Chapter 156 — A Night to Secure Evidence

1

The evaluations were finally over.

Today’s standout was undoubtedly Manus.

The display of magic he showcased during the monster subjugation even drew admiration from the professors.

Doubts began to surface more prominently.

What exactly did Black Rum enhance for Manus?

The dazzling effects of his spells, the flawless control of his power, and his perfect support for his teammates during unexpected situations.

For Manus, it was simply a way to relieve stress, but to others, it seemed like calculated actions.

“…Surely not. No, it can’t be.”

After the evaluation, a student sat biting their nails, their legs trembling uncontrollably.

Why did I do that?

I must have lost my mind—why did I say something like that?

What should I do?

What should I do?!

“What was I thinking, you idiot!”

They had overheard something by chance.

Manus’s false accusation and the Black Rum.

Livy recalled Assistant Chesthip.

That man had finally meddled with things he shouldn’t have.

She never imagined he would use it to target Manus.

She really didn’t know—

Why did he have to mess with Manus and cause all this trouble?!

Wasn’t it obvious what would happen?

If things went wrong, would Assistant Chesthip just let her off the hook?

“Sigh… What should I do?”

If I go to him now, it will only make me look more suspicious.

All she could do was pray that Assistant Chesthip wouldn’t mention her name.

“Sigh… Should I just drop out?”

Or should I beg for forgiveness in advance?

Would there be any mercy left for someone who had made two mistakes?

It was a noble family, after all, and the Harry family, skilled in calculating gains and losses, was part of that group.

There was no way it would work out.

“This is driving me crazy.”

She even felt a sudden urge to throw herself off this tall tower.

But the thought of enduring to lead her family kept her from acting on it.

The sun was slowly setting.

Perhaps the official notice would go up today, and tomorrow Manus would be summoned separately.

Why did it have to be like this?

She was terrified.

The fact that she couldn’t do anything, that the situation had already escalated beyond control, drained her will to continue.

Meanwhile, at that very moment.

Manus received a one-sided notice from Professor Trail.

Today’s evaluation was postponed.

Tomorrow morning, he was to come to the main building of the academy with a witness.

It was the weekend, so the professors likely had fewer duties.

The disciplinary committee was a serious matter, with even the Chairman participating.

Manus planned to turn all the professors to his side at that meeting.

“Don’t worry, we’ll stand by you.”

“That’s right! The student council presidents are all here, after all!”

Given the gravity of the situation, everyone had gathered in the clubroom.

Coincidentally, the Cultural Exchange Club was a group composed of the most powerful students.

Other than lacking close-range combatants like Castro and Duarin, they were the strongest.

The club even included all the student council presidents from the first to the third years.

The student council presidents had a duty to be involved in academic affairs.

So, Anais, Alano, and Nia would all be present at the disciplinary committee.

They promised.

They would prove Manus’s innocence, no matter what.

“Don’t worry and get some rest tonight. You still have to prepare for the battle with the Patrollers soon.”

“Are you still thinking about climbing the tower in a situation like this?”

Manus only responded with a smile.

Among all the worried faces, he was the only one smiling.

Alano and the other club members looked at Manus with curious eyes.

How would he talk his way out of this crisis?

What evidence would he use to reveal the mastermind behind it?

Since he was keeping quiet, their curiosity only grew.

They hoped he would at least give them a hint, but Manus simply stood up.

“Have a good weekend. Don’t worry too much.”

“…Yeah. You too.”

“Senior, we believe in you.”

Only Kael, her worries eased, offered her support to Manus.

Her expression and emotions spread to those around her.

Right, this is Manus we’re talking about.

Among all the people here, he was the most outstanding, so they had to trust he would succeed.

“Yeah… We should trust him. See you tomorrow, Manus.”

“Sure.”

Manus returned to the dormitory first, while the others shifted their focus elsewhere.

Worrying about Manus wouldn’t help.

The real issue was who, why, and how they obtained the reagent used to frame Manus.

Melanie spoke up first.

“I’ll go talk to Livy. She has a history, so she might be able to help.”

“That sounds good. And… what should we do?”

“…”

The situation had escalated so quickly that it was hard to grasp what was happening…

Sigh—

The clubroom was filled with nothing but sighs.

The overwhelming sense of helplessness was unbearable.

2

Night had fully fallen.

Shadows flickered under the light of a lantern.

Shadows possessed a mysterious power.

They could bring both fear and comfort simultaneously.

A shadow cast upon a person could create an aura of both reassurance and terror, didn’t it?

To master the manipulation of shadows was the most crucial skill for an assassin.

Assaults were carried out through darkness, but they couldn’t always strike from within the shadows.

In this field, Aden had achieved a level of mastery few could reach.

‘There…’

The place where she had arrived, using the shadows, was the maid’s quarters.

Siren.

The veteran maid under her command had always been especially loyal to her.

She recalled how Siren had viewed Manus unfavorably.

In fact, Siren disliked all nobles who acted arrogantly and rudely, those who exploited their status.

Aden remembered how Siren had often looked at her with a pitying gaze.

That gaze was still vivid in her memory.

If it was Siren, she would certainly have enough motive.

“But where did she get the Black Rum?”

The question, murmured into the darkness, deepened her doubts.

It was something she had been pondering ever since her conversation with Manus.

She could picture Siren’s face, cheerfully going about her work.

What Siren was planning to do now was not something a servant of the light would do, but rather an act suited for the dark world.

If something like this happened within the academy, there would surely be an investigation.

Of course, Siren wouldn’t go around blabbing in fear…

‘I don’t like this, but… I’ve made my preparations.’

Sssss—

With a dagger in one hand and a syringe in the other, Aden entered Siren’s room, where the maid was sound asleep.

Siren was breathing evenly, lost in her dreams.

Right, this was a necessary step to clear the young master’s name.

It was to repay the lord who had taken her in and to whom she had sworn loyalty.

A sacrifice to clear the wrongdoing and allow her to rise higher.

It would be a cruel situation, but…

“I’m sorry, Siren.”

Shhhhh—

The shadows engulfed the maid.

3

A cold sensation jolted her awake.

Did I leave the window open?

Siren tried to move to block the wind that made her body shiver.

But her arms wouldn’t budge, no matter how hard she tried.

Was she dreaming?

Why am I not in my room—?

The moment she realized this, she opened her eyes wide and looked around.

“Mmph—?!”

She couldn’t make a sound.

No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t do anything.

An intense wave of fear overtook her.

What’s going on, what happened—?

Why am I, why was I kidnapped?!

As her rationality began to crumble and her eyes reddened with tears, a chilling voice whispered in her ear.

The voice was hard to discern, almost like a mix of male and female tones.

It sounded as if multiple people were speaking at once.

“Do you know about Black Rum?”

“Mmph—!”

What is that, what is it?!

She desperately shook her head.

Black Rum.

She knew about it.

It was at the center of the scandal shaking the academy.

But why were they asking her about it?

All she did was work diligently and talk a bit behind Manus’s back.

Why was she suffering like this?

She just wanted to live.

She couldn’t die like this.

“Mmph—! Mmph!”

“Shout, and you die. Lie, and you die. If you don’t speak immediately, you die. Nod if you understand.”

Tears streamed down her face as Siren nodded.

The shadow that had sealed her mouth slowly receded.

In a trembling voice, she pleaded desperately.

“Please… let me live. Please—.”

“Answer my question. Who made you do it?”

“I… I don’t know. I can’t remember anything. Please—.”

It’s said that the human heart cannot lie.

Even the slightest difference could be detected by Aden, who could discern lies from truth.

It was a skill she had honed through countless life-and-death situations and training.

Sigh… As expected, she’s been hit with that kind of magic.

The magic that manipulates a person’s memories.

It was certain that a magic with severe aftereffects had been used on her.

Clench—

This was unforgivable.

Aden manipulated the shadow to cover Siren’s mouth and roughly worked her left arm.

“Mmph—!”

“…”

Where there is security, there is hacking, and where there is law and order, there is crime.

If there was magic to erase memories, there was also magic or potions to restore them.

The potion Aden administered to Siren was one such remedy.

Among mages, certain magics were considered taboo.

Magic that resurrects the dead, magic that desecrates corpses, or magic that poses significant ethical problems.

Among these was the magic that erased people’s memories.

Though not completely forbidden, it was still a form of magic that should be avoided.

‘Eventually, she’ll be unable to distinguish between past and present. Siren, you…’

“Mmph—!”

The potion began to take effect.

The blood vessels in her eyes burst, causing tears of blood to flow.

Yet Aden remained silent, observing the symptoms.

A flood of memories surged.

Memories that had been deliberately erased resurfaced in vivid detail.

Ah—

So that’s what happened.

I, I placed the Black Rum in Caeser Manus’s room.

And then—

“Ah… Ahh—”

“Who was it?”

“…It was Assistant Chesthip. I just did what I was told. Please… please spare me.”

Siren was an ordinary person.

She was someone who had applied to the academy, been accepted, and then worked diligently.

When faced with the fear of death, loyalty and everything else became meaningless.

All she wanted was to survive another day.

Siren continued to mutter the truth in a hoarse, trembling voice.

“There had better be no lies.”

“Yes, yes, of course. I-I’ll go testify tomorrow. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry…”

Ssssss—

Her mouth, eyes, and ears were sealed once more.

Using the power of shadows, Aden stole her senses and let out a small sigh.

Then she placed her hand on Siren’s head.

Aden’s eyes glowed coldly.

Mana spread out, revealing one of the assassin’s techniques.

[Umbra: Vorcula]

Her will was soon transformed into a whisper of fear in Siren’s ear.

It would be deeply etched into Siren’s mind.

For an ordinary person, this would be their first encounter with such fear.

Therefore, it was something they could never resist.

[Speak the truth. The shadows will always be watching you.]

Siren’s body trembled violently.

With that, the simple interrogation was over.

Aden looked up at the sky.

Two full moons were gazing back at her.

One of the moons, with an incomplete eye like a wink, seemed to be praising her.

–TL Notes–
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