“Ain, putting aside who attacked first between you and Belinda, you claimed just now that your magic isn't necromancy. Then what was that demon knight I saw?”
“That was just my Divination Magic.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Ain regretted them.
Although Griffin did indeed belong to the undead, he was by no means a creation of necromancy.
However, Divination Magic was extremely rare in the academy, with only a few mentors even knowing it. Sevis would likely never buy his explanation.
As for the purple-haired girl he had met this morning, she was probably some hundreds-of-years-old fairy who had sneaked into the academy.
A flash of anger crossed Sevis's eyes, and his gavel slammed down onto the desk once more.
“Utter nonsense!”
“How could a mere Tier 1 Mage know such high-tier magic?”
“And how could Divination Magic possibly summon an undead creature!”
Ain shrugged and said, “Then maybe it was something else? Either way, it wasn't necromancy.”
Such a dismissive attitude instantly provoked intense dissatisfaction from the students in the gallery.
“Traces of the undead have already been detected! What is there left to argue about!”
“Exactly! The instruments don't lie!”
“Silence! Silence! Silence!”
Sevis banged his gavel three full times before the voices in the gallery finally quieted down.
He knew that undead creatures didn't necessarily have to be summoned by necromancy; some undocumented special magic could achieve the same result.
There was no point in arguing with him any further!
With that thought, a magic brand suddenly emerged in Sevis's right eye. Following a flash of golden light, a scale with a starlike luster materialized in his hand.
Ain't pupils contracted sharply. He finally understood why this fourth-year student before him could become an Arbiter of the Titan Prosecution Office.
The Scale of Astral Judgment, a Tier 6 magic item!
In the game, magic items above Tier 6 would possess a certain degree of sentience. To use them, one had to first gain their recognition.
For a long time, the Scale of Astral Judgment had slept within the Titan Prosecution Office. Countless members had tried to awaken it, but not a single one had succeeded.
He hadn't expected that Sevis, who wasn't even supposed to appear until Act 5, would have already gained the recognition of this divine artifact!
Why was the plot becoming more and more derailed?
“My scale can detect all filthy and corrupt mana.”
“If you really used forbidden magic, then your mana must have already been tainted by filth!”
“Ain, if you want to prove that you haven't used forbidden magic, then accept my judgment!”
Sevis's face turned cold as he spoke slowly.
“Step onto the combat arena and fight me! Use your magic to prove your words!”
Everyone in the gallery held their breath, their gazes locking onto Ain in unison.
Surely, this guy wouldn't agree to that.
After a brief silence, a faint smile slowly appeared on Ain's face.
“Sure.”
His voice echoed through the hall, and the crowd in the gallery could hardly believe their ears.
This guy actually agreed?
Silas's brow furrowed. He was left somewhat speechless for a moment, his mind racing to figure out Ain's objective.
He had intended to use the scale's properties to force Ain to submit quietly, but he hadn't expected the other party to agree so readily.
Could it be that he really hadn't used necromancy?
Sevis bit his lip. He understood that whether Ain had used forbidden magic didn't actually matter at all.
This trial concerned the reputation of the Titan Prosecution Office, and it was also the very first verdict he would deliver as an Arbiter!
He absolutely could not make a mistake!
And it was even more impossible for the Titan Prosecution Office to arrest the wrong person!
Ain had to be a heinous criminal, and nothing else!
With this thought, Sevis put away the scale, laid down his gavel, and walked straight up to Ain, his gaze cold.
“Then follow me.”
Ain rattled the magic chains on his wrists and gestured, “Lead the way.”
Only after the two of them had disappeared through the hall's entrance did the crowd in the gallery finally react to what had just transpired.
“Is Senior Sevis going to teach that Ain a lesson?”
“A Tier 4 Mage fighting a Tier 1 Mage?”
“Ain is going to get absolutely thrashed!”
“What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and grab a seat at the Combat Hall!”
Amidst a wave of clamor, the crowd in the gallery rushed out the door one after another.
“We have to see this drama through to the end today!”
...
“Professor, those buildings ahead should be the male dormitories of the Arcane Department, right?”
“Ahem, my eyes are a bit blurry, I can't see very clearly.”
Violet looked around. She had planned to ask a stranger for directions, but then she noticed a massive crowd of students pouring out of the nearby Titan Prosecution Office.
“Professor, look! Did something happen over there? Why is it so lively?”
“Is the Titan Prosecution Office hosting another event? Why are there so many people?”
Grimm stroked his beard. He knew his student's personality all too well.
“Violet, don't go poking your nose into other people's business.”
“Don't forget our purpose.”
Violet glanced at Grimm beside her and said, “Don't worry, Professor. Ain can't run away from the academy. You're being too impatient.”
She had intended to keep heading toward the male dormitories, but the sharp-eyed Violet suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.
“Scarlett! Scarlett! Over here, over here!”
As she called out, Violet waved her hands.
The girl in the crowd seemed to hear Violet's shouts. After a brief hesitation, she ran over toward them.
“Scarlett! Tell me, what on earth is going on over there? Why is such a huge crowd gathering?”
“Even when the Titan Prosecution Office held an event last time, it wasn't as crowded as this!”
The girl named Scarlett first greeted Grimm beside her, and then spoke.
“Senior Sevis is back. He just tried a student who used forbidden magic.”
“Sevis? The senior who repeated a year last year?”
“What do you mean repeated? He was doing advanced studies!”
Grimm couldn't help but comment from the side, “As a student of Golden Branch, instead of learning proper things, he actually went to learn forbidden magic.”
“Sigh.”
Grimm sighed.
Scarlett agreed, “Exactly, exactly! That student is so wicked!”
“First, he injured an executive member of the Prosecution Office, and then he slandered her by claiming she carried contraband drugs. Even though residues of necromancy mana were detected at the scene, he still stubbornly refuses to admit it!”
Hearing the girl's words, both Grimm and Violet were somewhat surprised.
It was the first time they had ever heard of such a shameless student.
“My goodness, shouldn't he be sentenced to ten or twenty years for this?”
“Which department is he from? If you ask me, they should tie him to the academy's main gate and put him on display for three days!”
Violet spoke indignantly, her right fist clenching instinctively as if she wanted to personally discipline this student who had disgraced the academy's reputation.
“Heh, some people refuse to make progress, while others can become talented solely through self-study.”
“They are truly worlds apart.”
Grimm shook his head, sighing.
Violet knew he was referring to Ain.
“That's not all! I heard he's a repeat offender. The last time he used forbidden magic, he was caught by Senior Erylin!”
Violet and Grimm grew even more disdainful.
“To think there is such an unrepentant fellow! If I were Sevis, I would lock him up for life!”
“In my opinion, such an incorrigible student might as well be executed directly.”
“Professor, your thoughts are way too radical!”
Scarlett waved her hand and said, “Well, I'll head out first. If I go any later, I won't be able to get a seat.”
“I want to see Senior Sevis beat that Ain to a pulp with my own eyes!”
“Alright, go ahead... Wait! Hold on!”
Violet immediately stopped her, the expression on her face freezing into absolute shock.
“What did you say that student's name was just now?”
“Ain! You know, that bad guy who's about to be punished!”
Violet's mouth fell slightly open. She wanted to say something, but no words would come out.
“What is his full name?”
“I think it's... Ain Aldric?”
Violet and Grimm stared at each other, a strange, stunned silence filling the air.
Grimm was the first to break the silence, asking, “Where did you learn about the things that Ain did?”
“The other students told me, and also from the trial process in the Interrogation Hall just now.”
“Ahem. I believe that one cannot always trust what they see and hear. The same goes for judging a situation.”
“Is it possible that this student named Ain is actually being framed?”
Hearing Grimm's words, Scarlett's expression turned bewildered.
Didn't you just say he should be executed directly?
Why do you suddenly think he's being framed now?
Violet also couldn't believe that a student with such incredible talent would be such a wicked, troublemaking individual.
“Violet, let's go take a look as well.”
Violet dithered for a moment, then said, “Professor, didn't you say not to poke our noses into other people's business?”
Grimm cleared his throat and said, “In principle, yes.”
“But right now, the principle is in his hands.”
Rate on N.U.
