Combat Maid Harem

Everyone that was curious about Lawrend stopped and stared at the sign. Some of them quickly left and came back with their friends. Lawrend waited for an hour before he moved.

He stood up at the center of the stage. He swung his head as he gazed at the Earth Mages watching him with curious faces.

“I will start. What does it mean to be an Earth Mage?” Lawrend asked.

None answered him. Not because they didn’t know the answer but because it was a dumb question. An Earth Mage was self-explanatory in itself. They have the power to change the earth with their spells.

“I suppose none of you really have an idea what it meant. All of you are lucky to be living in an environment where the fire element mana is this dense,” Lawrend said and swung his hand around, which caused red fire mana fog to fall from his hand like a mystical waterfall.

Almost all of the Earth Mages furrowed their eyebrows as they became offended by his words. They were very proud of their own achievements. Hearing him downplay it was annoying.

“An Earth Mage might be able to change the world around them, but that isn’t the reason why they are called an Earth Mage.

“Earth Mages connect with the world around them to use the power of the environmental mana instead of simply relying on mana within their bodies. A Grand Mage isn’t capable of that because they aren’t connected with the world, and a Heaven Mage is much stronger because of their connection with the skies.”

Lawrend looked around. A look of enlightenment appeared on most of their faces. It was fairly easy for them to become Earth Mages, so they didn’t have to ponder that question as much compared to Earth Mages from outside the clan.

Lawrend noticed this fact and decided it was a good lesson to give for his first lecture. These Earth Mages in front of him were spoon-fed by luck by being born in the Ignis Clan. He believed that a lot of them would struggle to become Earth Mages outside.

“I have a question.”

A sharp-bearded old man with sharp eyebrows stood up and raised his hand. He coldly stared at Lawrend.

“Go on.”

“Are you implying that we are inferior to outsiders?” he asked.

“Before I answer your question, what is your name?” Lawrend asked.

“I’m Kilin Ignis, an Elevated Earth Mage from the north,” Kilin answered.

“Old man, have you encountered any outsider Earth Mage?”

“O-Old man? How rude. Forget it. I’m leaving. I don’t want to have a discussion with an immature outsider like you.”

Kilin was shocked and stood up with a displeased expression on his face. He didn’t want to lower his pride against Lawrend. He came here to learn not to be disrespected.

“I didn’t mean to be rude, Old Man. I will answer your question– Yes. Earth Mages here are inferior to Earth Mages from outside,” Lawrend said.

Kilin turned around immediately with anger on his face. He saw Lawrend looking back at him with a wide smirk on his face.

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Does he want a fight?”

The others in their seats clamored in anger. As members of the Ignis Clan, they looked down on outsiders the most. They couldn’t accept that Lawrend said they were inferior to them.

“I demand that you return everyone’s payment! You’re insulting us and not giving us a ‘lecture’!” Kilin shouted indignantly while emphasizing ‘lecture.’

Everyone nodded their heads and stood up. They readied up themselves as they took their stances and pulled out their staves.

“You may be an Elevated Earth Mage, but everyone else here is a Flawed Earth Mage!”

Lawrend looked around and sharply stared at the Earth Mages. They shivered and felt as if they were naked before Lawrend. He knew their secrets that should only be known by a select few people.

“How are you so sure!?”

One of them stood up. It was a hot-headed woman with a petite body. She shook as she heaved in anger.

“Miss, you’re not fooling my eyes. Do you want to demonstrate your ‘Flawed’-ness to everyone here, or do you want to shut up and silently accept it?” Lawrend retorted piercingly.

Getting teamed up with a huge crowd soured Lawrend’s mood. He wouldn’t be doing any of this if he didn’t need money.

“Y-You’re crazy!”

She hmph’d in anger and sat back down with a dark face. She didn’t dare to look back into anyone’s eyes as they noticed that Lawrend had struck the truth.

“Brother, you’re just a Flawed Earth Mage? You lied to me!” a male Earth Mage exclaimed at the man beside him.

“I will prove it to you!” that male Earth Mage shouted and stood up.

“Do you want to fight me?” Lawrend asked calmly.

“I will!”

The male Earth Mage bolstered his courage and walked up the stage. He took a deep breath and took out his red crystal staff.

The two of them flew up to the sky and reached just below a cloud.

“Phoenix!” Lawrend’s opponent turned into a flaming phoenix as hot flames covered his body.

“Fire Disintegration!”

Lawrend didn’t turn into a phoenix, but his hand blazed with an orange-red flame.

His opponent felt offended once he realized that Lawrend didn’t turn into a phoenix. He swung his staff and clicked his fingers on his other hand.

“Phoenix Strike!”

He pointed his staff at Lawrend, and a phoenix the size of an eagle shot out like a bolt of lightning. It crossed the space between them in under a few milliseconds.

Lawrend reacted inhumanely and grasped the phoenix from the sky. His fire disintegration spell immediately went to work.

To the shock of the crowd watching below, the fire phoenix turned into gray ashes that blew with the wind.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Shock was the only word that could explain their facial expressions. It was the first time they had seen fire turn to ashes. It was illogical.