The professor in Subjugation 1 was injured from a mission, and so the class was paused for a week. With an hour of free time, Ainaira went back to I.O. class.
There are only 2 Classes in I.O, with each having 20 students, which is considerably less compared to other subjects. Due to this unpopular subject, both classes use up the empty room whenever they're free, which results in having a close-knitted community.
The students clamor, from talks of how their day has been to the projects they're currently doing. Each of them were either chatting about or developing new machinery. Everyone, except Ainaira, had a group of friends
Other students noticed that Ainaira was alone in the room, minding her own business when a light-brown hair girl approached her.
Accompanied behind her were 3 more students; A shy boy with light blue bowl cut hair, and round glasses; a girl with a soft feature and super fluffy forest-green hair; and lastly, a red-haired boy with a rough looking face.
They introduced themselves and started to talk, curious about Ainaira's invention. Strangely enough, despite knowing her as a noble, they spoke to her casually.
Even with the huge difference in their status, surely they knew her reputation? Well, This didn't bother Ainaira and she couldn't care less.
(There's no use trying to show off your power to benevolent maggots.) Ainaira thought as she kept noting the times they had ignored noble-commoner relationships.
Ainaira kept a passive role but entertained along with the group. They mostly talk about the lessons they didn't understand and try to get each other's critiques on their inventions.
Ainaira had a lot of "friends" in her previous life, who she took advantage of when she needed them. She never had a proper friend, but despite this fact, those years of socializing with high society made her a good talker.
"A secret huh…then show us what your invention is when it's completed!" The brown haired girl said with a smile.
The conversation died down but the group didn't leave, instead they all moved their belongings to the long table Ainaira occupied and started to continue their own work. Not one of them talked when it came to crafting, as they were all focused on their work.
Ainaira's first day in school ended with an uneventful night. In her seemingly peaceful school life, she doesn't know the current affairs that keep brewing in the Magic society, inside the Sorcerer Tower.
—
[Botanical Research]
A cutesy oval sign hangs from the top of the white door. Ainaira opened the door and saw a few students in the room. There's still 40 minutes left before class starts.
Noticing her, Maximus turned his head from his seat and said: "Lady Ainaira, you're taking this class?"
Ainaira nodded, while looking at the room, contemplating where she should sit.
"Sit beside me, no one sits here anyways," Maximus suggested, as if he knows what's on her mind.
She put down her notebook on the desk. Considering there's 50 students in this class, and there are exactly 50 chairs in the room, she had no choice but to take up his offer.
"Huh, isn't that where Johan-"
"Tacitus." Maximus swung his index finger in a vertical motion which stopped the person in front of them from speaking. He then placed his finger on his lips in a shushing motion, as he smiled at the person with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Ainaira looks at him with a doubtful look
"Trust me, you don't wanna sit next to him." He blatantly pointed at a guy with neat dark purple hair, slicked to the side.
(He's...oh god it's him.)
If Ainaira was feeling refreshed before she entered the room, then gloomy when she saw Maximus, right now, seeing the purple haired boy made her feel like 50 years of her life was cut off.
Tory William, the eldest son of the William Family. In her previous life, she worked with him in a particular evil scheme that would cause the second princess to "faint" and die a few days later.
When their plan was exposed he was cursing at her, telling her to take all the blame even if he was the reason why the plan was leaked. He wouldn't act like that if Ainaira revealed herself as the daughter of a Marquis.
Arrogant and prideful without any significant value to back up their behavior, Ainaira of course, hates those kinds of people.
Ainaira immediately sat down on the chair.
"Thank you for your act of service," She said
Maximus raised an eyebrow and chuckled "Oh? It looks like you know all about him."
Botanical Research is more or less about creating poison and medicine out of plants. Well, at least that's the main reason why students take this class. It was also the same reason for Ainaira.
Ainaira stretched out her arms as the teacher and other students began to leave the classroom.
"Leaving already? Wait for me, we have the same class next." Maximus asked, still seated on his chair.
Having no intention of someone invading her peaceful walk alone. Ainaira gave a small wave while walking off.
Maximus, was resting his face on his palm while he stared at Ainaira back, The heavy sweat and spicy floral aroma with a hint of clove, faded as she left the room.
Leaving Maximus with a train of thought.
(There's no one else other than her who could possibly be the one who killed Count Bert.) Maximus mind wandered, thinking how he should approach this situation.
—
"HAAA-!"
Rose sighed loudly as she set down the papers on Alastair's desk.
"Jeez, master! Why did you suddenly kick out the others!? How are we going to investigate this!?" She said annoyingly, stomping her feet on the ground. She sat down on the long green couch, tired.
"They're not fit to be my students." He replied to her patiently while looking through the documents.
"Hmph...! Anyways... why did you shift to Witches instead of Sorcerers?" She asked with a low voice.
"Silly, of course the culprit is a Witch!" Maximus entered the room and leaned in on the side of the couch.
"Don't you have class?" She said, displeased with Maximus' presence.
"We're on break." He waved off as he gave Alastair a brown folder. "I've gathered all the profiles of unregistered and potential Witches."
"Thanks." Alastair opened the folder and started reading through the profiles.
"That's unbelievable. Witches are at best Tier B! Not the kind of level that would do something like removing traces of mana." Rose refuted, wanting to continue the conversation.
"Oh, you never know. This is why you're a Sorceress and not a Witch, you lack imagination!" Maximus said with a sarcastic voice.
Rose fumes at his comment "Ha!? YOU'RE also a sorcerer!"
"Don't be an idiot, there's no recorded male Witch" He said while looking at Rose like she's an ant.
Veins started popping off her head, With that, she stormed off the top of the tower. unable to stand Maximus' face.
"So easy~" He hums to himself before turning his face back to his Master.
Alastair was quietly staring at his best students in the tower with a discerning look. "You know the culprit, don't you?" He finally asked.
As stated before, mana has a unique scent for each person, which commonly smells like flowers. Alastair concluded that Maximus must have made contact with the killer for the crime scene to smell like carnation.
To give more explanation. The Supreme Sorcerer's mana scent smells like Tiffany flower. The only other way an individual would have his scent like his mana is if he cast a spell on the person. The aroma of Tiffany flowers would linger depending on how long the spell was in effect.
The only problem with this is that Maximus didn't meet Ainaira before her debut, but even then, the smell of his mana was already on her. But that's irrelevant information in the investigation, and in the end, Maximus still knows who the culprit is.
Maximus smirked "I have an idea but...I might get killed if snitched on her… '' Cold sweat drips down his face as he imagines Aeron's fury if he ever dares to cause defamation to his sister's name.
"That's fine- not you dying, but I mean..."
Alastair took a moment to think about what he was going to say "Aside from Count Bert's strange death..."
Alastair looks back at the hidden laboratory room, He can feel the anguish of death tortured souls. It's unlikely that the killer would use Count Bert house to build a laboratory, unless they're working together .
But, there are things unclear, how did the killer know that basement? What was that vial? Were they working together in the experiment? And were they trying to get rid of Count Bert because of it? So many questions that can lead the culprit guilty of a felony or be completely innocent.
One thing is the definitive truth, examining the fresh blood of the dead corpse Alastair found, will reveal a lot of answers. Such as what kind of experiment the Count did or a clue to the nature of the vial.
The Supreme Sorcerer opened his left drawer and took out a red liquid inside a flask. "Here. I want you to run a test and what's inside the blood."
Without questioning where the blood came from and how his Master got it, Maximus grabbed it and gave him a nod.
As he was about to leave he said something to Alastair: "Master~ On my way here, I stumbled across, the self proclaimed President of the Witches Tower~"
Alastair patiently listens to Maximus, however it is clear Alastair's mood turned sour and irritated.
"She is not happy you're investigating them, so good luck and see ya!~" In contrast to the grim news he said, his tone was like he was talking about a lighthearted topic.
—
Walking down the long stairway, Alastair was being greeted by passing Sorcerers. He used to hate this formality but gradually got used to it over hundreds of years.
He was told that a peculiar Witch came storming in asking to see him. He already knows who this Witch was.
"Miss Wendy…" He said with a sigh, already tired despite the conversation having only started.
"You! YOU ARROGANT AND SHAMELESS SORCERER!" She grabbed him by his collar. Alastair wasn't fazed in the slightest. "HOW DARE YOU SUSPECT US WITCHES ABOUT DOING SOMETHING HEINOUS!"
"IT'S NOT ONLY US WITCHES WHO CAN USE MAGIC! THIS IS DISCRIMINATION!" She declared the prejudiced actions Alastair took.
"It's not discrimination. All clues lead to the culprit being a witch, Miss Wendy." He replied with a monotonous voice.
"HA?! I want to know about these so-called "clues" that you keep mentioning!"
"That's confidential." he coldly looked at her.
"-!" She flinched and wavered momentarily before regaining her fiery fury. "What? I'm the president of the witches! I have the auth-!"
"You don't. The only position I accept that makes me consider sharing this information is towards that empty seat, The Supreme Witch." He sighed, irritated.
"...! The Witches recognize me as their leader, wouldn't that be enough?"
"Miss Wendy, if you want to stand equal to me, prove you have what it takes to become a Supreme Witch. Go back to your anarchy tower."
"Anarc-!? Argh! How dare you!?" Her face contorted into a rage. Clenching and grinding her teeth, and looks at him with daggers.
To Alastair, she was nothing more than a barking dog. He didn't feel guilty pushing her delusional pride to its limits. It wasn't the Sorcerer's Tower's fault that the Witch's Tower is weak and without a Headmaster , and he surely won't settle in for a lesser leader to be recognized as an equal.
"This isn't over! We Witches won't settle in for this injustice!"
Wendy left the tower with great hatred in her heart.
"What can the rest of you Witches even do? Do you really want witches to be extinct in the Empire…?" He was asking that to himself, but the question was for Wendy, who had already left.