"I surrender."
When these words came out of the headmaster's mouth, the first expression revealed on everyone's face present was one thing.
Bewilderment.
Utter bewilderment.
"He actually surrendered like that?"
Indeed.
The strongest magus of the 19th century conceded defeat with his own words.
This meant more than just a victory or loss; it heralded a dreadful storm.
At least, those with keen minds had already thought of the consequences, and fear trembled through them.
Contrary to this, Rozen, as if encountering something utterly ordinary, remained indifferent. It was as if he hadn't defeated the strongest mage of the 19th century but a common puppeteer on the roadside. He casually stored the Lemegeton in his hand without returning it to the headmaster.
"Let's go."
With no intention of returning the grimoire to the headmaster, Rozen turned around. Under the admiring gazes of Yaya, Irori, and Komurasaki, he spoke to Io.
At this point, even the guards had no plans to step forward to stop them. They could only watch in bewilderment, with no reaction whatsoever.
In this situation, where even the headmaster acknowledged his inferiority, who would have the courage to intervene?
Even if someone dared to step forward, it would only be an act of self-humiliation. Who could truly stop Rozen now?
However...
"Is this really okay?"
The headmaster, swaying as he stood up, uttered these words while looking at Rozen's back.
Rozen didn't turn around, but he knew what the headmaster was about to say.
"Even if you can leave the academy now, Professor Illiad's crimes won't be erased. Assisting rebels will be considered a crime, and you will be subject to arrest and extradition by the British."
The headmaster stared directly at Rozen's back, slowly speaking each word.
"If you had escaped from the academy with Professor Illiad before defeating me, it might have been different."
After all, if it had come to that, even if they were subject to arrest and extradition by the British, the enemy would be just England.
But it's different now.
"Now, defeating me in full view, defeating the strongest magus of the 19th century, and even claiming Lemegeton as a trophy—do you understand what such an astonishing achievement will lead to?"
The headmaster spoke word by word.
"War will break out because of you."
"War?"
"No way?"
"That's just to scare us, right?"
The students, guards, and professors around were startled by the headmaster's words.
"War!?"
Even Io widened her eyes, shocked.
Rozen remained silent.
Because Rozen knew that this might very well turn into a reality.
"Faced with someone who can defeat the strongest mage of the 19th century at such a young age, the world powers will definitely not sit idly by."
The headmaster explained the reasons behind it all.
"For example, the Far East, where you come from, will definitely not remain indifferent."
For a country, having a puppeteer who can defeat the strongest magus of the 19th century, surpassing even the Wiseman, is crucial. Frankly speaking, if Rozen were to join the military and step onto the battlefield, just the reputation of defeating the strongest magus of the 19th century would make enemy nations wary and retreat. Rozen himself would be a force to be reckoned with, easily dominating the battlefield.
A person with such talents being wanted and arrested by England, how can the island nation in the Far East just sit idly by?
At that time, they will surely go to great lengths to negotiate with England and convince them to withdraw the arrest warrant. However, as a nation opposed to Rozen, knowing that he openly defies national laws, England is unlikely to let him off easily. Especially considering that he has the ability to defeat the strongest magus of the 19th century, as an adversary, they would definitely want to eliminate such a formidable threat.
In this scenario, the two countries would directly confront each other, initiating negotiations while trying to rally support from other nations to oppose the enemy. Meanwhile, other nations would likely have various thoughts about Rozen – some aiming to ally with him, others seeking to eliminate him. The result would be a world plunged into chaos, with nations aligning and conflicting, ultimately on the brink of war.
Perhaps others might find this exaggerated. Who would go against an entire nation for the sake of one person, even leading to the outbreak of war? In times of peace, this might indeed be unlikely. However, it's not a time of peace; it's on the eve of a world war, an era where the atmosphere is thick with the anticipation of global conflict. The world is a powder keg, and with a small spark, it can ignite the entire fuse, plunging nations into a large-scale war.
In the present context, the headmaster's words are all accurate. If Rozen were to leave with Io like this, it would undoubtedly become the spark that ignites a world war.
"Of course, England and Japan are allies. If you don't openly defy English law, England probably won't want to offend you. They might even pardon your current support for Professor Illiad and act as if nothing happened.
The headmaster spoke persuasively.
"How to choose is up to you."
With that, the headmaster stopped speaking.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, everyone around looked at Rozen with unease and anxiety.
"Rozen-sama..."
Yaya, Irori, and Komurasaki looked at Rozen with uncertainty.
"Rorelai."
Io also looked at Rozen, silent.
Triggering a war was definitely not something Io wanted to see.
"I still..."
At this moment, Io was about to speak in a somewhat sad tone, preparing to surrender again.
However...
"You've got two things wrong, Headmaster."
Rozen suddenly spoke.
"One, I'm not Japanese, so I don't need Japan's help, and Japan won't confront England over this."
"Two, a world war won't break out. Io's charges are baseless. As long as they're baseless, there's no violation or resistance to the law."
Rozen turned his head to look at the headmaster.
"I will defeat the Black Prince, capture the real rebels, and prove Io's innocence."
"So, you don't need to worry about it."
"Let's go."
After making his declaration, Rozen waved his hand, and his coat whirled up, enveloping everyone within.
In the next moment, the coat churned and transformed into a three-legged crow.
The three-legged crow flapped its wings, creating a brilliant burst of sparks, soaring into the sky. It passed through the academy's barrier, heading towards the outside.
The students, guards, and professors present could only watch as Rozen left with Io, lacking the courage to even chase after them, standing in silence.
The headmaster also refrained from taking any action, watching the three-legged crow soar away, sighing as he felt the continuous pain throughout his body.
"I'm really getting old."
The headmaster expressed, possibly in self-deprecation or reflection.
The one responding to these words was a white-haired, frail-looking old man who approached.
"Are you really letting them go?"
This man was the head of the medical department, representing the professors, second only to Edward Rutherford, the headmaster. In the recent arrest operation against Rozen, he was the only one who didn't intervene, responsible only for the students' retreat. He was also the professor most familiar with the headmaster, a trusted assistant, and even a friend—Percival.
In this academy and perhaps the entire world, no one understood the headmaster better than this professor representative.
So Percival spoke like this.
"Without capturing Professor Illiad, the royal family will definitely question the academy. With the Sanctuary of fools exposed, they must be suspecting your secret research. If they catch this opportunity, they won't let it go easily. They'll find ways to make things difficult for you, won't they?"
Percival spoke to the headmaster in this manner.
"If we don't properly capture Professor Illiad, the royal family might suspect that the academy has been colluding with the Black Prince all along, providing both the 'Multi-Controller' and 'Infinite Chain Reaction' to him. These are not situations you would want, right?"
It was precisely for this reason that the headmaster wanted to apprehend Io first, convict him, and thus clear the academy's name, as well as his own.
"If it's just suspicion on the academy and you facing difficulties, that's one thing. However, if it leads to the royal family intervening in the academy's management, not only will your research be hindered, but the Night Party might also come to an end. The prospects for 'Machine Doll' will be completely bleak. This is no small matter."
Percival laid out the disputes one by one.
Given this perspective, from the headmaster's point of view, Io had to be captured at all costs. Moreover, even the faction led by the Black Prince, the headmaster must deal with.
Otherwise, even if Io is presented as a scapegoat to take the blame, the royal family would still suspect Io as just the headmaster's fall guy.
"To protect the academy, or rather, to preserve the Night Party, you must first capture Professor Illiad. Then find a way to apprehend the Black Prince. Failing at the first hurdle is not your style."
Percival spoke frankly.
Because he knew the headmaster the best, Percival understood that the headmaster's cunning strategy wouldn't tolerate such a failure.
Starting with a failure is truly uncharacteristic.
But what could be done?
"Who would have thought that Rorelai Arneet's strength had already reached such a level?"
The headmaster sighed.
"Are you sure you gave it your all?"
Percival frowned, raising doubts about this.
For his old friend, Percival was well aware that both in terms of intelligence and strength, there was no one better. He was exceptional, a monster among monsters. How could he lose to a previously unknown transfer student?
Rather than truly losing to Rozen, Percival was more inclined to believe that the headmaster intentionally held back, using defeat as a means to achieve certain goals.
Such things, the headmaster was capable of.
Unfortunately,
"At the beginning, I did hold back, summoning only one-fortieth of the Queen's first legion, a fraction of my strength."
The headmaster's bitter smile deepened.
"But in the end, he forced out my full power. All of the Queen's legions were summoned, yet he effortlessly dealt with them. That was when I realized, his strength truly surpassed mine."
This was an indisputable fact.
Though a cunning old fox, the headmaster wasn't unwilling to admit even this much.
Of course,
"I didn't plan on letting Rorelai Arneet rescue Professor Illiad. Inquiring Illiad is necessary. Even if the British royal family doesn't demand an explanation, the Association will. We can't let Ionela Iliad continue to roam free."
The headmaster shook his head.
"Originally, I intended to use Illiad's arrest to force Rorelai Arneet to act and deal with the Black Prince. Who would have thought the result would turn out like this."
This was the headmaster's plan.
This cunning old fox seems to have known every move Rozen and Io would make today. He anticipated that if Io were wronged, Rozen would surely take action, leading to the current situation.
However, even this strategic fox couldn't have foreseen that his attempt to capture Io would fail, resulting in not only a loss but also inadvertently boosting Rozen's reputation. Not only did he use himself to enhance Rozen's prestige, but he also lost his most significant trump card.
"Fortunately, Rorelai Arneet's target is also the Black Prince. Things haven't developed too disastrously yet," the headmaster said, easing his bitter expression.
"As long as we can capture the Black Prince and resolve this incident, it will provide explanations to both the royal family and the Association. Though there will likely be troubles, they are not insurmountable."
Thanks to this, the academy avoided a complete collapse. But still,
"The cost is losing Lemegeton and the position of the strongest, a significant loss," Percival sighed.
On the contrary, the headmaster seemed nonchalant.
"Our ultimate goal is the Machine Doll. Compared to Machine Doll, even the mythical demons in Lemegeton are just a drizzle."
Recognizing this, the headmaster felt the pain in his body decrease and then stood up.
"More than this, I'm curious about how Rorelai Arneet will deal with the Black Prince."
The headmaster gave instructions to the surrounding professors.
"Prepare for the execution of 'Farsight' immediately. Make sure to receive updates on the current situation in the Machinart City as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, the professors responded and dispersed.
"Master," on the other side, the girls in the team looked worriedly at Magnus.
Their expressions resembled the concern one would have for their master facing a formidable opponent, worrying about whether he would be shaken or frightened.
However, Magnus showed no signs of wavering or fear, just gazing in the direction Rozen departed.
"Let me see your performance once again."
Magnus murmured, his tone carrying both heaviness and anticipation.
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