Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 385 The Road to a Happy Ending

"This is the best way, and the only way."

After a brief silence, Ritas spoke in a flat, monotone voice, as usual.

Although it wasn't said directly, everyone present had basically guessed Sofia's identity.

Therefore, people reacted differently to Ritas's original decision.

Millie felt as if she had finally come to truly know "Ritas Elson" on this day, at this moment.

More than the cold plan devised by Ritas, Millie was shocked by the fact that Ritas could now speak these words calmly, and who had previously been unwavering in his intention to forcibly complete the "work".

Back in the academy, although Ritas could be aloof, you could always sense his human warmth once you got to know him.

But now, Millie can't tell the difference anymore.

Was the professor with gentle sides in her memory merely an illusion? Or could Ritas harden her heart like steel whenever necessary?

What made Millie feel even more alienated and distant was that, regardless of which one was the real Professor Ritas, it meant that even setting aside his cheat-like magical abilities, Ritas was an existence located in a place beyond her reach.

"So, are you only now starting to fear death by bringing up these things?"

Ritas stared at Sophia, who had complicated the situation, and questioned her accusingly.

"Ritas, you bastard!"

Before Sophia could respond, Charlotte, whose hard-won curly hair was practically bursting open, angrily rebuked.

However, before Xia Luoluo could stand up, Sophia behind her pressed down on her shoulder.

"I am saying this not so that you will condemn that child. Nor am I lamenting my own life that has long since been extinguished."

Sophia, completely unmoved by Ritas's provocation, smiled gently at him.

"Perhaps Ritas is already tired of hearing this, but for the sake of others who don't know, I still need to clarify. The real me is long gone. What I am now is merely a phantom of the past, recreated in a special environment through 'recording.' It's a miracle, and I have no complaints about it, only gratitude. Just being able to see you all again like this is enough for me. Not to mention, at the end of this fairy tale, I can still do something for you. So, that plan isn't just his plan, it's 'our' plan. Please don't blame me for it."

Sofia said sincerely.

How could I possibly blame him?

Charlotte, who used to habitually blame Ritas for things that had absolutely nothing to do with him, seemed to have uttered the words that had always been buried deep in her heart.

How could she possibly blame Ritas? How could she possibly bring herself to do so?
Even her previous annoyance was just a feeling of déjà vu for Xia Luoluo, reminding her of an experience that almost became a source of darkness in her heart.

Much like when they were young, Ritas is now taking the blame and resentment that should not be directed at him and focusing it on himself.

Even if you press Ritas further, he will probably just say something like, "Because it's the easiest way."

Indeed, Ritas's approach is always the simplest and most correct.

The premise is that Ritas's own feelings and losses are not taken into account.

Even though she understood all of this, she desperately wanted to find a way to take Ritas into account as well. But Charlotte was powerless to do so.

She had never hated her own incompetence and powerlessness so much.

Now, let alone finding another way, she didn't even have a clear understanding of the situation they were facing.

What is this talk of "the true nature of the world," "the origin," and "the hidden killers of truth"? Why are they discussing such a large-scale topic? Why are others able to accept this content so quickly?

"Millie Charlotte."

Looking at her companions from the fairy tale world, who had always been by her side, she fell silent. Faced with a situation that seemed hopeless, the Goddess of Bath was filled with anxiety.

Her pleading gaze swept around the room before settling on Wayne.

Then, the goddess of bathing suddenly froze.

"Wait a minute. If we do what you're doing, and transfer all the power to Sophia, what will happen to Wayne?"

Under the question from the goddess of bathing, everyone in the room focused their attention on Wayne, who had been unusually quiet since fully regaining her memories.

After letting out a soft sigh, Wayne, with an expression of serene acceptance as if she had seen through everything, simply shook her head gently.

Please don't worry about my affairs.

"What do you mean 'don't worry about it'? You must have had your 'primal' power forcibly activated by that stupid woman in a special way, right? This is definitely not an ordinary thing. Besides, that hypocritical woman would never care about your body or anything like that. So, what is the real you like in the real world?!"

Even in a comical state of spirit, the bathing goddess, with a somewhat ashen face, seems to understand why Sophia suddenly "betrayed" her.

The witch's disciple would not have retreated in battle out of fear of death.

Since her worries don't lie with herself, then
"I"

Vivian lowered her head slightly and pursed her lips.

"In the real world, perhaps the real her no longer exists."

Before Wayne could force herself to fabricate lies, Sophia answered for her.

Only Sofia, who lived with Wayne in a false environment and also glimpsed parts of her memories, knew about her current situation.

"As the price for forcibly using her power, her body no longer exists. Therefore, if we don't find a place for her soul to reside..."

Amid Sofia's somber voice, the "girls" present learned yet another cruel truth.

"If, I mean if, all the power were transferred to you, Sophia, could you think of a way to help Wayne?"

After a brief silence, trying not to upset Xia Luoluo, the Goddess of Bath asked a question.

In fact, she already knew the answer before she even asked the question.

"It probably won't work. Depending on the 'star mark,' the 'primal' power that blossoms from it will also be different. Although I don't know what star mark I will be given and what primal power will blossom from it, it's clear that I can't inherit everything from this fairy tale world through inheritance. Besides Wayne, I have another child who is also firmly bound to this world."

Sophia looked at the book in Ritas's hand and the black butterfly that was faintly visible in it, and said this.

"Where did you get so many 'children'? Have you contracted some strange illness where you want to be the mother of anyone younger than you?"

Ritas raised an eyebrow, looking at Sophia, who had only given birth to one daughter but seemed to have a lot of "children." He now understood what had shaken Sophia's resolve and prevented her from making the "right" choice.

“Little Rivia, Rivia just exchanged vows with you.”

Recalling the scene that seemed so recent yet so distant, the goddess of the bath was filled with a sense of loss.

The thought that Wayne, after reflecting on her situation, was still willing to entrust everything to Ritas, just to be "family" with him for a moment, made her chest tighten violently. She didn't even want to think about whether Ritas had roughly guessed Wayne's condition before mentioning that vow.

But even if you don't want to, the answer seems obvious.

He had always wanted to force Wayne to relinquish control of the fairy tale world to him, Ritas, by leaving her with no other choice, and only showed his sincerity when he had no other option.
"Well"

Viyn hesitated, as if she wanted to say something in defense of Ritas.

However, she quickly realized that the more understanding she acted, the more difficult it would be for her brother. So, after a short pause, she chose to remain silent.

Ritas, meanwhile, silently began rubbing his temples.

Ritas looked more tired than impatient or annoyed.

The more "imperfections" there are in his plans, the more helpless he feels inside.

"Even if it's not the most satisfactory option, it's the only option."

Letting out a breath and regaining his composure, Ritas emphasized again.

Sophia, who had hoped that the goddess of bathing, who had been recognized by Ritas, might bring some change to this dead end, also sighed softly.

"Sorry for doing something unnecessary at the end."

Sofia looked at Ritas apologetically.

Just as Vayne and Little Ritas's worries were likely to dissipate, Sofia was also worried about Ritas.

If there were any other way, she really didn't want Ritas to make such a desperate choice.

In the end, she only managed to put Ritas in a difficult position.

Ritas didn't say much, he just shook his head.

No one present harbored any ill will. Or rather, it was precisely because everyone present cared for others and put themselves in their shoes that this situation resulted in everyone suffering.

That's why he has always wanted to avoid getting involved with others.

"So."

"May I try, Professor?"

Ritas's words, which were about to begin wrapping things up again, were interrupted once more.

After sorting out the various entanglements in her heart, Millie stood up and said with a look that seemed to indicate she had made up her mind.

"Professor, you're being far too vague with your statement about 'facing oneself'!"

On the last patch of land in the fairy tale world, Millie complained to Ritas.

Ritas could sense that although Millie was still very polite in addressing him as "Professor," her level of respect for him had definitely dropped several notches.

"Some things are better left for you to realize yourself. Only with a clear understanding of yourself can you better control your own power. Besides, there were eyes watching at the time."

Ritas responded in this way, leaving the Goddess of Bath and Charlotte completely bewildered, wondering what riddle the teacher and student were talking about.

"Millie."

“I will explain even if I don’t make such a pitiful sound, Sister Yu.”

Millie looked at "Floating Spirit," who was probably the most emotionally complex and therefore the most distressed among those present, and gave him a slightly forced smile.

"Simply put, it's because I... well, I need to hide myself to a certain extent. Besides learning magic, I've also come to know something else: the Star Mark Emblem."

Millie glanced at Tass, and seeing that he didn't correct her, she breathed a slight sigh of relief, as was her habit.

Since she is mostly in the "Miriam" state, Millie is not actually aware of the various changes that have occurred in her as "Miri".

In fact, the signs from all sides were quite obvious. However, Millie was ultimately a "feeling-based" person, so she believed that the various miraculous things she had done in the past were simply due to her "presence".

And now, it's almost time for her to demonstrate it through her clear will!

After closing her eyes, Millie focused her attention.

Then, in an instant, a bright silver light shone behind her.

It was floating in mid-air parallel to her back, and its appearance was somewhat similar to a magic circle, but the patterns inside were extremely intricate and complex.

The diameter of this pattern is roughly the same as her height.

The star pattern is different from those that appear on body parts; it can be described as a "huge" star pattern.

It appeared before everyone like wings that enveloped Millie.

"This is my star pattern."

Amidst the surprised gazes and whispers of others, Millie let out a soft sigh and demonstrated.

The reason Millie had difficulty noticing the star mark before was twofold: firstly, because of the male body, and secondly, because this star mark was very special; unlike other star marks, it didn't appear as part of her body, but rather on her soul.

Furthermore, unlike other "dispersed" star patterns, her star pattern was complete from the beginning and had already merged with her soul.

"And the power possessed by this star pattern is 'devouring'!"

After discovering the location of her own star mark, and combining it with her past memories, Millie once believed that her power was the ability to imitate or copy the star marks of others.

But after trying and learning more, she discovered that its essence is completely different from imitation and replication.

However, having witnessed Ritas's fighting style, Millie felt that "plundering" might not be quite the right word. Because the professor's plundering felt like completely stealing what belonged to the other person.

However, she only inadvertently acquired a portion of the other party's ability and then used it.

Therefore, her ability is "devouring".

On the other side,
"Oh oh oh!"

Seeing the enormous star pattern displayed by Millie, the goddess of bathing, who had unwavering faith in the "hero," let out an exhilarating voice.

Unbeknownst to her, Sofia and Ritas were merely shaking their heads slightly, almost imperceptibly, as Millie prepared to unleash her full power.

(End of this chapter)