Rodrigo sat quietly in the center of the room.

His luggage was undergoing a strict inspection. His clothes had already been thoroughly searched. After the Lord's Mansion staff sent the students away, they didn’t even bother with a pretense of politeness. Their vigilance and suspicion were blatant.

Rodrigo could only comply.

The guards watching him were all mages from the Heavenward Tower, mostly senior mages. They wore uniform robes and kept stern expressions.

Beside them stood a woman around his age, roughly thirty. Her face was strikingly cold and beautiful, with black hair and dark eyes. Her attire seemed made of layered black gauze, clinging tightly to her body.

(All in black… She seems like a serious person.)

The woman didn’t hide her magical fluctuations. Clearly, she was a Sorcerer. And with that impeccable aura, she must be an experienced combat mage, seasoned in battle.

Just then—

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

The door opened. An old woman entered, draped in heavy robes, her white hair flowing. Her eyes were icy cold. At the sight of her, Rodrigo immediately straightened his back.

A Great Sorcerer.

Among the three ranks—mage, Sorcerer, Great Sorcerer—she stood at the pinnacle.

She could directly convert and materialize magic, wield a Domain, and dominate a region as a powerhouse.

With a mere thought, she could reduce him to ashes.

“I am Glori Visa, known as the ‘Blue Flower.’ I handle ‘special external affairs’ for the Pantheon.”

“Mm…”

“And this is—” Glori gestured to the black-clad woman beside her. “My direct subordinate, ‘Dark Engraver’ Elyan White.”

“Uh, hello…”

Rodrigo forced a flattering smile to greet Elyan. She didn’t even glance at him.

Embarrassed, Rodrigo shook his head slightly. He suddenly remembered he hadn’t introduced himself and was about to speak—

“Rodrigo Planz, male, 31 years old. Born in the coastal city of Vis, an island nation under Osleva. Commoner background. Father a local fisherman, mother a seamstress. Both parents alive. Senior lecturer at Misra Academy, specializing in plant-based elemental magic. Has made minor contributions but no groundbreaking achievements. Limited interaction with colleagues. Students mostly from humble origins, including…”

A mage who entered with Glori read from a parchment. Rodrigo broke into a cold sweat listening.

How long had it been? Half an hour? Minutes? They’d dug up this much already!?

Such a thorough investigation was clearly a threat.

“Now, Mr. Planz,” Glori continued, “let me be clear. Misra Academy is, after all, a branch of the Heavenward Tower. From the start, we’ve been on the same side. Don’t stand on the wrong side.”

“Yes, I understand…”

“Moreover, as you see, the Pantheon and the Knighthood are both eyeing the Great Secret Treasure. Only by consolidating our strength can the Heavenward Tower gain the upper hand.”

“Uh… yes.”

“So I expect you, as a Sorcerer of the Heavenward Tower—not just a lecturer at Misra—to join and assist us. Act immediately when we need you.”

“…………”

“Unwilling?”

Glori’s sharp eyes bore into Rodrigo, making him uneasy. As he fumbled for words, the black-clad woman—Elyan—spoke up.

“Don’t misunderstand. This isn’t a ‘request.’ It’s an ‘order.’ Don’t act on your own. Obey, understood?”

“…Yes, I understand.”

“Hmph.”

Glori and Elyan gave him one last look and left the room. The mages followed them out in a line, leaving Rodrigo alone.

“Damn, I’m caught up in trouble… Well, it’s not without benefits.”

---

“Fuck… fucking fuck fuck fuck!!!!”

Butcher cursed nonstop from his bed, radiating killing intent. The alchemist treating his wounds trembled in fear.

Butcher wasn’t seriously injured, but covered in minor wounds. Some from fighting the white-haired woman, some from the Insectoid.

“Stop complaining, Butcher,” Sako drawled lazily from a rocking chair, polishing his beloved sword. His tone was mocking. “Honestly, it’s your own fault for being outmatched. That dual-cultivator woman was one thing, but getting beaten by an insect? You’ve disgraced the Knighthood.”

Butcher glared fiercely. But Sako released a hint of his Great Battle Spirit’s pressure, forcing Butcher to back down.

Butcher lowered his head, still muttering about how he’d “xxxx that woman next time.”

“Excuse me, Lord Sako, Lord Butcher!” A Mystic Warrior bowed and entered.

“Oh? What did the investigation find?”

“The woman is named Sedrion. Surname unknown. She appears to be a bounty hunter operating alone in southern Barbra.”

“Bounty hunter?” Sako raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. She frequently clashes with the Knighthood and Pantheon. She’s on the blacklist of multiple associations in Barbra—Mystic Warrior Guilds, Mage Guilds, Mercenary Guilds, Adventurer Guilds. Though a bounty hunter, she’s practically a wanted criminal herself.”

“What about her background?”

“Completely unknown.”

“Tch…”

“What about that beast?” Butcher growled suddenly, startling the messenger.

“The beast… you mean the ‘Insectoid’?”

“Of course!”

“Uh…” The messenger stammered. “I’m sorry, useful intel is scarce… We can only confirm it’s an insect-type monster. Never seen such a species before. Probably modified.”

“Any clues to where it’s hiding?”

“I’m sorry, we…”

---

“After examining the scene, we found no trace of the Insectoid.”

A Holy Knight reported.

“No useful clues at all?” Saint Anthony, the Great Battle Spirit, asked.

“Regrettably, the Insectoid burrowed through the sewers at high speed, digging all the way to an underground river. The trail ends there.”

“Sigh… More dangerous players are emerging.”

Saint Anthony flipped through a report with three portraits drawn by inscription magic—a flashy white-haired woman, a tall bespectacled man, and a humanoid insect.

“The bounty hunter woman escaped. Probably still hiding in the city. The male Sorcerer has likely been recruited by the Heavenward Tower. The Insectoid’s whereabouts are unknown… Stella, I’m not well-versed in magic. What’s your assessment of these three—or rather, two and an insect?”

Stella, in a white robe with silver hair, recalled the battle details and spoke slowly.

“The male Sorcerer has poor combat skills, not a threat. The Insectoid is likely a powerful familiar. Its hand-to-hand combat and agility are top-tier. Its master is definitely dangerous. As for Sedrion…”

“How strong is she?”

“Very strong. Extremely strong—I’m certain! Dual cultivation, blinking, elemental magic, strange enchantment techniques, incredible physical abilities… I’ve never seen anyone like her. And she clearly held back.”

Stella frowned as she spoke.

She still remembered that moment.

The red-and-black flames burning on Sedrion’s body, and the extremely ominous magical fluctuations.

Unprecedented. Unheard of.

What exactly was that?

“Sigh… Anyway, we must be cautious,” Saint Anthony sighed deeply. “The longer this drags on, the more hidden dangers will gather. We must speed up and find the Great Secret Treasure before the Heavenward Tower, Knighthood, and Lord’s Mansion!”

---

“…I understand.”

Sanelis returned the report on the city’s chaos to Pierskori, who filed it away.

“Damn, more and more trouble…”

“Then, my lord, how shall we proceed?” the old butler asked.

“Use our home advantage. Mobilize all intelligence sources in the city to find the Great Secret Treasure! More importantly, control the Lord’s Mansion… Keep all troublesome figures from the Heavenward Tower, Knighthood, and Pantheon under our watch. Raise alerts at the slightest sign of movement! Also, inform Fulin to strengthen security at the Lord’s Mansion with his men!”

“Understood.”

---

Thus, with their own worries, days passed.

The four giants—Pantheon, Heavenward Tower, Knighthood, Lord’s Mansion—investigated everywhere.

Mercenary bands, adventurers, and criminals from all directions also moved, clashing with investigation teams constantly.

Day one: no results.

The Great Secret Treasure remained elusive.

Perhaps it hadn’t been found yet.

Perhaps it had already been discovered and quietly taken away.

Everyone thought it would eventually be found by one faction, smuggled out of the city, and the matter dropped.

Then came the second morning.

An incident occurred.

The deputy leader of the Knighthood’s investigation team, the Battle Spirit “Spiral Butcher” Butcher.

His gruesome corpse was found in the square before the Lord’s Mansion.

Blood and flesh bloomed like a flower.