Wood clacked against wood as chess pieces moved around the chessboard. Soon they began to slow down. Vexed, Maria could only stare at the game. Her heart palpitated in fear as her father took a piece, and she nearly jumped elated in the air as Libertas took even fiercer revenge. Whenever the father glanced at her, he smiled wryly. On whose side was his little daughter?

Later, the father raised helplessly his hand before he glanced annoyed at his daughter. Whose daughter was she? His or Libertas? Shouldn't she now be sad? Why the hell was she now jumping joyfully in the air while cheering for Libertas? He glanced at the board. Then he rubbed his brows. How could he save the situation?

In the end, he gave up this game and began casually playing to the end. Hence he said to Libertas, "You said you wish to enter the magic academy, right? Once you are there, you will enter a dorm, but what will you do until you have joined them? If you want, you can stay with me. You can even learn a bit about trading and appraising goods. How about that?"

Libertas wrinkled irritated his nose. Even though it seemed like he would win at the end, it was still precarious, and the father could turn it at any time around. Nonetheless, it was still a game. As such, he looked up, puzzled. Hesitatingly, he replied, "Well, thank you, but why are you doing this much for me?"

The father chuckled lightly, even as his gaze turned heavy. Slowly and unwittingly, his eyes stared at his feet. However, when he noticed it, he quickly shook his head and smiled. Following, he remarked, "You don't know who I am, right? Do you at least know-"

Before he could finish his question, a loud commotion happened outside. Soon an even louder voice boomed from the outside, drowning the sound of the tumult, "Welcome to the capital! The founder would like to invite you to her home. Please follow us!"

At the same time, a coachman rushed inside. Stammering, he exclaimed, "B, boss, t, the Founder's butler is here with t, the earth troop! The, they are bloc, blocking the road!"

The eyes of the father widened in disbelief. Unwittingly he had yelled out, "Impossible! Why would they be here! Hell, fuck! What are they doing here! I didn't do anything!"

The father glanced at his daughter, then at Libertas. Taking a deep breath, he calmed down. He tried to speak calmly even as his voice was shivering, "Maria, boy. Let us go out."

After he said that, he grabbed their hand and pulled them to the outside. Maria glanced towards her father, terrified. What was happening right now? Why was her father dragging her out? Did she do something wrong? Why did her father shout? Her body trembled while her eyes constantly darted panicky from right to left and back.

Libertas did cope with the situation better than her, but not a lot. His body shivered slightly as he too glanced at the father. When the father dragged him to the outside, his eyes instantly moved on. They glanced around to find an escape route like an eagle searching after prey.

He wouldn't have reacted like this before, only after a certain young master kidnapped him and forced him to participate in a life and death battle. He wouldn't act like this too if he didn't regain his will to live.

Then, as Libertas looked at the man in s black tuxedo, his shivering intensified. For a moment, he didn't see the ma. He instead saw the young master of the city of slaves. The father squeezed his hand, and he looked up to the father. The father gave him a reassuringly gaze.

Libertas took a deep breath to calm down. Nonetheless, his breathing was still all over the place and his throat dry. He looked back to the man. Again, he didn't saw the man. This time it was instead the moderator, the man who stood on the elevated stand in the colosseum. His breathing hasted once again.

It was hard to breathe, almost as if someone had tightened a rope around him. Libertas kept staring at them. He couldn't believe it! How could he be here? No! As he looked around, he was horrified. It wasn't that the man was here, it was him who was back in the colosseum! But how could Libertas be there?! Wasn't the colosseum attacked? Libertas even saw the moderator die! This man couldn't be the moderator! Who was he?

As if his realization brought an end to the illusion, it crumbled and revealed a man in a black tuxedo with a walrus moustache. When Libertas saw that, his breathing calmed, and he entered a strange state of serenity. At first, he smiled elatedly. He didn't need to fight any longer for his life! However, his smile gradually changed.

Why did he even associate them together? Was it due to the invitation? Or was it due to the clothes? He smiled mocking at himself, then he chuckled and shook his head. It didn't matter now.

Others have bullied Libertas, they have judged him, and they have discriminated him. It was because of them, his friends had left him, and he was left alone. Hence, he despised them. He didn't want to become someone like them!

As such, he wouldn't judge the man based on his experience with the young master and the moderator. It was clearly foolish, as everyone was judging others by their appearance, social standing, friends and even rumours about them. Libertas did that too. He was hypocritical!

Libertas only wished to live. He meant to no one any harm. However, was surviving even more significant than his moral? It may be foolish to choose it, and he may even die due to that. Hence, he hesitated for a moment. Nonetheless, in the end, he still decided for his moral after that slight hesitation.

His wish at the brink of death was to live free and unrestrained, to face everything the world threw at him. He didn't wish to survive as long as possible, but to live this life to the fullest. Hence, he chose his moral. He had already lived a whole life as someone smart enough to pick survival. He had enough of it! This time, he decided to be foolish.

Once he had decided all that, the tumult inside him instantly calmed down. His gaze was serene as he looked at the man. A bright smile plastered his face.

Only now did Libertas that a long while had already passed. Everyone gaze was at him. Puzzled looked around. The father was constantly stroking a ring with a blue jewel at its centre. He was then even more puzzled as Libertas saw a faint blue mist quickly dispersing.

Similar to Libertas was Maria. She didn't know what was happening here too. As such, she could only helplessly look around while she tucked at her father's sleeve. Although the people in the surroundings weren't aware of what exactly was happening, they knew a battle might happen soon. Hence, they retreated.

As for the man in a black tuxedo? He was smiling warmly at Libertas while his eyes occasionally quickly darted towards the father before it swiftly darted back. Then he finally saw the blue mist dispersing in the hands of the father. Relaxing, he too scattered the blue mist around his hand.

Eventually, when the man finally noticed that the tumult inside Libertas vanished, he smiled even more sincerely. Then as the man began to speak, it was unexpected cordial, "Hello, I am the butler of the founder. She is currently waiting in her tower. She would like to meet you. Of course, only if you have time to spare for her. However, if you need to postpone it, would you like me to pass her a message?"

Libertas stared stunned at the butler. Why would the founder want to meet him? Was this all just a misunderstanding? Nonetheless, before he could speak, the father already stated, "I am sorry, My Lord, we don't have the time. While my son and I still need to take care of my little shop, I just recently opened here, my daughter has to get ready for school. Hence, please pardon me for my rudeness. My Lord, we need to go now. Could you possible free the road?"

The butler frowned at the father. Nevertheless, he quickly hid it under a facade and continued to smile heartily at the group. Chuckling, he spoke, "You misunderstood. The founder is only inviting this little brother here and not you all. If it is only taking care of your shop, I will send someone else there as a replacement for him. If only this has to be done, then he should have enough time for a visit. Besides that, why are you answering? I am not inviting you! You should know your place. Little brother, do you have time now? Or do you have any requests?"

The father clenched his fist as he glared at the butler. However, he only glared at the feet of the butler. He didn't dare to glare directly at the face of the butler. Hence, he could only glance furtively to the side where Libertas stood.

Confused, Libertas glanced between the man and the father. His brow slightly furrowed. Taking a deep breath, he sighed. Then he said calmly to the man while pointing at the father, "Thank you. If it is possible, I would like to request a bit of space for myself. I wish to speak with him for a while."

The man smiled, even as his mouth twitched faintly. He bowed as he warmly told, "You are too humble. It is only such a simple request. Of course, I would do that for you."

While the man was speaking, a blue mist was constantly gathering in his hand. Quickly one rune after another was created before they swiftly arranged themselves in a particular order resembling a circle. Soon the blue mist formed a fine line, connecting the circle of runes. With a wave of his hand, they instantly disappeared.

At the same time, a small blue hemisphere covered Libertas and the father. Following, it began to expand and to push Maria away from them. The father frowned but didn't say anything. Maria glanced fearfully at her father. However, as she saw her father frowning, she forced herself to calm. Faintly she muttered to herself, "Maria, you have already grown-up! You can't burden your daddy! You can do it!"

As the blue hemisphere stabilized and ceased to expand. The father opened his mouth. Nonetheless, he still hesitated. His hand slightly shivered as he noticed the glance of the butler. He attempted to swallow his saliva, only to realize, his mouth was dry.

Eventually, the father took a deep breath to calm down, and he gathered a blue mist in his hand anew. Runes began to dance around as they silently arranged themselves in a circle. The rest of the blue mist whirled and compressed, forming a fine thread. Quickly it connected the runes and vanished.

The air inside the hemisphere began to slowly but forcefully compress itself towards the centre. However, the barrier created by the butler didn't even let the air from outside flow inside it. Hence, a vacuum appeared at the edge of the hemisphere. At the moment it emerged, the air ceased to compress itself, but they still maintained the vacuum.

Only then did the father did he begin to speak. A resigned expression never left his face as his voice brimmed from helplessness.

The crowd outside sighed in relief as they saw that no fight broke out. After the people glanced briefly at each other, they immediately began to speculate wildly about what was happening. While they secretly whispered under themselves, one rumour after another flew around in the crowd.