My fireball spell instantly stunned the crowd. Mages were rare on the continent, and even rarer were those casting magic openly in the streets. Some commoners had never seen real magic before, and they now gazed at me with awe.
Thanks to my recent training and peerless talent, my magical skills had greatly refined. The fireball spell was merely an apprentice-level magic, yet it had condensed into a half-man-tall Great Fireball. It trembled violently before me, as if ready to launch at any moment.
This lackey excelled at bullying under his master’s shadow, but his combat strength was barely 5. How could he dare duel a mage? He frantically begged his master: “Young Master Raymond, save me!”
Raymond’s face turned deathly pale as he glared at me. “Raelin Black, I’ve already checked your background. You only registered as a Level 3 Mage with the Mages Association yesterday, yet you claim to be the Stellar Archmage’s top disciple. The Stellar Archmage hasn’t been seen on the continent for ages—who knows if that’s true? And now you dare run wild here in Saxton City? You’ve got quite the nerve!”
I sneered. “Your lackey insulted mages first. Everyone here witnessed it. How am I the one running wild? Raymond, you’re sheltering an enemy of mages. Do you understand the consequences? Step aside now, or my magic won’t spare you.”
Raymond’s teeth clenched so hard they nearly snapped. The troublemaking lackey didn’t dare flee—rumor had it mages could hunt down a commoner in minutes. He could only beg his master’s protection, his last hope.
Just then, a squad of guards in cloth armor and carrying flintlock rifles pushed through the crowd. Their captain spotted the fireball above my head, his expression grave. He saluted me. “Honored Mage, this is a busy market district. Houses and pedestrians surround us. Please dispel your spell.”
I didn’t comply. Instead, I countered, “If someone insulted an imperial soldier to your face, what would you do?”
“I’d draw my sword and duel him,” the captain replied without hesitation.
“Good. This man just insulted mages. I’m about to duel him. Is there a problem?”
The captain’s gaze shifted to Raymond, his face darkening.
Raymond was nearly bursting with rage. He jabbed a finger at me and roared, “I’m the fifth son of the Scott Clan! Don’t listen to his lies! And that woman beside him—Emily—is mine. He snatched her away yesterday!”
I shrugged innocently. “Oh dear, Young Master Raymond, please don’t spread baseless claims. But your lackey’s insults against mages? Everyone here heard them clearly. By the way, did his words represent you or your clan? Or did you order him to say that?”
That trap was too deep for even Raymond to fall into. He shook his head frantically. “Absolutely not!”
“Then why protect him? If this gets out, people might think the Scott Clan holds a grudge against mages. What a terrible misunderstanding.”
Raymond’s face flushed deep crimson. Abandoning his lackey would shame him, but I held the moral high ground, piling on accusations he couldn’t deflect.
Meanwhile, a guard whispered into the captain’s ear. The captain’s expression shifted, then hardened. He saluted me again. “Honored Mage, insulting a mage is grave, but everyone slips up sometimes. Perhaps he spoke without thinking. Please be magnanimous and overlook it.”
“Oh? Is the guard force shielding him too?”
“Of course not! We’ll take him to the station for stern re-education. He’ll sincerely recognize his grave mistake and personally apologize to you another day.”
That satisfied me—I had no intention of killing in the market, and mage dignity meant little to me. “Skip the apology. We mages pursue truth, not petty matters. Let him kowtow to me right here.”
“Insolent!” Raymond bellowed, his body seeming ready to burst like an overinflated ball. Forcing his lackey to kowtow publicly would ruin his reputation.
I stood firm, my fireball swelling larger. Its searing heat made the crowd instinctively step back. “I’m giving the Scott Clan face by handling this quietly. But you’re being stubborn. Don’t blame me for what comes next.”
Raymond wanted to hold his ground, but his lackey lost his nerve. A man who lived on flattery had little pride. The lackey timidly stepped forward, knelt, and smoothly kowtowed three times without flinching—a veteran of groveling.
The crowd erupted in murmurs, their gazes at Raymond filled with scorn.
My goal achieved, I dispelled the magic and clasped my hands behind my back. “I’m a forgiving person. This ends here. But if it happens again, I won’t be lenient.”
“Absolutely,” the captain sighed in relief. “Anyone who insults mages will face my wrath too.”
Raymond had meant to humiliate me by shaming Emily, but now he was the one humiliated. He shot me a venomous glare and stormed off without a word.
My mocking voice followed him. “Oh, Young Master Raymond—Emily is mine now. Don’t trouble her again. I despise betrayal above all. That kind of grudge is irreconcilable. Be warned.”
Raymond didn’t stop walking, but his fists clenched tight, blood seeping from his palms.
