Path of the Demonic Villain

The next day...

——

Amidst the cobblestone boulevard, passing horse-drawn carriages, and elegant Haussmannian facades, Ezio stood in front of the residence of his new employer, admiring the grand building.

He was dressed in a simple yet sharp dark brown suit, styled with a grey waistcoat left slightly unbuttoned over a relaxed white collared shirt.

Truth be told, he did look out of place, and even standing here gave him a distinctly suffocating feeling.

After a few seconds, he tugged at his collar as if it had suddenly become too tight, then raised the flask in his hand to take a swig. Just then, however, he realized it was empty.

"Shit. I’m out of wine." A deep frown crossed his face as he tilted the flask upside down and tapped it against his lips, trying to coax out a stray drop with his tongue.

’This can’t be. I’m still sober.’

If there was one thing Ezio disliked, it was moving through life with a clear head. He didn’t know how normal people raw-dogged reality on a daily basis while sober.

He capped the metal flask as he took a few steps toward the entrance. But before he could reach for the brass knocker, the doors swung open, revealing a young man in his early twenties with short auburn hair and piercing amber eyes.

The man scanned Ezio from head to toe with an unreadable expression before breaking the silence. "Good day, Signore. May I inquire as to whom you are seeking?"

Ezio cleared his throat, standing up straighter as he attempted to play the part of a proper gentleman. "I go by the name Micheal D’Angelo. I am a friend of Dante. He must have mentioned me?"

Before coming here, the insufferable bastard who calls himself Vincenzo had told him to say that he was a friend of Dante. According to him, that was his new employer’s explicit request.

Upon hearing that, the footman, Marcel, suddenly remembered what Signor Dante had told him before leaving for the Academy:

"My friend, who is also a retainer, will be moving in. Show him to his quarters and make sure he has some alcohol with him at all times."

Marcel bobbed his head back. "Oh, you are that friend? Micheal?"

Micheal nodded with a small, forced smile. "Yes."

"This way, please." Marcel stepped aside, gesturing into the grand foyer.

Micheal gave a brief bow, then stepped inside, looking around as if he had walked into a museum.

’Dear God. There are so many flowers and flower vases,’ he thought as his eyes darted over the excessive floral arrangements.

Then he subconsciously tapped his forehead three times.

"All the Fioravantis are currently away, so you won’t meet any of them in the meantime," Marcel said as he led Micheal toward one of the ground-floor rooms set aside for retainers.

As Micheal walked quietly, he began to once again question why he had been hired by one of the Fioravantis. He also began to pray that his employer wouldn’t give him any jobs that would put him in life-threatening danger.

***

Holy Imperial Academy...

Central District.

——

"You’ve been sleeping all through the class, Claudia." The Professor, a dark-skinned woman who went by the name Sidonie Dumas, narrowed her eyes on her.

"So, since you seem to already know everything I am teaching, could you please tell us what the core factors are that define a person’s affinity to a certain attribute... or as the church would say, source?"

Claudia, who had been woken from sleep, blinked. Her lips parted slightly, and by the way her eyes darted around the room seeking divine intervention, it became increasingly obvious that she didn’t know the answer.

After a few seconds, she lowered her head in embarrassment.

Seeing that, Dante, who was fighting his own war against sleep, leaned back slightly in disbelief. ’She doesn’t know that? Isn’t that one of those basic things one could infer on their own even without being taught?’

He smiled as he already began planning to tease the hell out of her after class.

Just then, the teacher seemed to notice his smirk, and her lips curled into a knowing smile before she said, "You there with the monocle. Mind helping her out?"

Dante’s heart skipped a beat.

Even from his previous life, he had always hated being called on in class. For some reason, the sudden spotlight always made his palms sweaty.

Without letting his composure slip, however, he began in a calm voice. "One can tell a few things about a person after spending time with them, and I think mana works this way too. A person’s psychology often reflects elemental traits. Passionate or volatile individuals are generally more prone to resonating with Fire, while flexible, adaptable thinkers tune into Water or Wind. It’s the same with environmental conditions. One who grows up near the coast is more prone to the water attribute, while those who lock themselves away or go through a long period of darkness in their lives become far more susceptible to shadow.

"However, there are instances where a person’s class plays a direct role on their natural affinity. Take high priests, for instance. Most of them are just naturally drawn toward the light."

It was quiet after he spoke. After a few seconds, Professor Sidonie smiled and said, "For someone who I am seeing for the first time in my class since this session began, you are not completely hopeless."

"I do try to exceed expectations, Professor," Dante replied, resting his cheek on his palm.

Sidonie arched a brow before chuckling lightly. "I see."

She turned back to the class and continued with the lecture.

"Anyway. Understanding these factors that define a person’s affinity is essential to understanding that affinities can change, and to understanding why they change. Some of you may have heard of people who claim their attributes shifted over time. Yes, it is actually possible. If you were someone trapped in a dark patch of your life and you suddenly find genuine hope or clarity, your attribute could shift toward light, making you far more susceptible to light or fire magic.

"That doesn’t mean you will no longer be able to cast shadow magic, however. It simply means it will no longer be as potent or fluid as it was when your mind resonated with that darkness, and it will demand far more effort and mana to channel."

The class went on for another hour or so. After Professor Sidonie finally left and the room dissolved into rowdy chatter, Dante suddenly felt his sister poke him with her fountain pen.

When he turned to her, she subtly leaned in and said in a low voice. "I’m finally done with the project I was working on. All that’s left is to take it to an artisan who can assign a Grade to it and turn it into a proper artifact. Once it’s ready, you should be able to cast some of the basic spells you’ve learned. If you want, I can even help you practice if it proves challenging. Oh, and uh... it’s mostly been attuned to the light source."

As she spoke, Dante couldn’t help but look at her with a hint of awe. He had known for a while now that she was working on something to help him channel basic magic, but he hadn’t been entirely sure she could pull it off. For a mage to craft something like this, they needed to be exceptionally talented.

"Could it also help with my issue regarding other magical artifacts?" he asked as he began to grow genuinely excited.

Francesca looked uncertain for a moment before replying, "I can’t say for sure. We’ll have to wait until the artisan finishes it to know. It shouldn’t take long, though. You should have it by next week."

Dante smiled. After a few seconds, his expression softened. "Thanks a lot." He then nudged her with his elbow. "What would I do without you?"

That caused her to look away, and a rare smile appeared on her lips as she adjusted her glasses out of nervous habit.

Just then, Claudia slammed her hands against the table before spinning around to face the twins behind her. "Did she really have to embarrass me like that? Why couldn’t she be like other professors and just let me be?"

Dante smiled and leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm. "I’m actually surprised. I didn’t know you were that wet behind the ears."

"Don’t even start, Dante," Claudia glared at him. "I’m already dying of humiliation, I don’t need your commentary!"

Dante scowled. "I sleep once and you call me narcoleptic, yet you sleep in every class." He pursed his lips and jabbed a finger at her. "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"What did you say?" She reached out, grabbed his coat collar, and shook him. "If you want me to headbutt you, say one more word. I dare you!"

Dante glanced sideways at his sister. "Protect me, sister." He then turned right back to Claudia. "What are you going to do, huh? I said it. You have nothing but air behind those ears!"

Claudia looked toward Francesca for support, but Francesca simply shrugged, picked up her book, and began walking away.

"Wait, wait. Sister. A-are you leaving me?" Dante had barely finished the sentence when Claudia headbutted him so hard he saw stars.

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