Chapter 281

Chapter 281 – Efficiency Relative to Mass

Rushing away from his residence, Parun made a straight line for the academy grounds.

“From this point forward, you will be the guide.”

“Myself?”

“There must be a secret route you utilize to slip in and out.”

Rather than passing through the main entrance, Parun was adamant about sneaking in via a less conspicuous path.

The request raised plenty of red flags, yet I refrained from pressing for answers and simply guided him toward the specific stretch of wall I frequently scaled.

“Are we heading to the research room?”

“Precisely.”

Infiltrating the academy side-by-side with one of its own faculty members.

It felt like quite an unconventional scenario, though the sheer gravity of Parun’s demeanor left absolutely no room to enjoy the novelty of it.

Steering clear of any potential witnesses, we eventually made our way into Parun’s private research room.

“Remain here.”

Parun immediately began moving with frantic urgency around the space, pulling various papers and records from different corners.

I observed his frantic movements in silence for a brief moment before sharpening my perceptions to stay alert for any sudden complications.

Just past the main office area, the communal laboratory area was humming with activity despite it being the weekend.

Those individuals were undoubtedly Parun’s research assistants—showing up on a rest day proved that their dedication to academic pursuits was truly formidable.

‘One day, the Magic Tower ought to operate with that exact level of commitment.’

I lost track of how long I stood vigil before he finally spoke.

“It is secured. Let us depart.”

Retracing our path, we slipped back out and made our way back toward his residence.

However…

‘What on earth is motivating this behavior?’

I found myself completely unable to comprehend Parun’s current conduct.

Evading notice within the academy boundaries shouldn’t have posed a challenge for someone like Parun, who was intimately familiar with every nook and cranny of the institution.

Yet…

• From this point forward, you will be the guide.

He had displayed an extreme level of paranoia, going so far as to demand that I take the lead.

Furthermore, the meticulous care he took while gathering those records mirrored the behavior of a thief plundering an entirely foreign laboratory.

‘Could he actually be misappropriating assets?’

It crossed my mind as a distinct possibility.

Individuals engaged in financial fraud are notoriously thorough, covering their tracks against even the most minor liabilities.

Engrossed in these speculations throughout our trek, it wasn’t long before the familiar perimeter of the estate came back into view.

“A relief we managed to return without delay.”

Only after crossing the threshold into his personal study did Parun finally let his shoulders drop, exhaling a heavy breath of release. Seeing this, I couldn’t hold back my inquiry any longer.

“Is it genuinely financial fraud?”

“Are you going to keep spouting nonsense?”

“Nonsense?”

No, that wasn’t the core issue here.

“What is truly occurring right now?”

Parun’s erratic behavior defied straightforward logic.

The removal of the previous academy head was a direct consequence of the royal succession feud, aimed at keeping the Third Imperial Princess in check.

It wasn’t a matter that Parun—a man completely divorced from political maneuvering—should be responding to with such intense anxiety.

And more than anything else…

‘He undeniably possessed insider knowledge.’

Had that not been the case, there was no logical way he could have reacted with such rapid urgency the moment the updates reached him.

This meant Parun likely understood the comprehensive reality behind this crisis—and that specific context was precisely what I needed to uncover.

I required the underlying facts to properly evaluate whether the former academy head’s predicament warranted my genuine concern or not.

After a tense silence following my question, Parun finally broke his reserve.

“…Sigh, very well. You deserve to be informed. This matter isn’t completely detached from your own interests.”

“My interests?”

The Muspelun Grand Duke… actually, it’s better to stick to calling him the senior. One ought to maintain consistency in terminology, regardless of nobility titles.

He occupied the role of my senior during our days in Rehime, meaning he should retain that exact title even after ascending as a grand duke. Naturally.

At any rate, I speculated whether this “interest” he mentioned tied back to the Muspelun senior.

I had previously informed Parun that the Muspelun senior had intervened on behalf of the Magic Tower.

Yet, that didn’t quite hit the mark.

…It played a minor role, perhaps, but it wasn’t the primary catalyst.

“Let us look at the most grim scenario. Do you truly believe the royal faction will consider their work finished after merely neutralizing the principal? The likelihood of them deploying imperial examiners is exceptionally high. Even if it remains a gamble, we must plan for the worst-case development. If those examiners do arrive, what follows? If I were in their position, I would thoroughly ransack every single professor’s laboratory on these grounds.”

“And then?”

“What do you mean ‘and then’? Do you imagine imperial examiners will satisfy themselves with basic paperwork? They will confiscate absolutely everything—physical documents, spatial storage devices, the entire inventory. Do you grasp the situation now?”

No further elaboration was required.

The moment the phrase “spatial storage devices” left his mouth, the puzzle pieces clicked into place.

“The Heavenly Origin Art, along with the Infinite Chain.”

“Precisely, that is the issue.”

We had come perilously close to inadvertently delivering the entirety of our concealed esoteric techniques and hidden relics directly into the hands of the crown.

The sheer thought of it was chilling. Yet, another inconsistency immediately surface in my mind.

“Then what is the issue with the laboratory paperwork?”

“Those contain the foundational derivations for both the Heavenly Origin Art and the Infinite Chain.”

I had harbored concerns that they were left out in the open where anyone could see, but it turned out that wasn’t the case.

Because the data was scattered and incomplete, even an expert scholar dedicated to deciphering the Heavenly Origin Art or the Infinite Chain wouldn’t be able to reconstruct the full picture from them.

Why then go to such lengths to retrieve them so frantically?

The explanation was straightforward.

‘Because it bears absolutely no connection to authorized institutional research?’

That discrepancy alone would provide the imperial examiners with an unassailable justification to act.

Those royal investigators were notoriously relentless, latching onto the tiniest hint of irregularity like rabid beasts until they tore everything apart.

“But isn’t this reacting prematurely? Nothing has been confirmed yet.”

“The probability is overwhelmingly high, and even if the odds were minuscule, we cannot afford to ignore the danger.”

“…Understood.”

His logic was sound.

Setting that aside for the moment.

‘I comprehend the basic framework of the situation, but…’

My primary underlying query remained unanswered.

What I truly sought to understand was the hidden political machinery that led to the former academy head’s capture.

When I shifted my line of questioning to target that specific element, Parun nonchalantly offered up the details he possessed as though it were common knowledge.

‘It aligns almost perfectly with my initial deductions.’

Whether engineered by the First Prince or the Second Prince, the former academy head was targeted specifically to undermine the leverage of the Third Imperial Princess.

The underlying motivation matched my suspicions: the former academy head was covertly affiliated with the Bear-Eaten Moon.

‘To put it plainly, they dreaded the prospect of the Muspelun senior throwing his weight behind the Third Imperial Princess because of his existing connections to the former academy head…’

Parun volunteered his personal analysis as well: the maneuver was likely designed to suppress the Muspelun senior himself, rather than solely targeting the princess.

“If a sorcerer from the Bear-Eaten Moon occupies the seat of academy principal, the royal court will naturally view it as a threat. His reach already extends to the highest echelons of power, and now the brightest minds of the academy are being funneled directly toward the Muspelun Grand Duke as well.”

“Does the dynamic operate on that scale?”

“You lack the perspective to see it, but a massive portion of the empire’s elite talents are products of this very academy.”

Even if one completely factored out the Third Imperial Princess, there was ample motivation to neutralize the former academy head.

‘…Could this be the reason the senior was prepared to face his demise?’

The Muspelun senior possessed zero ambition for royal inheritance or political dominance, yet the surrounding factions would never view his neutrality as genuine.

Having gathered that much context, I casually floated another question.

“So, is the principal completely finished?”

“Hardly. If their objective was execution, they wouldn’t have orchestrated such an elaborate theater. Furthermore, both the Muspelun Grand Duke and the Bear-Eaten Moon represent significant strategic complications for the royal court to handle lightly.”

They might comprise only a solitary specialized sorcery division, but their network of devout supporters was immense.

…Which included a substantial number of individuals mirroring the former academy head, maintaining influential societal positions while keeping their true affiliations shrouded.

A faction that once specialized strictly in “battlefield enforcement” had evolved to wield massive institutional leverage.

‘Therefore, the former academy head remains secure for the time being.’

That realization brought a sense of comfort.

However, it simultaneously birthed a separate paradox.

“Doesn’t that move carry the exact same danger of alienating the Muspelun Grand Duke? What occurs if he takes offense and actively chooses to align with the Third Imperial Princess?”

“Regarding that…”

I pressed the point under the assumption that he possessed some deeper insight, but Parun’s voice faltered.

It appeared that even his understanding had reached its limits on that front.

Though the political waters remained deeply unsettled…

‘…In the grand scheme, it likely changes very little.’

“Shifting focus for a moment. Are these examiners truly that certain to arrive?”

“I have already explained that the mere threat of it warrants these measures. Think critically for a moment. What instrument of authority can the royal court deploy with the least amount of resistance?”

An official inquiry team?

“Scarcely anyone emerges entirely vindicated when subjected to an intensive audit. Furthermore, it presents a golden opportunity to supplant the academy’s faculty with their own loyalists. Alternatively, it serves to crush the resolve of the incoming principal to ensure total institutional compliance.”

Ah, it makes perfect sense now.

The clarity of his explanation caused me to finally nod along in agreement.

“The output relative to the sheer scale of effort is rather…”

“What are you muttering, you little brat?”

“Cease your complaints and take custody of these.”

Parun effortlessly redirected the conversation, extracting the laboratory documents from his personal spatial storage device.

Following that…

“Ensure you secure this as well.”

He produced an additional stack retrieved from his concealed vault.

And then…

“This one too.”

“…”

Before long, the surface of the desk was buried beneath an immense mountain of records.

Ultimately, as I took possession of the wooden container housing the Infinite Chain, I was forced to acknowledge the reality of the situation with a sense of reluctant defeat.

‘The output relative to the sheer scale of effort…’

So this was what total submission felt like.

“Does your spatial storage device possess the capacity for all of this?”

“…It appears capable of handling it.”

“Excellent. Take your leave immediately. Furthermore, maintain your distance from this area for the foreseeable future. I shall initiate contact when the time is right.”

“…”

Offering no verbal confirmation, I quietly transferred the collection of papers into my spatial storage.

Whoever coined the phrase about a mature stalk of grain bowing low certainly knew what they were talking about. I finally understood the sentiment.

…The output relative to the sheer scale of effort.

My state of despondency proved to be short-lived.

The moment I stepped away from Parun’s estate, I altered my trajectory and made haste directly back toward the academy grounds.

‘An imminent arrival of royal examiners is highly probable, is it?’

Though it was merely Parun’s educated deduction, I resolved to conduct my next moves under the firm assumption that it was an absolute certainty.

Steeling my resolve, there was critical business demanding my immediate attention.

‘…Professor Pellina.’

It was imperative that I reclaim Prezen’s artifact from her custody.

Upon reaching Professor Pellina’s private research quarters.

I clicked my tongue in sheer irritation as I stared into the completely deserted chamber.

“Unbelievable… that woman is perpetually absent.”

She executed her instructional duties with absolute punctuality, meaning she was definitely present on campus, yet she was never to be found within her personal office.

The only signs of life were always her assistants scurrying about the communal laboratory space situated just beyond the partition.

‘Sigh, what course of action should I take now?’

Massaging my temples, I forced my under-stimulated intellect to evaluate the dilemma.

The issue of what to do regarding Prezen’s artifact weighed heavily.

Should I simply place my faith in Professor Pellina and leave it in her possession?

‘…Absolutely not.’

Prezen’s artifact held the potential to serve as the core foundation for the Magic Tower’s defensive perimeter down the line.

Consider the implications.

During the crisis within the Trial Chamber, even the faculty members operating at the absolute peak of their capabilities were utterly powerless to penetrate the spatial isolation generated by Prezen’s artifact… What if that exact barrier were expanded to encompass the entire tower infrastructure?

“The results would be magnificent.”

There was simply no scenario where I could willingly abandon it.

Consequently, I had to find a method to secure Prezen’s artifact by any means necessary.

“Could she be keeping it on her person? If so, that would be incredibly convenient… Hold on a moment.”

Sweeping my gaze across the interior of Professor Pellina’s workspace, my attention was drawn toward the massive shelving unit holding her books.

It appeared to be a completely standard bookcase.

It was crammed to capacity with esoteric texts and overflowing folders, identical to the workspace of any typical academic.

However, my eyes caught the specific structural alignment of the unit.

‘That particular design framework…’

Right around this position?

Awakening the finely honed habits of a seasoned Troubleshooter, I began systematically testing the volumes one by one, feeling for any irregularities.

‘Not this volume. Nor this one.’

After shifting several books out of alignment and returning them to their places.

Click!

A minute, metallic snap resonated through the quiet room.

Shrrrk—

A segment of the massive bookcase smoothly parted ways, shifting to expose the bare masonry behind it.

As the mechanism ground to a halt, I caught sight of a reinforced security vault set directly into the wall space.

“Let us evaluate this… a manual combination lock.”

An incredibly pricey, bespoke security piece featuring a highly intricate locking array, yet it posed no real obstacle to someone of my background.

I had bypassed identical locking systems hundreds of times throughout my career.

Because of that.

Clunk, clack!

Accompanied by a deeply gratifying mechanical release, the heavy vault door swung open.

A single thought crossed my mind:

“…Incredibly fortunate.”

Resting inside the dark interior was a single gauntlet. It was, beyond a shadow of doubt, Prezen’s artifact.