Chương 116: CHAPTER 114: THE COMMONER’S COUNTER-THESIS

Commander Leon's roar echoed across the wide stone courtyard, yet the defensive line held completely firm. The radiant crimson lion of the House of Ignis flared with intense, steady heat above Valerius, casting long, dancing red shadows across the white marble steps. Beside it, the golden shield of the Aurelius grain empire and the silver vault seal of the Treasury Magistracy burned with unbroken resolve.

The fifteen noble heirs stood shoulder to shoulder, their jaws set and their fists raised high to feed ancestral mana into the shimmering canopy overhead. Even so, Commander Leon was not a man easily frightened by young aristocrats. Taking a heavy, deliberate pace forward, the steel plates of his greaves clanked harshly against the courtyard gravel.

The massive two-handed broadsword in his iron gauntlets hummed with aggressive kinetic vibrations, ready to test whether noble mana shields could withstand raw military force. Before his vibrating blade could touch the wall of floating sigils, five figures stepped forward from the left flank in complete silence. Elia stepped into the clearing, flanked by the four commoner scholars who had spent the entire previous night training their microscopic mana control beneath the sub-basement laboratory.

Unlike the noble heirs, they wore no gold signet rings on their fingers. They carried no ancestral bloodline seals to project into the morning air. Their robes were plain, durable grey wool, devoid of embroidered family heraldry or silver trims. Yet their steps were calm, measured, and entirely free of hesitation.

In her hands, Elia carried a massive, leather-bound volume bound with aged brass clasps and reinforced with dark bronze corner brackets—the original Founding Charter of the Royal Academy of Arcane Sciences. TAP. Elia placed the heavy manuscript onto the wide stone balustrade with practiced care. The solid weight of the ancient book echoed softly across the steps, cutting through the crackling hum of the floating crests.

"You speak of the Imperial Regency decree, Commander Leon," Elia said, her clear, steady voice carrying effortlessly across the quiet courtyard.

"Then let us examine the true legal hierarchy that governs this land." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Commander Leon glared down at her from beneath the narrow slit of his steel visor, his fingers tightening around the dark leather hilt of his broadsword until the seams groaned.

"Silence, girl. Commoner students hold no rank, no voice, and no standing in imperial military affairs." Elia did not blink. She met his bloodshot gaze with total composure, resting her pale fingers on the aged vellum pages. With a smooth motion, she turned the brittle, gold-edged leaves to an ancient section stamped with the deep purple wax seal of the First Founding Sovereign.

"Article Four, Section Nine of the Sovereign Constitutional Charter," Elia stated aloud, her tone measured and completely devoid of fear.

"The Royal Academy of Arcane Sciences is recognized in perpetuity as an autonomous sovereign sanctuary. No military commander, royal enforcement detachment, or imperial vanguard may execute an armed entry, search, or summary arrest within these grounds without a dual-seal warrant endorsed by both the reigning Sovereign and the seated High Chancellor." Behind her, the four commoner scholars opened matching statutory codices, their fingertips glowing with delicate threads of refined mana.

They traced the glowing blue constitutional runes preserved inside the parchment, projecting the luminous legal text into the morning air beside the noble crests.

"Commander Leon," one of the commoner scholars added, gesturing directly toward the advancing Vanguard formation.

"Your detachment carries only the single seal of the Regency Council. Without the explicit signature of High Chancellor Thorne, crossing these marble steps under arms constitutes an unlawful armed breach of sovereign grounds. Under fundamental kingdom law, that single act legally defines this entire detachment with high treason against the realm." A collective murmur rippled through the senior instructors, researchers, and battle mages lining the upper terraces and open colonnades.

High above on the central balcony, Chancellor Thorne straightened his posture. The academy elders watched in absolute fascination as the commoner scholars turned the kingdom's founding legal framework into an inescapable iron cage. At the highest terrace landing, Shin remained standing quietly by the marble pillar, his dark overcoat resting still against the cold morning draft. He did not draw a blade, nor did he channel a thread of combat mana. He merely observed the courtyard below with clinical detachment.

Inside his mind, Rudra observed the sudden reversal with a faint smirk. Kitabon se talwar rok di. (They stopped a sword using law books.) Commander Leon's face darkened with overwhelming fury beneath his steel helmet. To be opposed by the high-born heirs of the realm was an expected political obstacle. But to be legally dismantled, outmaneuvered, and accused of treason by five commoner students in front of his entire strike force pushed his volatile temper past the breaking point. CRACK.

Commander Leon clutched his tendon-scarred forearm in visible rage, his fingers digging into his iron vambrace as the old combat scars beneath the steel burned under the sharp, sudden spike in his blood pressure. His dark eyes narrowed murderously, flashing with unbridled malice as he lifted the massive broadsword once more.

"You insolent little vermin," Leon snarled through clenched teeth, his voice shaking with pure venom.

"You dare lecture an Imperial Commander on constitutional law? Legionnaires, level halberds! Since this entire cohort has chosen to shield an unregistered suspect, I will drag every single one of you down to the imperial dungeons!"