While Mona was inwardly grumbling, the group chat had already erupted into lively conversation.
"Merlin: You haven't fawned over me like this in the past two years. I thought you'd matured, but it seems you haven't matured at all—you just decided I wasn't worth flattering anymore... That truly breaks my heart."
"Pisi: I've never fawned over you. The only reason I used to say a few nice things in front of you was because you oversaw Unfallen King City's foreign trade. But who told you to have such an unstable foundation? You'd barely been in office for a few days before getting demoted to the Ministry of Education."
"Merlin: Hehe~"
"Pisi: What are you laughing at?!"
Merlin did not respond again. Instead, Water Tower spoke up—
"Water Tower: Lord Pisi, you misunderstand. At the joint conference of multiple academies, I spoke with Unfallen King City's Minister of Education. Lord Merlin applied to join the Ministry of Education himself; he was not demoted."
Water Tower was the dean of Crystal Shell Academy, so its words were clearly highly credible. Naturally, Pisi would not question them.
"Pisi: You applied to the Ministry of Education yourself? I called you a foolish brat, and sure enough, you really are foolish! What profits are there to squeeze out of the Ministry of Education?!"
"Merlin: Profits aren't important. But it is precisely because I've experienced more departments that I was invited to serve as vice principal, while you are merely an academy dean."
"Pisi: ..."
"Pisi: Everyone, judge for yourselves! He's attacking me, right? And attacking me means attacking all of you, because we're all deans!"
A stretch of silence followed. No one answered.
Even Water Tower, who had spoken up for him earlier, said nothing now.
Mona looked at the "helpless" Pisi in the group