Rowena gazed at Yuan with shock. “D-Do you really have to do that? You’ve already punished him enough by cutting off both of his hands…!”
“It was necessary. Absolutely necessary because his arrogant voice was really annoying to my ears… So, I had no choice but to silence him this way,” Yuan explained to Rowena with a serene smile. He then stored his massive sword inside his system storage, causing astonishment among everyone except his wives and the Monroe family.
‘What in the world is this? How did that massive sword disappear into thin air? And he doesn’t even have a magic pouch on him, how did he do that?!’ Lady Eliza’s eyes widened in shock as she witnessed the sword vanish.
‘Come to think of it, the sword appeared in his grasp out of thin air, just like it disappeared… Is this some kind of convenient magic spell for storing things?’ she pondered.
Returning to his seat, Yuan settled between his two mothers, Anna and Grace, with Xi Meili on his lap once more.
Rowena’s gaze then shifted to the unconscious Silas sprawled on the floor, his clothes stained with blood. ‘How am I supposed to explain Silas becoming a cripple to the principal when they ask me about his condition? I’m afraid the academy won’t take this matter lightly…’
The Magic Academy held immense prestige in the Windfall Kingdom. Most nobles sent their children there to learn magic and warfare, gaining knowledge from the very best in the kingdom. More importantly, it was a means to acquire strength and status.
However, for Silas, a prestigious combat teacher, to lose his limbs in a village, this was a matter they couldn’t take lightly. It had the potential to erode trust in the Academy’s teachings, leading nobles to lose faith in their methods and ultimately tarnishing their reputation.
Rowena gently arranged Silas’s unconscious body on the sofa, noticing the continuous bleeding from his wounds. It was a critical situation; if the bleeding didn’t stop soon, he would succumb to blood loss.
“Thankfully, I always carry a few healing potions just in case something unprecedented happens… You owe me a great deal for saving your ass, Silas,” she muttered to herself, retrieving a healing potion from her magic pouch. After uncapping it, she carefully began administering it to Silas.
“Let me give you a helping hand, Miss Rowena,” Lord Ivan offered, stepping forward. He took Silas’s face and gently opened his mouth, allowing Rowena to feed him the potion.
The healing potion had its limits. While it could mend wounds and staunch bleeding, it couldn’t regenerate a missing limb or restore a severed one.
“Thank you for your help, Lord Ivan,” Rowena expressed her gratitude before administering the potion.
Within moments, the potion began to take effect. Steam rose from the wound, and Silas’s face twisted in discomfort as he clenched his teeth, still unconscious. In a matter of minutes, the wound was completely healed.
After a while, Madam Layla approached Rowena with a serious expression. “Miss Rowena, even though everything that happened to Mr. Silas occurred on my property, I must ask that you not involve me or this village any further in this matter. I cannot take responsibility for what transpired.”
“Madam Layla… I… I understand…” Rowena nodded, her expression filled with worry. She knew that she couldn’t guarantee that the Academy wouldn’t cause complications for the village or the Monroe family.
“I hope that you keep your words in this,” Madam Layla replied with a smile, expressing her hope for a smooth resolution.
Lord Ivan took a moment to address Yuan, his tone filled with hope. “Yuan, are you really not considering joining our kingdom? With us, you’d have higher status and privileges, and I can assure—”
Yuan interrupted him firmly, cutting off any further discussion. “Lord Ivan, there’s no need to discuss this further. I won’t change my mind, and neither will my wives. Your attempt to recruit us is futile.”
Grace echoed her husband’s sentiment. “Indeed. As my darling has stated, you should abandon the thought of recruiting us. We desire freedom—to do as we please and go where we wish, without being bound by orders from others.”
Lord Ivan inwardly sighed, realizing the futility of further negotiation. “It seems there’s no use in trying to convince you further. I won’t press the matter any longer.”
“Is that so? Then I won’t be pursuing you or your wives to join the kingdom any further,” Lord Ivan conceded with a slightly bitter smile, acknowledging that his efforts to recruit them had been in vain.
Rowena, wide-eyed and visibly shocked, observed the exchange between Lord Ivan and Yuan. The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning.
“The genius mages we were seeking to recruit into our academy… they turned out to be none other than Lily’s husband and her sisters? This is totally unexpected!” she mused, unable to conceal her disbelief at this unforeseen turn of events.
Rowena found herself in a difficult position. Silas had managed to severely offend the very individuals the principal had instructed them to recruit, making their task much more challenging. As she looked at Yuan and his wives, she weighed her options.
“Considering he’s already turned down the kingdom’s officials, should I extend an invitation for him and his wives to join the academy? Since the academy doesn’t impose strict restrictions on their movements, I might have a chance at convincing them,” Rowena pondered inwardly.
Approaching Yuan, she wore a friendly smile despite Silas’s unfortunate situation. “Yuan, since you declined Lord Ivan’s offer to join the kingdom, how about considering enrollment in our magic academy? You’ll find great companionship among other students and have the opportunity to further hone your magic skills.”
As Yuan fixed his gaze on Rowena, she felt an unsettling chill run down her spine. She couldn’t fathom the power emanating from him.
“What kind of power is this? Just a glance from him has me so unnerved…?” Rowena wondered inwardly, struggling to believe the intensity of the sensation.
“Join the magic academy and improve our magic? When we don’t possess even a drop of mana in our bodies, how are we to enhance our magic? Do you truly believe us to be lowly mages, akin to all of you here? Don’t compare us to the likes of you mortals,” Yuan sneered, his voice laced with icy disdain.
Everyone present, save for the Monroe family, was stunned by Yuan’s proclamation. How could he wield such formidable power without a trace of mana? And what about the sword that appeared seemingly out of thin air?
Moreover, why was he denoting them as mere mortals, especially when they were all master rank mages?
“W-What do you mean by that… Referring to us as mere mortals?” Lady Eliza inquired, her expression a mix of surprise and confusion.
Yuan’s address left everyone in the living hall baffled. Madam Layla and her children, save for Rose, were still trying to make sense of the term “mere mortals” as applied to mages of their rank.
“Do you find it strange that I call you lowly mages, whose lives span only a few hundred years, mortals?” Yuan’s smile was both intriguing and stern.
Lady Eliza was left momentarily speechless, unable to formulate a response. The room fell into a contemplative silence, the weight of Yuan’s words sinking in. Indeed, their lifespans were finite, a stark contrast to Yuan’s implied longevity.
Some time later, Lord Ivan turned to Madam Layla, acknowledging the time they had taken. “Madam Layla, we’ll be taking our leave now. We’ve already occupied a significant portion of your valuable time.”
Rowena chimed in, adding her farewell. “We will also bid you farewell, Madam Layla. By the way, may I request assistance in transporting Silas back to our inn?”
Madam Layla readily agreed, her warm smile never faltering. “Of course, let me arrange that for you.”
“Thank you very much, Madam Layla,” Rowena expressed her gratitude.
“Oh, it’s a small matter, no need to thank me,” Madam Layla assured with a gentle smile. She promptly dispatched a guard to ensure Silas’s return to the inn where Rowena was staying.
Lord Ivan, with Lady Eliza and Lady Diana’s help, carefully carried the still-unconscious Lord Joseph. They left the Monroe manor, a tinge of bitterness tainting their departure, knowing that their hopes of recruiting Yuan and his wives had been dashed.
Following suit, Rowena trailed behind Lord Ivan and the two noblewomen, the guard taking care of Silas’s unconscious form. In due course, they returned to the Silver Moon Inn, gently laying Lord Joseph on his bed. 𝒃𝒆𝙣𝒐𝒗𝙚𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝒎
Turning to Lady Eliza and Lady Diana, Lord Ivan proposed, “Let’s wait here for him to regain consciousness.”
Lady Eliza and Lady Diana promptly took their seats in the room, positioned around the elegant table that adorned the expensive chamber.
After a half-day’s respite, Lord Joseph awoke, his head throbbing with pain. His immediate instinct was to sit up, but Lord Ivan swiftly intervened, urging him to remain prone.
“Lord Joseph! Stay down!” Lord Ivan’s voice held a note of urgency as he guided Joseph back to a reclined position.
Confused, Lord Joseph scanned the unfamiliar surroundings, seeking an explanation. “Lord Ivan? Lady Eliza, Lady Diana… Where am I?”
“We’re currently inside your bedroom at the Silver Moon Inn,” Lord Ivan supplied, attempting to anchor Joseph’s disorientation.
“My room? Silver Moon Inn? Ah, I see… So it was just a dream—a nightmare, to be exact. We haven’t visited the Monroe family yet to meet Madam Layla and request her assistance in arranging a meeting with this Yuan person.” Lord Joseph breathed a sigh of relief, his body still tense from the remnants of his apparent ordeal.
Unfortunately for him, Lady Eliza was about to shatter his fragile illusion, eager to put an end to his advances.
“Lord Joseph, has Yuan struck you so hard that you’ve lost all recollection? I regret to inform you, it wasn’t a dream. Yuan rendered you unconscious with just two slaps. We’ve brought you back from the Monroe family after you fell unconscious.”
Lord Joseph, wearing a blank expression, rose from the bed, absorbing the reality of Lady Eliza’s mocking words. It was as if he had taken a bite of something utterly repugnant.
His face flamed, a mixture of anger and humiliation brewing within him.
Finally, reaching a boiling point, he let out a roar, the words seething with rage, “THAT DAMN BASTARD! YUAN!!”
“I WILL MAKE HIM WATCH AS I VIOLATE HIS BELOVED BEFORE HIS EYES FOR THIS INDIGNITY, AND I WILL ENSURE HIS DEMISE IS THE MOST EXCRUCIATING ONE IMAGINABLE!!”