“The academy's elites can't even protect a few boxes?”
“Does your physical conditioning need some work?”
“You clearly damaged our things on purpose!”
Those speaking were several academy students and a man dressed in swordsman's attire.
Beside them on the ground lay several boxes filled with white paper, their documents scattered all over.
The swordsman stepped forward with disdain, looking down at the student at the very front as he spoke.
“Then why don't you just pick them up yourselves?”
“You!”
“Wait, wait, Romil, don't use your wand yet! Did you forget what the teacher said?”
“But—!”
Seeing this, Erylin wanted to step forward to mediate, but Finn stopped her from the side and shook his head at the young girl.
“Professor! But over there...!”
“Erylin, go over there with Ain first to hand out the assignments for this mission. These are the specific guidelines and requirements.”
Finn smiled as he handed Erylin a document, then added, “Just leave things here to me.”
Though puzzled, Erylin still nodded and walked toward another gathering of academy students.
Meanwhile, Ain's gaze never left the swordsman.
“Didn't I tell you to go with Erylin? Why are you zoning out?”
With a hint of resentment, Finn vigorously ruffled Ain's hair.
“Professor, is it really okay over there?”
Ain pointed in the direction where the argument had broken out.
Finn looked completely impatient as he spoke. “I already said to leave it to me...”
“Is that a mercenary from the Obsidian Chamber of Commerce?”
“No, why do you care about—”
Finn froze instantly. He quickly met Ain's gaze and asked in sheer disbelief.
“How do you know?”
Having received confirmation, Ain felt a surge of joy.
He remembered this scene!
This was one of the events that would inevitably trigger after the transport ship crash event.
While the students of the Typhon Chain were preparing to set out at the city gates, a swordsman would pass by and deliberately knock over a box full of documents to spark a conflict.
During his first playthrough, when Ain first experienced this event, he couldn't help but beat up the swordsman.
As a result, he was punished by the academy and falsely accused of maliciously causing a dispute and obstructing official business.
The academy's punishment wasn't because they were blind to the truth; rather, they used punishment as a shield, exercising protection under the guise of discipline, solely to declare an unquestionable fact to the outside world.
No outsider has the right to lay a finger on the academy's students.
This incident would have a massive impact on the current mission.
No matter what, the party that struck first would be in the wrong.
Furthermore, easily exposing one's strength here would be highly disadvantageous for the upcoming operation.
After all, there were other factions involved in this mission.
Among them were even a few Tier 6 powerhouses.
As for why the other party dared to be so provocative, and why the academy would be at a disadvantage in this mission, it was largely because the operation was spearheaded by the Obsidian Chamber of Commerce, the organizer of the south's largest auction.
On top of that, it was also an order from the imperial family.
The Obsidian Chamber of Commerce had prepared for this auction for ten long years. All the buyers had already paid massive deposits. If the chamber couldn't retrieve the valuable auction items and deliver them to the winning bidders on time, they would face unprecedented compensation claims.
Since it was an order from the imperial family, no faction had the right to refuse to participate in this operation.
Therefore, the chamber wanted to pull some underhanded tricks during this operation.
Especially for the most important item among the auction lots: the compass.
If necessary, they would use certain excuses and methods to shift part of the operation's losses onto the academy.
Ain knew very well how deep the waters were in this operation.
On the surface, it was a rescue mission, but in truth, the imperial transport ship also carried the Third Princess, who had run away on her own.
And neither the imperial family nor the Obsidian Chamber of Commerce's auction had explicitly mentioned this.
As for why, there were multiple layers of reasons.
But the general situation was that the swordsman involved in the argument had received instructions from the Obsidian Chamber of Commerce to make things difficult for the academy students, regardless of the reason.
As long as the academy students dared to make a move, the auction organizers could claim that the academy was disrupting the order of the operation, and they could even slap the academy with the label of defying imperial orders.
Furthermore, they could use this to question whether the academy students were even qualified to participate in the operation, giving the chamber the moral and regulatory upper hand in subsequent negotiations.
In short, talking trash was fine, but they absolutely could not start a fight.
After all, if the conflict escalated too much and drew the attention of the imperial family, the chamber wouldn't be able to easily clean up the mess themselves.
They could only use this to bait the academy students into acting first, and then put on a show.
In the original game, it was also because the academy couldn't access the core positions during this operation, which caused them to fall behind the chamber in finding the compass.
And that swordsman would also stir up trouble during the operation, thereby endangering the safety of some students.
But that was just the normal route to clear the game.
Through multiple attempts, Ain had found a route to clear this event where he didn't need to fight, could kick the swordsman out, and could make the auction organizers feel so in the wrong that they would willingly humble themselves to compensate the academy.
He just had to have even fewer boundaries than the other party.
And he just so happened to be exactly that kind of person.
At this moment, Finn suddenly felt that Ain's smile was somewhat terrifying.
“Professor, why don't you leave this to me?”
“You? Leave it to you? Do you know why I didn't go to mediate?”
Of course Ain knew.
Faced with those shameless, unprincipled mercenaries, even Finn, as an academy professor, had no good options.
How could an educated person argue with a bunch of thugs?
If he did, Finn might even leave his students with the impression of being incompetent and helpless.
Both sides knew they couldn't start a fight, so at most, they would just trade verbal jabs.
Finn couldn't be bothered to waste his energy on such things.
“Don't worry, Professor, I guarantee nothing will go wrong!”
Ain pulled several pre-prepared potions from his pocket, stuffed them all to his lips, and downed them in one go.
Finn was completely dumbfounded by Ain's sudden actions.
“What did you just drink?”
Ain wiped the liquid from the corner of his mouth and smiled faintly. “Something delicious.”
“Wait a minute! What are you going to—”
Ignoring Finn, Ain walked straight toward the arguing group.
...
“If you can't even handle this little bit of questioning, then you shouldn't leave the city!”
“Are you just itching to pick a fight with us?!”
Hearing a student sound so exasperated, the swordsman's expression immediately grew slightly excited.
Getting the other party to strike first was always the best outcome.
“Just a bunch of little trash who only know how to wave wooden sticks around! When a monster pounces on you, are you going to use that little stick to take a piss? Hahahahaha!”
Hearing such insults, the student was about to explode with rage.
He could tolerate insults to his strength, appearance, or even his character, but he absolutely could not tolerate someone making a laughingstock of his magic!
This was the most basic bottom line for a mage!
At this moment, the student abandoned all reason. Just as he was about to throw a punch at the swordsman, a figure blocked his path.
“Don't stop me!”
Ain didn't even spare a glance at the student behind him.
“Leave this to me.”
The student's right hand froze in midair, and several students behind him immediately stepped forward to grab him, dragging him back a few paces.
“You guys... let go of me!”
The student broke free from the restraint and was about to speak, but when he looked at Ain's back, he suddenly froze.
“Is that guy in our group?”
“I don't think so? I've never seen him before...”
“Then what is he doing here!”
“Probably trying to mediate... Alright, Captain! Calm down!”
“Tch, damn it... I get it!”
The student straightened his uniform and gestured to the surrounding students with a glance.
“Go help him.”
“Right!”
They thought Ain was here to help them in this war of words.
As fellow academy students, they were on the same side!
In fact, Ain indeed could have done that.
But he didn't want to.
Because that wasn't nearly fun enough.
Ain crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the swordsman with a face full of disdain.
“Do you dare touch me?”
As if hearing the funniest joke in the world, the swordsman first looked at Ain like he was looking at an idiot, then said, “Who do you think you are? What I despise most are students like you who do nothing but put on airs!”
The swordsman, of course, knew that the other party was deliberately baiting him to make a move.
The first to strike would be in the wrong.
But so what?
A little shove wouldn't hurt. As long as there was no actual harm or real conflict, he wouldn't be considered in the wrong!
Besides, looking at this guy's casual, careless attitude...
This guy is very weak.
Young and impetuous students loved showing off the most.
Knowing this, the swordsman decided to target Ain.
As long as he provoked him into using magic, his goal would be achieved.
He could even teach him a lesson...
The swordsman sneered and extended his right hand, giving Ain a shove on the shoulder.
“Why wouldn't I dare—”
Before he could even finish his sentence, the swordsman witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.
Ain's body flew backward. Utilizing a pre-charged wind spell, his body executed a magnificent 720-degree spin in midair before falling freely and slamming heavily onto the ground.
Ain clutched his chest. At this moment, a severe wound had been slashed across it, blood continuously seeping out.
His face was pale, and his right hand trembled as he pointed at the swordsman.
“What a powerful martial technique...”
“Such a fast... strike...”
“Pfft!”
Ain spat out a large mouthful of blood, completely losing sensation in his limbs as he collapsed limply onto the ground.
Finn was dumbfounded.
The students who wanted to help behind him were also dumbfounded.
The swordsman himself was utterly bewildered.
Did I use a martial technique?
Did I even draw my sword?
Why is this guy lying on the ground?
No, wait, I haven't even done anything! Aren't you supposed to pull out your wand in a fit of rage and use magic on me?!
Get up! Get the hell up, you bastard!!!
Rate on N.U.
