"Archmage Sandro is ranked second out of the four vice leaders of the Sword of Order. On the surface, he's a master of wind magic, but he's actually the boss of the 'ghosts' behind the scenes. He's a peak Myth-ranked undead mage. Although he didn't receive the Emblem of Truth for undead magic, that's probably only because he didn't come up with any theories. After all, nobody in the Cloud Tower is more qualified than him to receive the Emblem of Truth."
"… Also, he's also my junior, Heloise. You've really taught so many excellent disciples."
"No, I met him before you. No matter what, he's still your senior."
The silly cat before me was still pretending to be natural. However, as a core member of the Sword of Order, she had personally experienced searching for outstanding new blood for the Sword of Order. From a certain standpoint, she was an elder of the Sword of Order who was even more experienced than Sandro.
"How's your relationship with the Sword of Order's leader who never shows his face?"
"You already said that he never shows his face, so how could we have a relationship? Don't even talk about how secretive Blackeye is. Ever since my identity was exposed, it's likely that all my disciples are under surveillance. That old bastard is probably afraid that I'll steal his power. Otherwise, he wouldn't have forced me to leave back then. Heh, what does the identity of an undead mean to us? He's just finding an excuse to chase me away. "
"… It means that if nothing unexpected happens, you'll never be able to surpass the SemiGod rank of Blackeye."
"Can't you say something nicer? Right, hurry up and improve your personal power level. It's so uncomfortable that a magical pet can't surpass its master's contract. I also want to experience the SemiGod rank of the undead. As long as I recover my power level, how could I, 'All-knowing' Heloise, be any weaker than you brats? "
The silly cat seemed to become angry from embarrassment as she said this.
"… Even if the requirement for non-undead creatures to grow up will be lowered, are you really that confident in breaking through the Triple Door?"
"Of course. I had already reached the threshold, but I didn't even have a physical body. How could I possibly break through the barrier of body and soul fusion? I finally found a suitable physical body, a High Elf body with the blood of an ancient God, but I didn't even get to use it for a single day before you and that Adam dismembered me … The more I think about it, the angrier I get. I want to bite you."
"Damn it, you already bit me, so why are you still talking?"
"Don't move. Let me take a few more bites to vent my anger."
I felt rather helpless as I watched the silly cat bite me from my chest all the way to my neck, and then to my face. I wanted to laugh, but I knew that if I laughed, Heloise would really become angry out of embarrassment.
Since when did the Immortal King of Resentment really become a house cat that knew how to act like a spoiled child?
Did it start from the day we signed the Magical Pet Contract, when we inexplicably got used to each other's existence?
Perhaps it was the day Rose died, and her journey of vengeance really came to an end. At least in her heart, there was something other than resentment, and she did not close her heart in her own world again.
Perhaps it was the day they were destined to reach the end together? In a sense, the Magic Pet Contract was indeed outrageous. It forcefully bound two different souls together.
Perhaps it was from the day he decided to open his heart to her lonely self at all times? Soul communication was much more effective than any language. The lonelier one's heart was, the more they longed for communication.
Perhaps it was from the day she unknowingly got used to the other's body temperature? Perhaps it was from the day she got used to saying good morning to the other every day? Perhaps it was from the day she started treating the other less and less like an outsider?
Alright then, let's not think too much about it. Judging from how her soft and numbing bites suddenly turned into painful bites, the silly cat had become tsundere again!
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't go too overboard! We still have to meet people later. What if my face is scratched? People will think that my grape trellis collapsed. "
"I'll just tell you the truth. You can just say that your cat scratched my face."
"Is that any different from a grape trellis? That's just a common excuse you use when a woman scratches your face! You're intentionally trying to make me lose face! "
Alright then, when the peak-level archmage's carriage stopped in front of us, Sandro was stunned as he looked at me, who was still trying my best to pull off the silly cat that was biting my head and refusing to come down.
"… Second Senior Brother, I'll talk to you in detail after I subdue Master."
"Ptui! You can't defeat me, so you're asking for an outsider's help? Useless man. "
…
What happened next completely destroyed the image of the mysterious Dark Mage that I had worked so hard to build … Who would be able to respect a guy who rolled on the ground and fought with his pet cat for more than half an hour, only to lose when his face was full of claws and teeth marks?
"Image, image! We're archmages who symbolize knowledge and wisdom! Can't you have some sense of shame? "
"Ptui, sense of shame? Is that even edible? Ever since I started following you, I've done all kinds of cosplay. How could I possibly have any image left? You've always forced me to change into this and that. Do you really like pet cosplay so much? Now that you're someone important, you're going to put on your pants and refuse to acknowledge your mistakes? I'm telling you, don't even think about it! "
"… Don't intentionally make it sound so ambiguous. Look at Second Senior Brother, he's so cold when he looks at me! It's like he's looking at Beifeng! My reputation! "
"Actually, there are quite a few demon warlocks who have affairs with their succubi. I'm not biased against them. Although Archmage Roland's interests are a little unique … a little, that's still personal freedom. Yep, yep, I can understand. "
Alright then, I repeatedly emphasized that I could understand. That slight retreat was actually a perfect last hit. But fortunately, Heloise always remembered that this was the time to get down to business.
"Hmph, Roland, I say, forget about your reputation. It's already hopeless. Sandro, long time no see. It's been almost two hundred years. By the way, can't you just change your name to something cooler? That's basically a textbook undead mage name. "
"… This soul fluctuation? Heloise! Teacher Heloise! "
Alright then, the All-knowing One's appearance helped me redeem some of my reputation. With this "Demon Professor" acting as a bridge between me and my fellow apprentices, many things could be directly discussed.
"Do you want to become the leader of the Sword of Order? Do you want the Sword of Order to become a holy land for unrestrained heretic mages? "
This was the first sentence I said to Sandro. It was also the core of our conversation. We had spent quite a bit of time plotting against each other, but we had both obtained quite a bit.
Andrew was even more hurried than when he had first arrived, and he seemed to be sincerely welcoming me. It would seem that both of us had obtained unexpected benefits.
"Is it possible to succeed?"
However, I wasn't as confident as I had been when I convinced Andrew. After all, nobody would be certain that they could win against an old mage who had been in charge of a top-level magic guild for three or four hundred years.
"It's basically impossible with just him. He's far too stupid. Out of all my disciples, he's probably in the bottom three in terms of intelligence. "
I suddenly felt pity for this bald old mage. Just now, he had been having such a great time talking to me, acting as if he was a teacher and his disciple. Heloise had even repeatedly said "the future leader of the Sword of Order" and "my most trusted disciple" several times, making him quite happy.
"How can someone so stupid become the vice leader of the Sword of Order?"
"That's because all those who aren't stupid have been killed by Blackeye. Otherwise, the Sword of Order wouldn't have been suppressed by the other top-level magic guilds even though there are so many heretical mages in the Sword of Order. "
"Then why did you say that you trust him the most?"
"Heh heh, of course he's my most trusted disciple. That's because all my other disciples are far too sly and untrustworthy. Especially a certain someone. It's already good enough if he doesn't betray me. "
The silly cat even glanced at me as she said this. It was obvious that she was implying something, but I simply looked up at the sky and pretended not to understand.
"In that case, we can't count on him anymore."
"Only by convincing him to become a traitor and attract Blackeye's attention will we have a chance at success."
"… So, you have other plans as well?"
"Yep. More than 70% of the Sword of Order's members are heretical mages. They're quite different from other mage guilds. Their resources and research funds are distributed in a jungle style. Many mages are also passionate about power and authority. They're a force that can be used. I really wanted to take control of this organization back in the day. "
"That's why you were chased away by Blackeye …"
"But nobody knows just how many disciples or confidants I had back in the day. Nobody knows just how many of them reached the peak like Sandro. Actually, there was also a vice leader who worked for me. She was far smarter than Sandro. "
From a certain standpoint, Demon Professor Heloise wasn't even on the Calamity Rankings because of her own personal danger. Apart from her revenge against the Elven Gods, she was basically harmless.
The most dangerous part about her was that she often taught forbidden and dark knowledge to geniuses who strayed from the right path. Perhaps it wouldn't be noticeable in a short period of time, but it was just like how an old farmer would casually scatter seeds into the fertile soil. Perhaps the seeds would spend most of their time sleeping there, but there would always be a few dangerous seeds that would accidentally sprout. That would be a huge problem.
Back in the day, Amelia was like this. I was also like this. Sometimes, I would ask myself if my life would have taken a completely different direction if I hadn't met Sandro in this city, if I hadn't come into contact with that forbidden knowledge, if I hadn't met Yongye Yongye.
"No, I know my own personality better than anyone else. Personality determines fate. The me back in the day was unable to let go. Even if I hadn't met Heloise, perhaps the process would have been different, but the result would probably be the same."
I wasn't an idiot who would blame others for my own mistakes. I shook my head and cast aside all these unnecessary emotions. Right now, the most important thing was the present. In order to influence the final conclusion of the Truth Symposium, I would indeed need the full support of several major organizations.
"So, does that mean that it's highly likely that we'll be able to obtain control over the Sword of Order?"
"No, Blackeye has already controlled this organization for several hundred years. I feel that no matter how I plan, the success rate won't be more than 30%. But as long as we prove that we have the confidence to split the Sword of Order apart, Blackeye will definitely come to a compromise with us. We don't ask for much anyway, so he should be able to accept it."
The silly cat jumped onto my shoulder and smiled proudly. She seemed to have seen through my goal.
"Ha, indeed. We won't lose anything regardless of whether we succeed or not. The worst result is that he only needs to support me in this Truth Symposium. "
"… Actually, I thought that you would oppose my plan." Heloise was actually hesitating.
"… Why would you think that? Your suggestion helped increase the success rate of my plan. In fact, I'm quite grateful to you. "
"After all, back in Sulfur Mountain City, you created that set of laws and legal procedures that repeatedly emphasized the process of judgment and procedural justice. I thought that you cared more about the correct process than the correct result. Overthrowing another mage organization and causing internal strife in an otherwise harmonious mage organization isn't correct at all. "
"No, it's actually the opposite. Of course I care about the process. That's because the rules are to be placed under the sun to give people confidence and a sense of safety. But sometimes, I need to make a choice. If it's impossible for both sides to take care of each other, then it's enough as long as the result is good. As for myself? I'm just an evil person. "
I wasn't lying at all. It was impossible for me to lie due to our soul connection. Back when I was in Sulfur Mountain City, my personal prison was filled with evil bastards who couldn't be judged but had committed terrible crimes. Even if I couldn't satisfy the requirements of procedural justice, I could accept it as long as the result was just. But I also knew that I was actually no different from those evil bastards who did whatever they wanted. I was still an evil person who pursued self-satisfaction.
It seemed that the silly cat was quite satisfied with my answer.
"… For the sake of our own goals, we caused others to bleed and even die. As long as our own goals were achieved, we didn't care about anyone else's death. We truly are evil partners."
"Of course, there's no difference between us. No matter what the reason was, some things have already been done. In the end, I'm just an evil person. I've never denied this. "
"Then, my fellow evil person, when will you give me my freedom and release me from prison?"
"I'm truly sorry. Through this incident, I've once again confirmed that you're far too dangerous. For the sake of the world, your punishment will still be life imprisonment with no possibility of bail."
"… That's really too much. Well, since there's no other way, I'll have to ask for your guidance in the future. Comrade prison guard. "
"… I suddenly understand Adam and the others' helplessness a little. Actually, I think it's more appropriate to call us prison mates. At the very least, I've also locked myself in prison. "
"Is there a difference?"
"I think there's still a slight difference. At the very least, prison mates have similar food and treatment, and prison guards can find opportunities to take care of prisoners they don't like. They can even deduct the prisoner's treatment to play with them. They can even give the prisoner a day off … I suddenly feel like being a prison guard is better. Can I change that? "
"Don't even think about it. I'm destined to be an evil person forever. Since you're a man, it's a promise …"
A human and a cat chatted and laughed together in a haunted and desolate mountain. They talked about schemes that were destined to cause a calamity. It was as if they were talking about something interesting in a ghost story. But only they knew that this was probably the happiest time they had ever had.
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