Chapter 425 – Getting Into More Trouble.

‘I went and did it … Well, no use crying over spilled milk now; I’ll have to take responsibility for my own actions.’

Roland thought to himself while looking at the mostly terrified students before him. After showing the passed-out half-elven magic swordsman, they quickly changed their tune. Their ringleader, Viola, had passed out, and the two other ladies were trying to wake her up. It also seemed that the girl had managed to soil herself during the commotion. He might have overdone it with the gravitational spell that he had recently learned, but after seeing what they attempted to do to his sister, he didn’t feel that apologetic.

“Listen carefully, all of you. Your actions have consequences, and violating the rules of the Institute will not be taken lightly. Lady Viola Castellane might have coerced you all into doing this but that doesn’t make things right. I will detain you for attempted assault and bribery on an Institute Enforcer. Furthermore, you attempted to deceive an Enforcer during an investigation by shifting blame onto another, please do not resist.”

Luckily, after seeing the unconscious Elythaes, the four accomplices remained quiet. Without Viola awake, they weren’t sure what to think anymore, something quite common when the power dynamic gets shifted. They were now uncertain about Viola’s true value and the person that was undermining her authority. Roland was sure that these kids never imagined anyone standing up to a Marquess’ daughter. In reality, he didn’t really want to, as the main reason for this was staring holes into his helmet.

“You…”

“Ah, y-yes, my apologies!”

“Your name was, Lucienne … Arden, correct?”

“Yes, that is correct, Sir.”

He paused for a moment before including her last name to not sound as suspicious. His sister looked a bit shaken up by the situation, but she wasn’t cowering. It seemed that they didn’t fully break her spirit yet. His voice that was coming through the helmet was slightly distorted to keep his identity hidden, but he wasn’t sure if he could hide it forever. His sister was strangely interested, and her clairvoyance skill might have had something to do with it.

“While you might have been a victim in this incident, you will have to come to the Enforcement Department to make a full statement. Don’t lie or withhold information, as you will then be deemed as an accomplice, do you understand?”

“Ah? Yes, of course…”

His intent was to shelter her from getting punished as he was sure that the other brats would try shoving all the blame in her direction. It would probably be up to him alone to prove otherwise and luckily he had the recording to prove that. He didn’t know how deep the Castellane backing was in this institute but judging by the number of people coming here, they were probably highly regarded.
“What is this? Explain yourself!”

His mapping device had been upgraded to work around the mana around this place so he could see at least ten dots coming his way. To his surprise, the first person that appeared was not anyone from the Enforcement Department but instead someone that he knew.

“Professor … Delauder, what brings you here so late at night?”

Professor Delauder, a middle-aged mage with graying hair and a scholarly demeanor, approached the scene with a mix of confusion and concern on his face. He was a respected member of the Elemental Studies department, known for his expertise in magical theory and history. That he was here with many other people from his department spoke volumes about who the potential backer of the Castellane’s was.

“I received a notification about an unauthorized presence in the training area, and now I find Lady Viola Castellane passed out, students looking terrified, and you without a care in the world? What have you done? You will answer for this!”

“Anwser for what? I just did the job that you assigned me to, they broke the rules of the Institute, and I followed them.”

Roland responded promptly, ensuring he adhered to the rules outlined in the book. Aware that, had the group comprised commoners or merchants, the mages wouldn’t have paid much attention. However, one of them was from a famous noble family that probably had its talons in the magical academy. Despite being largely in the right, Roland recognized the need to tread carefully and acknowledged his disadvantaged position.

“You followed the rules? Preposterous! I will have you excommunicated for this!”

“You would? Then I guess we should gather the Department heads for the hearing, I’m sure they will want you to present them with some proper evidence.”

Having achieved the rank of Assistant Professor, he took care to commit all the rules to memory. Removing a high-ranking Professor or anyone from another department wasn’t a simple task. Specific procedures had to be followed, and even Delauder wasn’t exempt from them.

“You…”

“Professor Delauder, what do you think you are doing, stop this buffoonery at once!”

A flying cat emerged in the distance and positioned itself between Roland and the other teachers, who had by now encircled him as if he were a criminal. As anticipated, the moment they laid eyes on him, they began to retreat. While they could dismiss him as a newcomer outsider, the same couldn’t be said for Arion, a respected Professor within the Institute. Though his name may not have carried as much weight now, it still held some value.

“Professor Arion? Why are you interfering in our department’s affairs?”

Delauder, along with the other professors, looked both surprised and irritated at Arion’s unexpected intervention. The flying cat landed on Roland’s shoulder while giving out a hiss of dissatisfaction at the larger group of people.

“Move aside. We have to deal with this insolent fool who dared to lay his hands on the students here.”

Roland couldn’t help but smirk under his helmet, knowing that Arion’s arrival had thrown a wrench into their plans. The situation had calmed down but he wasn’t free just yet. Arion, unfazed by the accusations, calmly addressed Delauder and the others.

“I won’t move aside. I am here to ensure justice is served, and it seems that Assistant Professor Wayland has acted within the boundaries of his duties. If there are any accusations, they should be properly investigated, and the Institute’s rules followed. Why don’t we leave this to the Enforcement Department head, Professor Thorne? We shall hold a hearing just as the rules state.“

“Justice? You’re advocating for justice when Lady Castellane lies unconscious and these students are traumatized by his actions? Unbelievable!”

Delauder retorted, clearly agitated by the unexpected turn of events. The other professors mumbled among themselves, seemingly torn between supporting their fellow colleagues or acknowledging the rules and regulations that governed the Institute. To their surprise, the man under interrogation stepped forward as one of them attempted to help Lady Viola to her feet.

“Please refrain from assisting the detainee; she is still under investigation, and according to Institute rules, falls under the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Department. The person you should be helping is not the troublemaker there but the affected party.”

Roland moved his head towards his sister who flinched the moment all the professors and other teachers took notice. She bowed respectfully before them but it was clear that the whole thing made her uncomfortable.

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“Affected party? What baseless claims…”

“Cease with this, all of you.”

A loud voice crackled through the destroyed training grounds as Professor Thorne, the head of the Enforcement Department, arrived at the scene. He was accompanied by a couple of guards and luckily the attention changed to him now.

“Professor Thorne, this… person here has violated the rules and assaulted Lady Castellane and other students!”

Delauder hastily explained the situation, hoping to garner support for their cause. However, Thorne raised his hand, signaling for silence.

“Assistant Professor Wayland, you have some explaining to do.”

Roland nodded and commenced recounting the events that led to the confrontation, emphasizing the attempted assault on his sister, the deception, and the use of the charm to attract monsters. Before he could finish, Delauder attempted to interfere, but it became evident that Thorne was someone who prioritized rules above all else.

“You can’t be serious, these are baseless accusations. We can’t leave students in the hands of someone like…

“Enough, Professor Delauder. This is an issue that falls under the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Department. I understand your reservations but this is not the place to discuss it. We will transport the students and this man to the Enforcement Department.”

“You still wish to detain them? But think of…”

“I said enough, if you have an issue with the Enforcement Department, then we will hold a council meeting, until then the students will be detained.”

As Professor Thorne asserted his authority, the tense atmosphere on the training grounds lingered. The professors and teachers who had initially surrounded Roland and his sister reluctantly backed off, acknowledging the chain of command. Arion, still perched on Roalnd’s shoulder, gave a nod of approval, silently supporting the course of action.

Thorne was the first but not the last member of the Enforcement Department. The members that arrived approached Viola, who had regained consciousness, though she was still in a daze. They proceeded to secure her wrists with magical restraints, preventing any attempt at spell casting, something that Roland took note of. Her entourage of fellow students, the supposed accomplices, and her guard the Magical Swordsman were also restrained.

“This isn’t over!”