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Although Astoria was very intrigued and curious to learn how Vaan recovered Aeliana from her Abomination state, she missed her chance to ask.

In fact, there were many things she wanted to ask him; he was a walking library brimming with profound knowledge.

For example, she also wanted to learn how he became a Spirit Contractor.

“Kyuu~!”

Topaz flew back to Vaan and rubbed her cheeks against his, unintentionally passing all the dirt on her face to him.

Shortly after, she settled on his head and demanded praises for her good work.

“She’s so adorable. It’s the first time I’ve actually seen an earth spirit. I’ve only heard about them until now.” Astoria glanced at Topaz.

She wanted to poke her soft cheeks.

However, she refrained from doing so when she saw Topaz staring at her vigilantly. Furthermore, her hands were stained with dirt and blood._.

After shaking her head, she went straight to the main point of their discussion.

“Anyway, it’s not so much as what I plan to do with you but what I wish to do with you, Teacher Raphna. I want to bring you back to Blackmoon Academy and consult you regarding magic,” Astoria stated.

“…However, it seems like you have other plans.”

“You’re not wrong, Headmaster Astoria. I have other plans,” Vaan’s eyes flickered before he calmly asked, “More importantly, you don’t plan to punish me for Isa-bitch—Ahem, I mean Isabelle’s death?”

“Not at all, Teacher Raphna,” Astoria shook her head.

“Although the way she died was questionable, Isabelle’s death was well deserved. I was informed of her unruly behavior, blatant disregard and disrespect for the academic hierarchy, and the events that led to Wise Scholar Eniwse’s berserk transformation.”

“If you come back to Blackmoon Academy, an incident like Isabelle’s will never happen again. You have my complete protection, Teacher Raphna. And if you are concerned about Lord Istana, you need not worry. Her Majesty had executed her,” Astoria informed.

“Lord Istana was executed by Her Majesty personally? Even if she committed a crime against the people, a death sentence is too heavy, no?” Vaan uttered with surprise.

“Not at all, Teacher Raphna,” Astoria shook her head.

“Lord—No, Istana Gleriath was nearing the end of her lifespan and was in the corruption process of becoming a Fallen Witch. Therefore, her execution was well-deserved.”

“Nearing the end of her lifespan… Corruption process… No wonder Isabelle’s death triggered such madness from her. It all makes sense now,” Vaan slowly nodded with understanding.

“What did you figure out, Teacher Raphna?” Astoria was intrigued by his reaction.

At the same time, she did find it a bit strange regarding Istana Gleriath’s reaction to her daughter’s death.

Soul corruption could explain why she didn’t undergo a berserk transformation, but it was never revealed why her emotion was so extreme despite living so many years.

Furthermore, Istana Gleriath seemed like she treasured her life more than her daughter’s.

So…

Astoria’s eyes gradually widened in realization.

“Considering Lord Istana was nearing the end of her lifespan and was willing to corrupt her soul, she must have developed a method that required sacrificing her daughter to extend her lifespan,” Vaan guessed.

“And if we also consider the fact that she was taking her time, she must have been waiting for her daughter to reach a specific age or level of power. In this case, my best bet would be that she was waiting for Isabelle to awaken her Specialized Magic and become a True Witch.”

ɴ[0)ᴠᴇʟ “Soul Transfer!” Astoria stated conclusively after listening to Vaan.

“Right, Soul Transfer. Waiting for Isabelle to slightly mature and using her body as a new vessel for her soul seems like the most plausible method for Lord Istana to extend her lifespan,” Vaan said.

Istana Gleriath was nearing the end of her lifespan. She didn’t have enough time or vitality to nurture a new daughter.

Thus, killing Isabelle was equivalent to cutting off her path to life.

Of course, Istana Gleriath would become crazy.

Nevertheless, Astoria wasn’t too interested in Istana Gleriath’s matter. After all, the person was already dead.

“Can you tell me more about your plan, Teacher Raphna? Since you won’t be coming back to Blackmoon Academy, I wonder if I could travel with you? As I mentioned, I wish to consult you about things related to magic,” Astoria mentioned.

Vaan paused for a moment as he considered her request.

Having a powerful High Witch like Headmaster Astoria at his side would definitely provide an extra layer of protection for where he intended to venture.

Furthermore, Headmaster Astoria appeared to have a high opinion of him; it was borderline obsession and adoration—not that he couldn’t understand why.

With his perfect memory, he never needed notes.

His research notes were part of his plan to court Headmaster Astoria; it was something for her to see.

And seeing how she referred to him as Teacher Raphna, it was clear that his notes had reached her.

“You’ve seen how Aeliana recovered from her Abomination state. Thus, I plan to find Eniwse and bring her back the same way I did with Aeliana,” Vaan stated.

“This…” Astoria hesitated for a moment before she shook it off and resolved herself with a firm look.

“Last I checked, Eniwse headed to Thousand Fog Mountains, a Dark Zone. My strength will be of use to you in that place if you don’t plan on changing your mind, Teacher Raphna.”

“I don’t,” Vaan stated resolutely before adding, “As such, you are more than welcome to join me, Headmaster Astoria.”

“It would be my honor, Teacher Raphna,” Headmaster Astoria smiled brilliantly.

She felt her heart flutter as she looked forward to adventuring with him.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, Helia descended from the sky after she had finished her search.

“I’ve scouted the surrounding areas. Two of the three magic airships are missing. Marquis Ember most likely took one and fled towards the capital, while my sis—I mean, Fallen Witch Elvira stole the other and escaped south away from the seven witch kingdoms,” Helia reported.

Shortly after, she glanced around with surprise and asked, “Anyway, what happened here? Where did this new forest come from?”

“I was almost lost on my way back,” Helia added jokingly.