After Leon finished speaking, Professor Esther's eyes widened.
'I–It's the same, his thinking was the same as mine.' She thought.
It felt weird at first, encountering a person who thinks exactly like her.
'Leon Valentine? As in the third heir of Valentine Dukedom? Isn't he supposed to be an idiot? But, that's not how an idiot is supposed to act!'
Esther Halls, after getting adopted, had done her best to prove herself to her father.
Looked down by every other noble house in any function was frustrating to her.
She didn't like it when the others looked at her with pity or said things like, 'Oh poor girl, Sir Victor has done a great favor to you, now don't you dare tarnish his name.'
She had to prove her worth, so she made a vow to beat the nobles in their own game, and that was magic and spell, the sole pride of any noble house.
And years later, she achieved it.
In the field of magic and spellcrafting, there wasn't a single man who didn't know the name 'Esther Halls'.
Her brilliance was always above those nobles who looked down on her.
In her field, she was called a genius, which motivated her to work even more.
It's not like she did all that only to face-slap others. She was genuinely interested in magic, mana, and spells.
Mana and spells are still a mystery for everyone.
And just the thought of uncovering it sent a thrill of excitement through her.
No other noble brats ever thought that deeply.
But now…
'How was I not aware of this person?'
Still, there existed this little emptiness in her mind, which she needed to fill.
'I might be expecting too much.'
Composing her stunned face back, she asked the golden-eyed boy,
"Asking permission? Getting the attention of the Wind Affinity? You talk as if they were alive."
"They are, to some extent."
The answer came instantly.
'What did he just say? He talks as if he's the one who created it,' she thought. 'Is he nuts? And I hate his smug expression.'
Affinities were just a part of nature, which the planet releases to be consumed by the living. Similar to oxygen.
They were not alive? Heck, only an idiot would think this way.
'I knew it,' she thought to herself, 'I got my hopes up for a second.'
"Haaah…" Esther sighed, rubbing her forehead.
'Kids these days give me a headache.'
But she's an instructor, and handling students no matter the situation was her duty.
"Alright, good answer—"
As Esther was about to ask, Leon interrupted.
"I haven't finished, professor."
"Wha–"
'There's more?'
"As I was saying, the affinities are alive to some extent. So, if we need to make the most out of our spells, we have to treat them as a living being," Leon stated.
'The hell is he spouting?'
Esther was completely lost.
"Kindly elaborate," she said, folding her arms.
"Yes, Professor. It's still a theory of mine, but the more we praise the Affinities in the first line of any incantation, the more freedom we would hold to control the spell. It's as simple as praising the king using the right words, and then asking for a favor."
At his words, she fell into deep thought.
'Haha. That's an interesting way to put it—WAIT!'
A sudden thought clicked inside her mind.
'If what he was telling is true, then—'
Esther suddenly looked up at the boy.
"?!"
He was grinning.
Staring at her, Leon simply stated.
"It looks to me, we're thinking about the same thing, Professor."
"What."
'There's no way he can think the same—'
But, his next line gave her a hint.
"But for that, Professor, we need the right words."
"..."
she blinked.
'N–No way!'
He was spot on.
"Leon Valentine, was it?" she asked him.
"Correct."
Picking up the register, she searched for his name.
'Leon… Leon… Ah, found it.'
She was searching for his admission test result score.
'What…'
She double-checked, rubbing her eyes.
Her eyes shot up when she read the words written beside Leon's name.
"Special… admission. Research Scholar?" she muttered.
She shot him a glance, then asked in a stunned voice.
"You are a Research Scholar?!"
— — —
At the same time.
Headmaster Office, Eclipse Institute.
Two figures were seated facing each other.
In between them lay a glass table, adorned with snacks and tea.
But none touched it, as they both wore a serious look on their face.
The man with long white hair tied in a ponytail and purple eyes wore a white full-sleeved shirt, draped over with a black cloak with a golden pattern at its collar.
He passed a scroll of paper to the other side.
"What do you think, Raizen?"
The other person, Raizen Nightson, took the scroll.
Unscrolling it, he first read its content.
A small map was drawn on the scroll, along with several pictures of dead men and women whose bodies appeared drained. Each body was marked with bite wounds.
There was also a time and location printed below each picture.
He unscrolled it even more.
"Hm?" He narrowed his gaze on the paper. "Ezra, is this true?"
"Indeed, and it all happened in the capital. Look at the final picture."
Raizen's gaze fell on the very end.
"What?!"
He shot up from the sofa, almost bumping his foot on the table.
"This is close by." Raizen looked at Ezra, stunned. "How many dead bodies in total?"
Ezra picked up the tea and sipped before answering.
"Thirteen so far, there will be more."
"Does the king know about this?"
"Yes," Ezra answered. "He knew about it when we discovered the very first body."
Raizen shot him a deadly glance.
"And how come I got to know about this now?"
"That's the thing," he stared back, "because it's not a secret anymore."
"What?" Raizen blinked, completely unaware.
"Yes, it happened a few hours back. Someone's been spreading the very scroll you're holding throughout the capital and nearby cities."
"What did you just say?" Raizen slumped back on the sofa, holding his head with both hands.
"I-It will spread chaos."
"Yes," Ezra nodded, sipping his tea.
"Who do you think the culprit is?"
"I have scattered my men over the capital, including the nearby cities. And after gathering several pieces of information, I'm certain that it's the work of a demon."
"A demon?"
"Yes, and a powerful one."
Raizen thought, then asked.
"How powerful are we talking?"
"If my estimation is right, then… I would say an [Archdemon]," he took another sip, "...or maybe above."
"Aaa," hearing it, Raizen almost lost his senses.
How can an Archdemon enter the capital?
"Umm, this cookie is good." Ezra commented.
Raizen narrowed his eyes.
"How can you be this calm?"
Ezra sipped his tea again before answering dryly,
"It is what it is, and I usually solve problems by letting them devour me."
"So," Raizen asked, "what do you want from me?"
"Think?" Ezra grinned.
"Don't take me for a fool," Raizen coldly barked. "I'm not giving him to you. He's under my care."
The grin on Ezra's face brightened,
"You're smart…" he said. "But too bad, I am not here to ask for that Light Affinity boy… um, what was his name again?"
"Ethan Graves."
"Ah right, Ethan," Ezra continued. "Sure, his Light Affinity would make it easier to complete this task, but it's just an Archdemon, so the [Authority] would deal with it."
"Then?" Raizen raised his brow.
"I'm here to ask for…"
"For?"
Raizen was getting impatient.
"...for nothing! Hahahahaa… look—look at your face!" Ezra burst into laughter. "You look so serious, it's so laughable."
"Y–You! Is this a joke to you!" Raizen wanted to punch his face, but he left him be. "Haah… so what are you even here for?"
"Why? Am I not allowed to visit my friend?"
"That's not what I'm getting at—"
"Raizen," Ezra interrupted him, and with a dead serious look, he stated, "you need to tighten Eclipse's security. My deductions state that they are targeting this place."
"...what would they even gain by attacking an academy filled with nothing but powerless kids?"
"The future."
"..ah!"
"I heard your granddaughter enrolled this year," he said. "Don't be stubborn, and do as I say. Tighten the security."
Ezra was a good friend of his, and a commander of [Authority], the force which deals with cases related to demons and monsters.
If someone like him said there was even a minute chance of a future attack, then it must be true.
"Alright." Raizen agreed, "I'll do as you say."
"Great. I hope the chaos doesn't reach Eclipse, and we'll do our best to kill that demon."
There was a silence afterwards, before Raizen asked,
"Can I ask, how did you deduce that the demon was targeting Eclipse?"
"..."
Ezra's silence gave Raizen some hint.
"You're hiding something," Raizen said. "It wasn't you who deduced it, right?"
"Haah…" Ezra sighed, ruffling his hair. "You're sharp as ever, Raizen."
"So?"
"Yes, you're correct," Ezra stated. "It wasn't me who deduced it."
"Then who?"
"A letter," he said. "I found a letter this morning, stating all the information which was on the scroll, with even detailed plans and possible future targets."
He paused then added.
"Eclipse was among the targets."
To his words, Raizen thought, before asking.
"Whom do you think the letter was from? Oh wait…" Raizen shook his head. "No, only an idiot would leave his name on the letter. What am I even asking—"
"There was a name."
"What?! Whose name?"
Ezra placed his teacup on the table before replying, with his purple pupils glowing,
"Twilight Order."
— — —
[A/N] : One more chapter, in 2-3 hours.
The following targets are still valid:
300 Power Stones : 2 extra chs on weekend
100 Golden Tickets : 4 extra chs on weekend