The lively atmosphere previously blanketing the main courtyard of the Royal Astra Magic Academy instantly turned drastically silent.
The boisterous laughter of visitors, the clinking sound of magic experiment props, to melody tunes from entertainment booths slowly faded away replaced by tension creeping into the air.
Visitors from civilian circles and outside merchants began to retreat orderly, making a sufficiently wide path in the middle of the courtyard thanks to firm signals from academy guard knights.
In the middle of the mysterious entourage, Principal Amelia walked quickly with an upright posture and an unreadable facial expression.
Her gaze radiated high-level firmness, implying that the arrival of these grand guests from the central council was not at all an ordinary ceremonial visit scheduled in the festival celebration calendar.
"Welcome to the Royal Astra Magic Academy, members of the Central High Magic Council," Amelia spoke with a loud voice clearly heard across the courtyard.
She stopped right a few steps in front of the frontmost hooded black-robed man, giving a formal honor greeting according to royal protocol.
The hooded man slowly raised his head, opening the thick cloth hood covering half his face.
He revealed a middle-aged face with tight lines around his mouth, sharp cold gray eyes, and a silver seal necklace carved with a branched wind rose emblem hanging on his neck—the absolute sign of supreme authority from the Capital Highest Magic Research Council.
His name is Grand Magister Valen, a figure known to be very conservative, ambitious, and never intervening directly in suburban academies unless high-level magic anomalies or national security threats occur.
"Thank you for the welcome, Academy Principal Amelia," Valen's voice sounded heavy, raspy, yet echoing between the stone walls of the main building.
"We do not intend to ruin the festivity of this people's festival. However, there is urgent business concerning dimensional stability and mana flow in the kingdom's territory forcing us to come without an official invitation."
Hearing the words 'dimensional stability and mana flow', several senior professors standing in the back row immediately whispered anxiously.
Among the crowd of professors, Erin stood tall in her blue robe.
Her yellow eyes never left the figure of Grand Magister Valen.
More than that, ever since the entourage set foot at the academy gate, Erin felt a strange sensation throbbing inside her mana core.
That vibration felt increasingly strong, as if an invisible magnet pulled the energy inside her body to respond to the presence of those council higher-ups—especially when she saw an iron box carved with ancient runes carried by one of Valen's guards behind him.
That box radiated dark magic aura very similar to the secret notes left by her late mother in the countryside.
"If that business is confidential and administrative, let's continue this conversation in my office, Grand Magister," Amelia said coldly, trying to protect the peace of the students and festival guest visitors still watching from a distance.
Valen smiled faintly, a cold smile not reaching his eyes.
"Of course, Academy Principal. But before that... there is one interesting thing bringing us directly to this academy."
Valen turned his body slowly, sweeping his gaze across the rows of professors and students standing around the courtyard.
His sharp cold gray eyes searched every face there, until finally his gaze stopped right at the blue-haired girl with yellow eyes standing calmly in the young professor row.
Erin narrowed her eyes slightly, but she showed not the slightest hint of dread.
"News about a talented young professor capable of teaching unusual mana manipulation techniques to first-year students has reached the ears of the central council," Valen continued, raising his voice slightly so people around could hear.
"A new professor, without formal academy records in the capital, yet capable of using the *Spell Transfer* technique long lost from the kingdom's magic history records."
Instantly, the entire courtyard area grew even quieter.
Other professors turned in shock toward Erin.
Although some of them knew Erin possessed extraordinary teaching abilities, very few truly understood the technical details of Erin's unique magic, let alone heard it associated with lost magic history.
Amelia frowned deeply.
She stepped slightly aside, placing herself between Valen and Erin to block the grand magister's probing gaze. "Grand Magister Valen, Professor Erin's teaching abilities have been verified through this academy's strict standards," Amelia spoke with a tone full of authority and implied threat.
"If the central council has administrative problems regarding the curriculum, it should be discussed in a closed room, not made a spectacle in the middle of a celebration day."
Valen chuckled softly, his laughter sounding dry and unpleasant.
"Calm down, Academy Principal Amelia. We do not intend to accuse anyone here," Valen said, stepping forward two steps closer to Erin's position.
"We only feel amazed. In an era where mana flow is thinning and unstable in various border regions, a young wizard appears capable of sharing energy with others without massive destruction damage."
Valen stopped right a few meters in front of Erin.
He stared into Erin's yellow eyes with a probing gaze, as if trying to skin away the deepest secret stored behind Erin's soul—the soul of an office worker from the modern world reborn in this body.
"Tell me, Professor Erin," Valen whispered in a low yet sharply piercing tone.
"From whom did you learn that ancient technique? Because based on council records, the only person who ever studied *Spell Transfer* theory deeply was a fugitive professor who disappeared mysteriously two decades ago... your own mother."
Her mother's name was mentioned openly in front of all academy residents.
The atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly froze.
Erin's chest rumbled violently, not due to fear, but because of suppressed anger and past memories with her mother suddenly flashing through her mind.
So, the central council's presence was not just an ordinary visit.
They came carrying past suspicions, eyeing the magic secret guarded by her family.
Before Erin could open her mouth to give an answer, Leon Arven and several class 101 students not far from the location stepped forward, breaking through the guard line with furious faces unwilling to have their beloved professor interrogated unilaterally in public.
"Do not behave impolitely toward our Professor!" Leon shouted loudly with a courageous tone, staring sharply at Grand Magister Valen regardless of the man's grand status.
Valen glanced briefly at Leon with a dismissive look, then raised his right hand signaling his guards.
Instantly, high-pressure dark magic aura radiated from the council guards, pressing the air around the courtyard making several first-year students struggle to breathe.
The situation in the academy festival previously filled with colorful joy was now on the verge of major chaos.
Erin took a deep breath, calming her own mana turbulence, then stepped forward past Amelia to stand parallel to Grand Magister Valen.
She stared into the man's gray eyes with absolute calmness radiating from her bright yellow eyes.