Yan Yi was still smug about snagging free labor when his own situation took a turn.

He glanced at the D and E markers on the Quest Tower, then at the glaring red F on his student ID. His expression froze completely.

It was like a lazy kid suddenly having a change of heart, only to realize with despair that he’d fallen hopelessly behind.

Entering the tower was easy. Accepting quests? Nearly impossible. Though his material-gathering trip wasn’t technically a quest, he needed an excuse to leave campus.

After some thought, getting special permission from Ward seemed plausible—but not now. Raising his own rank was out of the question. Only one option remained. Steeling himself for the inevitable fleecing, Yan Yi trudged off with a heavy heart.

He’d have to find someone to carry him.

Moving unseen at his speed, he quickly located one target: Interle.

She wasn’t with Luris—understandable, given their different studies. Yan Yi found her alone in a corridor, lost in thought.

"Yan Yi? What’s up?"

Interle was curious about his sudden appearance after two days’ absence. One look at his face told her he needed a favor.

"Uh… where’s the young lady?"

Yan Yi didn’t dare negotiate with *her*. The young lady felt safer.

Interle’s expression didn’t flicker. Her tone stayed perfectly even.

"Luris is training hard to get stronger. Her afternoon’s packed with classes. Poor Yan Yi—besides us two, he has no other friends."

Her words struck like a dagger, cutting off his retreat. Yan Yi nearly tumbled off the railing he’d been leaning on.

He steadied himself, shaken. *This* was exactly why he’d avoided her. But he gritted his teeth and decided.

"Can you help me with something?"

A slow, deepening smile spread across Interle’s face. A chill ran through Yan Yi.

---

At the D/E Quest Tower registration desk, the administrator stared at them, speechless.

"Quest: Collect Fifty Molara Mountain Sky Blossoms. Description: Sky Blossoms grow at Molara Mountain’s base. Used for magic circle engraving. Low-level Magical Beasts inhabit the area. Requirement: One Class D or two Class E students. Reward: Twenty-five silver coins. Correct?"

The administrator kindly reread the details for confirmation.

"Mm-hmm. That’s the one. Register us quickly," Interle smiled.

The administrator checked their IDs again. One Class C+… and one Class F…

*You two wandered into the wrong tower!*

*One of you needs the beginner’s tower. The other needs remedial training!*

Interle could practically hear her thoughts. *You’re looking at a Demon Ascension expert playing innocent. He’s far more shameless than I am.*

Yan Yi’s heart ached. Interle’s price for help? The entire reward. Not a single coin spared.

But he had no choice. He’d actually planned to hunt a Magical Beast deep in Molara Mountain and mine some ore. He should be grateful she hadn’t taken *those* spoils.

The administrator sighed. Rules could bend—Interle’s peak Class C strength could easily cover for Yan Yi. But why would a top-tier student waste time on beginner quests?!

Resigned, she processed their registration. Considering the distance to Molara Mountain, she added:

"You have two days. Fail to return, and you’ll face penalties for unauthorized absence."

"Understood. Thanks."

They collected their gear and left with the quest slip.

After packing dried rations, they hired a carriage outside the academy gates, heading for Molara Mountain.

The mountain wasn’t far—they could finish in half a day. The two-day limit was purely for emergencies.

"Been hitting the library?"

Bored in the carriage, they caught up on the past two days.

"Yeah. Just realized… I forgot to eat."

Hunger finally hit Yan Yi. He grabbed his rations. He *could* go without food, sleep, or water for long stretches—but why suffer unnecessarily?

Interle watched him strangely. She couldn’t picture Yan Yi studying. If she ever saw it, she’d doubt her own eyes.

"What about you? Luris made Class B and trains harder than ever. But you haven’t ranked up yet. Girl, this is the age to strive. Don’t slack off."

Yan Yi’s lecturing tone made Interle almost snap, *You’re the last person who should say that!* But remembering he’d spent two days in the library, the words died on her lips.

His face instantly shifted to smug triumph. *He did that on purpose.* Interle bristled. Strangers avoided provoking her. Acquaintances feared it. Yan Yi? He’d shrug and keep poking her just to land one good jab. *Worth it!* *Hahaha!*

The epitome of shameless masochism!

Interle sighed inwardly. Retaliation was necessary.

She pulled a small, transparent stone from her gear—identical to Liette’s mana tester, but smaller. She tossed it in her palm for Yan Yi to see. It glowed yellow…

Yan Yi froze. He never expected Interle to carry such a stone. And that glow—Class B mana.

Seeing his face, Interle felt immensely satisfied. *Of course I carry this. Basic prep for scheming.* Time to twist the knife.

"Unlike *some people*," she chuckled, "who don’t even get a chance to rank up."

Yan Yi felt a sword pierce his heart. He nearly choked on blood. He stayed silent for the rest of the ride, staring blankly out the window. *Can’t beat her. Better hide.*

Unlike Luris—who’d been stuck at peak Class C due to her Unique Magic’s complexity—Interle simply didn’t try. She’d fallen behind even among noble heirs, yet showed no concern. To her, watching human emotions—joy, sorrow, betrayal, ugliness—was far more fascinating than mana growth. She preferred to be the puppeteer, never the hand. (Luris’s incident was her only misstep.) Most of her time went to… creative diversions.

Only her parents, Luris, and Juben knew her true nature. Not even Xiamu had noticed.

Yan Yi had suspected "sweet on the outside but dark within" from the start. Connecting the dots was easy.

Undeniable, though: she was terrifying. Beyond her demon’s smile, she’d never been held back by mana limits. Advancement came effortlessly.

Knowing this—and her audacity to scheme even within the Realm of Magic—her family didn’t pressure her. (They were frankly intimidated.) Yet they hadn’t canceled her engagement either.

Her fiancé’s family was immense. Not the strongest, but one of humanity’s two ruling powers: the Royal Family.

Her fiancé? The current Crown Prince.

Interle couldn’t care less. Her enrollment at Central Academy proved it: she came for herself, not just to accompany her only friend at the time. She’d never met the prince; he’d never met her. If he proved boring and tried to control her? She’d dismantle the Royal Family. She was close to having that power now. With Yan Yi’s existence… she already did.

As for Yan Yi? She was intrigued. Initially, she thought she might *like* him—he was interesting, seemingly seeing past her facade from day one. (Yan Yi: *Misunderstanding. I regret it now…*) That’s why she showed him her scheming side.

But observing him longer, she sensed his hidden depths—and the profound, silent loneliness beneath his surface.

Only someone as thoroughly off-track as herself could see it. So she chose to watch. She was deeply curious about how Yan Yi’s relationships with others would evolve.

This was Interle. A heretic in the Realm of Magic. A demon beneath an angel’s guise. Humanity’s… well, oddity.

Silence filled the carriage until it reached its destination. A mountain peak towered into the clouds. Distant views had been impressive; up close, its grandeur stole the breath. Molara Mountain.