Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"That's simply because you chose the wrong track!"

However, before he could finish his self-pitying assessment, Samael, who was leaning against the edge of the table, stretched out his right doll arm, which was covered with an ivory-like sheen, and slapped it heavily on Aozaki Touko's shoulder, speaking solemnly.

Did I choose the wrong track?

Aozaki Touko was slightly taken aback, puzzled, and looked up at the mysterious man in front of her with some surprise.

Seeing Aozaki Touko's expression, Samael simply pulled over a chair, sat down imposingly, and pointed out the crux of the problem.

"Although you only have 23 magic circuits, their quality is extremely high and their precision is unparalleled. Therefore, you have an unparalleled talent in creation and repair."

So, whether it's reviving lost runes or breaking the established theories of medieval puppeteers, you've accomplished something incredible.

Do you know how long these two questions have puzzled the old scholars at the Clock Tower? A full 1000 years!

In these two respects, you are indeed an undeniable genius!

The ancient snake paused, looked seriously at Aozaki Touko who was somewhat lost in the midst of the praise, and added earnestly.

"...A creative genius!"

"Don't try to comfort me. Even so, no matter how hard I try, I can never meet Grandpa's expectations..."

Aozaki Touko shook her head bitterly, feeling somewhat sorry for herself, still in low spirits.

"Orange, do you know what's more important than hard work in this world?"

Samael's lips twitched slightly, he raised his hand to his forehead, and asked in an annoyed tone.

"talent?"

Aozaki Touko paused for a moment, then tentatively gave a reply.

"Wrong! It's the direction to strive for!"

The ancient snake rolled its eyes, then tapped the table rhythmically with its right fingers, patiently explaining.

"As far as I know, the Aozaki family possesses the fifth of the five great magics."

Regarding the description of the five major magics, there seems to be a folk song:

Magic is the ultimate realm of human wisdom.

Magic is not encompassed by any of those; it exists alone beyond the heavens.

…The initial one changed everything.

…Subsequent second opinions were more consistent.

…The three sections that follow showcase the future.

…The four that maintain the relationship concealed themselves.

Therefore, the final fifth has long lost its meaning.

Leaving aside the four previous spells, since the fifth spell is related to "ending," its essence actually leans towards "destruction" and "distortion!"

But your talent lies in creation and restoration.

Simply put, the essence of the Fifth Law lies in the south, but you should go north; the two are fundamentally incompatible.

Therefore, no matter how hard you try, it's difficult to master the magic of the Aozaki family. That's a fact, understand?

The sheer volume of information left Aozaki Touko, who was engrossed in her studies, somewhat bewildered. She remained stunned for a while before gradually regaining her composure.

Seeing this, Samael slumped onto the table and complained listlessly.

"By the way, didn't your old man tell you about these key points and precautions before he started teaching you?"

"..."

Aozaki Touko racked her brains, thinking and thinking, and finally looked at Samael with a stiff face, shaking her head dryly.

"Your father's education level is really bad..."

Samael twitched his lips, his face full of disdain.

"You're not allowed to slander Grandfather like that..."

Aozaki Touko instinctively retorted, but her voice inevitably sounded somewhat weak.

"If telling the truth is considered slander, then your old man's pride is too fragile, isn't it? With that kind of talent, why be a magician? He might as well switch careers and go out and stage accidents to extort money."

Samael rolled his eyes mockingly, showing no respect whatsoever to the mage.

Aozaki's actions were tantamount to forcing a unique science and engineering genius into the humanities and compelling her to graduate with a perfect score.

Whether the outcome is successful or not is secondary.

More importantly, it's a mental torment.

A once-glorious genius becomes a laughingstock in a field they are not good at. Such a huge psychological gap can easily lead to self-abandonment or even extreme actions.

A series of blows could very well destroy a descendant who could have been just as outstanding.

No wonder old man Aozaki was later betrayed by one of his good disciples.

To this, Samael can only say—serves you right!

Aozaki Touko bit her lip, speechless in the face of the shocking truth, but her expression remained forlorn and melancholy, like a doll slumped in a chair, its soul stripped away.

The ancient snake glanced at the distraught Aozaki Touko and sighed softly.

He could understand that feeling to some extent.

Sixteen years of hard work, sixteen years of isolation from the world, abandoning family ties and life, and enduring unprecedented hardships, all for naught in the end. It's hard for anyone to accept.

For a girl who considers inheriting the magic of the Aozaki family her life's goal, this answer that shatters that fantasy is incredibly cruel.

"Although the Aozaki family's fifth technique is not compatible with your talent, the third technique, [Soul Materialization], is quite suitable for you. Perhaps you could use this as a direction for your future studies..."

After a moment of silence, Samael offered words of comfort, briefly explaining some of the concepts of the Third Law to Aozaki Touko, which was a small consolation.

The materialization of the soul, in other words, is the magic of achieving complete immortality. On the day of its completion, the soul will become a perpetual motion machine, granting an inexhaustible source of magical power.

In the future, Aozaki Touko will be able to perfectly replicate and preserve the memories of the main body through her incredible doll technology. In fact, she has already shown signs of touching the edge of the Third Law.

The unfamiliar territory and novel subject matter allowed Aozaki Touko to temporarily forget the sorrow of her shattered dreams. She listened attentively, occasionally burying her head in writing and drawing on the chalkboard, taking notes, her orange eyes sparkling with excitement.

After a long conversation, Samael took a sip of tea, concluded the basic lesson, and pointed out the direction for Aozaki Touko.

"That's about all I know for now. I'm not entirely sure about the true secrets of the Third Law, but it's said to be a legacy of the Einzbern family, where there might be more specific records."

The Einzbern family?

Aozaki Touko secretly memorized the name, then gathered her thoughts and looked up at the man in front of her.

"How do you know so many secrets about the five great magics?"

Samael's expression turned serious. He raised his left arm, flexing his well-defined biceps, and answered mysteriously.

"To be honest, I used to be incredibly powerful! So, I had a wide network of connections. Whether it was the old man with the second law, who mastered the gem, or Einzbernburg, who had a deep connection with the third law, I knew them all well!"

"So powerful that he was dismembered and needed help even to walk?"

Aozaki Touko looked on with suspicion, crossed her arms and sneered.

"Does he even know how to have a conversation?! Does he even know how to have a conversation?!"

Samael was frustrated and exasperated. He rolled his eyes at the increasingly unruly little girl in front of him and couldn't help but reiterate angrily.

"I'm serious, I'm not joking!"

Aozaki Touko's gaze fell upon the solemnity on the man's face. She paused slightly, the suspicion in her eyes lessening somewhat, and she frowned as she asked.

"Alright, then tell me, who exactly are you?"

Sama stroked his chin, thought for a moment, blinked, and answered with a reserved yet slightly smug expression.

"Well, to be more precise, you should call me the 'God Above Gods,' which is what you call... the Creator? Probably..."

"..."

Aozaki Touko remained silent for a moment, then looked at the man in front of her with disdain.

"Hey! Orange, what's with that expression?! I'm serious! Believe me! You have to believe me!"

"Next time, at least make up a reason that you can believe."

The girl crossed her arms and sneered, bluntly exposing the man's endless boasting.

Samael slumped his head in frustration, rested his cheek on the table, and weakly "confessed."

"Okay, to be honest, I'm an intelligence agent for the Dark Council, responsible for some information control and operations, and I also collect secrets about the Mage's Association, so I know quite a bit about the Five Great Magics..."

"No wonder..."

Aozaki Touko nodded thoughtfully, clearly accepting this more plausible explanation.

Look at this world, it's so hypocritical, nobody believes you when you tell the truth.

People always believe what they want to believe.

The Creator felt deeply hurt by this and angrily criticized the inherent flaws of humankind.

"What would you like for dinner? I'll make it for you."

However, before Samael could be depressed for long, Aozaki Touko, feeling she had gained a lot, looked at the deep night outside the window, then got up and glanced at someone, seemingly asking casually.

However, the ancient snake immediately stood up, grabbed Aozaki Touko who was about to head to the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves, patted his chest, and smiled as he took the initiative to stop the meal.

"To celebrate the new students, it's my turn to cook this time, so you can taste my cooking!"

After that, Samael went into the kitchen without saying a word and, using the ingredients available in the warehouse, as well as the seasonings and wild vegetables he could find nearby, quickly whipped up seven or eight colorful and delicious home-style dishes.

As the rich aroma filled her nostrils, Aozaki Touko, whose stomach had been rumbling all day, couldn't resist taking the first bite, picking up her bowl and chopsticks to savor the beautifully presented dishes on the table.

Soon, the young girl, who had lived deep in the mountains for a long time, was conquered by a variety of delicious dishes she had never tasted before. She abandoned her reserve and kept asking about the names and preparation methods of the dishes.

"what is this?"

"It's a kind of three-delicacy soup, I guess. I found some dried bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and wood ear fungus nearby,"

"what about this?"

"Hamburger patties are very easy to make; just master the cooking time and seasoning."

"This looks pretty good too."

"Yakitori is a snack I made on a whim, and I even coated it with my homemade teriyaki sauce."

Samael picked up a towel to wipe his hands while patiently explaining to the diners enjoying their meal at the table, glancing around with a hint of regret.

"It's a pity that the food here is so scarce. I have to prepare many ingredients and sauces myself. Otherwise, we could try some other dishes, or make some more interesting snacks, like ice cream and milk pudding?"

Upon hearing this, Aozaki Touko put down her chopsticks, pondered the two novel terms for a moment, and looked up at the man in front of her with a puzzled expression. His orange eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Ice cream...pudding...what's that?"

"Huh? You've never even tried ice cream or pudding before?"

Samael was taken aback, somewhat surprised.

Aozaki Touko's expression stiffened slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she finally pursed her lips and shook her head.

Popcorn? Coke?

"..."

Have you read any comic books or light novels?

"........."

"What about video games? What about movies?"

"........."

Throughout Samael's repeated questioning, Aozaki Touko remained completely bewildered, as if she were detached from human society.

"My God, what kind of life are you living?!"

The ancient snake sighed and looked at Aozaki Touko with a hint of pity.

A traditional Japanese breakfast is relatively simple, usually consisting of miso soup, rice, and a dish of pickles.

In order to reduce the time his granddaughter spent on meals, the old man Aozaki basically provided only the simplest food according to this requirement, and easily perishable meats and vegetables that do not keep well were rarely seen.

Samael had already discovered these things while preparing the meal in the kitchen.