“Tell me which professor told you to watch me. I already know everything. If you tell the truth, I’ll let you go.”

His eyes trembled. He rolled his eyes behind me, stalling.

“Well… no…”

“Who is it!”

“Tr-Traut! Professor Traut told me to!”

Under my shout, he closed his eyes tightly and yelled.

Good.

Traut… he was one of the scholars who became a professor with Askanian’s support long ago.

Though a mage, he doesn’t teach magic directly but rather teaches in another department.

Now I understand why he misunderstood my brother’s letter.

Traut knows that the Askanian family made a pact with the royal family to protect Luca. Anyone associated with our family would know that.

So, Traut must have interpreted my brother’s letter as an instruction to ensure the pact wasn’t broken—specifically, to make sure I didn’t contact Pleroma.

I smiled and let go of the student’s shoulder.

“Alright, good. Thanks.”

“…Huh?”

“You thought it would be better to gather information by talking to me since we ran into each other. Right?”

“What are you talking about…?”

“Also, it might be best to switch watchers from now on.”

I glanced at the badge on his jacket. A Knight Department badge.

“You’re not even from our department. Who would be best suited to monitor me properly? Someone from the same department, same class, and same special class would be optimal. You also think you’re not suitable, don’t you? So, tell the professor tomorrow. You’re in a significantly lacking environment.”

“What are you saying from earlier…”

It’s understandable to ask what I’m talking about. It’s not the truth, but a mind control spell.

I felt a splitting headache and frowned as I uttered the spell I had used a month ago.

―Enter through the narrow gate.

His eyes glazed over.

But this time, he shouldn’t fall asleep here.

I grabbed the student who was about to collapse and woke him up by channeling divine power into his forehead. Strength quickly returned to his body. The moment he opened his eyes, shock spread across his face.

“Ah!”

Seeing my face, he jumped back in surprise.

His last memory would be me suddenly turning around. He must have been startled to see my face, not expecting me to turn.

After collecting himself, he greeted me with a trembling voice.

“…Hello, Lucas, right?”

“Hello.”

I greeted with a raised eyebrow.

He rolled his eyes and forced a smile.

“Um, it’s amazing to run into you here. I wasn’t following you or anything… just glad to see you.”

I should be saying that.

He’ll report all the information he’s gathered to Professor Traut, so I should use this opportunity to mislead my brother with the information he’s most interested in.

I should act according to the situation.

As I stared at him with a slightly displeased expression, he nervously continued.

“Ah, actually, I was thinking of talking to you.”

“Talk to me?”

“Yeah, people have been talking about you lately. They say you’ve become quite… sociable compared to last semester.”

I narrowed my eyes and nodded. He hastily continued.

“Um, but you seem uncomfortable now. It’s understandable, meeting at the edge of the school late at night…”

“Of course, it’s a bit uncomfortable. So you followed me to talk?”

As I answered along the lines I had implanted, his face showed a hint of relief. He raised his voice slightly, not wanting to miss the opportunity, and quickly responded.

“Yes. I saw you coming out of the library and suddenly running. I wondered if something happened, so I followed. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“…No, it’s fine.”

I shook my head.

How could I be uncomfortable?

From now on, without even knowing it, he’ll relay the false information I’ve crafted to the professor, who will then detail it to my brother.

There’s no need for yellow journalism. I’ve found an effective way to create confusion, and I should use it well this time too.

* * *

“Professor.”

A student knocked on the door of the Magic Swordsmanship professor’s office.

The nameplate that read Stefan Traut gleamed in the sunlight.

Upon hearing the voice telling him to enter, the student naturally walked in and sat down in front of the professor.

The student began speaking to the professor, who was still focused on his work.

“Nothing unusual happened during the day.”

The professor looked up and silently gazed at him, prompting the student to continue.

“In the evening, something a bit odd happened. He left the library at 11 and ran towards the third educational building. I followed…”

“You followed him.”

The professor furrowed his brow and nodded. The student avoided his eyes and scratched his neck.

“It seemed suspicious to head towards a school for younger students. I got caught… but managed to cover it up. He said he was looking for a lost pet.”

The professor looked at the student as if questioning if this trivial matter was all he had come for. The student hurriedly got to the main point.

“After a long conversation, it turns out he hasn’t changed much since his first year. The rumors about his change were exaggerated.”

“I see….”

The professor nodded and wrote something on his paper.

“Upon having a lengthy conversation, it became clear that he seems more composed than expected. Perhaps those who only exchanged a few words with him are giving the wrong impression.”

“So, you’re saying he can hold a short conversation normally. Regardless, it’s surprising that he can converse at all. Did you find out the reason?”

“Yes, he said he needs to improve his grades.”

The professor tilted his head and asked again.

“Grades?”

“His family wants him to improve his grades. He mentioned something about behavior scores, but I don’t really see the connection….”

“Hmm.”

The professor nodded, jotting something down quickly on his paper.

The student narrowed his eyes in thought.

“It was hard to understand, but… overall, it seems he adapted because of participation classes. The Magic Department puts a lot of emphasis on presentations and activities, unlike our department. This is just my guess, though.”

The student shook his head, still puzzled.

“No matter how much, it’s hard to believe he would change so drastically just to improve his grades….”

“When people are cornered, they can do anything.”

“Cornered?”

The student looked incredulous but quickly composed himself, remembering he was in front of the professor.

The professor paused his pen and waved his hand dismissively.

“That’s enough. Did you find out anything else?”

“No, not really… That’s all. He’s either in the dormitory or the library all day. He said himself that he doesn’t do anything special. It’s probably because he doesn’t have any friends at school.”

“I see. You did well. He will likely continue like this, so only come to me if he shows unusual behavior.”

“Yes, sir.”

The student turned to leave but then stopped abruptly. The professor, who was writing something on paper, looked up.

“What is it?”

“Ah…”

The student’s eyes widened as if he remembered something, and he turned back to face the professor.

“…But professor, as you know, I’m in a different department from him, and we don’t have many interactions.”

“So?”

“I thought it might be better if a student from his department kept an eye on him. Someone from the special class in the Magic Department would be more suitable than me.”

“Are you saying you don’t want to do it?”

“No, that’s not it…. Never mind. I’ll take my leave.”

As the student hastily opened the door, he found someone standing there.

“Oh.”

The student stepped back, slightly taken aback, and Narce entered the professor’s office, nodding at the student in greeting.

“Hello, Professor.”

“What brings you here?”

“I wanted to ask if there are any courses you’re teaching over the break that would be recognized at my exchange school. Could you check for me?”

“Sure, have a seat.”

Narce glanced at the spot where the student had left, closed the door, and sat down. He then casually looked at the professor’s desk and asked.

“By the way, was that conversation about Lucas?”

* * *

“From now on, Narce will be the one to watch Lucas~!”

“That’s good. But you do understand what that means, right?”

I laughed at Pai’s excitement.

I was on the rooftop just above, listening to Narce through Pai. We seemed to be able to read each other’s words within a few meters.

Anyway, I had sent Narce there for this very reason.

If I continuously used mind control magic on the watcher, the professor might notice. It’s always better to avoid leaving a trail.

So, why not change the watcher myself?

Leo could have done it if I asked, but Narce was more suitable for this task. He could deliver false information more convincingly than Leo.

Narce, since his transfer, had claimed to have gotten close to Lucas and could gather information that other students wouldn’t know.

A student from the seminary acting friendly with someone suspected to be Pleroma’s representative would naturally be trusted by the professor.

‘Narce would be surprised to know he was the one who first told me the rumors about Pleroma were baseless.’

It’s time to check if my survival probability has changed.

Dawn 777

― Time until the final outcome ‘Chapter X. Death’: 716 days 21 hours 13 minutes 01 second

― Probability of change: 7.9% (+1.0%p)

When I first checked after meeting Narce, it was 6.4%. Since then, it had increased by 0.5%p, and this recent event added another 1%p. I sighed in relief, a smile creeping up my face.

“Narce is coming out!”

Pai jumped off my shoulder and headed for the stairs.

Since this matter was now somewhat settled, it was time to refocus on the bigger picture.

I followed Pai down the stairs, greeted Narce, and headed to the annex.

* * *

Today’s meeting started a bit earlier because it was the weekend.

I placed my hands on the desk and looked at the students.

“Up until now, we’ve focused on gathering data. Now it’s time for a thorough analysis.”

“Wasn’t what we were doing also analysis?”

Melvin asked, wide-eyed.

“We’re going to synthesize everything. First, let’s discuss how our activities will proceed. You all know the Royal Family has a Pleroma Handling Office, right?”

“Of course.”

“They have numerous departments, but the core ones are Strategy and Combat. We’ll focus on the Strategy Department’s work and only go on field trips when necessary.”

Of course, Leo and I plan to go out frequently.

After seeing the Chimera Wolf, I had no intention of going out again… but because of that existence, I need to confirm any changes in the novel’s progression. This is essential to respond to any shifts within Pleroma.

I laid out the prepared materials on the desk and continued.

“Pleroma began operating under new rules two years ago when they gathered 100,000 followers. We’ve examined crime records over the past two years and categorized the number of incidents monthly.”

I handed out sheets with graphs to the students and started reading the figures.

“From January: 11 cases, 8, 7, 4, 5.”

“It’s decreasing.”

“Then it spikes again from June and decreases: 13, 8, 10, 5. And from October: 9, 15, 14.”

A student furrowed his brows and asked.

“Isn’t there no real pattern?”

“Wait, it seems to dip when one season ends and another begins. Could it be a preparation period?”

“Hmm, that makes sense.”

The students began discussing and hypothesizing among themselves. Leo tapped his pen on the paper and looked up.

“Most crimes from October to March are vandalism and assaults. From June to August, it’s mostly abduction and enticement. But knowing the types of incidents would help us understand better.”

I opened a notebook filled with newspaper clippings.

“Right, from October, most crimes involve grave desecration, corpse theft, and drawing blood from living people or livestock. From June, it’s mostly kidnapping, abduction, and unauthorized propaganda.”

“They’re crazy all year round.”

Narce laughed at a student’s comment and said.

“Haha, more like the nature of their crimes changes. Their activities shift with the seasons, right?”

“Exactly. In winter, most crimes involve Pleroma’s resurrection, immortality, and magic. In summer, it’s mostly about recruiting followers and maintaining their organization.”

As we started getting a clearer picture, the students examined the information more seriously.

I handed out an article.

It was about enhancing the management and supervision of public cemeteries in winter and thoroughly verifying the identities of visitors.

“This is information the Royal Family already has but hasn’t publicly disclosed. Now, we need to add one more thing.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep