Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

“Yes, Mr. Raymond, in the face of the Holy Light, I feel there is no need for pretense. It is truly impolite of me to formally introduce myself now.”

"No, Lyle, it's an honor to have your trust. Um... so when are you going to abandon spirit summoning and switch to Holy Light?"

"...I have no intention of giving up on necromancy. Mr. Raymond, the master of the Cup of Extravagance, is still waiting for me, and with Nia around, I believe that specializing in necromancy will allow me to better understand her."

Nia emerged from behind Lyle, wrapping her arms around his neck, her mask-like face brushing against the side of Lyle's mask.

"Alright, Lyle, since you insist on doing this, I won't insist anymore. Take care of yourself in Andrei. If you get bullied, remember to come to me. Justice will be with you."

After saying goodbye to Raymond Ellian, Lyle left the chapel and closed the door.

Raymond looked at Lyle's name on the application form and handed it to Elian.

"That talent called Nia, did you see it, Elian?"

“I see it, Your Majesty Raymond, darkness and the abyss are gathering within Jodonia.”

“It’s not just Nia who’s changing, but Lyle himself. The necromancy is subtly altering him. I need you to monitor Lyle’s safety, Divergent.”

Elian looked at Raymond's golden skull.

“You’ve changed too, Your Majesty Raymond.” Elian looked at the stained-glass window in the chapel, at the angel with outstretched wings. “In the eyes of the First Pure One, there is only pure justice. He leads the legion of the Holy Light to eradicate all darkness from this world.”

"You would never have tolerated the spread of darkness. Otherwise, there would have been no Crusades."

Raymond looked at the chapel's simple decorations.

"Andre Academy is truly a magical place. Even I have things to learn. Those clubs, even after I've destroyed them in every way, always manage to grow stronger again. I see perseverance in them; that's the shining point of humanity. Elian, this world has many beautiful things that the Holy Light alone cannot encompass, at least not now."

"So what you've seen has led His Majesty Raymond to become an overseer rather than a judge?"

“I have learned to be tolerant, my sisters, but that doesn’t mean I will go easy on them. The way I’m oppressing them now is precisely how I’m protecting them, protecting them from crossing my line and facing judgment.”

"The Andrei members must hate you to the core, Your Majesty Raymond, if they can hate you."

"I do not care."

……

Back in the room of the Cup of Extravagance, the gentleman had already left. The dragon had come out once to inform Lyle that the formal course in necromancy would begin soon, and not to forget the time. Then he returned to his room, and Lyle overheard his nagging about the dragon soul.

"Damn it, what exactly is a dragon soul? Why do they have it but I don't? I really wish I could kill a dragon priest and study it properly."

Ariana did not return.

Lyle sat in the empty main hall. Nia seemed to be bored as well. She got off Lyle and moved to the opposite side of Lyle's table.

Nia took out a spoon and stirred it in the pretty patterned teacup, which was empty of tea. She was imitating Ariana.

Her movements did indeed carry a certain tranquility, much like Ariana's. In the evil god version, Nia's lower limbs, with their skirt-like, grilled tentacles, mimicked the movements of her arms, and seven or eight teacups scraped together, producing the same sound.

"Nia, what are your feelings for Ariana?" Lyle suddenly became curious about their relationship, because Nia was an indispensable part of him, and he wanted to know Nia's opinion of Ariana and whether it would be influenced by him.

Nia gazed thoughtfully at the central crystal chandelier, quickly arriving at a conclusion. "Nia loves Ariana, loves her very, very much."

"So, between me and Ariana, who do you prefer?"

"Hmm, you like them all?"

"You can't like them all, you have to choose one you like even more."

Nia's fingers clenched in front of her chest, making a tapping sound as if she were struggling with something.

“Nia dislikes Gollum asking this question a little, so she prefers Ariana a little more now.”

She lowered herself completely to the edge of the table, looking at Lyle through the cutlery, leaving a tiny gap between her thumb and forefinger, her voice ingratiating and uncertain, like a child trying to give the right answer.

"I just like it a little bit more now, really just a little bit."

Chapter 189 A Small Misunderstanding

Nia's words eased Lyle's anxiety considerably. He stroked her head and gazed at the tranquil night sky above Andrei.

For the past few days, Lyle had been waiting at the Cup of Extravagance, and the gathering of the Necromancer's Figurine Club members had been postponed. He spent his days in his house researching necromancy, and his nights in the Cup of Extravagance's clubroom. He had also gone to the Blood Rose Bar once to find Beatrice and inquire about Ariana's situation, but from the waitress, Candy, he only learned that Lady Rose hadn't visited for several days.

Until the day I made the promise with Kevin.

Lyle sat in the chair of the Cup of Extravagance, watching the last rays of the setting sun disappear. He gazed at the balcony behind the curtains, the teleportation location set by Ariana.

Hasn't he come back yet?

"I should go to Kevin's party now; he'll definitely complain about my lateness."

……

The evening breeze stirred the lake's surface, creating ripples on its smooth surface and disrupting the reflection of the ancient castle.

Under the moonlight, a beautiful figure stood by the window.

Her pale skin was bloodless under the bright moonlight. She raised her wine glass and brought the clear liquid to her mouth. She was beautiful, and the gemstone embedded in her chest had an eerie charm.

Feeling the intoxication brought on by the wine, Beatrice's face flushed a lovely red. She watched her sisters still sliding through the dimly lit room, grumbling about her dissatisfaction.

"Anna, how long are you going to dawdle? This isn't like you at all. Tonight is your first rehabilitation performance, and you're already late."

The slender figure continued to rummage in front of the wardrobe, different styles and colors of clothes flashing past those soul flames before being quickly discarded into the ghost maid's arms.

“Benny, I don’t know what to wear. I don’t know which one is more suitable.”

"Why don't you just pick any one? You'll look radiant in anything."

"No, there must be a best option, Benny. Do we have a mirror at home?"

Beatrice looked at her sister, who was behaving strangely, and said, "Why would you want a mirror? You know, after the three of us became dark creatures, the mirror was discarded. You never thought of having a mirror."

"But I need it now!" Ariana searched her room for something that wasn't there.

A melodious voice appeared behind the two sisters. It was a beautiful sculpture placed in the corner of the wall, but the sculpture itself had a captivating charm.

“Anna, there is one on my floor. There is a bronze mirror that I carved. It’s in the leftmost room on the third floor.”

"Thank you, sister." Ariana immediately left the room, and the two ghostly servants also struggled to carry her wardrobe out.

Beatrice looked at the sculpture in the corner, her lips gently licking her wine glass.

“Benny, do you know what Anna is thinking? Teasing your sister isn’t a good habit.”

"Sister Helena, I love teasing you the most. Especially when I see Anna looking so silly, I just can't help but want to tear someone to pieces."

A sigh actually came from inside the statue.

“Bini, you have an advantage that we don’t have. I originally thought you would be the first among us to taste that flavor.”

"Turns out I'm the exact opposite of what you thought? Turns out I'm the last one? I have feelings, so I cherish you all more than my own life. And now I see Anna leaving me, and I can't even stop her. You always say that feelings are precious, but now I'm the only one suffering inside. Is this what sisterhood is? Our promise to be together forever is just drunken ramblings!"

"Anna hasn't left you; she still considers you her beloved family..."

“But now someone is vying with me for the number one spot, and it’s very likely I won’t be able to beat them. I understand my father’s words now: if anyone wants to take away my beloved gem, they’ll have to step over me first. I’d rather someone else become a corpse.”

“Benny, you know, just like the fairy tales we read when we were little, every princess gets a happy ending, and so do you, Benny, our little princess. You know what's right, that's why you didn't stop it.”

"It's precisely because I know it's right that I don't even have the courage to stop it. I say that as darkness I can do whatever I want, but in the end, I'm driven by my emotions. I'm such an idiot."

"Oh, my Benny, come and give me a hug, you silly girl."

Beatrice, reeking of alcohol, embraced the sculpture tightly. She pressed her head against its embrace and never looked up again.

"Benny, has the jewel on your chest faded?"

Indeed, the Blood Oath, a blood artifact obtained from Hamletshire, has transformed from a deep, blood-red blood droplet stone into a pale pink color, exuding a strong girlish charm.

"This stone seems to be absorbing the blood I've ingested. The batch of worms that Hamlet had ingested was the last blood I ever drank, you know. I've been drinking heavily and staying up all night these past few nights. So, it's probably drunk on whiskey."

"The vampire's powerful blood artifact has turned into an alcohol extractor inside your body?"

"Thanks to it, I end up drinking more wine every time, which is not a good thing. Don't worry, I'll be drinking red wine exclusively in a few days, maybe then it can at least make me look good."

"Why not a cocktail, Benny? A colorful gem would be much cuter. I remember you have a few skilled bartenders at your bar."

When did you go to my bar?

“I went there secretly once; it was among the sculptures you auctioned off.”

“Helena, you’re such a wicked little thief sister.” Beatrice thought for a long time. “So those bastards who passed out in my bar were actually influenced by you, not by some shitty alcohol overdose? Do you know how much money I paid to smooth things over?”

"It's definitely less money than you make from auctioning my sculptures."

"Well."

……

Ariana appeared on the windowsill of the Cup of Extravagance, dressed in a light blue silk gown adorned with a pearl necklace and lace trim. The moonlight enveloped her like a veil of light gauze. This was the dress she wore during their first encounter.

Accompanying them was Beatrice, who had a murderous look on her face.

"I'm just worried about your safety. After all, you've only just recovered, and you definitely didn't mean to hit anyone."

Ariana ignored Beatrice's words and drew back the curtains, her gaze fixed on that spot.

He's not in now.

"Ariana!" A joyful voice came from the Cup of Extravagance room. She slid over and hugged Ariana tightly, the grille tentacles wrapping around her waist.

“Nia.” Ariana looked at Nia, who had changed, but still recognized her from the familiar feeling.

Why are you here all alone?

"Gulu left me in the Cup of Extravagance." Before going to his appointment, Lyle asked Nia to stay behind and wait for Ariana.

"What about the plague doctor? Where did he go?"

“He was far, far away, at Kevin’s party in Cassandra, where Kevin promised him a sweet encounter tonight.” Nia recalled the promise between the three men and read it aloud from memory, word by word.

Beatrice exploded.

"That bastard left my sister hanging while he went to a singles party?!?"

Chapter 190 The Adorable Evil God

Beatrice's murder declaration echoed around her, but Ariana noticed that her voice was gradually fading.