Chapter 71
“Anyway, if Lian Qi wanted to get first place in the ranking tournament, she was bound to run into them eventually,” Sister Aijieliya smiled and downed the wine in her glass.
“Er, I remember that ‘Get first place in the upcoming Graduation Festival ranking tournament’ was an assignment you gave to Lian Qi.”
I pointed at Sister as if I had caught the culprit— “So, Sister, just admit you’re two-faced!”
Sister coughed lightly, elegantly dabbing her mouth with a tissue.
“Ahem, it’s not about being two-faced. After all, Xubai was also ranked number one back in the days of the Magic Tower. As Xubai’s fated enemy, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting Lian Qi to take first place too.”
I’ve said it before: when people mention ‘That person,’ they all call her the Demon King. No one connects that mass-murdering great demon lord with the student who was once the best at the Magic Tower. They don’t even think of her as human, so naturally, she wouldn’t have a human name. The only person who still calls her by her real name now is Sister Aijieliya. I nodded— “I can understand how you feel, Sister. You want Lian Qi to walk the same path ‘That person’ walked, and then surpass her.”
Sister stood up from her office chair, holding the empty wine glass. She turned her back to me, gazing out the floor-to-ceiling window at the night sky, where the ruins of the Magic Tower could be faintly seen. The wine bottle flew over again to refill her glass.
“Just you wait, Xubai. The person from the prophecy has appeared. She’s a transmigrator from another dimension, just like you. She’s extremely talented in magic, just like you. You must be terrified, right? Seeing her is like seeing your past self. She will walk the path you walked, take first place in the ranking tournament, and finally… defeat you.”
Sister faced the night scene outside the window and drained her glass.
I could feel Sister’s resentment for ‘That person’ in her words. But I understand Sister. After all, the person ‘That Person’ hurt the most back then was Sister, and second was… me.
Sister turned around, looking at me blearily, swirling the empty glass. I think she’s had a bit too much to drink tonight. She had already drunk who-knows-how-many glasses before I even arrived.
“Xubai must be afraid, right? Otherwise, when the Holy Light prophecy was leaked back then, she wouldn’t have destroyed ninety-nine Summoning Gates. Deep down, she’s afraid that a transmigrator from another dimension, just like her, will appear and finally defeat her.”
“Mhm, I think ‘That person’ must be afraid. But Sister, didn’t you say she lost her mind? I find it pretty strange that someone who’s lost her mind would believe so firmly in the Holy Light’s prophecy.”
“Because she is the Demon King who stands at the pinnacle of magic. She’s afraid of losing.”
The wine bottle flew over to pour for her again, but this time, the wine missed the glass by several inches, spilling all over the floor.
I could tell Sister must be drunk for her Manipulation magic to have such a lapse. I couldn’t help but stand up and intervene— “Sister, you can’t drink anymore!”
“I-It’s fine. I’m happy today, so I’ll have a few more drinks.” Sister gave up on magic and simply grabbed the floating bottle to pour for herself. I really don’t know what to do with her.
“But Lian Qi still has the final match against Student Council President Allen Oniste tomorrow. Drink a little less today and save the celebration for tomorrow.”
“The finals don’t matter. Lian Qi was able to defeat Ivan Reyes. I have complete confidence in her.”
“Er, I heard that the Little Overlord of the Silver Spear, Ivan, was Larnitis’s youngest disciple?”
Larnitis was also Sister’s teacher, as well as ‘That person’s’ teacher.
“That’s right. Another poor soul ruined by Xubai—the Demon King.” Sister said drunkenly, raising her glass to drink it down— “You can’t drink anymore!” I managed to snatch the glass from her hand.
“He awakened his magic at age four, joined the Magic Tower at eight, and reached crystal-red magic power by ten. And yet, now you can see what a genius can degenerate into.”
“…”
“Xubai’s destruction of the Magic Tower didn’t just kill all the teachers; it also ruined the next generation—Sigh! It’s so upsetting to think about. Let me have a drink to calm down.”
I held the bottle and the glass in separate hands, taking several determined steps back— “Sister, you can’t drink anymore!”
“Just let me finish this glass…”
“I’ll drink it for you.” I raised the wine glass and drained it.
“Fei’er, you’re still young, you can’t drink…”
“It’s fine.”
Actually, my alcohol tolerance is pretty good. I wonder if it’s because I’m a boy?
“Sigh… You’re not listening to Sister again.”
Sister looked top-heavy. She took one step, then two, toward me, and suddenly lost her balance, falling onto me. So soft.
I quickly put the bottle and glass aside and caught her.
…
“I-I’ll help you to the sofa to rest,” I said quickly. Thankfully, the sofa wasn’t far. The moment I set her down, she collapsed onto it, practically unconscious. The Headmaster of the Magic Academy, one of the Twin Walls of the Holy Flame Kingdom, Sister Aijieliya, actually got this drunk… If anyone else saw this, their jaws would drop.
When it comes down to it, Sister shouldered the heavy burden of being Headmaster at such a young age. It must be very hard, right?
I’ve always been under Sister’s care. This time, it’s my turn to take care of her.
I looked around for a blanket or something to cover her with, when Sister suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Fei’er, do you think Xubai really went insane? Why would someone who falls into the abyss of magic become like her?” Sister’s voice was almost a sob, and it made me feel a bit upset, too.
“I… don’t know, either.”
“She went on a killing spree like a mad dog. She not only killed all the teachers at the Magic Tower, but also all of Larnitis’s disciples. But why did she leave only me alive? What was that supposed to mean?”
I didn’t know what to say, because ‘That person’s’ actions are still a mystery to me.
“Did she think that killing everyone around me and leaving only me alive was her “mercy” to me?”
It looks like Sister is really drunk. She got so emotional that she summoned that jet-black longsword from thin air— “Have I ever told you how this sword was born?”
“Sister, you’re really drunk! Hurry and put the sword away!”
Sister, reeking of alcohol, said, “This sword… I created it with the hope of severing all ties to my past with her…”
I quickly snatched the sword from her hand. Goodness, if she really brandishes this sword in a drunken rampage, the Magic Academy will be in danger…!
“It’s fine, Fei’er. Look how nervous you are. Hurry and give me the sword back. It’s fine, I feel a little floaty, but my mind is actually clear…!”
I hugged the sword and shook my head—I absolutely cannot give it back to her!