Minutes Earlier, in the Library
Shion Lan bid farewell to Jina Joul and continued studying, but he suddenly noticed Director Tim Ayr.
"Huh?"
Tim didn't give Shion a chance to say anything. He snapped his fingers.
The surroundings began to fade, and Shion immediately sensed something unusual.
'The power of time!'
Tim said,
"I want to tell you something."
Shion nodded and listened carefully.
"The kingdom is facing a catastrophe."
"What? Can you explain?"
Tim said,
"You must have heard about the disappearances. But the Bimal students are part of the plan."
Shion understood something.
"Are you saying... the Ishtar Kingdom is targeting Ostiferos?!"
"Yes. A student from our kingdom also disappeared while he was away. So, I investigated the matter..."
Tim used his magic.
"(Previous Events)."
Shion felt time moving backward. He saw countless people going about their activities in reverse, while day and night were reversed as well.
He even saw himself in the library, doing everything backward.
"Now."
Tim stopped time and looked at the moon through the library window.
"Let's go for a walk."
Tim and Shion walked outside into the night, which had been drained of all its colors.
Shion was curious.
"Director, isn't your magic more like recording events?"
Tim said,
"You mustn't tamper with time. It's forbidden. So, I use only its simplest applications."
"So, you can't control time?"
"And you can't control the stars. We're merely using the simplest forms of natural power. Don't delude yourself into thinking you can conquer anything."
Tim continued,
"Everything in the world is governed by strict rules. We cannot interfere with them."
Shion asked,
"What about magic? Techniques? We can use them!"
Tim explained,
"If you use two stones, you can generate fire. We use aura and magic circles to stimulate that power."
He continued,
"If a ninth-level water mage faces a natural catastrophe like a volcano, he will suffer a crushing defeat."
Shion understood his words, and Shi Yun Lan commented,
"If Tim Ayr lived in my world, he would easily qualify as someone capable of challenging me. He understands the true meaning of power."
Shion nodded in agreement and noticed that they were approaching the Bimal students' dormitory.
"We have to provoke them!"
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Shion heard some voices coming from the dormitory. He said nothing and continued walking beside Tim.
Sherry Fieda was holding a meeting with her comrades.
"Mother wants us to cause trouble here at the academy."
Ron Phynex said,
"I tried challenging Glass Sano again, but he's too cold to respond. I even tried insulting him, but he complained to the instructors. How annoying!"
Seri Whi said,
"I tried causing trouble with the others, but they just smirked and said I'd been defeated by Shion without him even using his power!"
Three more students mentioned their failures. They hadn't managed to provoke Braj Torano, who was too proud to even speak with them, or Cole Leon, who kept refusing their advances.
Sherry thought,
'Karath's students are cautious. Well, we still have her...'
Sherry said,
"So, let's target Jina."
Seri looked at Sherry in disbelief.
"Your Highness! She's a princess!"
Sherry didn't care and replied,
"That's exactly why she's the best target. She lost to me, and she can't make a fuss about it because she has to maintain her image."
Ron added,
"If we make a fool of her, the other students will be forced to attack us, and..."
Seri said,
"We'll become the victims, just as Her Majesty wishes... Your Highness, why does Her Majesty want us to do this?"
Sherry and Ron knew what was going on, but Sherry said,
"It's none of your business. We must obey Mother."
Seri felt that something terrible was about to happen, but she couldn't figure out what it was.
'Well, I don't think I need to worry too much. They won't hurt us in the end.'
Sherry encouraged them.
"Everyone! We're going to crush a princess's arrogance! Let's do it!!!"
"Yes, Your Highness!!"
"...."
Shion had heard everything and asked,
"Is the Ishtar Kingdom really like this?"
Tim sighed and said,
"It wasn't like this before. Everything went wrong after Shauna Fieda became queen."
Shion asked,
"Is it that bad to have a queen as a daughter-in-law?"
"She used my son to seize the throne and became pregnant with his child to secure my support. But I abandoned her."
Tim's expression grew sorrowful.
"I couldn't convince my son to leave her because he was drowning in his love for her. So, after the civil war, I found his body. He had managed to rescue Shauna, her family, and her followers, but he couldn't save himself."
He took a slow breath.
"I told him not to trust that woman, but he insisted on staying with her. That was his end."
Shion noticed the sadness in Tim's voice and changed the subject.
"So, what do you think will happen? The students cause trouble, and then what?"
Tim pointed toward them.
"They have beasts resembling fireflies that can broadcast events."
"They're trying to convince the world that we're the bad guys, putting pressure on Ostiferos while we're already occupied with the disappearances. But is that really their entire plan?"
Shion continued,
"I mean, Shauna is the queen. She could use many different methods, yet she chose this kind of plan?"
Tim said,
"She is, and she isn't. Sherry is engaged to Gorin Vido, the grandson of my friend Bel Vido, a ninth-level swordsman."
Shion still wasn't convinced, but Tim continued,
"She won't do anything openly. She's already left some clues pointing toward the Amoritchi Kingdom to make us suspect them."
Shion understood.
"So, if her plan succeeds, the Ostiferos Kingdom will be seen as unfairly targeting Bimal Academy, we'll turn against Amoritchi, and we'll remain occupied with the disappearances. But why?"
Tim said,
"As I told you before, she used my son. But now she has no capable allies on her side, so she's trying to take our talents for herself. She timed the operation to coincide with Amoritchi's entry into Ostiferos, but she overestimated herself and underestimated Natu Rioshi."
"Natu Rioshi? The king of Amoritchi?"
Shion was confused, and Tim continued,
"Natu is the worst kind of person you could ever meet. Shauna is nothing more than a doll in his eyes. The only thing that might make him nervous is someone stronger than him who refuses to follow his plans."
Shion noticed something and asked,
"So... the clues were planted by him?"
"Yes. He allowed us to discover the corpses of several men, but we found out they weren't from Amoritchi. They were from Ishtar."
Shion was about to ask another question, but Tim interrupted him.
"My spell won't last forever, so listen to my plan. We won't let Jina face them. As the academy's champion, you'll face all of them."
"Wait, what?!"
Shion was stunned by the plan.
Time began moving forward again, and events accelerated. Shion barely had a chance to discuss the plan before he heard Tim's final instructions.
"I'll provide you with potions to replenish your power. You must show the entire continent that Bimal's students are nothing special, especially since they'll be broadcasting the event with their fireflies. You'll appear as the noble who saves his princess and sets an example for the others. Ostiferos will be proud of you, and I'll speak to the king about you."
"Wait!!"
Time returned to the present, and Tim was no longer in the library.
"....What just happened?!"
Before Shion could even catch his breath, Mia entered the library, looking for him with a worried expression.
"Lord Lan! You must save Her Highness!"
"That fast?!"
"What do you mean, 'that fast'?! She's—!"
"All right! I'm coming!"
---
Shion appeared before the Bimal students and raised his sword.
"It's your fault for being weak, isn't it? So, I'm Shion Lan, head of the Lan Family, and I'm challenging all the Bimal students right now!"
Everyone in the audience was shocked, including the Bimal students themselves. Shion didn't care and continued,
"I'll see you in the arena this afternoon. If anyone fails to show up, they'll be disgraced!"
After saying that, Shion grabbed Jina's wrist and led her away.
"What the—"
Sherry was about to say something when her grandfather appeared in the corridor.
"...."
He looked coldly at Sherry, who trembled for a moment before speaking.
"As you saw, Grandpa! Shion wants to—"
"What are you broadcasting?"
"Huh...? HUH!!!"
Sherry had forgotten about the fireflies. They were broadcasting everything to the entire continent!
But she thought in terror,
'I didn't activate them! Why did that happen?!'
She didn't know that her grandfather had forced the fireflies to activate using his time magic. They had been sluggish for quite some time, which was why they had suddenly activated without anyone's permission.
Sherry, unaware of what had happened, was terrified.
'Mother will punish me! I have to salvage the mission! Yes! My grandfather!'
She was about to speak to him, but Ron interrupted.
"Director Tim! We've been cornered ever since the ceremony matches began, and—"
"Surrounding the Crown Princess in my academy? Does Ishtar look down on Ostiferos?"
"No!"
Sherry spoke up, trying to explain, but Tim said,
"As you said, it's your fault for being weak. If you can't face Shion Lan in the arena this afternoon, I'll keep all of you in the academy until I receive an explanation for your arrogance."
Tim left, leaving everyone in shock. And it wasn't just the people in the corridor who were shocked; the entire continent had witnessed what happened.
---
Ishtar Kingdom
In the royal hall, the Queen of Ishtar sat on her throne, watching the events in Ostiferos through a firefly.
"...."
She said nothing. Her purple eyes were sharp and cold.
"Sherry failed."
That was all she said. She showed no interest in raising her daughter or helping her escape the trouble she had caused.
She turned toward one of the heads of the Mythical Families.
"Phynex, your son is an idiot."
The woman who led the Phynex Family was frightened. She bowed and explained,
"The plan went off course. He was only trying to help, and—"
"Shut up."
Shauna didn't let her finish.
"The plan has been exposed, but we still have another one."
She looked at a man in the hall and said,
"Gorin Vido, your fiancée is in danger. Go and bring her here."
Gorin replied,
"I'll leave at once."
He was about to leave when a sudden pressure descended upon the hall, forcing everyone to their knees.
Even the queen struggled to breathe as she looked at the ninth-level swordsman, Bel Vido.
He looked at the queen without the slightest respect and asked,
"Did you use my students for your stupid scheme?"
"...."
Shauna couldn't answer. Bel had never shown her any respect, even after she became queen.
"Grandpa! Sherry is there! I'll go get her and—"
"If you speak without my permission, I'll punish you severely."
Bel wasn't in the mood to entertain his grandson, forcing Gorin to shut his mouth.
Shauna said,
"I only wanted to bring some students here. Bimal Academy produces scumbags, and—"
"Isn't that your own policy?"
Bel interrupted her and continued,
"You interfered in Bimal, causing trouble and driving talented commoners out of the academy because you were jealous of your friends. If it weren't for my foolish grandson, I wouldn't have allowed you to stick your nose into my affairs."
"You—!!!"
PRESSURE!!!!
Bel looked at Shauna and pressed down on her with his spatial power. Shauna could barely breathe, and the situation was about to get worse when the firefly, still broadcasting under the pressure, showed another student from Karath.
"...."
"...."
No one spoke as Solan Neumann appeared on the screen, her face filled with rage.
"I'm Sol Hart from Karath Academy. My junior will face the Bimal students who have gone too far. So, I'm here at Bimal Academy to challenge its students and support Shion Lan."
Bel felt a headache coming on and said,
"Because of your actions, a little girl is about to cause trouble in the academy."
Gorin was furious and said,
"Grandpa! Let me teach her some respect!"
Bel replied,
"She's a student, and you're a graduate. We can't do that."
He looked at Shauna one last time.
"I won't lose Tim Ayr because of your selfish schemes. So, clean up this mess."
Then he said,
"Gorin, you can go after Shion's match. Not before."
"But... AHH!!"
Gorin was dissatisfied, but Bel disappeared and reappeared at his academy.
"...."
Within moments, the arena, where students had been fighting one another, became the scene of a series of one-sided victories.
"(Spiritual Connection)."
Solan used her magic to disrupt the bonds between the beasts and their tamers. Their weakness became apparent immediately, and Solan allowed the spirits to finish the matches.
"AHH!!"
"KGHGH!!"
"NO!! WAIT!!!"
Solan gave no one a chance to recover, but Bel approached her and said,
"Sol Hart, would you come with me?"
"...."
Solan looked at Bel without showing any particular concern, but then she sensed the power of a ninth-level swordsman.
"Well, I'll come."