"Headmaster… Amdahl Jewelry has announced the unilateral termination of all comrcial dealings with Lioncrest Academy. They've even refused to pay the penalty fee."
"Fenrir Alchemy Institute has done the sa. They've stopped supplying us with even the diluted version of their mana-enhancing potions…"
"And also, Angela's Atelier…"
Hearing his subordinates report nearly identical statents one after another, Stephen's face darkened to the extre.
Once the last person had finished, he waved them away furiously, driving nearly all the lecturers and professors out of the eting hall.
Then, with a violent motion, Stephen shoved over the entire eting table—papers and all—sending everything crashing to the floor. Without caring for his image in the slightest, he began roaring like a wild beast.
"ARRRRGH!!! Who is it?! Who the hell is sabotaging us?!"
Krom, one of the few permitted to remain in the conference hall, looked no better. His mood was equally grim.
Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, Krom's lips trembled as he reported, "Headmaster, please calm yourself. According to our investigation, the recent nosedive in the Academy's reputation isn't natural—soone's behind it. And there's no doubt that the Church of Steam and Magic is playing a role in stirring the pot."
"You know as well as I do, Headmaster… Those church zealots may not be good at much else, but their skill in manipulating public opinion is second to none."
"And… as the investigation deepened, I also discovered…"
Krom hesitated, suddenly unsure how to continue.
Stephen stord forward, grabbed Krom by the collar, and locked eyes with him—his gaze colder than murder.
"What did you find?" Stephen growled.
Krom sighed faintly, then pressed his palm over the headmaster's hand in a calming gesture.
"I found that it's not just the Church involved in defaming the Academy. It appears… the royal family may also be complicit."
"What?!"
Stephen's eyes bulged, his face flushed red with disbelief.
After a long silence, he began shaking his head frantically. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! What capabilities could those Sirius trash possibly have to stir both the Church and the royal family?!"
"I admit… I don't quite understand it myself," Krom said bitterly. In truth, his initial reaction to the discovery had been even more dramatic than Stephen's.
After all, there were only three dominant powers in the Plantagenet Kingdom: the royal family of House Charlie, the Church of Steam and Magic, and Lioncrest Academy itself.
And now, two of those three pillars were openly backing their lifelong rival—Sirius Academy.
Stephen was right to be suspicious.
"Do you have proof?" Stephen asked sharply. "Have you seen direct evidence that the Church and royal family are supporting Sirius?"
To his credit, Stephen had not entirely lost his composure. He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to regain control.
"Yes, Headmaster… I do."
Krom didn't want to admit it, but facts were facts.
He reached into his coat pocket and produced several paper sheets, each etched with flickering mana.
These were mana projections, commonly referred to as photos by the general populace. Though the images were distorted due to the imnse power of those captured in them, the scenes were still recognizable.
Stephen's pupils shrank the mont he laid eyes on them.
The projections showed the High Archbishop of the Church, and even more stunningly—the forr Emperor Denken, of the Plantagenet royal family—embarking on a journey.
Their destination?
The Kent Kingdom.
Cold sweat poured down Stephen's back.
After a long mont, he turned toward Krom and asked with effort, "And the investigation I ordered—about Alan's background. Did you complete it?"
"Yes, Headmaster." Krom nodded quickly. "Alan and his sister Isabella are both from House Roan, located in the Northern District of Snowguard City."
Stephen arched a brow. "Oh? And what's unusual about this House Roan?"
Krom sighed and shook his head.
"Nothing, sir. Compared to even the smallest noble houses of the Capital, House Roan is a nonentity. And ever since the siblings left, the house has been on the verge of collapse. I don't believe they have any capability to contact the Church, much less the royal family."
SLAP!
Stephen suddenly raised his hand and struck Krom across the face with full force.
Caught off guard, Krom stumbled to the floor. When he got back up, his expression was filled with shock and grievance.
But Stephen showed no rcy. He continued to scold him ruthlessly.
"Fool! Do you honestly believe a backwater like Snowguard City, or so pathetic civilian house that's not even nobility, could produce a magus of that caliber? Soone the kingdom hasn't seen in a hundred years?!"
"We've had Lioncrest Academy rooted in the Capital for a full century and haven't managed such a feat ourselves!"
Krom was speechless.
After all, he had been the one who personally turned Alan away when the boy had applied to the Academy.
Now he bitterly regretted it—but there was no undoing what had been done.
All of it… was the price of arrogance.
If only he'd been a little more patient back then. If only he'd looked more closely at Alan. Perhaps then, Lioncrest wouldn't be in such dire straits today.
But reality doesn't deal in "what-ifs."
Yet the thing that Stephen regretted most wasn't even that.
Alan was undeniably gifted—but Lioncrest had also invested massive resources into cultivating their own rising stars.
Among them, Eisen, the prodigy of both Light and Darkness, had once been seen as the Academy's future hope.
Until recently, Stephen had considered Eisen the most outstanding of the younger generation. Except perhaps for Alice, he believed Eisen could dominate the kingdom.
But Eisen hadn't even had a chance to shine.
Alan had crushed him in the bud.
As for Beatrice?
She had fallen far behind Alan, to the point where she no longer even had the qualifications to stand on the sa stage.
To be more precise—
She didn't even deserve the opportunity.
Before Alan advanced to Silver Rank, he could already defeat her effortlessly.
His prototype Light Sword Spell, composed entirely of dense light elent, countered Beatrice's dark elent magic completely.
Now that he'd reached Silver, his control over mana had reached near-perfection.
Even if Beatrice wanted to carry his shoes now, she'd probably have to wait in line… outside the Capital.
After venting his rage on Krom, Stephen suddenly stiffened.
His eyes locked onto the door to the eting room—where an uninvited guest had appeared.
Krom turned around, confused, and saw the sa man.
The first word that ca to mind was "greasy."
The man had a cheap rose in his mouth, slicked-back hair shining with oil, and wore a strong, pungent cologne that stung the nostrils even from a distance.
Even a common child from the Capital would instinctively label him "greasy."
But the man didn't care.
He casually walked past Krom and approached Stephen with open arms.
"Oh! My friend! Thank you for choosing to cooperate with the Kent royal family. I'll make sure you understand just how wise an investnt you've made…"
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