Karien's eyes widened as the scene before him overwhelmed his senses.

"Hey, man, isn't this a bit much...?"

But it was already too late. Even if Karien had said something earlier, Adrian probably wouldn’t have cared.

Placing Pete on the ground, Adrian spat fiercely several times and wiped his mouth with exaggerated motions. He declared,

"I never go back on my word!

"This time, Ironclad Academy admits defeat, but next year, we won't lose again!"

Before Karien or anyone else could respond, Adrian turned and walked away.

The young teacher from Ironclad Academy, holding the leash of the wolfhound Pete, nodded apologetically to everyone before hurrying after Adrian.

Watching Adrian's retreating figure, Karien scratched his cheek, momentarily at a loss for words. Initially, he had found the wager amusing—especially since he couldn’t stand Adrian’s arrogance. Whether Adrian would actually honor their bet in the end didn’t concern him.

Jessica adjusted her glasses and, after watching Adrian leave, turned to Karien.

"I’ll also retract what I said three months ago and offer my apologies. Red Leaf Academy surprised us; we were indeed presumptuous."

Pausing briefly, Jessica added,

"However, the decision on whether Red Leaf Academy remains open isn't up to us; it's determined by the Council of Elders. You understand what I mean, don’t you?"

Karien nodded.

"Of course. But I will do everything I can to preserve Red Leaf Academy!"

Jessica chuckled softly. "Even though it’s against Violet Academy's interests, I still wish you success."

As she approached Karien and passed by him, she leaned close, whispering seductively in his ear,

"Next time we meet, show me your secret, won’t you?"

Although Karien knew she was referring to the magical device, he responded with a smile,

"That’s not something I casually show to just anyone."

Covering her mouth as she laughed, Jessica walked away.

The other teachers from various academies exchanged a few words with Karien before taking their leave.

Before departing, Wells, with his short golden hair, spoke to Karien,

"Mr. Karien… if possible, may I sit in on one of your classes next time?"

Caught off guard, Karien initially thought Wells was criticizing him for disrupting his previous lecture. Hastily, he clasped his hands together and apologized sincerely,

"I’m really sorry about last time. I didn’t mean to interrupt—I just—"

Wells shook his head, cutting him off.

"What you said during my lecture was quite enlightening. Elder Allison mentioned you once worked at the Garon Research Institute and have a deep understanding of magical theory. I’d like to observe one of your classes and learn from you."

"Ah…" Karien felt a little embarrassed and said,

"I’m not even a Magus. What I know is just basic theory…"

"That’s precisely what I lack," Wells replied earnestly.

"I’ve always just taught by rote. Many of the magical principles I teach are only surface-level understandings. I sincerely hope to learn from you."

After a brief pause, he added quickly,

"I’ll pay a tuition fee, of course!"

This...

Karien hesitated for a moment before agreeing,

"Alright. Once the graduation assessments are over, I’ll send you an invitation."

Wanting to stay modest, he added,

"My teaching might not be the best, so please bear with me."

Karien wasn’t particularly keen on letting other academy teachers sit in on his classes, but considering he had previously attended a lecture at Midnight Academy, he couldn’t refuse.

However, he resolved that if Wells came, he would only teach basic magical theories. He certainly wouldn’t share anything about logical arrays.

Visibly pleased, Wells smiled and said,

"Then it’s settled. I look forward to your invitation."

After a few more words, Wells departed as well.

Taking a deep breath, Karien descended the spectator stands and headed toward the southeastern gate.

By then, all eleven students from Red Leaf Academy had exited. Seeing Karien approach, Mia waved excitedly and asked expectantly,

"Teacher, how did I do last night against the student from Midnight Academy?"

Karien paused, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"Um… very well. You performed exceptionally!"

Nodding enthusiastically, Mia pressed further,

"Anything I need to improve on?"

Uh… should I tell her I couldn’t see anything after it got dark?

"Just keep it up and train harder," Karien said diplomatically.

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"Got it!" Mia nodded earnestly.

Turning to Jack, Sali, and the others, Karien smiled,

"You all did great, too. I think you’re all eligible to graduate. Any plans for further studies?"

Jack, Sali, and the others immediately shook their heads.

"We know our limits," Jack said with a laugh.

"With our meager talent, further studies would be a waste. Staying with you would be far more rewarding!"

Holding his enchanted rifle, Jack joked,

"Without those combat suits, we’d have been eliminated instantly. So from now on, we’re sticking to you like glue. Whatever you ask us to do, we’re in—just don’t kick us out!"

Though Jack spoke playfully, his eyes held a sincere determination.

Sali and the others nodded in agreement, and even Mia chimed in,

"I’d like to stay too—"

Before she could finish, Karien interrupted, looking at her sternly.

"Mia, you must pursue higher studies. My expertise is limited to basic theory and magical devices. For advanced training, you need to attend a top-tier university to fully develop your potential."

"But…" Mia lowered her head. "I don’t want to leave…"

Most students at Red Leaf Academy were orphans taken in by the late Dean Fains. Having grown up there, Mia found it hard to leave the place she called home.

Gently patting her on the head, Karien reassured her with a smile,

"Further studies don’t mean you can’t come back. Red Leaf Academy is your home—you’re always welcome here.

"Alright, we achieved a great victory today. You should be celebrating! Go rest up after two busy days. Once the results are announced tomorrow, I’ll take you all out for some fun!"

The group cheered excitedly.

"Yay!"

The next day, after a night of rest, the team gathered again at the main campus to await the results.

Before the overall evaluation scores were released, the individual results were displayed on the notice board.

Mia and the others dispersed to check their scores while Karien stood in the shade, using his enchanted gloves to cast a Frost Mist spell to cool himself from the heat.

Just then, a large owl flew down and landed on a nearby railing.

"Karien, come to my office," it said in Elder Allison's voice.

PAROS MAGIC ACADEMY, MAIN CAMPUS - ELDERS' HALL

Karien knocked on the door of the Administrative Elder’s office. Almost immediately, Elder Ellison’s voice called out.

“Come in!”

Pushing the door open slightly, Karien peeked in. After confirming Elder Ellison was the only one inside, he stepped in quietly and shut the door gently behind him.

“No need to sneak around like that.”

Elder Ellison adjusted his reading glasses and looked up sternly. “Judging by that guilty look of yours, I’m guessing you already know why you’re here.”

“Oh, my dear Elder Ellison, I have no idea what you’re referring to.” Karien feigned innocence, attempting to bluff his way through.

“Drop the act,” Ellison retorted with a frown. “Your Red Leaf Academy performed far beyond expectations this time. Before we get to the real issue, I want to know—how did you pull it off?”

Ellison’s discerning eyes had easily noticed that Red Leaf Academy’s students were equipped with unique devices that clearly contributed to their success.

He was particularly curious about how Karien managed to boost Mia’s magic level to Tier Two in such a short amount of time.

“Ah… are you referring to this?” Karien reached into his pocket and pulled out a casting glove, handing it to the elder.

For Elder Ellison, Karien was willing to reveal some details about the magical devices. On one hand, Ellison had been consistently supportive of him and Red Leaf Academy.

On the other hand, Karien knew he needed Ellison’s help if he wanted to save Red Leaf Academy from being shut down.

Karien had no intention of keeping the academy’s recent improvements a complete secret.

Withholding too much information would not only fail to protect Red Leaf Academy but might also provoke suspicion from the entire Paros Academy.

Besides, Karien had already made public certain magical chip designs, such as Frost Mist and Daylight, back in the capital.

Letting others gradually understand and accept his innovations was a necessary step in establishing his rules.

“What is this?”

“A casting glove,” Karien explained patiently. “It’s powered by magical chips. By channeling mental energy, the user can activate pre-set spells without consuming their own mana.”

Ellison’s eyes narrowed in surprise. “No mana consumption? Then where do the magic elements for the spellcasting come from?”

Karien carefully disassembled the glove, exposing its intricate design. He pointed to a pentagram array and a spiral structure inside.

“This here is a ‘Convergence Array,’ and this is a ‘Storage Array.’ The first array absorbs magical elements from the surrounding environment, and the second stores them for later use. When casting, it draws from the stored elements instead of the user’s mana.”

This particular design was a simplified version that Karien had prepared for demonstration purposes.

Although he preferred using elemental coins for efficiency, he knew showing off an overly advanced design could raise unnecessary questions.

“Did you inscribe these arrays yourself?”

Ellison looked up, astonished. “You don’t have magical elements in your body. How did you manage that?”

Karien thought about explaining how he had used elemental coins to saturate the area with magical energy during the inscription process but decided against it. Instead, he replied truthfully, “Back at the Garon Research Institute, I often assisted my mentor with array inscription.

With the help of a mage or magic apprentice to channel energy, I can complete the process.”

Ellison nodded, assuming Mia or another magic apprentice had assisted Karien.

“You truly are a genius.”

Ellison marveled at the densely packed structures inside the glove, even though he couldn’t fully comprehend them. “Are these designs the result of your research at Garon?”

“Uh… partially. I’ve also incorporated some of my own ideas.”

Nodding again, Ellison shifted the conversation. “And Mia’s magic level—how did you achieve that?”

Of course, Karien thought, it’s mostly thanks to elemental coins. Out loud, he said, “Part of it is due to the magic crystals you’ve been providing her every month, Elder Ellison.

The other part comes from resources left by the late Dean Feins before his last mission.

“Originally, those resources were meant to sustain Red Leaf Academy for one or two years, but to ensure the academy wouldn’t be shut down, I had to use them all in just three months.”

By invoking the former dean, Karien subtly deflected attention from his own considerable wealth and resources.

Ellison nodded thoughtfully. “I see. It’s impressive that Feins managed to leave behind something despite the academy’s lack of funding for years. And it seems those resources were put to good use. You’ve worked hard these past three months.”

Karien sighed inwardly with relief. It seemed his explanation was convincing enough.

“But…” Ellison continued, his tone heavy, “even though Red Leaf Academy performed admirably, I can’t guarantee it won’t be closed down.”

Karien froze. “Why?”

Taking a deep breath, Ellison explained, “The council of elders already finalized plans to shut down Red Leaf Academy.

While I voted against it, my opposition wasn’t enough to overturn the decision. Your recent success helps your case, but ultimately, the fate of the academy rests in the hands of the council.”

“But—” Karien began, only for Ellison to cut him off.

“Fortunately, most of the council, including the headmaster, is currently away at the Holy Land of the Church. For now, only I and two acting elders remain. In theory, I have the authority to rule in your favor.

“However, the council appointed Elder Riton as an acting elder specifically to counterbalance me.

Aside from me and White Star, you’ll need the support of the faculty across the main campus to secure your position.”