Chapter 115 - 87: Frenzied Noble Lady
"...I almost forgot something."
As Junior Deacon Aya spoke, her gaze suddenly sharpened and began to sweep quickly across the crowd.
She was like an eagle circling overhead, searching the undergrowth for a rabbit about to be flushed out.
Mo Ning froze.
Countless thoughts flooded his mind, each dismissed as quickly as it appeared.
’In the end, only one possibility remained—Kanda.’
’The academy issued Guiding Rings to every newcomer. The Supervisor must have discovered something unusual about Kanda. That’s a reasonable assumption.’
’The plantation had just opened, and Kanda came here for a mission. So the academy took the opportunity to have Aya make her move here.’
’Aya is scanning the crowd, as if looking for someone. That’s clear evidence.’
’She also brought four Witchcraft Puppets with her—another, even more compelling piece of evidence.’
On the other hand, arresting a Traitor in front of all the new apprentices would serve as an unforgettable "lesson." It would intimidate any unruly ones and deter them from ever siding with a Dark Wizard Organization.
Mo Ning figured all this out, but his heart suddenly sank.
’This is bad!’
’If Kanda gets exposed, doesn’t that mean the Black Tower Points I was about to get will grow wings and fly away?’
Mo Ning’s mind raced, trying to salvage some of his potential "loss."
After a moment, he came up with a plan and glanced at the Noble Lady beside him out of the corner of his eye.
After a moment’s hesitation, Mo Ning quietly activated Secret Technique Whisper, and the information passed to her in a silent stream.
Anya froze.
A complex mix of emotions flashed across her lovely face—surprise, realization, and a hint of tension she herself hadn’t even noticed.
But she didn’t resist.
Finally, a glimmer of determination flashed in her eyes.
Aya’s lips were already slightly parted, the words right at the tip of her tongue, about to burst forth.
The Noble Lady was a hair faster. Her voice cut through the air like a drawn sword: "Junior Deacon Aya, I have someone to report!"
Mo Ning let out a small sigh of relief.
Revealing the matter before Kanda was exposed was the only way he could think of to "salvage" part of his losses.
’To encourage new apprentices, the academy would likely still award some Black Tower Points, even for a redundant report.’
’Considering it was a public accusation, he didn’t want to be in the spotlight. Having Anya step forward was the best solution.’
’Once the academy issues the reward, I can split the Black Tower Points with her.’
From the Noble Lady’s perspective, earning a large sum of Black Tower Points just for making the accusation was an opportunity too good to refuse.
And with that accusation, all eyes locked onto Anya.
Even Second Level Apprentice Aya was momentarily dumbfounded.
The small patch of skin visible on her mostly-masked face clearly showed her surprise.
Anya gave Aya no time to speak, rattling off quickly, "I want to report newcomer number 186, Kanda! He’s a Traitor planted in the academy by the Dark Wizard Organization!"
The crowd instantly erupted.
The two sensitive words, "Traitor" and "Dark Wizard," were enough to instantly set everyone on edge.
The next moment, the crowd scattered away from Kanda as if a boulder had been dropped into a calm lake, with him at the epicenter.
If Kanda really was the Traitor and decided to lash out, anyone nearby could get caught in the crossfire.
After all, given the academy’s notoriously inhumane style, if you got injured—or worse, unluckily dropped dead—you could only blame your own bad luck.
Kanda remained frozen in place, his face a mask of shock and fury.
Mo Ning, however, felt a hand suddenly grab his right arm. He was pulled back toward the outer edge of the crowd at twice the speed of the other apprentices.
Though only his arm was grabbed, it felt more like he was being lifted, his feet "floating" off the ground as he was whisked away.
He was clearly being "flown" away by the Noble Lady.
Whether intentionally or not, Anya leaned her upper body forward, shifting her center of gravity. Inevitably, the full curve of her rear arched back.
In that split second, that graceful curve brushed against him, as light as a dragonfly skipping across water.
Mo Ning felt that brief touch as if it had grazed his very heart.
The sensation was difficult to describe.
He immediately suppressed the chaotic thoughts and focused on observing Aya’s expression.
For the first time, a distinct change appeared on the visible, expressionless portion of the Second Level Apprentice’s face.
The analysis model from his mental ’plug-in’ instantly gave a reading:
[Junior Deacon, Aya. Current Mental State: Surprise, Confusion, Bewilderment.]
Now, it was Mo Ning’s turn to be dumbfounded.
’Why surprise?’
’Why confusion?’
A split second later, as his Insightful Secret Eye monitored the area, it picked up on another anomaly.
The character analysis model activated on its own, sounding a shrill alarm deep within his consciousness.
[Warning: Subject Semy, serial number 148. Current Mental State: Extreme Tension, High-Level Fear.]
Understanding dawned on Mo Ning.
A flash of lightning cut through the fog in his mind, instantly piecing the scattered fragments together into a complete picture:
’I get it now. The Traitor Junior Deacon Aya intended to arrest wasn’t Kanda at all. It was—Semy.’
’I can’t believe it,’ he thought. ’There are less than three hundred new apprentices in this class, and two of them are moles?’
He suddenly regretted having Anya make the report just for some Black Tower Points. But what was done was done; there was no point dwelling on it.
Just then.
BANG—
Anya retreated nearly twenty meters in a single bound, putting a great distance between herself and the crowd.