Chapter 488 - 487 - The Escort Mission!
The Vice Dean’s office remained immersed in its familiar serenity as the gentle light of the late morning sun poured through the towering windows, bathing every corner of the spacious room in a warm golden radiance. The countless books lining the walls stood in perfect order, their worn leather bindings carrying the quiet dignity of knowledge accumulated over centuries, while the faint fragrance of freshly brewed tea drifted lazily through the air alongside the comforting scent of aged parchment. Outside, the academy grounds were alive with the sounds of another ordinary day as students attended lectures, crossed the courtyards, or gathered upon the training grounds, yet none of that lively atmosphere seemed capable of disturbing the remarkable tranquility that existed within these four walls.
It was almost ironic.
The room itself inspired peace.
The conversation unfolding inside it did not.
Luca remained standing beside Seraphina, his expression carrying an unmistakable trace of confusion that had yet to disappear ever since the Vice Dean had calmly uttered those two unexpected words.
"...Escort someone?"
The question escaped him almost instinctively.
It wasn’t disbelief.
Nor was it refusal.
It was simply that, after everything he had experienced over the past several months, an escort mission sounded strangely... ordinary.
The Vice Dean nodded with the same composed smile resting comfortably upon his face.
"That is correct."
Luca remained silent for several moments, carefully considering what he had just heard before finally speaking again.
"I hope you will forgive my bluntness, Vice Dean..."
His voice remained respectful despite the obvious curiosity behind his words.
"...but surely there are many people within this academy who would be considerably more suitable for such a task than I am."
His crimson eyes met the Vice Dean’s calmly.
"If the objective is simply to escort someone safely from one location to another, assigning a first-year student seems like an unusual decision."
The Vice Dean’s smile never wavered.
"Ordinarily..."
He folded his hands together upon the desk with slow, unhurried movements.
"...I would completely agree with that assessment."
The answer immediately caught Luca’s attention.
The Vice Dean continued speaking in the same calm voice that never seemed to rise above a gentle conversation.
"Under normal circumstances, such a responsibility would naturally fall to experienced knights, academy instructors, or even individuals directly appointed by the Empire itself."
He paused briefly before looking directly into Luca’s eyes.
"Unfortunately..."
A subtle change entered his expression.
"...these are not normal circumstances."
The atmosphere inside the office gradually became heavier.
Not because anyone released their mana.
Not because hostility had appeared.
Simply because every word the Vice Dean spoke carried a weight that neither Luca nor Seraphina could ignore.
The silver-haired man leaned back comfortably within his chair before continuing.
"The individual whom you are being asked to escort is someone whose identity cannot be disclosed before the mission begins."
Luca frowned slightly.
"Even to the person responsible for protecting them?"
"I’m afraid so."
The Vice Dean’s reply came immediately.
"It is not because we doubt your judgement."
His expression remained perfectly calm.
"It is because the fewer people who know this person’s identity beforehand..."
He allowed a brief silence to settle naturally.
"...the safer that individual remains."
Luca quietly absorbed every word.
The Vice Dean continued without interruption.
"The person in question occupies a position whose existence alone influences countless lives."
His gaze drifted momentarily toward the sunlight beyond the window.
"Every public appearance they make is carefully planned."
"Every destination they visit is deliberately concealed until the appropriate moment."
"And every journey they undertake carries risks that extend far beyond a simple attack upon a travelling carriage."
His eyes slowly returned to Luca.
"There are individuals who would gladly place themselves in harm’s way simply to protect this person."
Another brief pause followed.
"And there are others..."
For the first time since the conversation had begun, the Vice Dean’s smile faded ever so slightly.
"...who have devoted years of their lives to ensuring that person never safely reaches their destination."
The office became remarkably quiet.
Even the breeze flowing through the open windows seemed to soften.
Luca could already feel the outline of the truth beginning to form.
Whatever person this mission revolved around...
They were no ordinary noble.
No ordinary official.
No ordinary traveller.
The importance surrounding them far exceeded anything a simple escort assignment should require.
The Vice Dean folded his hands together once more.
"Because of that..."
His voice regained its usual gentle warmth.
"...we cannot send anyone whose movements would immediately draw attention."
"A renowned Imperial Knight would be recognised before crossing the first city gate."
"A distinguished noble would attract curiosity from every household they passed."
"Even an academy professor travelling alongside such an individual would inevitably become the subject of rumours."
A faint smile returned to his lips.
"But a first-year academy student..."
His eyes rested quietly upon Luca.
"...is someone the world rarely notices."
Luca lowered his gaze slightly.
The reasoning was logical.
Painfully logical.
No one would suspect that an apparently ordinary student walking along the road could be accompanying someone whose identity required such extraordinary secrecy.
Silence settled over the office once more.
Then...
Luca slowly raised his eyes again.
"So..."
His voice remained calm.
"...this escort mission serves another purpose as well."
The Vice Dean simply looked at him.
Luca continued speaking without hesitation.
"If the person’s identity is being concealed..."
"If influential figures are intentionally being kept away..."
"And if secrecy itself has become the greatest layer of protection..."
He allowed a brief pause to settle between them.
"...then this mission is also intended to expose whoever has been watching."
His crimson eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"In other words..."
His voice became quieter.
"...this escort isn’t merely about protecting someone."
"It is also a trap."
The words lingered in the stillness of the office.
A trap.
Not for the escort.
But for those waiting in the shadows.
Beside him, Seraphina instinctively stiffened.
Her fingers tightened unconsciously until her neatly folded hands became lightly clenched, a subtle reaction that betrayed just how dangerous such a mission truly was before she quietly forced herself to relax once more.
The Vice Dean noticed.
So did Luca.
Neither of them commented upon it.
Instead...
The Vice Dean smiled.
It was the same gentle smile he always wore.
A smile that neither confirmed Luca’s conclusion...
Nor denied it.
"I must admit..."
A quiet note of appreciation entered his voice.
"...you arrived at that conclusion considerably faster than I expected."
Luca did not answer.
There was no need.
The silence itself spoke clearly enough.
The Vice Dean regarded him for several thoughtful moments before slowly leaning back into his chair once more.
The morning sunlight reflected softly within his crimson eyes as he studied the young man standing before him with quiet patience.
Finally, after allowing the silence to linger just long enough for the weight of everything they had discussed to settle naturally, he spoke once again.
"Knowing only this much..."
His voice remained calm and completely free of pressure.
"...and understanding that there are still truths I cannot reveal until the appropriate time..."
He held Luca’s gaze steadily.
"...I will ask you once more."
A brief pause naturally followed.
"Do you still choose to accept this assignment?"
***
A small town rested quietly beneath the embrace of the night.
The streets remained pleasantly alive despite the late hour.
Warm lanterns hung outside rows of modest homes and family-owned shops, their gentle orange light spilling across the stone roads as merchants prepared to close for the day. The delicious aroma of freshly baked bread drifted from a nearby bakery that had only just finished its final batch, while the rich scent of roasted meat lingered outside a small tavern whose doors remained wide open to welcome weary travellers seeking a warm meal before continuing their journey the following morning.
Children laughed as they chased one another through the marketplace despite the repeated protests of exhausted parents trying to lead them home.
An elderly couple slowly walked hand in hand along the roadside, quietly discussing what vegetables they would plant once the coming rains arrived.
Several merchants stood outside their stalls counting the day’s earnings while exchanging cheerful complaints about customers who had somehow managed to bargain prices lower than seemed humanly possible.
Near the centre of the town, a blacksmith wiped the sweat from his brow as he finally extinguished the forge for the evening, laughing loudly with his apprentice over some forgotten mistake made earlier that afternoon.
Outside the tavern, several adventurers argued enthusiastically over whose exaggerated story of today’s hunt was actually true, while a waitress leaned casually against the doorway with an expression that suggested she had long since stopped believing any of them.
It was ordinary.
Wonderfully ordinary.
The kind of peaceful evening that rarely found its way into heroic tales or grand histories.
The sort of night most people would forget by tomorrow.
And perhaps...
That was precisely why no one paid any attention to the solitary traveller quietly making his way through the town.
Wrapped entirely within a dark travelling cloak whose hood concealed every distinguishing feature, the lone figure walked with calm, measured footsteps that neither hurried nor lingered. He blended naturally into the rhythm of the streets, passing between townsfolk without attracting so much as a second glance. To those who happened to notice him at all, he appeared to be nothing more than another traveller passing through before continuing toward some distant destination.
No one looked twice.
No one grew suspicious.
The figure continued walking until the lively streets gradually gave way to quieter neighbourhoods where the cheerful sounds of taverns and marketplaces faded into little more than distant echoes.
His route slowly changed.
Instead of following the main road...
He turned into a narrow alley.
The lanterns became fewer.
The conversations disappeared.
Only the quiet whisper of the night remained.
He crossed one deserted passage before slipping into another, his footsteps almost completely swallowed by the darkness surrounding the weathered stone walls. Every turn appeared deliberate, as though he had already memorised the path long before setting foot inside the town.
Eventually...
The alleys came to an end.
Beyond them stood a small clearing tucked away from the rest of the settlement.
Nestled quietly near its edge...
Was a modest wooden hut.
Time had clearly left its mark upon the little home. The wooden walls had faded beneath years of rain and sunlight, while the tiled roof bore unmistakable signs of careful repairs carried out over many seasons. A single lantern burned beside the entrance, its soft light illuminating a narrow porch and a handful of potted flowers arranged with simple care.
It was humble.
Unremarkable.
The sort of home one’s eyes would naturally pass over without another thought.
The cloaked figure stopped several paces away.
For a long moment...
He remained perfectly still.
His gaze quietly swept across the surrounding area.
The neighbouring houses.
The empty paths.
The darkened windows.
The rooftops overlooking the clearing.
Nothing escaped his attention.
Only after satisfying himself that no one appeared to be watching did he slowly raise both hands toward his hood.
The fabric slipped backward.
Dark violet hair emerged beneath the lantern’s glow.
A pair of calm crimson eyes quietly reflected the flickering light.
Luca looked toward the modest wooden door standing only a few steps away.
His expression remained thoughtful.
Quietly composed.
The Vice Dean’s final instructions replayed once more within his mind.
The identity of the person is confidential until the mission begins.
You will meet them here.
Luca slowly stepped forward until he stood directly before the entrance.
For a brief moment, he looked at the simple wooden door.
Then...
Almost unconsciously...
He murmured beneath his breath,
"So..."
A faint smile touched the corner of his lips.
"...the person I’m supposed to escort is waiting behind this door."
With that quiet thought lingering in the night air, he slowly raised his hand...
And knocked gently upon the weathered wood.