Bluehaired Loli's aggressive gaze swept over Gawain and Caius. Clearly, the latter's expression grew graver. The blond guy frowned, staring intently at Olivia. Only then did he realize she seemed ill-intentioned.

"I don't think that's necessary, senior. The evidence is already clear! The panties were found in Gawain's bag. He was caught red-handed. What's there to verify..."

Caius hurriedly stepped forward, emphasizing to Olivia that Gawain was definitely the culprit. But his tone was flustered. He slurred his words unconsciously, making his sentences choppy. Olivia smirked, then shook the potion bottle in her hand. She walked toward Gawain, her back to Caius, and murmured:

"Evidence? Can there ever be too much of it?"

Then, Bluehaired Loli stopped before Gawain. She looked up at the towering guy and asked softly:

"Junior Gawain, have you never touched those panties with your hands? Are you sure?"

"Yes, senior. I never touched them. I hadn't even opened my bag when they, with the teacher, dug it out."

Gawain nodded. Hearing his assurance, Olivia felt relieved. As long as he hadn't touched them, clearing his name would be easy.

Olivia picked up the panties on the desk. She turned to Natasha and winked. "By the way, Natasha, you don't want these bear-patterned panties anymore, right?"

"Eh... h-how could I?!"

The blonde bombshell's face flushed red. Ugh... who knows what's been done with these? Who'd dare keep them? Besides, she wasn't short of panties.

"Well, then I'll requisition them~"

Olivia smiled. She opened the potion bottle's cap and dropped the panties in, fully submerging them. After seconds, the magic potion churned inside. Once settled, Bluehaired Loli looked up, grabbed Gawain's palm, and poured some potion onto his hand.

"Hiss—" The scalding potion churned on his palm, making Gawain grit his teeth. Olivia reached out, spreading the potion evenly to lessen the burn. Gawain felt the warm, smooth sensation of her fair, cool hand moving across his palm, making him unconsciously want to grip it tightly.

Of course, he didn't. The thought vanished instantly. Olivia kept her eyes fixed on his hand. Everyone held their breath. After ten seconds, no trace of light appeared.

"Hmm, you really didn't touch these panties~ Huh~ How strange. How could someone steal them without touching?"

Olivia turned around, swaying the potion bottle, her gaze locked on Caius. The blond guy realized suspicion had shifted to them. Unable to back down, he stubbornly insisted:

"Senior, has your potion malfunctioned? Is that thing even a real tracking potion? Aren't you tricking us?!"

"Hmph. Doubt it? Try it yourself."

Olivia approached Caius step by step. Never had such a petite Bluehaired Loli radiated such oppressive aura. Her cold smile felt like the Grim Reaper's death knell, forcing Caius to step back unconsciously.

But... he couldn't.

"Eh, the blond guy got scared off by the loli senior? Chickening out?"

"Could he really be framing Gawain? It's looking likely."

"Crap, I scolded the wrong person earlier."

"The loli senior's aura is insane, tsk tsk~"

"Caius is so disgusting!"

Hearing the growing chatter, Caius knew he couldn't show weakness. He stepped forward, blocking Olivia. He held out both hands, took a deep breath, and said calmly:

"Go ahead. Pour it on my hands and check!"

Well, damn... This sudden decisiveness caught Olivia off guard. Bluehaired Loli narrowed her eyes, then slowly poured the potion onto the blond guy's hands. This time, she didn't bother spreading it.

"Ah..." The burn made Caius clench his teeth. After ten seconds, no light appeared. He forced a grin through the pain and shouted smugly at Olivia:

"See, senior? Your potion's useless on anyone, right?"

Bluehaired Loli scratched her hair. No—the potion was fine. In the game, it was super reliable; unlocking CGs depended on it. Caius was the problem. His confidence meant solid backing.

So, what was it?

The "Bad End 1" game plot flashed through Olivia's mind. She suddenly remembered a detail.

The entire panties incident was started by Mermel. She found Gawain annoying, so she incited Caius to get rid of him.

Then... for stealing the panties specifically, could Mermel have done it? As a woman, entering the changing room would be far easier for her than for Caius...

Exactly. Caius was covering for the real culprit—Mermel!

Olivia didn't waste words on Caius. She rushed to Mermel. The black-haired girl flustered, shaking her head and stammering:

"Senior, no... it must be Gawain! Why—"

"Cut the crap. Hold out your hand!"

Olivia, face cold, grabbed Mermel's wrist. Mermel tried to pull back. Caius stepped forward to stop her, but Gawain yanked him away. Too late...

Seconds later, the potion on Mermel's left hand erupted in dazzling light spots. The crowd gasped. No one expected such a reversal.

Exactly. Just as Olivia thought—the panties were stolen by Mermel!

The black-haired girl froze, legs trembling. She lifted her face, shaking her head to deny it. But the next second—

"Slap—!" A loud crack echoed. Under everyone's gaze, Olivia slapped Mermel hard across the face. The girl lost balance instantly, a bright red mark blooming on her cheek. She fell to the floor with a thud.