"—Sorry, I was late."
Zheng Qing stood at the entrance to Solomon Hall and gave a slight bow toward the podium. "Danhaag's grandeur and magnificence exceeded my imagination. It made me feel as though I'd gotten lost in Book Mountain Hall at First University."
As expected.
This greeting did not receive an enthusiastic response.
Behind the tiered rows of long tables and benches, the shadowy figures all turned toward the side and looked at the entrance. Silent and still. Their faces were hidden beneath broad hoods or tall pointed wizard hats, blurring together in the flickering glow of Cthulhu Fire until they could not be made out clearly.
But Zheng Qing could be certain of one thing.
At this hearing concerning Edge Academy, there were very few attendees who could represent the fringe groups—Colmar counted as one, Rat Immortal counted as half, and there were no other representatives. There were some Archwizard-level elders among the giants, merfolk, and centaurs, but Danhaag presumably would not risk throwing its headquarters into chaos by inviting those highly "wild" Archwizards to a meeting where they had little say.
In contrast, quite a few Noble Wizards with terrible attitudes toward fringe groups had come.
It was especially ironic.
The heavy wooden doors slowly closed behind the young wizard. A golden-red ribbon darted out of the darkness, passed through the door seam, crossed over itself, and gave a simple twist. A thick crimson drop of wax squeezed out of the void and slowly fell where the ribbons crossed, sealing them completely—meaning that no one could leave this room until the hearing ended.
"Outrageous!"
Below the podium, an old wizard whose eyebrows and beard were nearly tangled together rose shakily to his feet. Stamping a wooden staff much taller than himself, he angrily rebuked the late young