Konoe Eion was called over by Al, and judging by his tone, he seemed to know quite a lot. Well, ordinary matters were no big deal; things like forging the Creator or planning—the more people involved, the merrier. Let a few world-class figures join in; their chances of success would only increase.

But what Konoe Eion was saying now… it seemed he even knew about Kinoka? Very few people were aware of the relationship between myself and Kinoka. Mikoto knew but wouldn't say; Evangeline couldn't be bothered to care; Setsuna wouldn't tattle. As for the students of the Three, let alone the fact that they were only speculating, even if they did know, it would have absolutely nothing to do with Konoe Eion.

But! That fellow Al, when we sparred during the Martial Arts Tournament, he accidentally blurted out the truth about my relationship with Kinoka due to a slip of the tongue. Given his cunning nature, if he hadn't said anything, he certainly could have inferred some things on his own. Coupled with the group that followed him this time… without a doubt, Al must have told Konoe Eion about it too. In that case, could things become a bit troublesome?

Lin Luo was currently most concerned with just how much Konoe Eion actually knew.

“Evan.” Despite the gloom in his heart, it was indeed time to let the others out. Lin Luo turned his gaze to Evangeline. She let out a slight hum, extended her hand, and suddenly, a model enclosed within a roughly thirty-centimeter-high glass sphere materialized in mid-air. A faint light then spilled out, and several figures appeared before everyone.

Misaka Mikoto, Suigintou, Konoe Kinoka, Sakurazaki Setsuna, Rakujō Chachamaru, Chacha Zero, and one more… Chou Sora.

Although Lin Luo had agreed to let Mikoto and the others come, he hadn't wanted to expose them to the sight of others. Firstly, too many people might cause unnecessary trouble, and secondly, with the strength of these individuals, they might serve as a hidden reserve force if needed.

While it would have been more convenient and safer for Lin Luo to take Mikoto and the others into the Fourth Space, some of them, like Setsuna and Chachamaru, couldn't be taken into the Fourth Space. If they were to accompany them, they could only stay in Evangeline’s Time House. Thus, after some discussion, they decided to keep everyone in the Time House.

After all, the Time House was a vast area for activities; people could communicate, cultivate, or do whatever they wished, so it wouldn't feel too dull. As for the Fourth Space, although qualitatively speaking, no matter how much time passed between entering and exiting, it would only feel like a single nap, Lin Luo never quite liked that forced slumber. Unless absolutely necessary, he preferred not to use the Fourth Space.

Of course, those in the Time House weren't the only ones; Evangeline’s original maids were also there, but there was no need to bring them out. They weren't combat-oriented and weren't needed for fighting, so staying in the Time House was better. As for the last one, Chou Sora…

Lin Luo hadn't intended to bring her along at all, but the problem was that Sakuya had told Chou Sora about everyone going to the magical world. This was undoubtedly a major shock to the latter. In her view, Lin Luo’s actions were almost like moving his entire household, bringing along everyone even slightly connected to him.

Chou Sora still hadn't given up hope for Lin Luo to bring her back home. Therefore, she couldn't sit idly by, worrying that Lin Luo might leave and never return. Through persistent, almost shameless clinging to Sakuya, she managed to get included, and in the end, Lin Luo had no choice but to reluctantly agree to her request.

“Father!”

“President!”

“Ah, Headmaster…”

As they all emerged, apart from Mikoto and the others who were slightly surprised by the sudden turn of events, Kinoka immediately rushed towards Konoe Eion with a smile upon seeing him. Setsuna also looked respectful, but only Chou Sora wore a rather awkward expression upon seeing the Headmaster, seemingly hesitant to speak.

That was understandable; after all, his house arrest was largely due to her. If it were someone slightly harsher, they might even have harbored thoughts of tearing her apart.

“Hahaha, you’ve brought quite a crowd this time,” the Headmaster didn't seem too bothered. The matter had already occurred, and he didn't wish to blame Chou Sora; otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to let her stay in Mahoraba back then. He nodded slightly and chuckled, stroking his beard.

“Because this matter is a bit serious,” Lin Luo said vaguely, trying to divert the conversation, “though originally, it was just the four of us coming.”

But the other party was clearly not that forgetful. While Konoe Eion was preoccupied holding his daughter, the Headmaster was quite at leisure. He looked towards Lin Luo, intentionally or unintentionally, and remarked, “Teacher Lin Luo, I truly can’t tell. When did you become so close to my granddaughter? She’s even coming with you to the magical world. I say you two should just get married.”

Pfft!

Lin Luo almost spat out his drink. This old man really said whatever came to his mind. Was there a need to market his granddaughter so zealously? And in front of so many people, too! If he wasn't afraid of being scolded, Lin Luo certainly feared being chopped up!

“Grandpa, stop it, you’re spouting nonsense again,” Kinoka chided with a smile, though her face showed no sign of reluctance.

Lin Luo felt several faint auras of competitive tension emanating from behind him. Without looking, he knew who they were. He was startled inwardly and quickly adopted a serious tone: “Don’t joke around. My relationship with student Kinoka has always been very good. It’s only natural for her, as your granddaughter, to come since you are under house arrest here. Alright, let’s not discuss this now; let’s talk about the main business.”

Lin Luo used the ambiguity of the Spring and Autumn Annals, neither denying the good relationship with Kinoka nor pointing specifically at the reason she accompanied him to the magical world. This way, he accounted for both sides and offended neither. However, if this topic continued, it would become very problematic.

Thus, Lin Luo decisively pushed Chou Sora forward and stated with stern seriousness, “The incident triggered by this person, I believe, will not only affect the real world but the magical world might also be implicated. Before discussing anything else, let's first discuss this matter and see if we can limit the damage to the smallest possible scope.”

“Mmm…” Hearing Lin Luo say this, the Headmaster couldn't press the matter further. He nodded, “Regarding this, both Yūn and I had people investigate. It seems it’s not as severe as imagined, but we can’t say nothing happened. Let’s go inside to discuss it.”

Seeing the Headmaster turn and walk inside, Lin Luo couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Without looking at anyone else’s expression, he moved slightly closer to Al and whispered in an almost threatening tone, “Al, just how much do you know? How much did you tell?”

“Just a little bit, you know. Besides your illicit affair with the little princess, I told Konoe Eion everything I knew. I think you should be pleased,” Al chuckled softly.

“…Very good, I’ve noted that.” Lin Luo nodded, then walked forward with a blank expression. Now wasn't the time to deal with Al. His help would still be needed to forge the Creator; otherwise, if Lin Luo crippled him, the one losing vital energy would be himself. Once the threat of the Creator was neutralized… well, what then? How about the Ten Great Tortures of the Qing Dynasty?

A moment later, everyone was seated in the main hall. After some pleasantries, they discussed the matter of magic exposure. Naturally, the Headmaster and Konoe Eion knew the most about the subsequent developments, as it was easy for people of their status to learn things. The others had been in Mahoraba, gaining information through the network that was a mix of truth and falsehood, and not detailed.

Konoe Eion had only just arrived in the magical world that day, only about half a day earlier than Lin Luo and the others. Previously, he had been dealing with the aftermath and troubles following the magic exposure in the real world. Currently, since many people were in a state of half-belief, the conflict wasn't obvious. Apart from the leaders of various nations reacting strongly, most ordinary citizens held attitudes of curiosity and excitement, not fear over the incredible power of magic.

From this, it could be inferred that as long as the national leaders were appeased, even if the existence of magic became known to everyone in the world, there wouldn't be any major issues. Conversely, this might be a transformation for humanity, allowing the real world to also become a land of magic, like the magical world itself.

What surprised Konoe Eion and the others even more was that in the more than a week since the magic exposure, although conflicts between individuals still occurred—like two youngsters having a low-level magic duel—wars between nations had significantly decreased.

In a normal month, the entire real world would experience several wars, but in this past week, except for one clash between two nations that were already mortal enemies, other nations seemed to have lost their appetite for war, with no further acts of aggression.

Moreover, in that single instance of war, when a magician intervened, the fighting quickly stopped. The casualty count was less than a hundred—this was practically a miracle.

“So, what Chou Sora did was a good thing then?” Hearing this, Mikoto couldn't help but ask. She had been concerned about the Headmaster’s earlier words, but as she listened, her attention was drawn elsewhere.

Konoe Eion shook his head, “On the surface, it appears to be a good thing: fewer wars, fewer deaths. But we can’t rule out that those nations are merely lying low temporarily to observe the situation. If the excitement over this fades, the subsequent wars might be even fiercer.”

“The reason those nations have stopped fighting now is only because of their ignorance regarding magic. Such mythical power must give them pause. Magic can only suppress things temporarily, not permanently suppress their ambitions. But…” At this point, Lin Luo smiled, “If they were made to understand magic, to know that powerful magic is enough to contend with nuclear bombs, with such immense deterrent power existing, would they still dare to casually start wars?”