Chapter 212: The Protective Law Saint.

Were those Mage Apprentices ordinary Mage Apprentices?

Aside from his little dragon, there were five Little Fairies among them, not to mention the Elven King disguised as a human.

Send the mighty Elven King back where he came from? Who did Friton think he was? What gave him the right to make such an unreasonable demand?

A gleam of anticipation flashed through Zephyr's eyes. This was going to be entertaining.

"Gabri, is this how students at your magic academy treat a Saint Mage?" Friton demanded sternly, turning his displeasure on Headmaster Gabri.

Gabri said with a headache, "Lord Friton, Zephyr is also an instructor at the magic academy."

Zephyr was a Senior Grand Mage, only one step away from becoming a Saint Mage. There was essentially nothing left for the academy to teach him. Breaking through would depend entirely on his own insight.

Zephyr declared with complete confidence, "If I weren't too lazy to join the Magic Tower, I'd have become a Saint Mage years ago."

There were only a handful of human Saint Mages, and practically all of them were trapped in the Magic Tower, working themselves to the bone. As a dragon accustomed to freedom, Zephyr had no desire to be shackled by endless work.

Friton sneered. "If becoming a Saint Mage were that easy, the Mage Sovereign wouldn't have founded St. Velia Magic Academy."

"Since you understand why the Mage Sovereign founded this academy," Zephyr said, "how can you let your personal feelings drive you to take your anger out on innocent students?"

"You!"

Friton glared furiously at him and instantly unleashed the pressure of a Saint Mage.

Zephyr remained completely unaffected. He reached out and picked up the golden-furred little monkey that had been crouching on the coffee table, trembling with fear, then placed it in his palm and stroked it.

Unfortunately, the palm-sized monkey became even more frightened once it landed in the hands of a dragon.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

It desperately called to its owner for help.

The corner of Zephyr's mouth twitched. He casually tossed the little monkey into Gabri's arms.

Gabri smiled helplessly and soothed the terrified creature.

"Friton, there's nothing wrong with protecting your own, but you still have to be reasonable. You haven't even established who was right or wrong, yet you've already decided to condemn one side. Don't you think that's rather presumptuous? Even the Thorn Temple carefully investigates the truth and gives the accused a chance to defend themselves before passing judgment."

Zephyr interlaced his fingers and looked directly at Friton with his golden eyes.

"I've already investigated the matter thoroughly," Friton said expressionlessly. "My younger relative and three of his classmates saw an empty table they wanted. Then ten new students suddenly appeared and used their superior numbers to fight them for it."

After a pause, he turned to Gabri.

"The Magic Tower provides funding to the magic academy every year. I never imagined the academy couldn't even manage its dining hall properly, to the point that students would come into conflict over a table."

Gabri's expression immediately darkened.

Although she wasn't a Saint Mage, she had served as headmaster for centuries and commanded enormous prestige. Under her leadership, St. Velia Magic Academy had flourished.

Yet to pressure her, Friton had resorted to insinuating that she was incompetent.

"Friton, if you wish to audit our accounts, please apply to the Mage Sovereign for authorization first." Gabri had nothing to hide and no reason to fear scrutiny of the academy's finances. She continued calmly, "There's something you may not know. Do you know who recommended those students for admission?"

"Who?" Contempt flashed through Friton's eyes.

Probably one of the mages stationed in the various countries.

How important could they possibly be?

"The Mage Sovereign," Gabri replied succinctly.

"Oh, the Mage Sov—"

Friton had been about to scoff when he suddenly froze, his eyes widening.

"Who did you say?"

"The Mage Sovereign, Danlov Girard," Zephyr said loudly and clearly, making certain Friton heard every word.

"Impossible!" Friton instinctively denied it. "Why would the Mage Sovereign write recommendation letters for a few commoners?"

Gabri took a letter from her storage ring.

"Nevertheless, he did."

Friton accepted the letter skeptically. When he saw the familiar insignia and handwriting, he had no choice but to believe it.

His brow furrowed deeply as countless thoughts raced through his mind.

He couldn't understand why the great Mage Sovereign would lower himself to write a recommendation letter for commoners.

Could it be...

Were those children truly extraordinarily gifted in magic?

Friton returned the letter to Gabri, his attitude softening slightly.

"I can give them an opportunity to defend themselves."

Even with the Mage Sovereign's name brought into the matter, Friton conceded only this tiny step.

Gabri shook her head inwardly.

"In my opinion, we should simply bring both sides here and let them confront each other," Zephyr said. "Oh, and I heard Seriu, who helps enforce discipline at the academy, was also present."

The last sentence was directed at Gabri.

"Yes." Gabri nodded. "I've already sent him to find the children. Judging by the time, they should be back soon."

"As expected of our headmaster. You've thought of everything."

Gabri smiled as she played with the little monkey in her arms.

Shu Li was having a wonderful day.

Over the course of the morning, he and Ace had worked together to clean more than a hundred streets and alleys, earning over two hundred gold coins.

If they accepted another hundred or so streets that afternoon, they could earn another two hundred or more.

When they returned to the Cotrin Temple midway through the morning to turn in assignments, they ran into the others and stopped to exchange a few words.

Aside from Dixio's group lagging slightly behind, the other two groups had also earned quite a bit.

Dixio's group contained two princesses and one pampered young master, all of whom were clearly lacking in practical skills. When they first started working, they fumbled around so badly that they nearly started a fire.

Fortunately, Dixio was a Senior Magic Instructor. At the critical moment, he remained calm and managed to save the main waste-processing facility.

Nasha, Sayah, and Hector were mortified.

Dixio might normally seem impatient, but when it truly mattered, he kept his head and was extremely dependable. With him patiently instructing them, the three humans gradually got the hang of the work.

They were still slow, but after working all morning, they finally looked as though they knew what they were doing.

Their group had earned less than eighty gold coins altogether. Compared with the other groups, the result was genuinely embarrassing.

Still, it was the first money the princesses and young master had ever earned through their own labor, so they were brimming with determination. When everyone gathered for lunch, they announced that they would work harder and earn even more that afternoon.

Unfortunately, they never got the chance.

Seriu found them at the restaurant where they were eating and solemnly asked them to return to the academy.

"You mean... Ludwig's Saint Mage relative is here?"

When Hector learned why Seriu had come, his knife and fork fell onto his plate with a clatter, his face turning deathly pale.

"Yes." Seriu glanced over the lavish spread covering the table and frowned slightly. "Finish eating first. Return to the academy afterward."

Hector clutched his head in both hands, utterly distraught.

"We're finished. We're finished."

He had never imagined Ludwig's Saint Mage relative would be so fiercely protective that he couldn't even wait a single day before storming into the academy to demand an explanation.

Sayah, who was sitting beside Hector, slapped him hard on the back.

"We didn't do anything wrong. What are you scared of?"

The blow hurt so much that tears nearly sprang into Hector's eyes.

Shu Li put down the half-eaten fruit in his hand and reassured him, "Eat first. We'll need our strength to deal with this."

Dixio complained unhappily, "That Saint Mage really picked the worst possible time to come. I wanted to take a few more assignments this afternoon!"

"Exactly!" Budno nodded vigorously. "Our group only earned a hundred and fifty gold coins this morning. I wanted to make three hundred this afternoon and try to earn back what we spent on the teleportation arrays."

Amanda suggested, "How about... we finish our assignments before going back?"

Dixio grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.

"Sure. Let that Saint Mage who can't tell right from wrong sit there and wait!"

Angel smiled warmly at Seriu.

"Have you eaten lunch? If not, sit down and eat with us!"

Seriu, who had spent two hours searching for them, politely declined.

"No, thank you."

These youths were strange.

They showed absolutely no awe toward a Saint Mage.

Hector, on the other hand, had gone pale with terror the moment he heard a Saint Mage had arrived.

That was how a normal person was supposed to react.

Shu Li stared intently at Seriu and urged, "No matter how important something is, eating comes first. Don't be polite with us. Just sit down and eat."

Had anyone else tried to persuade him, Seriu would have continued refusing.

But the invitation came from the youth he cared about.

His heart stirred.

He pulled out an empty chair and sat down properly.

"Come on, come on! Do you want meat or fruit?" Dixio welcomed him generously. "If there isn't enough, we'll have the server bring more!"

While Shu Li and the others happily enjoyed their meal at the restaurant, Ludwig and his three lackeys stood in the headmaster's office, barely daring to breathe.

Friton asked Gabri in a deep voice, "Didn't you say they should be back by now? Where are they?"

Gabri coughed lightly, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Perhaps something unexpected happened."

"Something unexpected?" Friton demanded. "What could possibly happen inside the academy?"

Zephyr drawled, "They probably went into the city to take assignments."

"Assignments?" Friton narrowed his eyes. "If I remember correctly, new students aren't allowed to leave the academy without permission."

Zephyr spread his hands.

"I gave them permission."

Friton was rendered speechless with fury.

One of these days, Zephyr was going to infuriate him to death.

Standing off to one side, Ludwig clenched his fists and cursed Hector and his friends a thousand times over in his head.

He had thought bringing in his Saint Mage relative would finally help him recover his dignity. Instead, neither the headmaster nor this magic instructor named Zephyr showed Friton any deference whatsoever.

And now they had to wait for Hector and his friends to return so the two sides could confront each other.

He had already been standing in this office for half an hour, yet there wasn't so much as a shadow of those bastards.

Damn them!

Behind Ludwig, the three lackeys secretly exchanged uneasy looks.

They had a terrible feeling about this.

Things might not go nearly as smoothly as they had expected.

Friton slapped the armrest of the sofa and said coldly, "If they don't come back soon, then they needn't come back at all!"

Knock, knock, knock.

The moment he finished speaking, someone politely knocked on the door of the headmaster's office.

"Come in," Gabri said.

"Looks like they're back." Zephyr raised an eyebrow.

Ludwig turned and stared at Seriu as he opened the door, followed by ten Mage Apprentices.

"Headmaster, Director, Lord Saint Mage, my apologies for being late."

Seriu respectfully saluted the three of them.

Friton snorted.

Gabri asked with concern, "What delayed you?"

Seriu glanced back at the Mage Apprentices, considering whether he should tell the truth.

Shu Li calmly answered for him.

"We were eating at a restaurant when Seriu came to find us."

He then ignored Friton, Ludwig, and the others beside him and gracefully greeted the headmaster and Zephyr.

"Good afternoon, Headmaster. Uncle."

Amanda and the Little Fairies followed suit, greeting them in loud, energetic voices.

"Good afternoon, Headmaster! Good afternoon, Uncle!"

Hector, Sayah, and Nasha were somewhat at a loss. When they saw Ace simply raise a hand in a casual greeting, they copied him, not daring to join in with the overly familiar address.

Gabri nodded in acknowledgment and sighed helplessly to herself.

These children truly did whatever they pleased. Everyone in the office had been waiting half the day on empty stomachs, while they had leisurely finished their lunch before finally coming back.

Friton's sharp gaze swept over Shu Li and the others.

To his surprise, he discovered dense elemental power gathered around them.

It was a common trait among those with exceptional magical talent, evidence of extraordinarily high elemental affinity.

Shu Li calmly allowed him to examine them.

Before they left the Faerie Forest, Ilio had told them that unless they cast high-ranking magic, an ordinary Saint Mage would be unable to see through their disguises or determine their true ranks.

Sure enough, Friton looked them over once, and when his gaze swept across the magical badges pinned to their chests, he gave a disdainful laugh.

"Gabri, these are the fine students your academy has produced? They don't even understand basic manners?"

Gabri frowned and was about to respond when Shu Li beat her to it.

"We only registered yesterday. Classes haven't even officially started yet!"

Then, wearing an innocent expression, he asked Friton, "You're Ludwig's Saint Mage relative, aren't you? Did you come all the way to the academy today just to protect your own?"

Friton's face instantly darkened, his gaze turning ominous.

Zephyr chuckled.

"Heh."

Angel said in a "quiet" voice, "Ludwig really does have a Saint Mage relative!"

"Are Saint Mages all this idle?" Dixio asked. "A younger relative comes crying to them, and they immediately rush over to make trouble for us?"

Budno puffed out his cheeks. "But we didn't even do anything wrong."

"Ludwig was obviously the one at fault first," Amanda complained. "He even °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° pointed his magic staff at us and threatened to fight and kill us."

"This is called striking first and then playing the victim," Kumandi said coldly.

Ace glanced at Zephyr and said evenly, "I'm sure the academy will see that justice is done."

Catching the Elven King's hint, Zephyr rubbed his nose.

Sayah grabbed Nasha's hand and raised it high.

"Headmaster, please give us justice!"

Hector opened his mouth, utterly awed by his teammates' courage.

Bang!

Friton slammed his palm against the sofa's armrest and unleashed a terrifying pressure.

Ludwig and his lackeys, standing beside him, went weak in the knees and dropped straight onto the floor.

At the front of the group, Shu Li stood fearless and unshaken, bearing the brunt of the pressure.

Seriu's back went rigid, and his hand instinctively closed around the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Gabri lightly clapped her hands, dispersing Friton's pressure.

"Lord Friton, you're frightening the children."

Zephyr's expression turned stern.

"Children speak without thinking. That's hardly unusual. Arguing with them only diminishes your dignity as a Saint Mage."

"Good. Very good."

Friton withdrew his pressure and laughed instead of growing angrier.

"It seems I've wasted my time coming here today."

"How could it be a waste?" Zephyr said. "Didn't you come to establish the truth? Everyone's here now. We can hear both sides."

Friton glanced at Ludwig, who was climbing back to his feet, and said with exasperation, "Tell them yourself."

Ludwig trembled.

"W-We saw the empty table first. After the argument started, they insulted me, and I got angry and took out my magic staff."

"Nonsense!" Dixio immediately retorted. "We were already standing beside the table when you came over and tried to take it!"

"We didn't insult you," Sayah said with a shrug. "Unless you think saying you laugh like a duck counts as an insult. In that case, sure."

"There were hundreds of people there at the time. Pick any one of them and they can testify for us." Angel's eyes darted thoughtfully before he added, "If we were the ones at fault, why was Ludwig the one Seriu warned?"

Instantly, everyone's gaze converged on Seriu.

Gabri asked him, "Is that true?"

Seriu answered calmly, neither servile nor arrogant.

"Yes."

Ludwig panicked as he realized the situation was turning against him. Pointing at Seriu, he shouted, "They're all in this together! They're deliberately slandering me!"

His three lackeys exchanged glances.

This time, none of them joined in. They remained silent.

Seriu said expressionlessly, "Before today, I had never met any of them."

Budno leaned toward Kumandi.

"What's this called?"

"Making a false accusation to cover his own wrongdoing," Kumandi replied.

Budno slapped his hands together and shook his head.

"Shameless!"

Ludwig glared furiously at them.

It was all their fault!

They were making him humiliate himself in front of his elder!

Zephyr looked directly at the grim-faced Friton.

"The facts are perfectly clear. Your younger relative lied to you, and it appears he also tried to bully others by relying on his family's power."

"Great-uncle, I didn't lie!" Sweat covered Ludwig's forehead as he looked desperately at Friton for help. "I always sit at that table. Everyone knows it! They deliberately stole my seat, then made fun of my name. That's why I couldn't stand it anymore and took out my magic staff to scare them."

Hector stared at him blankly.

His cousin had somehow managed to redefine the lower limits of shamelessness yet again.

Shu Li clicked his tongue.

He had never seen anyone so brazen.

It was a public table. Everyone had the right to use it. Ludwig hadn't carved his name into it, nor had he paid for it. Why should using it before mean that no one else was ever allowed to sit there?

If Friton couldn't hear the guilty desperation in his own relative's words, he had no business being a Saint Mage.

Yet he had made a special trip to the academy. No matter what happened, he intended to get some form of satisfaction for his younger relative.

So what if he was shamelessly protecting his own?

"Gabri, how do you intend to handle this?"

He deliberately put pressure on the headmaster.

Gabri sighed inwardly.

If she refused to give a Saint Mage any face, dealings with the Magic Tower might become difficult for the academy in the future.

But if she gave in, these innocent children would have to be punished.

Zephyr raised an eyebrow.

"Friton, don't ruin your reputation over something so trivial."

"I don't care about anything else," Friton said. "I want an answer from the headmaster!"

Everyone looked toward Gabri.

Her expression turned grave.

Bang!

Suddenly, the door to the headmaster's office was kicked open without ceremony.

"An answer? What kind of answer do you want?"

A teasing voice rang through the room.

"In my opinion, why not simply let them fight it out?"

A tall, handsome figure sauntered into the office. As he passed the Light Squad, he winked at them.

Shu Li finally saw who it was.

His mouth fell open in shock.

"I-Ilio!"