Branch Campuses

In the end, after a three-hour standoff, the mage assembly came to an end. Hansen and the mages of "Shadow," their hearts filled with despair, could only obediently follow the Mage Guild away.

What awaited them would be a terrifying judgment.

The laws of this world were far from complete, but when the public all accepted something, a verdict could still be handed down even without any conclusive evidence. Benjamin had also provided quite a bit of their research material and drafts, making the case all the more convincing.

The ruling did not take much time. After everyone had coordinated beforehand, three days later, the general announced the outcome on the princess's behalf. The Rune Meditation Method belonged to the Magic Academy, and the actions of the "Shadow" mage organization were utterly disgraceful. They were required to compensate the academy one hundred thousand gold coins.

—Even here, two hundred thousand really was a figure out of a fairy tale.

Benjamin could accept this result. Either way, it was a sum the other side could never possibly afford. Hansen would have to spend the rest of his life paying off the debt.

"You'd better not entertain any thoughts of running away. Even if you fled to the Hori Kingdom, do you believe I could still find you?" On the day the ruling was handed down, Benjamin said this to Hansen with a smile.

Hansen said nothing. The despairing look on his face seemed somewhat numb.

Early the next morning, someone found his body hanging in the organization's headquarters.

Faced with a life of hopeless ruin, the leader of this mage organization chose suicide. Before long, the news reached Benjamin's ears, marking the official end of the entire plagiarism affair.

Overnight, everyone in "Shadow" fled. The huge mage organization crumbled like a