Saint Maria Academy, the sea of flowers.

The gorgeously enchanting blossoms had bloomed in wave after wave, and they were still flourishing now. But compared to the last time Muen had come here, the varieties had clearly changed again.

They were no longer the familiar roses, lilies, or irises, but some unknown flower, its petals red as fire. Stepping across them, Muen felt as though he were standing in a sea of flames that gave off no heat.

"Oh, you’re here."

Mela was still wearing her favorite strawberry-print nightgown, a lollipop of some unknown flavor tucked between her cherry-red lips. Her ten fingers moved lightly as she rapidly manipulated a section packed with mechanical structures.

Sensing Muen’s approach, she only casually pointed not far away.

"I’ve already prepared everything for you. Lie down and do the rest yourself."

"..."

Although obeying that readily made him feel a little suspiciously submissive, Muen still obediently removed his clothes and stepped into the liquid that had long since begun boiling like molten iron.

Hiss—

The moment Muen submerged himself, the pale golden, scalding liquid broke through his defenses almost instantly. His body—hardened as it was by countless ordeals—was as fragile before that liquid as a clay sculpture. His skin split open, flesh tore apart, and blood quickly mingled into the solution, gradually turning it a red-gold color.

The searing pain was as intense as ever, constantly gnawing at his nerves, yet Muen did not even let out a muffled groan. Closing his eyes, he guarded his mind and silently endured the agony that bored into bone and marrow, as well as the minute changes occurring as his body was continuously destroyed and healed.

He had no idea how much time had passed when the violent pain finally receded. The sense of being remade into something clear and whole made Muen let out a long breath. He slowly opened his eyes... and his breathing stalled.

Because a pair of amber-red eyes was right in front of him, no more than an inch away. Long lifted lashes fluttered, as if they might brush directly against his skin.

"Mm, not bad."

Mela carefully examined the changes that had occurred in Muen’s body, then nodded in satisfaction.

"The rate at which your physical body is improving has exceeded my expectations. It seems letting you roll around in a few more dangerous places really does have its benefits."

"Rolling around in a few dangerous places? Easy for you to say..."

Faced with Teacher Mela’s shamelessly irresponsible comment, Muen’s teeth itched from grinding. Thinking about the number of life-and-death crises he had gone through lately, he almost wanted to grab this rotten little loli on the spot and bully her hard.

But the instant that thought appeared, his survival instinct took over. Muen hurriedly crushed the dangerous idea, then put on a calm, handsome smile.

"I almost got killed several times. Can’t we switch to some safer, harmless, more stable method?"

Muen pinched his fingers together to show the tiniest gap.

"Just a little?"

"You’re asking me?"

Mela folded her arms and smiled without smiling.

"Wasn’t it you who went out and picked up a whole pile of trouble every single time? When exactly did I ever deliberately set any of this up for you?"

"..."

The corner of Muen’s mouth twitched. Thinking about it carefully... that did seem to be true.

Getting chased by the Love God, chased by the Silent Moon, chased by the Mother of Abundance... getting hunted down and attacked by all kinds of Evil Gods, cultists, demonfolk, and terrorist organizations—it really did not seem to be this hateful old loli’s fault.

She only looked like a little menace. In reality... she was an even bigger menace. It was just that her awfulness truly had nothing to do with his tendency to attract Evil Gods.

"You seem to be having some disrespectful thoughts about me again lately..." Mela stared at Muen and suddenly said, her tone meaningful.

"I-I am?"

Muen hurriedly collected his mind. After being tormented this many times, he had at least found a way to resist Teacher Mela’s mind-reading.

"Hmph. You think you can hide it from me?"

Mela stepped closer and closer, until Muen could even feel the sweet fragrance of her breath. As expected, it smelled like strawberries.

"Is this about that old flame you just got involved with again?"

"Huh?"

Muen, who had deliberately buried that thought in the deepest corner of his mind, widened his eyes slightly. "Teacher Mela, you know about that?"

"Heh. This is Belrand, after all. My power has a hard time projecting outside the Academy, but noticing some little rat sneaking in is still very simple."

Mela drew a cold smile, her expression full of disdain. In her eyes, even the Salvation Society’s Third Seat was nothing more than a little rat that had snuck in.

"I know what you want to ask."

Resting her cheek on one hand, Mela sat cross-legged in the air. She was making no special movement at the moment, yet an ancient, vast aura suddenly poured from her body.

This was the aura of Mela Domir, the strongest great mage. It was not particularly majestic, terrifying, or overwhelming, and yet it was enough to make all things submit in trembling.

"That’s right. I’m the one who completely sealed ancient magic. Everything in this era related to ancient magic, all of it, I thoroughly erased into the river of history," Mela said with imperious certainty, as if the thing she had sealed away were nothing important at all.

But it had not been unimportant. It had been the crystallization of human civilization in an entire age.

"As for why..."

Before Muen could continue asking, Mela smiled again.

"You’re still not qualified to know that yet."

"I knew you were going to say that..." Muen’s mouth twitched.

"Still, although I did indeed seal ancient magic, it actually wouldn’t have mattered if she had used it just now. Strictly speaking, what I completely banned wasn’t ancient magic itself, but research into ancient magic. The mere use of surviving remnants, and research built on those remnants, are two different things. The only reason I’ve been so severe with the entire magic world is because I cannot allow that opening to exist."

Mela turned around, her bare little feet stepping onto invisible stairs. She looked around, seeming dissatisfied with the glaring red all around her. In the next instant, petals withered, seeds sprouted, branches stretched, and new flowers burst from the soil. They were a pure, spotless blue.

"Human beings are creatures who are insatiably greedy and never satisfied. The moment I leave them even a crack, they’ll assume I’ve opened the entire gate. So under my guidance, both the use of ancient magic and research into it have been absolutely forbidden throughout the entire magic world for all these years. But an old thing like her was never under my prohibition to begin with. I can’t very well be so unreasonable that I dig the contents out of her brain."

The truly thousand-year-old little loli, Mela, planted her hands on her hips and spoke with utter contempt, as if scorning some old woman.

"Besides, if we’re talking about usage, weren’t those few unremarkable enhancement-type ancient spells her disciple uses also technically crossing the line?"

"So you knew?" Muen said in shock.

"I’m not blind, and I’m not stupid."

Mela rolled her eyes.

"I just can’t be bothered to care about something that harmless."

"Teacher Mela..."

"What?"

"Can I pick you up and hold you over my head? You’re really cute right now."

"Would you like me to hold your head up over mine instead?"

"..."

"Since you’ve been working pretty hard lately, I’ll let those disrespectful little thoughts in your head slide this time."

The bratty little loli spun gracefully and drifted behind Muen, her fingertips brushing across the complex alchemical patterns on his back.

"Back to business... mm, very good. Your alchemical cores have already been developed to the fourth one. But don’t get arrogant. The last three are the truly crucial part."

"Is it difficult?"

"Of course. This is already the latter ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ half of the process of making you capable of bearing the Eternal Clock. Every step from here on matters, and not one of them can afford carelessness."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

Seeing Teacher Mela turn this serious, Muen straightened up as well.

"Do I need some kind of special condition to unlock those three alchemical cores? Something like the Sainting Ceremony from before, where I have to do some specific thing somewhere?"

"That won’t be necessary."

Mela rested her chin on one hand and thought for a moment.

"At this point, your body no longer lacks any additional components. In theory, all the conditions have already been met. You’re just still too weak. But this is the Eternal Clock—a man-made Authority comparable to a miracle. Simply increasing your strength may not be enough to raise your compatibility with it any further."

"Then what exactly am I supposed to do?"

Muen was completely baffled.

All the conditions had been met, yet simple growth in strength would not improve his compatibility... so what was he supposed to do, exactly? Charm the Eternal Clock with love?

Take the Eternal Clock on a date... make it blush?

"What are you thinking about?"

Mela casually rapped him once on the head.

"This kind of Authority is something extremely serious. Don’t bring your romantic brain into it."

"...So? The method?" Muen covered his head.

"The truth is, this matter is neither especially hard nor especially easy. For someone like you right now, though, it’s unbelievably difficult."

Tilting her little head, Mela seemed troubled over how to explain it to Muen.

"Right."

Suddenly Mela clapped her hands.

"Since we were just talking about ancient magic, there is something you can try accomplishing. If you do, you might gain enough growth and insight in the process."

"What is it?"

"Well... it’s a long story."

"Then please keep a long story short, honored teacher."

Muen kept a straight face.

"I still have something very important to do next."

"Ah, my disciple has grown up. His wings have hardened. He’s already unwilling to listen to his teacher ramble anymore..." Mela wiped at tears that did not exist at the corners of her eyes and said sorrowfully.

"..."

Damn it.

His fist was clenching so hard. He really wanted to smash that little loli on the head.

But what was he supposed to do if he couldn’t beat the loli? Urgent answers needed, online and fast!

"All right, all right, I’m done teasing you."

Before Muen could grind his teeth to powder, Mela finally turned serious again. Folding her hands behind her back, she looked off into the distance.

"As I said before, under my guidance, ancient magic has now been completely blacklisted throughout the magic world of the continent and within every major magic organization. And because so much time has passed, traces of ancient magic have almost vanished from this world entirely.

"But... exceptions always exist."

"You mean there’s still someone secretly using ancient magic—or even researching it?" Muen frowned.

"Smart. As expected of my disciple."

Mela nodded.

"That person has been secretly studying extremely dangerous ancient magic behind the scenes all this time. And on top of that, he’s absurdly slippery. Neither I nor the various major magic organizations have been able to do anything to him, which has allowed him to keep hopping around unchecked all the way to now.

"So as a teacher, I’m very distressed. Which means you, my disciple, should naturally help relieve my burden. Go kill him."

"..."

Muen had not expected Teacher Mela to assign him the dirty work of murder and arson this time... Though he was surprised, no matter what, since it was a mission from Teacher Mela, he had no reason to refuse.

"Who is he?"

"The Holy Lord of Salvation."

"Oh, the Holy Lord of Salvation. Got it. Once I find his whereabouts, I’ll definitely—... wait."

Muen froze, then suddenly stared at her wide-eyed.

"Who did you say?"

"The Holy Lord of Salvation. Was I not clear enough?"

"Which Holy Lord of Salvation?"

"Is there a second person in this world who gave himself such a tacky title?" Mela blinked. "Of course I mean that so-called First Seat of the Salvation Society, the Holy Lord of Salvation, Kaya Gaius."

"Wha—"

Muen finally reacted, and nearly failed to draw his next breath.

Pointing at himself, he piled every ounce of disbelief he had ever felt in his life into a single sentence:

"You want me—a tiny little fifth-rank warrior—to deal with the legendary Holy Lord of Salvation?"

"Don’t get excited, don’t get excited."

Mela patted Muen on the shoulder, then smoothly painted the usual grand fantasy of encouragement.

"You’re my finest disciple. I believe in you. You can do it!"

"..."

Muen ground his teeth, his fists clenching rock-hard once more.

How exactly was he supposed to teach this rotten little loli a lesson? For the Nth time, urgent answers needed, online and fast!