The moment those words were uttered, everyone froze.
No one was more heartbroken than Sephine.
Although she had always held a high position, she was a genuinely honest official.
There was no need to dwell on her grievances; the priority was dealing with the people in front of her.
Sephine was not an unreasonable person.
If this man honestly revealed who his accomplices were, she might consider a lighter sentence.
However, she was not a judge; the final verdict would be up to the court.
“Grand… Gra… Gra…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the man began foaming at the mouth and fainted.
“Grand… Grand Chancellor!”
The girl, however, did not faint.
She was merely beyond shocked. The legendary “invincible workaholic”
Grand Chancellor mentioned by everyone was actually the petite and cute girl standing before her.
She was even the Demon King’s wife!
No wonder any policy supported by the Grand Chancellor was implemented so swiftly.
“What? You can’t accept it either?”
“Do you have a problem with the way I look?!”
The little girl’s face turned bright red.
A scarf larger than her own head was wrapped around her neck as she stood with her hands on her hips.
The surrounding gazes made Sephine feel extremely uncomfortable.
It was all Daenifen’s fault for making her look so unintimidating!
“No, not at all…”
“Hmph! Drag this guy away first.”
“Astina, go report this to the Demon King. Have her investigate if anyone else is using my name to embezzle money.”
“The Demon King only ordered me to protect you.”
“Then I’ll go tell her myself later.”
The Magic Dragon, Astina, was a one-track-minded person, and Sephine did not want to waste time arguing.
“What is your name?”
“Grand Chancellor, my name is Alona!”
“Are you from the countryside?”
“Yes. My teacher told us that the Magic Academy has started recruiting commoners, so I came to try my luck.”
“Follow me.”
Sephine planned to take this girl with her to the exam.
She was not the type of person who enjoyed using the back door to show off her power; that would be unfair to the other candidates.
“The admissions process is paused for today. The rest of you don’t need to wait in line.”
Looking back, Sephine realized that the previously empty queue was now packed with people.
The exam was divided into two parts: a written test and a practical combat test.
The Magic Academy did not just need intellectual talents who could handle government affairs and develop the kingdom; it also needed martial talents who could protect it.
Alona followed tentatively behind Sephine.
This was the first time she had ever walked alongside such a high-ranking figure.
A faint, milky scent lingered wherever Sephine walked, and it smelled wonderful.
‘With such a capable wife, what kind of god-like life is the Demon King living? She looks quite delicious…’
“Are you the teachers in charge of proctoring the exam?”
“More candidates?”
The female teacher sitting behind the podium stood up politely when she saw someone arrive.
‘Two more suckers.’
“Find a seat and sit down.”
“The one at the gate has already been arrested. If you confess honestly, you might receive leniency.”
The proctor froze, slowly raising her head to scrutinize the “sucker” she had ignored until now—the silver-haired little girl.
“You are…”
To manage to secure such a lucrative position, the proctor was quite skilled.
Whether it was sensing which way the wind blew or being a political fence-sitter, she was top-tier.
A flash of inspiration hit the proctor, and she came up with a “brilliant” idea.
“This was all requested by the Grand Chancellor!”
“Drag her out.”
“We don’t need a proctor. I’ll do it myself.”
“My Lady… listen to my explanation!”
The two guards escorting her quickly muffled her mouth.
If she said another word, Sephine might not be able to stop herself from having Astina turn her into dust on the spot.
“Professor Stephen! Save me!”
Driven to a dead end, the proctor bit the guard’s hand hard.
When he instinctively let go from the pain, she shouted an unfamiliar name.
“Who dares touch my people?”
Just as the proctor’s voice faded, a mage dressed in a black and purple robe appeared in front of the guards.
“You dare touch my people? Get lost!”
The two guards felt their bodies suddenly go limp and collapsed instantly.
“What little brat are you? How dare you come to the Royal Capital’s greatest academy to cause trouble? If you delay the selection of talent, can you take responsibility for that?!”
“And who are you?”
Sephine hated this kind of plot where a minor annoyance brought out a bigger one.
“I am the Research Teacher Group Leader for Magic Applications, Class A. Professor Stephen.”
“So? Does that give you the right to let your subordinates commit bribery? How bold of you! You even dare to splash dirty water on the Grand Chancellor? Are you tired of living?!”
Stephen seemed momentarily stunned by Sephine’s aura, but as an experienced teacher, he quickly recovered his composure.
“Heh, reforming the academy’s admission system was a decree personally issued by the Grand Chancellor. I am merely following those orders to the letter. In your mouth, it becomes ‘dirty water.’ Just who is the bold one here?”
“You motherf—! I told you to lower the admission threshold to kick out those incompetent, deadbeat noble brats and recruit talented, hardworking commoner students! When did I ever say you could collect money? The Ministry of Finance already allocated funds to you, and now you’re nearly out again? Don’t let me catch you, or I’ll strip the skin off you corrupt officials and hang it from the city gates!”
“I’m so poor I’m eating black bread, yet you have the nerve to say you’re giving the money to me! Astina! Take this man away as well and interrogate him thoroughly!”
“But the Demon King…”
“If you won’t take him, I’ll do it myself!”
“I’ll do it.”
The silver-haired girl was practically glowing red with rage. Even a blockhead like Astina could recognize the severity of the situation.
‘This person… is terrifying! I have to run!’
Unfortunately, no one in this city was faster than the Magic Dragon, Astina.
Stephen used a pre-prepared Teleportation Circle to warp outside the city, his money bag still hanging from his waist.
It contained exactly 500 gold coins.
Five hundred gold coins were enough for him to buy thousands of slaves to serve him outside the Kingdom of Magic.
“Where did such a character come from… she looked so strange. Luckily, I ran fast… Wait, what is that?”
The Magic Dragon descended from the sky, smashing a massive crater into the ground.
Stephen didn’t have time to react before he lost his balance and tumbled into the pit.
“Don’t… don’t kill me! Someone else made me do it… I—!”
*Slash—*
Stephen’s throat was sliced clean, and blood sprayed out.
Astina was unable to catch the killer, so she could only take the gold coins and return to Sephine.
“If he’s dead, he’s dead. Just make good use of the corpse.”
It wasn’t hard to guess who was behind this.
The old nobles had never been completely wiped out, and those dissatisfied with the new Demon King’s rule were everywhere.
These matters had to be dealt with through long-term planning; she couldn’t afford to lose her cool and let the enemy find a weakness.
“Alona, prepare for the exam.”
“Yes!”