Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 291 Beauty
Beside the core ceremonial array.

An stared at the intricate patterns carved on the ground and the immense energy gathered within them, standing there for a long time.

At this moment, having almost forgotten her injuries, Ann finally took a few steps forward. Then she couldn't help but look back in the direction where Ritas was.

At this moment, Ritas was talking to the disc in his hand and to the extremely suspicious-looking Misri.

Seeing that no one would stop her, An turned around and took a few more steps forward, but as expected, she hesitated and turned her head back.

This scene, which had occurred twice before, saw Ann still looking back, and their eyes met those of Ritas.

Although he wasn't staring at her, he had somewhat noticed Ritas pacing back and forth. After a sigh, he took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

Is there anything else you'd like to say, Your Highness?

It can only be said that people who completely disregard social etiquette are certainly troublesome. But people who place too much importance on these aspects can also be problematic at times.

“You can call me ‘Ann’ as before, Professor Ritas.”

Before the ceremony, Ritas and Ann had a private conversation.

"I don't mind how you address me. But will there be another opportunity like this in the future?"

Faced with Ritas's question, and this professor who seemed to know everything, Ann remained silent for a moment.

"I think there will still be a chance. But no matter what the outcome, from now on I will no longer be the third princess of the Holy Kingdom of Libera."

Listening to Anne's words, Ritas wanted to say something about Adeline, but after thinking about it, he decided against it.

That was, after all, a matter between them. Now that things had come to this, he no longer wanted to get involved in such troublesome matters.

"Professor, was this the plan from the very beginning?"

Looking sideways at the dazzling light emanating from the ritual array, An asked.

"Ah."

"May I ask, 'Why?'"

"Because... there is no better way to deal with these powers than to hand them over to Ms. An. I cannot stop the teacher's plan through the usual methods. Therefore, the only option is to rely on the ritual array left by Princess Vivian. And once the ritual array is used, these powers will inevitably become something that only you can use smoothly."

Ritas shook his head and said,
"Moreover, even if I were to temporarily possess these powers, I would not dare to use them later. These were things taken from the two sages. If they were to fall into my hands, whether or not I use them, it would only bring more disaster."

Even though he did something that day that would surely shock the entire continent if it got out, Ritas's thoughts remained clear and rational.

"In that case, the professor should have a proper discussion with me."

“If I had consulted with Ms. An, then it wouldn’t be ‘my’ own plan.”

Ritas continued shaking his head.

There are some things that other people simply cannot understand.

On the surface, it seems most logical for the two sages, Ritas and Ritas, to intervene after the magical battle today has been thoroughly weakened. However, in reality, this is absolutely not the way to go.

He had to strictly define his position and indicate his camp in order to ensure that he was merely "hindering" Livis, rather than becoming a complete enemy of his teacher.

"Since there is an explosive barrel in the academy that is destined to explode, I will detonate it myself."

That's all Ritas explained.

His concerns are beyond the comprehension of outsiders, and there is no need for them to be understood.

"So, setting the final ritual formation in this location, instead of the 'Leviathan Institute,' is also to distance myself from me?"

An was unsure how to process her feelings.

It was an event far exceeding its initial scale, involving the intervention of two wise individuals. And yet, as the biggest beneficiary of this event, she was told, "It has nothing to do with you."

"No, that's not it. It's just that there are fewer people here. I can't guarantee that the teacher won't try to disrupt the ceremony with the mentality that if they can't have it, no one else can either. And if the teacher attacks, it will be easier to take refuge in a less populated area, and there will be fewer casualties."

"."

"Is Ms. An hesitating because she wants to figure these things out?"

Although a few more minutes wouldn't make a difference now, Ritas clearly hoped the matter would end as quickly as possible.

After all, the Tree Witch had punched a black hole in the sky. It was only a matter of time before the world became aware of the major event at Erles Academy.

"It's not just an analogy. If you woke up tomorrow—no, sometime in your childhood—and found that you had been deposed as the king of this country, how would you feel?"

“I would feel that this country is beyond saving.”

Ritas shrugged his hands, which weren't holding the disc, demonstrating his sense of humor.

Seeing Ritas's relaxed demeanor, there was indeed nothing more to say. Or perhaps, feeling that further delay would only make him look foolish, he breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, and walked into the ritual array.

With the final piece of the puzzle filled in, a mysterious and ancient ceremony officially began.

The power of several ritual arrays converged on the ritual array located in the direction of Ritas and the others, thus enveloping Anbao in the center.

During the ceremony, Ritas had one more thing to do.

"Are you sure you want to accept the 'blessing,' Miss Misley? Although today is indeed an extremely rare opportunity, and there's virtually no chance of failure, you need to understand that the 'star mark' itself isn't necessarily beneficial to everyone."

"Exactly, exactly! Missy, you really need to think this through. Although the specifics are still unclear, judging from what happened to Melsie, there might be something unclean mixed in with the 'Star Mark'!"

What about Melcy's side?
Ritas, who was busy fighting a magical battle and hadn't heard anything about what had happened on Mercy's side, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"I just want to get rid of those 'marks' rather than the star pattern."

Misri said firmly, then knelt before Ritas and the goddess of bathing, making a devout prayer gesture.

Ritas and the goddess of the bath exchanged a glance, deciding that since she had already said so, there was no need to say anything more.

After making some simple preparations, Ritas drew a magic circle centered on Misri, and then removed the black veil that Misri always wore.

The moment Mary and the other onlookers saw Misri's face, they almost let out an impolite gasp. Misri's face was covered in a jagged array of marks that resembled both black and rotting flesh.

Unlike those who might have a few tattoos as embellishments, the brand on Misri's face completely ruined half of her appearance.

Looking at only the other half of her face, Misri is still a very beautiful young woman. But it is precisely because of this contrast that Misri's entire face gives onlookers a creepy feeling, similar to the uncanny valley effect.

Simply by revealing her full appearance, Misri was already unconsciously clenching her teeth. Clearly, this was an extremely painful experience for her.

Perhaps, for this girl whose eyes are always filled with the fire of ambition, her previous words, which seemed to show that she didn't care much about the power of "star patterns," were not from the bottom of her heart.

But her desire to remove those marks was undoubtedly sincere and intense.

The more naturally beautiful someone is, the more they are showered with attention and adulation based solely on their looks. Therefore, the sense of defeat and despair they feel when they lose those qualities will be even more intense.

Similarly, if one day those things could be regained.
Ritas, whose wand was broken, borrowed a wand from Einfield and began casting spells.

The various magic arrays derived from the laws of the "Star Mark Emblem" were the things that Ritas studied most intently and frequently that year.

The magic is something I've always mastered and am completely confident in.

Even though many have dissipated, the number of magical particles remains enormous.

And, not long ago, we had a successful "experiment" experience.

With all the favorable conditions combined, Ritas naturally had no chance of failure.

Inside the magic circle, Misri, who was tightly gripping her arm, suddenly seemed to be enduring immense pain. Even with veins bulging on her forehead as if about to burst, Misri stubbornly remained silent, refusing to utter a single cry.

Her body emitted a faint fluorescent glow.

The brand on his face began to gradually change color.

That was a brilliant gold.

As time went on, the golden light grew to its peak intensity.

As if erupting suddenly, dazzling golden light completely enveloped Misri's entire body. Every inch of her skin glowed with gold, and the surrounding ground also began to turn golden.

That was a scene where the star pattern was about to go berserk, or rather, it had already begun to go berserk.

Similarly, Ritas successfully transformed the "brand" into a normal star-shaped mark.

Perhaps, others would be at a loss in the face of the rampaging Star Pattern. But for the experienced Ritas...
After he had put on dozens of layers of protective barriers, he pasted a few pre-prepared pages of magic books onto Misri's face.

The golden light faded rapidly. As if all her strength had been drained, Misri collapsed to the ground.

Ritas observed carefully. Only when he saw the star pattern that had replaced the brand on Misri's face gradually fade and disappear completely did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Although Misri's situation is special and there are many prerequisites.

However, Ritas did create a star pattern.

As a gentle breeze stirred, the energy consumed by the magic circle turned to ashes and scattered. The magic circle originating from the star pattern, now vanished without a trace, gradually lost its mystery and intricacy in Ritas's eyes, and...
Close your eyes slightly to drive away any unnecessary emotions that arise in your heart.

Ritas turned his gaze to the white cat, who was also watching.

This will be used for the experiment next time, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
The white cat, who had been licking its paws, shivered involuntarily at the sudden chill.

"The mirror is here, close to my body."

It wasn't until Misri's faint voice rang out that Ritas realized that the girl who had awakened her Star Mark for the first time and caused it to go berserk hadn't fainted.

At Misri's request, Ritas took out a small mirror that she always carried with her, which looked somewhat like a pocket watch.

Ritas turned the mirror over and looked at the many cracks on it, which most likely hadn't appeared that day. He simply placed it in Misri's hand.

Looking at her flawless reflection in the mirror, Misri's weak face revealed a smile that seemed to eclipse everything around her before she lost consciousness, completely satisfied.

After resolving the matter with Misri, Ritas used the excuse of sending her and the equally "asleep" elven guards to rest to let Mary and the others leave the area around the ritual circle, leaving Ritas behind with only the white disc.

"How long will this ceremony last, Ann?"

"Is it because you haven't taken a shower for twenty minutes, and you're missing the temperature of the bathwater?"

"What?! Twenty minutes?! I haven't showered for most of the day! Ah, you've reminded me, but I can't go now. You have something to say to me later, right? What if I happen to not be there?"

"I don't think there's any difference between the goddess of bathing being present and me recounting it afterwards."

As they gazed at the sphere of light within the ritual array, which seemed to be nurturing something, Ritas and the Goddess of Bath chatted idly.

Once An's ceremony was complete, Ritas had some questions he wanted to ask.

For Ritas, he had essentially achieved all his objectives for the day. Therefore, the information and intelligence he could obtain from An could only be considered "additional rewards."

However, based on the content of that information, these additional rewards might be the most valuable to Ritas.

When will An's ritual finally end?
Just as such doubts arose in Ritas's mind.

Suddenly, a somewhat ethereal girl with only one wing flew out from the ball of light within the ritual array. Without giving Ritas any time to refuse, she embraced him from the front and dragged him into the ritual array as well.

Everywhere you look, there is a dazzling galaxy.

The vastness of the night and the brightness of the stars, while inspiring awe in those who witness this scene, may also raise some questions about their own insignificance.

And this very scene was right beneath their feet.

As if he were above the stars, looking around at the strange scenery, Ritas finally fixed his gaze on the dignified figure standing in front of him.

"Please don't take offense, Professor. There are some things that professors are curious about that can only be said 'here'."

Anne spoke as the undisguised "Third Princess," with one silver wing spread out, just as she did when wielding the power of the star pattern.

Ritas couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he vaguely sensed that the Ann standing before him was different from anyone else he had ever seen before.

(End of this chapter)