Chapter 66
Splash—
The sound of water rippling softly resonated as Cynthia tossed two candies into the lake.
She closed her eyes gently, thinking about the candies sinking beneath the surface.
She should have done this sooner, but it was far too late.
Sigh.
Cynthia stared at the lake, watching the ripples spread and fade until the surface was still again.
She had finally discarded them.
The thought of keeping just one candy for herself had haunted her constantly until now.
But after throwing them away, she felt oddly relieved.
Relying on something like this for strength wasn’t real power.
Even though she had always known that, she couldn’t understand why it had taken her so long to sever this dependency.
“Haah.”
The lake, once disturbed by the candy’s impact, had returned to its serene state, as if nothing had happened.
Watching the calm water, Cynthia resolved to be like the lake—to accept her mistakes, endure the disturbances, and return to peace after enough time had passed.
That man…
Her thoughts naturally drifted to the man she had encountered in the forest that night.
The man who had told her he was disappointed in her and that she wasn’t the person he thought she was.
His voice, physique, and appearance were unfamiliar, yet there was something oddly familiar about him.
He exuded an air of unshakable confidence, as though nothing in the world could defeat him.
It reminded her of Ryu Yeong.
Nodding to herself, Cynthia stood up from her crouched position by the lakeside.
She had intentionally chosen to discard the candies within the Academy grounds.
It wasn’t because she lacked anywhere else to throw them away.
There was another reason she hadn’t gone home and had instead lingered at the Academy late into the night.
She wanted to discard the candies and clear her mind before confronting Ryu.
She had deliberately waited until late at night for a reason.
If Ryu truly lived in the dorms, he would still be there even if she summoned him at this hour.
She wanted to confirm that.
“I need to meet with Ryu Yeong.”
“…Student, at this hour?”
“Yes, it’s really urgent. Could you please call him for me?”
“No, no, this is ridiculous—”
Cynthia refused to yield to the dormitory supervisor’s attempts to persuade her to come back in the morning.
She insisted she had to meet with Ryu tonight, no matter what.
Eventually, she watched as the dormitory supervisor reluctantly went to Ryu’s room, and she stepped outside.
If Ryu didn’t come out…
That would mean he’s using the dorms as a cover but doesn’t actually live there.
If that were the case, she’d find him tomorrow and question him, armed with more evidence to support her suspicions.
Cynthia recalled all the times Ryu had acted suspiciously since the beginning of the semester.
It had started on the first day, during his fight with Kane Hover.
The mysterious disappearance of Kane’s flames during their duel.
Cynthia had initially thought she might have imagined it, but Ryu’s reaction told her otherwise.
Since then, Ryu had consistently displayed suspicious behavior.
Not only had he demonstrated extraordinary skill for a first-year during the Academy Games, but he had also suddenly mastered wind magic after the games ended.
It was as though he had been hiding his abilities all along.
The highlight had been when Kane Hover went berserk a few days ago.
Kane’s attacks, enhanced by the candy, were so powerful and fast that even Cynthia, who had consumed the same candy, couldn’t react.
Yet Ryu had cast Spatial Movement twice in quick succession, moving faster than Kane’s flames.
The casting speed alone was impossible for any student-level mage.
Even Cynthia, who wasn’t a mage, could sense it.
In less than half a second, Ryu had appeared in front of her, transported her to her dorm, and returned to the battlefield.
And most of all…
“Cynthia?”
“Ah.”
A familiar voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
I thought you might show up.
It was Ryu.
“What’s going on? It’s late. You’re not home yet?”
“I had something to do.”
“Something to do?”
“Yeah. And I have a question for you.”
“Hm?”
Cynthia turned to face Ryu.
Despite being summoned late at night, he radiated his usual air of composure.
Cynthia observed him intently as he stood there nonchalantly.
“What is it?”
Cynthia’s eyes gleamed as she tried not to miss any change in his expression.
While she had been absent from the Academy for the past few days, claiming to be unwell, she had spent the time thinking deeply.
She wondered if the man she had encountered in the forest was actually Ryu in disguise.
At first, it had seemed impossible, but the more she thought about it, the less absurd the idea became.
His physique and voice could have been altered. That much was achievable.
As she considered it, she grew more and more certain.
That man had to be Ryu.
“Who are you really?”
“…What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Don’t play dumb.”
“What are you even—”
“The Training Forest. Last week at night.”
“…”
Cynthia cut him off and continued, her voice brimming with certainty.
“The man from that night—it was you, wasn’t it?”
“What are you even talking about?”
Cynthia refused to let Ryu’s face out of her sight, observing him closely.
Ryu was terrible at lying.
Whenever he felt uneasy, it was immediately evident in his expression and tone.
“It was you, wasn’t it? The one who stopped me from taking the candy and captured that man.”
“…What? What are you talking about?”
Cynthia watched his reaction and felt her certainty grow.
Ryu’s expression was that of someone caught and unsure of how to respond.
“The outfit hanging in the dorm that night…”
Cynthia’s statement was a deliberate gamble to confirm her suspicions.
She recalled the black outfit she had glimpsed in Ryu Yeong’s dorm. While she hadn’t seen it in detail, it bore a striking resemblance to the clothes worn by the man she had encountered a week ago.
“It looked exactly like that outfit.”
“…That can’t be.”
“No, I’m sure of it.”
“You must have been mistaken.”
Listening to Ryu’s seemingly confident and dismissive reply only served to bolster Cynthia’s conviction.
“No, it was the same outfit from that time.”
“No way, it couldn’t have been.”
As Ryu confidently denied her accusations, Cynthia smiled.
“How would you know?”
“Huh?”
“You’ve never seen him yourself, right? So how can you be so sure the clothes are different if you don’t even know who I’m talking about?”
“…Well, that’s… uh.”
Watching Ryu’s flustered expression crumble, Cynthia let out a quiet laugh.
She had him cornered.
“And that person could cast Spatial Movement as effortlessly as you. Just like how you transported me to your dorm during the Kane incident.”
“…”
Ryu gave no reply, prompting Cynthia to press on.
“I’m not a mage, but I know enough to realize that a mage capable of casting Spatial Movement that quickly—especially consecutively—is extremely rare.”
Cynthia observed Ryu’s expression closely as she spoke. Though the darkness made it hard to see, she could clearly discern his unease.
Ryu’s eyes darted nervously, and his composure faltered.
“What exactly are you?”
Cynthia’s question was laced with certainty.
***
I’m screwed.
That was the only thought running through Ryu’s mind.
He had thought he had managed to keep everything under control, but clearly, he hadn’t.
To make matters worse, Cynthia had even brought up the Kane Hover incident from the first day of the semester.
Back then, he had assumed he had successfully diverted her suspicions.
“What exactly are you?”
Cynthia asked, her tone triumphant.
Caught off guard by the sudden shift in focus after being preoccupied with the festival’s Main Quest, Ryu cursed his lack of attention.
What should I do?
He was well aware that his poker face was failing him. In hindsight, it was no surprise Cynthia had noticed something during the Kane incident.
Even Amilion Stappen had immediately picked up on his unusual behavior and questioned him.
Still, he had assumed Cynthia, being just a student, wouldn’t have caught on.
So much for a normal Academy life.
It felt like his “normal” days were slipping further and further out of reach.
“If you don’t explain, I’ll report you to Professor Amilion. I’ll tell her you’re suspicious.”
Sigh.
Judging from her tone, Cynthia wasn’t bluffing. Her words carried a sense of resolute sincerity.
I hadn’t planned on revealing this to anyone.
He didn’t mind if someone like Amilion Stappen knew, but he had wanted to avoid exposing himself to fellow students.
Once that happened, it would inevitably create distance.
“Go ahead and ask her, then.”
“…What?”
“It might be better for you to ask Professor Amilion directly.”
“Huh?”
For the first time, Cynthia’s triumphant expression faltered, replaced by confusion.
There was no other choice now.
He had to tell Cynthia.
“She already knows?”
“Yeah. Not only does she know, but she’s also cooperating with me.”
“…What?”
Cynthia looked utterly shocked, as if this was the last thing she had expected.
“So, did you throw away all the candies?”
“Ah.”
At this point, there was no reason to hide it anymore.
Mentioning Amilion Stappen had already exposed too much.
“So it was all true.”
“Yeah… I didn’t mean to get caught.”
“For someone trying not to get caught, you were awfully careless… weren’t you?”
Ryu couldn’t bring himself to answer her fundamental question.
He had thought he was being careful, but clearly, he wasn’t careful enough.
“Well, at least I’m relieved.”
“Relieved about what?”
“That you’re not a bad person, Ryu.”
“Well, I mean…”
“So, what’s your deal? Explain it to me.”
“Sigh. It’s a long story. You could just hear it from Professor Amilion tomorrow—”
“No, I want to hear it directly from you.”
“…Fine. I’ll explain it as simply as I can.”
And so, Ryu finally explained everything to Cynthia.
He revealed that he was working under the Prisis Family and investigating suspicious forces within the Academy.
These forces were linked to the Vice-Principal and had provided her with those candies.
Guess I wasn’t that great at acting after all.
As Ryu reflected on the situation, he let out a small sigh.
—
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