Chapter 101: Something Cool and Secretive

After controlling her laughter, Vionette finally entered the room. As she did, a cough echoed from the side. She turned, finding Kaimon sitting on a nearby couch.

“Kaimon? You were here too, dude?” she asked with a faint smile, sitting down in a chair in front of Sinia's desk.

I did not tell you to sit there! Sinia glared at her.

Diverting her gaze from Kaimon, Vionette looked at Sinia. Her Aether capacity is quite high, second only to Elina among the people I know.

Kaimon stood up from the couch and walked toward them, returning her low smile. “Yes. I came to discuss our future plans for the academy with the Headmaster.”

He sat down in the chair beside Vionette, a skeptical look crossing his face. She isn't even an Augmented Lifeform, yet she walks around here all alone after making such a mess? What does this woman want now?

Sinia and Kaimon exchanged a glance before Sinia turned her attention back to Vionette. Meanwhile, Vionette casually plucked a document from the desk without permission and began reading it.

Sinia made a forced smile and extended both hands across the table. “What you came here for is…?”

Vionette rolled her eyes from the paper to Sinia, then back down to the document. Setting it down, she extended an open palm across the desk with her brightest smile.

“Please give us that artifact before we destroy this academy.”

Silence stretched across the room, Vionette’s hand remaining unmoving, no words leaving the others.

“Vionette Crimvane,” Kaimon spoke at last, drawing her gaze. “If you continue to threaten the academy or Gergrain, we will have no choice but to remove Crimvane from our guest list.”

Vionette held her breath, staring calmly at Kaimon before letting out a soft sigh.

He knows our weakness… She smiled, almost entertained. We came here to have fun, and without the academy, there won't be any.

She laughed dismissively. “I was joking, of course! Why would I of all people need an artifact like that?”

“Then why did you come here?” Sinia asked for the second time.

“I just came to chat about something I want information on. You are a genius mage, after all.”

“In that case,” Kaimon stood up, “you two continue your conversation. I have far more important matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave.” He extended a hand toward Vionette. “Though brief, it was a pleasure meeting you, Vionette.”

Vionette stood up and shook his hand. “Likewise.”

The Keepers are still continuing their investigation into the murder case, Kaimon thought as he closed the door behind him. We just need a single piece of evidence.

“Such a nice guy,” Vionette chuckled softly.

Sinia tilted her head. “Kaimon? Can you really say that when he's trying to catch you guys?”

“What are you talking about, Headmaster?” Vionette spread her hands, putting on an innocent gaze. “We didn't do anything wrong to be caught.”

“Yeah, sure you didn't…” Sinia's expression turned flat. “So, what is this ‘information’ that you want?”

Vionette’s expression turned serious. “Have you ever heard of something called a Fable Mark?”

“A Fable Mark?” Sinia searched her memories carefully. “Nothing really comes to mind. What is that?”

“Oh, come on, dude! Don't you dragons have a secret library or something—” Vionette paused as a thought crossed her mind. “Actually, I thought the dragons rejected the offer to come here. Why are you here?”

“Huuuh?” Sinia made a disgusted face. “What do you take us dragons for, a single family? Though most live in the dragon dimension, Zawdak, some of us live here as well.” Sinia closed her eyes. “Who could possibly track down every single dragon in an infinite world, Vionette Crimvane?”

“Well, that is true.”

Seems she doesn't know anything either…

Sinia rose from her seat and walked toward a bookshelf set against her wall. She pulled a tome from the shelf and began flipping through its pages.

“Let’s see if there's anything in the general records.”

Vionette watched her move from book to book, observing with a fond smile. She's remarkably cooperative.

After scanning through several volumes, Sinia sighed. “It seems there is nothing here. If there were, I would have known about it anyway. The final possibility lies within the academy's secret library, but unfortunately, we can only disclose information from it to the staff.”

What is this, the free trial and the premium subscription?!

“That's okay, it's not something we need to rush anyway. By the way, what is that?”

Vionette pointed at a bound tome hanging from one of Sinia's leather straps.

“This?” Sinia held the volume in her hands and opened it. “This is my grimoire. It allows me to experiment with magic without experiencing any drawbacks.”

“Damn… Can I have it?”

“NO!”

---

Lucion stared at the entrance of the classroom, feeling a growing sense of unease. Then, a striking figure stepped inside. She had long, cascading black hair and wore a midnight-blue dress with a high side slit.

Placing her books onto the lectern, she turned toward the students with a polished smile.

“Good morning, everyone. I am Castil, the professor in charge of this class.”

She swept her amber gaze across all 250 students before resting on Lucion. Seeing his worried face, she winked at him with a subtle smirk.

“Alright, let's begin our lesson without delay.”

While Castil taught, Lucion rested his forehead flat against his desk. I knew today was going to go downhill the moment I bumped into Vionette!

‘Hey!’ Adrian whispered hastily beside him. ‘Lucion! You okay?’

Lucion lifted his head slightly, staring toward Castil. ‘Yeah… kind of.’

She's the one who enrolled me into this academy for who knows why. I wouldn't be surprised if she secretly slid my name onto this class.

Lucion turned his head, glancing toward a girl with black hair streaked with blue. Sensing his gaze, she looked across the room and caught him watching her.

She smiled softly and gave him a faint wave.

Why is she smiling at me? She's Castil’s daughter, and the second major boss of the game, Neiscris. Aside from her, the most notable figures in my class are Astris, Lirth, Edel, and Cedric.

Well, at least I'm not in the same class as Sylene.

---

In Class C-1, Professor Blist began his lecture just like any other professor.

“I'm sure all of you are familiar with Aether, skills, and magic by now. So let's conduct a brief demonstration.” His gaze landed on Sylene. “Princess Sylene, would you please step down here and demonstrate for us?”

The students turned in her direction, but catching the sharp glare on her face, they quickly snapped their heads back straight. With no alternative, Sylene stood up and descended the steps.

Blist offered her an ornate magic staff, but she merely glared at him and turned her shoulder away.

He put on an awkward smile. I chose her because of her natural mastery over magic… Maybe I should have picked another student?

“What magic, professor?” Sylene asked, her casting already underway.

“...Just whatever you are comfortable with.”

Blue Aether coalesced and swirled before Sylene's outstretched hand. Kneeling gracefully, she pressed her palm flat against the wooden floorboards.

— Tier 2 Magic: Freezing Edge —

A jagged spike of ice erupted from the floor and surged upward, its pointed tip narrowly missing Blist's chin.

She turned and strolled back to her seat while the room broke out into applause, though the clapping quickly died down under her cold glare.

Emmy, watching Sylene, felt a chill run down her spine. She's terrifying… Aw man, why was I placed in this class?!

The professor took a cautious step away from the ice crystal.

“A-as you can see, when casting magic, we first gather Aether and, through incantations, manifest new matter using the elements.” Activating a skill, he dissolved the pillar of ice into a fine mist. “Almost anyone can channel base elements like fire, water, wind, and ice. However, there are exceedingly rare individuals who can manipulate special elements like light and dark…”

***

Noa slouched onto a wooden bench outside the academy grounds, spreading his arms lazily across the backrest.

“It’s so damn boring without Vionette…” he muttered, looking completely hopeless.

Elina dropped onto the same bench beside him, wearing an identical expression. “It’s so booooring without Lina…”

Noa glanced at Elina in mild surprise, and she returned the look.

“Huh? Where the hell did you come from?” both asked simultaneously.

They stared at each other in silence, blinked once, then let their heads slump back against the wooden frame.

“So we're both unemployed?” Noa muttered.

“...Yeah.”

Quiet settled over them again as they stared up through the canopy of leaves overhead.

Fuck… I wish I could cuddle Vio right now.

I wish I could test out my new skill with Lina.

Then Noa suddenly raised a finger and turned to Elina, his eyes brightening. “Hey, want to go do something cool and secretive?”

“Something cool and secretive?” Elina’s eyes widened as she sat up straight, her mouth opening in excitement. “Yes-yes! What is it?!”

Noa smirked, gesturing toward the main academy building. “Whenever there's an academy plot, there's always something secretly going on underground.”

***

The representative of The Keepers—a man appearing around forty with silvering hair and dark, stern eyes—took the report handed to him by a subordinate and flipped through the pages.

Kaimon, standing before him, asked, “Is there still nothing?”

The man let out a weary exhale. “Nothing. The Lantern Gravers scanned the lingering traces of death once more, but the trail leads nowhere beyond the victims’ own companions. While we cannot verify every room, you stationed a hired operative from the Blackwake Consortium who can detect third-party interference, yet none was found. Our own investigators reached the exact same conclusion.”

Kaimon stared silently at the floor, sensing that something was fundamentally amiss—something right beneath their noses, yet maddeningly out of reach.

We only need one piece of evidence to expose Crimvane… but then what? Fight Crimvane ourselves? Crimvane is filled with monstrous individuals—a dragon on par with the Headmaster, an unpredictable woman, a man whose strength defies measurement, and…

His eyes widened as he realized a vulnerability.

That girl! She is the one weak link we can use to drag something out.