think she would ever find another opportunity as great as the attention of the White Serpent.

“Ceylon! Don’t listen to that woman!”

“Let her do it. Seppuku.”

Ceylon raised his hand and calmed down Adryn and Mizu.

“Okay, okay, everyone. Her attitude is unnatural, can we try listening to her story for now?”

“If that woman suddenly backstabs us, what are we going to do? We just saw what kind of person she is!”

“Uggh…!”

“What, what’s up! Why is she acting so strange all of a sudden!?”

Rize thrust her arm into her chest.

“Is she trying to commit seppuku!?”

Soon, seeing the blue jewel in her hand, Mizu mumbled.

“Blue heart…!”

“Blue heart? What is that?”

Adryn also knew what the blue heart was.

It was another heart that magicians had.

Perhaps it was even more precious, a truly real heart more than the red heart.

The blue heart held everything built up as a magician, including mana.

Therefore magicians kept their blue hearts in a place where no one else could find them.

Magicians who reached a certain level hid their blue hearts inside their hearts.

If the blue heart was damaged, the magician’s power also got damaged.

If the blue heart was destroyed, the magician’s power was also destroyed.

For magicians, the blue heart was as precious as life itself.

Rize reached out her blue heart to Ceylon.

As Ceylon stretched out his hand, she placed the blue heart on top of it.

“T-this should be enough… right?”

Her desperate expression was even contemptible.

“Ceylon! Take that!”

“Hurry!”

As if being pushed by the tide, Ceylon reluctantly took the blue heart.

With a trembling face, he stared at the blue heart and spoke.

“I-I’m not sure what this is, but I’ll take it for now…?”

At that moment.

“Oh…”

The presence of the White Serpent in Rize’s head had returned all of her original power.

A little bit.

To her, it was a very small boost of power that meant nothing.

But just that made Rize let out a sigh of relief as if she were melting.

She fell to the ground and rubbed her body with an ecstatic face.

“Ugh… I wonder why she is acting like that…?”

Ceylon, who was believed by some to be the White Serpent, looked baffled in response to Rize’s reaction.