An endless sea of fire spread around, scorching heat engulfing the remnants of human bodies. A reddish-black hue began to flow between heaven and earth, forming what seemed like a small mountain.

The state of those human deaths was horrifically tragic. In the flames, they didn't even have time to resist.

Even from a distance, Aurelianne could smell the acrid odor of burnt flesh wafting from the corpses.

She stared blankly at the incredibly gruesome scene before her, suddenly covering her mouth.

Her eyes widened, and her body doubled over.

The cruel image was momentarily too much for her to bear.

At this moment, she dared not look at her teacher again.

That terrifyingly powerful war magic had turned these warriors into ashes in just an instant.

Although Aurelianne had killed monsters with her own hands before,

Facing human corpses, appearing before her in such a bizarre and terrifying manner,

Her heart couldn't help but churn with nausea and fear.

Killing magical beasts and killing humans were entirely different matters.

A sense of discomfort gradually spread throughout her body, and her stomach began to convulse.

If it weren't for forcibly controlling her body through sheer willpower, she might have vomited long ago.

Why did she have to witness this sickening and disturbing scene?

Why did Teacher Viktor have to kill them?

But Aurelianne didn't ask this foolish question.

She had lived in the imperial palace for over a decade.

During these ten-plus years, she had seen too much scheming and intrigue.

This taught her how to be a good child in others' eyes, and how to act to please others.

She wouldn't be foolish enough to criticize Viktor.

These people had attacked them indiscriminately, wielding those mysterious, magically-driven weapons that fired blue projectiles at her teacher.

Her teacher was merely retaliating.

Aurelianne understood this principle deeply.

She had no right to judge Viktor's actions.

'But...'

She felt so sick, she wanted to vomit.

Aurelianne seemed to see Viktor in this state for the first time.

Cruel, merciless.

This teacher suddenly felt somewhat unfamiliar to her.

Suddenly, she heard Viktor's voice, cold and resonating nearby.

"Pledge loyalty, or..."

"Perish with them."

Aurelianne looked at the scene, somewhat unable to accept it.

Before this, that female guard had accompanied her from the capital to this place.

She had always maintained a cold demeanor.

But now.

Elsa looked up at Viktor, trembling.

Her heart no longer held any resentment; reverence gradually turned into fear, burying all other emotions.

She had never seen such a terrifying being before.

A fourth-tier mage? No...

He couldn't be called just a fourth-tier mage.

Elsa had seen many mages.

Even when she was still an adventurer, she had a fourth-tier mage as a teammate.

But no mage could be like Viktor.

He was like the embodiment of violence and destruction.

He wasn't a mage.

He was a monster wearing the profession of a mage as a cloak.

Elsa's body kept trembling, her previous courage long exhausted.

Gradually, she lowered her head and knelt on the ground.

"...Yes."

As Elsa knelt on the ground, pledging loyalty to Viktor,

Viktor merely gave her a cold glance before raising his head again.

He didn't care at all whether Elsa would agree to him or not.

For Viktor, this was just one of the few moments of amusement he could think of.

He didn't even comfort Aurelianne, just coldly watching her actions as she struggled to suppress her discomfort.

Although her current state was far from good.

'But...'

This was something she, as the 'Eternal Witch' and future Sol IX, would inevitably experience.

Viktor was merely fulfilling his duty.

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Teaching.

"Playtime is over, Lady Cassandra."

Viktor turned his gaze back to Cassandra, looking at this former princess who couldn't accept reality.

"It's time for you to wake up."

As his words fell, Cassandra slowly raised her head.

With disheveled hair and a pale face, she looked like a pitiful person who had lost her soul.

"My lady, anger cannot solve anything."

"We could have handled this better."

Viktor raised his head, looking down at Cassandra.

"Unfortunately, this outcome was your choice first."

Viktor stood in front of her, slowly moving his body to the side, as if deliberately allowing Cassandra to see clearly the sea of fire behind him.

To see clearly those horrifying, terrified corpse remains.

Cassandra's eyes widened, as if going mad, kneeling on the ground and laughing:

"Viktor, at this point, are you still trying to mock me?"

"My lady, I just want you to recognize the difference between us."

Viktor adjusted the collar of his coat with both hands, his tone utterly calm.

"Even if all the forces of your Reiser family were here today, it would be futile."

"My power is not limited to this."

As soon as he finished speaking, the towering sea of fire gradually subsided at this moment.

Tender green sprouts emerged from within, sparse greenery spread out, covering this magical indoor forest anew.

Those corpse remains seemed to have turned into fertilizer, entwined and buried by roots, as sturdy branches shot up from the ground.

In an instant, the wild grass became extremely lush, the greenery seeming to wash away the despair from earlier, with a natural feeling permeating the surroundings.

Those elves who were secretly observing were equally surprised to see this suddenly grown forest.

Amazement, adoration... various emotions emanated from their bodies at once.

As the intense natural energy washed over her, Cassandra raised her head, looking at the miraculous greenery.

The surrounding flames seemed to gradually dissipate under the greenery.

It was as if no battle had ever taken place here.

Viktor smiled faintly:

"Even if you could defeat me, so what?"

"Since I could enter here, I can leave at any time."

Cassandra didn't respond.

Because she knew that what Viktor said was an absolute fact.

If Viktor hadn't deliberately revealed himself, she would have had no way to discover his presence.

A fourth-tier mage who could appear before her anytime, anywhere.

This was undoubtedly an extremely serious potential threat to the Reiser family.

Cassandra's voice trembled slightly:

"What exactly makes you so hostile towards the Reiser family?"

"My lady."

Viktor narrowed his eyes, looking at her coldly.

"Even you would do anything for your family."

"..."

In an instant, Cassandra fell silent.

But Viktor's voice didn't stop.

"My conditions remain unchanged."

"Gather what I want, and I'll return your son to you."

Viktor put one hand in his pocket and lifted the dazed Aurelianne with the other, turning around.

"By the way, your guard is not bad."

"Now, she belongs to me."

Elsa stood up trembling, casting a very guilty look at Cassandra, then lowered her head and followed behind Viktor, slowly leaving.

Cassandra weakly raised her head, looking at Viktor's receding figure.

Suddenly, she noticed the crow perched on Viktor's shoulder.

Without realizing it, it slowly turned around, staring at Cassandra with its single eye.

In its eye, a golden color flashed across the bottom.

In a daze, she could only see a glimmer of mockery flash in the crow's eye, as if it was giggling.

Just like...

A deceiver who had stolen everything from her.

And was about to mock her mercilessly in front of her face.

Suddenly, a black wind began to blow without warning.

Its color grew deeper, as if to completely engulf Viktor and his group, sweeping up.

Cassandra stared blankly at that black whirlwind.

Until it gradually disappeared, and sunlight fell again.

But Viktor's figure seemed to have vanished along with that black wind.

Disappearing without a trace.

Cassandra looked at where Viktor had disappeared, recalling the glimmer that flashed in the crow's eye before it left.

She reached out a hand, trying to summon her power in the air.

However, no power responded to her call.

At this moment, Cassandra's mood became incredibly complex.

It felt like relief, yet also like loss.

Perhaps the curse imprinted in her bloodline had finally been removed, and she would no longer have to participate in those wars she so despised due to this damned ability.

Or perhaps the dissipation of this power made her nostalgic for the glory that once belonged only to her.

It was as if a tangled web enveloped her, leaving her nowhere to go.

Cassandra lowered her head and sat on the ground.

Hugging her legs, utterly desolate.

The surrounding greenery began to grow gradually, and countless elves peeked out from the forests all around, walking towards Cassandra.

They surrounded Cassandra, silently watching her.

A sense of sorrow and loneliness gradually entwined around them.

In the interplay of sunlight and greenery, it seemed to intensify even more.

...

"Teacher, I... feel a bit unwell."

Outside the Reiser family's gate, Aurelianne finally couldn't contain her emotions and spoke to Viktor.

She had never been a cruel child, and when she saw that brutal scene and Aunt Cassandra's desolation,

Her heart was filled with nothing but sympathy, unable to say anything else.

But Aurelianne understood that the hatred between the Reiser family and her teacher was irreconcilable.

However...

"Teacher, why did it turn out like this?"

Aurelianne lowered her head, feeling dejected.

"I originally thought that if I came back with Aunt, I could prevent the conflict between you."

"In the end, I couldn't prevent anything."

Suddenly, a strong hand was placed on Aurelianne's head.

An intense sense of reassurance filled her heart, and her teacher's voice softly sounded in her ear.

"Because she is your family, so you instinctively want to shield her, protect her."

Viktor looked straight ahead, gazing at this advanced city that remained bright even at night.

Even though the Reiser family had suffered casualties, it didn't affect its operation.

Surrounded by the lights around him, it was as if he had returned to his former world.

"But, I'm the same."

Lia was also his family in this world.

So, within his capabilities,

Viktor would not allow anyone to cause her even the slightest grievance.

Aurelianne raised her head blankly, looking at Viktor's stern face.

Without realizing it, even she didn't know why,

The words suddenly came out.

"Then... will you protect me for a lifetime too?"

"..."

The wind began to blow again.

As if carrying a hint of melancholy.