Chapter 50: Suspicion (2)

“80 percent?”

Considering she acted on it, it might be over 90 percent.

I washed off sweat in the bathroom, checked the lecture schedule, prepared for class, and got dressed… My body kept moving, but my mind was filled with thoughts of the earlier encounter.

“Anyway, she’s almost certain.”

Why?

I clicked my tongue.

Where did I slip up?

I didn’t know.

Reviewing my past operations, I couldn’t recall any mistakes or traces left behind.

“Still, it’s just suspicion for now, right?”

If there was clear evidence, Karina wouldn’t have been sneaking around spying like that.

She’d have used her family’s power to pressure me directly.

Then there was no need to rush.

No matter how much Karina was of the Zain bloodline, she was just a fledgling cadet right now.

Without physical evidence, the Zains wouldn’t move, and the image I’d built up so far wasn’t something to dismiss lightly.

“The key is clear evidence that I’m a thief.”

Given her fiery personality, I could vividly picture how she’d act going forward.

* * *

Karina’s execution was surprisingly swift.

The next morning, while I was jogging as usual at dawn, I heard another set of running footsteps right behind me.

Tap! Tap!

At first, I didn’t pay it any mind.

I wasn’t the only one training physically.

Even now, a few cadets were running along the tree-lined path of the jogging course, so it wasn’t strange for someone to be following me.

But when they stuck closely to my tail for over 20 minutes, that was a different story.

Especially when,

“Haa! Haa!”

They were making such rough breathing noises, blatantly drawing attention—how could I not notice?

Looking back, as expected, Karina was there, grimacing with a scowl.

Her clothes were soaked with sweat, looking heavy.

I stopped running and asked,

“What are you doing?”

“You… huff! Don’t you see? I’m training, cough! Training!”

Karina, stopping right in front of me, was panting heavily.

Her red hair, cascading like a waterfall, swayed side to side with each heaving breath.

“To me, it looks like you’re torturing yourself.”

At this rate, she might actually pass out.

“Hoo. P-Physical stamina is essential for mages too, you know!? Haa. Haa.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah…”

Karina straightened up, nodding.

For her sake, I stepped aside.

“What’s that?”

Her sharp, narrowed eyes momentarily formed a question mark.

“What? You said you’re training.”

“…And you?”

“I’m taking a break.”

Saying that, I sat on a nearby bench, and Karina’s question mark turned into bewilderment.

“Not running?”

“Well, I mean…”

“Got something to say? Oh, maybe you want to run with me?”

Instantly, deep creases formed between Karina’s brows.

“Are you crazy? What kind of nonsense is that…?”

She immediately took off, moving away.

She glared at me once in the middle, and I sensed a brief hesitation in her gaze.

“Such pride.”

I chuckled.

Well, it made her easier to handle, which was nice.

From that point on, Karina’s persistent obsession and tailing continued relentlessly.

While eating lunch, I felt a gaze and looked to see Karina sitting there.

During a break, I stepped out briefly and returned to find the state of my desk subtly different from before.

She showed up unannounced at the training hall, where she rarely came, and just glanced at me without training.

Even during a lecture, I felt a gaze, turned around, and caught her ducking under the window in a hurry.

Considering first-year lectures were held at the same time, it meant she was skipping her own classes to spy on me.

Her dedication was truly impressive.

“But everything she does reeks of amateur.”

No matter how exceptional her magical talent—said to be a once-in-a-century gift—tailing someone and gathering information was an entirely different skill set.

She might be a perfected mage, but as an investigator, she was utterly hopeless.

And so, Karina’s meaningless, fruitless actions continued into one late afternoon.

While heading back to the dorm after training with Yuria, a thought struck me, and I asked,

“Karina, you know. Is she attending classes properly these days?”

The sudden mention of her name seemed unexpected, as Yuria’s dark eyes sparkled.

“Karina? Why her all of a sudden?”

“Just curious.”

“I don’t know, I don’t pay attention to her.”

Yuria answered shortly and turned her head.

What? Did I do something wrong?

“Senior, are you interested in Karina too?”

Every muscle in my face twisted as if I’d heard something horrific.

“That’s the biggest nonsense I’ve heard this year.”

“…”

“But what’s with the ‘too’? Who’s interested in me?”

“Karina asked me the same thing today. About you. When and where you meet, what you usually do.”

I see.

After tailing me for over three days without any results, she must be desperate.

Still, I didn’t expect her to approach Yuria, whom she disliked, to ask. It meant she was cornered.

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t answer.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“And then? What’d she say?”

“She just made a face like she bit into something nasty and left.”

The scene vividly played out in my mind.

A laugh slipped through my slightly parted lips.

“Pffft.”

“Funny?”

“Yeah. That’s so you, Yuria.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Of course it’s a compliment. Good job.”

I felt her glance from the side.

The corners of her mouth twitched, suggesting her mood had lifted.

“…Ahem. She seems to be skipping classes more than usual. There were a few times she wasn’t there when attendance was called.”

“Karina?”

“Yeah. You asked about her class attitude earlier. That’s the answer.”

That was enough.

Satisfied, I naturally shifted the topic.

“Anyway, about when you used [Freeze] earlier. It’s good to use it on opponents, but you should also consider using it on yourself…”

After parting with Yuria and returning to my dorm room, I collapsed onto the bed, lost in thought.

“She asked Yuria about me…”

That action alone told me Karina’s current state.

Her patience was at its limit.

It was time for that frustration to burst out.

And sure enough.

“Hey. Got a minute?”

While I was jogging at dawn as usual, Karina blocked my path and bluntly demanded,

“Meet me at the Lodge Café after third period. I know you’re free then, so don’t even think about bailing.”

Feigning ignorance, I asked,

“Why? Treating me to lunch?”

Karina twisted the corner of her mouth.

“Yeah.”

And so, at noon as agreed.

Entering the Lodge Café, I saw Karina sitting alone among the crowded tables filled with cadets and staff.

As I approached, her eyes curved into a slight smile as she looked up at me.

“You came? Thought you wouldn’t show.”

“No reason not to, if you’re buying.”

I did hesitate a bit, but if I didn’t show, I’d never shake off her suspicions.

“Or should I leave?”

“No. Sit down quick.”

I sat across from Karina.

On the table were two cups of coffee, likely just ordered, alongside a cake.

“I got coffee, that okay? It’s good here.”

Karina said, gracefully lifting her cup to her lips.

Knowing her childish taste, it just looked like she was putting on airs.

More importantly, the Lodge Café.

Now that I thought about it, this wasn’t a great location.

“What about food? I’m hungry.”

“Before that.”

Tap, she set down her coffee cup.

“Last Thursday. Remember that dawn?”

Of course I remembered.

It was a day I could never forget.

“What were you doing that day?”

Karina cut straight to the point.

Last Thursday.

That was the day I killed someone.

A horrific psychopathic murderer, Cave.

Cutting the cake with one hand, I answered as casually as possible,

“Fought a villain who infiltrated the Academy. Got a medal for it.”

‘Didn’t you know?’ my question implied, and a sly smile curled on Karina’s lips.

That smile’s meaning was painfully clear.

It was you, wasn’t it? The thief.

And as expected.

“I’m not asking about that. Before that. Before you fought the Head Collector. What were you doing then?”

Right. Karina was throwing her trump card.

I glanced around.

Sigh.

Maybe I shouldn’t have come.

“Where are you looking? Not answering?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious. What, don’t want to answer? Or can’t?”

Hmm.

Before fighting Cave, I was beating you up.

I barely held back from blurting that to her face.

“Late-night training.”

“Seriously. Late-night training?”

“Yeah. I was training when an alarm went off near the Research Wing. That’s when I ran into the villain.”

“So you were training near the Research Wing? Or are you just insanely fast? You seemed pretty fit from your morning runs…”

Karina’s smile deepened.

At that point, I set down my fork with a tap.

“Hey. If you’ve got something to say, stop beating around the bush. It’s pissing me off.”

“Heh. Shall I? Actually, I know everything.”

“Oh, what exactly?”

Karina’s face leaned closer.

Her red lips moved inches from mine.

And from them, a soft whisper.

“You. You’re a thief.”

I pulled back and met Karina’s gaze.

Her eyes, once playful, now glinted sharply, devoid of humor.

As expected, she came out swinging.

In that case, there was only one attitude I could take.

Shamelessness.

I blinked.

With a look that said, ‘What kind of nonsense is this?’ I pointed at myself and asked,

“Thief? Me?”

“Yes.”

“Whoa. Since when?”

Our gazes locked in the air.

Coincidence or not.

The noisy surroundings briefly fell silent, and with my sharp perception, I could feel her heart beating faster and faster.

Karina was nervous.

She was pretending otherwise, but.

She was also channeling mana, ready for any sudden move.

Hmm, this wasn’t good.

“Stop dodging. I know everything.”

“So you called me here for this? To catch me if I’m a thief?”

“Obviously. The Lodge Café is in the heart of the Academy, right? No matter how slippery a thief you are, you can’t escape from here.”

I didn’t deny it.

I’d been feeling glances from around us for a while.

People sensing Karina’s fluctuating mana.

The very issue I’d been most wary of.

Namely, the presence of professors.

Hoo, I let out a sigh.

Not acting, but genuinely.

Honestly, I didn’t expect Karina to come at me so intelligently and aggressively.

She was different from the Karina I knew, which was quite surprising.

“If I’m not a thief, what are you gonna do?”

“That’s not possible, which is why I’m doing this.”

“Why am I a thief?”

“Want me to tell you?”

She must’ve thought it was over.

I didn’t even ask, but Karina rattled off reasons why I was a thief.

How I instantly found her confronting Clatter a few days ago, how I was in a position to know the Academy’s systems and inner workings in detail.

Plus, the suspicious two-year gap and the contradictions in my changed attitude, contrary to the rumors circulating in the Academy.

Listening quietly to Karina, one thought crossed my mind.

The Zains were not to be underestimated.

I felt blindsided.

It wasn’t a trace or mistake from my operations, but the very lifestyle of a thief that she’d dug into to raise suspicions.

To think she could deduce it that way—my head was buzzing.

Karina was right.

No matter how perfect a thief, the subtle changes and distortions create an unavoidable sense of incongruity.

The Zains knew that, meaning this situation was inevitably going to happen someday.

In other words, even if I’d executed my operations flawlessly, I would’ve faced the Zains’ suspicion eventually.

Right now, it was just pure luck that it was Karina.

If I’d been unlucky, I might’ve faced another Zain blood relative.

Hmm.

Was this also tied to the death flags that would arise later?

There was no way to confirm, but what I needed to do next was clear.

Confront it head-on.

“So, ultimately, there’s no tangible evidence, huh?”

“Hmph. Bluffing?”

“You’re the one bluffing.”

Karina shrugged.

“Fine. You’re right. There’s no evidence, and it’s all my speculation. But did you think I came here without any preparation?”

As expected, she had a hidden card.

What Karina pulled from her pocket was a fist-sized transparent crystal orb.

Inside the orb was a small, pure white bead that looked like an eyeball, surrounded by intricate magical runes.

The Eye of Truth.

An artifact of the Zain family that detects the subtle emotional fluctuations when someone lies, determining whether their answer is true or false.

Usable only by Zain blood relatives, its symbolic and practical value was beyond monetary measure.

“If there’s no evidence, I’ll just make it. No need to explain what this is, right?”

“Yeah. I know.”

At my response, Karina briefly wore a strange expression, staring at me intently.

Her face scrunched up, as if something displeased her.

“You really know what it is?”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Then why no reaction? This ‘Eye of Truth’ can prove you’re a thief and it’s not like you can escape this situation. So why.”

“Sorry. I should’ve gasped in awe at your perfect plan. My bad.”

“That’s not what I mean!”

Karina shouted shrilly, losing her temper.

“What’s with the calm act? Aren’t you scared? Nervous?”

Not really.

The ‘Eye of Truth’ was indeed an excellent artifact for detecting lies, but it wasn’t omnipotent.

Artifacts have ranks.

The ‘Star’s Blessing,’ which blocks all harmful effects or attacks that invade the wearer’s mind, outclasses the ‘Eye of Truth,’ made from a mere beast’s eye, in both ability and compatibility.

To me, the owner of the ‘Star’s Blessing,’ the [True Sight] of the ‘Eye of Truth’ was ineffective.

So when Karina pulled it out, I inwardly cheered.

If I used it right, I could turn this situation around.

“Why would I be nervous?”

“Because you’re a thief.”

“Are you actually insane? I’m not. Just use that thing now.”

Karina twisted the corner of her mouth.

“Ha! I was just about to…”

“But a warning first. If I’m not a thief, you’ll pay dearly for suspecting me.”

“Seriously. What could someone like you even do?”

“Oh, I can.”

Meeting her mocking gaze, I clearly enunciated a name.

“Ever heard of Luslo? A Royal Dream reporter I met at the award ceremony a few days ago.”

Royal Dream reporter.

The smirk vanished from Karina’s face in an instant.

“If I tip this story to him, what do you think will happen? Should be interesting. The headline could be… hmm, something like, ‘Zain Family’s Daughter Accuses Honorary Merit Medal Recipient of Theft?’”

“…!”

“Once that news breaks, all eyes will be on us. Then we use the Eye of Truth in front of the public.”

I was betting my reputation.

But Karina had to bet her own and the Zain family’s reputation.

Meaning, she had more to lose if she failed.

“If I’m not a thief… what happens to you then?”

Karina’s pupils were trembling wildly.

I knew what she was worrying about.

Embarrassment was one thing, but something else mattered more to her.

Namely, the succession.

A scandal like this wouldn’t tarnish the glory of the Zain family.

But it was enough to put a dent in Karina’s personal career.

That dent could affect the ongoing succession struggle and potentially hinder her in the future succession decision—no one could predict how.

That uncertainty was Karina’s weakness.

“Y-You dare threaten me?”

“Not at all. You’re sure I’m a thief, right? I’m giving you a chance. A chance to catch the thief who’s been plaguing the Academy, in front of everyone.”

Karina’s hand, holding the ‘Eye of Truth,’ trembled.

The confidence and bravado from earlier were gone.

For Karina, this moment was like a gamble, and in gambling, momentum was key.

We faced off in silence.

Karina glared at me, shaking, while I just sat calmly.

In my mind, I ran through various scenarios.

‘As expected, there’s nothing.’

No matter what she did, there was no way for Karina to turn this situation around.

‘With her personality, she’d never take a risky gamble.’

Hotheaded, but not thoughtlessly so.

She’d probably retreat for now, prepare more thoroughly, and come back.

Yeah.

That was the best she could—

“…?”

My thoughts halted.

An inexplicable sense of unease hit me.

‘What?’

I heightened my senses.

The air around the Lodge Café.

More precisely, the mana that had been flowing steadily was now surging wildly.

A familiar phenomenon.

One that no Academy cadet could forget.

Because this was.

WEEEEENG—!

The precursor to a Mana Freeze, signaling a terrorist attack.

“What, what’s that!?”

“What’s happening?”

People jumped up, shouting, as the alarm blared out of nowhere.

At the same time, with a loud crash, the café door burst open, and someone rushed in.

It was the guard captain.

He held a sword.

The black blood dripping thickly from its tip drew everyone’s attention.

“Beasts have appeared! Everyone, evacuate to a safe place!”

Beasts.

“What? Guard captain? Beasts? You’re saying beasts appeared in the Academy? Again!?”

An older professor’s question was answered by the guard captain.

But his response was utterly unexpected.

“Urgh. That thief bastard summoned beasts while escaping…”

I thought I misheard.

What?

Who?

“Thief?”

I looked toward the shocked voice and saw Karina staring at me with disbelief.

Don’t look at me like that.

I was just as stunned.

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