-1299- Stay out of it

At this moment, a news report appeared on the LCD screen set up in the center of the restaurant.

"Last night, a mysterious explosion occurred at the downtown shopping center."

"According to testimonies provided by nearby citizens, they all heard a loud bang, and then the shopping center seemed to have been completely destroyed, leaving no physical remnants behind."

As the report continued, the screen displayed photos from the scene, showing the shopping center reduced to complete rubble, immediately capturing the attention of all the students in the restaurant.

The report went on.

"Currently, the cause of this mysterious explosion remains unknown. The police, after examining nearby surveillance footage, found a group of suspected Rebellion terrorists illegally entering the shopping center late at night. They believe this incident was orchestrated by Rebellion and are now tracking and issuing warrants for the suspects."

"In terms of damages, aside from the complete destruction of the shopping center and the loss of all its internal assets, only a few security personnel on duty at the time are currently unaccounted for, with their life or death unknown."

"That's the latest update on the downtown incident. Our reporters will continue to follow this story and provide the truth to the public."

The report ended there.

It was only then that the students in the restaurant began to buzz with conversation.

"The shopping center is gone?"

"Where are we supposed to hang out on holidays now?"

"Damn those Rebellion scum..."

"When I become an official Mage-Knight of the League, I'll make sure to show them what's what."

"Yeah, me too."

The students talked among themselves, some feeling regret, some feeling anger, some feeling indifferent, and others feeling surprised that such an incident happened so close to them. There were various reactions.

Naturally, Rozen and his group also had significant reactions.

"A mysterious explosion..."

Kurogane Shizuku turned her head to look at the screen.

"Is it those Rebellion people causing trouble again?"

Stella Vermillion, whose attention had finally been diverted, frowned deeply, clearly displeased.

Given their backgrounds, these two would naturally be more sensitive to the existence of Rebellion.

After all, unlike ordinary people, both Stella and Shizuku had profound backgrounds.

Stella, being a princess of the Vermillion Empire, one of the League's member nations, had likely been instilled from a young age with the notion of opposing Rebellion, the world-class criminal organization that caused trouble in various countries. Her sense of crisis and reality regarding them would naturally be stronger than others.

Shizuku, as the little princess of the Kurogane family, whose influence in the Japanese division of the League was significant, would similarly have a strong aversion to Rebellion.

This calls for a brief explanation of the relationship between the three major powers that govern the world.

The Union and the League of Mage-Knight Nations have been at odds since their inception, with the Union advocating for world management by a few major powers and the League advocating for cooperation among small nations to promote peace. Their disputes have even led to wars, and they are far from amicable.

In addition, the Union has always resisted Rebellion, viewing them as evil disruptors of world peace. Whenever they encounter Rebellion, conflict is almost inevitable.

On the other hand, the League's relationship with Rebellion is not as overtly hostile. While they do not have a good relationship, they do not publicly oppose Rebellion unless they cause trouble within the League's territories. In such cases, the League would decisively retaliate, but they generally do not promote the idea of sending Blazers to eliminate Rebellion members.

This is the relationship between the three major powers of the world.

Essentially, it is a tripartite balance of power with mutual opposition, without any one faction being entirely allied or entirely hostile to another, making for a complex relationship.

At the very least, the League has consistently resisted the reckless actions of Rebellion.

As a princess of a League member nation and the descendant of a significant figure within another League member nation, Stella and Shizuku naturally viewed Rebellion as an evil that must be eradicated, making it impossible to ignore such a report.

Under these circumstances, the two began discussing the topic.

"If this really is Rebellion's doing, it means they are still on the run, possibly still in this country, or even in this city, right?"

Stella seriously considered this possibility.

"It's highly likely."

Shizuku, although not as serious as Stella, did not shy away from discussing the topic.

"Then we should..."

Stella seemed eager to take action.

To this...

"Don't even think about capturing those guys on your own."

Rozen, who had been calmly eating, finally spoke up.

"Even if someone needs to capture the criminals, it's not up to you as student knights. This city has countless official knights who are likely already in action. You two, as newly enrolled students of Hagun Academy, would only cause trouble if you acted recklessly."

Rozen said bluntly.

"It... it's not as exaggerated as you make it sound!"

Stella offered a slight rebuttal.

However...

"It's exactly that serious." Rozen, while shoveling food into his mouth, spoke nonchalantly, "If it's just regular student knights getting reckless and hot-blooded, that's one thing. They have limited abilities, so even if they plan to do something, they'll end up playing house and won't make any real impact, eventually failing without causing much trouble. But you two are different."

Both Stella Vermillion and Kurogane Shizuku had abilities far surpassing those of ordinary student knights, even exceeding many official knights.

Especially Stella, who had awakened her Dragon Spirit. In terms of sheer power, she could rank among the top knights in the League. Even Shinguji Kurono and Saikyo Nene were amazed by Stella's strength, indicating just how formidable she had become.

If these two reckless student knights, endowed with such powerful abilities, were to interfere in an incident they shouldn't be involved in, they might exacerbate the situation, leading to potentially catastrophic outcomes.

So...

"So just stay out of it."

Rozen advised earnestly.