At that moment, Beatrice's thoughts drifted back to the night before.
Inside a teacher's office on the second floor
Darkness clung to the edges of the room, broken only by a small oil lamp that illuminated the desk and its immediate surroundings.
Professor Kailos Levant sat calmly behind it, carefully flipping through the pages of a thick dossier in his hands.
Suddenly, the window burst open.
Papers scattered, and the curtains whipped violently as cold air rushed inside.
Kailos sighed. He closed the folder, slipped it into the desk drawer, then lifted his gaze toward the black silhouette standing at the window frame.
"Couldn't you enter like a normal person for once, Beatrice?"
The moment she finally heard his voice, Beatrice leapt lightly into the room and landed in front of the desk.
The lamp's golden glow reflected off her chestnut hair, making it shimmer briefly.
She leaned forward, resting one hand against the edge of the desk, and replied with mockery in her tone.
"Looks like you've really settled into your role… to the point you've forgotten who you actually are."
Kailos extended his arm, caught a strand of her hair between his fingers, and examined it with cold detachment before letting go.
"I don't forget my identity while acting,"
he said flatly.
"Unlike you."
He added without interest
"Anyway… why did you choose that color?"
"I've never tried it before. Don't you like it?"
"On the contrary. It's ugly."
A faint smile curved her lips.
"I never thought you had such strict taste…"
She paused, then added in a suspiciously light tone
"Or does it remind you of someone?"
"It's the hair color of someone I despise."
"And who would that be?"
"My father."
Silence fell between them.
After a brief pause, Beatrice forced a polite smile and continued
"Then may I ask why?"
"No. The special performance is over. Now it's your turn."
She sighed and turned her gaze away, muttering
"Damn it… I really thought you'd fallen for it."
"In your dreams."
He stared at her coldly.
"Enough nonsense. Tell me everything."
"Well… that's progress, at least. I'll let you off this time."
He didn't respond.
His silent stare was sharper than any words, making Beatrice avert her gaze uneasily.
She pulled a chair beside the desk and sat down, interlacing her fingers as she spoke.
"Alright, I get it. Don't look at me like that… I'll tell you everything."
Her expression slowly hardened as she locked eyes with him.
Kailos knew then that this was no trivial matter.
"Kyle… are you certain the artifact you gave him is effective?"
The question came without warning.
Internally shaken, he replied firmly
"What happened?"
"Things went according to plan—for the most part. But he was on the brink of death. I could smell his blood from far away."
She paused before continuing.
"Thanks to the other piece I brought with me, I was able to locate him quickly. But his condition… it wasn't good."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Beatrice watched his reaction closely.
Despite his outward composure, the turmoil in his eyes was unmistakable.
His teeth clenched as he sank into thought before finally asking
"Did anyone see him like that?"
"I'm not sure. But his teammate was involved in the incident. They fell together from the rocky cliff in the southern forest during the field test."
She exhaled slowly.
"When I arrived, both of them were near death. I had to heal them immediately—even knowing it would raise suspicions… I couldn't leave them to die."
"Then it's likely he witnessed his condition firsthand."
Kailos said it with calculated calm.
"Take care of him properly. Dig into his background and report everything to me."
Beatrice hesitated, then spoke more quietly.
"And that's where the second problem lies… His name is Raymond Baskerville."
"…What?"
She lowered her gaze with a sigh, while Kailos pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting off the headache that surged through him.
"So he's the one that man never stops rambling about… Touching him would be a declaration of war."
He fell silent for a moment before muttering internally,
How did that madman even allow that child to enroll in this academy? No matter how I think about it, it makes no sense…
Then, aloud, he said
"Watch him as well. And this time, stay closer to Gilbert Klein. Don't take your eyes off him—even if you're placed in a situation like today's again."
Makes it sound so easy… as if he's forgotten I have to pretend to be an ordinary student too.
Beatrice thought, forcing a polite smile.
"Understood. I'll do everything I can."
She hesitated, then added
"There's something else… Any updates on the target?"
Kailos stood and walked toward the window, cautiously scanning the outside.
Once he confirmed there was no suspicious activity, he returned to the desk.
"Raven is certain the individual entered this region recently, but their identity hasn't been confirmed. What remains depends on us."
He paused briefly, then added
"We've narrowed the list of suspects down to the top ten students of this year."
Beatrice rested her chin on her hand, thinking.
"Excluding the Klein and Baskerville heirs… and myself, of course—that shortens the list considerably. I'll keep an eye on all of them and update you on the most likely candidate."
"I'm counting on you."
She looked at him, puzzled.
"But how did you know they were among the top ten?"
"I received one piece of information about his personality,"
he replied calmly.
"His narcissism won't allow him to remain inferior to others. Even if he tries to hide, he'll never accept an ordinary rank."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"That's a disturbingly twisted way of thinking…"
Then she asked seriously
"Kyle… what do you plan to do next?"
"Contact Raven regarding Baskerville."
He paused.
"And there's someone else who's been troubling me for some time. I'll look into him."
"Looks like we're fully occupied."
She smiled with faint sarcasm.
"I thought you left the dirty work to your subordinates while you lazed about… Seems I was wrong."
The corner of Kailos's mouth lifted slightly.
"Is that how a subordinate usually speaks to her superior?"
Then he gestured toward the window.
"Go. You've stayed longer than you should have."
"…Alright. See you."
The present
Kailos left after exchanging a brief glance with Beatrice, leaving her behind to steel her resolve and continue the mission.
On the other side of the field, Gilbert and Raymond were still arguing with the instructor over his firm decision, until Leo and Arthur stepped in to back them up.
Arthur was the more hot-headed of the two, while Leo tried to calm the situation with a balanced approach.
However, Arthur's enthusiasm was rewarded with a swift strike to the stomach from the tip of a broken sword—the very one the instructor had snatched from Gilbert's hand moments earlier.
The three of them were stunned by the instructor's speed, retreating instinctively.
Arthur groaned softly, leaning against Leo while clutching his abdomen, a hint of regret settling in.
The class had ended some time ago, and most of the students had already left.
Only a handful remained, entertained by what had turned into a near-comedic spectacle.
Among them, Beatrice still stood beside Athena.
At that moment, she realized that fleeting scenes like this sometimes made her forget…
That she had a far greater objective than merely lingering among ordinary students.