“No… This can’t be…” he trembled in disbelief.
From the very beginning, the Saintess knew everything.
He thought he had orchestrated it all, but in truth, he was the one being played…
“The abilities of the Oracle Hall are far beyond what you can imagine.”
Isavel looked down at the wretched figure, her black dress whipping in the night wind.
That’s right, everything was within her plan.
After Anderi was dismissed from Mills Academy, she secretly cast Surveillance Magic on him, just in case.
As she had expected, the Vice Dean of Mills Academy sought out the desperate Anderi and plotted a conspiracy against the Rose Knights.
What concerned her even more was that, recently, the atmosphere in the Order of Knights had become too relaxed; the sharp determination that once filled the girls’ eyes was now missing.
So, she went along with the flow and let Anderi detonate those tampered Flame Gems.
As for the so-called “Life-Consuming Oracle Ritual,” it was merely a carefully orchestrated performance to ignite the fighting spirit of the Rose Knights.
From the looks of it, the results weren’t bad.
Gazing at the devastated Vice Dean, Isavel’s lips curled into a sweet yet dangerous smile:
“Now, do you still have anything to argue?”
Kneeling on the ground, the Vice Dean crawled forward twice and looked at the Dean, as if grasping his last straw of hope.
“Dean, everything I did was for Mills Academy! Are you really going to just watch those Rose Knights use our resources and gain fame by stepping over Galwin Magic Academy?!”
“Dean, you know as well as I do—this year, we have a magical prodigy like Grem! Don’t you wish we could actually defeat Galwin Magic Academy just this once?!”
Some of the other higher-ups voiced their doubts.
“Grem is indeed impressive, but he’s still a ways off from those magical prodigies at Galwin, isn’t he?”
The Vice Dean cried hoarsely:
“Nonsense! You’re underestimating yourselves! No one can match Grem’s magical talent! Dean, you know his gifts best!”
The Dean was silent for a long time before finally sighing:
“But even so, you cannot harm the Rose Knights.”
“I—I just didn’t want those people to represent us in the challenge against Galwin, that’s all. If we miss this chance, then we’ll really have no hope left!”
Isavel narrowed her eyes and sneered coldly:
“So, for the sake of a little honor, you decided to harm the Savior Chosen by the Goddess?”
The moment the words “Savior Chosen by the Goddess” were uttered, they crashed down on everyone present like a giant boulder, leaving them breathless.
If one wanted to take it seriously, the Vice Dean was the mastermind behind a plan to destroy humanity itself.
Such a crime—even the Dean, who was closest to him, dared not plead on his behalf.
As the hall fell into dead silence, Isavel gently brushed her crimson lips and blossomed into an enchanting smile:
“Since you think Grem is Mills Academy’s hope, then I’ll let you live until half a month from now. If he can truly defeat the Rose Knights then, I’ll spare your life.”
“If not, I’ll personally take it myself.”
True torment is giving hope, then mercilessly snuffing it out.
In Isavel’s eyes, no matter how powerful Grem might be, he couldn’t possibly defeat the Rose Knights—after all, he was not the Savior Chosen by the Goddess.
“For the next half month, keep him locked up. If he escapes…”
Isavel glanced at the Dean, then smiled and raised her hand, chopping it down like a blade.
In that instant, blood sprayed everywhere—Anderi’s head was sliced clean off, his skull rolling into the corner.
“Your end will be just like his.”
With her black robe swirling, her figure vanished like a phantom.
The room was deathly silent. Only the Vice Dean sat paralyzed and shivering in the pool of blood.
In that moment, even the Dean, who had weathered countless storms, felt his very soul trembling.
The rules of the Mills Academy Tournament were simple: each team consisted of five members, vying for the Magic Heart within a Magic Sanctuary.
There were a total of six teams. In previous years, the most renowned magical prodigies of Mills Academy had always led the teams, but this year was different.
This year, the sixth team was from the Rose Knights.
The Academy Tournament was always the most popular event in Mills City, but perhaps because of the participation of the Rose Knights, this year’s tournament was hotter than ever before.
It was said that in the Imperial Capital of the Capadovia Empire, countless nobles fought tooth and nail for the broadcasting rights to this year’s Academy Tournament.
……
Order Headquarters of the Rose Knights.
On the surface, the Rose Knights’ headquarters was calm, but undercurrents surged.
The rage from the destruction of their protective magic, and the disappointment in Mills Academy, set the hearts of every girl ablaze with the fire of vengeance.
They would make Mills Academy pay dearly!
Because only five could participate in this Academy Tournament, their previous five-member team was disbanded and a brand new five-member team formed.
Leanna remained the captain, with the other four members being Teresa, Aixi, Seli, and Iserine.
Iserine had long, purple hair, and at a glance, she seemed far more mature than her age.
She was originally the captain of the fifth squad.
Her magical talent was so extraordinary that, in just two months, she stood out among all the Rose Knights, becoming a mage no less formidable than Teresa.
The five of them could be called the most powerful Rose Knights of the present.
……
Time passed in a flash, and soon it was the day before the tournament.
While the Rose Knights were training hard for victory, Nora entered an ancestral home within Mills City, where she met her father—the head of the Mills Family, Perez.
But what Perez asked of her shocked her deeply.
“Nora, this potion can block magic. Tomorrow, put a drop of it into the Rose Knights’ food. During the match, someone will help suppress their magic from within.”
“…Why must we do this?”
Staring at the deep blue potion, Nora could not understand.
Perez smiled with the calm assurance of someone who believed everything was in his grasp.
“Ah, my foolish daughter. Have you forgotten your wager with the Saintess? As long as they lose to Galwin Magic Academy, the Saintess will marry you.”
“If they lose to the representatives of Mills Academy, they’ll lose the right to challenge Galwin Academy. You’ll win the wager, isn’t that so?”
“But… but even if we want to win the wager, this isn’t right!”
“Nora, sometimes you’re just too honest.”
Perez shook his head.
“You like the Saintess, don’t you? Doing this won’t actually harm the Rose Knights, but will help you win her heart. Our family will also advance because of it—don’t you see? It’s a win-win-win.”
He stared meaningfully at Nora’s trembling hands and asked, “What are you hesitating for?”