"Prince Leon, please forgive me! I had no intention of offending Your Highness just now. I beg you not to hold this misunderstanding against me!" said the Sumeru scholar, his voice trembling.
It was hard to believe that this man was the same one who, moments earlier, had been so arrogant as to demand the closure and demolition of the Zubair Theater. Now, his posture was so abject and timid that he was kneeling on the ground, bowing before Leon without daring to lift his head.
He knew very well that if he caused even the slightest displeasure to Leon, he would most likely be exiled to the desert the very next day.
"Forgive you?" Leon replied coldly. "Sorry, but I never forgive. And to make matters worse, I'm in a terrible mood right now."
"T-this… this…"
The moment those words were spoken, the scholar nearly fainted from sheer terror.
If exile to the desert was already a fate worse than death, then what Leon was implying now sounded even more horrifying—something akin to becoming a test subject in some disgraceful experiment.
"Prince Leon!" he begged desperately. "Please, give me a chance to redeem myself!"
Leon chuckled softly.
"Haha, why? I came here to watch a dance. It was a pleasant moment. And then a blind bastard shows up, interrupts everything, and even decides to demolish the theater. At the very least, have the courage to admit your mistake."
"A-ah, that is…"
"Or would you prefer that I destroy you as well?"
"W-wait!"
Like a mouse cornered by a cat, the scholar froze, his face twisted into a miserable expression. He had never imagined that the famous Prince of Palettia was actually at the Grand Bazaar simply to watch the kind of dance the Akademiya scholars so deeply despised.
"Y-Your Highness, I… I also like this kind of dance!"
"What?" Leon raised an eyebrow slightly. "You like it? Then why don't you perform an 'intelligent' dance for me to see? But be warned—if it's bad, I'll tear your legs off."
"Your Highness Leon, please, let me go!"
"I'll be direct. This theater cannot be demolished. I haven't enjoyed it enough yet. Understood?"
Leon narrowed his eyes slightly. His gaze was like two sharpened blades. The scholar felt as if he might go blind just from meeting it.
Refusal was impossible.
He could only nod frantically, like a chicken pecking at grain.
"Understood! Understood! I understand! As long as Your Highness remains in Sumeru, we will have these people serve and please you to the fullest!"
His face was deathly pale, yet he still forced a smile as he turned around and spoke sternly to the people of the Zubair Theater:
"You there! You must entertain His Highness Leon properly! Do you hear me? Attend to any of his needs! The Zubair Theater will remain—for now!"
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone in the theater let out a collective sigh of relief.
They had never imagined that the demolition crisis would be resolved in such a way. It was unbelievable. Nilou and the others looked at Leon with deep gratitude in their eyes.
Lumine also puffed out her chest, brimming with pride.
As expected… His Highness is invincible. No matter the problem or the difficulty, nothing is truly an obstacle.
"All right. Get lost."
Leon waved his hand, his disgust obvious.
"Y-yes, yes! Please feel free to ask for anything if you need it!"
The scholar hastily retreated and disappeared as soon as he finished speaking. Although the order to demolish the Zubair Theater had come from the Grand Sage, the target still had to be clearly assessed.
Not to mention the famed Prince of Palettia himself—the Magical Kingdom of Palettia had developed so rapidly in recent years that it already showed signs of surpassing major powers and becoming a world leader.
Although Sumeru was indeed a large country in terms of territory and population, at its core it was merely a city of scholars. Even its soldiers were nothing more than mercenaries.
If not for the annual export of talented individuals to other nations as a bargaining chip to deter invasions, even a few mid-sized countries would have been enough to crush Sumeru.
It could be said clearly:
Sumeru and Palettia were not on the same level.
Even if the Grand Sage were to completely seize power and usurp Nahida's throne, he would still have to treat Leon with absolute respect, not daring to show the slightest arrogance.
And that was without even considering the power behind Leon.
Based solely on the legends and feats spread across the world, if Leon were truly offended… some believed he could destroy Sumeru single-handedly.
Therefore, even if the Grand Sage himself were present, he would never dare to demolish the Zubair Theater. Anyone with even a shred of intelligence would not provoke Leon over something as trivial as a single theater.
After the scholar withdrew…
"Uoooooooh!!"
The Grand Bazaar erupted into thunderous applause.
The people there had always maintained an extremely tense relationship with the Akademiya. Seeing those scholars—normally aloof and condescending—reduced to such a state was deeply satisfying.
"Thank you so much, Your Highness Leon. If not for your help, the Zubair Theater might have been forced to dissolve today…"
The red-haired dancer Nilou stepped forward and expressed her sincere gratitude.
"It was only a small matter," Leon replied calmly. "I didn't help you because you're Lumine's friend, but because your dance is a beautiful art, worthy of my protection."
"Your Highness is far too generous," Nilou smiled. "I am still far from being mature enough. Even so, please allow me to present a special dance for you later, as a token of my thanks."
"Haha, I'll look forward to it," Leon replied. "But before that, I believe everyone at the Zubair Theater should think about what they plan to do in the future."
At those words, everyone fell silent for a moment… and then understood.
Although the crisis had been temporarily suppressed by Leon, that did not mean it had disappeared.
"As long as I remain in Sumeru, the Akademiya probably won't dare to trouble you," Leon continued. "But one day, I will leave… and then what?"
The silence grew heavy.
Everyone could clearly imagine what would happen afterward. Once Leon departed, demolition would be inevitable.
Leon was a foreign prince. He would not stay in Sumeru forever.
"What will we do then…? We can't resist the Akademiya…"
"We might hide for a while, but not forever… Is there really no other way?"
The joy vanished from their faces. Sadness spread among them all.
Just as there was an absurd gap between Leon and that scholar, there was also an insurmountable gap between the Zubair Theater and the Akademiya.
One was merely a private theater. The other was an organization that ruled the nation.
It would be strange if this could be resolved so easily.
Unless…
"It seems you don't have any good ideas," Leon suddenly smiled. "In that case… why don't you come seek refuge with me?"
Unless he was willing to help.
(End of the Chapter)