123 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

### Chapter 123: Erunyos The written exam concluded quickly, with Wenny being among the first to turn in his paper, following Ishtiya and Aesphyra. Holding a nearly fully scribbled sheet, he basked in the admiration reserved for academic prodigies. He earned this score purely through his own abilities. What? They said he only passed because of Vannesa's skills? Well, that still counts as his own strength, right? There's really no room here to discuss cheating or not cheating, when it's all his doing. Then came the Monday interviews. The interview was much less daunting than Wenny had anticipated. The student council's interviewer asked a few trivial questions, such as: "Wenny, given your understanding of the student council's current structure and operations, do you think adding an extra department would lead to excessive bureaucracy?" Reflecting deeply, Wenny crossed his legs, eventually concluded with a thoughtful answer, "I think, with the current structure, adding a new department might not make it too cumbersome, but it's unlikely it won't add any bureaucracy." "Alright, your input is appreciated, but perhaps refrain from suggesting next time. Go home and wait for the results," the senior interviewer replied with a smile. And with that, Wenny exited the student council interview room. "Good afternoon, Wenny!" With a spring in his step, as Wenny stepped out of the interview room, a sultry voice greeted him; it was none other than Aesphyra, having emerged from another interview room. Ah, what a coincidence! After the incident at the maid café, Wenny increasingly felt that Aesphyra was a harbinger of misfortune. However, every cloud has a silver lining. Despite her layered personas and flirtatious nature, Aesphyra's contributions to the current virtue-ranking are unmatched, with her contributions topping the charts. In terms of contributions, Aesphyra is the MVP, while Shikondell can simply ride on those successes. Yet, with her unpredictability, and for some unknown reason, Wenny realized that whenever it seemed like Aesphyra should be losing virtue, more often than not, he ended up feeling uncomfortable. Wenny began to sense something peculiar, especially since the more virtue an individual heroine lost, the harder it was to deplete further. Therefore, he decided to spread his focus wider and not just fixate on Aesphyra. "What do you want? Calling me out of the blue and then staying silent," Wenny glanced at Aesphyra. "Spit it out." "Is it not allowed to just greet Wenny from time to time? Hmmph, I simply didn't expect to meet you here." Aesphyra moved her foot back, hands behind her back, a soft smile gracing her lips. "Didn't expect it? Get used to it; I'll be in the student council, making even greater strides!" Wenny boasted, hands on his hips, posing as if he was the mightiest. "Oh, is that so?" "That's exactly it!" Wenny maintained his pose for a couple of seconds without getting a response, furrowing his brows. "Aren’t you going to react?" "Hmm? React to what?" Aesphyra tilted her head. "I just said I'd be joining the student council, aren't you curious about how someone like me makes it in?" Initially, Wenny intended to dazzle Aesphyra a bit, hoping to harvest some virtue points, only to be met with her serene response, leaving him slightly disappointed. "Isn't that Wenny's own business?" Aesphyra seemed puzzled. "Pardon my curiosity, but how Wenny got in, or what means he used, doesn’t concern me much, does it?" "Ha, ha??" Wenny was taken aback. Given their history of animosity, he expected Aesphyra to mockingly taunt him, yet she didn’t seem to care at all. "Tut, I see, you're just terrified that I'll outscore you!" Wenny tried to provoke her further. Since he was here, might as well get something out of it, right? "Pft." Aesphyra merely giggled, saying nothing more. "What are you laughing at? Out of words now?" Wenny folded his arms over his chest. "Nothing, oh, by the way, speaking of which, Wenny, have you finished the alchemy homework for this afternoon?" "Hahaha, as if someone like me would miss an assignment?" Wenny laughed heartily but then lapsed into silence, taking a while before speaking again, "There was alchemy homework?" "Who knows~?" Aesphyra, wearing a radiant smile, flicked her silver hair as she turned to leave. "Hey! Hey, hey, come back, Aesphyra! Big Sister Aesphyra! My dear classmate, about the alchemy homework, can you please tell me what it is?" Wenny immediately put on an ingratiating face, moving closer to Aesphyra. "Ah, oops, I've accidentally forgotten what the homework was, but surely Wenny has his own methods, right?" With that, Aesphyra started to leave again. "Sis, big sis! I regard you as my own kin! Please tell me, out of the kindness of your heart, what the alchemy homework is?!" Knowing that grabbing at Aesphyra's leg would sharply increase her hostility, Wenny had to humble himself. A true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm; it's not all about immediate victory! "But truly, Wenny, I just can’t recall it. Maybe you should ask another classmate. Sorry, I have some errands to run. Excuse me." With that, Aesphyra moved her hair behind her ear and prepared to leave. "No, no, don't go! Sis, oh no, dear mother! Save me, if I'm missing that homework, my grades will plummet!" "Pft." "Virtue +30." "Current Virtue: 1434." Darn it! So, only calling you ‘dear mother’ stirs some emotion, huh?? "Ah, with Wenny's reminder, I think I recall a bit; it’s supposed to be Lesser Energizing Potion, right? A fundamental potion for practicing for newbie alchemists, simple to make. Check your textbook when you get back." Saying this, Aesphyra spun around and left, seemingly satisfied with whatever advantage she had taken. Tut! Wenny pursed his lips, having this gnawing suspicion that somehow, Aesphyra managed to drain virtue from him. Does she also have a virtue system? No way. With how morally ambiguous she is, Aesphyra can't possibly have a virtue system. Maybe a ‘lack of virtue’ system, if anything. "No choice, too many things piled up this week, I guess I forgot," Wenny shook his head helplessly. "Oh and, Wenny, I have some good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?" "Huh? What's this about? And why are you back again? Gave me quite a scare." Looking at the returning, mischievous silver-haired girl, Wenny arched an eyebrow. "So, which one? The good or bad?" Aesphyra asked, her smile as bright as ever. "I'm inclined to believe that from you, there can't possibly be any good news." Wenny replied grudgingly. "The good news is that the Lesser Energizing Potion is extremely easy~ No need for heat control or fire affinity. Even a child could make it by following the steps." "And the bad news?" Wenny suspected she was insulting his intelligence. "The bad news is, the alchemy class this afternoon is moved up; it’s the first session." "Wha-what?!" Wenny's eyes went wide. "So, it means..." "Yup, yup, it means Wenny has no chance to finish the assignment and will have to attend class empty-handed," Aesphyra said, akin to a carefree sprite, before disappearing altogether. "Aaaah!..." Consequently, Wenny attended the afternoon alchemy class empty-handed. The result was quite awkward; imagine everyone else holding their textbooks and assignments while Wenny just had his books, clasping his hands together, occasionally meeting the curious glances of his classmates. Is this some kind of potion only visible to the brilliant? "Wenny, could you explain the reason to me?" "I'm sorry, teacher. I've been swamped this week and forgot to do it." Wenny was surprised that Teacher Sif, having already known he hadn’t submitted his work, hadn’t called him out in class. Instead, she waited until after class to address it, affording him some dignity. Wenny felt both touched and a bit embarrassed. "Alright, I won't deduct any credits this time, but you need to stay alert in the future, okay?" Teacher Sif's gentle tone carried a hint of admonishment. "Thank you, teacher!" Wenny responded gratefully. "However, you'll still need to complete the assignment. Come to my office after your classes this evening." "Understood." Wenny was relieved—not having his credits deducted was blessing enough; he couldn’t expect anything more. After school, Wenny went to the location Teacher Sif mentioned, following the tall elf woman to a basement. Trailing behind her gave Wenny the feeling of being summoned to the teacher's office for neglected homework in his past life. Oddly enough, it felt no different. "Teacher, is your office really here?" Wenny asked, surprised as he looked around at the array of books and the alchemical cauldron with empty glass bottles that dominated the center. "Yes, it's quiet here, and I won’t be disturbed during experiments." Sif smiled. Who would have guessed this beautiful elf enjoyed burrowing into basements like a goblin? Then again, those in academia often have a bit of a reclusive streak. As Wenny curiously looked around, his attention was captured by a sculpture in the center of the alchemy lab. The sculpture was unavoidably eye-catching. It depicted a dark, monstrous figure with a spider-like lower half, body creased with ridges, and an upper part bristling with octopus-like tentacles. What stood out most was the vague, torturously contorted face on its upper torso. This creature had no distinct head or face, or perhaps its face was part of its torso. The added presence of a human top hat on this grotesque creature enhanced its eerie allure, making it look bizarrely menacing. The lower body supported its massive frame with ten tentacles, while countless others from the upper body whipped wildly through the air. Truly peculiar, quite the unique piece of artistry, isn’t it? Could this be a deity worshipped by the sea elves? Given their coastal habitats, such creatures might indeed lurk beneath the seas in this world. Poor fish. "Wenny, there's a cauldron over there. You can use it to complete your unfinished assignment... What are you looking at?" observed Teacher Sif, noticing Wenny's focus fixed on the sculpture at the center of the lab. "Are you interested in this sculpture, Wenny?" "Ah, not really... Just surprised that a deity respected by the elves looks so... unusual?" Wenny pondered. "It's not a deity we elves worship," Sif responded. "Really? Then why, Teacher Sif, do you have such an ugly sculpture here? Seeing this at night might give someone nightmares, right?" Now that it wasn’t a native treasure, Wenny felt no need to mince words. "Wenny, don't you know what this sculpture represents?" "No, I don’t." But he figured no normal person would have such a nightmare-inducing thing at home. "This is Erunyos," Sif replied, looking at the dark sculpture. "Erunyos?" The name sparked a faint recognition in Wenny. "He’s the legendary demon lord overseeing blasphemy, sacrilege, assassination, rebellion, and secret elixirs," Sif explained. "Commonly known as the 'Profane Demon Lord.'" "Demon lord, huh?" "Yes, and because of His dominion over 'secret elixirs,' it's believed He founded the alchemical arts. Thus, many alchemists keep a statue of Him." "But He’s still a demon lord, right?" Wenny didn’t find Sif's explanation strange; perhaps she was used to it. For him, however, it felt as if the sculpture’s twisted face was staring right back at him. "True, yet many alchemists keep Erunyos’ sculpture not out of reverence but as a superstitious way to increase their chances of success." Sif chuckled. "Oh, by the way, Wenny, if I remember correctly, you belong to the Ferris family—or the ‘House of the Saint,’ hmm?" "Yes, that's right," Wenny confirmed. "Nothing much. There are countless tales about Erunyos, but consistently, in these stories, He and the Goddess of Radiance, along with the Saints, are eternal foes." "... Is that so?" (These past days, I've been laying groundwork for the main storyline. I planned to update more, but I've just had surgery and am utterly exhausted. I still have to visit the hospital daily, so apologies for the delay. Please bear with me! (´ω)) 2025/04/18/21/29 [Bookmark for easier reading]