Chapter 85: Lord Finlow
"A significant magical explosion occurred without warning in the secondary library, and as a result of this explosion, we unfortunately lost eighteen of our precious students. We gathered here today to offer you our greatest condolences, as well as an explanation for what steps we will take moving forward to discover the reason behind this incident and how to prevent it from ever occurring again-"
"IS THAT ALL YOU CAN SAY!? TELL US WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE!"
Rebecca had barely even finished talking when a woman stood from her seat and shouted angrily towards the stage, and that one action pushed everyone else in the room to erupt in chaos!
"Bring the dark mage out!"
"We know what killed those children!"
"It isn’t safe in this school! Children were killed, and you’re apologizing!?"
"Are you protecting her!?"
The parents were absolutely mad with anger as they pointed fingers at Rebecca and all the other staff on stage! Percy watched all of this happen with a calm look on his face, and his gaze travelled towards a man who was sitting still while all the other parents around him were going mad with their anger! This man was the head of the Parents Union and one of the most influential men in the entire City. The look in the man’s eyes told Percy that he was planning something, but Percy didn’t have time to fully understand what the man was up to before he was pulled back to the stage by a new voice.
Headmaster Leonart had finally stood up, and he asked Headmistress Rebecca to take her seat while he faced the raving parents! The headmaster activated a spell to increase the volume of his voice, and he then spoke up to the crowd.
"Please try to maintain some decorum in the hall. I understand that emotions are flaring, and by all accounts, they have every right to. But shouting will solve nothing. Please, take your seats."
The combination of Leonart’s loud voice along with his mere presence made most of the parents mellow down immediately! They all had a great amount of respect for Leonart, so they couldn’t really shout at him even if they wanted to. Most of the parents finally went back to their seats with frowns on their faces! It was obvious that they still wanted more than a simple explanation, but they were willing to give Leonart the chance to speak.
Once there was calm in the hall once more, Leonart nodded and spoke to the crowd.
"I understand what you are all concerned about, and I believe your worries are perfectly valid. But just like your children are in danger, the child you are trying to pin the blame on is also in danger. She is a model student who has never had a single infringement or incident in this school for the past five years. I do not believe it is right to place judgement on her without first conducting a thorough investigation into what might’ve caused this accident-"
"Are you really calling this an accident, headmaster?"
A deep, regal voice suddenly floated through the hall, and everyone turned towards an older man with grey hair as he stood from his seat. Percy noticed that it was the same man that had been silent all this while. The man looked like the typical description of an aristocrat. He had a long, well-angled face with an upturned nose that made it seem like he was always looking down on you. His hair was well arranged into a perfect slick back style. He had on an expensive suit that fit him perfectly, and he had a cane in one hand that he leaned on as he spoke.
"I’d like to believe that none of us here are children, so please do not treat us like fools. We have all heard the stories about this dark mage that you allowed in the school; not only did she have one of the most dangerous affinities ever discovered, but you allowed her to mingle with the other students without supervision. Who is to say that she did not plan this right from the moment she entered this school?"
The headmaster let out a calm breath.
"Lord Finlow. I understand where you are coming from, but you must remember that she too is just a child-"
"A child of darkness."
Lord Finlow cut the headmaster off sharply, and he looked around the hall at all the parents gathered. Lord Finlow was the Lord who possessed authority over Aquinas. He was essentially the mayor of this city, and so every action he took was closely watched by everyone in the room. But the Verati Magic Academy was an independent body that did not fall under the jurisdiction of the city, so when he was inside here, he was just another concerned parent rather than the city Lord.
"I believe we should know better than to judge children based on the actions of their parents, Lord Finlow."
Headmaster Leonart spoke up in a hard tone, and Lord Finlow turned back to the headmaster with a narrowed gaze.
"It would appear that the school cares more about the safety of a potential murderer than all the lives that were taken. I read the reports from the City Guard, and I know how the incident occurred. Not only was she the only one in that room who possessed the ability to carry out such an attack, but she was also completely unharmed in the process. What other reason do you need to believe that someone is guilty of a crime?"
Leonart shook his head.
"Hellfire is not such a straightforward affinity, Lord Finlow. Without a proper investigation, we might be prosecuting an innocent girl for something she did not do."
Finlow glared at Leonart, and his next words caused silence to pass across the entire hall.
"Can you stake your honor on her innocence?"
The two most powerful men in the city stared each other down with intensity, and Percy hummed curiously while leaning forward! There was really no reason for things to have gotten so tense, but it was obvious that Lord Finlow did not want to let this go no matter what! Leonart let out a small breath, and he expertly ignored Finlow’s provocative question before asking a question of his own.
"You are the leader of the parents’ union. What is it that you wish for us to do regarding this matter? Shall we convict a girl who might be innocent of this crime?"
"Expel her."
Lord Finlow’s answer was immediate, and the murmuring in the room immediately rose as the other parents agreed to Lord Finlow’s words! Leonart frowned slightly, and Lord Finlow tapped his cane on the floor as he continued:
"I have been against that girl’s presence in this school from the first moment I heard of her. A dark mage with an affinity capable of eradicating millions of lives should not be allowed to mingle with the other students of such a prestigious academy. Who knows what sort of mental and psychological harm she had brought to the other students with her presence alone. I have had two children go through this Academy, and I have a third who is in his first year. For the sake of all the parents who wish to see their children safe, it is only right that she is removed from this school once and for all."
Lord Finlow’s words hung in the air with an absolute finality that sent a wave of agreement through the hall. Lord Finlow’s words, as well as his authoritative figure, gave him such an imposing aura that no one in the room could dismiss or refute what he had said at all, and the hall slowly began to raise their voices in support as they decided that Lord Finlow was right!