The Rebirth of Evelyn Knox

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Although Aurora didn't agree with the headmaster's decision, it was already too late for them to change the location of the confrontation, as the flying sword had already appeared in the periphery of their vision.

Kaizen couldn't help but exclaim in surprise upon noticing the object. "They really brought this thing out again? I remember they barely managed to escape with it last time."

His wife chuckled. "Well, we'll have to make sure they don't take it back this time around. It's troublesome having to brawl like this every few decades, over and over. This flying sword really makes it convenient for them to come and go as they please."

Before Kaling's words were over, the Terran King had already arrived and halted in front of them, looking down at the black robed female pillar with rage. "You really have some gall to talk like that, woman!"

In front of the giant flying sword and the massive army on top of it, the group of five from the academy looked like tiny ants that could be stomped out easily. 

Unfortunately, Rochester knew that to be just a fantasy, as except for the new headmaster, each of them had repelled his ancestors multiple times, and the tales of their horror were still fresh in many households in Terrazyme.

The only source of relief was that just as the information he received indicated, one of the ancient pillars was indeed missing, and presumably dead. Although he had been certain that Harlan was the headmaster, the dread that Mantis might just be hiding from the public was only just let go.

At the very least, this meant that the opponent was 10% weaker than before!

Harlan stepped forward with a chuckle, his intent to mediate clear at a glance. "Don't be angry, now—"

Rochester glared at the new headmaster sharply, not a hint of warmth in his eyes despite their common origins. "How can I not be angry? Not to mention those senseless words before, if I don't get an explanation from the academy about my son's whereabouts, I'll definitely take a pound of flesh from you regardless of the cost!"

On the academy's side, everyone turned to look at Aurora. As the one who had ordered off his search and rescue at the beginning, and even actively intercepted anyone who tried to go on their own, who else could say a word about this?

The platinum blonde frowned. "Come if you wish to fight. Don't make useless excuses. Otherwise… leave."

Looking at the army behind Rochester, she could tell that although there were plenty of 'strong' opponents, they were no match for the four pillars at all, even if they combined their strength with arrays. But that only made her more uneasy.

Just what could they be relying on?

Rochester laughed, though his rage was clear to all. "Such fine words! If the academy is really looking for a fight, I'm more than happy to seek justice on my—"

"Wait!"

Aurora turned a sharp glare towards the headmaster, and Harlan immediately felt cold sweat cover his back.

He coughed while waving his hands with a smile to diffuse the tense situation. "I'm sure neither of us is interested in a fight. We're both bound to lose a lot here, and there's little to gain, right?"

Rochester just snorted, while Aurora frowned. Although there was some truth in his words, the platinum blonde didn't like the fact that he was just lowering their momentum for no reason.

As the victors in every conflict over thousands of years, every time they fought, the Terrans soldiers always believed that they were fighting a losing battle, fueled only by the fear of their King.

Although their academy had never initiated the attack, never before had they proposed a compromise either. This was the first time, and Aurora could already tell that the Terrans were both surprised and proud.

'See, even the ancient academy fears our might, and this is only a part of our strength!'

Harlan smiled. "Actually, I believe this situation is just a misunderstanding. Lady Aurora is too passionate when it comes to defending her home, so she won't listen to reason, while King Rochester is too emotional about his missing son, so you can't see what's in front of you either."

The other three powerhouses of the academy stared at Harlan as if he was an idiot and a genius at the same time. With just a few words, he had managed to offend both parties at once! Was this also not a form of talent?

Even if the Terran King failed to do anything to him, Aurora might lop his head off just the same.

The brown haired man seemed oblivious of his fate, however. "Let's all take a step back and think about it. The Terran Kingdom is currently involved in a great war, I'm sure you don't have many resources to spare. Are you really willing to suffer here? And as for us, well, let's just say we're a bit short-handed. I'd rather not make the situation worse, no matter how unlikely that is."

Rochester glowered as he jumped off the flying sword Eruniel and landed right in front of the headmaster, followed closely by his generals and royal guard. "What do you want to say?"

Harlan chuckled. "I'm just saying there's no need to fight. Why don't we have a chat first? And if the matter can't be resolved peacefully, we can always settle the dispute another way later. How about it?"

The Terran King snorted. "Honeyed words, but how do I know you're not leading me into a trap?"

Harlan chuckled. "Come now, do we need to be like this? I give you my word as the Ancient Academy's headmaster, how about it now?"

The Terran King pretended to be deep in thought, but although he stood in front of Harlan, his eyes remained fixed on Aurora.

In the past, Rochester often used to hear the brave tales of his ancestor who had almost broken the academy's tens of thousands of years of undefeated history by nearly shattering its strongest pillar, but in the end, he lost his life due to his focus on protecting his comrades.

It was a beautiful story that had inspired many soldiers for many years, but Rochester now knew, that's all it was. A story.

When he became the king, he discovered that it was all just lies and deceit, for the ancestors were too ashamed of their humiliating defeats. The masses would believe whatever was told to them anyway, so why lower their own majesty? 

In reality, his ancestor hadn't managed to fight Aurora at all, let alone almost defeat her. He had been crushed like a bug by Kaling, the third strongest pillar. The same audacious woman who had dared make fun of their national artifact.

The hatred that Rochester felt against Aurora was accumulated generation by generation, and was almost a part of his bloodline. The humiliation she had brought, and the vendetta that the Terrans had against her was almost deeper than that against the academy itself. It couldn't be washed out no matter what.

The fact that they still didn't ban or discriminate against Terran students was just another huge slap in the face. It was as if the Terrans were being told that they weren't even a big enough threat for the academy to pay attention.

And what was even more humiliating was the Terrans truly didn't dare incite rebellion from within, as it would be a fruitless and self-defeating task. It would perhaps still be worth trying if it had any chance to work, but Rochester knew it was as futile as it could be.

The Terran King snorted. "Fine then, I shall believe in the academy's prestige just this once. Lead the way, Harlan."

"Ahaha, of course, everyone is free to rest and wait in the southern forbidden city. I'm sure they're all tired from the long journey." The headmaster turned around with a smile, but froze as he faced Aurora's sharp gaze. He couldn't help but gulp. "I-Is something the matter, Lady Aurora?"

The platinum blonde nodded. "Only corpses are allowed to enter the valley today."

The other three pillars didn't move out of the way either, completely ignoring Harlan's imploring gaze.

What a joke! If the entire Terran army was allowed to enter the forbidden city, who would be left to pick out the weeds one by one once they attacked? Such a thankless task would definitely fall on their shoulders!

As for trusting them not to do anything and leave after whatever negotiations? They would have lived so long in vain if they blindly believed that.

The atmosphere chilled instantly as Rochester's face turned dark. "Just what is the meaning of this, headmaster? On one hand, you invite me in to give me an explanation on Craig's matter, but on the other hand, this woman curses us to die? Is this the so-called prestige of the academy?!"

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