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  Moonlight spilled over the wilderness, creating a tranquil scene.

  Only the somewhat slow footsteps echoed gently in the air.

  Henie, who had left the mansion, was dressed in loose robes.

  In her arms, she carried a white puppy.

  After passing through a deep forest, Henie climbed to the top of the hill behind the academy.

  She was now a bit closer to the moon.

  Under the soft moonlight in the sky, her amber eyes seemed to shimmer in harmony with the moonlight, gleaming brightly.

  Standing at the top of the hill behind the academy, one could clearly see the entire Magic Academy located in the central district of the royal capital.

  Henie slightly brushed back her hair, preventing it from being scattered by the cold wind and obstructing her vision.

  She remembered very clearly.

  This place, the hill behind the academy.

  It was filled with painful memories for her.

  It was also the place where she first made a deal with a demon.

  That time, both the academy and the royal capital paid a heavy price.

  Although, in the end, Devon Reiser took the blame, and the sin of colluding with demons was transferred to him.

  But Henie always knew.

  If one were to truly identify the culprit of that incident, it could only be her.

  It was she who couldn't resist the demon's temptation, became greedy, and almost allowed the demon to destroy the entire academy.

  If Professor Viktor hadn't been there.

  Even though she had also left a backup plan, and in the end, the Greed Demon would lose all the magic it had absorbed due to the magic backflow.

  But the devastating reality that occurred couldn't be ignored.

  "Huff."

  Henie took a deep breath.

  She bent down and placed the white puppy at the foot of the hill.

  "Sleep well for your last slumber, Puki."

  The moment her words fell, a thick magical array instantly rose behind Henie.

  The array was inscribed with incredibly complex runes, so complex that it was hard to believe it was just a third-tier spell.

  Then, the array floated up to the sky and began to spin frantically.

  Countless lights rose from the dormitory building of the academy, transforming into clusters of light dots.

  It was as if some kind of energy was being attracted out.

  And gradually being absorbed towards the magical array Henie had summoned.

  Henie just calmly watched this scene unfold, without showing any additional emotions.

  Suddenly, a strong wind blew from behind, causing Henie's hair to become messy and scattered.

  She was slightly startled, feeling her vision obstructed by her hair.

  Before she could turn around, that familiar voice had already sounded behind her.

  "Tell me."

  "What are you doing?"

  Even without turning to look, Henie could recognize the identity of the person behind that voice.

  It was the person she respected and adored the most.

  Sure enough, when she turned around, brushing back the hair scattered by the wind.

  In her line of sight was the familiar figure in a coat.

  On his shoulder stood a black raven.

  Like a phantom in the night.

  Viktor's appearance was silent.

  Accompanied only by a gust of wind, he appeared by her side.

  But Henie didn't panic, nor did she show excessive excitement.

  It was as if she had known all along that Viktor would appear.

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  However, she still offered an explanation.

  "Professor, I've already requested permission from Principal Rachel."

  "She allowed me to do this."

  Henie was now not only the associate professor of the academy.

  She was also a third-tier member of the Mage Council.

  And, due to her special status, Henie could make requests to the council.

  As long as her requests were within reasonable limits and met the council's ethical standards.

  Simply put, Henie's actions were absolutely within standards and wouldn't harm anyone.

  Viktor calmly looked at Henie.

  Once upon a time, Henie would get shy like a little rabbit just talking to him.

  Now, she had grown to this extent.

  Confident and powerful.

  This power didn't refer to her own strength.

  Because Henie was still just a third-tier mage.

  It was that when facing Viktor, Henie could now maintain her composure, remaining calm and collected.

  Even though the professor in front of her was the person she liked the most.

  "But you should know," Viktor's deep gaze fixed on Henie.

  "That's not what I'm asking."

  His voice was even colder than the chilly wind around them.

  The Royal Magic Academy was Rachel's territory.

  If even Rachel didn't step in to stop Henie, it naturally meant that Henie's actions were within Rachel's tacit approval.

  But hearing Viktor's words, Henie smiled, as if her mood had improved a bit.

  "Professor, I'm very happy that you care so much about me."

  "But..."

  Henie's eyebrows lowered slightly, her voice somewhat subdued:

  "You understand demons better than I do, so you should know why I'm doing this."

  Viktor remained silent, his gaze like a calm lake, deep and cold.

  Demons don't die, because humans can never avoid those seven emotions.

  Pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust.

  As long as there are beings with intelligence in the world, as long as they cannot avoid one of these desires.

  A dead demon will be reborn based on that foundation.

  Similarly, different desire demons will be attracted to beings with the same traits.

  As long as their desire is strong enough.

  "During the time you were away, I learned a lot about demons from the council."

  "So, I began to research the patterns of demon generation, what exactly causes it."

  Since then, Henie had been preoccupied day and night, teaching at the academy during the day, and constantly researching demon traits through Leighton at night.

  Leighton needed anger as food.

  And anger was also the source of Leighton's power.

  As long as there was a lot of angry emotion around, Leighton would become stronger.

  Henie had already experienced this firsthand.

  She looked up, seriously looking at Viktor:

  "Do you know, Professor?"

  "Demons attract other demons."

  Areas with demons present have a high probability of attracting another demon.

  But it's not as simple as wanting to attract one.

  Because they need the corresponding emotions.

  So Henie chose Cocotte.

  Cocotte was the laziest elf in the Kravina household, even humans couldn't match her laziness.

  The final result was that she succeeded.

  She used Leighton's presence, properly utilizing Cocotte's laziness, and successfully summoned the demon representing sloth.

  That is, the white puppy Puki.

  And next, she only needed to know Puki's true name to control this demon.

  Henie took a deep breath and continued:

  "Senior Cocotte's deep sleep wasn't an accident."

  "But she won't be in any danger."

  Elves possess a very magical ability, which is [Return to Nature].

  This was also recorded in the magic library.

  The omnipotent Grand Mage had recorded all the events he had witnessed in the magic library.

  So, Henie understood very well.

  The condition for natural return was that the elf's lifespan reached its limit.

  Coming from nature, eventually dying naturally, returning to nature.

  That's what returning to nature meant.

  Just sleeping doesn't count as a reduced lifespan.

  And Cocotte wouldn't stay asleep forever.

  During the fifteen days Cocotte was in deep sleep, Henie had been observing Cocotte's condition.

  The longer Cocotte slept, the more compatible she became with Puki.

  In the end, as long as Puki "died," Cocotte would wake up.

  And the dead Puki would be replaced by a new sloth demon, so who would the new sloth demon be?

  That wasn't important.

  No matter who it was, the new sloth demon would only be reborn from Cocotte's side.

  Because, after that, only Cocotte's desire for laziness could satisfy the sloth demon.

  No matter how many times Puki died and came back to life, it would never be able to escape from Cocotte's side.

  At this point, Henie smiled brightly at Viktor:

  "I've achieved my goal, Professor."

  "I've successfully restricted a demon, and I've also successfully freed Senior Cocotte from being surrounded by drowsiness."

  If the sloth demon wanted to survive, it had to feed on Cocotte's laziness.

  The reason Cocotte no longer felt sleepy was also because of this.

  "But..."

  The moonlight fell on her, casting a long shadow.

  Henie's amber eyes, however, looked at Viktor with a hint of pain.

  Who will satisfy my desire?

  Henie didn't look at Viktor any longer, bent down, and picked up the white puppy again.

  Perhaps having absorbed enough drowsiness, it was sleeping even more soundly.

  At this point, no matter how much one called it, it probably wouldn't wake up.

  The light from the magical array gradually dispersed.

  And in the academy, the dormitory building lit up with bright magical lights.

  Perhaps due to the late hour, students couldn't sleep, so they got up one by one.

  Viktor also looked in the direction of the academy.

  Under the effect of magic, he could even hear the sounds coming from afar.

  'Oh no, I suddenly can't sleep.'

  'Strange, I've been practicing all day, how come I'm not tired at all now?'

  'Can't sleep at all, might as well get up and study!'

  One voice after another rose and fell, but without exception.

  The students' day-long fatigue and laziness had been completely cleared away.

  It's hard for anyone to imagine that the demon representing sloth could achieve such an effect.

  No wonder Principal Rachel would allow Henie's actions.

  At this moment, Henie looked down at the academy again and calmly said:

  "Principal Rachel knows I'm researching demons."

  "I initially didn't plan to tell you about this, and I asked the principal to keep it a secret for me."

  "But, I was still discovered by you, Professor."

  She regained her composure, turned her head, and looked at Viktor with a smile.

  But Viktor still calmly looked at her, sighed, and asked:

  "Then, tell me."

  "What is your purpose in researching demons?"

  Hearing Viktor's words, Henie chuckled softly.

  As if returning to her usual liveliness, she walked step by step to Viktor's front, narrowing her eyes.

  With a hint of allure, she blinked and said softly:

  "Professor, can you hug me again?"

  This was something Viktor had always promised her, and Viktor was always aware of it.

  So, he opened his arms, intending to give Henie a hug.

  But the moment his arms opened.

  Henie suddenly moved into Viktor's embrace.

  Standing on her tiptoes.

  Accompanied by a light peck, Viktor slightly widened his eyes.

  The moisture at the corner of his mouth seemed to indicate what had just happened.

  He looked down at the succubus-like figure in his arms.

  Her cheeks were flushed, and she had a slight smile.

  The sound of the wind gently passed by the ears of the two, blowing Viktor's coat and Henie's loose robes.

  "Because..."

  But that clear voice lingered in Viktor's heart, refusing to disperse.

  "I no longer want to be satisfied with the status quo."

  """

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