Narce smiled at me.
"Father."
"Yes?"
"I think you might be right.
"There's no reason it has to be in a drink."
…Damn. He really did read my mind again.
I shot him a look.
If you're still reading it—stop.
The moment I thought that, he stifled a chuckle and nodded.
I sighed and spoke.
"Yeah. Their movement patterns are too similar.
"Most of them were involved in the hot spring restoration project.
"But why were Martin Dürer and Karin Kohl—the most recent victims—inside a closed-off building?"
"Martin Dürer is the head servant of my estate.
"We're preparing to reopen the hot springs soon, so I sent him to inspect the site before the Grand Duchy's officials came for a final check."
"And Kohl?"
The noble hesitated before whispering something to his attendant.
A moment later, a different servant ran up to us.
"Ah, good day, Fathers.
"I heard you had questions about the workers at the hot springs."
"Yes.
"What was Karin Kohl doing there?"
"She was hired to check the thermometers—
"But… well, there's no strict division of labor.
"If you need specifics, I can ask—"
"No need.
"Were they wearing gloves?"
"We provided them—
"But since the work wasn't dangerous, most people didn't use them."
I nodded and flipped through my notes.
If only the people who entered the springs got possessed, then they would have noticed something was wrong.
But we already had five other cases of people getting possessed without entering the facility.
"Five of the victims all drank water from Petkelée around the same time.
"What is that?"
"Ah, that's a public water fountain here in Baden-Baden.
"Our hot spring water is safe to drink."
"...."
I saw Narce's smile freeze.
We both exchanged a look.
"I see."
"Would you like to visit?
"It's a little warm, but this time of year—"
"Haha, no."
Narce quickly cut him off.
Then he turned to the noble with a polite smile.
"Can you shut down that fountain for a week?
"We need to investigate, and public access could interfere."
"Shut it down?
"That's something I'd have to request approval for."
"I understand.
"But please do it quickly.
"If there are other fountains, shut them down too."
The noble still looked confused but agreed to submit a request as soon as possible.
***
We left the cathedral and wandered through the village.
"…Did you get this idea from Strauch?"
"Poisoning water supplies—
"Yeah, that's a very Pléroma thing to do."
Narce rubbed his chin.
"This wasn't in any of the documents we found, right?
"I tried using Insight, but something felt off—like it was blocked."
"Unfortunately, no."
We had already learned that Pléroma sects competed with each other.
Ainshidel's case taught us something new—
Even dioceses fought for power.
There might be a grand strategy for the whole church, but there were definitely individual actors like Ainshidel trying to hoard benefits for themselves.
Just like in Osnabrück, we needed to investigate the Pléroma diocese here to uncover their plan.
'Then again—'
At this point, they're already caught.
Whoever was behind this really overplayed their hand.
Just then, Narce stopped in his tracks.
A second later, we heard screams.
Not one or two—but several.
A chill ran down my spine.
Narce's reaction told me everything—this was another possession case.
We exchanged a glance—then ran toward the noise.
"Whoa."
When we arrived, Narce looked up and let out a low whistle.
I understood why—
The sky above this area was completely black.
Beneath it, someone stumbled out of a building, writhing and screaming.
Dark energy leaked from his body.
Just like the previous case.
"Today's Tuesday.
"But we weren't supposed to start this until the weekend."
"Haha… guess we'll just have to file an early report."
Narce stamped his staff into the ground, tracing a circle.
A moment later, the entire plaza floor glowed white.
"No matter whether this is a demon or a Pléroma experiment,
"Let's handle this quickly.
"Unless you don't want to—"
"…You already know I want to."
I twirled my wand.
This was free career progression.
Why the hell wouldn't I?
[AAAAAAHHHHH!]
That…
That didn't sound human.
It sounded like an animal.
Straight out of the exorcism handbook.
"What's his name?"
"Karin Kohl."
"Got it.
"Thanks."
Narce grinned as he shifted his staff back into a wand.
"Let's begin."
***
Unlike last time, the exorcism took less than an hour.
But—
This time, divine magic didn't work.
A completely different case from before.
'Looks like I need to start classifying these.'
We had barely scratched the surface—
But I could tell.
This was big.
And if this was happening here—
It was probably happening elsewhere, too.
When the professor entered, his face was grim.
Several students noticed and started whispering.
I didn't think much of it—
Until he called my name.
"Lucas."
…What?
I quickly hid my expression and answered.
"Yes, Professor."
"Pack your things and head to the front gate."
"…Excuse me?"
The entire classroom went silent.
I frowned.
"…Did I get expelled without knowing?"
The professor sighed.
"No.
"But the Askanien estate's head steward is waiting for you at the gate."
"…The steward?"
And what exactly did he mean by "pack enough for a week at home"?
Why was I suddenly being sent home?
When I turned to look at Elias, his expression froze.
Even Leo—who usually kept his composure—furrowed his brows.
A strange sense of dread crept over me.
Why was the steward here?
Today wasn't even the day I was supposed to drink the medicine.
"…Home?"
"You'll understand once you get there."
The professor's voice was somber.
Why?
A dozen different scenarios flashed through my mind.
Not a single one was good.
My pulse quickened.
"No.
"Professor, I see no reason to go home.
"This isn't even my scheduled meeting day with the steward."
I didn't want to explicitly say that my family ordered me to meet the steward twice a week—especially in front of my classmates.
But everyone already knew that I regularly missed class for family matters.
Now wasn't the time to be picky about how I asked my questions.
The professor hesitated for a moment, seemingly trying to find the right words.
Then—
Someone knocked on the classroom door and walked in without waiting for a reply.
"Pardon my intrusion.
"I can't delay any longer.
"May I speak with Young Master Lucas?"
"…Ah, yes.
"Lucas, please step outside."
The professor hurried to dismiss me.
This situation wasn't exactly against school rules, but it was still inappropriate for noble affairs to interfere with class.
He clearly wanted to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
"…Why do I need to go home?"
The steward and the professor exchanged awkward glances.
Then, the steward took a deep breath and spoke firmly.
"You must arrive at Dessau's main estate by tonight, Young Master.
"I cannot disclose the reason, but Duke Georg Askanien himself has ordered you to return—not me."
The air instantly turned cold.
My classmates exchanged nervous glances, glancing between me and the steward.
'…So this isn't something I get to decide.'
Elias had despised this feeling.
I understood now.
This damn social hierarchy didn't even pretend to offer me freedom.
And yet—
The moment I realized how powerless I was, my mind cleared.
For starters—
I had no idea why Georg Askanien had summoned me.
I had already sacrificed my entire two-week break for this family.
And yet, they were still dragging me back—
Interrupting my classes.
But I had no choice.
Defying this order could lead to unpredictable consequences.
And if my worst suspicion was correct—
If it was really what I thought it was—
Then this was inevitable.
I slowly rose from my seat.
I used the excuse of packing my luggage to slip into my dormitory alone.
Then I drank three bottles of the medicine my brother had sent me.
My core ached violently.
For a moment, I considered leaving my artifact behind—
But who knew what might happen?
I sealed it in a magic-proof box instead.
The steward remained silent throughout our train ride to Dessau.
No matter what I asked, his response was the same.
"I cannot answer."
When the train finally arrived, the steward broke the silence.
"We have arrived, Young Master."
We stepped onto the platform, where a carriage from House Askanien was already waiting.
Even as we boarded, I could feel people watching me.
Some even hurriedly moved out of the way.
'Still the same outside of school, huh?'
It was better than it had been at the start of the semester.
At least I looked like a normal person now.
Maybe it was because the news had confirmed that I hadn't caused any problems during the week-long alchemy tournament.
The Bavarian royal newspaper's coverage had been widely shared by Anhalt's daily press—
Apparently, too many people were curious about what a Pléroma brat had been up to.
I kept my mind occupied with these pointless thoughts—
But beneath the surface, my worries never stopped.
As I stared out the carriage window, I felt the vehicle gradually slow.
Then—
"We've arrived."
The steward's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
A servant opened the carriage door.
"...."
The scene before me was utterly ridiculous.
A black-clad procession lined both sides of the path.
It wasn't just the main estate staff—
It looked like every servant from the entire domain had gathered here.
Another attendant took my luggage from the steward's hands.
Then, a voice greeted me.
"Welcome back, Your Highness."
…Your Highness?
The way they treated me now was worlds apart from before.
Of course, I had woken up in one of House Askanien's many mansions—
Not this main estate.
But even if I had arrived here from the start, I never would have received this level of treatment.
A distinguished guest was here.
They must have wanted to save face in front of that guest.
I silently scanned their faces before stepping forward.
There was no need for greetings.
I knew exactly who these people were—
All of them were loyal to Adrian Askanien.
I stopped at the estate's entrance.
As two servants moved to open the doors, I spoke.
"No."
The servants hesitated, exchanging confused glances.
Then they turned back to me, looking visibly nervous.
They hadn't expected me to say anything.
A year ago, Lucas wouldn't have.
So their reaction didn't anger me.
I stared at the closed doors and spoke to the steward.
"Where is my father?"
"He is here, in the main estate.
"You will meet him during tonight's banquet."
I nodded.
"Then take me to my room."
"…Before that, I must ask you to spare a moment.
"There is something you must see first."
I narrowed my eyes.
"…After traveling for three hours, is it really so urgent?"
Even though my voice was cold, the steward didn't waver.
"Yes, Young Master.
"Please."
I was deep in enemy territory now.
There was no need to show my hand.
I gave him a silent nod.
One servant opened the doors, while another removed my coat and hat.
As we walked through the silent corridors, the steward led me toward the left wing of the estate.
We climbed a staircase to the second floor.
From here, I already knew the layout.
There would be another hall just like the one below.
Lucas's memories guided me.
As we entered the familiar yet foreign hall—
I saw someone reclining on a couch by the window, gazing outside.
A figure dressed in pure white.
"...."
For the first time in a long while, I felt a strange sensation creep over me.
My mind went cold.
A slow smile twisted my lips.
Then—
The man turned his head and met my eyes.
Adrian Askanien's eyes widened in surprise.
Then—
His familiar gentle smile returned.
"You've arrived, Lucas."