Asmodeus System: Stealing My Bully's Mother

​The twilight sky radiated a reddish-gray hue across the western horizon.

Ethan Valen stepped out past the invisible boundary line—Zenithar Academy’s protective barrier. He walked alone down a cobblestone path blanketed by a thin layer of snow. To his left and right, towering pine trees stood in a freezing silence.

The young man wore no coat, only his signature black VIP uniform shirt. His dark brown hair fluttered slightly in the chilly lake breeze.

In the distance, the wooden roof of the Lake Pavilion came into view. The small octagonal structure stood gracefully right at the water’s edge.

Ethan knew he wasn’t completely alone. Even though his eyes couldn’t catch anyone’s silhouette in the dense pine forest, he could feel the pulse of the Lust Brand on his she-wolf’s neck.

The footsteps of Ethan’s dress shoes crunched softly against the wooden stairs of the pavilion.

Inside the structure, there was only a small circular table and two wooden chairs. On the table, a white porcelain teapot wafted warm steam. Before it, two cups were set out—one already filled with tea, the other empty.

Caelum von Valois was already seated in one of the chairs.

His long gray coat fluttered softly against the wind slipping through the pavilion’s gaps. His pair of blue eyes watched Ethan’s arrival, without the slightest change in expression.

Ethan pulled out the empty chair and sat down casually—far too casually for someone who had just crossed into a lawless zone.

Witnessing that natural arrogance, Caelum didn’t get angry. Instead, the Young Prince lifted the white porcelain teapot, pouring tea into Ethan’s cup. The aroma of high-grade bergamot instantly wafted out, combating the freezing scent of winter.

”I appreciate you coming, Ethan Valen,” Caelum opened the conversation, his voice calm and clear. ”Many would assume an invitation outside the academy’s protective barrier is a trap.”

Ethan leaned back against his chair. ”If you wanted to kill me, you wouldn’t have bothered writing a letter. You would have just sent an executioner.”

”Are you not afraid?”

Ethan swirled his cup slowly, flipping the question without changing his tone. ”Did you expect me to be?”

The corner of Caelum’s lips quirked up by a fraction of a millimeter.

”My brother, Edward, called you an incredibly arrogant commoner,” Caelum said while sipping his tea. ”But after seeing you sit before me, I must correct him. You aren’t arrogant. You just... have no reason to feel afraid.”

Ethan neither denied nor confirmed it. He let silence take over for a moment.

”I came here for one primary reason,” Caelum continued, setting his cup down slowly. ”To say thank you.”

Ethan’s hand, just about to lift his cup, paused in mid-air. He stared at Caelum in silence, waiting for the continuation of that contradictory statement.

”You ruined Edward,” Caelum clarified, his blue gaze piercing through Ethan’s brown eyes. ”You humiliated him in front of all the noble factions, yet you spared his life. I know it wasn’t because you have any mercy. It was a symbol.”

Caelum leaned in slightly. ”A symbol that Valois blood isn’t as invincible as they think. That an ordinary student could step on the Crown Prince’s chest without suffering any meaningful consequences.”

”And you’re thanking me for that?” Ethan baited softly.

”Of course,” Caelum answered with terrifying pragmatism. ”Edward has been a burden to our family for far too long. His arrogance masked his incompetence. By removing him without killing him, you placed me in an incredibly advantageous position. You destroyed his reputation, yet my hands remain clean, and royal law doesn’t force me to avenge his death. It’s... highly efficient.”

Ethan set his cup down again. ”Did you travel all the way from the Capital just to tell me how efficient my actions were?”

”No. I came out of curiosity,” Caelum admitted honestly. ”All my intelligence data on you makes absolutely no sense. A low-caste student who skyrocketed out of nowhere. Capable of wielding three different aura and magic elements simultaneously. Snapping the holy heirloom sword of Valois. And somehow, managing to force Sage Cornelius to protect you.”

Caelum’s blue eyes narrowed slightly. ”You are an anomaly, Ethan Valen. And I strongly dislike anomalies I cannot comprehend.”

”Is this an interrogation?”

”This is an observation,” Caelum corrected calmly. ”I will not attack you. I simply wanted to see with my own eyes the man who made my brother cry and beg for mercy.”

The lake wind blew fiercely, carrying drifting snowflakes that fell onto the wooden table between them. Neither made a move to brush them away.

”Edward is loud, emotional, and incredibly easy to read,” Ethan deduced, breaking the silence with his own analysis. His eyes locked onto Caelum’s. ”While you... are empty.”

Caelum didn’t react.

”That wasn’t an insult. It’s a fact,” Ethan added flatly.

”I’ll take it as a compliment,” Caelum responded softly. ”I’ve heard that exact description before. Usually, from my dead enemies.”

”Unfortunately, I am not your enemy, Prince.”

”Not yet,” Caelum corrected instantly. ”Like I said, you are an anomaly. And on the kingdom’s chessboard, something that cannot be controlled is a pure threat.”

”Fascinating,” was the only word that slipped from Ethan’s lips.

The two of them finished the rest of their tea in a silence that wasn’t the least bit awkward.

Caelum stood up first. He smoothed out his gray coat, popping the collar to ward off the twilight wind.

”I return to the Capital tomorrow morning. My business here is done,” Caelum stated.

”You wasted all that time just for this one conversation?” Ethan asked.

”Sometimes, a single proper conversation is far more valuable than sending a thousand swords,” Caelum replied. He cast a brief glance at Ethan. ”Wouldn’t you agree?”

Ethan didn’t answer.

Caelum descended the pavilion’s wooden stairs, heading toward the cobblestone path leading out of the lake area. He paused briefly at the end of the path, without looking back.

”I truly hope we will never meet as enemies, Ethan Valen,” his voice carried over the evening breeze. ”Because if that day comes, one of us will have to die. And I strongly dislike throwing away something fascinating.”

The sound of Caelum’s footsteps resumed, fading away as he was swallowed by the thickening twilight fog.

Ethan remained seated for a few more minutes. He finished the last drops of his cooling tea.

Thud.

A near-soundless landing shattered his reverie. Valera Voss appeared, landing right beside the table.

The female knight wore her sleeveless black leather armor, flaunting her robust shoulders. Her Zweihander greatsword was still sheathed fiercely across her back.

”I shall report the situation, My Master,” Valera began, her voice husky and masculine. ”I have kept watch over these woods since morning. There is absolutely no—”

Without warning, Ethan raised his right hand, pressing it against his own left chest—right over the skin where the Horned Crown tattoo resided.

Ethan didn’t look at Valera. However, the young man sent a controlled, precise, and intense surge of Sin Mana, slamming directly into the Lust Brand on the knight’s neck.

WHOOSH!

The spiraling rose tattoo on Valera’s left neck instantly flared with a blinding golden glow.

”Ugh—!”

Valera’s athletic body jolted violently. Both her knees trembled. An intoxicating heat surged from her spine into her entire nervous system. Valera stumbled forward, her hands forced to grip the edge of the wooden table to support her body. Her knuckles turned white.

”Continue your report, Valera,” Ethan commanded with absolute authority, his hand not leaving his chest.

Valera bit her lower lip hard. She was forced to continue her report, while her entire body was rocked by the resonance of extreme arousal and magical pressure.

”T-There are... no traps, My Master...” Valera forced the words out. Every syllable was a brutal struggle against her instincts. Cold sweat drenched her temples and her exotic neck.

”Go on,” Ethan urged.

”T-The Prince... hnggh... he came alone...” Valera’s jaw locked tight, the muscles in her arms and thighs trembling as she fought off the weakness. ”Without guards... ah... without any hidden protective magic. T-There are no other intruders... from the Underworld in this area.”

Valera remained standing. Under the torture of sheer euphoria, the Gold Knight refused to fall. She planted her feet firmly into the ground.

Seeing the resilience of his bloodhound, Ethan dropped his hand. The flow of Sin Mana was severed instantly.

The golden glow on Valera’s neck dimmed. She staggered back, panting heavily as she gasped for oxygen. Sweat drenched her entire body. Yet, she had successfully finished her report while remaining on her feet.

Ethan turned his head, looking at Valera with a faint smile of appreciation.

”You passed,” Ethan said softly. Two simple words.

Hearing that acknowledgment, Valera finally let her body collapse, dropping to her knees in the snow. Her breathing was still ragged, her forehead slick with sweat.

However, instead of feeling humiliated, a wild, proud, and incredibly satisfied smile bloomed on her lips. She had just been tested to her absolute limits, and she passed flawlessly.

Ethan stood up. He descended the stairs, strolling casually down the cobblestone path heading back to the academy.

Behind him, Valera forced herself up, following her Master. Although her steps were slightly wobbly, her feral smile never faded. They walked in absolute silence.

The twilight sky had now turned completely pitch-black.

”That Prince showed absolutely no fear towards you, My Master,” the voice of the Asmodeus System echoed in Ethan’s head, breaking the silence of the night. Her husky tone sounded more elegant and ancient, pondering a threat she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Ethan didn’t answer. He kept walking. His eyes, now glowing crimson, stared straight ahead.

I know, Ethan whispered internally.

Ethan smiled, thoroughly enjoying this new challenge. The night grew darker, and the winter stars began to emerge one by one, watching over Zenithar Academy from afar.