Leo smoothly slid the original draft pages of One Piece into the system storage space before opening the heavy iron latch.
Standing on the threshold were two figures cloaked in the navy-and-gold robes of the Regional Arcane Directorate. The taller one, an elder mage with silver hair and a staff capped with a glowing blue mana-crystal, evaluated Leo with sharp, analytical eyes. Beside him stood a younger spell-scribe carrying an official ledger.
"Leo, the independent illustrator?" the elder mage asked, his voice calm but layered with quiet authority. "I am Senior Inspector Varis of the Eighth Circle. We are conducting an inquiry regarding unauthorized magical dissemination in this sector."
"Inspectors," Leo replied smoothly, leaning against the doorframe without offering entry. "I operate a legal printing shop. All taxes and paper permits are registered with the local magistrate."
Varis reached into his inner robe and produced a folded copy of One Piece: Chapter 1. He held it up by the corner as if it were a volatile potion.
"This publication contains no registered spell matrices," Varis stated, running his finger over the inked illustration of Luffy's Gear techniques. "Yet our tracking arrays detected a subtle shift in the local mana field whenever commoners read these panels. Unlicensed conceptual magic disguised as street literature is a violation of Directorate Law."
Leo met the Inspector's gaze calmly, letting just a fraction of his newly unlocked Conqueror's aura bleed through his expression. The temperature in the doorway seemed to drop slightly, and the blue crystal on Varis's staff flickered erratically for a fraction of a second.
Varis blinked, taking an instinctual half-step back before catching himself, his eyes widening in shock.
"The Directorate can inspect my shop whenever they wish," Leo said, his voice steady. "You'll find only paper, ink, and stories. Unless the Guild has now made imagination illegal?"
The younger scribe fidgeted nervously, but Inspector Varis narrowed his eyes, adjusting his stance. "Stories do not cause unranked guardsmen to slice through solid stone without mana, young man. We will be monitoring your press. The Directorate does not tolerate uncontrolled power."
As the two mages turned and walked down the cobbled street, Leo watched them go, his mind already calculating his next move.
[System Prompt: Threat Level Increasing]
[Recommended Action: Accelerate Release Schedule — Chapter 114 Ready for Drafting]
Leo closed the door, locked the latch, and walked back to his drafting desk. He picked up his pen with a faint smile.
"If they're worried about a simple rubber boy," Leo murmured, dipping the nib into magical ink, "let's see how they react when Zoro takes the stage."
How would you like to proceed for Chapter 114?
Focus on the public release of Zoro's debut and the guards' reaction.
Focus on the Arcane Directorate organizing a formal raid on the printing house.