章 741: Chapter 169.1 - Second Semester

The sound of footsteps echoed through the garden, sharp and deliberate. Each step seemed to reverberate through the air, silencing the growing buzz of speculation and chatter. Like a tide retreating from the shore, the noise around the garden receded, leaving behind an eerie stillness. 

Julia, in the midst of her teasing, froze mid-sentence, her words dying on her lips. Irina's sharp yellow gaze snapped toward the source, and the rest of the group instinctively turned, their collective curiosity now replaced by something more akin to reverence—or apprehension. 

The headmaster had arrived. 

Tall and imposing, he strode into view with the air of someone who commanded absolute authority. His dark robe, lined with intricate golden embroidery that shimmered faintly with mana, flowed behind him with each purposeful step. His piercing blue eyes, sharp as a blade's edge, swept over the gathered students like a judge weighing their worth.