"Fight you, you say?" Merlin raised an eyebrow. He looked Julian over from head to toe before asking indifferently, "Are you sure?"

The words sounded like a taunt, making Julian's blood boil. He gritted his teeth and snapped, "Yes, I'm sure! Why? Are you doubting me? Or are you afraid?"

A thin, arrogant smile spread across Julian's face. He didn't expect the champion to be such a coward.

If he had known it would turn out like this, he would have acted far more harshly and arrogantly from the start.

Not only Merlin and Luna, but all the students in the Thorn & Vine shop fell silent at once. They exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

"Hahaha! How stupid he is! Challenging the champion with such confidence? Is this the so-called genius from the Magic Kingdom of Arcadia? How ridiculous!" one student mocked loudly.

"Hahaha! That's right! Such a naive attitude. I don't understand how someone that stupid managed to enter this academy," another student chimed in.

The students from the Magic Kingdom of Arcadia were clearly embarrassed. They all glared at Julian with angry expressions.

"Give up, Julian. Don't be stupid. You're just embarrassing our kingdom!" a tall, bald student said with clear dissatisfaction.

He knew Julian well. After all, they came from the same kingdom.

Julian's actions turned their kingdom into a laughingstock and dragged them all down with him.

As soon as the bald student said that, the others immediately joined in, especially those from the same kingdom.

"You all…" Julian gritted his teeth in anger.

He couldn't understand why his compatriots were siding with Merlin instead of him.

Had they hit their heads somewhere to get that stupid?

"Pfft! Look at him, Merlin—so stupid! It seems the academy's admission requirements need to be tightened so people like him can't get in," Luna taunted without hesitation.

Julian's anger finally exploded. The mana inside his body surged, ready to destroy everything—but Merlin moved faster.

His gaze sharpened as he raised a finger into the air. Instantly, Julian felt the flow of mana in his body locked by an invisible force.

"What!? How is that possible?" Julian's eyes widened.

Before he could understand what was happening, Merlin flicked his finger forward.

The next moment, Julian's body was sent flying, crashing into the students outside Lisa's food shop.

The sight stunned everyone, especially those sitting close to Merlin.

Unconsciously, they turned to look at him and swallowed hard.

"Just now… did he do that?!" a girl asked in a trembling voice.

The two boys beside her nodded stiffly.

"Yes… it was him," they replied softly.

Lisa immediately ran over to Merlin and asked anxiously, "Young Master Merlin, are you okay?"

She looked him over from head to toe. Once she was sure he wasn't injured, she let out a sigh of relief.

Merlin chuckled softly and waved his right hand.

"I'm fine, Auntie. By the way, I'm sorry for making a mess in your place," Merlin said as he slowly stood up.

Lisa smiled reassuringly. "It's okay. It didn't bother me at all."

How could she be angry at Merlin?

From the beginning, Merlin hadn't done anything wrong. That unfortunate boy had simply brought trouble upon himself.

Moreover, none of the tables or chairs in her shop were damaged, so she felt Merlin's apology was unnecessary.

"Even so, I still feel responsible," Merlin said earnestly.

He took out his ID card and placed it on a small, box-shaped magical device in the middle of the table.

Ding!

A notification sound rang out, displaying the number of points Merlin had paid for his meal and compensation.

Previously, Lisa's shop could never have afforded such a sophisticated payment device.

However, since new students had started eating there, she was able to upgrade the tables, chairs, and payment system to better accommodate them.

Merlin put the card back into his pocket and said goodbye, "Well then, we'll be going now, Auntie. See you later."

Lisa let out a long sigh and replied softly, "See you later, young master."

Luna also stood up and said politely, "See you later, Aunt Lisa."

Lisa turned to her with a smile. "See you later, young lady Luna."

After saying goodbye, the two walked out of the shop's dining area.

The students who were still eating quickly lowered their heads, as if afraid to meet Merlin's gaze.

Merlin felt helpless. He never intended to become someone other students feared.

Unfortunately, his image in their eyes was already set, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Once Merlin and Luna completely disappeared from view, the students finally felt relieved and were able to eat more casually.

"Being near Merlin Clay really puts pressure on my soul," a male student complained with a long sigh.

Before entering the academy, he had been confident he could defeat the geniuses from other kingdoms. Now, he realized how ridiculous that dream had been.

Above him were still geniuses like Crystal, Luvis, and Luna. And above them all stood Merlin.

The students around him nodded in agreement.

"Oh, right. How is Julian? Is he okay?" a girl asked in surprise.

Everyone turned to look where Julian had been thrown but found nothing.

Then, one of them accidentally glanced to the left, near the cafeteria exit.

"Look—there he is!"

Everyone quickly followed his gaze and saw Julian, unconscious, being carried away by several other students.

They couldn't help laughing and muttered almost in unison, 'What a fool…'

…

Merlin and Luna walked side by side out of the cafeteria. The afternoon air felt colder than usual, making them shiver slightly.

"Could winter be coming?" Merlin asked hesitantly.

"No way." Luna shook her head. "Autumn hasn't even arrived yet. This is normal, though. Our academy sits in the middle of the continent, where many winds converge."

Hearing her explanation, Merlin nodded slightly. "That makes sense. By the way, do you have any plans?"

Luna hugged his arm and rested her cheek against it affectionately.

"Nothing. I want to spend time with you. Is that okay?"

Her eyes sparkled with hope.

Merlin smiled and pinched her cheek fondly.

"No problem. I don't have anything planned today either," he said casually.

There were thirteen days left before the general test began. During that time, Merlin didn't have much to do besides his usual routines from before entering the academy.

"Great! Then let's—"

Before Luna could finish her sentence, a voice called out from behind them.

"Sorry to interrupt, but may I have a moment of your time?"

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