"R... Ronald, sir."

On the silent street, it was the Twelve Witches' Society that finally spoke first.

The witch Mela, although she had never met Ronald in person.

But through photos and internal communications within the school, she purposely came to the library today to intercept the Dawn Sorcerers' Association. There was no possibility of failing to recognize the man in front of her.

"I bring greetings from the Grand Witch to you."

"The Twelve Witches' Society warmly welcomes you and your esteemed guests from Gred to Capen and hopes that you all enjoy all the privileges befitting honored guests."

At this moment, Mela's face showed no trace of arrogance or fervor.

In her honest demeanor, one could hardly imagine that she was the witch who had just been rebuking the Dawn Sorcerers' Association!

In response to the witch's attitude, Ronald immediately raised his hand in a gesture of courtesy, feigning a polite demeanor:

"Madam Teresa is a respected elder."

"Meeting the members of the Twelve Witches' Society here is indeed a fortunate and delightful occurrence for me personally."

"..."

After a few polite exchanges,

Ronald had essentially gained control of the atmosphere.

Seizing this momentum, Ronald turned his head towards Layton, who had not yet spoken.

"This gentleman should be Mr. Layton from the Dawn Sorcerers' Association, right?"

"Yes, I am Layton." Layton immediately nodded.

Due to Ronald's terrifying display of magical power that had overwhelmed the scene earlier, this Caster now dared not make any other response and could only answer honestly.

Ronald continued to ask with satisfaction:

"You came to the library here, presumably to find me, didn't you?"

"Is it because of the incident on Lighthouse Island?"

"..."

Layton didn't react for a moment.

Based on his past experiences, most people approached by the Dawn Sorcerers' Association tend to adopt an evasive attitude. Those truly culpable for major incidents generally do their utmost to deny their responsibility or completely refuse to acknowledge it.

Ronald's open and straightforward self-disclosure, along with identifying the scene of the incident...

Layton had truly never heard of or seen anything like it!

Stunned for several seconds, Layton finally responded:

"You... are you admitting to your transgression against our Dawn Sorcerers' Association?"

Layton asked with somewhat uneasy tones.

At this moment, the confidence of this Dawn Sorcerers' Association member had vanished, unlike the attitude he had exhibited at the library entrance earlier.

—The impact of Ronald's power was too obvious.

Considering Ronald's formidable strength from before, even if simply for self-preservation, Layton subconsciously reined in his dominant communicative habits while speaking with Ronald.

In contrast,

Facing Layton's inquiry, Ronald continued in a calm, composed tone:

"Please forgive me for my unauthorized entry onto your island. I had just arrived in Capen aboard Gred's ship and am not well-versed with the distribution of local powers. Driven by curiosity, I could not resist exploring further."

Hearing this, Layton detected something amiss in Ronald's words and immediately interjected:

"Mr. Ronald, you invaded without permission..."

Before Layton could finish, Ronald interrupted:

"Mr. Layton! Concerning my general disregard for weaker spells, this indeed stems from my arrogance, and for that, I apologize once again."

With a single remark, he brushed off his illegal intrusion.

Ronald then continued:

"Moreover, when I encountered your members, I did not resort to lethal action nor inflicted serious harm, merely knocking them unconscious— I trust that your association has confirmed their good physical condition upon waking, with no residual effects?"

"..."

"This... this..."

Faced with Ronald's stunning speed and monologue, Layton found himself at a loss for coherent words.

Normally, he would invoke the prestige of his association to exert pressure.

But confronting the immensely powerful Ronald, he couldn't muster the courage to continue in that manner.

Meanwhile,

Seeing Layton's reaction, Ronald spoke with greater confidence:

"Let me propose a solution."

"During my entry into your underground chamber on Lighthouse Island, I examined the remains on your dissection table and obtained some quite peculiar information."

"As an apology, I am willing to share this information with you, without reservation. Would this be acceptable to you?"

"..."

Layton's initial expression was one of rejection.

Yet, after multiple changes in his expression, the Dawn Sorcerers' Association member eventually nodded.

"If... please inform me privately."

Ronald grinned broadly:

"That would be excellent. Let's discuss the particulars."

"..."

This was how the matter was subtly resolved.

Seeing the Dawn Sorcerers' Association retreat from the street,

Ronald finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After exchanging a few more words with the Twelve Witches' Society, he saw them off the library premises, then softly mused:

"That should cover it..."

"Mr. Ronald." At this moment, Taylor's voice came from behind Ronald.

Ronald turned around.

This senior, who should have been guarding the underground, had surreptitiously come to the surface, holding a long object wrapped in deep blue silk.

The previous scene had clearly been too pressing even for the one protecting the underground library to remain passive.

Feeling apologetic, Ronald quickly explained:

"Mr. Taylor, I have resolved the matter over here..."

"I am not here for that," Taylor shook his head.

He then extended the blue silk-wrapped object towards Ronald, explaining:

"I have perused the books you examined earlier and roughly understood what you wish to know. Hence, I have compiled some texts that would certainly be of use to you."

"..."

Unable to resist the temptation, Ronald received the bundle from him and tentatively asked:

"Are you suggesting that...?"

"These books are to be borrowed by you temporarily." Taylor said directly, "Simply return them to the library when Gred's fleet returns."

After detailing his plan, Taylor concluded:

"So during this time, please remain aboard the ship."

"..."

Ronald immediately comprehended Taylor's intention.

Having witnessed the confrontation between the two associations that day,

Taylor realized the danger of Ronald staying in the library and opted to loan out the books to avoid further trouble!