Guide to Raising a Succubus

The Return to Fair Play

All the schemes, all the plans, meticulously crafted for that stunning young man, were suddenly rearranged.

Adam stood with his fingers paused thoughtfully at his lips, a gesture he had been holding for quite some time. When he eventually snapped back to reality, he found himself enclosed by a circle of curious onlookers.

Drawn by his presence outside the examination hall, these students had been captivated by his striking appearance. They were bright, chatty, and greeted him warmly. He could feel their friendly acceptance and wanted to respond in kind, yet he couldn't overcome the overwhelming sensation of being the center of attention.

Such excessive scrutiny left him dizzy, nearly speechless—a fact his sisters often teased him about. "Adam, you're nothing like us," they would say. "Our kind thrives on being noticed."

Family from afar were less charitable, discreetly labeling him a freak for his aversion. Adam was acutely aware of his divergence from others of his kind, a difference that might have driven him to flee his homeland.

He contemplated these thoughts while muttering apologies, carefully nudging past shoulders with as much courtesy as he could manage. The crowd, kind enough not to press him further, parted understandingly for his shyness and granted him an unencumbered path to leave.

Stepping clear from the throng, he took in a deep breath of fresh air, releasing a long sigh. His gaze was naturally drawn back to the horizon where Katherine stood—not far from where the path led him.

He felt the nervous dampness of his palms anew, stirred by the sight. He steeled himself, drawing in a breath to steady his nerves.

Approaching her position, he noted another woman standing nearby, her golden locks distinguishing her as an assistant of sorts. As he closed the distance, he realized their attention was not on him but on someone else within the examination area.

That someone was a contestant—a young man named Jason, whose robust physique and sun-kissed skin starkly contrasted Adam's own. Adam bit his lip, lowering his eyes momentarily to examine his own stature. Then, looking back at Katherine, he noted the gleam of admiration in her gaze as it stayed fixed on Jason.

A pang of envy Jacob upon him, one he had to admit was closer to jealousy.

---

Inside the exam area, Jason launched his magic with a flourish, his body illumined by a curious glow. Observers exchanged bewildered glances, while Katherine and Ellie reflected a mix of surprise and excitement.

“He’s become an intermediate mage!” Ellie exclaimed, her enthusiasm apparent.

Katherine responded only with a confirming nod, wordlessly turning to head back towards the office building, with Ellie following closely behind.

Once they reached the sanctuary of their office, Katherine voiced her decision without delay. “Ellie, it’s time we restored fairness to the competition.”

Ellie was delighted to hear Katherine’s change of heart, intuitively sensing what likely prompted it.

“It’s because of that young man, Jason, isn’t it?” Ellie inquired.

“Indeed. A commoner who’s risen to intermediate mage level by sheer resolve—it’s extraordinary.” Though Katherine’s words might appear smug, the admiration in her tone was genuine.

Ellie struggled to trust her fully, however. She feared these were merely empty declarations of intent. She knew Katherine meant well yet was all too aware of her moral flexibility. Mischievous or not, Katherine frequently skipped meetings, transformed the headmaster’s flowers into carnivorous blooms, and at times, made illicit purchases at the magic black market.

Ellie, having never set foot in the black market, could only gather her perceptions from Katherine’s conversations, which painted it as a lawless realm. Katherine once impressed upon her, with eerie vividness, “The Magic Tower has no control over that place. Those who venture there might never return to recount their mistake.”

To Ellie, these tales were chilling, and thus she concluded Katherine, capable of just about anything shy of malignity, could surprise her little.

“Professor, are you truly prepared to let fairness prevail?” Ellie asked, eyes filled with skepticism. “Merely moments ago, I saw you in deep discussion with Adam at the test grounds. I was certain he had captivated you.”

Katherine’s mind momentarily drifted back to Adam, only for the memory to be swiftly eclipsed by the brilliance emanating from Jason.

“Isn’t Jason equally captivating?” Katherine chuckled lightly. “Besides, he’s in prime shape, more suited to my needs.”

“Excuse me?” Ellie questioned, unsure of her seriousness.

“Only joking.” Katherine admitted playfully, her demeanor earnest. “I genuinely wish him a fair chance in the competition.”

Even if fairness in this contest, sullied by the Magic Tower’s meddling, had seen her own complicity twist it further.

Katherine silently reprimanded herself for her lack of maturity. Using the candidates' futures to vent her grievances against the Tower was inexcusable. How was she better than the deceitful Magic Tower itself?

It was Jason’s radiance that reignited her values. Katherine understood all too well how formidable a feat it was to become an intermediate mage through self-study. The puzzled expressions of the examinees mirrored their ignorance; they had never witnessed such light, and many might never see it within themselves.

“Ellie, you, too, attained intermediate mage status through hard work,” Katherine noted. “Do you remember when you reached that milestone?”

Ellie nervously adjusted her hair, recalling, “The path wasn’t smooth…”

Ellie’s golden hair, if scrutinized, reveals streaks of gray at the ends—a reminder of a transmutation accident best left undiscussed even with Katherine.

However, the incident speaks volumes.

“Let’s just say I belonged to the fortunate ones among mages,” she remarked without false modesty.

Among mages, modesty is rare. For talent, akin to a gemstone’s shine, cannot be concealed. Conversely, those devoid of it recognize its absence early on.

“For a common person seeking progression from novice to intermediate mage,” Ellie continued, “consistency is key. It might require mastering levitation a thousand times daily or practicing basic fireball spells five hundred times over. Even then, it might take five, ten, or twenty years. Most see their dreams dashed early, either running out of money to purchase magic stones or succumbing to waning physical and magical acuity as age catches up. They age, they slow, and they realize intermediate status might forever elude them…”

She paused, emotion catching in her words. “But some defy the odds, reaching intermediate against the current. Their joy turns to awe when glancing back at the countless left behind. Yet their gaze forward only reveals a higher ascent in the magical arts, one scaling beyond reach until this moment. While they stand upon what they regard as an intermediate ‘plateau,’ for many prodigies and well-endowed children, they attained it at fourteen, if not sooner. There is a stark disparity on the path to magical prowess between the gifted and the average.”

Ellie’s voice broke slightly with emotion. She had remained at intermediate Mage V for two years despite rigorous practice and Katherine’s tutelage, even with magical potions’ aid. Despite possessing innate aptitude, it dawned on her that, like others, she might never glimpse the sunrise of advanced mastery.

Katherine, renowned for achieving advanced Mage III status by seventeen, was another story entirely.

Their discussion lapsed into silence, neither woman uttering another word. Katherine merely walked over, softly patting Ellie on the head. Their resolve sealed in mutual understanding—they would indeed restore fairness.

All the malignant intentions, all the deception, all tactics engineered for the captivating young man, were displaced.

For the final exam, Ellie diligently wheeled in an unassuming instrument. A device with a dial etched from 0 to 1000, its needle sat at rest upon 0, ready to swing to its rightful position with each mage’s magical exertion. In past competitions, reaching 100 was considered competent. Ellie's own best score lingered at 292.