Ansu Starts Making His Move

Ansu heard Cecilia ask that question and felt a flicker of unease.

The Scum Witch sure was full of herself...

The scene reminded him of the evil queen in the fairy tale, constantly asking her mirror, "Who is the fairest of them all?"

"Of course you're more beautiful."

That was a no-brainer. If he said the Saintess was prettier, the Scum Witch might get so mad she'd turn him into a "new toy" on the spot.

"Oh~" Cecilia's lips curled into a smile. She looked to be in a very good mood.

"The Saintess may be beautiful, but she's nothing more than a pretty face. Her inner qualities could never compare to yours, Lady Cecilia."

Ansu continued with his plan.

This was the "Compliment Group" strategy!

When dealing with a narcissistic, arrogant woman like Cecilia, who was actually a little insecure deep down, he had to move her with "sincerity," crack open that prickly shell, and bring out her tender, sentimental side.

Ansu knew that one day, Cecilia would discover he was a Chosen One.

And since he wasn't getting away from this Scum Witch anytime soon...

Before that happened, he had to use the opportunity of being [Hypnotized] to influence Cecilia in turn, making her less and less willing to kill him!

Sure enough, Cecilia's expression immediately turned expectant.

Like a little girl, she urged him, "Then hurry up and tell me! What's so good about me?"

"Your pursuit of power, your tireless determination, and your unwavering heart, one that no setback can break."

Knowing Cecilia well, Ansu gave the perfect answer.

"Compared to you, the Saintess is like a firefly trying to outshine the moon."

"Your strength and ambition captivate me. The Echo of Truth Cult doesn't deserve to have you or hold you back. One day, Lady Cecilia will have a far greater stage, and the world will witness your brilliance."

After Ansu said those words, the room fell silent for a long time.

Cecilia's mouth fell open in surprise. She hadn't expected Ansu to think so highly of her.

Her fair cheeks warmed slightly, and she lowered her head, avoiding the vacant stare fixed on her.

Clearly, Cecilia wasn't used to being admired and revered.

"I..." Cecilia suddenly felt she didn't deserve the faith he placed in her. She wasn't nearly as good as Ansu said.

After all, no one knew her better than she knew herself. Could anyone else really understand her past better than she did?

Because of her demon blood, people had called her a monster or a devil since childhood, or hunted her down.

The horrifying appearance caused by her tainted magic was practically her "original sin."

Even children from the slums would look at her with fear and disgust when they saw her huddled miserably beneath the eaves. And even after she became the Echo of Truth Cult's "top enforcer," she knew perfectly well that the Cult had only taken her in because she was useful...

Grow stronger. Become even stronger! That had become almost her only motivation.

She had little interest in the Cult's "noble ideals." The restoration of the Ancient Magic Empire and that glittering age of stars meant little to her. She simply loved magic, because magic had changed her life.

Cecilia still remembered the day she awakened her powerful magic at the age of eight and killed the Church's Demon Hunter Squad members who had come after her...

At some point, she had abandoned every trace of sentimentality. She lived cautiously in this perilous human world, with "crazy," "unreasonable," and "unpredictable" as her camouflage.

But today, Ansu had awakened some secrets she'd buried deep within herself. Her feelings tangled, she looked at the boy before her once more.

Her initial bewilderment gradually faded, replaced by worry. She feared this might become a weakness.

And yet she couldn't bring herself to kill him.

Cecilia's smile vanished. She fixed Ansu with a cold stare.

She had to deepen the psychological suggestion! Only someone who would never betray her could make her feel safe.

A toy would never betray its owner.

"Remember, you will never betray me! If I die, you won't go on living. You will be happy only when I am happy, and our fates will be bound together forever!"

"Repeat it silently in your heart every day..."

"Until my image is branded deep in your soul and never fades!"

Ansu could only keep pretending, nodding silently from time to time.

Although Cecilia's hypnosis had absolutely no effect on him,

he was growing increasingly pessimistic. If things kept going like this, would he really be tied to this Scum Witch forever?

No, please, anything but that...

It wasn't that he had anything against Cecilia. Before her life-changing turning point, she had actually treated her subordinates pretty well. And with her constantly in front of him every day, she was easy on the eyes...

But!

The only fate awaiting anyone who sided with Cecilia was to be wiped out by the Chosen One faction, whose "protagonist aura" was maxed out. Justice would prevail over evil in the end...

Sure, he was a Chosen One now, but the deeper worldbuilding of this world was a whole lot more complicated than it seemed. The gods were pulling the strings from behind the scenes, and all of Cecilia's efforts were nothing but "defying heaven's will."

Her ending seemed to have been set in stone from the moment she began studying forbidden magic...

Ansu sighed to himself, all the more determined to jump ship someday. Sooner or later, he'd have to "blow up" at Cecilia.

Of course, for now, he still had to play along.

He'd worry about everything else later.

This [Hypnosis] session lasted much longer than the last one.

After deepening the psychological suggestion, Cecilia still seemed uneasy and asked him one more question.

"Ansu, will you be loyal to me?"

Ansu's mind raced. Now that he knew where she stood, he wasn't going to give her some bland, boring answer.

"Yes, and no."

"Hm? Why?" Cecilia looked a little surprised. She poked Ansu's head, then murmured to herself in confusion.

"Why that kind of answer? Did repeated hypnosis do too much damage to his brain? Has he started babbling nonsense?"

But then Ansu spoke his heartfelt words with utter "sincerity."

"No one is obligated to be loyal to another person forever, unless that person possesses qualities worthy of admiration and respect. My loyalty to you, Lady Cecilia, comes entirely from those qualities."

"Oh..." Cecilia understood.

"I see. I almost forgot—you're different from the others." She gazed at Ansu with a smile. "You really are a freak~"

Cecilia didn't find the answer offensive, nor did it make her feel threatened.

She was absolutely confident she had Ansu completely under her thumb.

Still, his words made her think for a while...

Her teacher, Elder Samantha, commanded great respect within the Cult. She had taken the place of the Cult Leader, a position that had been vacant for a century, and wielded power in the name of the Council of Elders.

That was certainly thanks to her strength and seniority, but Elder Samantha's skill at managing people couldn't be overlooked either. She had several powerful and loyal followers.

Every time she emerged from a long period of secluded cultivation, the rabble on the Council of Elders would be nothing but respectful and obedient. Nothing like what had happened with Elder Hall today would ever occur.

"So..."

Cecilia glanced unconsciously at the well-behaved Ansu.

"Should I be a little nicer to him...?"

[Hypnosis] finally ended.

Ansu looked around in a daze, his vacant eyes gradually regaining their clarity.

"Where am I...?"

After quite a while, he seemed to recall that he was at Cecilia's home. Then he stared in surprise at the Witch before him, who wore a faintly amused smile.

"You... What did you do to me just now? Was it... again?"

"Nothing." Cecilia gave him a faint smile.

"I just had a chat with you. Go back. Don't worry about Mary; I'll back you up."

Ansu nodded uncertainly. "All right..."