[Chapter 44 Comment]
[Xinhuan: I think they know, but don't have the experience to see through the illusions or figure out a way to recognize a fake person via lack of memories.]
…
"So, what is your father's weakness?" Maya asked, her expression serious.
The class had just ended, and the room's atmosphere instantly grew tense. Mia wore a wry smile, not because she didn't want to answer the question, but because behind Maya stood every single student, demanding the same information.
"Ahaha..." Mia pondered what to say.
"Come on. We're friends, right? We're classmates, right? Shouldn't we help each other?" Maya narrowed her eyes.
"But the other party is my father, you know." Mia gently rubbed her cheek. After a moment of thought, she raised three fingers. "I can only tell you three things."
"That's enough." Maya nodded. It was clear that everyone had expected Mia to not reveal anything, so they were grateful for her generosity and didn't push for more information, fearing she might change her mind.
"Alright then. I only know three things that might be his weakness. First of all, he doesn't lie to any of you. However, that doesn't mean you're not being tricked."
"What do you mean by that?" Maya furrowed her brow. "We're not being tricked? Are we somehow being deceived?"
"Do you remember his assignment?" Mia asked.
"Yes. We have to find him. However, we are forbidden from disrupting the peace of the school or causing a mess that can't be cleaned up before school begins. Other than that, we're allowed to act freely," Haruka explained. Even though she had secured her spot on the mission, she was still curious about this enigmatic teacher.
"Then, have you truly pushed your plans to the very limit?" Mia posed another question.
"Huh?" Maya furrowed her brow and turned to face the others. "What does she mean?"
The students exchanged glances, but no one spoke up.
"You're not allowed to disrupt the flow of the school, but that doesn't mean you can't involve others," Mia sighed. As expected of Theo's daughter, her mind was honed to be cunning.
"Involving others..." Serena gasped. "Now that I think about it, if we ask for a teacher's help, we can find him more easily, right? I mean, it wouldn't break the rules... as long as the teacher agrees to assist us and doesn't make a big fuss about it, it shouldn't be a problem."
"Yes, I think we can even use the surveillance cameras," Oliver chimed in. "Once we find him on the CCTV, why don't we... wait a minute... why don't we use the broadcasting room where announcements are usually made? We can locate him through the cameras and use that platform to announce our victory."
"No, wait. Instead of the broadcasting room, why don't we just take a picture? Then, during class, we can confront him with the evidence. That should be sufficient," Li Wei suggested.
"How about utilizing other students? We can ask them to hold onto something for us and tell them to wait for a moment. Inside that object, we can place a small camera that will capture his actions. Since it's coming from another student, Teacher won't suspect he's walking into a trap," Aurora proposed.
"Or why don't we seek assistance from students with special abilities? We should have connections among the people from the same realm. Why not leverage those connections and ask for their help?"
The students brimmed with ideas, their eyes meeting as they smirked, excited by the possibilities that lay ahead.
"But... it doesn't change the fact that we're in a group, right? What will happen if we find him this way? Besides, what will you do with these plans? I mean, now that we know what we think is right, then who will use which plan?" Avalon raised a valid question.
No wonder they were fooled; Avalon had the same way of thinking and strategizing as Theo. However, he did have a point. Since they had shared their plans, it meant that others could use them too. In that case, what would happen if two groups ended up employing the same tactic?
The broadcast room or even the security room couldn't accommodate two groups simultaneously. Well, technically, they could, but it would depend on whether the other group agreed or not.
In that moment, they all stared at each other, silently trying to claim their right to a particular plan.
However, they seemed to forget something important. Mia had only revealed one weakness, not three.
Mia simply smiled at them. Even though they had asked about the other weaknesses, they ended up forgetting about it.
"I suppose it's Dad's trap. The fact that there are so many methods that can be utilized will only lead to additional complications within their own groups. They will become blinded by the various tactics, causing them to fall to their own destructions. Now that I think about it, Mom said that Dad rarely eliminated his enemy. Instead, his enemy would die in another person's hand. If what she said was right, then Dad had orchestrated the death of ten billion people, but he wasn't the one who did it," Mia thought to herself as she observed their behavior.
Since school had ended, there was no one stopping her from leaving. She stood up from her seat and began to make her way toward the exit.
However, just as she was about to reach the door, someone grabbed her hand.
"Huh?" Mia turned around, finding Haruka to be the culprit.
"You can't leave yet. You haven't told us about the other two weaknesses," Haruka said.
"!!!" The other students immediately recalled that fact and turned their attention back to Mia. Because Haruka didn't need to fight for a spot on the mission, she had maintained her composure the entire time, serving as a reminder to the others.
"Well, you all got so excited about the first weakness that I thought you would attempt it before coming back to me when it failed," Mia shrugged.
"What do you mean by that? Are you so sure that we're going to fail?" Maya frowned.
"Even though you're his daughter, how can you be so sure? With so many people trying to find a way, we should be able to outsmart him," Serena said with determination.
"It's good to have confidence, I suppose," Mia sighed. "Well, the other two weaknesses are quite simple. The second weakness is that he is not aware of all your special powers. I mean, he doesn't have extensive knowledge about other realms and their power systems. That's why he mentioned that he would be learning from you all as well."
"Ah! That's something we can take advantage of," Maya nodded. "Maybe I should acquire thermal glasses and other advanced technologies... I may not have access to many things, but I'm sure there are two or three tools that are more advanced than what the Demon Realm has."
"I have spells..." Lancelot mused, looking down in contemplation. He couldn't help but think about the possibilities that would arise if he could use his fire element. The unique spells derived from fire could potentially aid him in finding Theo.
The others also entertained similar thoughts, considering what they could bring forth to outsmart Theo.
"What about the last weakness?" Li Wei asked.
"Hmm... I'm not sure if this can be considered a weakness or not, but my Teacher has a superior, right?" Mia looked up, as if even she was doubtful if this approach would work.
The superior she referred to was obviously the principal. Only Victoria could summon Theo to her office to discuss school matters. So, if they could somehow enlist Victoria's help, they might be able to coerce Theo into taking action.
However, Mia doubted that this method would work, given that Victoria always seemed to end up in trouble whenever conflicts arose. Despite being the principal, she constantly found herself embroiled in messes.
Unfortunately, the other students were unaware of this fact, and their excitement only grew as they contemplated the array of ideas in their minds.
"Thank you, Mia. Please go home safely. And take this..." Maya smiled, pulling out a lollipop.
"Why are you treating me like a child? But I'll take it anyway," Mia complained, though she still accepted the lollipop.
"..." Maya was left speechless, while Haruka approached her and asked, "Do you want to go back together? I mean, it was my fault for stopping you from leaving the classroom..."
"I don't really mind, but I don't stay in the dorm."
"Yes, we can wait until your dad finishes his work together. Since I'm going with him on the next mission, I am curious about a few things."
"Well..." Mia pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Let's go," Haruka smiled gently.
Meanwhile, the other students realized that Haruka had taken the initiative. They had forgotten that Mia could be their strongest asset and were too focused on their individual tasks. However, if they all chased after Mia like this, it would raise suspicion.
"What a cunning woman..." Maya clenched her teeth.
"I thought she was timid," Oliver narrowed his eyes.
"Timid? She was reserved and distant," Serena shook her head. "But right now, there are more important things to consider."
They exchanged glances and split into their respective groups to discuss their next move. Maya and Oliver formed the first group. The second group consisted of Serena, Li Wei, and Jayden, who were considered the genius group. The third group was the twin group, consisting of Luca and Lucas. Lancelot and Aurora formed the fourth group. Meanwhile, Avalon decided to go alone this time.
These were the five groups that would challenge Theo in the upcoming days.
The clash of their plans created another problem among the groups. Eventually, two groups formed an alliance and reached an agreement to increase their chances of success.
The first and second groups decided to work together, pooling their resources and strategies. The third group chose to pursue their own plan independently, while the fourth group left the classroom to recruit additional teammates from other teachers or students.
Avalon, on the other hand, was left alone, contemplating what he should do. On one hand, he considered approaching the others to join their groups. On the other hand, his own pride and inflexible approach had annoyed the others, making it his own fault for being left alone.
The remaining students hurriedly dispersed to restaurants, dorms, or other places to discuss their plans.
Unbeknownst to them, a message was sent that night—a message from one of the students to their teacher.
[08.12 pm]
[Teacher, I have gathered the information you wanted. I have attached the file containing each group's plans.]
No one knew that there was a traitor among them. The question remained: who could it be?