Chapter 49
The ceremonial uniform I wore for the first time since the Hourglass Theft Incident felt unfamiliar.
Before enrolling at Crescent Academy, I used to wear it at least once a week. Now, I couldn’t even remember the last time I had put it on.
‘Did it always flutter this much?’
The robe swayed awkwardly with every movement, a sensation I hadn’t noticed before but now found distracting after such a long time.
“Let’s head out.”
Standing in the dormitory wearing the uniform felt strangely novel.
It almost made me more excited.
This was Yuria’s request—to investigate the suspects.
Normally, “investigation” would mean tailing the suspects, uncovering suspicious behavior, and spending a lot of time on it.
‘Magic really is the best.’
But Yuria had suggested an entirely different method.
All I needed to do was secretly enter the professors’ offices, plant an object, and retrieve it later.
Whoosh—
I teleported straight from the dormitory to the roof of the faculty building.
The weather was perfect for tonight’s task.
With overcast skies obscuring the moonlight, the surroundings were darker than usual.
‘Just set this up and come back for it tomorrow.’
Before diving into the task, I fiddled with what Yuria had called the Mana Analyzer, which I had tucked into my pocket.
It was a small, rectangular object, about the size of a fingertip.
More precisely, it was a magical artifact.
Yuria had given it to me when assigning this task, explaining that it was a recently developed invention—a Mana Analyzer.
The Mana Analyzer did exactly what its name suggested: it analyzed mana.
At first, I was skeptical about what could be learned from analyzing mana, but Yuria anticipated my doubts and laid out her reasoning.
The device automatically absorbed and analyzed the most concentrated mana left in a space.
If the analyzed mana showed even a trace of dark magic or something similar…
‘Then we’ve found our culprit.’
It was a brilliant method—no need to track anyone or hunt for incriminating evidence.
I didn’t fully understand the mechanics, but if it worked as advertised, it would save a lot of effort.
Running through the process in my head, I closed my eyes and heightened my senses.
‘There are more people than I expected.’
Despite the late hour, the faculty building—housing professors’ offices and laboratories—was surprisingly busy.
The professors at this Academy were truly pitiable.
Even past 10 PM, so many of them hadn’t gone home.
I’d have to be extra cautious in my movements.
‘Not that I’m likely to get caught.’
Whoosh—
With that thought, I teleported.
My first target was Cassis Sinclair’s office.
I had visited it once before after the Tournament of Classes, so locating it was straightforward.
Silently stepping inside, I looked for the best place to plant the Mana Analyzer.
The underside of the desk seemed like the safest spot, but it was also too obvious.
‘This tiny gap under the cabinet should do.’
I slipped the analyzer into a small crevice beneath a cabinet.
Even if it was discovered, it would likely be mistaken for trash and discarded.
‘It needs at least 12 hours. I’ll come back tomorrow.’
Taking one last look at the pristine office, I moved to my next destination.
At Professor Lockert Erpen’s office, I used the same method to plant the analyzer.
Everything went smoothly so far.
But the next target posed a challenge: the Vice Principal’s office.
The Vice Principal’s office wasn’t located in the faculty building.
Both the Principal’s and Vice Principal’s offices were in a more secure structure deeper within the Academy, the same building housing the storage vaults.
‘Getting in will be tricky.’
Unlike the other locations, Yuria had no photos of the Vice Principal’s office.
This meant I couldn’t teleport directly inside.
And, of course, I’d never been there myself.
The safest method would be to visit the office during the day as a student, get a good look at the interior, and then teleport there later.
If I could pull that off, I’d have free access to the office anytime.
‘But I want to finish everything tonight.’
Fortunately, I had been to this building before, albeit for a less-than-legal reason.
Although my memory of the layout was hazy, I had successfully looted something from the Academy vaults back then.
While the structure seemed to have been altered since my last visit, I could always try teleporting if necessary.
Whoosh—
From Lockert’s office, I teleported to the roof of the storage building housing the Vice Principal’s office.
Closing my eyes again, I focused on sensing any presences within the building.
‘What?’
I had expected the office to be empty, but I was wrong.
While I wasn’t surprised to detect guards near the storage area, I hadn’t anticipated someone being inside the Vice Principal’s office.
‘Has the Vice Principal not gone home yet?’
It made sense for regular professors to still be working past 10 PM—they were just employees, after all.
But the Vice Principal? I hadn’t expected that.
This threw a wrench into my plan to finish everything tonight.
I needed the office to be empty to discreetly plant the analyzer.
Worse, the Vice Principal wasn’t alone.
Though my senses weren’t as sharp as Erica’s, I could tell there were two people inside.
One was seated, while the other…
‘They’re lying on the floor?’
It was hard to say for sure, but that’s how it felt.
Something about the situation was off.
It was already suspicious enough for someone to be in the office at this hour, but now there was someone lying on the floor?
‘Are they really lying down?’
Doubting my perception, I focused harder, but nothing changed.
Aside from the person seated in the chair, someone else appeared to be crouched on the floor.
At this point, I had a strong hunch.
‘Could it really be the Vice Principal?’
Though I couldn’t be certain, my instincts told me that something very suspicious was happening in that room.
I might not even need to plant the Mana Analyzer.
If I could eavesdrop on their conversation and pick up any clues…
The thought made me greedy for more.
Catching them red-handed would be much better than relying on evidence.
‘If I could just sneak into the building and overhear their conversation somehow…’
Rustle—
Just as I was preparing to enter the building, a sound came from the forest next to it.
I stopped moving and turned toward the source of the noise.
Although it seemed unlikely, I had to consider the possibility that someone might be tracking me.
Rustle—
“Uh… hello?”
‘…What?’
I instinctively opened a Subspace Storage, grabbing the Black Shadow Blade in my right hand, but I dropped it at the sound of the voice.
It was a familiar voice.
‘Cynthia?’
The voice coming clearly from the forest was unmistakably Cynthia’s.
Her sudden appearance was unexpected, especially near the building housing the Vice Principal’s office.
“I’m here…!”
Cynthia’s voice was quiet, as if she were trying to keep her presence discreet, but it was crystal clear to me with my heightened senses.
It seemed like she was waiting for someone.
‘Who could she be meeting at this hour?’
My first thought was, ‘Did Cynthia get a boyfriend?’
A girl waiting in the middle of the forest, a place no one else would be at this late hour—it was a plausible scenario.
“Hello? Are you there?”
Cynthia’s voice grew slightly louder.
‘Doesn’t sound like she’s calling for a boyfriend.’
I had thought I’d stumbled upon her secret rendezvous, but her tone didn’t match.
It was far from the way someone would call out for a romantic partner.
Hiss—
I found myself hesitating.
Should I stick to my original plan to sneak into the building, or should I observe Cynthia a bit longer?
“Oh, over here!”
“Apologies for the delay.”
My decision didn’t take long.
I heard another voice—a man’s—coming from Cynthia’s direction.
I lowered my posture even further on the roof and crept closer to Cynthia’s location.
For now, I needed to listen to their conversation.
“It’s fine! Did you bring the candy…?”
“Haha. Here it is. I’ve included a bit more this time.”
“Oh…”
‘Candy?’
The voice belonged to a man, and though it was too dark and distant to see clearly, Cynthia appeared to be speaking with him.
Judging by their conversation, she seemed to be receiving candy from him.
It was absurd.
Why would Cynthia meet a man at this hour, in such a secluded spot, to get candy?
“The candy seems to have given you courage, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, tremendously.”
There was a faint tremor in Cynthia’s voice.
The more I listened, the stranger their conversation became.
Candy? Courage?
“Haha. The Vice Principal will be pleased as well. Knowing Cynthia has gained courage is wonderful news. Feel free to contact me anytime if you need more.”
“Thank you!”
‘The Vice Principal?’
Whether it was a coincidence or not, the man had just mentioned the Vice Principal.
One of the suspects Yuria had identified—Vice Principal Randgar Bayel.
Hearing the Vice Principal’s name only heightened my suspicion.
“Oh, by the way, even if the candy gives you courage, you mustn’t eat more than two pieces at once. Do you understand?”
“Why…?”
“Because anything in excess becomes poison. I trust you understand what I mean.”
“…”
Cynthia didn’t respond to his comment.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
The man said his farewell and left the scene first.
He looked so suspicious that I decided to follow him instead of Cynthia.
But I didn’t need to.
The man circled around the area and entered the building housing the Vice Principal’s office.
The guards at the storage facility let him through without question, suggesting he was either an acquaintance or a staff member.
‘This is way too suspicious.’
I didn’t have any concrete evidence, but my instincts were screaming.
The man who had just entered the building was likely heading straight for the Vice Principal’s office.
‘I need to get inside quickly and find out what’s being discussed… huh?’
Just as I turned my attention away from Cynthia and prepared to enter the building, I noticed something.
‘Where did they all go?’
The presences I had felt earlier in the Vice Principal’s office had vanished.
Even the man who had handed Cynthia the candy was gone.
‘What is going on?’
My suspicions were quickly solidifying into certainty.
Vice Principal Randgar Bayel of Crescent Academy.
There was definitely something going on with him.
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