"Chancellor."

Hearing Viktor's voice, the Chancellor closed his pen and rubbed his eyes.

"Come in."

Viktor entered as requested, the lava giant hand behind him throwing Devin onto the floor.

Seeing Devin in this state, the Chancellor shook his head and sighed at Viktor.

"Professor Viktor, the academy won't cover for your actions."

Viktor, hands in his pockets, spoke without a hint of emotion:

"It's fine. I don't need the academy's protection."

"I'll take responsibility for my own actions."

The Chancellor nodded, slowly standing up and leaning on his obsidian cane.

"Then, please follow me."

Chancellor Rachelle used magical energy in mid-air, a blue light in his hand began to wave like a brush.

The air in front of him seemed to be his canvas, beginning to distort at a visible speed.

Soon, the Chancellor put away his magic.

Vega whispered in Viktor's ear:

"This old man's magic is interesting."

"Let me see, a special kind of teleportation magic. Focus here, insert magic runes here."

Viktor followed Vega's instructions, and the air in front of him produced a sense of distortion.

In an instant, Viktor felt the scenery around him gradually blur, blue light falling.

When the surrounding scenery became clear again, it was a completely different scene.

Here, flower petals of various colors floated in the air, stirring up thousands of waves.

The garden was a floating island, with the ground also covered in countless flower petals.

A refreshing fragrance wafted over, calming Viktor's dissatisfaction somewhat.

"There's actually a hidden space here, even I didn't notice it," Vega exclaimed beside Viktor, but saw that Viktor wasn't surprised at all.

As if he knew about it all along.

Indeed, this was the hidden map known as the Chancellor's back garden among players.

It could only be freely accessed after learning magic from Chancellor Rachelle.

'Although I've seen it many times in the game, experiencing it personally is still amazing,' Viktor thought to himself. This place was no different from the game's visuals.

The Chancellor appeared in front of him a few seconds earlier, and upon seeing Viktor's appearance, looked at him with some admiration.

Being able to understand and break through the formation's usage with just one glance, truly worthy of being called a genius mage.

"Welcome to my Sea of Knowledge, Professor Viktor. You are the youngest guest I've ever received."

The Chancellor's back garden, the full name of this hidden map was: [Rachelle's Sea of Knowledge].

It contained all of Chancellor Rachelle's magical knowledge, and only those truly possessing knowledge could enter.

Fortunately, Viktor had Vega, a knowledgeable deity, by his side.

However, now was not the time for chitchat.

He said directly:

"Chancellor, let's get to the point."

The Chancellor said nothing, just silently walked towards an open space, leaning on his cane.

Viktor followed, and soon, the surrounding scenery changed rapidly.

Although they hadn't walked far, a wooden cabin appeared in front of them.

Dense forests surrounded them, as if it was a cabin hidden in the woods.

The Chancellor walked to the door, which opened automatically.

He turned his head and nodded at Viktor.

"Please come in, Professor Viktor."

Viktor followed the Chancellor inside. In the cabin, there was only a table with a watermelon on it.

Nothing else.

The Chancellor tapped the watermelon's head with his cane.

The watermelon slowly turned around, its two eyes deep and unfathomable, as if possessing wisdom that knew all of history.

It opened its thick lips and slowly said:

"Azure, what's the matter?"

Vega, looking at this talking watermelon, felt a chill run down its spine.

Even a few of its hairs stood on end.

This made me feel uncomfortable.

It glanced up at Viktor and found that Viktor still showed no surprise.

He seemed to know everything in advance, even that there was a talking watermelon hidden here.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

'How strange,' it thought.

Of course, Viktor wasn't surprised.

Because this was the Chancellor's talking watermelon pet.

The Chancellor looked at the watermelon and said: "This young friend wants to ask you some questions."

The watermelon reluctantly stared at Viktor.

Vega whispered in his ear: "What's up with this guy?"

Viktor didn't speak. He knew this watermelon was peering into his experiences.

Just as he thought, various scenes flashed in the watermelon's eyes.

Towering flames, flying embers, ground covered in lava, and erupting massive magic.

A scene of world-destroying devastation.

It saw dense fire elements surging on Viktor's body, lava-like patterns covering half of Viktor's upper body, like a fire demon.

After a moment, the watermelon refocused its gaze on Viktor:

"Young people these days are really something."

"I know what you want to ask. Azure's Natural Sparrow will tell us."

Soon, waves of magical energy rippled out from around it.

The 'Natural Sparrows' in the alternate space began to move.

An immersive scene appeared before Viktor:

What was presented was yesterday's scene.

Professor Devin acidly produced the Chancellor's handwritten letter, arrogantly dismissing Henie.

He also burned Henie's most important 'knowledge'.

Black text that seemed to cling like an inescapable misfortune appeared on the ground in front of Henie. Viktor could tell at a glance that it was just a prank caused by ordinary disguise magic.

Then, three students jumped out, mercilessly mocking Henie who was slumped on the ground, delivering the final psychological blow.

The onlookers' gawking, the success of the mean-spirited prank, caused this poor child's emotions to completely collapse.

"...She cried," Vega murmured.

Crying so hysterically, desperate and helpless.

Actually, I quite liked that child.

The scene suddenly disappeared, and the watermelon closed its eyes.

It seemed that displaying this segment of scenes had made it very, very tiring.

After closing its eyes, it turned back into what looked like an ordinary watermelon.

Even after seeing everything, Viktor's expression didn't change at all.

The Chancellor squinted, sighed, his thick white beard blown into disarray.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Viktor."

"As for Henie, your assistant, where she went, I don't know."

"The Natural Sparrow acts according to my will, so in places that might involve others' privacy, the Natural Sparrow doesn't appear."

The Chancellor wasn't lying, Viktor knew.

He hadn't sensed the presence of Natural Sparrows in the office, and this morning in the student dormitory, he hadn't felt the flow of Natural Sparrows either.

Viktor's voice rang out coldly:

"Chancellor Rachelle, please tell me, why has that fat pig become a professor at your esteemed academy?"

Viktor's direct address made the Chancellor feel helpless. He shook his head and said:

"Professor Viktor, you are also a professor at our academy."

The implication was, you also got a gilded position through connections, why can't others do the same?

The only difference was that Viktor truly had the ability, while Professor Devin was completely just collecting a salary.

So Viktor said:

"When I joined your school, I was already the youngest third-tier mage. What about him?"

"Professor Viktor, this is precisely the issue I wanted to discuss with you," Chancellor Rachelle said with some difficulty.

"The head of the Reiser family married the current emperor's sister."

"As you might have guessed, Sol VIII is Devin Reiser's uncle."

His connections are very strong.

Viktor understood clearly that Chancellor Rachelle was advising him that if this person could be spared, he shouldn't be killed.

Otherwise, trouble would cling to him.

"I understand your anger, Professor Viktor."

"But killing doesn't solve anything. Perhaps you could talk with Professor Devin. His crime doesn't warrant death."

"I can completely recall Henie in the name of the academy and give her the title of associate professor. Moreover..."

Moreover, is it really worth killing a royal relative for the sake of an ordinary person without even talent?

Rachelle didn't say it out loud, but he believed Viktor would understand his good intentions.

"Chancellor, I won't kill him," Viktor's voice rang out faintly.

Rachelle breathed a sigh of relief, thinking his persuasion had worked.

But then, Viktor narrowed his eyes and spoke calmly:

"But whether he dies at the hands of a demon is beyond my control."

When he said this, it was as casual as if he were discussing a very ordinary matter.

Rachelle's mind shook. He didn't understand what Viktor was talking about.

Demons? What did this have to do with demons?

However, Vega lowered its head upon hearing these words.

"You think that disgusting thing found Henie?"

Viktor's expression didn't change at all.

Just as Vega had said.

In the scene, he saw three students playing a prank.

Identical to the three students who fainted today.

Their condition could only be the result of a demon stealing their power.

So, why would a demon steal these three people's power, and who was given this power?

Viktor could only think of the missing Henie.

He didn't respond to Rachelle, but Rachelle's face already showed difficulty.

"Professor Viktor, I'm sure you've already figured it out."

"The me standing before you isn't the real me. I'm attending the annual meeting in the City of Mages."

"Right now, I'm actually meeting with you in the form of a 'Natural Sparrow'."

"So, I wasn't able to stop such a thing from happening quickly, and instead let it escalate. I'm very sorry."

Natural Sparrows can only act on instinct according to Rachelle's will.

The Natural Sparrow thought Viktor hadn't come to class for several days, so it transferred the course to Professor Devin, which conforms to the Natural Sparrow's cognitive rules.

And Professor Devin dismissing Henie, a professor dismissing a magic apprentice, also conforms to the Natural Sparrow's cognitive rules.

But this doesn't conform to human critical standards.

This was Rachelle's dereliction of duty. His lack of supervision led to irreversible consequences.

Although after the incident, Rachelle didn't feel there was any impact.

One was a noble, the other a magic apprentice without talent. Even a fool would know what choice to make.

But the mistake was that he didn't know how protective Viktor was.

Moreover, the other party was a fourth-tier mage like himself.

So the Chancellor apologized in advance, lowered his posture, and gave Viktor enough respect.

"Professor Viktor, please remember what you promised me. Whatever you do, don't involve the students."

"They are innocent."

Viktor didn't respond, nodded expressionlessly, and disappeared without a trace with a teleportation spell at his feet.

"Sigh..."

Rachelle's heavy sigh transmitted through the air, and his form gradually dissipated, turning into points of starlight, merging into the air.

.......

On the back mountain of the academy, a person wearing a robe stood at the summit, overlooking the foot of the mountain.

At the foot was the academy, a place that bred her despair.

Standing here, one could see the entire academy.

The innocence and expectation were gone from her eyes.

Having experienced intense pain, Henie's calm gaze was filled with the word 'revenge'.

A black mist coiled around her body like a fish in water, the jet-black ink forming a robe, climbing up Henie's hair tips, adding a hood.

"Little girl, is this amount of power enough?"

"If you're willing to wait, I can give you more power, more and more."

Its voice carried a terrible temptation, like a bottomless abyss.

But Henie was unmoved.

"No need."

Her voice was terrifyingly calm.

"The professor often told me that I'm sometimes very weak, unable to learn decisiveness."

"But now, I won't be weak anymore."

The magic power in her body was now very abundant. Even she didn't know how much power she had obtained from this creature.

Strictly speaking, Henie still didn't count as a mage.

But her possession of such abundant magic power had become a terribly frightening thing.

Henie could finally materialize all the knowledge in her mind.

And she had long prepared everything.

She began to prepare her chant.

"God of Etherealization... dance..."

As Henie slowly chanted, high-level magic arrays appeared out of thin air. More than a dozen small arrays combined together, merging with the giant array.

"City of Delirious Magic..."

Several magical wheels circled the academy several times, countless runes engraved upon them.

The patterns between the arrays gradually became more complex.

The exquisite arrays operated as accurately as a marvelous machine.

This had already surpassed the level of analysis of third-tier mages.

Soon, Henie passed the arrays over the entire academy, burying them in the ground.

The academy's excellent geographical location was also an excellent array site in Henie's eyes.

She had made thorough preparations.

"Henie?"

"Who?"

Hearing someone call her name, Henie suddenly turned her head to look, and seeing that familiar blonde hair, her gaze faltered slightly.

The name of the blonde girl escaped her lips.

"Erica...?"