After Celia appeared...
Even though it was mid-May, the temperature on the shaded path was strangely cold, and Ansu couldn't help but shiver.
"Student Ansu!" Freya also felt this killing intent and immediately tried to step in front of him.
"Freya, you go back to the church first." Ansu held her back, giving her a serious look. "I still have business here. See you next time."
Although she was very reluctant, seeing Lord Ansu's solemn expression, Freya still nodded softly.
"Mm, alright. But I'm living near the academy now, so I don't need to go back to the Holy Dome Cathedral. Also..."
"Quite reluctant to part, aren't you?" Celia watched Ansu with a half-smile. "Are you coming over or not?"
"Coming, I'm coming~"
Ansu gave a sheepish laugh and followed Celia's lead without looking back.
Walking along the road, observing the witch's volatile expression, Ansu subconsciously tried to change the subject.
"Oh right... Lady Witch, about Professor Duncan..."
There was no reaction on Celia's face.
"Because the assessment didn't meet the standard, his certification as a professor probably won't be approved, but don't worry..."
Ansu told her about the Inquisition of Heresy wanting to send an expedition squad to the ancient ruins.
However, even after mentioning something she should have been very concerned about, Celia's face remained unresponsive as she merely cast a cold glance at Ansu.
"I see."
Ansu's heart immediately became restless because her reaction was too strange...
Whether she got angry or threatened to punish him, he could at least guess her thoughts, but he had no idea how to handle this cold war treatment...
This short walk along the shaded path felt as long as a century to Ansu.
"Um... Lady Witch."
Ansu tried to break the silence again. "The Holy Maiden came over today and went to Professor Duncan's with me. She can help handle our plan from the church's side. My idea is..."
"That Holy Maiden..." Celia suddenly spoke up. "She's really quite willing to help you, isn't she?"
"Well..." Ansu could only nod.
Celia watched Ansu quietly, a hint of suspicion flashing in her deep purple eyes.
"As far as I know, that squad from the Inquisition is directly managed by the capital. Even the former Archbishop Terry couldn't touch them."
"So, such a troublesome matter... she's willing to handle it for you? Ansu, this doesn't look like a simple friendship at all. Why would she take your request so much to heart?"
Ansu was suddenly startled.
Oh no! It's an information gap!
He had no idea that squad had such a background! Yet Freya had agreed so readily, without even mentioning a single difficulty...
Ansu could only smile bitterly in his heart. Who could he blame? Freya just didn't want him to have too much of a psychological burden. He could only blame himself for not being cautious enough.
Was he getting too carried away lately? To the point where he thought he could easily handle both sides simultaneously...
"We really are just friends, but Freya is just that kind of warm-hearted person..." Ansu could only explain it that way.
"She helps a lot of people, really!"
Celia sneered and didn't continue to dwell on the subject.
Ansu thought he could bluff his way through like before, but as they walked out of the path and were about to leave the South Campus...
Celia suddenly turned back and glanced at Freya's small, receding figure.
Her brow furrowed slightly.
Even a fool could see that the Holy Maiden had feelings for Ansu.
Although she was dissatisfied with this, she hadn't criticized Ansu too much because of her teacher's side. After all, she knew Ansu was using the girl, which was beneficial for the mission to find the Chosen One...
But today, she saw a subtle, almost imperceptible dynamic between the two.
Celia felt that the other girl's attitude toward Ansu was too respectful, too deferential...
Was this the behavior a young girl in love should display?
Celia, who originally had something to discuss with Ansu, suddenly made a decision. She ordered flatly:
"Go to Lawrence Manor and wait for me. I'll be back before evening. I have a sudden task to attend to."
After saying that, she didn't even look at Ansu's expression and hurried down another path.
"Lady Witch?"
Left alone, Ansu watched the departing Celia with suspicion.
A sudden task? Usually, when she received a sudden task, didn't she check her Communication Amulet?
So this sudden task is either aimed at me or at Freya...
Thoughts flew through Ansu's mind, and that ominous premonition grew heavier and heavier...
Something's wrong! Very wrong!!
Ansu felt he had to do something, so he subconsciously opened the system panel.
【The following times can be simulated】
【10 minutes later (May 12, 16:28), consumes 10 points】
【10 hours later (May 13, 02:18), consumes 50 points】
【100 hours later (May 16, 20:18), consumes 100 points】
【Start simulation?】
Ansu decisively chose 10 hours later.
【Future: 10 hours later】
【Starting simulation...】
【Remaining points: 68】
...
As the flowery countdown gradually disappeared from his vision.
Ansu opened his eyes in a daze, finding everything in front of him blurry.
"Hiss..."
Why does my head hurt so much...
At this moment, Ansu was not only dizzy and weak, but he also noticed that his surroundings were exceptionally dark.
Not far behind him was the sound of dripping water. A cold, damp air made him shiver all over.
"Where... is this?"
Every time he jumped ten hours, Ansu felt a sense of surreal disorientation, but this time his body felt particularly unwell. He gritted his teeth and endured it, wanting to cast an Illumination spell.
But just as he tried to reach out his hand, Ansu was shocked to find that his hands couldn't move at all!
There was a cold sensation on each of his wrists. Even if Ansu couldn't see clearly, the clinking sound of metal immediately made him realize...
He was suspended by chains!
What's going on!?
Ansu's eyes widened. After adjusting to the faint light, he finally saw his surroundings clearly.
This appeared to be a naturally formed cave. The faint light ahead should be the direction of the entrance. The ground beneath him was slightly cleaner, and not far away was a wooden table with heavy handcuffs, shackles, and a row of magic tools that looked like torture instruments...
Ansu was imprisoned.
Imprisoned in a pitch-black cave at an unknown location...
A bitter smile appeared on his face. He didn't even have to think; this was definitely Celia's doing...
As expected, the unexpected happened.
Understanding his current situation and seeing that no one was around, Ansu immediately tried to gather mana to use magic to break the two chains.
But for some reason, his brain was so exhausted that he couldn't concentrate his mental power at all, making it impossible to cast any magic. He couldn't even squeeze out the mana required for 0th Circle magic...
It was as if he had been drained dry.
The chains made a dull clinking sound again because of his struggling.
Seeing that he couldn't cast magic, Ansu directly pulled out the alchemical revolver stored in the warehouse system. Then, trembling, he pulled the trigger hard at the chains.
Two deafening gunshots echoed in the depths of the cave, and the chains snapped. Ansu fell backward clumsily.
Just as he tried to stand up, a faint smell of blood... suddenly swirled around his nose.
Ansu spun around and saw a body that was also suspended...
A corpse.
Blood kept dripping from the corpse's fingers to the cave floor, making a pitter-patter sound. It turned out that the dripping sound Ansu had heard at the beginning was her blood...
By the light from the cave entrance, Ansu saw the owner of the corpse. It was Freya...
But this time, her head was still perfectly preserved.
Freya's fatal wound was in her chest; a fist-sized bloody hole had pierced through her. The aura of shadow magic lingered, and her heart was missing...
Every time something like this happened, the Holy Maiden was always missing some parts. Ansu was at a complete loss for words...
He took a deep breath and subconsciously looked at the magic tools on the table. He remembered those things were used for Celia's twisted magic experiments.
"Is she going to give me an extreme modification again..."
Just as he was talking to himself with a bitter smile, a flash of magical light appeared, and Celia's figure stood before him.
Ansu slowly raised his head. The witch's figure blocked the faint light, and the expression on her face was dark and unreadable.
"What extreme modification? Are you saying those strange things again?"
Surprisingly, Celia's tone didn't sound that dangerous.
Ansu watched her warily. Celia checked the shackles broken by the alchemical revolver and looked at Ansu again.
She gave a strange laugh. "Ansu, you really... have more and more secrets."
With a surge of mana, the alchemical revolver Ansu was holding was easily confiscated by her.
Celia smiled and walked over slowly.
She stopped in front of Ansu, quietly watching his wary expression.
"After leaving the academy, I followed Freya."
Celia watched Ansu with complex eyes. "Thanks to what she said then, about living near the academy instead of the Holy Dome Cathedral, catching her was much less difficult than I imagined..."
"So you..." Ansu suddenly understood something.
"I used Hypnosis on her." Celia's gaze moved to the corpse, her expression full of mockery. "Do you want to know what I learned through her?"
"......" Ansu was speechless.
The moment she said 'Hypnosis,' he felt that any explanation was useless.
The Chosen One, the double identity, playing both sides, being two-faced... he had too many secrets that Celia couldn't know, to the point where any one of them being exposed could get him executed by both sides hundreds of times over...
Celia leaned in close to Ansu's body, reaching out to gently stroke his cheek.
"Are you afraid?"
Ansu looked at her, still silent.
Lies always have a day when they are exposed. He didn't know what kind of wrath he would face from Celia.
But unexpectedly...
Celia just gently and longingly stroked his cheek.
"Don't be afraid, Ansu. I won't hurt you."
"But to protect you, to make sure your identity isn't discovered..."
Celia's dark red eyes stared fixedly at Ansu.
Finally, she broke into a sickly smile.
"I will never let you out again... you will stay here, stay by my side forever!"
Rate on N.U.
