Chapter 284

Chapter 284 – Why This Sudden Melancholy?

Professor Pellina had been detained.

The gossip, initially circulating in quiet murmurs among a small group of pupils, had rippled across the entire student body before the midday meal concluded.

While every other faculty member carried on with their classes undisturbed by the ongoing investigation, Professor Pellina stood out dramatically as the sole educator to be locked up.

The reactions generally fell into two camps.

The first:

“There’s no chance Professor Pellina would get mixed up in something like that, right?”

“Exactly. Besides, how could she have known the crown’s inspectors were arriving? It doesn’t make sense for it to be her.”

It was unthinkable that Professor Pellina was responsible.

The fact that the hidden treasury was bare was a mere fluke, and the examiners calling her in was just a standard safety measure to cover all bases.

Naturally, a substantial number of academics were convinced of her guilt.

“I’ve heard that researching magical artifacts provides the perfect cover for laundering illegal funds.”

“I overheard some lab assistants mentioning that her department receives the highest amount of research grants.”

“Furthermore, the imperial inspectors wouldn’t have locked her away without concrete evidence.”

To them, the plundered vault was no accident, and her detention was driven by definitive proof.

Thus, the student population divided into opposing factions, engaging in heated debates—though in reality, nobody genuinely cared about the deeper implications.

For the youth, the professor’s apprehension was merely a fascinating piece of drama that bore no relevance to their own lives.

It was, quite literally, watching a distant blaze safely from the opposite riverbank.

Except for a single individual.

I lacked the luxury of viewing Professor Pellina’s imprisonment as a detached spectacle.

For what reason?

Because the spark that ignited that very blaze might have come from my own hands.

That realization was precisely why I had intercepted Evelyn right as she prepared to exit the campus grounds to lay out the whole situation.

“So, if I am tracking your words correctly, Aster…”

The lectures had ended, and we were standing along a secluded path on the academy grounds.

Evelyn remained patient until I concluded my explanation before offering a composed reply.

“To begin with, you are the person who broke into Professor Pellina’s concealed repository, correct?”

“W-Well, yes… though ‘breaking into’ isn’t quite right. I was merely reclaiming my own property…”

“It amounts to the same thing.”

No, it really didn’t.

Calling it a break-in made it sound like an act of burglary. In reality, the Phrizen artifact belonged to me from the very beginning. Professor Pellina had merely borrowed it for academic study.

Yet, Evelyn pressed on, completely indifferent to those nuances.

In her eyes, the crux of the matter was straightforward:

‘I broke in… and as a direct result, Professor Pellina was locked up.’

I opened my mouth to correct her perception, but Evelyn beat me to the punch.

“But even so, what of it?”

“…What do you mean?”

What of it?

“I understand. You behaved exactly as you always do… didn’t you? My real question is, why are you sharing this information with me?”

“The thing is…”

I paused to organize my mind.

Why had I approached her?

“I was hoping to figure out if there is some method to secure Professor Pellina’s release.”

“Free her?”

I gave a firm nod in response to her inquiry.

That was the ultimate answer I sought.

Try as I might, no viable solutions came to mind.

‘Dealing with a typical aristocratic lineage would be far simpler, but crossing paths with the royal household complicates things entirely.’

I couldn’t simply feign madness, launch an assault, and cause absolute chaos. Furthermore, I lacked the legal expertise required to absolve her of allegations regarding the destruction of evidence.

Even if I possessed such knowledge, standing up against royal investigators seemed highly improbable…

‘Regardless, it’s a responsibility I can’t completely ignore, right?’

From my perspective, Evelyn was the person most knowledgeable in these matters.

Whether it stemmed from her mercantile background or not, she possessed a solid understanding of legal affairs and regulations.

Naturally, I wasn’t expecting miracles.

I simply assumed her instincts would surpass my own.

As I watched her silently with those expectations, Evelyn finally broke the silence.

“Truthfully, it isn’t an entirely hopeless situation.”

“An actual solution exists?”

She affirmed my query with a nod.

“Yes. For the moment, Professor Pellina is merely being detained under ‘allegations’ that haven’t been verified. Consequently, one strategy involves shutting down the inquiry before any formal charges are solidified.”

Shut down the inquiry?

“In what manner?”

“How? You possess a connection with Grand Duke Muspellun, do you not? From the current political landscape, it appears the First Prince and Second Prince are executing maneuvers to suppress the Third Princess. Do you honestly believe he would remain passive if he caught wind of this?”

“He… likely wouldn’t.”

“Therefore, the most direct path is for you to get in touch with Grand Duke Muspellun. Inform him regarding the current state of affairs within the academy.”

Essentially, leveraging my social network…

However, as I processed her words, an uncertainty surfaced.

“How did you figure out that the First and Second Princes were behind this?”

Evelyn had brought up the underlying motivations for the campus chaos with complete nonchalance.

Given that I hadn’t disclosed such details, my curiosity piqued, but she merely offered a casual shrug.

“I gathered a few threads during the Golden stuff. Operating large-scale enterprises requires networks linked to the crown, otherwise survival is difficult. Information just tends to find its way to you naturally.”

Ah, that was logical.

My feeling of being completely blind to the bigger picture was clearly just my own insecurity.

At any rate, returning to the primary issue.

“If reaching out to Senior Muspellun were an option, I would have pursued it by now. Furthermore, I don’t believe Obern is accessible at the moment.”

“Is that so? Well, then our options are spent on that front.”

“Spent…?”

Evelyn gave a pragmatic nod.

Her demeanor remained entirely transparent as she proceeded to explain:

“This is no ordinary administrative review. It mirrors a precision strike, and the ultimate objective is clear to you, isn’t it? They want to depose Principal Schubertz.”

“…Indeed.”

“Yet, from everything I gather, Principal Schubertz has managed the institution with absolute integrity, leaving no trace of profound malpractice. How does one topple a figure with an unblemished record?”

“I suppose…”

“By inventing defects where there are none. The sweeping inspection targeting the entire campus rather than focusing solely on the headmaster is likely designed for that very outcome.”

Her perspective aligned with Parun’s assessment, albeit from an alternate viewpoint.

They agreed entirely on the ‘intent of the inspection,’ yet diverged on the exact methodology required to achieve it.

Parun operated under the assumption that beneath any surface lay hidden grime if one excavated deeply enough… whereas Evelyn maintained that a lack of existing dirt simply meant one had to manufacture it out of thin air.

Regardless.

“In a climate like this, even the blameless must tread with extreme caution. Unfortunately, Professor Pellina has already handed them a vulnerability.”

“Is that how you see it…?”

“So, what would you execute if you found yourself in the position of the inquisitors?”

“If it were me? I would…”

To start, convert the individual who stumbled into a stark warning for others. Interrogate them aggressively and amplify the most trivial doubts into massive scandals.

For what purpose?

‘Intimidate them, manipulate them, entice them with promises, and eventually, secrets they weren’t even aware of will float to the surface.’

For instance, an entirely concocted transgression attributed to the headmaster that never transpired. Or something of a similar nature.

Would fraudulent statements be considered too weak?

‘They are undeniably fragile.’

If Professor Pellina stood alone in delivering such assertions, she would merely appear unhinged to the public.

But if she provided the initial spark, and individual members of the school faculty sequentially repeated the identical narrative?

A complete fiction manifests as reality, falsehood shifts into absolute truth—it becomes a simple countdown.

Therefore, the core of Evelyn’s point was as follows:

“To be perfectly precise, you bear no blame for Professor Pellina’s detention. Are you aware of what unfolds in these scenarios? The entire magical item research division gets torn apart. It represents the most convenient sector for misappropriating capital, making it a prime scapegoat. It explains why reputable trade families invest in non-lucrative relic ventures—purely to generate unrecorded capital reserves. That remains the standard view regarding relic laboratories and related investments.”

That was a revelation to me.

I had frequently questioned why commercial entities completely ignorant of wizardry persistently poured money into relics. Now, the underlying motive was entirely clear.

Nevertheless, that was a distraction from the immediate dilemma.

The conclusion Evelyn wanted me to draw was clear:

“The burden does not fall on you. Professor Pellina simply suffered from unfortunate timing.”

Hence…

“Do not plague your mind with it.”

“I see.”

Her concluding remark struck home like an iron spike, prompting me to stifle a soft breath of resignation.

My discomfort didn’t arise from her detached, clinical perspective. Nor did it stem from a sense of sorrow for Professor Pellina.

Rather…

I was simply struck by how seamlessly I absorbed and agreed with her pragmatism.

“You are… correct.”

“Exactly. So remove the weight from your thoughts.”

This feeling deviated slightly from the concern over Pellina, but… whence came this unexpected wave of gloom?

I found myself unable to identify the source.

Following that inconclusive exchange with Evelyn.

I lingered in the spot where she departed, submerged in deep contemplation.

Comprehending and aligning with her perspective did not equate to entirely abandoning Professor Pellina to her fate.

Sentimentality played no part in this.

It felt closer to…

‘This represents the correct course of action.’

It was devoid of human sentiment or deep-seated devotion—merely a basic adherence to foundational principles.

Looking at the grander scheme, Professor Pellina’s deeds were executed on behalf of the Magic Tower.

Divorced from my individual moral compass, her choice was the proper path for the collective interests of the Tower.

The true obstacle remained…

‘…Discovering a method to liberate Professor Pellina.’

Suppressing my mounting anxiety for the moment, I shifted my focus toward analyzing the broader landscape.

Rather than fixating narrowly on ‘Professor Pellina,’ I surveyed the overarching currents of the event.

‘Evaluating it from this macro perspective, some valuable insights have emerged.’

By inventing defects where there are none. The sweeping inspection targeting the entire campus rather than focusing solely on the headmaster is likely designed for that very outcome.

That singular observation allowed me to grasp the true nature of the dilemma.

What, then, was the underlying truth?

‘Ultimately, it is a conflict pitting the First Prince and Second Prince against the Third Princess.’

Those specific royal figures.

The key to untangling this mess was held entirely by them.

I walked in short paths back and forth, methodically ordering my realizations.

Drawing a line between my certainties and blind spots, measuring potential outcomes against impossibilities—I assessed every variable.

Yet, an element… a solitary component of the grand design remained absent.

‘If I could just secure that final fragment…’

The daylight had already begun to recede below the horizon.

Shrouded in my ruminations, I retraced my steps toward the residential quarters.

As the building came into view, a shout echoed from a distance.

“My comrade!”

“…?”

Inexplicably, this coincided with Damian’s scheduled academic review block.

Nevertheless, he was stationed on a wooden seat outside the dormitory entrance, anticipating my return.

He had company.

Who could be accompanying him?

“…Obern?”

“S-Senior.”

In stark contrast to Damian’s radiant expression, Obern acknowledged me with an utterly bloodless complexion.

I momentarily cleared my head of Professor Pellina’s predicament to glance between the mismatched duo.

What on earth was this combination?

The strangeness extended beyond their unlikely association.

An upperclassman and a fresh arrival.

One flashing a brilliant smile, the other appearing entirely drained of color.

I locked my eyes onto them for a beat before raising my gaze to the heavens.

‘Wyvern, take flight.’

…Predictably, no wyvern appeared in the sky.

Its current location was deep within the Black-White Slums.