Eyes Fixed on Me

The morning classes, full of their usual commotion, had finally wrapped up, and the languid afternoon sunlight stretched long across the central courtyard's lawn. I sat alone on a secluded bench in a quiet corner, flipping open my notebook. Just this morning, I'd already drafted three incident reports. The ones I'd scribbled out with Assistant Professor Asher in the dorm study room last night were for "official academy submission," while the cryptic notes I'd jotted in my notebook this morning were strictly for my "personal records."

Details too sensitive for any official academy document. Like whose torn golden eyes Cassius had fixed on right before he vanished. Or the ominous directionality of the lingering mana from that blood-red barrier that had enveloped the forest.

I was just about to add another question mark next to the third item when—

Crunch, crunch.

The cautious sound of footsteps on the grass reached my ears. I didn't need to look up to know who it was. But the rhythm was distinctly different from usual. Not that quick, upbeat pace that announced she was about to blurt out her conclusions. These were slow, hesitant steps, weighed down by something heavy.

I lifted my gaze, notebook still open.

"Evans."

"Yes, Lady Sterling."

Elarra didn't sit on the bench opposite me. She stood rigidly, clutching an expensive leather briefcase to her chest with both hands. Gone was her usual bold gaze; only pale cheeks and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bitten lips remained.

I set down my fountain pen and waited quietly for her to continue.

"……I have a report."

"I'm listening."

Click.

With trembling hands, Elarra unfastened the metal clasp on her briefcase. She handed over several sheets of parchment densely packed with figures and diagrams.

"Last night, we dispatched an investigation team from the Sterling Merchant Guild to the forest site."

"Quick work. Excellent."

"The epicenter of the incident and the outer boundary where the barrier was cast. We collected mana residues from there……."

Elarra swallowed dryly and slid one sheet of parchment onto my open notebook.

"That the barrier's mana residue started from inside the forest was within expectations. But."

Her voice quivered faintly.

"It had directionality. Traces extending outward from the forest."

I regarded the parchment with a neutral expression. Precise diagrams clearly drawn by a Sterling Guild technician. Among the numerous mana lines radiating outward from the barrier's center, one direction stood out—thick and inked pitch-black like a vein.

"This direction."

Her white finger pointed to the end of that heavy line.

"Toward the Imperial Academy."

"……."

I kept my eyes on the parchment and picked up my fountain pen again, dryly transcribing the diagram's direction and angle into the blank space in my notebook.

"Is this confirmed?"

"Our chief measurer cross-verified it three times. All perfectly aligned within margin of error."

I nodded quietly.

"Someone inside the academy, then."

It wasn't a question from Elarra. A confirmation.

I neither affirmed nor denied, simply holding my silence. In my calm quietude, she lowered her gaze anxiously and continued.

"I don't know yet exactly where inside the academy that thick line points. Our informants traced it to the academy's outer walls, but from there, the residue scattered and vanished completely."

"Good work."

As I moved to close the parchment, Elarra cried out urgently.

"Evans!"

"Yes."

"Just one more thing, please."

I set down the pen and looked at her again. From deep inside her briefcase, she pulled out a much smaller parchment, no bigger ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠than a palm. Her fingertips trembled more noticeably now.

"I spent all night wondering if I should even show you this……."

I took the small parchment she offered. On it was a meticulously depicted bizarre magic circle. Dozens of geometric lines crisscrossing like a spiderweb inside a circle. Below it, in small script: [Cassius Annihilation Point Mana Residual Reconstruction Diagram].

"Our guild doesn't know what this pattern is. It's not registered in any high-level imperial magic society tomes—completely alien."

I stared silently at the pattern. Lines radiating from the center outward. Seemingly chaotic at first glance, but a pattern emerged. The angles weren't random. Meticulously calculated to indicate one precise coordinate.

"And……."

Elarra drew a deep breath.

"This mana residue's direction."

Her trembling finger pressed firmly on the center of the small parchment.

"Our measurer reverse-calculated the magic circle's indicated angle……."

Her wavering eyes met mine head-on.

"It was pointing toward the base camp tent where you were, Evans."

Whoosh—.

The large leaves in the courtyard rustled in the wind, producing an eerie sound. I folded the small parchment in half and slipped it between my notebook pages. Then, in my usual utterly dry student director tone, I replied.

"Truly excellent work. Very helpful."

"……That's it?"

Elarra's voice sharpened a tone.

"Did you hear what I just said? The demon's lingering mana was aimed straight at you, Evans! You know what that means!"

"I do."

I closed my notebook and tucked it into my bag.

"That's why I said good work."

At my chillingly composed demeanor, Elarra's mouth gaped open before clamping shut. I slung my bag over my shoulder and stood.

"Keep this analysis under wraps for now, Lady Sterling. Especially from Her Highness the Princess."

"……Even from the Princess?"

"Yes."

"Why on earth?"

I withdrew my gaze from beyond the courtyard and looked at Elarra.

"If Her Highness learns this, she'll immediately draw that monstrous sword and tear apart the entire academy building to hunt down the rat."

Elarra's face went blank as she mulled over my words. True to her Class 1 sensibility, she recalled Reina's temperament and let out a deep, wretched sigh.

"Haa…… Yeah, fair point."

"I ask for your secrecy."

Elarra refastened her briefcase clasp with a resigned air. She bowed in farewell and turned, but stopped after a few steps.

"Evans."

"Yes."

She whipped her head back, glaring at me.

"Honestly, at first I thought you were just that crazy princess's sturdy 'leash.' Handling a monster like her, you had to be dangerous yourself."

I listened without defending myself.

"But no."

Elarra gripped her briefcase handle tightly with both hands. Her once-pale cheeks now flushed red.

"What scares me most now is that you yourself might be a target for those horrific demons. I brought you this dangerous intel not to curry favor because I'm afraid of the princess……."

She cut herself off. Clearly flustered, unsure how to reel back the emotional words that had spilled out.

"……I brought it because I truly don't want you getting hurt."

I looked down at Elarra with mild ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠surprise. The Sterling heir, who lived and died by profit and loss, showing pure human concern without calculation. A side I'd never seen since enrollment.

"……Thank you, Lady Sterling. I'll keep it in mind."

At my sincere response, she snapped her head away.

"Whatever! I'll bill you dearly for this intel later, so brace yourself!"

Hiding her reddened ear tips, she hurried across the courtyard and vanished like she was fleeing. I waited until her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠figure was completely out of sight, then pulled my notebook from my bag again.

I unfolded the bizarre patterned parchment Elarra had given me.

Calculated directionality. The coordinates of the mana Cassius left as he vanished.

All of it zeroed in on the spot right in front of my tent.

I pressed my pen hard into the notebook's margin and wrote.

I stopped the pen there. Cassius's final gaze, laughing maniacally as he stared at me. The black hand that dug that massive trap in the Beast Forest hadn't aimed to eliminate Reina from the start.

What they sought from me remained unknown. But two things were certain.

This wasn't the end of their probing. And next time, the noose would tighten around my neck, not Reina's.

I closed the notebook and looked up at the academy's main building beyond the courtyard. Red brick entwined with blue ivy—the gathering place of the empire's finest elites. Somewhere inside those beautiful walls lurked a rat colluding with demons.

Never tell Reina.

The moment that oblivious beast learned this, she'd pulverize every brick hunting the culprit. Unleashing her now, without knowing the enemy or their goal, would be a grave mistake.

Besides, this was still within the realm I could handle with my decade of teaching admin skills and instincts.

Probably.

"Cadel!"

A cheerful voice shattered my reverie from afar. Reina, fresh from Assistant Professor Asher's mana replenishment class, bounded over with silver hair flying. Her purple eyes curved like crescent moons upon spotting me.

She braked her sprint and approached lightly on tiptoe. Her bangs were slightly mussed from using mana. The hand in her dragon leather gloves seized my shirt sleeve.

"Cadel, I'm hungry. Let's eat."

"You just finished class."

"Hunger has nothing to do with class."

I chuckled and gently brushed back her tousled bangs.

"Let's go eat."

"Meat for dinner today?"

"No idea."

Reina hummed a tune, gripping my sleeve tightly as she matched my pace. That same inexplicable, drowsy melody from this morning.

I glanced down at the peaceful beast's profile, then flicked my eyes toward the academy main building once more.

An ordinary, boring school afternoon. But inside, a bomb lurked, targeting my peaceful life.

I could still contain it. Steeling myself, I walked forward.

We finished dinner uneventfully and returned to the dorm. No sooner had we entered the living room than Reina claimed the large sofa, yanking my arm down with her.

Her gloved hand lightly gripped my uniform shirt sleeve. I sat obediently, setting my bag on the floor beside the sofa. My hand instinctively dipped into my pants pocket.

The palm-sized parchment Elarra had slipped me. That bizarre pattern left as Cassius vanished.

I didn't pull out its edge.

Reina naturally leaned her head on my shoulder. Warmth seeped from her sleeve-gripping hand through the thin fabric.

"Cadel."

"Yeah."

"Something's off today."

I turned to look down at Reina on my shoulder. Her purple eyes staring up were deeper-set than usual. The keen probe of a beast sensing an alien scent.

"Since yesterday."

She continued lowly.

"You keep looking away from me."

I carefully swept back the silver bangs fallen over her forehead.

"Just tired."

"Liar."

Her voice sliced through my excuse. I slowly withdrew my hand.

Reina stared straight at my face. Not a flicker in those clear purple eyes.

No whining large dog begging for meat or attention. This was the predator's intuition, scraping to the truth beneath my flimsy lie.

"Not a lie."

"Even tired, you only look at me."

A piercing bullseye. I faltered, meeting her gaze, then deliberately looked away.

"……It's nothing."

That instant, she tightened her grip on my sleeve. A heavy pressure constricting my forearm even through the thick glove. The same unfamiliar force from last night when Assistant Professor Asher's name came up—like desperately clinging to keep from losing something.

"Cadel."

"Yeah."

"Hiding something from me?"

The living room fell deathly silent. Eerie night wind rattled the window from outside.

Reina's eyes pinned me relentlessly. Unwavering. The beast's obsessive stare sensing territorial threat, reading its prey completely.

I met it head-on.

"No."

She stared with a stiff face for a moment, then slowly lowered her gaze. Whether she believed my brazen lie or chose not to press further, I couldn't tell.

Wordlessly, she buried her face deeper into my arm. Her sleeve-gripping hand never let go, the pressure unrelenting.

A drowsy, heavy silence settled over the living room again. I left the cool parchment in my pocket untouched.

I could still handle this internally. Reina's full weight leaned against my arm, warmth slowly seeping through the sleeve.

Feeling that heat, I turned to gaze out the window toward the academy main building. Night had fully fallen. Lights dotted the vast structure's windows.

One of those countless lights.

I quietly withdrew my gaze. A drowsy hum escaped Reina's lips on my shoulder. That unidentified melody circling my ears all day.

I swallowed the looming heavy storm and closed my eyes tightly.