Chapter 86: My Demonic Will and Magic Power Reign Supreme

There was a teacher without any magical power at Rhine Academy of Magic, and this news quickly spread throughout the entire Holy Empire. It was a significant event, and soon, eager gossipers started to connect him to the world’s only Archmage, since both held unique titles. Some even claimed that Ruby ranked higher than Magiuna, perhaps as an ultra-rare SSR-level figure. After all, no matter how slim the odds, a magician could become an Archmage, but no amount of effort could make one into a person completely devoid of magic. To people in this world, losing all magic was tantamount to being dead.

If the old magicians who wanted to dissect Ruby for research banded together, they could easily conquer a small nation. Yet whenever they tried to enter Rhine Academy to seek out this extraordinary individual, they were met with the same four words from the Ice Saint: "No comment." Despite repeated requests for Principal Harvey to show them some respect, the stubborn old man refused to let anyone meet him, as if his entire fortune and life depended on it, which was truly perplexing.

Harvey was helpless before this group of elders ready to break all decorum with him. The principal suffered in silence, unable to explain that only he knew Ruby was backed by an Archmage. If Magiuna were angered, even these old bones together wouldn’t be enough for her to dismantle with a single hand.

Outside rumors were completely unknown to the Archmage herself. At that moment, she was napping on her desk, white eyelashes fluttering adorably with each breath. Such a lovely sight made many male students lose interest in the lesson, their eyes fixed on Magiuna, unable to look away.

“Who will draw this magic array... You, the one sleeping in class, get up and answer!”

The Dean was passionately lecturing from the podium, striving to impart all his lifelong knowledge to the students. But he noticed a discordant scene—one girl sleeping in class, and worse, she was influencing others to ignore the lesson. How could he tolerate such behavior in the sacred classroom? He would not allow it.

“Magiuna, wake up,”

Seeing the old teacher fail to rouse Magiuna, Alicia quietly crawled onto her shoulder and whispered a reminder.

“Huh, is it time to eat?”

Magiuna woke with a start, stretched lazily, and asked in a daze. She wasn’t particularly tired; it was just that the Dean’s course on defensive magic was so dull, it sounded like a lullaby and had lulled her to sleep.

“I want you to answer the question! Don’t think you can act out just because you’re Principal Harvey’s personal apprentice. If you can’t answer, go stand in the hallway as punishment!”

The Dean slammed his podium in frustration. During Magiuna’s test, he had realized she wasn’t easy to handle, but never expected her to disregard him so boldly.

“This magic array is primarily for absorption, with defense as a secondary function. But it has some flaws. If it were up to me, I’d modify it like this—after absorbing the enemy’s attack, it could return it with double the force. What do you think?”

Magiuna stared at the floating magic array above the podium for a few seconds, then quickly used her own magic to sketch an improved version in the air.

“I... I wanted you to copy my magic array exactly!”

The Dean was dumbfounded. Was this the power of a personal apprentice? To so easily improve upon the array he had drawn himself? Seeing the students cast doubtful glances his way, the old teacher awkwardly shifted the topic.

“Even if you’re talented, this learning attitude won’t let you progress far as a magician. Advancement requires diligence and study. With this attitude, what kind of magician do you expect to become?”

“Me? I’ll probably be an Archmage,”

Magiuna’s confident reply shocked the entire class. She simply stated a fact with the self-assurance it deserved, but others saw it as arrogance.

“You, you—such wild words! Do you realize how much effort it takes to become an Archmage? The only Archmage in today’s world, everyone knows she went through countless hardships to succeed.”

“No, no—that’s just a spoiled girl, picky and restless, the kind who can’t survive without someone caring for her, and lately she’s gained a bit of weight.”

Magiuna, for reasons unknown even to herself, began to mock herself, listing every fault Ruby had ever pointed out.

“You dare insult the Archmage so openly? Out! Go stand in the hallway!”

The Dean’s hand trembled as he pointed at Magiuna. For all magicians, the Archmage was a figure of faith, proof that mortals could become gods. Under his furious shouts, Magiuna had no choice but to carry two iron buckets and stand in the corridor.

“Magiuna, you really are enjoying yourself, aren’t you? Is self-mockery that fun?”

Alicia, perched on her shoulder, teased her, sensing Magiuna’s playful mood as she spoke.

“This is campus life. It’s pretty fun.”

“So you’re just going to stand here as punishment?”

“How could I? Let’s go find Ruby.”

As she spoke, Magiuna gathered her magic, causing the water in the buckets to rise up and wrap around the handles, lifting them into the air as she slipped away. The Dean, occasionally seeing the sunlight cast bucket-shaped shadows in the hallway, naively believed Magiuna had learned her lesson.

Hours later, Magiuna’s “legacy” drew crowds of teachers to the scene. They examined the two water spheres again and again, amazed that the magic continued to operate independently after its caster had left. Was Magiuna supplying magic remotely? Even from such a distance?

“My goodness, what’s going on? Is it magic, or psychic power?”

“Could the principal achieve such control over magic?”

“How can she manipulate it so easily from afar?”

“Maybe she really could become the second Archmage.”

The Dean sighed silently. Now he finally understood that Magiuna’s arrogance was not unfounded. It seemed his battles with this extraordinary student had only just begun.

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PS: Thanks to BlueYellow015015 for the 100-point reward