Earth's Greatest Magus

Minutes ago, during the instructor's meeting, tensions simmered as Emery openly voiced his request. He declared his desire for the rank 7 serpent girl and all eight wolf acolytes. "Nine of them. That's what I want," he stated firmly.

The audacity of Emery's request reverberated through the room, eliciting a mixture of surprise and skepticism from his colleagues. As a new instructor who holds the lowest rank hall, his request seemed bold, if not outright arrogant.

Lucius responded with a subtle nod and a forced smile "That's a good choice, little brother," he acknowledged, though his words belied a hint of discomfort. "Unfortunately... You see, when I took this position from Senior Sinure, I realized there were no wolf acolytes at hall 7 at all," he explained, his expression clouding with concern. "Hence, I have been planning to take all eight of them with me into the top hall."

The revelation sent a ripple of astonishment through the assembled instructors, their initial skepticism giving way to a begrudging acknowledgment of Lucius's decision. At first, many had viewed the inclusion of the eight wolf acolytes in the top hall as unworthy and a waste of such precious slots, but upon realizing the significance of Lucius's sacrifice, their perspective shifted.

Lucius's Hall 7 had only 16 vacant slots, meaning his decision to take in the eight wolf acolytes would consume half of his available spaces. This would leave out more appealing acolytes to be shared, and both Grand Magus Sirin and Toleno quickly lent their support.

"This is such a stroke of luck for those wolf boys," Sirin remarked.

"To think Instructor Lucius is so generous," Toleno chimed in, his voice tinged with approval.

Emery found himself taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. The prospect of the young wolves being given a place among the top halls was undeniably a remarkable opportunity for them. Initially, Emery was almost willing to let them seize this chance for advancement. However, as he contemplated Lucius's character, a wave of concern washed over him.

Memories of past encounters with Lucius resurfaced, reminding Emery of the instructor's manipulative and callous nature. Emery couldn't shake the nagging worry about what Lucius might do to the young acolytes under his care. There lingered a suspicion in Emery's mind that Lucius's motives were not entirely altruistic. He couldn't help but entertain the notion that Lucius might have ulterior motives, using the acolytes as pawns in some twisted game or simply discarding them once they had served their purpose.

Although Emery recognized that these thoughts might be influenced by his own biases and animosity towards Lucius, he couldn't afford to ignore the possibility.

His mind was imprisoned, pondering what was best for these young wolves. On the other hand, he was not in a position to enforce such a demand, especially when all the other instructors supported it.

As Emery wrestled with his inner turmoil, Lucius added another declaration: "As for the serpent girl, I hate to say the same thing, little brother... such talent will be wasted on Hall 120," Lucius remarked.

Surprisingly, these words only give Emery some clarity. The thought of the serpent girl serving as a student under Lucius only served to solidify his resolve. With a newfound sense of determination, Emery spoke firmly,

"No, good brother, leave them in my care."

In that moment, Emery leveraged their purported closeness to test Lucius's sincerity in front of the other instructors. To his surprise, his gambit paid off as the typically domineering Lucius fell silent, his expression betraying a hint of acquiescence. "Alright, little brother, I will not stop you... However, I hope you will let them choose themselves," Lucius conceded, his tone carrying a note of reluctant acceptance.

This response from Lucius showcased his cunning once again; he adeptly portrayed himself as the benevolent brother while subtly ensuring that he would eventually acquire these acolytes. After all, the disparity in benefits between the top and lower halls was too much. It seemed that Lucius was determined to outmaneuver Emery in securing the best talents for his own hall.

Emery couldn't help but sense Lucius's ulterior motives, yet he found himself with no authority or justification to challenge them further. Thus, he reluctantly agrees to Lucius's proposal.

With this matter resolved, the overseer summoned the nine acolytes to gather, indicating the end of the deliberations and the finalization of the names.

As they prepared to move to another hall, the two elders, Sinure and Kiyama, retreated for a brief private discussion, leaving the rest of the attendees to speculate on the nature of their conversation.

Finally, after the prolonged anticipation, all seven prominent figures entered the prepared hall, where the nine acolytes, comprising the eight wolves and one Shura Ouroboros, awaited. Emery's focus was once again drawn to the silver-

haired girl, whose presence seemed to captivate him, yet he managed to maintain his composure, already formulating his next move in his mind.

The atmosphere in the hall was charged with tension as the acolytes braced themselves to face the gathering of prominent figures. Five out of the seven were grand magus level, adding to the palpable sense of unease among the acolytes. The serpent girl, however, appeared noticeably more relaxed than the others, her demeanor betraying a sense of assurance that set her apart from the rest.

As the overseer began to address the assembled group, explaining the purpose of their summons, the tension in the room escalated even further. The acolytes exchanged nervous glances as they realized the weight of the decision before them. The overseer's words hung in the air, emphasizing the gravity of the choice they were being presented with.

"You may freely choose between these two halls," the overseer announced, leaving the fate of the acolytes in their own hands.

The acolytes were taken aback by the disclosure of their choices. One option stood out prominently: the prestigious top Hall 7, presided over by the legendary figure among wolves' blood, Lucius Corvin. The mere mention of his name elicited a mix of awe and trepidation among the acolytes. In stark contrast, the alternative option presented an unfamiliar young magus from the lower hall, a figure whose relative obscurity stood in stark contrast to the esteemed reputation of Lucius.

The sight of the two options laid out before them seems obvious. The allure of joining Lucius Corvin's esteemed hall was undeniable. However, the young serpent girl, greeted the news with unexpected happiness, her eyes shimmering with a sense of fulfillment that transcended the mere reputation of the hall.

"He really chose me..."