Chapter 101: A Delightfully Chaotic Showdown

Ryan had long been a prominent figure in the Holy Empire. Although he had been stationed at the frontier for some time, no one dared to underestimate the emperor’s most trusted confidant. Even the revered goddess of magic had suffered a hidden defeat at his hands. To ordinary people, he was like a shining star.

Handsome, powerful, and virtuous, he was the dream lover of countless young women. Yet, despite his fame, Ryan had not graduated from Rhine Magic Academy, which left Ruby puzzled—would he even come to Rhine Academy? If not, why seek an autograph?

To this, Ximei simply replied, “A man’s sixth sense.” And indeed, that sixth sense proved quite sharp. Upon arriving in Trillima, Ryan did not attend to official matters but instead immediately notified Principal Harvey. The principal had already been informed of Ryan’s impending visit. After all, Ryan was the empire’s youngest Grand Mage, and the principal himself showed great respect by personally coming out to welcome him. Those interested in Ryan lined up along the sidelines to catch a glimpse.

After exchanging pleasantries with the principal, the Golden Sword Lion openly embraced Ruby in front of the entire school, leaving Ximei, who only wanted an autograph, utterly stunned.

“Mr. Ruby, it’s been a long time,” Ryan said with a smile as he released Ruby after a brief embrace, no doubt threatened by the goddess of magic glaring at him from the side, silently warning, “Try hugging again, just see what happens.”

“So, what brings you here?” Ruby, still adjusting to the reality of Ryan standing before him, found it odd that if Ryan came just to see him, he wouldn’t have made it such a public spectacle.

“To give you a gift,” Ryan smiled and stepped aside. A magnificent unicorn, its coat a deep crimson, caught the attention of many students as it approached Ruby. In its eyes was a complex mix of emotions; after so long, it was finally seeing someone it recognized and trusted once more.

“Red Bean? You left the stable?” Ruby was surprised to see Red Bean here. After a moment’s thought, he guessed that perhaps no one else could meet the unicorn’s standards.

“Whinny!”

“Miss me?”

The unicorn was remarkably intuitive, its eyes brimming with feelings no less profound than those of humans. Ruby felt moved and happy, instinctively opening his arms to embrace it. Yet, Red Bean twisted its slender neck to evade him.

“Fine, suit yourself.”

Ruby shook his head, feigning disappointment as part of his routine with this rare and proud unicorn. Not to be outdone, Red Bean soon flicked its hoof in frustration and finally nestled its head into Ruby’s arms. The familiar scent was unchanged—still the comforting fragrance that put it at ease.

“Is this the unicorn you mentioned? It’s wonderful. I used to have one too,” Mayuna said softly, recalling the story of Ruby and Red Bean. The memory of her own mount, lost to a dragon’s jaws, filled her with sorrow. She gently stroked Red Bean’s mane, savoring the long-missed touch. The unicorn dared not move an inch, knowing instinctively that resisting this girl might mean banishment to the most desolate corner of the world.

“Hahaha, Miss Mayuna really is intimidating. When this fellow was with me, it always looked fierce. But in your hands, it’s so obedient,” Ryan laughed heartily upon seeing Red Bean’s submission. Many female students were captivated by his dazzling smile, while the handful of loyal male fans of Ximei quietly raised their middle fingers.

“This isn’t the place to talk. Follow me,” Ruby said, feeling uncomfortable with the intense gazes fixed on him and Ryan. He decided to lead them to his private kitchen.

On the way to the student district, Mayuna suddenly spoke. “Tinasha, how long do you plan to keep pretending to be a fool?”

Her target was the small soldier who had been trailing Ryan—none other than the goddess of magic herself in disguise. Ximei was speechless; did she truly think that simply removing armor, putting on a hat, and donning male clothes would make her unrecognizable?

“You caught me, huh? As expected of Nana,” Tinasha said, removing her hat to reveal her signature green hair and preparing to give Mayuna a warm hug.

“Who are you? And Nana is your name too?” The blonde girl with the drill-like hair suddenly jumped out, blocking Tinasha with a hostile look.

“I... who are you?” Tinasha replied.

“I’m Jin Funi, Nana’s... good friend.”

“Huh? Since when?” Mayuna was displeased with Jin Funi’s unwarranted familiarity. She had never acknowledged any friendship between them, and now she wondered if Jin Funi had maxed out her invisibility skills—she hadn’t even noticed her tailing them earlier.

“You little homewrecker... Ruby, you’re not watching Nana properly!” Tinasha was seething with jealousy. She hadn’t expected Nana to attract attention so quickly, especially since she believed no one could interfere in the relationship between Ruby and Mayuna. Yet, as she complained to Ruby, she noticed another girl standing close to him.

“Hey Ruby, what’s the formula for this?” Eve, with her pink hair, held a notebook and asked bluntly, too engrossed in her studies to care about the occasion. Their faces were nearly touching under the watchful eyes of everyone around.

“Just substitute alpha and beta into gamma here. Tinasha, what were you saying?” Ruby asked.

“Nothing, never mind,” Tinasha replied, her mood complicated as she watched the two paired off beside her. Why was this happening? She had only been gone for a month. Mayuna was one thing, but now there was an unfamiliar girl right next to Ruby. Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Tinasha felt the green strands before her eyes seemed even darker than before.

“Nana belongs to me—step aside,” Tinasha declared after a moment’s thought, resolved to drive away the ‘female cat’ lingering near Mayuna. Her intentions were written all over her face.

“How can she belong to you? We’ve shared skin—skinship!” Jin Funi shouted shamelessly. Mayuna had even pressed her foot against Jin Funi’s face—that surely counted as skinship.

“Where did you even come from?” Tinasha’s anger boiled over. She grabbed Mayuna’s right hand, trying to pull her into her side, but Jin Funi swiftly caught her left hand. Neither dared exert too much force, afraid of dislocating the goddess of magic’s arm.

“I was just about to ask!”

The two women fiercely contested Mayuna’s allegiance. Seeing her growing darker expression, Ruby and Ryan wisely took Eve and Red Bean to a safer distance.

“Divine Technique: Holy Cross of Light!”

Mayuna, her anger at its peak, instantly teleported between the two and reappeared wielding a massive golden cross. Gripping its long handle with both hands, she ruthlessly struck the two fools’ faces, sending them flying far away. The sound of them falling into water followed shortly after.

“Oh, isn’t this the church’s most prized divine technique? You even know it? This technique punishes the wicked but harms none with pure hearts. To cleanse without harm—truly worthy of the goddess of magic,” Ryan applauded with a smile, explaining Mayuna’s skill to Ruby, who began to suspect she had a cunning side.

Meanwhile, the two girls who had been flung into the lake rolled their eyes and sank before Aqua, the mermaid, who tilted her head and decided to rescue them nonetheless.

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Tinasha: Do you think I’ve turned green? Like, double green, super green?

Ruby: Don’t mind it—it’s natural.

P.S. Thanks to Valkyrie0304, Bubble Fantasy, Lolicon Mex, Czech Rom and Reshiram, and 25 other readers for their generous support. I couldn’t find all your names yesterday since there was no update.