The moment Mord noticed Susan struggling to control her broom, he knew something was wrong.
As he had predicted, Susan forced the broom into a sharp turn, causing it to lose control.
The sudden movement threw her into the air.
Seeing her falling, Mord pushed his broom to its limit.
He aimed directly beneath her, gripped the broom tightly with his legs, and stretched out both arms.
Bang!
Susan crashed into his embrace.
Her body was soft, warm, and surprisingly heavy under the force of the impact.
The collision nearly knocked the breath out of Mord.
Knowing he couldn’t absorb the impact directly, Mord reacted instantly.
He kicked the broom sideways, causing it to spin a full 360 degrees in midair.
The two of them rotated together, using the spin to disperse the force of the impact.
It was an advanced flying technique—one that required exceptional skill.
When everything finally settled, Susan slowly opened her eyes.
She realized she wasn’t falling anymore.
Instead, she was being held securely in a princess carry in Mord’s arms.
Mord smiled with his usual carefree expression.
“I told you,” he said, “the Comet 200 isn’t suitable for beginners.”
“…Mm.”
Susan’s heart was still racing from the near-death experience.
She could barely form a complete sentence.
Seeing her frightened expression, Mord stopped teasing her.
He gently lowered her until she was seated safely on the broomstick.
“Hold on tight.”
“We’re landing.”
“…Okay.”
The broom descended smoothly toward the ground.
By the time Madam Hooch rushed over, they had already landed safely.
“My goodness!”
“Are you two alright?”
She had been too far away to see exactly what had happened, but she knew something had gone terribly wrong.
Susan lowered her head.
“I’m… fine, Madam Hooch.”
“It was my fault.”
“I pushed the broom too hard…”
Before she could say anything else, Mord interrupted with a smile.
“We were just having a friendly race.”
“Nothing serious happened.”
He secretly winked at Susan.
Madam Hooch finally relaxed.
“Good.”
“Be more careful next time.”
“You both flew far beyond the practice area.”
Susan nodded quietly.
Just as she was about to retrieve her own broom, Mord stopped her.
He placed his Cleansweep Five into her hands.
“This one is easier to control.”
“It suits you better.”
Susan stared at him for a long moment before quietly saying,
“…Thank you.”
This time, there wasn’t even the slightest trace of pretense in her voice.
Her gratitude was completely genuine.
Mord smiled.
“You’re welcome.”
“I prefer the real you.”
“The cold, straightforward Susan.”
Susan’s cheeks flushed slightly.
So…
He had noticed her earlier attempts to test him all along.
She looked away awkwardly.
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve never been pretending…”
After a brief pause, she added softly,
“I’ll repay this favor properly.”
Without waiting for his reply, she hurried back toward the other students.
[Ding! Lord Demon King has successfully charmed a righteous young witch.]
[Darkness Points +5]
Mord nodded in satisfaction.
A hero saving a beauty might be cliché…
But it certainly works.
Although he had missed an opportunity to earn more Darkness Points by showing off in front of everyone, gaining Susan’s genuine trust was equally valuable.
He walked over to the fallen Comet 200, brushed away the dirt with a quick Scourgify, and examined it carefully.
Fortunately, it hadn’t been damaged.
Curious, he mounted the broom.
The moment it accelerated—
Whoosh!
Mord’s eyes widened.
This thing is incredible!
He immediately took back everything he had said about the Comet series.
Compared to the stable Cleansweep, the Comet felt far more exciting to ride.
I suppose talent really does let you get away with being reckless.
The Flying lesson continued without further incidents.
High above Hogwarts, several professors had witnessed the rescue from the castle windows.
Professor Flitwick was practically glowing with excitement.
“That aerial rotation to absorb the impact…”
“Magnificent.”
“It’s a shame first-years aren’t normally allowed to join Quidditch.”
Meanwhile, inside the Headmaster’s office…
Professor McGonagall stood beside the window, smiling.
“Albus.”
“I think you worried too much.”
“Mord is a good child.”
“He gets along with nearly everyone.”
“…Though most of those friends seem to be girls.”
Dumbledore chuckled softly as he adjusted his half-moon spectacles.
“I sincerely hope you’re right, Minerva.”
“But Trelawney’s prophecy introduced too many unknown variables.”
“I cannot afford to ignore them.”
That afternoon, Gryffindor and Slytherin held their own Flying lesson.
Mord already knew what would happen.
He wondered if Madam Hooch would be more cautious after witnessing Susan’s accident.
Unfortunately…
Some things were destined to happen.
During dinner, Hermione informed him that Neville had fallen from his broom, broken a bone, and had been taken to the Hospital Wing.
The following morning, another piece of news spread throughout Hogwarts.
“Have you heard?”
Terry burst into the Ravenclaw common room.
“Harry Potter has become Gryffindor’s new Seeker!”
“I heard no first-year has become a Seeker in nearly two hundred years!”
Mord glanced around casually.
Across the room, Cho Chang was chatting with several older Ravenclaw girls.
Although she appeared focused on the conversation, her eyes occasionally drifted toward him, carrying a faint look of envy.
Mord simply smiled.
Just then, a folded paper crane flew gracefully through the window and landed in his hand.
Opening it, he recognized Professor Flitwick’s elegant handwriting.
“Mord, please come to my office. I have something to discuss with you.”
Curious, Mord headed toward Professor Flitwick’s office beside the Charms classroom.
He knocked gently.
“Come in.”
The door swung open by itself.
As soon as he entered, Professor Flitwick smiled warmly.
“Mord.”
“Your performance during Flying class was remarkable.”
Mord blinked.
“You saw that?”
“It really wasn’t anything special.”
Flitwick shook his head firmly.
“No.”
“That midair rotation wasn’t ordinary.”
“It required instinct.”
“And instinct cannot be taught.”
He paused before continuing.
“You know Ravenclaw hasn’t won the Quidditch Cup in many years.”
“Slytherin has dominated recently.”
“Before them, it was Gryffindor.”
“The last time Ravenclaw claimed the championship was fifteen years ago.”
Mord finally understood.
“Professor…”
“Are you asking me to join the Quidditch team?”
“But I’m only a first-year.”
Flitwick smiled knowingly.
“Ordinarily, I would never consider it.”
“But Professor McGonagall has already broken tradition.”
“Harry Potter has become Gryffindor’s Seeker.”
“If Gryffindor can do it…”
“Why shouldn’t Ravenclaw?”
Mord hesitated.
Joining the Quidditch team would consume a great deal of his free time.
Although he loved flying, he disliked obligations.
Then another thought crossed his mind.
“System.”
“If I show off in front of larger audiences, will I earn more Darkness Points?”
[Report, Lord Demon King: Yes.]
[The greater the audience and influence, the greater the rewards.]
[Major events may also unlock additional rewards, including Blind Boxes, new Dark Magic, recipes, follower faith, and other bonuses.]
Mord’s eyes lit up.
Suddenly…
Quidditch no longer seemed like a waste of time.
To him, it had become a perfect opportunity to earn Darkness Points.
In other words—
A walking treasure chest.