Mavis looked at Malfos and the other two instructors—one was a Sixth-Circle Mage, a woman she didn't recognize, and the other was a spear user.
"One Superhuman, and the rest are Grand Mages and Grand Masters... and yes, I'm also talking about the two hiding and watching me," Mavis said, her sharp gaze scanning the area.
With a snap of her fingers, she summoned her High-Rank Lightning Spirit, Raiju. But instead of summoning him for battle, she called him for defensive purposes. The Raiju backed off as sacred lightning spread across the area, forming a barrier that protected all the commoner students.
She only protected the commoner students deliberately.
The noble students who tried to enter the barrier were instantly electrocuted.
"Y-you should protect us too!" cried a noble girl, her voice filled with fear.
Mavis glanced at her before slowly scanning the rest of the nobles. She then extended the barrier slightly, allowing a few more students inside.
"I only let in those who are not guilty of any crimes," she stated coldly.
"But that girl, Melian, bullies others! How is she not guilty?!" another noble child protested, pointing at a pink-haired girl inside the barrier. The girl trembled, fearing that Mavis might throw her out.
Mavis sneered. "A small-time bully among students is normal and is permitted, but you, who used your noble status to force other girls to sleep with your brother, have committed a real crime in the eyes of mine," she said icily.
"You're just sixteen years old, yet you already have such a vile, twisted mindset. Tsk tsk... What is this academy teaching you all now?" Mavis shook her head in disappointment.
"Five years ago, this place was decent, but ever since the Fourth Prince became an adult and received his first royal duty, this academy has turned into a breeding ground for corruption. I suppose the nobles thought they could continue ruling unchecked for another five years or maybe for another four years and then just a year before the day of inspection you guys will start fixing the academy back right?"
She smirked as she began exposing one crime after another, making the nobles pale in fear.
The instructors exchanged uneasy glances before one of them, Malfos, stepped forward.
"Mavis Belfrost, we are here to apprehend you for killing the son of a marquis of the Empire," he declared. Then, with a mocking grin, he added, "Of course, accidents happen... and who knows? A sword has no eyes."
Mavis looked at them, unfazed, before smirking. "Oh? So you've decided to kill me to stop me from exposing the truth to the Imperial Court?" she asked mockingly.
Melgos, another instructor, chuckled darkly. "Nope. We have the support of the Third Empress, the Fourth Prince, and even the First and Second Prime Ministers. Even if, by some miracle, you make it to court, you'll be executed as a branded traitor," he sneered.
Mavis' expression darkened. "I see..."
Then, in an instant, her mana erupted.
The five instructors staggered backward, their eyes widening in shock as they felt the overwhelming force.
"Impossible!" Melgos gasped, his voice trembling. "You're at the Sun stage?!"
The other instructors collapsed unconscious under the sheer pressure of her aura.
Mavis winked playfully before grabbing Malfos by the throat.
With a cruel smile, she ripped his heart out.
The remaining instructors now unconscious didn't even get the chance to react before she did the same to them.
Mavis raised her hand, and the magic recorder crystal dimmed as the recording stopped playing.
"And then, the Royal Knights arrived. Knowing that I couldn't attack them, I surrendered, intending to bring this matter to the Imperial Court," Mavis explained. "But just as Malfos said, I was bound with a silencing rune, rendering me mute and powerless, preventing me from speaking the truth."
The court murmured in shock as the evidence of her suppression became clear.
"Mavis Belfrost, the crystal clearly showed the recording from the time you left the Royal Library and entered the Academy. You had your recorder active as if you knew such an event might happen," the Third Prince said, his keen eyes studying her closely. "Can I ask why?"
He was already aware of the answer, but the court was not, and he wanted her to speak it aloud.
Mavis smiled wryly. "Well, I'm just a poor girl, you see. And since I'm weak—of course, I have to carry defenses with me," she said playfully.
She then gestured with her fingers, and a magic recorder once again appeared in her hand. It was sleek, smooth, and elegant, carrying a mysterious aura.
"It's my last resort to defend myself," she said with a sigh. "I record every single day of my life, ever since my master left me in this cruel—I mean, this beautiful place."
"It is my means of proving my innocence. I always carry it," she added, showing the recordings of her daily life as proof that she was speaking the truth.
Fenric, standing nearby, observed her closely.
"As expected of the future bitch... I mean, Witch of White Flames," he mused internally.
Her ability to think ahead, remain neutral, and act carefully—all of it was something his master had taught her.
And it was also the reason why Fenric bothered to save her, knowing she would have proof of her innocence.
His gaze then swept over the court as he delivered his judgment.
"As we all saw, she is not guilty, while the Fourth Prince, the First and Second Prime Ministers, and the Third Empress are indeed guilty," he declared.
"The Fourth Prince was given the duty to oversee the Academy and ensure it thrived, yet he turned it into a den of corruption for his own gain. I shall let His Majesty announce his punishment," he stated coldly.
"The First and Second Prime Ministers—they were the ones who embezzled funds meant for the Academy. If those funds are found hidden in their estates, they will be executed, and their heads will be displayed at the Academy gates as a reminder that one should not treat the Empire's prosperity as their personal wealth."
His piercing gaze then fell upon Mavis.
"Mavis Belfrost, although you have proven your innocence, you still caused a disturbance," he continued.
"The Empire's laws state that if someone is incapable of fighting back, then they must be apprehended alive," he declared. "Yet, you killed them even when you could have apprehended them and presented them in court!"