Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 427 The Rules of the Earth

Is someone with their own face on their head snapping someone else's neck with their bare hands?

It was truly a bizarre scene.
Just as Ritas was wondering how to comment on the scene reflected in the water mirror.

Several voices rang out almost simultaneously.

"That one looks better, but it's not Rito." "No matter how you look at it, this isn't my beloved student, is it?" "This isn't my older brother~"

Instantly, everyone's eyes in the room focused on the small head peeking out from Ritas's waist.

"Hehe~ Don't mind me, I'm just a girl who happened to be passing by~"

With that, Wayne disappeared back into her fairy tale book.

While inside the fairy tale book, she could only hear the sounds of the outside world and see a small patch of light directly opposite the book. So, out of sheer curiosity about how Ritas "killed" Ominas, she had silently and spontaneously escaped earlier.

"???"

Even the Stone Speakers, a peculiar species themselves, couldn't help but show a look of astonishment upon witnessing this scene. It was fortunate they couldn't hear the Bathing Goddess's voice, otherwise they would have been even more confused.

"With this level of skill, he wouldn't even make it to the finals of a copy contest!"

What kind of hell competition is that?
Ritas silently grumbled to himself.

Unlike others, he felt that the black-haired youth he had met earlier was more than 95% similar to himself.

"How should I put it? The key to imitating Kori isn't in his appearance, but in that eccentric aura!"

The goddess of bathing continued her commentary.

If one had to name someone who "imitates" Ritas most closely, it would probably be the little Ritas from the fairy tale world. But it's only a close resemblance.

Although Little Ritas is similar to Ritas, his eccentricities are traceable. It is the various things he has encountered over the years that have shaped him into who he is.

But Ritas is different.

The more the goddess of bathing learned about Ritas, the more she felt that Ritas had suddenly mutated. Then one day, very naturally and quietly, it began to twist and distort.

Even if his background and experiences influenced him to some extent, those influences were not crucial. Ritas had long been able to view them objectively, or even disregard them entirely.

It is precisely because of this strangeness and inexplicability that, even with a face exactly like Ritas', wide eyes, straight back, and rigid gestures, the feeling he evokes is completely different from the real Ritas.

Whether he resembles me or not is a matter of opinion. So, what can this video prove? How can it prove that the 'thoroughbred' is truly dead?

Ritas turned his gaze to Kragdo and asked.

While it's not easy to leave behind or forge clear images in ordinary ways, for a sage, this is hardly a problem.

"The method of proof is..."

"Is it a characteristic of mazes?"

Before Kragdo could answer, Ritas had already roughly guessed the answer.

The labyrinth is essentially a special creature that hunts human souls. It breeds monsters within itself, creates traps, and stores treasure chests—all to lure people into the labyrinth, kill them, and drain their souls for sustenance.

Therefore, there is only one piece of evidence that can prove the "thoroughbred" is completely dead.

"Has the secret path labyrinth already absorbed the soul of the 'Thoroughbred'?"

"It was Mother who sensed that Father's soul had dissipated into her body!"

Kragdo argued.

Regardless of whether he romanticized the labyrinthine hunting instinct, after these words, Ritas felt that the extremely complex possibilities surrounding the death of the Thoroughbred had now been reduced to only two.

One possibility is that the information about the secret path maze is incorrect, that one has been deceived, or that a lie is being fabricated.

The other possibility is, as depicted in the image, that the Transcendent One has indeed died within the labyrinth, their soul either dissipated or absorbed. In short, there is no possibility of resurrection.

"So, was the identification of that person as 'Ritas Elson' also based on perception within the secret labyrinth?"

Ritas continued to ask.

Livis, on the other hand, found it somewhat amusing and glanced at Ritas.

The "Stone Whisperer," who was originally unable to even speak clearly, was gradually able to explain the cause and course of events under the guidance of Ritas, the accused.

Although Ritas felt he was helping his opponent, it was undoubtedly because he himself was also eager to know what had happened and why he had suddenly been targeted with such slander.

Furthermore, Livis was once again convinced that this matter had nothing to do with Ritas. Although, she had never suspected it in the first place.

“That’s right! The killer’s life and soul characteristics match perfectly with the information about ‘Ritas Elson’ in my mother’s records. Therefore, he can only be ‘Ritas Elson’.”

"But I've never been to the Secret Path Labyrinth. How could my information be stored there?"

"You haven't been?"

Kragdo was clearly taken aback.

"Whether you can verify the truth of my words depends on the abilities of you Stone Whispers. Even though the first two levels of the Secret Path Labyrinth are open to the public to a certain extent, as long as you are willing to record, recording the visitor list over the years will not be a problem. Go and see if my name is on it."

Ritas had met "The Thoroughbred" Ominas once, but not in the Secret Path Labyrinth. Therefore, he had indeed never been there.

However, this leads to...
"Since that's the case, Professor Elson, don't you want to know why there are records of you in the Secret Path Maze, even though you've never been there before? We just want to know the truth and find out who the real culprit is. So, from beginning to end, we've only hoped that Professor Elson would go to the Secret Path Maze and cooperate with our investigation! Of course, if you're worried about being treated unfairly or your own safety, you can ask anyone to accompany you!"

As Kragdo spoke, he turned his gaze toward Livis.

Perhaps it was because he clearly sensed something was wrong after his contact with Ritas. Kragdo hadn't lost his temper in a long time, and the proposal he made was the most "negotiated" he'd made since arriving in this office.

Ritas also turned his gaze to Livis, who smiled and shrugged at her disciple.

It was as if it were saying silently, "Guess who's to blame for preventing me from leaving the academy?" "."

Ritas closed his eyes slightly and remained silent for a while.

In fact, even if Livis could accompany him, and Ritas was genuinely curious about what exactly had happened.

He shouldn't be running around doing nothing because of some unfounded accusations.

“You seem to have misunderstood many things, Mr. Craggdo.”

Suddenly opening his eyes, Ritas pierced the leader of the Stone Speakers with a sharp glint in his eyes.

"It's not that you've lost your 'father,' making you the most unfortunate, most deserving of pity, and most in need of care in the world. Nor is it that you're so unfortunate, deserving of pity, or in need of help that everyone is obligated to comply with your wishes and obey your every command!"

Ritas pointed to his temple.
"Use your brain more,"

Pointing to the eyes,

"More clear visibility,"

ear,

"Listen more to the whispers of the wind,"

Mouth,
"Learn more about real negotiation techniques."

Then it pointed to Kragdo.
"Now that you are in a world above ground, learn how to abide by the rules of the surface world—"

Soon after.

Having stormed into Erles Academy with great fanfare, the Stone Speakers, their faces filled with confusion and dejection, were completely rendered powerless after being thoroughly outmaneuvered by a pair of teachers and students, one skilled in martial arts and the other in literature. It was time for them to take their leave.

"We...we will try to find a sufficiently influential notary to verify our words. Mother's information is undeniably true. We will visit both the 'Tower of Origin' and the 'Hall of Wisdom.' And at that time..."

Kragdo tried to maintain a tough expression as he stared at Livis and Ritas.

"Instead of continuing to dwell on me, consider the possibility that I'm not the murderer and what happens next. Also, what if the information about the secret path maze is wrong? That video was only a short, incomplete segment because the secret path was knocked unconscious before and after that point in time, wasn't it? This proves that human intervention can indeed influence the assessment of the secret path maze."

"Mother was only temporarily subdued after being attacked by despicable means! If Mother hadn't been restrained, Father wouldn't have been killed in the maze!"

Kragdo, who was still doing his best to maintain the secret labyrinth, couldn't help but show worry and concern on his face. Because he knew very well that Ritas was right.

If the Stone Whisperer and Ritas become trapped in an endless cycle of self-justification, engaging in meaningless mutual strife, then the only true beneficiary will be one person: the culprit.

But even knowing this, he still
“Professor Elson, you’d better be more careful in the future. Not all Stone Whispers are like us, trying to find out the truth through negotiation.”

"Oh? Are you threatening my beloved disciple to my face?"

Hearing the dangerous sound that rang out before Ritas could respond, Kragdo's back straightened slightly.

However, even with the obvious psychological trauma, Kragdo remained unyielding, stating...

“You could leave us all here, Tree Witch. But there are ten gatekeepers among the Stone Speakers. That means even if I'm gone, nine more are waiting outside. Our father is dead, and this matter will not end easily. Moreover, the other Stone Speakers are far more impulsive and dangerous than we are.”

"Ha, so you're nothing but 'discarded pawns'."

Livis said with a smile.

In reality, he might not be considered a "sacrificial pawn." But with his other companions as a safety net, Kragdo was indeed prepared to die rather than give up, and he stood before the Tree Witch, demanding that she hand over her "beloved disciple."

Of course, if he truly cannot leave alive, then what follows will be a full-scale war between the Tree Witch's forces and the Stone Whisperers.

"Others are more dangerous? I see."

Ritas murmured thoughtfully.

Kragdo, who dared not respond to the Tree Witch's provocation, also did not want to ask Ritas what "so that's how it is" meant.

He sensed a "danger" emanating from Ritas that was entirely different from that of the Tree Witch. He felt that the more he said, the more wrong he would become.

Even though his feelings had shifted slightly, Kragdo, who still considered Ritas his primary enemy, did not want to reveal any more of his intelligence in a foolish way.

After confirming that Livis would not make any more moves, Kragdo and the Stone Whisperers left the Dean's office and the Erles Academy with the two stone statues.

After they had walked away, Livis asked with a smile.

"So, what have you noticed, my beloved student?"

"Actually, it's not so much a sense of awareness as it is. It's just that I have a bit more information. Last night, I was attacked by the 'Stone Whisperers'."

"Oh?"

Since Ritas was safely in front of her, Livis didn't experience much emotional fluctuation upon learning the outcome.

"You should have told your beloved disciple sooner. Now that you've let them all go, bringing them back to deal with them doesn't look good."

"There's no point in punishing them. Because they're most likely not the same group of people."

Ritas shook his head.
"I believe that the 'Stone Whisperers' have now split into at least two factions. One faction firmly believes in the words of their mother, the Secret Path Labyrinth, like fanatics. Therefore, they are convinced that I am the murderer of the 'Thoroughbred' and only want revenge. This faction is the one that attacked me yesterday. The other faction, including Kragdo, while not exactly disbelieving in the Secret Path Labyrinth's information, vaguely senses that there are more secrets involved. Therefore, they want to unravel all the mysteries of the incident first."

Ritas used magic to casually draw a circle in mid-air, then precisely bisected it in two.
"The differences between the two sides are probably more serious than we imagined. Therefore, Kragdo and his group did not have the time to consider things such as who the real culprit was or who else was involved. They were also very anxious because they needed a definite answer. Is the Secret Path Labyrinth an absolute authority and truth in all situations? Otherwise, the 'Stone Whisperers' who are born, survive, and grow in special circumstances will be completely divided."

It's hard to imagine that such a split could have happened naturally.

Therefore, there must be someone among them who is plotting something.

So, could the culprit be Chloe, who led the Stone Speakers to attack his "Abyss Gatekeeper" the night before?
But what is her purpose in doing this? What benefit does the split of the Stone Whisperers bring her?
It's important to understand that unless Ritas foolishly sends himself into the labyrinthine secret path, this division is inevitable. And if the division is destined...
"My beloved disciple."

Livis called out softly, interrupting Ritas's thoughts, and then asked,
"Are you thinking that since the 'Stone Whisperers' are destined to split, and one side will be driven out of the Secret Path Labyrinth, then either the fanatical faction or the clumsy faction that wanted to solve the problem in a 'human' way, and both of them possess strange powers, the 'Demon Race' might become very useful pawns?"

(End of this chapter)