Chapter 359: Pure Curiosity
Serena Claudia, the Chairwoman of Velcrest Academy, let out a long, weary sigh.
For the first time in years, she genuinely felt as though she had aged a decade in a single week.
The situation had been far worse than anyone initially realized.
Every location Rin had pointed her toward had turned out to be legitimate.
Terrorist cells.
Hidden cultists.
Monsters waiting to be unleashed.
Coordinated attacks designed to pull the academy’s strongest forces away from their true objective.
The rescue teams sent to locate Professor Lena had spent most of their time preventing disasters that should never have happened in the first place.
At one point, Serena had even suspected Rin.
The accuracy of the information had been too precise.
Too convenient.
Too strange.
But after speaking with Ryan, Leo, and the others who had recovered first, she had reluctantly abandoned that theory.
The boy had been a victim as well.
A target.
Not a conspirator.
Besides, information about the future was never absolute.
Even individuals capable of seeing fragments of future events couldn’t perfectly avoid every outcome.
The future changed constantly.
Every action created countless variables.
And according to Rin, he wasn’t even the original source of the information.
He had simply received it from someone else.
As absurd as the situation sounded, it was oddly believable.
Which somehow made it even more troublesome.
Serena rubbed her temples before looking across the desk.
"Regardless," she said, "you did excellent work this time."
The young woman sitting opposite her remained silent.
Silver eyes watched her calmly.
Almost emotionlessly.
"If you hadn’t returned when you did, and if you hadn’t intervened on-site..."
Serena shook her head.
"Velcrest Academy would have suffered a disaster unlike anything in its history."
That was putting it mildly.
The truth was much worse.
If Ryan had died...
If Leo had died...
If Rin had died...
The academy’s future would have collapsed overnight.
Three prodigies.
Three individuals carrying enough potential to influence the future of the entire continent.
Losing even one would have been devastating.
Losing all three...
Serena didn’t even want to imagine it.
The girl across from her answered calmly.
"I only did what needed to be done."
Serena smiled bitterly.
Of course she would say that.
That answer suited her perfectly.
Unfortunately, it was also what worried Serena the most.
Because most people couldn’t do what needed to be done.
If they could, the world would be a much better place.
Wars wouldn’t happen.
Corruption wouldn’t thrive.
Countless tragedies would never occur.
Yet this girl acted as though such things were obvious.
As though there was never another option.
Serena had always thought highly of her.
Her competence was undeniable.
Her judgment was exceptional.
Her results spoke for themselves.
But there was something about her that always left Serena feeling uneasy.
Something missing.
Most heroes were driven by hope.
Others by compassion.
Some by justice.
This girl wasn’t.
She helped people.
Saved lives.
Risked herself without hesitation.
Yet the foundation of those actions felt different.
Colder.
More calculated.
She didn’t act because she believed in justice.
She acted because helping people was efficient.
Because creating a better outcome for the majority was the logical choice.
Because it was rational.
A form of utilitarianism taken to its extreme conclusion.
It was difficult to criticize.
After all, the results were undeniably positive.
But Serena couldn’t help feeling saddened by it.
Because somewhere along the way, the girl had become broken.
Not malicious.
Not cruel.
Simply...
Damaged.
And Serena had never figured out how to help.
After a brief silence, she changed the subject.
"So."
She folded her hands together.
"I heard you completed your assigned mission successfully."
The girl nodded.
"Then what are your plans now?"
Serena tilted her head.
"Will you be returning immediately?"
Normally, the answer would have been obvious.
The girl held a unique status within the academy.
She wasn’t required to attend classes.
She wasn’t tied down by schedules.
The moment one mission ended, she usually disappeared to the next.
Always moving.
Always working.
Always chasing the next problem that needed solving.
It had been that way for years.
So when the answer came—
Serena blinked.
"No."
The chairwoman froze.
"...No?"
The girl nodded.
For the first time since entering the room, something resembling hesitation appeared on her face.
A rare sight.
Serena immediately became interested.
This was unexpected.
Very unexpected.
"You’re staying?"
"Temporarily."
Now Serena was genuinely curious.
"What changed?"
The girl remained silent for several seconds.
Long enough that Serena almost assumed she wouldn’t answer.
Then—
"There’s a cadet I’d like to meet."
Serena blinked.
"A cadet?"
The answer genuinely caught her off guard.
Of all the things she had expected to hear, that certainly wasn’t one of them.
The young woman sitting across from her had never shown much interest in academy life.
Classes.
Professors.
Student organizations.
Cadets.
None of it had ever mattered to her.
She attended when necessary, completed her missions, and disappeared again.
If anything, she treated both Velcrest and Reilan Academy as temporary rest stops between assignments.
Which made this request particularly surprising.
"Yes."
The girl nodded calmly.
"I intend to meet the cadet who dealt with the villain Jalina Kent."
Serena’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Now she understood.
Or rather, she thought she did.
"Rin Evans?"
The reaction was immediate.
For the briefest moment—The girl’s composure cracked.
Not enough for most people to notice.
But Serena wasn’t most people.
A flicker of surprise passed through those usually emotionless eyes.
"...Yes?"
The response came a little too quickly.
Serena smiled faintly.
"Ah, my mistake."
She casually corrected herself.
"You mean Cadet Rin?"
The girl remained silent for a second.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Serena considered probing further.
The reaction had been subtle, but it was there.
And for someone as detached as her, even a small reaction carried meaning.
In the end, however, Serena chose not to pursue it.
Everyone was entitled to a few secrets.
Besides, she suspected she’d learn more simply by observing.
The girl continued speaking.
"Since I technically participated in rescuing him during the incident, visiting him in the hospital won’t appear unusual."
A perfectly reasonable explanation.
Too reasonable.
Serena had dealt with enough politicians to recognize when someone was using logic to justify something they had already decided to do.
"And?"
The girl paused.
Then admitted:
"There are a few things I want to ask him."
Now that was honest.
Serena leaned back slightly.
Across the continent, countless people knew this young woman.
Some admired her.
Some feared her.
Others viewed her as a living weapon.
But very few people truly understood her.
One of those people was Serena.
Which was why she immediately recognized what was happening.
Curiosity.
Pure curiosity.
A rare phenomenon.
The girl wasn’t interested in Rin because he was talented.
If talent alone was enough, she would have visited dozens of students years ago.
Nor was she interested because he survived a difficult battle.
There were plenty of survivors.
No.
Something about Rin specifically had caught her attention.
Something she couldn’t explain.
Something she wanted answers to.
And that alone was remarkable.
The student council president of Velcrest Academy stood from her seat.
Her movements remained graceful as always.
"Then, if you’ll excuse me."
She offered a polite bow.
"I’ll be heading to the hospital."
Serena nodded.
"Try not to scare him."
The girl looked genuinely confused.
"I don’t believe I’m particularly frightening."
"..."
"..."
The room fell silent.
For perhaps the first time in years, Serena found herself speechless.
The girl tilted her head.
"Was that a joke?"
"No."
"Oh."
"Not even slightly."
The student council president looked thoughtful for a moment.
Then she simply nodded.
"I see."
Somehow, that response worried Serena even more.
The girl turned and walked toward the door.
Just before leaving, she paused.
"Chairwoman."
"Yes?"
"Do you find Cadet Rin unusual?"
A dangerous question.
Serena smiled.
"Considering everything that’s happened recently?"
The girl waited.
Serena chuckled.
"I think ’unusual’ is putting it mildly."
For a brief moment, something thoughtful appeared in the girl’s eyes.
Then she left.
The office door clicked shut behind her.
Silence returned.
Serena stared at the empty doorway for several seconds.
Then she sighed.
Rin.
The boy who somehow found himself at the center of increasingly impossible events.
The boy who seemed to attract mysteries the way a bonfire attracted moths.
And now—
For perhaps the first time in history—
He had managed to capture the attention of Velcrest Academy’s notoriously indifferent student council president.
Serena rubbed her forehead.
Objectively speaking, there shouldn’t be any problem.
Both were outstanding students.
Both were sensible.
Both understood their responsibilities.
And yet...
She couldn’t shake the strange feeling lingering in the back of her mind.
The image of the two of them standing together felt oddly mismatched.
Like two puzzle pieces from entirely different boxes somehow trying to fit together.
"...This is going to become troublesome, isn’t it?"
Unfortunately, her instincts had become quite reliable over the years.
And right now—
They were screaming yes.