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Chapter 20
“You’ll see. I’m really not going to let that go.”
Even after breaking away from the crowd of students, Stephan continued to grumble, but by the time they reached the waiting room attached to the training grounds, he had brightened up as if nothing had happened.
Adrian, whom they encountered outside the waiting room, looked absolutely furious.
Unaware of the sharp tension surrounding Adrian, Stephan beamed cheerfully.
“Adrian! Let’s go grab lunch! I brought Jaylin too!”
Adrian’s piercing gaze shifted to Jaylin. Intimidated by the sharp, thorny aura coming from him, she offered a timid greeting.
“Hi… A-Adrian.”
Whether he didn’t hear her or just ignored her, Adrian glared at Stephan instead.
“Do I look like I can eat right now?”
“Well, you still have to eat lunch. And come on, it’s not like losing to Lionel is new. Let’s go!”
“I honestly can’t tell whose side you’re on.”
Despite Adrian’s irritation, Stephan just kept smiling as if nothing was wrong.
“I’m obviously on your side, Adrian!”
Just then, the waiting room door opened, and the winner of the recent duel—Lionel—appeared.
Upon spotting the group standing at the door, Lionel tilted his head slightly.
“Hey, Jaylin. And Stephan.”
“Hello, s-senior.”
Startled by the greeting, Stephan’s eyes widened. He pointed back and forth between Lionel and Jaylin, clearly surprised.
“What? What?! You two know each other?!”
“Yeah, I’ve known Jaylin since we were little.”
Lionel answered and then turned to Jaylin with a gentle expression.
“What brings you here?”
“Oh. I was going to have l-lunch with Stephan and Adrian…”
“Is that so? Then maybe I’ll join you.”
Lionel looked down at Jaylin as he asked, but before she could respond, Adrian cut in roughly.
“You out of your damn mind? I’m not fine with that. You think I want to get indigestion?”
Adrian’s voice was heated with fury.
“Why not? Oh, is it because you lost the duel earlier? It was just a match, nothing more.”
Lionel replied calmly. The peaceful smile on his lips was a sharp contrast to the seething Adrian.
“Damn it. Are you kidding me? Are you seriously asking that?”
Adrian looked like he wanted to say more but shut his mouth. Saying anything else would only make him look petty.
As long as other students were around, Lionel would never drop his act.
“I’m not joking. Wouldn’t it be nice to eat together after a while? Come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since we’ve shared a meal.”
“Tch.”
Adrian scoffed, speechless at Lionel’s veiled provocation.
At that moment, a crowd of swordsmanship students surged forward to the waiting room, cheering as they surrounded Lionel.
Because of the sudden crowd, Jaylin was pushed to the back.
“Yo, Lionel! Your control just keeps getting sharper. Seems like the amount of mana you can handle is increasing too.”
“Senior, you were amazing today!”
“Let’s go, Lionel. You promised we’d get something good after class today.”
Surrounded by the boisterous group, Lionel glanced toward Jaylin with a slight, regretful frown.
“Oh no, I forgot I already had plans. Guess lunch will have to wait for another time.”
Once again, Adrian was the first to respond with a loud, irritated voice before Jaylin could say anything.
“Oh, give me a break. Just get lost already, you bastard.”
A few students around Lionel scowled at Adrian, glaring.
Murmurs of criticism seeped out from the group, blaming Adrian’s rough demeanor.
“He’s all inferiority complex and no skill.”
“Someone like Lionel even lowering himself to deal with you—be grateful.”
Adrian laughed under his breath.
“What a bunch of clowns. Why don’t you go lick Lionel’s boots instead?”
His sarcastic tone set fire to the already tense students.
Sensing the escalating danger, Jaylin tugged gently on the hem of Adrian’s coat, signaling him to stop.
But it was already too late.
One of Lionel’s followers jabbed Adrian in the chest and shoulder with a finger.
Each time he was poked, Adrian was pushed backward.
“Watch your mouth. Don’t just say whatever comes to mind.”
“Stop it.”
Veins bulged on Adrian’s clenched fist as he lowered his head.
One student leaned in with a mocking sneer and offered a cheek.
“What? You gonna hit me? Go ahead. Let’s see you get into some real trouble for once. You always screw up just enough to get off with a warning or community service. This time, I’ll take the hit. Let’s get you suspended.”
Adrian raised his head with a smirk on his face. His mocking smile said it all.
“Ha. Look at you pathetic nobodies scrambling to be Lionel’s little errand boys. You’ll wear your hands raw sucking up to him.”
Tension coiled tightly in the air.
It felt like they might draw their swords at any moment—it was that volatile.
Insulted, the swordsmanship students began to encircle Adrian, emanating killing intent.
Behind him, Jaylin and Stephan froze completely, overwhelmed by the hostile energy.
“What the hell is wrong with you? You dare release killing intent here?”
Adrian yelled, stepping forward to shield Jaylin and Stephan.
But the swordsmanship students showed no sign of backing down.
Just as Adrian began to lift his fist, Lionel stepped forward to de-escalate.
His voice was low and calm but carried weight.
“Let’s stop. Violence is strictly forbidden at the academy. And releasing killing intent in front of students from other departments who don’t have combat training is even worse.”
“But that bastard—!”
“There’s no need to rise to every provocation. Besides, with privilege comes responsibility. Don’t you think?”
Lionel patted a student’s shoulder gently, smiling as if urging understanding.
He didn’t say it outright, but the message was clear:
As nobles, they should be setting an example. Bending here would, in fact, be a show of superiority.
It was an elitist mindset that only the noble students could truly grasp—subtly woven between his words.
With that, Lionel skillfully reinforced their loyalty and manipulated their behavior exactly how he wanted.
At his command, the swordsmanship students withdrew their killing intent.
Only then did Stephan manage to move again. He stepped in front of Adrian and tried to lower his raised arm.
“Time for lunch, Adrian! Let’s go!”
He quickly gestured to Jaylin with his eyes.
Catching his meaning, Jaylin grabbed Adrian’s other arm and gently pulled him away.
“Consider yourself lucky today.”
The group that had picked the fight eventually dispersed along with Lionel, walking away from Jaylin and the others.
The department head’s office was located in the east wing of the Magical Engineering Building.
Standing before the silver door engraved with the Pellodian emblem—an intricate carving of a silver poplar—Jaylin knocked gently.
A moment later, a voice from within granted her entry.
As Jaylin stepped inside, a middle-aged woman removed her glasses and looked up. Her face creased slightly in thought.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Hmm. Are you Jaylin, by any chance?”
“Yes, h-hello.”
“Finally meeting you in person. I’m Ines, head of the Magic Design Department. Please, have a seat.”
Ines moved toward the sofa at the center of the room and gestured for Jaylin to join her.
As soon as Jaylin sat down, Ines got straight to the point.
“I called you in because I found your research proposal quite impressive. You’re interested in developing a formula to amplify magic power, correct?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“If you succeed in that, it could revolutionize the magical device market. Even tiny mana stones could produce powerful spells.”
Jaylin nodded quietly. She, too, could easily imagine the far-reaching implications of successfully developing such a formula.
“Many have tried to explore formulas for mana amplification. I did too, once. But it always seemed like a fool’s dream. Without Winona returning in the flesh, creating a formula that amplifies energy from a small source seems all but impossible.”
The department head laced her fingers together and leaned in toward Jaylin.
“But your proposal stands out. Unlike the others, yours is grounded in reality. Not without flaws, of course—but still. To be honest, you’re overqualified to be a student here. If anything, you should be teaching. But without a Pellodian diploma, even the most brilliant can’t prove their skills.”
Straightening her posture, Ines put her glasses back on and fixed her gaze squarely on Jaylin.
“Normally, research theses are submitted in your final year. But given the subject matter, start preparing early. With a thesis like that, you could graduate anytime you want.”
