Ansu felt a bit of hesitation in his heart upon hearing Celia’s question.
That wicked witch is quite narcissistic...
This scene reminded him of the evil queen in fairy tales who constantly asked her mirror, "Who is the most beautiful of them all?"
"Of course, you are the more beautiful one."
There was no need to even think about it; if he answered that the Holy Maiden was more beautiful, the wicked witch might get angry and turn him into a "new toy" on the spot.
"Oh?" A curve lifted at the corner of Celia's mouth, and she looked to be in a very good mood.
"The Holy Maiden may be beautiful, but she is merely a pretty shell. Her inner self can never compare to Lady Celia."
Ansu continued his maneuvers.
This was his "flattery group" tactic!
When facing a woman as narcissistic and arrogant as Celia, but who actually harbored a bit of an inferiority complex deep down, one had to move her with "sincerity." He had to peel back that thorny shell and evoke her sensitive, soft side.
Ansu felt that the fact he was a Chosen One would eventually be discovered by her one day.
Since he couldn't get rid of this wicked witch for the time being...
He would use this opportunity of being under 【Hypnosis】 to influence Celia's heart in reverse, making her more and more reluctant to kill him!
Sure enough, Celia's expression immediately became expectant.
Like a child, she urged, "Then tell me quickly! In what ways am I good?"
"Your pursuit of power, your never-ending footsteps, and your steadfast heart that no setback can defeat."
Drawing from his knowledge of Celia, Ansu gave a perfect answer.
"Compared to you, the Holy Maiden is like a firefly trying to outshine the moon."
"Your strength and ambition fascinate me. Echoes of Truth is not worthy of possessing or restraining you. Lady Celia will eventually have a broader stage, and the world will witness your brilliance."
After Ansu finished speaking, the room remained silent for a long time.
Celia opened her mouth in surprise; she hadn't expected her image in Ansu's heart to be so positive.
Her pale cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, avoiding his dull, vacant gaze.
Clearly, Celia was not yet accustomed to the feeling of being respected and admired.
"I..." Celia suddenly felt as though she was letting him down. She wasn't nearly as good as Ansu described.
After all, no one knew her better than herself. Could anyone else be more aware of her past than she was?
Because of her demon lineage, she had been called a monster or a demon since childhood, or she had been hunted and pursued.
The terrifying appearance revealed by her foul magic was almost her "original sin."
Even a child from the slums would look at her with fear and disgust when she hid under the eaves. Even after she became the "number one hitter" of Echoes of Truth, she knew very well that the cult only accommodated her because she was useful.
Becoming stronger, even stronger! That had become her only driving force.
She had little interest in the "noble ideals" of the cult. The restoration of the ancient Magic Empire and the era where the stars shone were all optional to her. She simply liked magic because magic had changed her life.
Celia still remembered the scene when she was eight years old, awakening powerful magic to kill the church demon hunter squad members who were hunting her...
At some point, she had long since abandoned all her emotional sides. She lived cautiously in this human world filled with hidden dangers, using "madman," "unreasonable," and "unpredictable" as her camouflage.
But today, Ansu had awakened some secrets hidden deep in her heart. She gazed at the youth before her again with a complex mood.
Her initial loss of composure gradually faded. She was somewhat worried, fearing that this would become her weakness.
Yet she was also reluctant to actually kill him.
Celia's smile stopped abruptly, and she gazed coldly at Ansu.
She had to continue deepening the psychological suggestion! Only someone who would never betray her could give her a sense of security.
Only a toy would never betray its master.
"Remember, you shall never betray me! If I die, you shall not live on. Only when I am joyful will you be happy. Your fate and mine shall be forever linked!"
"Recite this in your heart every day, repeat it..."
"Until my image is branded into the depths of your soul, never to fade!"
Ansu could only continue to fake it, nodding silently from time to time.
Even though Celia's Hypnosis was completely ineffective against him.
However, his heart was becoming increasingly pessimistic. If this continued, wouldn't his future fate be forever tied to this wicked witch?
Anything but that...
It wasn't that he disliked Celia. In fact, before she reached her life's turning point, she was actually quite good to her subordinates. Moreover, she paraded in front of him every day, and her appearance was certainly pleasing to the eye...
But!
Following Celia only led to one future: being wiped out by the Chosen faction, which was "overflowing with protagonist buffs." Justice would eventually triumph over evil...
Although he was a Chosen One now, the deep world-building of this world was actually very complex. With the gods acting as the masterminds behind the scenes, all of Celia's efforts were essentially defying fate itself.
Her ending seemed to have been destined from the moment she began learning forbidden black magic...
Sighing inwardly, Ansu became even more determined to jump ship in the future. Sooner or later, he would have a falling out with Celia.
Of course, for now, he still had to go along with her.
Everything else could wait for later.
...
This time, the Hypnosis lasted much longer than the last.
After deepening the psychological suggestion, Celia still asked a question, not quite feeling at ease.
"Ansu, will you be loyal to me?"
Ansu's brain worked rapidly. Since he had already determined her attitude, he didn't intend to give a mediocre and boring answer.
"I will, and I won't."
"Hmm? Why?" Celia was slightly surprised. She poked Ansu's head and began to mutter to herself in confusion.
"Why is it this kind of answer? Could it be that consecutive Hypnosis has caused too much damage to the brain? Has he started talking nonsense?"
Next, Ansu spoke his heartfelt words with utter "sincerity."
"No one has an obligation to be forever loyal to another person unless that person possesses an excellent essence that is worthy of respect and admiration. My loyalty to Lady Celia stems entirely from this."
"Oh..." Celia understood.
"I see. I almost forgot that you are different from them." She looked at Ansu with a smile. "You are a freak, after all."
Celia did not find such an answer offensive, nor did she feel any sense of crisis.
This was because she was very confident that she had already completely grasped Ansu.
However, these words also plunged her into a moment of deep thought...
Her teacher, Elder Samantha, was highly respected within the cult, serving as the Acting Cult Leader—a position that had been vacant for centuries—and exercising great power in the name of the Council of Elders.
This was naturally due to her strength and seniority, but Elder Samantha's art of leadership could not be ignored either; she had several powerful and loyal followers.
Every time she emerged from a long period of bitter cultivation, the rabble of the Council of Elders would all be respectful and obedient. Something like what happened with Elder Hall today would never occur.
"So..."
Celia subconsciously glanced at the obedient Ansu.
"Should I be a little nicer to him?"
The 【Hypnosis】 finally ended.
Ansu looked around in a daze, his vacant gaze gradually regaining its clarity.
"This place is..."
After being in a trance for a good while, he seemed to finally remember that this was Celia's home. He then looked at the witch before him, who was wearing a half-smile, with an expression of surprise.
"You... what did you just do to me? Could it be again?"
"It's nothing." Celia revealed a faint smile.
"I was just chatting with you. Go back now. Don't worry about the matter with Mary; I've got your back."
Ansu nodded in confusion. "Alright..."
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