“This isn’t fair!”
Leanna shot up from her seat, the legs of her chair scraping harshly against the floor, her fists clenched tightly and trembling with anger.
“Kaelan has been a student of Mills Academy for ages. Forget her magic power level, she’s studied magic theory for years. If Aixi duels her, there’s no way she can win!”
“Besides, Aixi doesn’t even have any magical talent. How is she supposed to beat Kaelan?”
She couldn’t think of any way Aixi could possibly win. Kaelan, after all, was known as the magical genius of Mills Academy.
That gap of several years couldn’t possibly be bridged in just a month.
In her eyes, this wasn’t a test—it was a humiliation doomed to failure.
“I support the Saintess’s decision.”
A voice intruded at the worst possible moment. Mentor Anderi stroked his beard, the awkwardness from before long forgotten, his face once again adopting that superior air.
“How can there not be a punishment for skipping class? Especially for someone like Aixi, who doesn’t respect her mentors at all. If she isn’t properly punished, she’ll definitely do it again next time!”
Those words truly ignited Leanna’s fury.
She spun around, brow furrowed, all her pent-up dissatisfaction finally erupting.
“Anderi, if you want others to respect you, you have to respect them first.”
He had never imagined a student would dare to talk back to him. Anderi’s breath caught, and then he gave a cold snort, trying to subdue her with his usual authority.
“Leanna, what nonsense are you spouting?!”
“Nonsense? I’ve put up with you for long enough, Anderi. Aixi was born without magic talent; it’s not her fault. You’ve targeted her from the start. Do you think you’re so noble?”
Leanna paused, her gaze growing increasingly scornful.
“So what if you know a bit of magic? I don’t see you becoming a Grand Magus like Aishi’s Father. To be so disrespectful to the child of a Grand Magus—where’s your upbringing?”
“You, you, you…”
Anderi was so furious he couldn’t speak, clutching his chest as if he couldn’t breathe, stumbling back two steps, his trembling finger pointing at Leanna, his face shifting rapidly from red to pale.
Leanna’s actions released all the pent-up frustration within the Rose Knights, but she knew well that by doing so, she had made herself the most conspicuous target.
But she had no regrets.
As the captain of the Order of Knights, she would never turn back.
What she didn’t expect was that, in the next moment, Meilin also stood up.
“That’s right, Anderi. You don’t deserve to be a mentor!”
Unlike Leanna, her voice wasn’t filled with fire, but with a clear and resolute strength.
Leanna looked at Meilin in surprise, her gaze a mixture of gratitude and a hint of reproach.
She only wished to be punished by Isavel, not to drag Meilin into this as well.
Seeing the reproach in Leanna’s eyes, Meilin simply smiled and gave her a reassuring look.
A wave of warmth surged through Leanna’s heart, making her stance even firmer.
As for Anderi, after witnessing their interaction, his face flushed crimson as he shouted, “You, you two—you little ingrates who have no respect for your elders…”
“Mentor Anderi.”
But before he could finish, Isavel’s cool voice rang out in the classroom.
It wasn’t loud, but it instantly drowned out all the noise.
At the same time, there was a hint of amusement on her face.
“Mentor, it seems everyone has quite the opinion about you, don’t they?”
Anderi’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned to Isavel, his tone becoming humble and anxious:
“Saintess, these… these children just don’t know any better! Please don’t be misled by them! I’ve always been diligent in teaching them magic, working tirelessly!”
Isavel’s slender brows arched slightly.
“Is that so? But isn’t this your class? Why did it suddenly turn into a self-study session? Was it just because Aixi skipped class? Also…”
Her voice grew cold in an instant.
“Don’t you realize how precious time is for the Rose Knights?”
The greatest problem the Rose Knights faced right now was the lack of time.
To fight against the Abyss’s invasion, she had tried everything to raise their strength in as short a time as possible.
Even giving them a single day off had been a decision she made after weighing all the pros and cons.
And now, a mentor was wasting their time just because of his own feelings?
“This…”
Anderi was instantly at a loss for words, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He’d always done as he pleased, never giving it much thought when he came to instruct the Rose Knights.
As for whether time was precious, what did that have to do with him?
But in front of the Saintess, he dared not say such things.
“You don’t need to explain, Anderi. I’ve seen everything you’ve done these past few days. I’ll give you one last chance—if Aixi loses to Kaelan, you can stay. But if she wins…”
A cold curve appeared at the corner of Isavel’s lips.
“If she wins, pack your things and get out of Mills Academy.”
At those words, Anderi’s face went as white as paper.
He understood exactly what she meant.
Get out of Mills Academy—this meant he would be utterly expelled from the ranks of mentors.
He might not even be able to gain a foothold in the entire academic world.
Before Isavel’s absolute authority, he was as insignificant as an ant.
But what could he do?
Isavel was the Saintess. He was just a mentor at the academy. Their statuses were worlds apart.
Even if he shamelessly tried to stay, Mills Academy wouldn’t keep him.
Just a word from the Saintess, and the Mills Family would expel him without a second thought.
That was true power.
Anderi felt both fearful and envious.
But then, a glimmer of hope surfaced in his heart.
He realized that as long as that useless Aixi lost to Kaelan, he could stay and continue to be the mentor to the Rose Knights, and keep spreading his doctrine of magic supremacy.
From what he observed, Aixi had no chance of beating Kaelan.
With a sigh of relief, Anderi regained his composure, and hope flickered once more in his heart.
Catching all this in her eyes, Isavel’s face wore that sweet yet chilling smile again.
“Alright, since no one has any objections, Aixi’s punishment is set. I’m sure she’ll accept the result gladly.”
Leanna had wanted to say something more, but a single light glance from Isavel swept over her.
The coldness and authority contained in that look instantly froze all her words in her throat.
And so, even as Isavel left, she hadn’t managed to say what she wanted to say.
Leanna stamped her foot in frustration, filled with indignation.
“Don’t worry, Captain. Aixi will be fine.”
Unlike her, Meilin didn’t seem at all worried about Aixi’s punishment.
In fact, there was a hint of amusement in her tone. But her comfort couldn’t change Leanna’s thoughts.
Could Aixi really survive this?
Leanna bit her lip, her anxiety only growing stronger.