Cael was sulking with a mix of boredom and frustration.
"Ugh, I was dying of boredom sitting alone in that class!"
Alice smirked, teasing him.
"Then maybe you should've joined the magic class too."
"You little brat," Cael grumbled, then from the back peeked at Aslan's shoulder.
"Aslan, what other Elective classes are you signing up for — or are you waiting for us to choose first?"
Aslan looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Alchemy. Swordsmanship. Potions. Spirit Communication."
"Yes!" Cael pumped a fist. "Aslan's taking swordsmanship with me!"
"And I'm joining all of those too," Alice added quickly, not wanting to be left out.
Then suddenly, Cael looked a bit worried.
"Wait… aren't those a bit too many? I mean, we already have history, ancient language, mathematics, etiquette, physics, and medicine classes on our schedule..."
A dimly lit corridor.
A brown-haired student was walking alone, the soft sound of his footsteps echoing faintly.
Suddenly—
A hand clamped over his mouth from behind.
Before he could scream, he was yanked backward, vanishing into the shadows.
He struggled fiercely, thrashing, punching, kicking—
But the figure dragging him was too strong.
And within moments… he was gone.
The Next Morning
A group of girls walked down the same corridor, chatting quietly—
Until one of them gasped, frozen.
"AHHHHHH!"
They all screamed in unison.
Their faces went pale. Trembling. Eyes wide with horror.
Moments later, the corridor was in chaos.
Students crowded around, whispering, panicking.
Aslan and his friends were walking toward class when they noticed the commotion.
"What's going on?" Aslan asked, narrowing his eyes.
Alice turned to a boy standing nearby.
"Dante… he was found dead this morning," the boy whispered.
Two teachers carried away the lifeless body of a brown-haired student, covered in a white sheet. Blood still stained the ground where he had been found.
Aslan's gaze shifted toward a group of students whispering in hushed panic:
"This is the fourth murder this month…"
"I'm terrified…"
"Why hasn't the academy caught the killer yet?"
George placed a hand on Aslan's shoulder.
"Aslan?"
Aslan blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Pardon? Did you say something?"
George gave him a worried look. "We should go."
"…Yeah," Aslan muttered.
In Aslan's Room
Aslan sat with a serious expression, eyes fixed on his friends.
"Tell me everything about these incidents," he said calmly.
Alice and Cael exchanged glances before Cael began.
"The academy opened… and three days later, they found the body of a noble boy behind the academy building. A few days after that, another noble student died."
Alice nodded. "At first, everyone assumed the killer was only targeting nobles. But then… a commoner's body was discovered. And today — another one."
Aslan's gaze sharpened.
"So it's not just about bloodlines," he muttered. "Can you tell me more about the victims? Who they were… what kind of people? Any enemies?"
Cael leaned forward, thoughtful.
"We can try. But you think this is connected somehow, don't you?"
"Yeah."
George tapped the side of his glasses, standing in front of a whiteboard with a marker in hand.
"Let's begin," he said seriously. "First victim — Dylan. Marquis Bright's son."
He scribbled the name on the board.
"Personality: Friendly with everyone. Got along well with both commoners and beastpeople. And surprisingly, had no enemies."
Aslan nodded. "Next."
"Second victim — Kihu. From a viscount family," George continued.
Aslan asked, "Enemies? Personality?"
George opened his tiny diary and read out loud:
"Generally well-liked. But a few days before his death, he had a public argument with some nobles who were insulting a commoner."
Aslan's eyes narrowed.
George continued, "Fourth victim — Dante. Also known for being kind. Refused to lower himself just because of noble pressure."
That was enough.
Aslan stood up, took the marker from George, and walked to the board.
"I've got it," he said, drawing a line across the names.
"The killer is targeting nobles who are too close to commoners."
Alice tilted his head. "What about the commoner victims?"
Aslan spun the marker in his fingers. "Same pattern."
"The first commoner victim had many noble friends."
He drew another circle. "And the second refused to act beneath any noble — he stood up for himself, even when pressured."
Cael raised a brow. "So, you're saying…"
"There's someone who hates the idea of nobles and commoners being on equal footing."
"Exactly," Aslan said, turning to the others. "Which means... the next target will likely be a high-ranking noble who's overly friendly with commoners."
His gaze drifted over to Cael and Alice.
Aslan smirked.
"…Like one of you two."
Cael stiffened instantly. "W-Wait, what?!"
Aslan turned again, expression dead serious. "Or maybe… the next target is a commoner who's popular among nobles… someone who doesn't see anyone as above him."
Aslan fell into thought, then muttered,
"But who could that commoner be?"
A heavy silence followed.
Then, all three thought at the same time:
"It's you, idiot."