“Huh? Why not??”
“It’s the Vice Principal’s orders. There was already some commotion due to the inter-class competition recently, so they don’t want to make things worse.”
“Even so, a student has ended up like this…”
“The Hover family has agreed to let it slide quietly. Even Lord Hover wishes to conceal the fact that his son lost control of his mana and caused trouble at the Academy.”
…
Professor Amillion was at a loss for words upon hearing this from the investigative team.
The team leader had come to his office first thing in the morning to inform him that they’d decided to quietly sweep yesterday’s incident under the rug.
“Did you find anything related to what I mentioned?”
“You mean the suspicious potion? Unfortunately, there was nothing. We even tried using a Trace Detection Magic, just in case, but nothing turned up.”
…
Amillion couldn’t help but recall what Ryu had said with such confidence that very morning.
Ryu’s assurance that he’d witnessed Cain drinking the potion came to mind, as if occupying the same spot where the investigative team leader was sitting now.
For some reason, Amillion found himself trusting Ryu’s words more than those of the team leader.
“So…”
“There’s nothing for you to worry too much about. Just file a standard report and we’ll take care of the rest quietly.”
“What about Student Cain Hover?”
“The Academy intends to support him as much as possible. It’ll be tough, but there’s always a slim chance, isn’t there?”
Even though Amillion peppered them with smaller questions, hoping desperately to find a thread to hold onto, nothing changed.
Cain Hover’s incident was ruled as an individual’s mistake, and both the Academy and the Hover family would work together to conceal it.
In a way, it was the most logical and tidy solution.
“Then I’ll take my leave. Please submit the report once it’s ready.”
“…Yes.”
Still, something didn’t sit right with Amillion.
The matter didn’t feel resolved—it felt like it was being forced into a resolution.
Sure, the forest suffered minor damage, but was this incident really small enough to just be swept away?
‘Wasn’t it the same with the inter-class event last time?’
Once suspicion arose, it spread like wildfire.
The Undead incident during the competition didn’t seem like something that should be simply hushed up.
Although all professors involved were silent, the control of information seemed almost too thorough—like the Empire’s Intelligence Department had gotten involved.
“Phew.”
Naturally, last night’s conversation with Ryu resurfaced.
Ryu, working under the Prisis family, supposedly investigating strange movements within the Academy.
Given Yuria Prisis had even verified his identity, the likelihood that the Head of St. Claire knew about this was pretty high.
‘Is there really someone infiltrated within the system?’
If Ryu could infiltrate as a student, it wasn’t a stretch to imagine others might be hiding somewhere too.
Certainly, for professors, it would be harder—but if one of the Six Great Families like Prisis were involved, it wouldn’t be impossible.
Tock-tock-tock-tock.
A pen rhythmically tapped against the table—a habit Amillion indulged in when lost in thought.
He hadn’t told anyone about Ryu yet, not just because it was late when he first heard but also because it was difficult to discuss.
Besides, Ryu had mentioned he’d entered the Academy to uncover hidden individuals.
And with Prisis already confirming things, Amillion didn’t want to inadvertently mess things up for the Great Families.
‘I need to meet him again.’
Tying his hair back, Amillion prepared to leave.
Yesterday’s abrupt departure had left their conversation unfinished, and today, he was determined to conclude it.
“Haaay.”
A yawn escaped him involuntarily.
Having talked with Yuria until the wee hours of the morning, he hadn’t gotten much sleep and really wanted to just continue dozing—but he couldn’t.
He needed to meet Professor Amillion as soon as possible to clarify the situation; after all, his Academy life depended on it.
That’s why he wasn’t heading to the classroom directly but was instead making his way to the faculty building.
In his usual routine, he’d move from his room to the dormitory and then naturally shift over to the faculty building.
Despite yesterday’s major incident, the Academy seemed eerily calm and peaceful.
Few people were about, and the atmosphere suggested nothing had happened.
‘Let’s hope this conversation goes smoothly.’
With no one around, he was tempted to teleport directly to the faculty building, but he resisted the urge.
Thus, enjoying the fresh morning air, he arrived at the building entrance, ready to step in when…
“You there.”
“Hmm?”
Someone from behind had called out.
Though the address wasn’t directly to him, there was no one else around.
“Is that Ryu-kun?”
“Ah.”
‘Vice Principal!’
The caller turned out to be Vice Principal Randgar Bayel of Crescent Academy.
Smiling warmly, he observed Ryu.
“Ah, hello.”
“Ho ho. What a surprise meeting you here. Where are you heading?”
“I was going to see Professor Amillion.”
“Ah, I see.”
This was Amillion’s first direct interaction with Vice Principal Bayel.
While he’d seen him at the back of the dais during the inter-class event awards ceremony, this was their first one-on-one conversation.
One of the individuals Yuria had marked as suspicious.
On the surface, he seemed completely normal.
“Your performance during the inter-class event was astonishing.”
“…Thank you.”
Bayel kept smiling, complimenting Ryu.
Ryu, too, returned the smile, making eye contact with the Vice Principal.
‘…This guy.’
The moment their eyes locked, Ryu sensed it.
Though Bayel smiled and complimented him, his eyes weren’t smiling.
They radiated a thick curiosity—not pure curiosity but one laced with hostility.
‘Maybe he’s picked up on something.’
“We really need to meet again someday.”
Grinning, Bayel extended his hand for a handshake.
“Ah.”
Without thinking much, Ryu shook the outstretched hand.
And that was the moment.
Whoosh!
A powerful wind suddenly blew, forcing Ryu to shut his eyes.
Strong enough to sweep him off his feet if he weren’t careful, the gust was overwhelming.
Blinking back the wind, Ryu opened his eyes again.
‘Whoa…’
What he saw was a fox.
Behind the darkened silhouette of the Vice Principal, a fox with glowing yellow eyes stared menacingly at him.
The massive fox’s gaze was fixed unwaveringly on Ryu.
Its demeanor was predatory, ready to pounce on any sign of weakness.
The fox radiated a strong aura, clearly an enemy presence.
With bared teeth, the fox growled silently.
‘…’
Ryu quickly recognized this as an illusion conjured by Bayel.
In a moment of internal conflict, Ryu weighed his options.
Under normal circumstances, he would never back down from such a challenge.
Given that Bayel had provoked him, there’d be no reason to hold back.
But his current situation complicated things.
He had already been discovered by Professor Amillion yesterday, and now he was face-to-face with the very Vice Principal Yuria had flagged as suspicious.
If he retaliated here and offered Bayel any reason to suspect him, his plans might unravel.
‘Still, this seals it.’
While part of him wanted to punch that fox right in the snout, he restrained himself.
Instead, he decided to play his role.
Act one: A nervous student under pressure from Vice Principal Bayel’s overwhelming aura.
Struggling visibly, trembling while struggling to maintain his composure under Bayel’s immense mana projection.
‘Why a fox, huh? Symbolic for Bayel, maybe?’
All the while, he sneakily eyed the growling fox at the Vice Principal’s back.
Though fierce with orange energy emanating from it, closer inspection revealed it possessed a certain cuteness.
Whoosh!
After what felt like an eternity, another sudden gust of wind blew, and the surroundings shifted back to normal.
“Ho ho ho. Nice meeting you.”
“A.”
“Maybe we’ll meet again. All the best with your Academy life.”
Bayel stood and spoke as if nothing had happened, then moved on.
‘Gah, overacting.’
Ryu stayed glued to the spot until the Vice Principal had completely disappeared, pretending to be too frightened to move.
Only when Bayel was truly out of sight and earshot did Ryu finally move.
‘No need to retrieve the mana analyzer after all.’
Their unexpected encounter with Vice Principal Bayel had confirmed his suspicion.
Of the three suspects Yuria had mentioned, Bayel was undoubtedly the fishy one.
Who’d have thought the Vice Principal of the Academy might be the schemer lurking within?
“Phew, good job holding it in.”
Why Bayel had suddenly challenged him to such an energy duel, Ryu hadn’t figured out yet—but from his point of view, it was a blessing.
‘Now I just need a good chat with Professor Amillion.’
With a lighter step, Ryu moved towards the building, now armed with one additional piece of evidence to share with Professor Amillion.
“Oh, Ryu… student Ryu.”
“Ah! Great timing, Professor!”
“What brings you here so early?”
“I have something to talk about. Quick.”
…
Meeting Professor Amillion just as he entered the building only solidified Ryu’s growing confidence.
Amillion’s bewildered expression further reassured Ryu that he could bring him on board with their investigation.
