Hypnotized and Brainwashed?

Ansu stared intently at the Witch sitting on the desk, thinking that she really was involved...

A string of related plot points quickly surfaced in his mind.

[Witch of World Destruction—Cecilia], one of the major villains in the late game and leader of the cult [Echo of Truth]. She was also known as the "Black Demon Flame of World Destruction."

Anyone called the "Witch of World Destruction" was bound to be formidable.

According to the setting, she was the most talented mage to appear since the "Great Magic Collapse" a thousand years ago. By the late game, this evil Witch had mastered forbidden magic capable of laying waste to the world. She and the 'Echo of Truth Cult' under her command caused trouble throughout the Empire and beyond, making every nation on the continent wary of them.

Although, at this point in the timeline, she hadn't yet become a true cult leader or gained the immense power she wielded later in the game, killing him with a flick of her wrist would still be a piece of cake. But what Ansu feared most right now wasn't her strength...

It was her as a person—or, more specifically, her personality.

Cecilia the Witch was a thoroughly nasty Scum Witch.

Although the Witch was gorgeous, her moods were unpredictable, and she took pleasure in tormenting and torturing others. But the main reason her reputation had hit rock bottom was—

She had killed several popular characters in the game, earning the undying hatred of countless players and leaving them crying, "It hurts! It hurts so much!" She was the kind of character whose looks couldn't possibly make up for how awful she was.

Of course, that didn't include players whose type was bad women.

Ansu shuddered with relief. Thank goodness this was only a "simulation of the future." He still had a chance to avoid her.

Otherwise, he'd never want to have anything to do with this evil woman...

While Ansu was thinking all this over, Cecilia was watching him too.

Seeing that he neither struggled desperately nor timidly begged for mercy, even in this situation, she grew a little curious.

"His nerves are pretty strong. Does he meet the other requirements for our plan?"

Mary nodded and reported, "Ansu Morris and his younger sister, Vera, grew up in an orphanage. Later, Doctor Morris adopted them, and they became a family. Three years after their adoptive father passed away, Ansu was accepted into Benalu Royal Academy."

"Compared with the wealthy students at the academy, this student has relatively few social connections and no influential background. He'd be an ideal informant to plant inside the academy."

As she spoke, Mary glanced at Ansu, who was tied to the chair, then added, "Even if he's exposed someday, it'll be difficult to trace anything back to us after we silence him."

Cecilia gave a faint, satisfied nod. "Mm, not bad."

"To avoid alerting anyone, you can withdraw from the operation from here on. He can carry out the plan himself."

Mary seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "Understood, Lady Cecilia."

As the Empire's most valued institution for cultivating talent, Benalu Royal Academy had a long and distinguished history. The risk of her remaining undercover there as a teacher was simply too great.

Ansu had been listening to their conversation the whole time. So this was another reason Cecilia had kidnapped him.

Planting an informant...

He just didn't know how that connected to the cult's sacrificial ritual later on...

"Alright, time to get down to business~"

Cecilia leaped lightly down from the desk.

"Let's get started."

As she walked toward Ansu, an unsettling power of black magic, reeking of the forbidden and the tainted, spread through the room.

Ansu noticed the fair skin on her arm quickly develop patterns like black scales. The markings ran from her elbow all the way to her slender fingers, until her entire forearm radiated a sinister black aura, like a demon's claw.

And as she came closer, her appearance continued to change in even more dramatic ways.

Her purple eyes turned blood-red, and her black hair gradually faded until it became long, platinum-blond locks like moonlight.

Apart from lacking a pair of black horns, she looked almost identical to the demons of ancient times.

Cecilia the Witch's extraordinary talent for magic was precisely thanks to this bloodline.

"Lady Cecilia..." Mary's body began to tremble uncontrollably.

The mental Corruption brought on by forbidden magic could quickly erode a human's sanity. At Mary's level, even the slightest exposure could cause unpredictable side effects...

"Leave," Cecilia said coolly.

"Yes..." Mary lowered her head and hurried out of the dim storeroom as if fleeing for her life.

Only Ansu and Cecilia remained in the room.

A magic circle covered in intricate runes had begun to appear around Ansu's chair.

Once this forbidden black magic called [Soul Domination] was complete, Ansu would lose his will and become a Puppet entirely at Cecilia's mercy.

But Cecilia still hadn't made her next move.

She watched Ansu with some confusion. He hadn't shown the same terror as Mary; in fact, he didn't seem affected at all.

"Hm?" Cecilia leaned closer to Ansu's face, examining him curiously.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Whenever I cast forbidden magic, you humans usually get so scared that you have a mental breakdown. But you..."

He wasn't reacting at all. He was even so calm and quiet that it seemed strange.

Ansu was just as puzzled. He'd already accepted his fate.

This was only a simulation; whether he lived or died wouldn't affect reality. The reason he hadn't resisted was, first, that there was no point in fighting someone this powerful, and second...

He'd already started figuring out how to run away once he returned to reality.

Of course he knew how forbidden magic affected ordinary people. In the game, only the "Chosen Ones"—the players—could ignore Corruption. But did his current identity still count as a player?

Strange...

"Could you have that bloodline too?" Cecilia furrowed her brow. "No, that can't be right. Perhaps your will is strong enough. That's a rare sign of magical talent..."

If he really did have that kind of talent, turning him into a [Puppet] would be a bit of a waste...

Watching Cecilia mutter to herself, Ansu could sense her hesitation. A thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"Wait, ma'am!"

Her dark red eyes slowly shifted toward him.

"Sorry, I overheard some of your conversation..." Ansu looked nervous, but spoke sincerely. "If you need someone to work for you at the academy, I'm willing to cooperate! Please, don't brainwash me into an idiot or anything..."

"Oh?" Cecilia raised an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't afraid at all."

"Of course I'm afraid!" Ansu remembered that, in the story, the [Witch of World Destruction] hadn't yet fallen out with the cult's leadership. She was still building up her own people... So if he made himself seem more useful, maybe he could...

Stay alive a little longer?

Once [Soul Domination] took hold, his personality would be erased. That was no different from being dead.

Ansu didn't know how long the simulation would last, so he wanted to gather as much information as he could—ideally, the details behind the campus upheaval two weeks from now.

Otherwise, wouldn't dying be for nothing?

The corners of Cecilia's lips lifted slightly. "So, you're willing to join us?"

Ansu hurriedly nodded. "I am!"

Cecilia regarded him with an amused look. "Working for me won't be easy. Do you know who we are?"

Ansu immediately shook his head.

"Our organization is called the Echo of Truth," Cecilia said slowly. "We're the Church's greatest enemy of the past thousand years. If you're exposed, the Inquisition will take you away at once. And then..."

"For you, even death might be a luxury."

Ansu put on an appropriately shocked and terrified expression.

In truth, to ordinary people with even a little knowledge of the world, the Echo of Truth Cult was indeed a terrifying presence—something that could scare children into behaving.

"Um... ma'am..." Ansu seemed to struggle inwardly for a long time before finally taking a deep breath.

"It seems I don't have a choice. If you'll spare me, I'm willing to join..."

A faint, sweet fragrance drifted toward him as Cecilia leaned close to his face again. She smiled and said, "But humans are good at betrayal. How do I know you're not just improvising and stalling for time?"

Ansu gazed silently at her, thinking, She's right about that.

"Of course I'm not!"

Ansu hurried to say, "If you let me join your ranks, there won't be two suns in the sky! You'll be the only sun in my heart!"

"I'll be loyal to you forever!"

Ansu's desperate will to survive made Cecilia laugh.

"Alright, then..."

Cecilia watched him, her smile deepening, like a beautiful and dangerous poison rose.

"Let's put you through a little test."

A test?

Ansu's heart lurched. He was about to ask what she meant, but the next moment—

His thoughts suddenly grew hazy.

Those dark red eyes staring straight at him seemed to contain some sort of magical whirlpool. Guided by its power, Ansu's eyes gradually lost their light.

Magic that dealt with the mind and soul, like [Soul Domination], wasn't used only for brainwashing. It was a highly sophisticated school of magic.

Cecilia, an expert in this kind of magic, cast the [Hypnosis Technique] on Ansu with ease.

"Tell me what you're really thinking. Will you truly be loyal to me?"

She asked in a calm voice.

Someone under Hypnosis would be unwittingly led to reveal their true thoughts.

"Of course not," Ansu replied, his gaze vacant.

Cecilia had expected this answer. She'd never imagined that someone who'd been coerced would suddenly "switch sides." That wasn't what she was interested in, anyway.

Someone with magical talent was bound to have some use.

"Tell me, what were you thinking just now?"

But Ansu gave her an answer she hadn't expected.

"Villains die from talking too much..."

"What?" Cecilia frowned. "What does that mean?"

Ansu answered stiffly, "Make myself seem more useful, pique your interest, then get more information out of you..."

Cecilia fell silent for a long moment.

Then she laughed in exasperation.

"Well! You've certainly piqued my interest now!"

Her claw, wreathed in black, squeezed Ansu's cheek as she continued questioning him. "If I hadn't taken action, what would you have done after joining the Echo of Truth?"

"I'd immediately report you to the academy's administration, then inform the Church. Several archbishops and the Church's Saintess are currently in Benalu City on business... Under the protection of those top-tier powerhouses, no cultist would be able to lay a hand on me..."

"After that, my sister and I could apply to join the Church and make some useful connections. We'd be set for life..."

Cecilia was momentarily speechless.

This guy hadn't just worked out how to deal with her; he'd planned out the rest of his life too...

He certainly had it all figured out!

The [Hypnosis] ended.

Ansu's eyes gradually regained their light, and his thoughts returned.

Then he saw Cecilia looking at him with a knowing smile.

"..."

Ansu had no idea what had just happened, but the look in her eyes—the look that said she'd seen through everything—made him realize...

He was screwed!

"Should I call you clever or stupid?"

Cecilia smiled cruelly.

"Looks like humans still can't be trusted. You'll remain my slave!"

The tainted aura of magic quickly swallowed Ansu, and the magic circle suddenly blazed with light.

"W-wait!"

The instant [Soul Domination] took effect, Ansu lost all will and thought. An unbreakable command was branded deep into his mind.

Ansu became Cecilia's "property" completely.

When it was all over.

Cecilia patted Ansu's cheek and grinned wickedly.

"Now that's more like it, good boy~"

"Come on, call me Master~"