Chapter 10: The Princess’s Counterattack

Even the surrounding teachers and professors couldn’t help but exclaim, “The Princess’s reputation is well-deserved!”

But at this moment, spoken by Velis, it inevitably felt strange.

“In this time of crisis, what does our Okam Empire need? Talents!”

“Talents who can support the future of this nation, bear the hopes of millions, carry the glory and mission of our ancestors, and build the Empire’s great legacy!”

Velis swept her gaze across everyone in the hall with righteous indignation. Many had heard rumors and held reservations about Velis’s character…

But at this moment, facing her gaze, they all lowered their heads involuntarily!

Being here at the Royal Academy, could they honestly claim to be the kind of talent Velis spoke of?

Standing on the moral high ground, Velis grew more impassioned. Clearly a villain, yet speaking like a hero without a shred of shame.

“And where do we find such talents? I, Willis Egbert, give my answer—the Academy!”

“Only the students here are pure and untainted, not yet polluted by the undercurrents of society. They are uncut jade, the hope of this nation!”

“And as an Imperial Princess, it is my duty to share the Empire’s burdens and guide the path for millions of subjects. This! This is my reason for taking this post!”

“If this dark night has no light, I shall be the guiding light, leading the way forward! If this world has no fire, I shall be the blazing kindling, forging a prairie fire!”

Velis raised her arm in fervent declaration. Her towering, saintly figure stood bathed in light, so dazzling.

That for a moment, the teachers and students forgot her name and title. In that instant, it seemed the person before them truly could lead the Okam Empire back to its ancestral glory!

Ophelia, however, was shaken by her speech, her delicate body trembling. She had seen shameless people, but never an Imperial Princess this shameless!

The one who posed the greatest threat to this Empire—wasn’t that you, Willis Egbert!

Ophelia clenched her fists, her pretty eyes locked onto Velis, chest heaving as she struggled to suppress her fury.

“By Your Highness’s words, you are the guiding star of wisdom, leading those lost on the great path?”

Ophelia sneered as she interrupted her.

“Forgive my rudeness, but how is it I’ve heard that Your Highness is unlearned and ignorant, having only reached the rank of a lowliest mage even now, and that only through theft from a high position?”

“Might I ask, Your Highness, the basic requirement for becoming a mage is proficiency in at least three spells—do you possess that?”

Ophelia loathed the person before her to the bone, yet she knew her very well.

Willis Egbert, as an Imperial Princess, spent her days scheming for power and toying with women, never putting any effort into cultivation.

But this was not her imperial palace. This was the Royal Academy.

Here, scholarship and knowledge were pursued, not power and politics.

Leave aside the question of why Velis wanted to enter this place—did Ophelia not know whether she was even qualified?

Since that day, in order to bring her down, Ophelia had been keeping close watch on her enemy’s every move.

Among all the magic Velis had learned, only the high-tier wind spell—the Blade of Qi—had reached proficiency.

The rest were utterly unremarkable, never receiving any serious training.

Ophelia’s mind raced. She was confident she had grasped Velis’s weakness.

“Your Highness speaks grandly of teaching talents for our Empire, but with your level of strength and insight, can you truly bear the sacred duty of a teacher?”

“I admit your words about the nation resting upon its people and its talents are quite reasonable, but I do not admit that you are qualified.”

Her gaze was sharp, confident of victory—and all this thanks to Velis herself, who had handed her own weakness on a silver platter!

“How can one who hasn’t even refined their own magic be fit to serve as a teacher of this Academy, instructing the brightest minds of the realm?”

Ophelia’s words landed like hammer blows, striking directly at Velis’s weakness.

The hall fell dead silent. All eyes darted back and forth between Velis and Ophelia.

They didn’t know what grudge the second daughter of the Lyons Family bore against Her Highness the Princess, but that didn’t stop them from cheering her on.

Having Ophelia, a new student of the Academy, voice the challenge was far more convincing than if one of the teachers had done it!

If even a student refused to acknowledge a teacher’s qualifications, then the Academy had all the more reason to reject this appointment outright!

Mark stood in the corner of the lectern, his eyes sparkling at the scene, then shifting his gaze to Velis.

Heh heh, Second Imperial Princess, this is your Achilles’ heel! How will you resolve it?

Or will you accept your fate? Before a thousand teachers and students, including the Empire’s Emperor himself, lose all face and flee in disgrace?

And since no one stepped forward to stop Ophelia’s disrespect toward her, Velis understood that the vast majority of those present were waiting for her to make a fool of herself.

Including that lofty father of hers, the Emperor.

At this moment, only Xi’eryou, hiding backstage with her hands clenched in worry, truly cared about her.

Velis took a deep breath, swept her gaze across the hall, and finally fixed it upon Ophelia.

Facing the Princess standing in the light, Ophelia showed no fear. She met Velis’s icy gaze head-on!

All her burning rage was conveyed through that look of provocation and mockery.

Velis! The pain you gave me—today marks the beginning of my revenge!

Then Velis spoke, asking, “Oh? Might I ask, fellow student, where did you hear the rumor that my skills are lacking?”

“This is no rumor! It is fact!” Ophelia stated with certainty.

“Might I ask, the fact you speak of—is it that this Imperial Princess, whose strength is only that of an apprentice mage, is unworthy of being a teacher at this Academy?” Velis asked again.

“Exactly!” Ophelia sneered coldly.

Keep pretending! Keep it up!

Willis Egbert, no matter how silver-tongued you are, your lack of skill is the truth!

And this will be the boulder that shatters your dream of entering the Royal Academy. No matter your noble birth or talent for scheming, in this Academy that prizes knowledge and qualification, you have no use at all!

But facing such a predicament, Velis didn’t panic. Instead, she revealed a smug smile, like a hunter watching prey take the bait.

To Ophelia, however, this was nothing but contempt—and proof that Velis couldn’t care less about her own failure.

‘That despicable woman! At this point, what chance do you have to turn things around?! I refuse to believe you could train all your other spells to proficiency in such a short time!’

Ophelia roared inwardly, her face as cold as frost.

On the platform, Velis wore a faint smile, her stunning beauty making everything in the hall seem dull by comparison.

In that moment, she seemed to be the sole focus of the world.

“So then, fellow student, this Imperial Princess must offer you some proper criticism.”

Velis smiled lightly, gazing confidently at all the teachers and students present.

“I imagine everyone here shares the same sentiment, don’t they?”

As Velis’s words fell, several academy teachers and professors quickly denied it, but the gleeful smiles on their faces made it abundantly clear that they did indeed think so!

“No matter… Since you all believe my strength is insufficient to serve as a teacher, then this Imperial Princess shall have to speak at length on the matter…”

Velis turned slightly to look at Mark beside her. In that instant, Vice Dean Mark suddenly felt a chill run through his body, and a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.