The Prison Lord's Release

Chapter 3

"Who are you?" Holly asked angrily. "You cannot just walk into the teachers' room! This is school property!"

She glanced toward the door, wondering why the security guards had let this man in. The other teachers also looked at Norbert with annoyance.

"What are you waiting for?" one teacher demanded. "Leave at once!"

"Are you trying to disturb our investigation?" Holly warned. "If you refuse to leave, we will call the police!"

Norbert ignored their threats. His gaze swept the room before settling on the little girl in the corner.

The moment he saw Ella's face, he knew she was his niece. Her eyes and features looked just like his younger sister, Eliza, as a child.

Norbert walked toward Ella and knelt before her. He gently wiped the tears from her cheeks and stroked her black hair.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

Ella blinked in confusion. She had never seen him before, yet his eyes were warm.

"Ummm, who are you?" she asked timidly.

Before Norbert could answer, Marlene stepped forward. She looked at his clothes and assumed he was someone sent by the orphanage.

"Are you from the orphanage?" Marlene asked impatiently. "Good. Take this girl away. She has caused enough trouble today."

Norbert turned toward her, his expression growing cold. "I am not from the orphanage."

"Then why are you defending her?" Marlene asked with a sneer. "She stole my daughter's money, and we're dealing with the matter. Stay out of it!"

Norbert stood up and placed Ella behind him. "I am her uncle. That gives me every right to protect her," he stated.

The teachers exchanged surprised looks, even Ella was shocked.

"Ms. Holly, didn't you say this girl was an orphan?" one teacher asked.

"She lives in an orphanage," Holly replied firmly. "I'm certain about that."

Marlene chuckled and opened her fan. "So what if you're her uncle? That doesn't change the fact that she stole from my daughter."

Norbert looked at Holly. "Did you investigate the matter properly?" he asked.

Holly laughed at his question. "Of course we did! Ruby's money was found in Ella's bag. What more proof do you need?"

"I noticed a security camera outside the classroom. Have you checked the recording?"

Holly's smile froze.

"Well, we haven't checked it yet," she admitted reluctantly. "But Ella is an orphan. She has no parents to give her pocket money, so she probably needed money and—"

"So you accused her without checking the evidence?" Norbert interrupted.

The teachers exchanged uneasy looks. They had assumed Ella would confess after being pressured by several adults, but Norbert's questions were making their actions look unreasonable.

Marlene stepped forward, refusing to back down. "My daughter's money was found in Ella's bag. That's enough proof!"

"Anyone could have put it there to frame her," Norbert replied calmly.

Ruby grabbed her mother's clothes. She had secretly placed the money in Ella's bag because she wanted to get rid of her. Marlene glanced at her daughter, silently telling her to stay calm. Ruby swallowed nervously before speaking again.

"I-I saw her take the money!" Ruby claimed. "She didn't join the sports class because she couldn't afford the uniform. Maybe she stole it to buy one!"

Norbert turned toward Ella. "Tell me the truth. Did you take the money?"

Ella shook her head quickly. "No, Uncle! I didn't steal anything. Please believe me!" she replied.

Norbert studied her eyes for a moment. He could see how frightened she was, but he also knew she was telling the truth.

"I believe you," he said firmly. "Don't worry, Ella. As long as I'm here, no one will blame you for something you didn't do."

"That's ridiculous!" Marlene shouted. "You believe her just because she's your niece?"

Norbert looked at Ruby, who quickly hid behind her mother. "Your daughter could be lying too. She looks nervous whenever I question her," he sneered.

"Of course she's nervous!" Marlene snapped. "You're an adult who keeps staring at her! How dare you intimidate a child?"

Norbert let out a cold laugh. On his way in, he had heard the teachers mocking Ella and forcing her to confess.

"And what about all of you?" he asked sharply. "You surrounded a little girl, threatened her, and mocked her because she's an orphan. Are you not ashamed of yourselves?"

"That's part of the investigation!" Holly replied defensively.

"Exactly!" another teacher added. "She stole the money, so we only—"

"Shut your mouth!" Norbert shouted.

The teacher immediately fell silent. Norbert looked at each of them, clearly disappointed.

"You call yourselves educators, yet you bully a child together without even checking the evidence. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

Marlene's face twisted with anger. She was used to people obeying her because of her family's wealth and influence.

"Stop defending her!" she shouted. "My daughter saw her steal the money, and she deserves to be punished!"

"Deserves to be punished?" Norbert repeated coldly.

Marlene took an involuntary step back. For a moment, she felt uneasy under his gaze, but she quickly recovered her confidence.

"Fine! We will hold a disciplinary hearing tomorrow," she declared. "If Ella is found guilty, she will be expelled. Do you understand?"

The other teachers agreed. Marlene was the school's biggest donor, and they believed the decision would go her way.

Norbert nodded. "Fine. But if Ella is proven innocent, you and your daughter must kneel and apologize to her in front of everyone," he said.

Marlene's face turned red with anger. However, she remembered that she had connections with the head of the disciplinary committee.

"Agreed!" she replied. "But if Ella is found guilty, you must kneel and apologize to me in front of the entire school!"

Norbert looked at her without hesitation. "Don't even think about breaking your promise when the truth comes out."

"You should be the one worrying about that!" Marlene snapped.

Norbert said nothing more. He took Ella's hand and walked toward the door, leaving the teachers standing in silence.

Once he was gone, Holly scoffed. "Who does that man think he is? He acts as if he owns this place!"

"In Hillway City, there are still people who don't know the Turner Family?" another teacher asked in disbelief. "Does he live under a rock?"

The Turner Family was well known throughout the city. They owned dozens of convenience stores and had donated large sums of money to local schools.

Marlene walked toward the window and watched Norbert lead Ella across the school grounds. Her eyes narrowed as she imagined him begging for forgiveness the next day.

"He will regret humiliating me," she declared.

However, her attention was soon drawn to several black vehicles approaching the school gate. They were large, modern vehicles with dark windows and magical symbols glowing faintly along their sides.

The vehicles stopped in a neat line in front of Norbert. Their doors opened, revealing men and women in long white robes decorated with golden patterns. The teachers stared in shock.

"Those robes..." Holly whispered.

In the Ostalia Empire, magic was more than a special skill. It played a major role in daily life, from public transport and city security to medical care, construction, and communication systems.

People who could use magic were highly respected, especially those with strong abilities. A powerful mage could earn more money than an ordinary businessman and gain influence over entire districts.

The empire also had many private mage groups that offered protection, magical investigations, and other services to wealthy clients. Their fees were extremely high, and hiring even a small team could cost a fortune.

The white-and-gold robes signaled high rank among independent mages. Their group took only expensive contracts, and its members were powerful enough to make ordinary security teams look insignificant.

"Why would a group like that come to our school?" one teacher asked in disbelief.

"Are they here for a special event?" another wondered.

Marlene forced herself to remain calm. Though she was surprised, she refused to show any concern.

"Hmph. Don't make such a fuss," she said dismissively. "That man probably hired them for an hour just to show off. Anyone with enough money can pay for a short performance."

However, the high-ranking mages did not look like performers. They walked directly toward Norbert and Ella, then stopped in front of him.

Every mage lowered their head respectfully.

"Lord Norbert," their leader greeted him. "We are here at your command."