The Professor ahead was Mister Alexander Graves and he didn't acknowledge Albedo, instead just continuing to give notes to the students. His posture was straight, his dark coat immaculately tailored.
"…and when constructing a bounded field for hostile entity containnt," Graves was saying smoothly, "you must account not only for the creature's recorded capabilities, but for potential deviations. Academy records are thorough, but monsters are not obligated to behave according to our convenience, there are constant changes,"
From Albedo's mories of the Novel, the Professor was. Count from a very old Noble House that had a-lot of influence in Academic Circles.
He man who had built his reputation on "fairness" and "discipline." In the original tiline, he had been one of the quietest conspirators, and one of the most dangerous.
Albedo took his seat without drawing attention, though he felt the faint shift in the room as students subtly adjusted to accommodate the weight of his presence.
Graves finally turned around, his sharp grey eyes landing on Albedo
"Ah," Graves said mildly. "Mr. Albedo. Returned to us."
"Yes, Professor," Albedo replied evenly.
"I trust your… recovery was satisfactory?"
"It was."
A small nod.
"Good. We are discussing bounded field protocols. You may find the subject relevant in the coming examinations."
Graves resud the lecture.
On the surface, it was an ordinary class on practical field theory. Students took notes. Questions were asked. Mana diagrams ford and dissipated in midair as Graves demonstrated layered ward structures.
But Albedo wasn't listening for content alone.
He was watching.
Graves moved with precision, but not warmth. His explanations were thorough, yet subtly selective. When students from certain noble houses asked questions, he elaborated generously, offering insights that went slightly beyond the assigned material.
When others spoke up, there was none of the sa enthusiasm.
Albedo's gaze flickered across the room.
Lucian sat three rows ahead.
Still Gold rank, though better than he was in the Novel due to Albedo's presence.
In the original tiline, Lucian had entered the final practical exam confident, and then Graves had altered the paraters.
The monsters were many tiers above the standard allocation and a spacial seal that restricted outside assistance, eventually leading Lucian to obtain an injury that left him bedridden for weeks.
Strangely enough, that injury led Lucian to obtaining another key resource that greatly helped him on his journey, probably due to his protagonist aura, but still, his exam was rigged.
No one had been able to prove it. Because the monster had been officially reclassified as "misidentified." A clerical error that Graves had overseen personally.
Albedo's fingers tapped once against his desk, thinking of how to take Graves down.
Soon, class finished and all the students began to pack their things, with Albedo imdiately leaving to head to the library.
In his mind, if the practical trials are manipulated, the docuntation must pass through certain channels, so he'd read up on certain things in the library just to make sure.
Graves probably thought he was untouchable, and rightfully so. In the original tiline, he was very close to escaping, and most of his associates did escape without punishnt, but Albedo wouldn't allow that this ti.
He entered the archive hall, where crystalline shelves floated in silent rows, each containing bound records etched with mana-ink.
Graves oversees hostile entity allocation, which from what Albedo rembers, he must also submit requests for monster requisition ahead of the exams, and if those requests don't match the official difficulty scale, then that might be evidence.
Of course, Graves could falsify evidence, but this was just a basic investigation Albedo was carrying on, as there was a-lot more he needed to figure out.
He also couldn't catch Graves too quickly, as he needed to fish out all his associates.
***
Over the next week, the Academy shifted into full examination preparation mode.
Practical arenas were recalibrated and monster containnt vaults were inspected. Administrative staff moved in brisk, efficient patterns.
Albedo watched all of it.
He began spending evenings near the logistics wing under the pretense of advanced research. Athyst rank afforded him access that Gold students did not possess after all.
In Zephyr Academy, strength gave privilege, and Albedo would use all of his privilege.
One night, cloaked in restrained mana, he slipped into an observation balcony overlooking the requisition chamber using a treasure given to him by Seraphyne. Below, faculty mbers reviewed lists.
Crates containing sealed summoning crystals were cataloged. Each crystal bore a rank designation.
Iron.
Silver.
Gold.
and higher.
The Higher Ranks was not standard for first-year practicals.
Albedo's eyes narrowed.
Graves entered the chamber shortly after.
He spoke quietly with the quartermaster, too quietly to hear, but Albedo did not need sound as he just watched the body language.
The quartermaster hesitated.
Graves handed over a sealed docunt with a special sigil that made the hesitation vanish, and the quatermaster nodded, two High Athyst labeled crystals were now moved aside and marked.
Albedo's pulse remained steady, but sothing cold settled in his chest.
Two of them this ti, not one. Which ant it was both Lucian and himself being targeted.
He leaned forward slightly. The requisition sheet was briefly visible as it passed from one hand to another.
Albedo extended a thread of mana, thin, nearly imperceptible. It brushed the ink and copied the impression.
He withdrew instantly with no alarms triggered.
Graves turned suddenly. His gaze swept the balcony. Albedo stilled completely. Athyst mana compressed inward, silent as a void.
After a long mont, Graves looked away and left.
Only then did Albedo exhale. He retreated to his quarters and reconstructed the copied impression on parchnt.
Two nas just like he thought, Lucian and Albedo, himself.
A slow smile curved his lips.
Of course, if he was going to involve himself, Graves would not leave him untouched. Two High Athyst Rank beast attacks in the first year exam.
Much less subtle than in the Novel, but he would definitely have a way of wiping his hands clean, and Albedo needed to find out how, and who was backing him.
Reviews
All reviews (0)