"Did you think everyone was as oblivious and carefree as you?"
Adashino's sharp rebuke silenced Louis instantly.
"I have a suggestion," Wayland cut in. "I recall that the Department of Heritage possesses Time Magecraft. Through a localized time retrogression, we might be able to trace the source of the backfire."
"Time Magecraft..." Adashino's brow furrowed. "Heritage is a bit of a headache. They report directly to the Director, and since they're the smallest department in the Clock Tower, securing their help usually requires a formal request to Lord Bryshisan."
"Doesn't Policies have anyone from Heritage on staff?"
Adashino gave a short, cynical laugh. "Do you think the Department of Policies is a popular place to work? Most people either loathe us or fear us. And as I said, Heritage only answers to the Director; they have no reason to cooperate with us."
She paused, seemingly weighing her options. "This matter could be as significant or as minor as we choose to make it, but the evidence suggests it's far from a routine accident. I'll make a formal request to my superiors. This is the most important week of the year for club activities, and several Lords will be attending the performances over the next two days. Policies cannot allow any disruptions."
Once Adashino and Laurence had departed, Louis's relaxed demeanor returned. He sat down on the grass with a sigh of relief. "I owe you one, Junior. If I'd just written this off as an accident and things went south later, I'd be in deep trouble."
Wayland leaned against a tree, his mind already moving past the immediate scene. "If I hadn't known Flyn was a Wind-attribute magus, I would have made the same assumption."
"Don't try to make me feel better." Louis sighed. "Dominion Magecraft, Time Magecraft... you seem to have a lot of specialized knowledge for someone who's only been at the Clock Tower for half a month. How are you learning all this?"
"It's basic curriculum," Wayland said, looking at him with genuine confusion. "Didn't they cover all of this in the General Fundamentals lectures?"
"I returned all that knowledge to the lecturers a long time ago." Louis waved a hand dismissively.
Wayland nodded in understanding. It was a universal truth: after the final exams, three years of intensive study could be erased from a person's mind in less than two months.
They chatted for about fifteen minutes before Adashino returned, accompanied by a man who appeared to be in his thirties. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and a tailored gentleman's suit, with a crystal-clear cane gripped in a hand that emerged from an ornate sleeve.
"Angelo Valsechi, a First-Class Lecturer from the Department of Heritage."
Wayland and Louis immediately snapped to attention, their casual expressions vanishing. "Lecturer Angelo."
Angelo nodded curtly. "Let's begin."
Wayland watched as Angelo produced a large set of drafting compasses and began to draw a complex ritual circle on the ground.
One mystery was finally solved: magi weren't all master artists; they just had better tools.
Unlike the silver powder Wayland had used previously, Angelo utilized a reddish-brown powder ground from hematite. Once the circle was complete, he placed several large rubies at key nodes within the array.
Wayland stared at the fist-sized gemstones. They were clearly of immense value, second only to diamonds.
'It's nothing special! I'm not envious at all!'
"Time magecraft comes with significant limitations," Angelo said as he placed a quill on the ground. He turned to Adashino. "Even if the results are inconclusive, the cost of these materials must be borne by the Department of Policies."
"Naturally." Adashino's tone was flat. Aside from those possessing rare Saint Graphs or Cursed Essences, few departments could match the financial resources of Policies.
Angelo took a slow, deep breath.
A sudden, violent gust of wind erupted within the alley.
Wayland instinctively stepped back as the layers of wind crashed into him like a summer storm, making it difficult to breathe.
A low, resonant voice pierced through the gale, whispering directly into Wayland's ear.
The concentrated prana within the circle shattered into a million shimmering flakes, spiraling upward into the air. The ritual circle trembled briefly before the rubies disintegrated into fine powder.
At the center of the swirling flakes, a brilliant, translucent crystal mirror began to form.
Sunlight refracted through the glass, which looked as clear as the surface of a mountain lake. Suddenly, a ripple spread across the mirror, and a vision appeared before them.
Wayland leaned in to see.
It was Flyn.
He was dressed in casual clothes, stepping out of the General Fundamentals cafeteria. He was carrying a small insect-collecting net.
'Insect Magecraft?' Wayland's mind immediately went to the Matou family, but he shook his head. It didn't have to be the horrific variant practiced by Zouken. General Fundamentals covered many types of insect-based magecraft--Butterfly, Ant, or Ladybug systems were all common.
As a student who had yet to decide on a permanent system, it was perfectly normal for Flyn to be out collecting specimens.
There were several locations provided by General Fundamentals for such activities. One was the Mystir Garden, not far from the main teaching hall.
The vision showed Flyn heading in that direction, but just as he approached the garden, the mirror went dark.
"What happened?" Adashino asked.
Angelo raised his hand, and the crystal mirror vanished instantly. "The retrogression is tied to Flyn's perspective. As soon as he entered the Mystir Garden, he was placed under control, and the connection was severed."
"A warning field," Wayland said. "The culprit is extremely cautious. If they were doing something important within the garden, they would have set up a field to alert them to any intruders. As soon as Flyn stepped inside, they knew."
"He was only in the garden for a few seconds before he was placed under Dominion," Adashino mused, her expression turning grim. "For that level of control to be established so quickly, the culprit must be at least two ranks higher than Flyn--likely at the Pride rank."
She turned, her movements sharp and decisive. "There's no time to lose. Policies will organize a full search immediately, with the Mystir Garden as the epicenter."
Wayland raised his hand. "I have one question... why the Mystir Garden? Aside from a few flowers and insects, there's nothing of value there."
Adashino adjusted her glasses, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. Suddenly, her eyes widened slightly as a realization struck her, though she said nothing. She pulled out her phone and began to dial.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]