"Ronald? You actually came back?"

On the ground, the Grand Witch looked at Ronald, her expression somewhat surprised.

Comparing the people from two directions, Ronald naturally chose to side with the "Council of Twelve Witches" with whom he had better relations, especially since his old acquaintance Teresa was here leading the Casters in defending the port.

After greeting him, as she watched Ronald descend from the sky, the Grand Witch continued to speak:

"As a holder of the original text, shouldn't you stay at sea to protect the ships' safety?"

"Could it be that His Highness is actually willing to let you come here to support us?"

"If the target of the sea beasts' attack was the three steamships, I guarantee I wouldn't have had a chance to come ashore to help." While responding to the Grand Witch, Ronald also landed on the ground with Costate.

His gaze quickly swept over the crowd defending the area.

Although Ronald knew very few people, he could also see that besides the Casters from the "Council of Twelve Witches," there were also members from other schools present, with the estimated number being about twenty or thirty people.

Thus, adding the people from the "Dawn Spell Society."

The actual number of Casters willing to protect the city in this time of danger had already exceeded fifty.

Given that there was ample time to flee, the fact that so many were standing on the front line at the port, ready to fight, showed incredibly high awareness!

While Ronald was observing the crowd around him,

Mela, who had originally been standing behind the Grand Witch Teresa, walked forward with a curious expression:

"Mr. Ronald, a spell that called thunder appeared on the sea just now. It should have been cast collectively by someone from the Greed fleet, right? We were quite frightened by such a grand display, and many here hope to learn an ability to perform cooperative casting of this scale."

When Mela spoke, she didn't hide her shock and desire at all.

Whether through her gaze, tone, or movements, she demonstrated her wish to understand and learn this ability further.

"Uh, well..."

Facing the Witch who had once come to his aid, Ronald scratched his head somewhat sheepishly before finally pointing to himself:

"The thunder just now wasn't cooperative casting—it was just me who conjured it up."

"Though it seemed quite impressive, aside from the sea beasts swimming in the shallow waters, I have absolutely no way to deal with those hidden in deeper waters."

"..."

The surrounding crowd immediately fell into complete silence.

Ronald's humble words might fool ordinary people.

But everyone present was a seasoned Caster from the mysterious side; there was no way they'd be deceived by such words.

So...

Was that terrifying spell really cast solely by the man before them?

No one would forget the terrifying scene that had just unfolded before their eyes.

The thunder that seemed to be capable of destroying everything made these Casters feel just how terrifying the spell was.

And the powerful figure standing before them possessed such power; it was almost impossible for anyone to maintain a calm heart at this moment.

Especially Mela, standing right in front of Ronald.

This Witch, who already greatly revered power, immediately began to have numerous thoughts:

"Mr. Ronald… I…"

"Mela, you'll discuss your matter later." Just as Mela was about to express her intentions, the Grand Witch suddenly interrupted her.

Though strong, Mela was amazingly obedient towards Teresa and immediately held her tongue and stepped back.

Then the Grand Witch turned, with a serious expression, to continue addressing Ronald:

"Ronald, though this might not be the best time to say such things, there is a request I hope you'll consider."

"Please speak—" Ronald nodded gently.

Only then did the Grand Witch continue:

"I hope that when the sea beasts attack the city next, you won't immediately join the battle."

"Huh?"

Teresa's opening with such a request caught Ronald entirely off guard.

The Grand Witch seemed aware of the shocking nature of her words, so she immediately explained in detail:

"The first wave of sea beasts was repelled with thunder, and the entire city witnessed this achievement."

"Although we local Casters don't have spells as powerful as yours, Ronald, if we completely leave the protection of Carpen to the guests from Greed—such behavior would truly make us seem ungracious hosts."

"..."

Faced with Teresa's explanation, Ronald fell silent.

He could comprehend the implication hidden in her words.

A person like Ronald was ultimately an outsider. If he completely took over the task of defending Carpen from these local Casters,

afterwards, not only would the reputation of these local schools suffer, but they'd also face numerous troubles.

Proposing such an idea, Teresa was indeed taking a risky step.

If these local Casters could completely defeat the invading sea beasts, then naturally, all these considerations wouldn't be an issue.

But if a mistake was made in protecting the port...

Not only would these Casters face danger, but even the city behind them and their affiliated schools' activities in this country might face significant issues.

This was certainly a gamble!

Faced with the Grand Witch's request, Ronald thought for a few seconds before eventually nodding in agreement.

However, he added a sentence very seriously:

"If things really threaten to get out of hand, I will immediately intervene."

Teresa heard the underlying meaning in Ronald's tone.

Seeing Ronald's intention to protect the city, the Grand Witch slightly bowed, making a gesture of respect:

"If we truly all perish here."

"Should it come to that, I hope Ronald, you will do everything possible to save the lives within this city."

Speaking as if declaring her last will, the Grand Witch concluded her conversation with Ronald.

Then, this original text holder took a step forward.

Looking across at the people from the "Dawn Spell Society," he began issuing orders:

"Everyone, proceed with the preparations as planned upon arrival!"

"The personnel going below the sea surface to investigate have already departed, and our task now is to perfect the port's defenses and prepare to face the upcoming battle with these vile beasts!"

"Do not let the efforts of our brave comrades who moved forward go to waste!"

At the command.

All the Casters near the dock sprang into action.

Though they came from various schools, each with different spells they learned and used.

Ronald could still see that they were standing at strategic locations according to a certain formation, beginning to construct a large Array that firmly protected the coastal area!