Curiosity got the better of me, and I channeled mana into my ocular veins, activating my cursed eye technique to read the intentions of the man sitting beside me. His thoughts were oddly pure, almost too superficial, which only made me more wary of him. However, I couldn't say the same for the girls.
Miss Boltaire, or Uriel, struggled to maintain eye contact with the handsome man, but her thoughts were composed, and her face betrayed nothing. A subtle twitch of her cheek—a warning only I noticed—told me to stop prying into her mind.
As for Miss Mary... she was genuinely attracted to him. Typical for a 16-year-old, I suppose. Beyond that, both girls seemed to trust him for now—or at least, they didn't see him as a threat. By "trust," I mean they believed he wasn't aligned with the nobles or any opposing faction. Just a regular guy, or so it seemed.
"I think I should get going," I said, standing up with my empty plate. The handsome man turned his crystalline yellow eyes toward me, scrutinizing me intently. "Thanks again for earlier, Raphael," I added before walking away.
Jerome Kruger - At the Cafeteria
It all happened too quickly. My original plan was to spy on Markov, as ordered by Lord Harold. But while searching for gold, I stumbled upon diamonds. It felt like winning the lottery. The man who had sat beside Markov and seemingly defended him was someone I'd been searching for. I had sensed his mana before.
There was no doubt. That man was the one eavesdropping on us during the meeting. Seeing him with Markov confirmed it: they were partners in crime. But suspicion alone wasn't enough. I needed evidence.
Then something even more interesting caught my eye. The young lady now stuttering in front of the man was none other than Audel's sister, Mary. I hadn't known about Lord Vestiron's connection to Audel until Lady Hera informed me just a day ago. Mary... Audel's sister... Vestiron...
I absorbed the information like the coffee I sipped from my mug. Things were getting intriguing. Mary, Markov, and the mysterious man together—it was a curious combination. And then there was Lady Boltaire. Uriel had always fascinated me with her composed facade and emotionless demeanor. If I had to guess: while Audel was missing, Lady Boltaire, as a high noble, was supporting the rebellion group forming within the academy.
My next move was clear: I needed to investigate the Boltaire mansion.
But a lingering thought nagged at me. Why had Lady Hera privately informed me about Audel's connection to Vestiron? She hadn't even been present at the meeting. Was she plotting something else?
Not that it mattered much to me. Harold or Hera—I was just doing this to pass the time. And if I could gain the trust of the high bloods, maybe my father would finally acknowledge me. Perhaps I could even earn an artifact from them to cure my mother's amnesia. That was all that really mattered.
Messenger Klara - At The National Barracks
Most of the officers from the local barracks had been relocated to the national one, which was in desperate need of manpower. I was one of them, and so was my lieutenant.
I stood outside the door in the empty halls of the national barracks, knocking gently. The sound echoed through the stark white corridor, reminding me just how vast this place was. Each officer of a certain rank was given an entire floor to operate from, and I was currently four stories underground, in a section reserved exclusively for lieutenants.
He was taking too long to answer. And I had a pretty good idea what he was doing.
I barged in and found the man half-unconscious, slumped on the floor beside his desk. The room was a disaster—mountains of paperwork covered not just the table but the entire space. He sat there, dark circles under his eyes, a bottle of alcohol clutched in his left hand and a memoir in his right.
I sighed and shook my head. "Lieutenant, you shouldn't be drinking while on duty." I walked over and dragged him back into his chair. He was already asleep.
My eyes fell on the locket he was clutching. It was an old photo, about ten years old, depicting a happy family. His family. James was only 15 at the time, and his younger sister was just 6. They looked so carefree, so innocent.
But something about the photo unsettled me. The face of his brother was completely blacked out with a pen. Did he resent him? No, that couldn't be it. Just a few days ago, he'd been talking about his brother—something about him hanging out with a girl, if I remembered correctly. So why black out his face?
"Agent Klara," a voice startled me, and I immediately straightened up. I turned to see Lieutenant Yaz stepping into the chaotic room.
"Here," he said, handing me a file with a frown. "General Vincent has ordered James to start an interrogation at IMEMR. According to our intelligence, there are spies from the other continent operating within the academy. Please wake him up when you can."
"I-I'll wake him up right away—" I began, but my words trailed off as I glanced at the man murmuring in his sleep. "Or maybe later."
The lieutenant smiled faintly. "Just look out for him. He's been through a lot since his brother disappeared." With that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps fading into the echoing hallway.
I looked back at the lieutenant, now asleep and vulnerable, and felt a pang of pity. "If only I could comfort you, James..."
"And don't forget to inform him about his promotion!" The lieutenant's voice called out again, startling me once more.
"Lieutenant!" I shouted, but all I heard in response was his faint laughter. Despite the grim circumstances, I couldn't help but smile, clinging to the hope that one day we'd be free from the fear of the other continent.