The male student, suddenly under attack, was internally shocked and began frantically circulating his mana, trying to dispel the frost covering his body.
But no matter how hard he tried, the speed at which the white frost spread only slowed down slightly.
“Damn it! You people... you actually dare to attack inside the library?! Fighting is strictly prohibited here! Let me go!”
Seeing that his efforts were useless, the boy shouted at the top of his lungs, attempting to remind Starlight of the rules.
His voice immediately echoed throughout the library, sounding exceptionally jarring in the once-quiet space.
Although Starlight showed no reaction to the threat, the commotion drew everyone’s attention, and people nearby all turned to look in their direction.
By now, the boy was so frozen he could barely speak. His companions finally snapped out of it and surrounded Starlight, the caster.
Just as the two sides were at each other’s throats, a figure suddenly appeared between them. Looking closely, it was the same old man who had been guarding the library entrance that day.
“What are you brats doing causing a ruckus in here?! Trying to bring the roof down? Back off, all of you!”
With a thunderous shout from the old man, the students surrounding Starlight were all blown back. Even the ice on the boy who was about to be turned into a popsicle was shattered by a burst of mana, though he remained stiff and frozen.
After doing this, the old man turned to Starlight, shaking his head as he spoke.
“Using force in here is indeed a bit much. If you have a dispute, go settle it outside. Doing this makes things very difficult for me, you know?”
“I knew you would step in, sir. Besides, I only intended to let him cool off for a bit. It shouldn't be considered a big deal.”
Starlight didn't want to make things difficult for the old man either, so he sighed and withdrew his mana.
The boy finally slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.
In truth, what Starlight had just used wasn't a single spell but a dual-casting that fused spatial power. It was a new move he had recently perfected.
Before the water elements could turn into ice and cover the opponent's body, Starlight had already used the spatial element to completely bind him.
That seemingly unremarkable layer of spatial power actually blocked most of the opponent's mana. Even the gatekeeper, who possessed the strength of an Archmage, hadn't been able to crack this dual magic instantly; he had only managed to strip away the outer layer of frost.
Although Starlight was still a bit unpracticed with this new application, this method of control was nearly impossible to break for weaker opponents.
Furthermore, the eruption of spatial power was incredibly swift. Anyone with poor spatial affinity would be unable to react before falling into a passive state, trapped by the ice.
Starlight had been worried about not having anyone to practice his new magic with, and he hadn't expected someone to just stumble into him. Unfortunately, this opponent was far too weak to test the true power and limits of the spell.
The old man gave a bitter smile. He naturally knew that Starlight and Moen had an unusual relationship with the Principal, but these blind, pampered scions also came from the various Great Families of the kingdom. In the end, the pressure fell on him.
Fortunately, he had arrived in time before anything major happened. The old man waved at the bewildered students, signaling for them to leave quickly.
To his surprise, the boy who had just been helped up began to howl viciously at Starlight and Moen.
“A mere lowly commoner and an Elf! How dare you lay a hand on me! You just wait and see!”
As soon as the threat left his mouth, Starlight’s expression, which had just softened, turned cold once again. A terrifying mana, accompanied by sharp killing intent, began to rapidly gather around him.
The gatekeeper’s heart sank. He inwardly cursed the boy for being so ungrateful; the other party had already intended to let him go, yet he was still running his mouth, truly not knowing the heights of the heavens! He couldn't let the situation escalate further!
At that thought, the old man immediately stepped forward and delivered a heavy slap to the boy’s blue-tinged face. The force was so great that it knocked the boy, who hadn't even recovered yet, unconscious.
“What are you standing there for? Take him and get out of here! Tell him he’s banned from the library for a month. If he shows up, I’ll beat him every time!”
The farce finally came to an end after the companions hurriedly carried away the completely unconscious boy.
The old man patted his chest and let out a long breath of foul air. Then, his face instantly changed as he turned to Starlight.
“I say, kid, you were planning to strike for real just now, weren't you? I bet if he had actually made a move against you, he’d be missing a limb or two by now. It’s normal for young people to have some fire in them, but you have to look at the setting! I don't want my workplace turning into a murder scene!”
Starlight, however, replied with a light laugh, as if the killing intent he had just shown had never existed.
“Please don't say such things, sir! I am a law-abiding good kid. No matter how overboard those guys go, I wouldn't disrespect the Principal and the others, would I? Besides, you’re the one who knocked him out; that has nothing to do with me, right?”
The old man’s face darkened upon hearing this, and he huffed, stroking his beard as he scolded him.
“Good grief, are you trying to set me up? Fine, I’ll take the fall for this one! But you better watch yourself from now on. If anything else happens, I won't be cleaning up your mess!”
“Haha~ I wouldn't dare set up my seniors. However, if you hadn't stepped in just now, I really couldn't have guaranteed his safety.”
As Starlight spoke, he gave the old man a bow as an apology for the trouble. The old man could only sigh and wave them away, signaling for them to leave quickly before he got annoyed looking at them.
Seeing the old man close his eyes with a look of feigned disgust, Starlight and Moen shared a secret smile, picked up their books, and prepared to leave.
“I have to say, what you did just now was pretty cool! But if I had been the one to act, they wouldn't have fared much better,” Moen said in a low voice, smiling.
“It’s better for me to handle these things. At most, it’s just a fight. Why should a lady have to step in? Uh... what is it now? Do you need something?”
Starlight was about to explain further to Moen as they walked, but to his surprise, their path was blocked again.
This time, the one stopping them wasn't one of those boring pampered scions, but a petite and lovely young girl.
Despite his reluctance, Starlight couldn't bring himself to get angry at a delicate girl. He could only look down with curiosity at the girl who was nearly a head shorter than him.
“Um... that... Mister... no! Senior! Are you free tonight? Di... dinner... could I...?”
The girl seemed flustered by Starlight’s gaze. Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and her words became hesitant.
“Huh? I mean... do people here like inviting others to dinner that much? That guy from before was the same. Is this some kind of special etiquette?”
Starlight’s expression instantly shifted from curiosity to confusion. Faced with this sudden invitation, he couldn't quite grasp what was going on.
Rate on N.U.
