Chapter 202 – Second Ranker

The nobles and teachers were not the only ones with their own thoughts about the ending of the Entrance Test.

Inside the arena, the students were now back in their seats, waiting patiently for Cassius to arrive at the podium and claim his rightful title.

They were supposed to cry out in jubilation, to laugh and roar in a way that would shake the arena to its very foundations. But they did none of that.

The spectators themselves felt that doing so would diminish the moment, turning it into something less than what it was.

So all of them fell into a reverent silence, waiting for the man who had made them feel this way to step onto the stage.

However, the reactions were not the same for all students.

There were some who watched the scene with nothing but amusement.

Like Aaron, a second-year student, who was painting on a woman’s face. The strangest thing was that he was painting the face of the woman onto her own face.

It was splendid in a way that made onlookers shudder. They could never get used to his talent in painting, despite his blindness.

"What do you think of him, Aaron?" A girl with pink hair and black eyes, sitting to his right, asked in a laughing tone. Her cleavage was left wide open, and between her breasts was the palette Aaron used to wet his brush.

"What do I think of him?" Aaron echoed, continuing to paint calmly, paying no mind to the eyes around them. "Is there something I should think about him?"

"He’s a monster."

"We all are."

"He looks like a bigger one." The girl insisted. "And I mean at the level of The Twins, of Cassandra, of Zakaria, of Soumaya, and... of you, Aaron. Don’t forget, he’s a Desdemona."

"Even if we wanted to, we couldn’t forget that family. However," Aaron turned and locked his eyes on the girl, even though he was completely blind, "the Academy is completely different. There are rules. And anyone can become a monster and devour bigger monsters within those rules. And if I were you, I wouldn’t focus only on the Angel. That Storm boy is quite something too."

"...wait? Angel?"

"Can’t you hear it?"

"Not everyone has your hearing, Aaron."

Aaron smiled. "Listen, Nicole. That’s the name they’re whispering about him all over the arena. Angel, they call him. So now you know, the Palatine of this generation has earned himself a nickname even before entering the Academy."

"Angel, huh?" Nicole grinned, pushing her chest out a little more to make Aaron’s job easier. "Who would have thought a Desdemona would have a child nicknamed Angel?"

"It’s certainly better than Blind Painter. Why can’t these little bastards change my title?"

"Then you’ll need to do something other than paint and be blind, Aaron."

"Something else? The next easiest thing I can do is kill." Aaron fixed his unseeing eyes on her. "Do you want me to?"

Nicole’s eyes curved sinisterly. "Why not?"

Aaron and Nicole looked at each other, paying no mind to the others around them, then burst into laughter at the same time.

They continued talking, whispering about how this new generation was full of interesting monsters.

Besides the two strange second years, there was also Cassandra of Patience, Palatine of the Second Year.

While others watched, she wore headphones and played a game on her phone. The only thing she knew was that another Desdemona had become a Palatine.

’Troublesome family.’

She thought, then lifted her lazy eyes slightly to look far across at where Lucian and Lilien were. Cassandra sighed under her breath and pulled her hood lower, hiding a tattoo on the left side of her neck.

’I need a drink after this. How many EP do I have again?’

All the Palatine wanted was for this farce to end so she could disappear and enjoy her time drinking and playing.

Meanwhile, where Cassandra was looking, the third-year students were listening to Lucian talk.

"You little bastards," Lucian grinned at them, "I told you the youngest would be Palatine."

"He is truly nothing like any of you." A man with a shiny bald head said. "After all, even if you two are still different, you have many similarities with Lady Morgan and Lord Dorian when they were here, from what the rumours say. But your younger brother..."

He narrowed his eyes.

"...he seems so completely different from all of you, yet somehow... I can tell you’re all family."

"Yo, Baldy," Lucian said to the fourth rank of their year, "stop your bullshit and give me my EP already. You’re not talking your way out of this, believe me. You lost the bet. And all of you, get ready. I want my EP here and now."

Then he turned to his twin. "Want some, Lilien? I can give you some. These fools underestimated our little youngest and bet a lot."

Lilien shook her head. "I have enough after blackmailing some second years. It’s fine."

"Again?" Lucian sighed. "You’re going to make Cassandra come after me, sister...for the nth time!"

"So what? She seems to like you. I’m helping you."

"What nonsense is this? Have you lost your mind watching youngest win?"

Lilien’s face flushed with anger at his words. She snapped her head toward him, but said nothing.

Instead, she looked at Isolde, transfixed on the screen, a wide smile on her face, her eyes wet.

Those were tears of happiness. But also tears of pain at seeing her husband in such a state.

’He... worked so hard.’ Isolde thought, her smile deepening. Her tears became harder to swallow as she grasped how much suffering Cassius must have endured to win.

And in the end, he had won with the help of others.

’How fitting.’ She chuckled, wiping her eyes. ’You’re always the one helping others most of the time. You helped me with my whole life. You helped Sarah become better. You helped Meadow in her writing journey. You helped Raven, and even Esmeray. You helped Helene, and even Katherine.’

Again and again, Cassius had helped others to the best of his abilities.

So Isolde truly was not surprised to see him being helped when he needed it most.

At that moment, the words of Ananke came back to her, resonating more deeply within her:

’To receive, you must give.’

Such a simple statement. Yet this was the statement that embodied half of who Cassius was.

’A Villain, huh?’ Isolde laughed loudly enough for many to hear.

They all looked at her. She didn’t care about the stares.

’If you’re a Villain, husband, then we certainly need a new definition of the word "villain" just for you. But then I wonder...how should we define it?’

Her thoughts didn’t come to an end, as the fanclub of Cassius, "The Beautiful Devil," finally — minutes after the end of the Entrance Test — erupted into a roar of applause and laughter after hearing her laugh.

"CASSIUSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!"

"ANGEL! ANGEL! ANGEL!"

The whole arena shook, and as if it were the signal, the Kingdom too began to celebrate.

Helene Mars, deep inside the Church of Death, was kneeling on the ground, her forehead pressed to the floor in deep prayer.

Not a prayer to her god, Vorn.

But a prayer to her angel.

"Finally, Lord Seraph. Finally." Her face was full of tears and snot, her voice a hiccup. "Finally the world knows of your noble, untainted and pure soul that could bear the sight of my filthy existence and still welcome me into your mercy. How great you are! Praise be to you, Lord Seraph!"

She began to sob heavily, unable to control her emotions, clutching her chest as if her love had grown so strong it physically hurt.

"I... must see you. I must! I must!"

Her eyes were bloodshot, filled with an obsession beyond what most could understand. It had been far too long since she had seen him, and far too long since she had confessed.

So Helene began to rack her brain, searching for a way to achieve it.

But the answer was all too obvious. Her Lord was now at the Academy.

She simply needed to enter the Academy.

And as a High Priestess at Fourth rank...

Helene smiled so wide her face looked as if it were cracking apart.

’...I can become a Teacher, can’t I?’

...

Helene Mars was not the only one thinking about entering the Academy. Katherine was the same.

But Katherine knew she lacked the qualifications to be a teacher.

Still, if she couldn’t become a Teacher, then she could at least work there as a shopkeeper or something else.

She didn’t care, she only needed a job.

And with the Academy being a literal city built to create monsters, job offers would certainly not be lacking in such a place.

"I have decided." Katherine said, standing up with determination and walking toward Hel Hood. "I will enter the Academy. I must be close to him so I can do my duty as a mother better."

And so, Katherine decided to end her time with Hel Hood.

...

Back at the Testing Ground, after the disappearance of Cassius and Océane, the matter of who would enter next was under discussion.

However, before they could even say anything, new presences appeared behind them.

Turning their heads, they took in the sight of Love de Bayard — her face bleeding, her nose and teeth cracked open by Anesthesia herself — carrying the barely conscious Emrys Stormblessed on her back.

Behind them were Nafissatou, Layla Bint Aicha, Jurkil and Diaila, and all the other remaining participants.

Love looked at Raven and the others one by one, her eyes burning with deep hatred at the sight of Klaus and Anesthesia, then spat with venom:

"Emrys deserves to be second place."

"Well, look at this bitch." Anesthesia retorted sharply. "Do we look like we care?"

"This girl is truly funny." Klaus added, sneering. "What if he deserves it? Let him walk over and take the key from us himself if he wants to win that badly."

"Ahh!" Love scoffed. "Then why didn’t you let Cassius do the same? Fucking hypocrites."

"We are." Klaus and Anesthesia said at the same time, smiling broadly.

"And it seems I didn’t punch your face hard enough." Anesthesia added. "Want me to give it another try?"

"And me too." Klaus added. "I should have put more power into my attack back then. And don’t think I forgot your punch while we were falling. I’m coming for you, Love."

"All this because I don’t love you?" She retorted mockingly. "Is that why you don’t want him to be second? Because of your jealousy? How unsightly of you, Klaus."

"Last I checked, he’s ranked fourth and I’m third in the most beautiful men of the Kingdom." Klaus smiled. "Why would I be jealous?"

"You don’t actually believe that bullshit List, do you?"

Omm and Meadow subtly trembled.

"I believe it because you’re ranked seventh on the women’s List. I’ve never seen anything so accurate. In fact, no! You should be even lower than that."

"You—!"

"Sigh, just give her Emrys’s key." Raven cut in, annoyed by the useless bickering, looking at Anesthesia, who held the keys.

Anesthesia frowned heavily. "What did you just say?"

"Give her Emrys’s key."

"Why should I?"

"Just do it."

The Fallen Heiress frowned harder and stepped closer to him, ignoring Sarah standing at his side.

She leaned over and whispered so only he could hear. "Are you ordering me, Raven?"

"I’m asking you nicely."

"I don’t like your tone. Are you acting tough to impress your little dog?"

"Don’t make a scene for once and give her the key. We’re wasting time."

She fell silent, then sighed with deep irritation. "Why aren’t you more like that annoying bastard, Cassius?"

"Huh?" Raven exclaimed, surprised.

"Aren’t you a Prince, Raven? Aren’t you the Heir of this Kingdom? So why do I feel like you have nothing in here!"

She said the last word while pressing her finger hard into his chest, where his heart lay.

Raven frowned. "You know that’s a lie."

"I’m not talking about that." Anesthesia pressed on. "I’m talking about the fact that you have no Vorn-cursed goals or aspirations, Raven. You annoy me to death. I hate men who are satisfied with what they are."

"Why would I seek more if I’m content with what I have?" Raven retorted coldly. "Why, Anesthesia? Do you think having something to chase so desperately makes you better than those who don’t?"

"Infinitely better." She replied.

"You’re a fool, Anesthesia."

"And you’re the biggest fool of all. You know, Raven, I was going to make you second, but hey, look at me..."

Raven looked at her. And Anesthesia mouthed the next words with all her heart.

"Fuck you."

Without giving him time to process it, she turned her head toward Sarah and narrowed her eyes threateningly. Then she settled her gaze on Love.

Anesthesia smiled coldly.

Wordlessly, she threw Emrys’s key at her, and dashed at the same time toward her own door with the key she had obtained from Klaus.

Love shouted after her, realising what she was doing, but Anesthesia didn’t care, reaching her door in an instant.

"Damn Prince." She muttered angrily, pushing her key in.

The Fallen Heiress finally opened her door and stepped through immediately.

Anesthesia Amaris became the second ranker.

—End of Chapter 202—