"What happened here?" Aric asked again, stepping closer.
Viorel stood in the middle of the chaos. Her legs were shaking, and she looked like she might fall at any moment. A guard was gently holding her up. Her face was pale, her lips trembling. Her eyes stayed locked on the floor, as if she was still in shock.
Around her, the hallway was a mess. Some chairs were broken, and the carpet had burn marks. Magic had clearly been used here. A few guards had small wounds, and one was getting healed by a mage already on the scene.
Kail stayed close behind Aric, his hand on his sword just in case.
At that moment, Viorel's instructor arrived. It was Lady Renna —the silver-haired woman who trained her. She wore black training armor and a long coat. Her expression was sharp and serious as usual.
"Step aside," she said, moving past the guards quickly. She stopped near Viorel and checked her over. "Are you hurt?"
Viorel didn't speak. She just shook her head slowly.
One of the guards stepped forward. "Miss Renna, sir hero—allow me to explain."
Aric nodded. "Go ahead."
The guard spoke in a firm voice. "It happened only minutes ago. A cloaked figure entered Lady Viorel's room. She was alone at the time, reading something at her desk. The intruder used magic to get in quickly, and told her—very clearly—that if Lord Alderon didn't hand over the 'Solstice Archive Papers,' she would be killed."
Aric frowned. "Solstice Archive Papers?"
"They're top secret," said Renna. "Only the highest-ranking nobles and advisors have access to them."
The guard continued. "The intruder was strong. We believe it was the same person from a couple days ago that you saw Hero. From how she cast spells and moved, we think she's at least an A-rank mage. Maybe higher. The moment we saw her use light, earth and wind magic together, we knew she wasn't normal."
"What happened next?" Aric asked.
"We rushed in and fought her," the guard said. "But she was prepared. She threw out spells quickly, mostly to distract us. One of our attacks ripped his cloak a bit. When she turned, we saw something under it."
"What was it?" Aric asked.
"A small symbol," the guard said. "The Sylvanthe family emblem, stitched into her clothes under her cloak."
Aric's eyes narrowed. "So... she was one of the workers here."
"Yes," the guard said. "We have a spy in the mansion."
There was a pause. Everyone looked at each other.
Viorel finally spoke, her voice shaky. "Her cloak came off a little more during the fight. She realized it, and she ran."
"Did she escape?" Aric asked.
"Yes," the guard said. "We tried to chase her, but she used some kind of smoke spell and disappeared."
Renna crossed her arms. "She wouldn't have been able to cast that unless she was a high-ranking mage. This is serious."
Viorel was helped to the medical room to be checked for any hidden injuries. Aric and Kail decided to stay at the mansion longer now. It was too dangerous to leave when the enemy could still be hiding inside.
Later that day, Aric and Kail met with Renna to investigate.
They stood in one of the meeting rooms together. Renna explained more about the Sylvanthe family symbols.
"Everyone who works in the Sylvanthe estate wears a badge stitched onto the inside of their uniform," she said. "It shows their rank and role."
"What does the symbol look like?" Kail asked.
Rydan reached into her coat and pulled out a badge. It had the Sylvanthe crest on it—a silver tree with a sword and star above it. Around the edges, the badge was trimmed in gold.
"This is a gold-rank symbol," she explained. "Only trusted workers—those who have been with the family for years or who have high responsibilities—get these."
"There are other ranks?" Aric asked.
"Yes," she said. "Bronze for helpers and new workers. Silver for normal roles like cleaners, cooks, or assistants. Gold is for personal guards, trainers, advisors... people like me."
"So the culprit had a gold symbol too," Aric said.
"Yes," Renna confirmed.
Aric raised an eyebrow and said joking. "You wouldn't happen to be the culprit yourself, would you?"
Kail let out a small laugh. "Yeah, maybe it's you!"
Renna didn't smile. Her face stayed serious.
"Funny," she said. "But no. I'm not the one sneaking around and attacking Lady Viorel. I've been here since Lady Viorel was 4 years old and am more trusted then most."
Aric watched her carefully. Her expression didn't change at all. She didn't laugh or react like most people would after a joke like that.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Just a joke," he said.
Renna nodded. "I know."
They split up to investigate. Renna checked in with the staff. Aric and Kail asked some guards if they had seen anything strange. A few servants were interviewed too, but no one remembered seeing anything suspicious.
After a few hours, they regrouped.
"Find anything?" Kail asked.
"Nothing," Aric replied. "No one saw anything weird. Everyone says they were doing their usual work."
"Same here," Renna said. "But I'll keep looking."
As they walked through the hallway, Aric stayed quiet.
"What's on your mind?" Kail asked.
"Nothing," Aric said quickly. But deep down, he was thinking about Renna's reaction earlier. It felt too stiff. Too calm.
They returned to the medical room to check on Viorel.
She was sitting on the bed, drinking tea slowly. She looked better now. Some color had returned to her face, but she still looked shaken.
"Viorel," Aric said gently. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine now," she said softly.
Kail pulled a chair close. "We wanted to ask you more about the intruder."
Viorel looked down. Her fingers tightened around the teacup.
"I didn't say anything earlier," she whispered. "It was all happening so fast... I couldn't speak."
Aric sat on the edge of the bed. "It's okay. Take your time."
Viorel took a deep breath.
"When her cloak fell back... I saw her face," she said.
Both Aric and Kail leaned forward.
"You did?" Kail asked.
Viorel nodded. "I was the closest one to her. I was on the ground, right in front of her when the spell hit. Her hood came off for just a moment. She looked down at me."
Kail's heart beat faster. "Who was it?"
Viorel looked up. Her voice trembled as she said it.
"It was Renna. My instructor."