Chapter 239: Episode 239

Things had suddenly escalated. Simon had expected a simple shopping trip in Rochester, but Serne had already prepared an expensive teleportation magic circle. At her urging, he stepped onto the glowing runes, and in an instant, the streets of Langestine unfolded before him.

“Hurry up!” Serne chirped, pulling on his sleeve.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Simon protested. “Isn’t leaving Roc Island without permission a serious violation of school rules?”

“That’s a bold claim coming from the guy who’s always hopping the fence to get into the Forbidden Forest.”

With that, she spun around, bent her knees, and peered at the skull clone of Pier attached to Simon’s shirt.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Have you been well?”

To anyone else, it was just a skeletal ornament. As she playfully poked the clone, Simon relayed the raw shout that echoed through his mind.

“He says he’ll kill you.”

“Ooh, scary.”

She stopped her teasing, turned, and clasped her hands behind her back.

“Well, let’s go! Shall we check out the shopping district first?”

—

On the rooftop of a building a few hundred meters away, men in black robes moved about with mana telescopes, keeping a close watch on the pair.

“Target’s movement confirmed. They’re heading toward Hampton Road.”

“Understood.”

As the men worked, a crimson flash pulsed across the rooftop. A moment later, a black-haired girl in a dark, long coat and a low-brimmed hat landed softly on the concrete.

The men bowed their heads respectfully.

“Welcome, Lady Lorraine.”

She nodded. “Where’s Serne?”

“Heading to Hampton Road with Simon.”

When Lorraine held out her palm, one of the men politely handed her a mana telescope. She propped a foot on the rooftop railing and adjusted the lens. In the distance, she could see Serne and Simon walking together, acting uncharacteristically close.

’…Serne Aindark. What scheme are you plotting this time?’

From Kizen’s perspective, Serne was a walking time bomb. Her formidable mind control was enough to manipulate the exam rankings at will. Lately, she was even suspected of deliberately sabotaging students coveted by the Ivory Tower, causing them to fail their Kizen entrance exams so that her organization could immediately recruit the disheartened applicants. But suspicions were all they had; there was no concrete evidence.

Serne was as cunning as a fox, acting meticulously to leave no trace. There was no way to know what was part of her act and what wasn’t. After all, she could even erase fragmented memories.

’And it’s a tricky situation for the adults to interfere in.’

Serne was a seventeen-year-old Kizen first-year, just like everyone else. In the meritocratic world of Kizen, she was simply competing in official exams using her own skills. Of course, the administration could find some other pretext to expel her if they truly wanted to, but Kizen’s upper echelons didn’t want that.

There were political reasons involving internal factions, and willingly giving up their leverage—the Ivory Tower’s successor, held hostage within their walls—would only benefit Serne and her organization. Underlying it all was the fear that if Serne returned home, the Ivory Tower might adopt a more openly hostile stance toward Kizen.

That was why the mission had been assigned to Lorraine: to stop Serne. History was filled with examples of adult interference turning student squabbles into major conflicts. Having Lorraine, a fellow first-year, intervene was the best way to prevent the situation from escalating.

’If only I had one piece of decisive evidence.’

For Lorraine, the ideal outcome was to uncover Serne’s misdeeds, expose them, and see her face legal judgment. That would allow them to expel her while simultaneously handicapping the Ivory Tower. They could even imprison her under Kizen law.

Today, that opportunity had presented itself. Serne had audaciously approached Simon Polentia, Special Admission No. 1.

’So the Ivory Tower is after Simon. Of course.’

But Lorraine had no intention of letting that happen.

—

With a playful gasp, Serne clung tightly to Simon’s arm. He flinched and tried to pull away, but she only pressed herself against him more boldly.

“Hold on, Serne,” Simon said, his expression serious.

She blinked innocently, then whispered in a tiny voice, “Weren’t we supposed to be acting friendly?”

“Still, this is too close. Why are you taking it this far?”

“Oh, cotton candy!”

Instead of answering, Serne pointed to a stall, her voice dripping with manufactured sweetness. “I want some of that!”

Simon was at a loss for words. As if on cue, he felt his pocket clink and grow heavy. He reached in and found a few coins. He knew this was all an act, but why did she have to be so over-the-top? Sighing internally, he walked over to the stall and ordered two cotton candies.

“Oh my,” Serne chimed in. “Isn’t it more romantic to buy one and share?”

“No,” Simon stated flatly.

The stall owner chuckled. “It’s nice to see a young couple like you. Are you two together?”

“Yes!” Serne answered immediately, snuggling against Simon’s side. He mouthed ‘get off,’ but she ignored him again.

“Hey, son, you should take good care of the lady,” the owner advised. “A pretty girl like her is all over you. You can’t just ignore her.”

“Oh, it’s okay!” Serne giggled. “He’s just very shy!”

The two of them were perfectly in sync. As they chattered, a single feather fluttered over and attached itself to Simon’s clothes.

—”Can you hear me? If you can, blink twice.”

Simon blinked as instructed.

—”Don’t make it obvious, just glance. Two blocks to your right. See that man in the dark blue clothes? Yes, him. Now look up. The person leaning on the second-floor glass railing. That’s the other one. They’re both from the Ivory Tower. We’ve got a tail.”

’A tail!’

Simon’s mind raced. He took the freshly made cotton candy and handed it to Serne, feigning a complaint. “It’s because you’re too possessive. It’s exhausting having you watch my every move.”

She took the cotton candy and smiled sweetly.

—”That’s right. We’re being ‘watched’ by them right now,” the voice from the feather explained.

Serne continued the conversation aloud. “Isn’t a little possessiveness a sign of healthy affection? Right, mister?”

“Of course, of course.”

The stall owner cleared his throat as he handed the second cotton candy to Simon. “It’s important to treat them well while you can. I regret it sometimes. Now my wife just nags me every day about not bringing home enough money…”

’Sorry, but I really don’t care about your marital problems.’

Simon tuned out the man’s awkward family drama, lost in thought. Serne was the official successor of the Ivory Tower. Why was her own organization tailing her? And why did that mean he had to play along with this charade?

He shot her a look filled with these questions.

—”The elders at the Ivory Tower have started to question my performance,” she explained telepathically.

Within the Ivory Tower, two factions existed. The first, which included Serne and the current Head, valued tradition and sought independence from Kizen to restore their former glory. The other, which included Meirin and her family, advocated for adapting to the changing times by cooperating with Kizen. Simon knew this much, but the problem lay with Serne’s faction.

Their original plan had been to kill Simon and seize the Legion for themselves. However, Serne had used her authority to indefinitely postpone the assassination, declaring that she would persuade him personally. But now that the second semester was underway, dissent was growing. Critics argued that they had missed their chance to assassinate Simon due to his rising public profile, and that Serne, for her part, had produced no results.

So, Serne was putting on a show, bringing Simon to Langestin to flaunt their close relationship for the Ivory Tower’s spies.

—”This isn’t a bad thing for you, either, Simon,” she continued through the feather as she took a bite of cotton candy. “Lend your support to me, your ally. There’s no need to make an enemy of the Ivory Tower, is there?”

She had a point. Magnus was already a huge burden; making an enemy of the Ivory Tower as well would be foolish.

“I have a question,” Simon said aloud. “Why are you helping me?”

’Why are you taking my side within your own organization?’ was what he really meant.

“Well, now…” she purred.

—”Because I decided you were an irreplaceable asset.”

At first, Serne hadn’t cared who became the Legion Commander. All that mattered was that the Ivory Tower possessed one. If she failed to persuade Simon, she had planned to have him expelled from Kizen and then eliminated. But after witnessing his prowess firsthand, her perspective had shifted.

Who in the Ivory Tower could wield the Legion’s power as perfectly as Simon? She realized the commander—the person—was more important than the Legion itself. That sparked a new ambition: she wanted to bring not just the Legion, but Simon himself, to the Ivory Tower.

“Just so you know, I might not be able to return your interest,” he warned. He had no intention of going to the Ivory Tower now, nor could he promise to join after graduation.

“But for now, I’m the one closest to you, right? That’s enough for me.”

It was true. In the race to recruit him two years from now, the Ivory Tower currently held the lead. For now, that was sufficient.

Hearing her explanation, Simon’s expression finally cleared.

’Now I understand.’

What Serne was doing was, in essence, a performance for the elders. It was politics.

Suddenly, a horse on the adjacent carriage road neighed loudly, kicking up dust as it approached, agitated by a fly. Since he was already acting, Simon decided to commit. He wrapped an arm around Serne’s shoulders, pulled her protectively into his side, and shielded her with his back.

“Huh?!”

Even the unflappable Serne seemed surprised, her eyes widening for a moment. The carriage clattered past, its wheels briefly mounting the sidewalk before the driver regained control. After glancing toward their tails, Simon asked gently, “Are you okay?”

Serne was silent for a moment, a faint blush coloring her cheeks before she broke into a sly smile.

“Have you finally decided to escort a lady properly?”

“I’ve been doing it the whole time,” Simon replied, moving to walk on the side closer to the road.

She giggled and quickly fell into step beside him.

—

On the rooftop, Lorraine’s expression grew increasingly grim.

’They’re really laying it on thick.’

Clinging to his arm, sharing cotton candy, Simon positioning himself to shield her from the road… they were acting just like a couple.

’That’s not Simon’s personality. He has to be under her mind control.’

Lorraine zoomed the telescope in further, searching for the feather on his body, but couldn’t find it. It was probably hidden beneath his clothes.

A strange knot of irritation tightened in Lorraine’s chest as she watched them. She couldn’t let the Ivory Tower snatch away Simon in such a disgraceful manner. He was a precious asset to Kizen, and she hoped he would choose to remain there with her after graduation. That was his decision, of course, but Serne’s methods were simply wrong.

“…I can’t let this continue.”

Unable to watch them stroll along sharing cotton candy any longer, Lorraine lowered the telescope.

“I’m going in.”

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