The night blanketed the city, and rain poured furiously.

It was as if all the water in the world had gathered above this city. In just a few minutes, it created a magnificent scene that resembled the end of days.

Mounted knights galloped swiftly across every corner of the city, their horses' hooves splashing in the rain as they relayed the Emperor's supreme decree.

—A citywide curfew.

Tonight, whether in the Upper City or the Lower City District, anyone who wandered outside without reason would be deemed an enemy of the city.

Executed on the spot.

At this moment, even the rats in the Lower City District obediently cowered in women’s arms and under blankets, trembling in fear of the unknown looming outside.

But Moen stood on the deserted street in front of the academy, gazing upward, letting the rain stream down his face.

"One good news and one bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

In his ears echoed the voice of Teacher Mela.

"The bad news."

"The night of the lunar eclipse has been moved forward. The moon’s influence on this city is growing stronger, and the decoding of the Aesop script has failed."

"…As expected. Then what’s the good news?"

"The moon is panicking!"

"Hmm?"

"I said, the moon is panicking."

Teacher Mela’s voice carried an unusual excitement, and Moen could imagine her rubbing her little hands together with eyes sparkling.

What a pity he couldn’t see her; otherwise, the sight of a white-haired lolicon in such a state would surely be adorable.

"When something panics, it’s bound to reveal flaws. I might just seize the chance to take a big shot!" Teacher Mela exclaimed eagerly.

"…And somehow that's supposed to be good news for me?"

"Well… to you, it might also be bad news. After all, the more unhinged the moon becomes, the more unpredictable it will be. I, naturally, am unaffected. But you… uh… let’s just say it’s hard to tell. Some troublesome things have already started to emerge down below."

"…"

Moen was speechless. Truly, the joys and sorrows of people do not align. All he could feel was that this white-haired lolicon was noisy.

"Teacher Mela, may I ask you a question?"

Moen sighed, still looking up at the sky, and asked.

"Bring it on."

"If I were to enter the academy now, could you guarantee my safety?"

"Of course."

Moen didn’t need to turn to imagine Teacher Mela raising an eyebrow as she spoke.

"You’re my student, Moen. As long as you’re within the academy grounds, unless the dark god itself manifests here to fight me, no one will so much as harm a single strand of your hair."

Though her lolicon voice was childlike, her words radiated supreme confidence.

And no one would doubt her abilities.

Because she was Mela Dormir, the world’s only origin-level archmage, the master whom every magic practitioner, no matter how long their beard, would bow reverently to and address as ‘Mentor.’

"I see. It’s good to have someone to rely on."

Moen smiled wryly.

Then, he stared at the sky, his expression gradually turning cold.

Above, in the thick, heavy clouds, a pale blue moon hung high.

It seemed to sit just beneath the cloud layer, and yet, it also looked like it existed in an infinitely distant realm. The eerie blue moonlight intertwined with the dense rain, creating an uncanny, hauntingly beautiful picture.

It seemed as though the moon were mocking him.

The moonlight fell, cold and detached.

This scene was identical to the prophetic dream from the Black Book.

In other words, barring unexpected changes, tonight would be yet another one of those predestined dead ends for him, the blonde-haired villain.

Yet, because of the outlier that was Teacher Mela, this destiny could easily be shattered.

All it would take was for him to turn around, step into the academy, and return to his dorm. There, he could enjoy a long, hot bath, feast on gourmet meals that rivaled those of a duke’s estate, and finally curl up in his cozy bed for a good night’s sleep.

When he woke up tomorrow, he could savor the peaceful academy life he had longed for.

Compared to his first prophetic dream, where he had to rack his brain to survive, this time seemed unexpectedly simple.

But—

"Is this not also fate’s cruel twist?"

A faint smile played at the corners of Moen’s mouth as he placed his soaked top hat back on his head. Without looking back, he stepped into the deepest darkness.

"Teacher Mela, I’m heading out."

"Hmm. Take care."

Moen ventured forward alone, with only a fleeting blessing shattered by the rain.

…

…

"Ah, that foolish disciple has gone off on an errand again. The moon’s madness seems to have stretched on for a while now. Suddenly, I’m left with nothing to do."

The Well of Mercury.

Sea of Flowers.

Teacher Mela, dressed in a pink nightgown, casually cast aside the Aesop manuscript she had been poring over, sprawling lazily across the Sea of Flowers.

The manuscript fluttered to the ground, taking an annotated parchment with it. Upon the parchment, lines of dense notes in an ancient language could be seen. Among them, one sentence stood out, a sentence even Moen might recognize:

—“The serpent does not shed tears.”

Teacher Mela had actually lied to Moen.

Though the moon was indeed agitated, this only further proved how preoccupied it was. Taking advantage of this, Teacher Mela managed to crack a hint and successfully translated a sentence.

But she had no intention of telling Moen. From the moment she grasped the meaning of those words, she understood that curing the so-called serpentification required something far more crucial than mere methodology.

Without that critical element, knowing the method would be useless.

"Still, I suspect that foolish disciple might just achieve this near-impossible feat," Teacher Mela murmured with a mysterious smile.

"After all, he possesses a certain rare… 'outstanding' quality."

As she mused, her delicate brows suddenly arched. With a wave of her hand, the space above the Sea of Flowers distorted, and a white dove emerged from the rift.

"Greetings from the Mitsuyoshi Trading Company. Your order has arrived. Please sign for it."

The dove spoke human words and spat out a small pouch.

"Here it comes."

Teacher Mela rubbed her hands together in glee. With another wave, she tossed the dove something gleaming before unceremoniously flinging the poor creature aside.

Eagerly opening the pouch, she shook it gently over her palm. Out fell… a small, pitch-black seed.

With care, Teacher Mela planted the seed, patiently watered and fertilized it, and then… snapped her fingers.

Beneath the Sea of Flowers, massive machinery roared to life.

The seed began to sprout, grow, stretch out branches, bloom, and bear fruit at an astonishing speed. Finally, it produced… a large, round melon.

Teacher Mela smacked her hands together, causing the ripe melon to split open, revealing its juicy, crimson interior.

"Oh my, being able to enjoy such a delicious melon in this season is truly a blessing."

Hugging the melon, she sat comfortably. With another wave, the space before her jostled, revealing a grand, cinematic scene of brutal combat.

"Hit it!"

"Kick its ass! Poke its eye!"

"Oh, come on, why chicken out now? It’s just a calamity-level monster! Where’s the cannon? Blast it already!"

"You there, called ‘Dodge’ or whatever—how did this year’s Tower of Origin produce someone as stupid as you?!"

Watching the scene, Teacher Mela grew animated, wielding her kiddie spoon like a weapon, furious to the point of wanting to jump in and fight in their stead.

"Sigh."

But in the end, she just curled up and quietly ate her melon.

Her amber eyes dimmed slightly.

She was invincible within the academy, but was still bound within its confines.

…