“I will take it upon myself.”0

Deculein's words brought silence to the meeting hall. The imperial knights widened their eyes in disbelief and stretched their necks forward, their movements strangely reminiscent of turtles.1

Why would Deculein step forward so suddenly? No matter how skilled a mage he is, could he really face a tiger like that? the knights thought.0

Delic swallowed hard and said, “B-but, Professor, you are in charge of the entire Rekordak—”0

“It is only natural for the one in charge to step forward,” Deculein replied with a faint smile. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve invested in Rekordak? That money wasn’t spent to let all of you run away in fear of some tiger.” 0

“… Yes, Professor. I understand. However, calling it just a tiger feels… D-Daeho is…”0

The exchange grew increasingly awkward, and Deculein’s peers, including Yulie, Gwen, and Sirio, each reacted in their own distinct ways.0

"I am well aware—an average tiger may tear through a village, but Daeho could devastate an entire city. However, the fate of those scraping out a living in these desolate mountains is of little significance."0

Yulie’s fist tightened, her knuckles whitening as the professor’s words rang in her ears.0

"The mountain villagers of the Northern Region seem to take great pride in their heritage, stubbornly preferring death to abandoning their homeland. If that is their will, then leaving them to their fate would hardly provoke resentment toward us," Deculein added.0

"Wow," Gwen murmured, her voice laced with disbelief at the sheer audacity of his words.0

Sirio tilted his head ever so slightly, a faint chuckle playing across his lips.0

"And I must admit," Deculein said, his fingers resting on the edge of the files on the table, "there are times when I feel like executing every prisoner in Rekordak outright… However, this place will soon serve as a critical stronghold—an essential base camp for Her Majesty’s expedition to the Land...0