Chapter 80 - Act Normal [4]
(Vael’s POV)
Lilia joined Zion, Cindy, and me and left the crowd following her.
I can feel a lot of the male students glaring at me.
Tap- Tap- Tap-
Lilia walked alongside us with a calm, unbothered posture, completely ignoring the stunned whispers and jealous glares from the horde of male freshmen left hovering near the fountain.
"What are you doing?"
I asked her, confused about the whole situation.
I kept my voice low, darting a brief side-eye toward her as we quickened our pace.
"It’s nice to see you again, just help me out this one time and I promise to get back at you."
Lilia told me as the four of us walked away.
Her expression didn’t change at all as she spoke, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead as if we were just having a casual, pre-planned conversation.
I frowned at her response, but for now—I didn’t say anything and just let her do whatever.
"Haaaa..."
I just let out a quiet sigh, knowing that trying to argue with her right here in the middle of the main courtyard would only draw even more unwanted attention to us.
... ... ...
Once we were in an empty space where no one was near us—Cindy and Zion started asking questions.
We stopped under the shade of a large oak tree near the edge of the secondary training grounds, far away from the noisy dining plaza.
"Alright, hold on a second!"
Zion blurted out, stepping in front of us and looking back and forth between Lilia and me with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Vael, since when did you know Lilia?!"
"That is what I would like to know as well."
Cindy added, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked at me with a sharp, inquiring gaze.
They asked about how and when I met Lilia.
They’re not ignorant, they know she’s from a noble family and a freshman from the [Z Class].
She was one of the top elite students of our batch, known across the entire freshman department for her immense combat ability and her distant, untouchable personality.
Right now, Zion and Cindy are probably thinking that we met way before—when I still have connections with the high-noble class.
Before I have to leave the family because of the elders. But that wasn’t the case.
I just brushed off my shoulders and told them the truth... That I just met her last night in the dungeon.
"I didn’t ’know’ her."
I explained calmly, raising my hand slightly to cool down Zion’s excitement.
"We literally just ran into each other on the first floor of the dungeon last night while I was finishing up my solo training. That was it."
That we barely even talked and stuff.
"We said maybe three sentences to each other, walked out to the exit portal together, and went our separate ways,"
I added, offering a slight shrug.
"There’s really nothing more to it."
The two of them were confused, but when they looked at Lilia and asked about it.
"Is that true, Lilia?"
Zion asked, tilting his head as he looked over at the pink-haired girl.
"Yes."
Lilia answered flatly. She nodded her head and confirmed everything that I had said.
"We met in a cavern chamber on the first floor last night. He mistook me for a goblin, we walked to the surface, and then we left."
Her explanation was so blunt and detailed that Zion and Cindy were left completely speechless for a few seconds.
"You... mistook her for a goblin?"
Cindy repeated slowly, her eyes twitching as she looked over at me.
"Hey, it was dark in that chamber, and I only saw a shadow moving."
I mumbled defensively, feeling a slight sweatdrop form on the back of my neck.
"Regardless of how we met, I used his presence earlier to escape a persistent group of students. I thank you for that and also apologize for doing so."
Lilia stated, her pink eyes shifting toward me with a quiet, polite look.
"As I promised, I will make up for using you as a shield."
"You don’t have to."
I told her quickly, waving my hand off.
"Just don’t make a habit of waving at me in front of fifty angry guys."
"I will keep that in mind."
Lilia replied with a small, nearly invisible nod. I might be out of my head too, but I can see a small smile on her face.
Zion let out a loud laugh, slapping his hand against my shoulder.
"What a weird way to be acquainted with each other. You really have some unusual connection with dungeons, Vael."
"I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s not like every time I head inside the dungeon, something happens." (Lie...)
I stated, shaking my head as the four of us finally resumed our walk to pick up lunch.
Anyway, as an apology for us—Lilia brought us to a restaurant she usually eats us and bought us food for lunch.
We told her we’re fine, but she insisted so the four of us just ate together.
’It’s not like something bad will happen.’
𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
****
Meanwhile, high above the campus grounds on the top floor of the administrative tower... a very different conversation was taking place.
The thick velvet drapes inside the headmaster’s office were drawn partially shut, casting long, solemn shadows across the polished mahogany floor.
Professor Ulfar stood near the side wall, his broad arms folded tightly across his chest as he stared down at a glowing holographic map floating above the central desk.
Headmaster Sebastian Desmond sat behind his desk, holding a pair of thin, metallic tweezers as he carefully examined a tiny, crystallized mana fragment resting inside a protective glass casing.
"Is that the residual catalyst recovered from Jodan’s medical containment unit?"
Professor Ulfar asked, his deep voice low and heavy.
"It is."
Sebastian replied, his tone lacking its usual lighthearted warmth.
"The purification squad managed to extract this small shard from his core without rupturing his mana channels. It is a highly refined, slow-acting dark mana seed."
Sebastian placed the tweezers down, leaning back into his high-backed chair as his eyes narrowed.
"This isn’t raw, wild demon energy, Ulfar. It was artificial. Synthesized using high-tier academic alchemy equipment and imbued with spatial stabilization runes."
"Which confirms Vael’s report."
Ulfar stated grimly, his jaw clenching tightly.
"Only someone with access to the university’s restricted research vaults and spatial archives could produce something this precise."
"Indeed."
Sebastian nodded slowly.
"And thanks to the exact coordinates and photos Vael provided us yesterday, I was able to conduct a silent, remote scan of the hidden archive on the first floor without physically stepping inside."
"Did you find any traces of the operator?"
Ulfar asked, leaning forward with a sharp glint in his eyes.
"The archive’s physical log was wiped clean shortly after Vael left yesterday morning,"
Sebastian revealed, a cold, dangerous smile touching his lips.
"The traitor realized that the concealment barrier had experienced a minor mana breach due to Vael’s dense frost aura. They panicked, erased the recent physical ink entries regarding Batch C-12, and sealed the room’s primary console."
"Dammit... So they cut their tail?"
Ulfar grumbled.
"Not quite."
Sebastian countered smoothly, reaching out his hand to tap the holographic map floating over his desk.
A series of bright red mana lines illuminated across the 3D layout of the academy, tracing intricate paths through the subterranean corridors and connecting directly to three specific faculty research towers.
"They erased the physical paper ledger, but they failed to realize that the archive’s internal spatial core maintains an automated mana-resonance backup."
Sebastian’s eyes flickered with a lethal, ancient light as he pointed toward a glowing node on the map.
"When they manually wiped the ledger yesterday morning, their personal clearance key left a unique, faint spatial footprint on the network. I have already narrowed the list of suspects down to three high-ranking faculty members who possess matching master-level clearance."
Professor Ulfar’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at the three highlighted names floating on the screen.
"Three..."
Ulfar muttered softly.
"We are making real progress."
Sebastian declared, closing his hand to dismiss the holographic map.
"We now know their methods, their primary hideout, and the short list of individuals capable of executing this plot. However, we must remain patient for just a little longer."
"Are we going to keep them under surveillance?"
Ulfar asked, stepping closer to the desk.
"Yes."
Sebastian commanded firmly.
"I want discreet, absolute surveillance on all three suspects around the clock. Do not engage them, do not confront them, and do not let them suspect that their spatial footprint has been traced."
He looked up at Ulfar, his expression hardening into that of a hundred-year-old archmage preparing for war.
"We will let them believe their cleanup was successful. The moment they attempt to contact their external dark network or target another student, we will strike and eliminate the entire cell in one swift motion."
"Understood, Headmaster."
Professor Ulfar responded with a firm, resolute bow of his head.
"And what about Vael Frostguard?"
Ulfar added before leaving the room.
"Keep protecting him from the shadows, just as you have been."
Sebastian instructed softly, looking out the grand window toward the peaceful campus below.
"That boy handed us the key to unraveling a disaster. It is our duty as his instructors to ensure he remains completely safe while we crush the dark forces lurking in our home."