It had been quite a while since the last Sandglass heist, and donning the Guild Uniform again felt oddly foreign.
Back in the academy days, I used to put this on at least once a week, but now I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d worn it.
“Hmm… did this thing always flap so much?”
With every movement, the robe flapped annoyingly. It never bothered me before, but now that it’s been ages since I last wore it, it’s starting to irritate me.
“I suppose I should head out?”
Being in the dormitory in this uniform felt kinda fresh. I don’t know why, but it made me feel a little more excited than usual.
This mission came as a request from Yuria—to investigate a suspicious individual. Normally, “investigation” implies following someone around, sniffing out weird stuff, and all that jazz, which usually takes forever. But hey, “magic,” right?
Turns out, Yuria had a completely different approach in mind. My job wasn’t to tail some creepy person or break into offices to steal stuff. Nope. All I had to do was sneak into some professors’ offices, leave an item in each, and then retrieve them later.
“Uhh… this roof-to-roof travel is smooth.”
The weather today couldn’t have been more perfect. The sky was overcast, obscuring the moonlight and making everything darker than usual. Just the kind of cover I needed.
“All I have to do is place this thing and grab it tomorrow…”
I pulled out the so-called “Mana Analyzer” from my pocket. A tiny square, no bigger than a finger-joint, but oh, it was more than just an object—it was a magical tool. Yuria gave it to me when she asked for my help, boasting about its recent development.
A Mana Analyzer, as the name suggests, analyzes mana. Now, you might wonder what analyzing mana could possibly reveal. Before I could ponder that, Yuria explained, smirking as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.
Apparently, the analyzer absorbs the most prevalent mana in its surroundings. If it detects even a trace of black magic or related dark energies… well, let’s just say that person would definitely be the culprit.
“Guess we’re good to go.”
It sure was convenient. While I’m not an expert on how this thing works, if it’s this easy, why not use it?
Running a quick mental simulation, I closed my eyes and awakened my senses. “Hmm… quite a lot of people around, surprisingly.”
The faculty building, where professors’ offices and research labs are located, still had quite a few people milling about, even though it was past 10 PM. Poor academy professors—they’re just as overworked as everyone else. At least now I knew I’d have to be extra careful.
“Not like I’ll get caught anyway.”
With a soft hum, I teleported.
My first destination was Professor Cassius St. Claire’s office. It was easy since I’d visited his office once after the last competition ended. I tip-toed around, searching for an inconspicuous spot to place the analyzer.
Sticking it under the desk seemed like the safest option, but that would also be too obvious.
“Let me stash it under here… they’d never notice.”
I twisted it around and pushed the analyzer into a tiny gap under a drawer cabinet. If anyone finds it, they’d probably just toss it as junk.
“Should be about 12 hours before this thing works… should be fine to check tomorrow.”
After giving Professor Cassius’ impeccably tidy office a cursory glance, I moved on to my next stop.
Next up was a professor’s office—Professor Lochart? Or was it Robert?—where I installed the device using the same method. Everything was going smoothly so far.
However, the next destination introduced a bit of a twist.
The Vice Chancellor’s Office.
The office wasn’t even in the faculty building. Instead, it resided in a different section of the academy, alongside the Chancellor’s office, tucked in a building that also housed the vault.
“Ah, getting in there is gonna be a challenge.”
Yuria mentioned having some photos of Cassius’ and Lochart’s offices, but she didn’t have any of the Vice Chancellor’s. Meaning, I couldn’t teleport directly inside.
The safest option would be to enter the Vice Chancellor’s office during the daytime, posing as a student, and check it out personally. If I could secure that knowledge, moving in and out whenever I pleased would be a breeze.
“But I want to finish all this tonight.”
On the bright side, I had been in this building before. My memory was a bit hazy, but I did manage to successfully raid the academy’s vault once. There might’ve been some changes to the structure, so I couldn’t teleport recklessly, but I’d still give it a shot if things got dicey.
With a soft hum, I teleported from Lochart’s office to the roof of the warehouse where the Vice Chancellor’s office was located.
Once again, I closed my eyes and probed inside the building for any signs of people.
“Hmm?”
I’d expected the building to be empty, aside from some guards near the warehouse. But I sensed movement inside the Vice Chancellor’s office. This caught me completely off-guard.
“Is the Vice Chancellor still stuck at work?”
I could somewhat understand the professors staying late, but I hadn’t expected the Vice Chancellor to be doing the same.
This little revelation threw a wrench in my plans. Sneaking in to install the analyzer would now be impossible if there were people in the room.
Plus, it wasn’t just one person.
Though I wasn’t as perceptive as Erika, I could make out two distinct presences in the Vice Chancellor’s office. One seated on a chair, the other…
“Hunched on the floor?”
The details were vague, but the impression was clear. There was definitely someone curled up on the ground.
This was odd. A person being in the Vice Chancellor’s office so late at night was already suspicious, but one of them lying down? Stranger still.
“Could it be…?”
For a moment, I wondered if my senses were dulling, so I focused harder. Yet, nothing changed. One person was seated, the other hunched on the floor.
It was then that an instinctive hunch struck me.
“Could the Vice Chancellor actually be involved?”
While I couldn’t confirm anything, my gut was telling me something strange was definitely going on in that office.
Maybe there wasn’t even a need to install the analyzer. If I could eavesdrop on their conversation and catch even a snippet of evidence…
Thinking that made me feel a sudden surge of eagerness. Catching someone red-handed without evidence is always the best kind of win.
“Let me just sneak in and try to listen…”
I was about to execute the idea when a rustling sound came from the side of the building.
Startled, I stopped mid-action and scanned the source. It could possibly be someone on my tail, though unlikely.
“Crunch…”
“Uh… hello?”
“Huh?”
My hand automatically reached for the Black Shadow Sword, prepared for anything, but the voice that followed threw me off guard entirely.
It was a voice I recognized all too well.
“Cynthia?”
Of all people, why was Cynthia loitering by the building where the Vice Chancellor’s office was located?
“Excuse me… I’m here!”
Cynthia’s voice, though soft, was crystal clear to my heightened senses. It seemed like she was waiting for someone.
“What is she doing here at this time?”
My first instinct was to wonder if Cynthia had a boyfriend now. A girl waiting for someone in the middle of the night in a secluded spot like this seemed plausible.
“Is anyone there?”
“Hmm… her tone doesn’t sound like she’s looking for a boyfriend.”
Her voice lacked the usual affection of romantic partners. Whatever she was doing here, it wasn’t what I’d initially thought.
As I debated whether to snoop in the building or stay and watch Cynthia, another voice broke the silence.
“Here I am! Sorry I’m late.”
Without delay, I lowered my stance and edged as close as possible to where the voice was coming from. It was time to listen.
“Not a problem! Did you bring the candy?”
“Yeah. I made sure to put a little more this time.”
“Ohhh…”
“Candy?”
The scene was too dark too make out much, but based on the conversation, it sounded like Cynthia had come here to get candy from some guy. Weird.
“Seems like the candy boosted your confidence, huh?”
“It did. So much.”
Cynthia’s voice carried a subtle tremor, making the exchange even stranger. Candy and confidence?
“Haha. I’m sure Vice Chancellor will be pleased that Miss Cynthia has found her courage. If you need more, don’t hesitate to reach out.”
“Thank you!”
“Vice Chancellor?”
Coincidentally—or was it?—the guy mentioned the Vice Chancellor, none other than Landgar Bayel, one of the suspects Yuria had flagged.
The word “Vice Chancellor” set off alarm bells.
“By the way, even though candy boosts your courage, don’t eat more than two pieces at a time, all right?”
“Why…?”
“Because excess of anything can be harmful. I’m sure Miss Cynthia understands what I mean.”
“…”
Silence followed. Then the guy left.
As he walked around the building, he slipped inside the Vice Chancellor’s office. The guards guarding the warehouse let him pass without a hitch, presumably recognizing him as academy staff.
“Too fishy.”
Even without concrete proof, my instincts were tingling. That guy was heading straight for the Vice Chancellor’s office, no doubt.
“Wait… uh oh…”
By the time I glanced back toward the entrance after watching Cynthia’s retreating figure, the presence I’d sensed earlier in the office had vanished. Even the guy who’d just given candy to Cynthia was gone.
“This isn’t good…”
Slowly but surely, my suspicion morphed into certainty.
The Vice Chancellor of Crescent Academy, Landgar Bayel. There was definitely something fishy about this guy.
