Chapter 4539: Wonderful Gift (Part 1)

"Captain Rolphis, at your service." The young man gave the salute, his wheat-blond hair shining like polished gold in the sun.

"I don’t need your services, Captain, only an explanation." Vastor clenched his fist, breaking the assassin’s limbs and sealing his mouth with an enchanted gag.

"That man is telling the truth." Rolphis shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "The First Griffon Award is one signature away from becoming official. Yet before revealing it to the public, the Royals privately informed the Headmasters of the other academies of their intentions.

"The rivalry between the six great academies is no small thing, and to avoid pointless political conflicts, the King summoned the Headmasters to explain what the title entails and how they can achieve it in the future.

"Like the academy pin, the First Griffon Award will be assigned each year to the most meritorious institute. It will mark the winner’s excellence above the other five academies and come with several grants to improve teaching facilities and the prizes the students can buy with their merit points.

"Research isn’t included because the extra funds would establish a gap between the academies that couldn’t be bridged with talent and effort. Once gained, the advantage would be impossible to lose unless suddenly the professors stopped doing their job."

"It makes sense." Vastor nodded. "The White Griffon is already the first-choice academy of most candidates. The First Griffon Award would push things even further and make the rest of the academies officially second-rate.

"The Royals didn’t inform Marth or me because they wanted it to be a surprise."

"Exactly." Rolphis nodded. "The King and Queen informed the other Headmasters only to ensure they wouldn’t ruin the ceremony and reassure them their academies can earn the First Griffon title as long as they produce outstanding mages.

"They didn’t expect one of the Headmasters would resort to murder to tarnish Marth’s accomplishment and stop the Royals from assigning him the award. If Ryssa and Dhiral died, the noble households and the Association would have questioned the Royals’ choice.

"How could Headmaster Marth be entrusted with the safety of the most promising, talented youths if he can’t even protect his family? The grieving Headmaster Marth would’ve lacked the will to deny the allegations, and the second-ranked Fire Griffon would have received the First Griffon Award.

"A cunning plan. Assuming this scum is telling the truth, of course. We need to investigate the matter thoroughly before making any accusation that would forever stain the reputation of Archmage Lema."

"He’s telling the truth." Vastor threw the assassin at the captain’s feet as if the burly man weighed nothing. "His word is enough for me. Investigate what you want. I have an appointment with Lema."

"I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t allow that." Rolphis stepped in front of Vastor, extending his hand to stop him. "Headmaster Lema is a loyal subject of the Kingdom, and she deserves the benefit of the doubt."

"Says who?" The Master mirthlessly laughed. "Tell me, boy, how do you plan to stop me? With what army?"

The captain experienced Alkham’s same fear, and then it became much worse. The lion’s fur turned into thick scales, his throat burned with inner fire, and his size grew to a Dragon’s while the captain was still a fluffy bunny.

Vastor had yet to emit a shred of killing intent, but Rolphis avoided wetting himself only because his bladder was as tense as the rest of his body.

"That’s what I thought." Vastor sidestepped the captain, who, like the rest of the members of the Queen’s Corps, found themselves unable to move.

"Uncle Zogar!" Dhiral waved his hand as he pushed against the unbreakable barrier. "Can we come out now?"

"Give me one moment, my boy." The Master cast a wide-area Life Sensing array and checked the credentials of each member of the Queen’s Corps before dispelling the protections around Ryssa and her son.

The elite soldiers found his lack of trust humiliating, but said nothing.

"I want to apologize for the delay." Captain Borga, the leader of the security details, said. "Two units of Night Phantoms ambushed us right after entering the forest and-"

"Save it. I don’t care." Vastor cut him short, focusing only on verifying the man in front of him matched the hologram in Borga’s personal file.

"I was talking to Lady Marth." The captain kept his voice level, but there was an edge to it. "My unit is tasked to protect her, just like Captain Rointal’s protects Young Master Dhiral."

"Really? You could have fooled me." The Master, instead, made no mystery of his spite. "Your stealth abilities exceed even the Night Phantoms, Captain. I could have sworn I fought alone to protect the Headmaster’s family. I can’t wait to sing your praises to the Royals."

The members of the Queen’s Corps all tensed in humiliation. Some clenched their fists at the insults, while the youngest flushed with embarrassment.

"Ryssa! Dhiral!" Marth and Distar arrived while Vastor was still performing the background checks.

"Daddy!" "Dear!" The young boy cried excitedly while his mother cried with relief.

"Thank the gods you’re alright." Marth turned around to look at the battlefield, yet found no corpse or trace of blood. "What happened here, and who is that man?"

He pointed at the only survivor of the assassins’ group.

"An ambush of the Night Phantoms." Vastor replied in a clinical voice. "Your family was the target, Duke. Headmaster Lema is the instigator, and her motive is political. She didn’t want you to get the First Griffon pin."

"Wait a second." The ground seemed to sink beneath Marth’s feet at the thought of the danger Ryssa and Dhiral had just escaped. "This makes no sense. Why should she do that? What even is a First Griffon pin?"

"It actually does." Headmaster Distar’s eyes briefly widened in understanding before narrowing in spite. "There’s something you must know, Duke."

Ainz was still explaining the situation to Marth when Vastor opened the barrier and freed his family. The Headmaster of the White Griffon was taken by surprise, so when Ryssa and Dhiral tackled him in an embrace, they knocked him down.

"You two keep an eye on them." The Master said. "I’ll be back in five minutes."

Much to his dismay, his communication amulet pulled at his consciousness before he could take off. King Meron’s rune was blinking, and he couldn’t afford to ignore the call.

"Your Majesty." Vastor dropped to one knee, eager to get over with whatever the King wanted and pay Lema a visit.

"Captain Rolphis has informed me of your intentions to punish Headmaster Lema, and I can’t allow that." The King replied. "Stand down, Archmage Vastor. That’s an order."

"With all due respect, why?" The Master didn’t move a muscle and his voice sounded even, yet his grip on the Grimbark Staff tightened enough to make the Yggdrasill wood creak.

"Because I’ve already ordered her arrest and sent an investigation team to search her office and all her estates." Meron replied. "I understand your anger, Archmage Vastor, and I praise your brilliant success in foiling the attempt on Headmaster’s Marth family.

"Yet I can’t let you carry out a summary execution of a loyal subject of the Kingdom and a Headmaster at that, based only on the unsubstantiated words of a criminal."