Miss Witch’s Devotion Has Gone… Twisted

”Master Mentor! I’m done!”

When Loren finished the Crimson Elegy, Paqina also ran over holding a ring.

Loren suspected she had finished it earlier, but was just afraid of interrupting him, which was why she only brought it now.

Paqina placed the ring into Loren’s hand. She had wanted to put it directly on his finger, but suddenly realized that would be presumptuous, so she obediently set it in his palm instead.

”Let me try.”

Loren slipped the ring onto his finger and checked the Panel. The Intelligence stat had indeed increased slightly, which proved Paqina’s ring was effective and its power had not diminished at all.

”You did well. Apart from some flaws in appearance, everything else is perfect.

”But for accessories, the main thing is the effect, appearance doesn’t matter.”

Saying that, Loren took out his own necklace, which already had a string of trinkets:

”This is the best way to wear accessories. You don’t have to wear rings on your fingers, that can interfere with using weapons.”Also, hiding accessories under your clothes prevents drawing attention from others, gives you an edge.”

He returned the Ring of Wisdom to Paqina. She nodded; she’d learned something new again.

In the two days she had followed Loren, she had learned more than in all her previous years of study, and it was far more practical.

Then Loren strung the freshly finished Crimson Elegy onto the necklace.

The Crimson Elegy was a pair of earrings. Loren didn’t have pierced ears, so he added ear clips.

It wouldn’t really matter if he didn’t add them, since he was just threading them onto the necklace. He figured that if he ever met vampires again, he could put the earrings on then.

These were a duke’s fangs, and they suppressed other vampires. Wearing the Crimson Elegy, Loren could even command some low-rank vampires.

And if he encountered those high-ranking vampires one day, it would be a way to get under their skin.

”I... I finished mine too...”

Luna clutched the ring she had made tightly. After seeing Paqina’s ring, she dared not hand hers over casually.

In the end, Luna still gave her ring to Loren. It looked a little unsightly, not even perfectly round.

But when Loren put it on, the Panel showed her Intelligence had indeed increased. The process of putting it on had been a bit difficult, and it felt uncomfortable on the finger.

”Luna’s is good too, equally effective. As I said before, looks don’t matter much. As long as it has a shape so the effect can manifest fully, it’s fine.

”The shape requirement is flexible: as long as it can roughly be recognized as a ring.”

Loren returned the ring to Luna, ruffling her hair to comfort her.

Luna stroked the ornate ring on her ring finger, lost in thought.

”Alright, class ends here for today. I have things to do back at the lab.

”Paqina, I’ll speak to the academy so you have free access here. Even when I’m not present, you can still come to the laboratory.”

”Okay...”

Paqina answered softly, trembling inside.

Loren’s kindness toward her had obviously gone beyond merely helping a good student. Still, rationally she told herself that someone as lowly as she wasn’t worthy of going further in relationship with Loren.

Even if she ranked top in every subject, that didn’t change Paqina’s insecurity. She was smart enough to know that academic grades weren’t what mattered in this world.

Loren didn’t know about Paqina’s thoughts. He led them out of the lab, and the guard posted at the door saluted as soon as he saw Loren.

”You came at the right time. This girl is a genius. From now on, facilities and materials I don’t use are available for her—consider it my permission.”

Loren placed his hand on Paqina’s head and said this to the guard.

The instant his hand touched her hair, Paqina flinched and then shook off her wandering thoughts, her gaze clearing.

”Yes, Master Mentor...”

”Hmm.”

Loren nodded, took Paqina and Luna by the hand. Paqina did not resist at all; she let Loren lead her toward where the other students were still in class.

”How’s everyone doing with their practice?”

Only when they reached the classroom did Loren release Paqina’s hand. Quite a few students had seen the scene.

”Everyone learned it!”

Jessica eagerly came to report to Loren. Loren glanced at his watch; there was still some time before class ended.

”Okay, class dismissed. Next time I’ll teach you something new. Go home and get more familiar with it.”

Loren arbitrarily dismissed class, and no one could object.

He did have something to do today; he worried that if he dawdled, he would miss the Langton family’s execution. He planned to store life force in the Crimson Elegy by relying on that execution.

”Goodbye, children.”

Without waiting for their reaction, Loren turned and left. Paqina wanted to follow, but she took one step and then stopped.

...

”Sorry, Jessica, for leaving you here alone so long...”

On the way back, Luna apologized to Jessica, who merely shook her head:

”No, I should be the one thanking you!”

Jessica was unusually excited, then continued:

”Do you know how amazing today was for me? In this class everyone is a bigshot. They wouldn’t dare retaliate if someone slapped Sylvia, the Gedlan Princess, but today those bigshots were bowing to me...”

As she spoke, Jessica savored the memory, a little intoxicated:

”Thank you, Luna. If you hadn’t brought me, I would never have seen something like that in my life...”

Jessica grabbed Luna’s hand and thanked her earnestly; she knew exactly why she had what she had now.

At that moment, she saw the ring on Luna’s hand.

”Did Master Mentor give you that? On your ring finger...”

As she said it, Jessica gave a knowing auntie-smile, making Luna a bit embarrassed.

But Luna didn’t argue, just softly answered.

”Is that ring only for you? Did Master Mentor make one for Paqina?”

”No...”

Before Luna finished, Jessica patted Luna’s shoulder hard:

”You won again!

”This is a ring! Master Mentor even allowed you to wear it on your ring finger—unprecedented treatment.

”There are so many people in his household, and I haven’t seen anyone else receive the Mentor’s ring. You absolutely hit the jackpot!”

”I...”

”Stop doubting yourself. Now you can think about who to call when you get married. You can even look forward to the moment Naclis and Anna change the way they address you.

”Imagine Naclis putting on a cold face but being forced to call you ’Mother’...”