A young woman with curly, fiery-orange hair, large frameless round glasses, and freckles scattered across her face stood casually at a floor-to-ceiling window, watching with amusement as a teleportation array was energetically assembled below.
Suddenly, a knock echoed from the door.
"Master Latina, are you there?"
"Come in. It's unlocked," the girl named Latina replied nonchalantly.
Despite her invitation, the door remained closed. Instead, the wall briefly glowed with earthen-yellow light, and several mages phased through it directly into the room.
Upon seeing Latina, the elderly mage leading them gave a slight bow.
"It is an honor to work alongside you on this mission, Master Latina."
"Given how mediocre you lot are, feeling honored is only natural," Latina said dismissively.
A few younger mages behind him bristled at her bluntness but quickly fell silent under the elder's stern glance.
To those pursuing the true depths of Arcana, neither age nor appearance mattered—only knowledge was respected. And Latina, despite her youthful looks, had earned every right to look down upon them as mediocre.
A [Six-Ring Arcana Mage], known widely as "Latina the Reborn."
Though once aged and nearing death, she'd somehow stumbled upon ancient texts and accidentally performed a miracle of rejuvenation—magic typically achievable only by Arcana Masters of [Eight Rings] or above. While she insisted the texts had since been destroyed and the feat unrepeatable, just one successful use of such forbidden magic had propelled her to celebrity status within the Tower of Chronomancy. Rumors even whispered that if she reached the [Seventh Ring], even the legendary [Twelfth Ring] wouldn't be beyond her grasp.
"How goes the task I assigned you?" Latina asked.
The elder looked ashamed as he answered:
"Unfortunately, Master Latina, despite trying numerous methods—including [Soul Searching Arcana]—we've been unable to contact Ken. We must assume he's already disappeared."
"Hmm. Shadow Knights?" Latina speculated.
"No," the elder shook his head. "Our contacts within the Shadow Knights indicate they're still desperately hunting him down, genuinely and intensely. It doesn't appear to be a cover-up."
"I see," Latina nodded with a frown. "Troublesome indeed."
The elderly mage lowered his head further in embarrassment.
Though the Arcana network within Zijinghua Empire leaked information like a sieve, Eden Academy was one place guarded fiercely by that Dragonblood Empress, utterly impenetrable. Ken was their sole insider there, recruited at great risk. Just when he was about to prove useful, he'd vanished without a trace.
"It's almost as if someone deliberately targeted us," Latina murmured thoughtfully. "Do we have any idea who's behind this?"
Before the old mage could respond, the door burst open loudly. A young man swaggered in boldly, smiling carelessly.
"This is Master Latina's room, right? Ah, how fortunate—everyone's here already."
Immediately, the elder and his companions tensed, magic flickering ominously beneath their robes. Latina calmly raised a hand, signaling them to stand down.
"Relax. He's weak and unarmed."
Latina had placed detection wards at her doorway. Every mage who entered through the door was immediately scanned for their Arcana strength and equipment. This was precisely why the elder's group had chosen to enter through the walls instead. Nobody wanted their secrets exposed to a stronger mage.
Yet, this young man had entered without hesitation, making it impossible to tell if he was arrogant or oblivious.
"Linen Norton?!"
Behind the elder, a young mage blurted out involuntarily. Linen turned to him, intrigued.
"Will Sarion? Aren't you one of Silva's men? Ah, I see—we're colleagues after all."
"Colleagues? What nonsense are you spouting?" Will replied in confusion.
"Colleagues, as in we're all cute, traitorous, backstabbing spies who eat from the inside," Linen laughed heartily.
"You!" Will angrily removed his hood, his face livid. "Master Latina, this man is the Third Prince of Zijinghua, one of Ken's students! He's clearly suspicious—capture him now!"
"You're telling me how to do my job?" Latina tilted her head, giving him an amused glance.
"I—" Will swallowed hard, quickly shutting up but continuing to glare furiously at Linen.
"Your Highness, thank you for visiting. But I'm afraid we have no idea what you're talking about. Mr. Sarion is here on loan from the Shadow Knights as an inspector, and the rest of us merely represent the Artificer's Association," the elder calmly stated.
Linen nearly laughed aloud at the blatant lie. He hadn't expected this group to be so cautious and stubborn, even now refusing to admit their affiliation despite knowing he was alone.
"Fine, fine, let's pretend," Linen shrugged casually. "Today, I'm here for just two things. First, let me save you some effort: you can stop searching for Ken—I killed him."
"What?!"
His statement exploded in the room like thunder. Even the elderly mage, usually composed, was shocked. But quickly regaining composure, he said quietly to Will.
"Mr. Sarion, perhaps you should report this news to Captain Silva. Ken's disappearance can now be closed, though I doubt it affects us much."
Linen ignored him, focusing instead on Latina, who had watched the scene unfold with great curiosity.
Her earlier indifference had vanished, replaced by genuine excitement as she stepped forward eagerly.
"How fascinating, Prince Linen! You're saying a mere [First-Ring] mage like you quietly killed Ken, a battle-hardened [Third-Ring] mage, without anyone noticing? If that's true, I'd really love to dissect your brain and see how you did it!"
"Master Latina! He's the Empress's son!" the elder exclaimed nervously, too alarmed even to hide his identity anymore. Latina genuinely wanted to dissect the son of the Dragonblood Empress—right here in Eden Academy!
"Relax, Tarn, it was just a joke. You never did have a sense of humor," Latina shrugged lightly. "But I suppose honesty deserves honesty."
Turning back to Linen, Latina smiled dangerously.
"As you've guessed, we're indeed from the Tower of Chronomancy. But if you intended to leave and report us, I'm afraid it's already too late."
A flash of Arcana sealed the room completely—soundproof, sightproof, touchproof.
Linen smiled contentedly and boldly sat down on a nearby sofa.
"Thank you, Master Latina, for your honesty. Now let me reveal my second goal—the main reason I came here."
He paused briefly for effect.
"I'd like to join the Tower of Chronomancy."
Silence immediately fell over the room.
Everyone stared dumbfounded at the young prince lounging on the sofa, except Latina, whose eyes glinted with intrigue.
The second prince of the Zijinghua Empire wanted to join the Tower? It was absurd—like a devil suddenly declaring devotion to holy light.
Will scowled fiercely.
"Don't treat us like fools, Linen Norton! If you truly wanted to join the Tower, why kill our ally, Ken?"
Linen glanced dismissively at Will.
"Because he was just as stupid as you, mistrusted me, and even tried to assassinate me."
"You—!" Will was rendered speechless.
Latina laughed softly, sitting intimately next to Linen, leaning her body lightly against his shoulder and whispering close to his ear.
"I truly want to believe your sincerity, Prince Linen. However, two points remain unclear, making it difficult for us to trust you completely."
"One: Why would a royal prince betray his own nation and approach us?"
"Two: How did you, a mere [First-Ring] mage, manage to kill Ken—a [Third-Ring] mage—without any help from the Shadow Knights or others from Eden Academy?"
Linen nodded approvingly.
"You're indeed sharp, Master Latina—unlike a certain someone here. Allow me to explain."
Will seethed silently at the insult.
"Firstly, I'm not betraying my country. I'm betraying my dear mother, the Dragonblood Empress. Everyone knows that despite my limited talent, she forced me into Eden Academy, ready to discard me anytime. You must know that."
Latina nodded thoughtfully. Few knew, but she had heard whispers about Linen's precarious position before.
"There you have it," Linen shrugged. "If my mother refuses to treat me like her child, why should I remain loyal? Cooperating with you means power for me and Arcana resources for you. We all benefit. Isn't that ideal?"
"Continue," Latina smiled approvingly.
"As for your second question," Linen smiled mysteriously. "I indeed wasn't Ken's match. I had assistance from a certain high-ranking member within your Tower. If you wish, I can demonstrate precisely how I dealt with Ken."
"A high-ranking member's help? Nonsense!" Will scoffed. "If such a member truly aided you, you wouldn't be here facing our suspicion. I think you're collaborating with the Shadow Knights!"
"You don't trust me?" Linen narrowed his eyes.
"Of course not!" Will declared defiantly.
Bang!
Will barely registered the sharp noise before his world spun, and he collapsed.
Linen calmly turned to Latina:
"And that's how I did it."
But Latina was no longer looking at Linen's face—her flushed cheeks and heated gaze were locked passionately onto the weapon in Linen's right hand, peering greedily at its contents.
"A [Forbidden Arcana] weapon—[Termination Rounds]!"