Chapter 26: Anna Margret II (part 2)

But there were too many victims in the incident.

Forty-two dead. 

Twenty wounded. 

Sixty-two casualties in total.

All but two of them were students.

A few days after the tragedy, a rumor began circulating throughout Arcana.

There was supposedly no fault on Duke Richard’s part, and some claimed Reina had known about the ambush in advance and fled the scene.

Reina only laughed at the gossip, brushing it off as nonsense. She didn’t even bother to explain herself.

On the contrary, she openly scorned those who spread such rumors, accusing them of trying to downplay the deaths of the victims.

Still, the atmosphere around Reina hadn’t improved.

After all, she was the only student absent from Arcana on that fateful day, and that fact alone gave rise to suspicions among many.

Fortunately, the suspicions didn’t spiral into further incidents.

In the end, they were only whispers—heartburns rather than wildfires.

Yet, this incident left a deep scar on Reina Rogelia—

One significant enough to be considered a turning point in her downfall.

***

“But I won’t get any help.”

I had just barely gotten permission to leave campus for the weekend.

If I pushed Dean Ender for anything more, even that could be revoked.

The weight of solving everything alone was heavy, but maybe now…

Maybe I could handle it.

After all, they were just assassins.

***

“Ike. I heard a rumor. You’re going out this weekend?”

Friday evening—just one day before my outing.

The Prince suddenly showed up at my dorm room, holding an expensive-looking snack in his right hand.

So the rumors had already spread.

From an outsider’s perspective, I suppose my case did seem like a rare exception.

“Yes. Fortunately, Dean Ender gave me permission,” I replied.

“Really?”

The Crown Prince surely sensed something strange, but he didn’t press the matter.

“Miss Reina also asked about it. Do you know anything about that?” he added.

“Is that so?”

Of course, Reina had asked me directly, but I couldn’t answer her.

Maybe she thought the Crown Prince would have more information.

“Yes. Because she knows we’re best friends,” the Prince said.

I’d call us more like acquaintances, but I didn’t bother correcting him.

Instead, I served him a cup of black tea.

“… You really don’t have a knack for brewing tea, Ike,” he said, setting the cup aside without taking a sip.

It was clear he had no intention of drinking it.

“So? Why are you going out this weekend?”

“Should I tell you? I think that falls under private matters.”

“I would love to be granted a pass to leave Arcana just for my ‘private life,’” he scoffed, shrugging and flashing a sly smile.

He had once said during the entrance ceremony that he’d give up his title.

At times like this, I really wanted to challenge him on that—but I pushed the blasphemous thoughts aside and popped the cookie he brought into my mouth.

“Maybe it’s something truly important in my personal life,” I added.

“To think something that important would happen just two days after entering Arcana—right after you asked me about Miss Reina’s situation. What a colossal coincidence.”

“That’s right,” I said calmly.

We shared a quiet, unspoken tension as we nibbled on snacks, sipping on the silence.

“It’s about Miss Reina, isn’t it?”

“…Yes.”

“I doubt Dean Ender would grant you permission for a mere errand.”

“If you ask what he thinks, I wouldn’t know how to answer.”

When I received the weekend pass, I had made a promise to Dean Ender:

Do not reveal the reason.

Not that I would’ve told anyone, even without the agreement.

“You know, Ike? I have pretty good intuition.”

Of course I knew.

His intuition had often played a pivotal role in the original story.

“And right now, it’s screaming at me—you’re about to do something dangerous.”

“Intuition is just a feeling,” I replied. “It’s not something worth betting on.”

“Why not explain the situation calmly to Dean Ender and ask for help?”

“There’s no need for that over a simple outing.”

I couldn’t let this conversation go any further.

It was already difficult enough to deal with Dean Ender.

If more people started prying, it would only make things worse later.

The Crown Prince and Sophia would soon become the center of attention in Arcana.

My role was to support them from the shadows—to resolve the issues that could pull Reina down.

I wasn’t meant to stand in the spotlight.

If I did, I’d almost certainly be killed by him.

No matter what, I wasn’t willing to throw my life away.

“I’ll pray to Eos that you return safely from your outing,” the Prince said as he left.

After he was gone, I lay back on my bed, thoughts already racing about how to move tomorrow.

I didn’t need to wonder where they were hiding.

Just like I had found the informant in Heros’ market three years ago, I knew exactly where to go.

The original work had described the Avatar members’ hideout in great detail.

It had burned itself into my memory—even after all this time.

There were around eighty assassins.

I didn’t believe I would lose in a direct confrontation, but I wanted to avoid one if I could.

Still, with those numbers, some combat was probably inevitable.

It felt like I needed to fight guerrilla-style—hit fast, move faster, assess, and adapt.

“Haah…”

Even with my plan forming, sleep wouldn’t come easily.

It had been a long time since I faced real battle, and the tension kept me wide awake.

I glanced out the window.

The starlight seemed dimmer than usual.

For some reason, I had a feeling…

Tomorrow would be longer than most.