“Anyway, everyone just stay sharp tomorrow. For now our best move is to stay steady and meet whatever comes.”

Luo Wei let her gaze pass over her teammates’ worried faces and sighed inwardly.

They didn’t realize the one standing here devising plans for them was the most dangerous of them all.

As Hol had said, Light Magic only truly harms dark creatures. None of them were of a dark race.

Only her—a supposedly innocent girl Blessed by the God of Death and Time—had gained the Dark Deity’s power and become a “demon.”

No—she wasn’t the only one. Sebastian was also the Blessed of the God of Misfortune.

That offered Luo Wei no comfort. The advanced division wouldn’t even be fighting the Divine College; the Divine side had only sent a junior division team.

Turning it over, the only thing that could cheer her up was the thought of dragging Axina out.

If Axina’s succubus identity were exposed, the one who ought to panic would be Prince Alfried—or rather, the Church standing behind him.

Because they would have to explain why the Love Goddess’s Blessed was a succubus.

Succubi are born in only two ways: inheriting succubus blood, or becoming the Blessed of the God of Lust.

Either way, Axina is inseparable from the God of Lust, because succubi are His emissaries.

Axina’s existence proves the Love Goddess and the God of Lust are one and the same; the enormous lie deceiving the world would no longer hold.

Would the Church dare let the faithful know Light and Darkness were just a sham?

Or would they pretend not to see and try to smooth it over?

When the meeting wrapped up, it was already noon.

None of the seven had eaten breakfast; Theodore and Gladys were already growling audibly.

“Come on—cafeteria,” Luo Wei said, taking the lead.

She didn’t much like academy food, but this was the first team meal since expanding the Death Penalty Squad—couldn’t waste a chance to bond.

At the cafeteria Luo Wei alone took a vegetable salad; the rest dove for the beef. The empty space behind her felt especially lonely.

The Death Penalty Squad’s wealth gap was extreme—sitting together looked downright unbalanced.

Luo Wei, Gladys, Hessel—three rich girls. Luo Wei could generate money; the other two sat on family mines.

Theodore, Laura, Hol, Sebastian—dirt poor. Combined they couldn’t scrape up one respectable outfit.

Theodore wore rough burlap and hole‑riddled trousers year-round. Hol’s muddy straw sandals carried him from winter into summer. Laura’s skirt was patched over and over, and her messy hair had never once been properly combed. Sebastian’s sleeve cuffs had developed a polished glaze from wear.

Sebastian could be excused—he’d only joined yesterday; Luo Wei hadn’t had time to “sponsor” (exploit) him. Rumor said ever since he was caught stealing water he hadn’t bathed—no money to buy water—only washed clothes when it rained.

But the other three still being this poor was harder to justify.

Hol tutored Rosie, ate and lodged at Star Luo Residence. Luo Wei paid him thirty silver a month plus large holiday bonuses; he also scavenged and sold things himself—yet still straw sandals?

Laura had worked part-time at Escore Dessert Shop, and over a month ago Luo Wei hired her as a supervisor at the mulberry orchard. Affording a comb shouldn’t be hard, right?

Then there was Theodore—hardworking, strong; eight barrels of cream a day in the dessert shop kitchen, honestly earning two silver coins daily. Half a year and still the same burlap set.

Those one-sided flared, ripped trousers—if Luo Wei remembered, they got torn last winter in the Magic Beast Mountains when a corpse centipede bit him and he ripped them himself. He was still wearing them!

These three weren’t pretending to starve by day and sneaking out at night to buy whole cows to eat… were they?

Luo Wei shook her head, flinging away the image of them swallowing calves whole before it killed her appetite.

The seven sat together and peacefully finished the meal.

Afterward, everyone went back to their own tasks.

Luo Wei planned to head to Academy Street for parchment. The big dumb dragon had burned through hers—a heap stained with ink and lamp oil stuffed into a broken‑legged shabby desk. When she’d found it, she’d been both exasperated and amused.

Thankfully, before the tournament she had already locked her dismantled Magic Rune atlases and other important items back at Star Luo Residence; otherwise Hessel would have wrecked those too.

Approaching the academy square, Luo Wei saw from a distance the gate packed—three, four rings of people—and someone inside shouting hysterically.

What happened? Why block the gate?

Puzzled, she came closer and rose on tiptoe.

The students ahead were too tall; even tiptoed she couldn’t see. She turned to a classmate. “Amy, what’s going on in there? Why is everyone crowded here?”

Amy was also craning her neck. Hearing Luo Wei, she turned; recognizing her, she hurriedly curtseyed. “Good day, Miss Luo Wei!”

Afraid Luo Wei would find her long-winded, she rushed to explain: “It’s Vina—Vina wants to go home, but the professors wouldn’t allow it. She sneaked to the stables to lead out a horse and force her way out. An Academy Proctor spotted her and stopped her.”

“Now Professor Phil, Professor Moses, and Headmaster Morrison are all here.”

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