Chapter 482: Stirring the Grass to Frighten the Snake
There’s not much to say about the Security Team; it’s just a typical beginning-of-the-semester situation when Euphilia had that one unsettling night encounter in the dorm area.
Since then, it has pretty much been business as usual.
When the Security Team arrives, it’s usually a few minutes too late, and their device for pinpointing the alarm location is about as sensitive as a brick. They could be spinning around for ages without nailing down an exact spot.
They’ve also tried staking out a few times, but let’s be real: it’s a dorm area—the nighttime shenanigans are hardly convenient.
So, in the end, their efforts amount to nada.
“Got it! Leave this to me,” Euphilia declared, after she casually inquired about the timing of the incidents.
Beilin hesitated a moment before asking, “Um… is the dean planning to stake out as well?”
“Of course not.”
Beilin sighed in relief.
Thank goodness! Forcing Euphilia to sit around lurking would be a bit too humiliating—better off just letting her chill.
If Euphilia knew what Beilin was thinking, she would have patted her on the shoulder and handed over this glorious task like an academic baton.
Alas, Euphilia wasn’t equipped with mind-reading skills.
Truth be told, their logic wasn’t off. When conventional methods fall flat, it’s time to revert to basic, old-fashioned strategies.
After all, the answer is always lurking nearby.
But here’s the twist: it’s gotta be subtle, and it’s going to be a long-haul process.
The movements of the Security Team are hard to miss, and they can’t stay lurking forever, so it’s not really their style.
But someone is perfectly suited for this role!
Enter Yuliya—or Riya, if you prefer.
She literally lives in the dorm area and spends all her nights there, like a nocturnal studybear.
And Yuliya doesn’t even need sleep; her perception range is extensive—practically the ideal security camera!
They hadn’t realized this before simply because they weren’t aware. Plus, the alarms at night in the dorms are toned down to avoid disturbing the students’ beauty sleep.
Now that they’ve sniffed out this lead, anyone on the lookout would snag a culprit in no time.
Thus, an uncomplicated yet remarkably effective crime-solving method emerged.
You might picture sleuthing as picking up every little detail, piecing together psychologies, and finally deducing the perpetrator with all evidence in tow.
But the actual method? It’s all about waiting for the rabbit to hop by.
What followed was your classic campus life.
For Riya and Euphilia, it was business as usual—just a bit more vigilance at night.
Euphilia also found a moment to chat with Mitina about the barrier situation, and Mitina naturally agreed without hesitation.
“Feel free to do anything you want, consider this place your home.”
Then Euphilia casually dumped a stack of paperwork on Mitina.
“This place is also your home, so pull your weight!”
Not on my watch that I’m doing all the work alone!
Euphilia and Mitina tackled the barrier task, taking it step by step, first laying out a framework to confirm the direction, then passing the nitty-gritty work down to the underlings.
Meanwhile, Riya kept her watchful eye on the dorm area.
For two whole days, not a peep, making everyone think the situation was all wrapped up.
Then, on the third night, finally, there was some action.
Yuliya jolted awake at the faintest hint of an alarm.
She approached the window, her eyes glimmering like a cat spotting a passing squirrel, and stared intently at the barrier above.
After a moment, she pinpointed the location: northwest, three buildings away.
Wait a minute—wasn’t that the same spot she marked her first time?
All this time, and they’re still casting spells from the same site?
And judging by the general area, it looked like some dormitory building.
Could it be a bored student practicing spells at ungodly hours? That’s some serious dedication!
Yuliya felt a tad puzzled.
The most straightforward method now was to teleport nearby and check it out.
But if it’s some random student in a dorm, she wouldn’t know which room to sneak up on.
Magical waves are about as discreet as a marching band; even she could only narrow it down to a small area.
There’s no way she could flit around like a ghost, popping in and out of dorms at night just to confirm, right?
Plus, using magic in the dorm could trigger alarms, attracting unnecessary trouble.
After mulling it over, Yuliya decided to sit tight for the moment.
A while later, a little squad showed up—it was the Security Team—but by the time they arrived, all the disturbances, including the alarm sounds, had faded away like last night’s pizza.
They combed through a few nearby buildings and ultimately returned empty-handed.
After that, nights turned calm and quiet, with no more incidents to report.
The next morning, Yuliya sauntered down the path to class with her buddies as usual.
When they passed that building, she looked up and gave it a once-over.
“Riya, what are you staring at?” Inif asked.
Yuliya pointed, “I just realized this building has a certain charm, doesn’t it?”
The other three followed her gaze but saw nothing remarkable.
“Really? It looks just like our building.”
“All dorms here have the same style.”
“But the layout and environment here are great!” Yuliya insisted.
Then she launched into a whole spiel about plant distribution, sunlight angles, and even Feng Shui.
In short, this building was jaw-droppingly gorgeous, causing passersby to glance up and admire it too.
Is it really that stunning?
In reality, it was pretty much the same with only a few potted plants on a couple of windowsills.
“So, which students live in that building?”
Now that was the million-dollar question.
The trio thought it over and collectively shook their heads.
Inif sensed something odd about this, while the other two were still freshies and completely clueless.
But a passerby chimed in.
“Dorm assignments are random, but it seems there are more Martial Arts Academy students in that building.”
“Oh, what a shame. If there were Magic Academy students, they might have an edge.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“The environment.”
“I remember two spots that belong to Magic Academy students.”
Yuliya squinted her eyes, “Where?”
The person pointed to a couple of locations.
Yuliya nodded, “I bet their grades are pretty good.”
“Wouldn’t know about that.”
As a spontaneous side note, this little curiosity didn’t draw much attention.
Even the trio thought Yuliya was just in a good mood, mistaking everything for beauty.
But inadvertently, Yuliya snagged a tiny nugget of valuable intel.
She could easily find out more about that building.
Today, she’d send Euphilia over to check it out because whatever news she got would undoubtedly be more precise than vague hearsay.
But she deliberately set this scene in plain sight with an ulterior motive.
And one of her favorite pastimes: stirring the grass to scare the snake.
Let’s see if anyone responds to this little show!
