Outside the flat, a tall, brawny man holding runic shackles waited for Wolf to come out.

“Your hands, please.” The guard had a fierce face crossed by an ugly scar, yet his expression was neutral and his actions courteous. Behind him, a dozen security officers stood at attention. Wolf guessed they came to support him.

He’s going overboard with security… Wolf extended his hands.

The lead officer stared blankly for a moment. He hadn’t expected Wolf to cooperate. He bobbed his head in thanks and shackled Wolf with magic suppressing manacles.

“You will follow us to face your trial. Until the case and judge are ready, we will contain you in solitary confinement.” The man’s expression was stern, his words straight, but Wolf paid him no mind.

Instead, he glanced up.

Those kooky old bats must be cackling, watching me in their little mirror. He sensed someone observing him, and the scrying sensor above his head almost certainly belonged to a pair of elderly idlers.

Wolf walked down the stairs and out of the building, his face illuminated by morning’s first light. I bet the old kook timed my exit at daybreak for theatrical effect.

Despite the early hour, a large crowd gathered to witness Wolf’s arrest.

“Perverted Mage!”

“Rapist!”

“Beggar swine!”

Students and servants threw insults Wolf’s way. Some went a step further, pitching rotten apples instead of rotten words. The escort leader unsheathed his swords. The blades moved in a blur, deflecting the flying fruit.

“Order!” the man shouted. “Whoever attempts to physically assail the prisoner under my care will stand trial for armed assault.”

Armed assault? Wolf kept a straight face, snickering inside.

He scanned the crowd, finding familiar faces, most of which he’d beaten or crippled nearly a year ago, when his life flipped upside-down.

He wasn’t surprised to see them. However, the way they played him was impressive. Who are you kidding? Drunken idlers knew the Perverted Mage would bite virgin bait.

Wolf drew a deep breath. I’m going to become Silver City’s parody, if I haven’t already.

Random thoughts swarmed his brain while guards escorted him through the campus. Regardless of how serious the situation appeared, in Wolf’s mind, this affair was a simple farce, easy to resolve. Eventually he and his escorts reached the detention block, then turned towards the maximum security building in which Silverhound incarcerated powerful Mages and felons with extraordinary abilities.

The scar-faced guard led the way, entering the bowels of the most fortified structure in the block. At the lowest level of the dungeon, he unlocked a solid steel door covered in glowing scarlet runes and motioned Wolf inside.

“Your hands, please.” Once Wolf crossed the doorstep, the guard took out a key.

He remained impassive the whole way here. His minions weren’t as professional. Wolf sensed their hateful gazes and saw hints of poorly concealed disgust on their faces. But he didn’t care about their opinion.

After unshackling Wolf, the guard closed the heavy door, leaving the young Mage in the dark. Wolf breathed in deeply and sighed through his nose. For humans, pitch blackness was unnerving. For elves, it was slightly gloomy. And for Mages, it was a chance to meditate. Wolf looked around, then sat on the cot and closed his eyes.

He focused on his Mind Palace, moving his mind away from grim thoughts, such as the title of a serial rapist which smeared him like shit. Even though the rape charge was false, this stench would haunt him forever.

Wolf left a sliver of his will to keep watch over the surroundings, while he continued refining first Mind Hall’s door.

Hours passed. He sat alone in the gloom. When he grew hungry and thirsty, he opened his eyes, sating himself with rations from his ring.

“Master, why are you obediently staying there?” Silver asked Wolf’s Mental Aspect.

“I have little else I can do here,” the Mental Aspect replied.

“No, no.” The egg shook its front part. “I mean, why did you follow them to that cellar?”

“Well, you must wait in prison before standing trial?”

“Why?”

“So that criminals can’t escape justice?” Wolf struggled to remain patient.

“But you’re not a criminal, Master.” Silver pointed out the obvious, drawing a smile from Wolf.

“But they don’t know that.”

“That’s silly. Of course they are aware. They framed you.” Hearing this, Wolf’s mind lurched.

He was stunned speechless. Headmaster Smith and Richard knew he was innocent. Those who framed him naturally knew he was innocent. “Hells, everyone on Mage Academy proper knows someone’s framing me.”

“Silver’s right. I’m here to conform to crappy rules imposed by those stronger than me. And they aren’t that much stronger.” Even though Silver probably didn’t mean to, she opened a brand new line of thought for Wolf.

***

Five days passed before the scarred guard returned.

“Your hands, please,” he uttered the exact same line as the last time, but Wolf didn’t comply immediately.

He wished to say, ‘Why should I?’ However, debating rules with a simple enforcer was futile.

The manacles clicked around Wolf’s wrists, and the burly man escorted him out of his cell. Just like last time, a dozen stiff guards waited. They coldly gazed at the scumbag prisoner before following behind him.

Wolf believed the court was in the detention block. However, the scarred man led him towards the campus center.

Finally, when they neared Mage Academy’s plaza, Wolf saw a throng of people. Beyond them was a vast wooden platform with an elevated podium. Headmaster Smith sat atop the podium, looking at Wolf with a cold, dark frown.

He really looks like a judge. I can’t believe the kooky old bat is taking things this far. It looks like he’d gathered everyone from Mage Academy to watch. Wolf then noticed dozens of empty chairs on the platform flanking a strikingly solitary chair in the center stage.

“I heard that the Headmaster approved of this.”

“This is the first time something like this has happened in Mage Academy history, so it’s only natural.”

“Those poor girls.”

“Headmaster wants to show the stinking commoners their place. That’s why he wants to publicly crush this little villain.”

“How terrible.”

Myriad of murmurs entered Wolf’s ears as the guards fanned out and made a way for him. Naturally, he agreed with some of these people.

The kooky old bat really did approve of this spectacle. He does want to ruin someone, but that someone isn’t me. As for the poor girls, Wolf didn’t feel any sympathy for those three stupid whores. They dragged his name through the mud, and he was going to return the favor.

Pushing their way through the crowd, Wolf’s group finally reached the platform. The scarred guard politely helped Wolf up. Apparently, he was the only person who remained professional and did his job without prejudice.

Wolf climbed the platform, then faced the crowd. He quickly scanned the faces of the gathered people, then his pupils widened. He saw Matilda and Wayde, but found no trace of Anna, or Mandy.

Couldn’t find Anna. Wayde and Matilda gestured, causing Wolf’s skin to crawl.

“Silence!” Headmaster Smith smacked the desk in front of him with a wooden gavel, and the crowd obeyed him. Not even a fly buzzed as an oppressive silence filled the square.

“The accused will sit down and wait five more minutes, until the Silverhound’s interested lords gather.” Headmaster Smith slammed the gavel one more time, then over a hundred men of various ages climbed to the stage. There were Viscounts, Counts and even five Marquesses among them. But most importantly, the one leading them was Duke Silverhound.

You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Wolf gave Headmaster Smith an amused look, but the man frowned, his icy gaze growing even colder.

The nobles sat down, after the Duke took the biggest, most imposing chair. As soon as everyone was settled, Headmaster Smith banged the gavel once more.

“The court is now in session.” The man took out a green orb. “While the Word Filter is active everyone on the stage will be forced to answer the judge’s questions in the way the judge chooses. I now declare that the questions asked before this court may only be answered with an ‘Aye’ or a ‘Nay’, unless given freedom to speak freely.”

Then the orb radiated faint green rays, which struck the nodes at the corner of the platform.

Wolf saw several nobles smiling victoriously. A withered old man, a fat blonde, a tall stooped fellow and several others.

“The accused, Wolf without-a-surname, do you know which crimes you’re being put on trial for?” Headmaster Smith’s voice was colored with righteous fury.

Wolf nodded his head. He wanted to say he screwed three whores, never expecting he was being framed, but found that his mouth had a mind of its own. “Aye.”

Headmaster sharply nodded his head once. “Good. Trial of Wolf without-a-surname on account of triple rape and murder may begin.”