Academic gathering with a lich

The nights at Bloody Rose were always frozen in revelry: bodies swaying, meaningless yet pure laughter, a mixture of alcohol and hormones in the air—it was not easy to stay sober here.

Candy changed into her maid outfit backstage and began her work as a server, while the Succubus Anna carried a smile far brighter than usual as she set out to empty the patrons’ wallets.

It was time to start my own work. William combed his hair back behind his ears, tied his ponytail tight, smoothed out the wrinkles on his uniform, and took his Magic Wand from his leather bag before stepping onto the central stage of the dance hall.

Not far away, the Bamboo Stick Insect Band cut off their previous performance. Amid the puzzled looks of the guests, the Bamboo Stick Insect started to beat the drums slowly at first, then gradually faster, like the prelude to the opening of a show.

William smiled and nodded at Mr. Qingjiao, the leader of the band.

Yes, this was a performance, William’s performance.

William changed the cleaning, and the cleaning changed William.

Under the expectant or puzzled gazes of the crowd, William stood on the stage, the most conspicuous spot in the bar. He raised his Magic Wand like a conductor and began to dance to the beat.

William wasn’t conducting music, but elements.

From the bucket, streams of water peeked out like living creatures, their bodies effervescing with cleaning liquid as if it was soda. Miniature whirlwinds acted as jubilant dancers on the stage, eliciting gasps from the customers as they swept past their feet, collecting dirt and dust. Serpents made of flowing water, deadly and dazzling under the colored lights, weaved through every corner of the bar. In the air, remnants of alcohol also moved, drawn by the current, gathering in the palm of William’s hand.

The bubbles within the bodies of the water snakes detached from the surface, rising among the crowd to the rhythm of the music, dancing below the waving Magic Wand like balloons played with by the wind. The bubbles encircled William, linking into rings under the whirl of the ascending whirlwinds. The water collected at William’s feet lifted their heads against the current and joined the aerial vortex.

Freeze. The whirlwinds entering the water rings dissipated, the invisible currents turned into tangible ice blocks—coldness created white fog in the air. The vortexes stood still mid-air, layered and intersecting like pieces of art.

Crack, crack, it was a heart-wrenching sound as those ice sculptures shattered into cascading fragments—a beautiful end that always seemed unsatisfying.

Magic, with me, as if it were a limb I was born with, I could use it to shape beauty.

William, holding onto that belief, wore an arrogance on his face akin to an insurmountable noble. Once again swinging his Magic Wand, those falling ice chunks gathered into a flock of birds. Ice-blue birds circled above William’s head, returning to the bucket like birds to their nests.

The dust was swept away, the pungent scent in the air vanished, leaving a refreshing coolness. Bamboo Stick Insect ended their music, and the applause from the spectators composed the final piece of music that belonged to William.

William bowed with a smile, taking with him every last bit of admiration. The crowd looked at the stage as if he were still there, shocked; they realized that even a janitor could work in such a manner.

Some shocks never lose their strength no matter how often they’re experienced.

Candy approached the smitten Succubus.

"Sister, isn’t William, when he’s casting spells, very handsome?"

"Yes..." Anna finally snapped back to reality, blinking several times at the stage, her blush obscured by the lighting. She turned to look at Candy with a beaming smile and immediately changed her tune, "Yes... What of it!!!"

Candy blinked her large eyes, identical to Anna’s.

"Aren’t you going to pursue Mr. William? He might go looking for the Female Elf."

"No." Anna’s head drooped, her curved horns almost touching Candy’s, her tiny voice laced with guilt, "He’s already fond of someone."

"What does it matter? Isn’t stealing someone’s lover a Succubus’s normal duty?"

Anna shook her head, "He’s different."

"Sister, just treat him like an ordinary person."

"I can’t, I just can’t. Besides, William won’t be charmed." Anna hunched her shoulders, resembling a guilt-ridden and unfit Succubus.

"Then go and confess your feelings, my lady."

"No!" Anna’s voice suddenly grew louder, disturbing the guests who had reengaged in revelries. She whispered into Candy’s ear as if confessing a crime. "Failure to enchant can be laughed off as instinct, but being rejected is too embarrassing. I am a Succubus after all."

"What is this pure-hearted Succubus act, sister? Haven’t you dealt with many patrons before? Please demonstrate your usual professional demeanor!"

"How could I possibly manage that? A Succubus in love? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Indeed, this distressing feeling should be abandoned!"

Candy grasped Anna’s arm anxiously, peering into her eyes.

"Mama, sister, you’ve said it yourself: Mama was a Succubus capable of love. Did she ever say anything about it?"

"Mama..." Anna looked at her anxious little brother, repeating the word, the irritation on her face melting away in that moment. She cradled Candy’s face, gazing into his bright eyes. "Candy, Mama said that having you is enough for me." Anna hugged Candy close, emulating how that woman used to hold her in her memories.

William emerged from backstage, greeting a few of the patrons with a smile. The staff at Bloody Rose were quite relaxed; after finishing their daily tasks, they too became part of the tavern’s lively crowd. Thanks to his remarkable cleaning performance during shows, he was now off duty.

Ms. Betty still lingered in that familiar corner, where William usually chatted with her about Fannila.

Ms. Betty was an elf with light gray, short hair, her features refined, her face often showing impatience, though with William, there was mostly a playful air. Since the accident at Bloody Rose two weeks prior, the staff had come to accept William.

Around Ms. Betty’s neck was the ornate accessory she referred to as a ’Dream Elf Ornament’. It resembled a colossal necklace, starting at her neck, the golden chain spreading like a cobweb over her skin, the golden weave concealing her bosom, with a huge jade emerald embedded at the center of her chest, shimmering within the golden web. William didn’t know what it was, but the surface of the emerald radiated magic.

That thing must be quite cumbersome; at least during work, Ms. Betty would not have worn such a troublesome item. He didn’t understand why she bothered to wear it, aside from that first time, William noticed that mesmerizing emerald every time they talked.

"Good evening, Ms. Betty. You are as dazzling as ever."

With a smile on her face, Betty replied, "Mr. William’s performance is consistently excellent, I’m sure your show will touch Fannila’s heart."

"Thank you for the good wishes. I hope so too."