Leo walked toward the Grand Cathedral for his illusion class, his steps light with anticipation. Today, he was excited for three things.
First, Edgarth had promised to teach them a new skill, and Leo was eager to see what it was. Second, he had spent the previous night learning the Lock Enchantment and was itching to test it out. And lastly, he planned to experiment with his spell on the homunculus—a perfect test subject.
As he entered the classroom, his eyes instinctively searched for Elna. She was sitting in the back, and when their gazes met, she gave him a small smile. He smiled back before turning to Ray and Jerald, who looked confused. He waved at them, earning a hesitant nod from Ray and a skeptical glance from Jerald.
Two minutes later, Edgarth arrived. He placed his stuff on the desk, then adjusted his glasses with a practiced motion. Leo suspected it was more of a habit than a necessity.
With his usual serious expression, Edgarth turned to face the class. The room fell into silence, everyone straightened in their seats.
Edgarth's voice was calm but firm as he addressed the class.
"Today, we are going to learn Mind Control."
Murmurs rippled through the students—mostly from Ray and Jerald—a mix of excitement and unease filling the room. Ignoring their reactions, Edgarth turned to the blackboard and began drawing.
"The Mind Control circle itself is simple," he continued, sketching a precise magical diagram. "The reason you're learning it now, rather than at E-rank, is because this spell requires a significant amount of mana. More importantly, it only works on minds significantly weaker than your own. At your current level, that means you'll only be able to affect civilians."
Leo leaned forward slightly, intrigued. Mind Control—even a basic version—was a rare skill.
Edgarth set the chalk down and turned back to them, his sharp gaze sweeping over the class.
"Remember, using this spell on civilians or non-hostile individuals is a serious crime. The Church enforces strict punishment for its misuse. So unless you want them knocking on your door, don't use it recklessly."
A tense silence followed his words. Then, with a nod toward the board, he said, "Now, start drawing."
As the students began drawing and practicing the spell, Edgarth paced slowly in front of the class, his sharp gaze scanning their work. From time to time, he stopped to correct a line, adjust a student's technique, or offer a brief word of guidance.
"Be aware of your mana at all times," he reminded them, his voice calm but firm. "Don't forget what I said—this spell requires a significant amount of mana. That means if you're not careful, you'll find yourself completely drained."
Leo frowned slightly as he traced the intricate lines of the spell, already feeling the strain of channeling his mana into it. He could hear Ray muttering under his breath a few seats away, while Jerald cursed softly as his first attempt fizzled out.
Edgarth sighed, rubbing his temple. 'This is going to take a while.'
…
Edmond sifted through the documents on his desk, his eyes scanning each page. He had always preferred working at this hour—when the sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting a warm glow over the room and giving it an almost ethereal aura.
Just as he reached for another paper, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
'Captain, Bishop Oryu wants to meet you in his office.' Lara's telepathic message was crisp and professional, as always.
Edmond leaned back slightly, exhaling through his nose. 'Alright, tell him I'll be there in fifteen minutes.'
The connection cut off, leaving him in silence once more. He placed the document back on the desk, fingers tapping lightly against the wooden surface.
"Why does he want to see me?" he murmured to himself.
Despite their friendship, Edmond could never shake the feeling of suspicion when it came to Bishop Oryu. Trust was a dangerous thing in his line of work, and even those closest to him were not exempt from scrutiny.
Edmond walked out of his office. Before heading to Bishop Oryu's office, he decided to make his usual rounds through the headquarters. As Captain, it was his duty to check in on his team regularly, ensuring that everything was running smoothly.
His first stop was the kitchen. Pushing the door open, he found Liamond, Frank, and Gery sitting around a table, playing cards. The moment they noticed him, they immediately stood up, placing their fists over their chests in salute.
"Captain."
"At ease, just making my rounds." Edmond glanced around the kitchen before asking, "Where are the others?"
"Albert and Wina are in the Great Hall, Peter is in the storage room, and Samuel and Liam are in the library," Frank answered promptly.
Edmond nodded before his gaze shifted to Liamond. "Where is Leo?"
"He's at the Grand Cathedral for his Enchantment class," Liamond replied.
"Right. I almost forgot his class was there," Edmond muttered. "Alright, carry on."
He turned and closed the door behind him before making his way toward the Great Hall. As he entered, the sound of a heated discussion filled the air. The two arguing individuals froze the moment they noticed him. A brief silence followed before they both straightened up and saluted.
"Captain."
"At ease," Edmond said with a faint smirk. "I see things are as lively as ever."
With that, he left and proceeded to the storage room. Inside, he found Peter diligently cleaning.
Peter looked up, pausing his work. "Captain, what brings you here?"
"Nothing special. Just checking in on everyone," Edmond replied, scanning the room briefly before turning to leave. Then, he remembered something.
"Oh, almost forgot. Give a cane and a shield gem to Liam. His class is starting soon."
"Want me to pass along the message?"
"No need. I'll be seeing him myself."
"Understood, Captain."
Edmond exited the storage room and continued to the library. As he stepped inside, Samuel noticed him and, with visible effort, stood up, saluting.
"Captain."
"At ease," Edmond said before glancing around. "Where's Liam?"
Samuel gestured toward a nearby table. "Over there, reading a book."
Edmond raised an eyebrow. "Reading? Is he finished with his cleaning?"
Samuel chuckled. "Apparently, he figured out that if he finishes his cleaning quickly, he has more time to read."
Edmond sighed knowingly. "Let me guess—Leo taught him that?"
"Yep."
Liam, having overheard them, stood up and walked over, saluting. "Captain."
Edmond nodded. "Liam, your Conjuring class is starting soon. Once you're done here, go see Peter—he'll have a cane and a shield gem for you. You can also get the details from Lara."
"Understood. Thank you, Captain."
With that, Edmond left the library. The only place left to check was the yard, but he decided against it—going there would only provoke Faleria, and he wasn't in the mood for another one of her rants. Instead, he headed straight for the teleportation circle.
A few minutes later, Edmond arrived at Oryu's office. He knocked on the heavy wooden door, waiting briefly before stepping inside.
Oryu was sitting behind his desk, leaning slightly forward, his fingers loosely interlocked on the polished surface. His sharp eyes flicked up from the papers in front of him as Edmond entered.
"Edmond, come, sit down," he said, gesturing toward the chair opposite him.
Edmond took his seat, his posture straight and composed. "How can I assist you, Your Excellency?"
Oryu sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Edmond, I've told you before—you don't need to be so formal with me." He leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose. "I know about your suspicions regarding the city's security."
Edmond remained impassive, offering no reaction.
"I've been looking into it myself," Oryu continued. "All these intrusions—we both know they can't be mere coincidences. So, I conducted my own investigation."
He stood up, pacing toward the tall window on the left side of his desk. The city stretched out beyond the glass, its streets illuminated by the sunlight. Hands clasped behind his back, Oryu spoke again.
"The evidence points primarily to one man."
Edmond's eyes narrowed slightly. "And who is that?"
Oryu turned his head slightly. "Captain Gerhard Schuster."
For the first time, Edmond's expression shifted—his brows lifted slightly, betraying a flicker of surprise.
"I'm not telling you this to condemn him," Oryu clarified. "It's just circumstantial evidence, and evidence can be misleading."
"Then why tell me at all?" Edmond asked, his voice level.
"Because I'm being watched," Oryu admitted. "Pope has his eyes on me. He sent Edgarth here to keep me in check." He turned fully to face Edmond. "And you… you're the only one I trust completely."
Edmond took a moment before responding. "What do you want me to do?"
"For now, just keep an eye on Schuster," Oryu said. "Nothing more. And remember—this isn't proven, so even if you find something suspicious, don't jump to conclusions. Give him the benefit of the doubt." A small smirk formed on his lips. "And if you feel the need to watch me as well, you're more than welcome to."
Edmond stood, his posture a touch less rigid than before. "I will do as you ask."
Oryu nodded. "Thank you, my friend. That will be all."
Edmond gave a slight bow before turning toward the door, his expression unreadable as he left the room.
…
As the day came to an end, Leo knelt by his door, carefully carving the Lock Enchantment into the wood. His hands moved with precision, etching each rune exactly as he had learned. Once he was done, he reached for the same crystal he had used for the trap and connected it to the enchantment.
Today's lesson in his Enchantment Class had been particularly useful—he had learned not only how to charge crystals with mana himself but also how to link multiple spells to a single crystal. Of course, doing so would drain the crystal faster, but for now, that wasn't a concern. The crystal he had was filled with a good amount of mana, and both of his spells were relatively low-rank.
With everything in place, he linked the trap to the door. According to his research, the enchantment would activate if anyone but him opened it. And even if the intruder was strong enough—say, D rank or higher—and survived the trap, the spell would still destroy everything inside, ensuring that nothing incriminating could be found.
Satisfied with his work, Leo turned to his desk, where his newly acquired bag sat. He reached inside and pulled out the Homunculus, carefully setting it against the wall.
The construct stood a little shorter than him, its design crafted for balance, allowing it to remain upright on its own. Leo took a step back, studying it with interest.
Leo was eager to test his spell, but first, he needed to refine it on paper. He carefully drew the same design as before on the parchment, studying its structure.
"The Balance word made it a little more stable, but it still lacks sustainability."
He frowned, eyes scanning the intricate symbols.
"Maybe if I reinforce it with Power, it will hold?"
Determined to test the theory, he adjusted the spell.
"If I'm not mistaken, I can add three words between the two circles."
He carefully sketched another circle beneath the existing two, mirroring the top one, then connected it with guiding lines. He replaced the upper word with Power and inscribed Balance at the bottom. With the adjustments complete, he placed the parchment inside the Dome and activated it.
For a brief moment, the spell pulsed steadily, but then—whoosh!—it burned away in an even fiercer blaze than before.
Leo sighed and sat on the floor, laying the parchment flat in front of him.
There had to be something missing.
His eyes drifted over the list of Words of Power.
Mind, Control, Power, False, Truth, Whole, Light, Fear, Courage, Bind, Seal, Flame, Balance, Will, Force, Shift, Echo, Sight, Shadow, Break, Form, Rise, Flow, Pulse, Barrier…
There were so many possibilities.
"Maybe I need to force the Balance?"
For the next two hours, he tried every combination that made sense—each attempt ending in failure. Frustrated, he rubbed his temples, staring at the failed spell.
"The current of the spell can't maintain its balance… Current… Current?"
A spark of realization flickered in his mind. His eyes darted back to the words.
"Current… Flow? Could that be it?"
Excitement surged through him. He had already added three words within the gap. All he needed to do was change the order.
"Okay, let's try this—first Power, then Balance, then Flow."
With renewed energy, he quickly redrew the spell and activated it. His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he watched.
The spell held for twenty seconds—longer than before—but then, once again, it burned away. Leo exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. He refused to give up.
He grabbed another parchment and switched the positions of Flow and Balance. Once again, he placed the spell inside the Dome and activated it.
Fifteen seconds passed.
Thirty.
A full minute.
The spell remained intact. Leo's breath caught in his throat.
"Did I… do it?" A mix of shock and exhilaration spread across his face.
He snatched the spell from the Dome and rushed over to the homunculus, pressing the parchment against it and injecting the magic.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the homunculus's eyes flickered to life—glowing purple.
"Purple?"
Frowning, he grabbed a small book detailing homunculus functions and flipped through it. His finger stopped on a page.
"A purple glow indicates the spell is functioning, but prolonged activation may damage the host."
Leo let the book drop onto the desk.
"So… I actually did it?"
There was only one way to be sure. He had to test it on himself. His pulse quickened as he rushed out onto the main street. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he activated the spell.
A warm sensation spread through his eyes. Then, the world shifted and his jaw dropped. The spell was working. Not only did it enhance his vision, but it also outlined people on the street in a glowing orange hue. Curious, he turned toward a nearby house. Through the walls, faint orange silhouettes moved inside. An uncontrollable grin spread across his face. It was a success.