Ikerite Academy was still cloaked in a hazy quiet.
The dawn had only just begun to illuminate this tranquil world from the horizon, the sky's distant grayish-blue gradually bleeding into a faint pink on the ground, blending softly like droplets of ink in water.
At six o'clock on this Tuesday morning, having finished breakfast together after returning to school, Lanqi, Hyperion, and Frey walked along the academy's broad paths to the dormitory building of the School of Sages.
The lights in the ground-floor lobby were faint and cozy. Behind the counter, the dorm manager leaned against a soft cushion, holding a book to stave off morning drowsiness.
At this hour, most students were still deep in their dreams; only a few early risers quietly made their way out of the dorms.
"Let's get some rest, and we'll head over to the student council together this afternoon," Lanqi said, looking at Hyperion at the fork in the hall.
"All right."
Hyperion nodded, parting ways with Lanqi and Frey.
Lanqi then led Frey toward his own room.
Walking leisurely along the carpeted corridor on the first floor, the quiet laughter and low voices of the two echoed down the empty hallway. The doors on both sides remained firmly shut, silent as living, breathing creatures, each concealing a tiny world brimming with countless stories and sweet dreams.
The boys' dorm was in the front building, the girls' dorm in the back, separated by only a short distance.
Lanqi had already lent the Poet of Great Love to Hyperion. Once Hyperion reached her dorm and called for her, the Poet of Great Love could emerge on her own.
The Poet of Great Love understood magic cards far too well. Once Lanqi lifted the sole summoning restriction he could impose on her, she could summon and dismiss herself at will—a feat standard summons were utterly incapable of.
As for Frey, he would follow Lanqi to his room for the morning. One would keep watch while the other slept, taking turns resting for three hours each.
The student council office was not even open this early, and they had nothing else to do.
Although the Banquet of Sanctuary Villains was not a twelve-hour, single-night Shadow World like Purgatory Corridor Academy, spanning five whole days instead, they had woken up exceedingly early on this final morning.
On top of that, having spent several days traveling abroad, they were thoroughly exhausted upon their return and wanted nothing more than a good sleep.
Stopping before a door, Lanqi took out his key, slipped it into the lock, gave it a gentle turn, and brought Frey inside his quarters.
The lighting in the dorm's living room was warmer than that of the corridor. A soft sofa and a minimalist coffee table sat quietly together, bearing several books and a set of glassware.
"The mole won't be easy to catch this time," Frey said with a frown, sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed.
His hunter's instincts had maintained a constant reconnaissance.
Throughout their seemingly relaxed walk, Frey had not caught the faintest hint of being followed or watched.
To ensure Hyperion, who was serving as the bait, could rest with peace of mind, neither of the two trappers had placed any pressure on her.
Many matters were reserved for discussions when the two of them were alone.
"From the looks of it, the enemy will only strike at Hyperion if they are entirely confident. If we try to lay a clumsy trap or conduct an active sweep, it will only put them on guard," Lanqi said, pouring two cups of honey lemon water. He handed one to Frey and took a seat on the adjacent sofa.
If they took the initiative—for example, subjecting the academic delegation from the Aloran Kingdom to mandatory anti-cult reeducation—their objective would be far too transparent. It would look as though they already knew cultists lurked among them, and the Resurrection Church would instantly realize that Sticela, the elite cultist captured in the Shadow World, had leaked intelligence. That would leave Sticela vulnerable to vicious retaliation from the church even while behind bars.
Sticela had staked her life to deliver that intelligence to Lanqi, so Lanqi would naturally do everything in his power to protect her.
"So you still plan to use Hyperion as bait?"
Frey took a sip of the honey lemon water. The refreshing chill soothed his throat, suiting his palate perfectly.
A touch of honey in the lemon water softened the sharp acidity, while the lemon neatly tempered the honey's cloying sweetness, blending like ideal partners.
"A sting operation is the safest bet, because the concrete details we have this time are far too sparse. Think about it—"
Lanqi set down his mug, counting off possibilities on his fingers for Frey.
"If the assassin underwent prior self-hypnosis and acts as a perfectly normal student until activated by a specific trigger, then no matter what proactive steps we take in the mortal realm, we won't catch them. We'll only startle them."
This was the crucial difference between the mortal realm and a Shadow World. Entering a Shadow World under deep self-hypnosis carried immense risk, as one might fail to snap out of it when danger struck. But in the mortal realm, the assassin had entered the safe Hutton Kingdom disguised as an ordinary person; even if the hypnosis remained unbroken, their life was in no immediate peril.
"Alternatively, what if the enemy possesses troublesome, unknown magic? They could construct unfathomable traps."
"To take a simple example: what if they specialize in disguises or shapeshifting, like mimetic magic such as [Phantom of Blood]?"
"First, the assassin could use the mole inside Ikerite Academy to obtain intelligence on the first-year girl living next door to Hyperion, then abduct that innocent student and lock her away. Next, disguised as the victim, the assassin could move into the room right beside Hyperion while their original identity vanishes without explanation. That would create the impression that a visiting student from the Aloran Kingdom has gone missing out of thin air, drawing the academy's focus toward an investigation while the real killer waits right next to Hyperion, ready to strike when her guard is completely down."
"Or they could wait until a time when Hyperion lacks an alibi, disguise themselves as her, commit a murder in her name, and frame her. That would leave her as a criminal suspect detained by the police for questioning, effectively isolating her from the academy and from us. Then, while she's held in custody awaiting trial under total quarantine, it would be child's play to kill her through covert scheming and venomous methods."
"Furthermore—"
"Enough, that's enough."
Frey hastily raised a hand to cut Lanqi off.
"At least I'm certain of one good thing now," Frey said with utter gravity.
"What's that?" Lanqi asked in confusion, wondering what blind spot Frey had suddenly noticed.
"Fortunately, the one sent to assassinate Hyperion isn't you," Frey replied, staring at Lanqi.
"..."
Lanqi froze for a brief moment of stunned silence.
"Why would I ever want to kill Hyperion?!"
He had been seriously analyzing every conceivable scenario, and here Frey was, teasing him.
"If the Resurrection Church hired you to take her out, even ten lives wouldn't be enough for Hyperion," Frey laughed, leaning back against the sofa, thoroughly amused by Lanqi's expression.
Still, Frey soon returned to a serious demeanor.
The real challenge lay not just in protecting Hyperion and apprehending the cultist, but in making it appear as though they had caught the culprit purely by stroke of luck.
Although Hyperion would be safe for short periods with the Poet of Great Love at her side, and Lanqi and Frey could rush over immediately if trouble arose, staying too close to her risked scaring off the big fish.
Today, having just returned from the Shadow World, Lanqi and Frey staying at the School of Sages dorm was reasonable enough under the guise of proximity.
Yet if the two stayed at the School of Sages every single day, the would-be assassin might abandon the attempt altogether.
On the other hand, if they stayed too far, Hyperion's situation would turn genuinely dangerous.
They would rather miss catching the big fish than allow Hyperion to face real peril as bait.
The two were now deliberating over where best to lurk while angling for their quarry.
"Looks like I'll have to pull a disappearing act," Frey suggested. As long as he vanished from the map, everything would fall into place.
"Actually, there's another solution..." Lanqi murmured. "I can give it a shot. If we can reach an agreement, it would be ideal."
Yet Lanqi's tone was distinctly lacking in confidence.
If Hyperion could stay at Talia's place, he and Frey could keep their distance without worry.
When that happened, they would just need to wait for the assassin to court disaster by poking the sleeping monster.
Unfortunately, Talia was no longer short on money.
Swaying her with coin alone would be exceptionally difficult.
Lanqi had nothing of sufficient value on hand to barter with her at the moment, either.
Above all, Talia deeply detested socializing with others and would never permit a stranger to occupy her private domain.
Asking Talia to let Hyperion stay at her home was practically trampling on her absolute bottom line.
"Let's just hope her ladyship is in a decent mood today," Lanqi murmured, leaning his head back against the sofa.
Regardless, after handling their student council duties this afternoon, he intended to take Hyperion to Boss Cat Restaurant to meet Talia.
Based on Lanqi's understanding of Talia, there was a ninety percent chance of an icy rejection, causing Talia to dislike Hyperion and Lanqi along with her.
Yet Talia occasionally showed an inexplicable gentle side. Her temperament was like the weather, and what tomorrow might bring was something Lanqi could never predict.
Chapter 174