My thoughts were interrupted by the noise from the square. As my room's windows faced north, I had to go outside to find out what was happening.
In a straight line along the main alley, warriors marched in silvery armor, accompanied by mages in red robes. The Veranian knights and, more unpleasantly, the inquisitors. Alfred greeted them with a smile, standing with his guild.
"Ahem, and what does this procession signify?" I didn't notice how the Rector appeared in front of the march.
"Rector, King Henry sent these men to prepare in case of an unexpected attack," Alfred spoke in a calming tone, although his words reeked of hypocrisy.
"Hmm, I don't recall any danger that we couldn't handle on our own."
"But you weren't prepared for the Empire's invasion," the commander of the knights stepped forward. It wasn't the familiar captain of the guard, but the more church-loyal commander Edgar.
"Yet we had people capable of dealing with it."
"But now what you call a truce might be in question. Until the so-called ambassador returns from the Empire, we will ensure order," the commander of the guard was unwavering.
"It's a pity I cannot extend the proper reception to such an important person, but all living quarters in the Academy are occupied."
"Don't worry; I am accustomed to living in a camp. We will occupy this territory for the duration of our stay," at the commander's order, the knights started pitching tents in the field south of the alley.
"And there's one more thing," a man of imposing stature stepped forward from the inquisitors. Magical symbols made of red metal were visible on his gloves, indicating that his weapon was adamantium-enhanced for magic accumulation. His short, coarse haircut and stern expression caused uneasy feelings, making one involuntarily want to look away. We had encountered him once before, and since then, we had no desire to meet him again.
"Hmm, William Warden, what interesting business brought you here? Guard duty is clearly not your forte," the Rector frowned as soon as he saw the mage, and there were good reasons for that. Father of Miguel and Milena, he was one of the few inquisitors well-known to the public. Renowned for his cruelty in interrogations and torture, he was also the chief executioner of the punitive order. All mages engaged in criminal activities feared his name.
"The Imperial girl spent quite a lot of time here. I was asked to investigate everyone who had contact with her, just in case someone doesn't find the Empire's occupation such a bad idea," he carefully chose his words, but it seemed he had already found traitors, and his subordinates were already preparing for swift punishment.
"Do you think I will allow you to interrogate my students?"
"We won't ask you about that. As long as the Empire doesn't confirm the continuation of the truce, the Academy will be under military rule, and the control will be in the hands of the army. True, we can't check the citizens of Nordrune and Leran, but I would personally speak with all the students from Verania."
"Tch," I heard the Rector cluck disapprovingly for the first time. Before, it seemed like he could control any situation, but now, it was beyond his abilities. "As you wish, but don't think I'll leave it at that."
When the clearing around the central alley began to transform into a military camp, the desire to stroll there abruptly vanished among all the students. But we decided to go and discuss the situation with the Rector.
"Well, what does this mean? You said that the laws of the three countries were not a priority here," Katrina tapped her golden claws on the headmaster's desk, clearly displeased.
"In ordinary circumstances - no. And we have the right to resolve disputed issues ourselves. However, when the Academy was founded, this little loophole was included in the main rules. The governments of the three countries sponsor us, and in return, all students are essentially enrolled for state service. You are not obliged to join the army or take up government posts after completing your studies, but as long as you are here, you are, in fact, part of the armies of your respective countries. This applies even to you, Princess."
"How is that possible?!"
"And do you think we would have come this far on self-sufficiency alone? Part of the rewards from guild missions and donations is good, but it doesn't cover even a third of our expenses. Scholarships, staff salaries, and mass events like treasure hunts or tournaments, all of that requires money. And that money comes from the treasuries of the three kingdoms. Initially, the countries contributed equal amounts, as it was planned to recruit an equal number of students from all three countries, but over time, the balance shifted. The population of Verania now exceeds the combined population of Leran and Nordrune, and, of course, there are far more talented individuals here."
"But I thought Father strongly insisted on equal contributions to maintain our weight in international decisions," Seleria frowned.
"And he almost succeeded, but not entirely. Nordrune has been contributing only a tenth of our expenses for a long time, and students from there rarely come to us. In fact, Hilda and her entourage are practically the first students in the last five years. From Leran, there are more students, but still not that many. Several centuries ago, the King of Leran insisted on the establishment of departments for thieves and assassins here. We strongly resisted that, but he proposed reducing the quota for students from Leran in exchange for maintaining the size of payments. Over time, he also reduced the payments, and the number of students from Leran hasn't exceeded a fifth of the total applicants in a long time."
"So, you're practically subservient to Verania?"
"It appears that way. Forty percent of the contributions come from them. And do you think that's why dragons don't want to enroll in our Academy, even though it would be a good way to familiarize themselves with human culture? They don't want to further entangle themselves with the Veranian government. By the way, if a war breaks out, the king has the ability to call former Academy students who studied combat specialties into the army."
"So, we are at the mercy of King Henry, who handed 'care' over to the most positive inquisitor of all possible?" I sighed hopelessly. "Lovely."
"Now it's clear why Victoria isn't leading the guard. Father was afraid that she might sympathize with me. And now I am powerless too."
"I won't allow him to interrogate my students with bias, but you must also be cautious. The Archbishop wouldn't play such risky cards without having something up his sleeve."
"And what do you suggest we do then?"
"Do not use magic that may raise suspicions, do not provoke the inquisitors. Let them think we fear them, and in the meantime, I will contact all possible students to advise them not to rush to come for studies too early. We have two weeks before the beginning of the year, and I hope Aileen will manage to return."
"Well, or we can invite her," Katrina gave me a doubtful look, "Can you do that?"
"I'm not sure... I tried to repair the crystals, but they were severely damaged, and they are not connected to the stone that was with the Emperor. It may take several days."
"Then do what you can, and I'll protect the students as much as I can."
"Krito, you must contact Aileen at any cost," we returned to the guild, and Katrina, still upset, flopped into a chair.
"That's not our only concern," I took out a communication crystal and continued examining it. "We need to think about how to deal with the inquisitors."
"What's wrong? Aren't they hunting demon worshippers?"
"Yes, and that's why there are suddenly so many cultists in our country? Spare me. Whether you have a contract with a demon or not, as long as your magic does not fit into their usual worldview, they will take an interest in you."
"But they can't just grab people randomly!"
"If there's a person, there's a charge. Any unexpected bursts of power or magic that manifests too strongly in someone who shouldn't have such strong abilities, all of that catches their attention, regardless of the type of magic the person possesses."
"So what?"
"Well, for example, a year ago, there was an earth mage who could barely move stones, and now he's moving mountains. Or a warrior woman who unexpectedly regained the lost magic of her clan. Meanwhile, a young lad who uses wind magic out of nowhere doesn't raise any suspicions. If they could, they would have thrown Seleria in the dungeons of Belenor long ago just because her fire magic is too strong for an ordinary elemental mage."
"You think we should come up with answers for them if they decide to interrogate us?"
"It wouldn't hurt. Even if Aileen returns, and they have already taken one of us, we won't be able to do anything."
"Alright, while you work on the crystals, we'll come up with a general set of responses."
It took me two days to add the finishing touches to the spell I inscribed on the stones, but I still wasn't ready to make contact with the other side of the world on my own. Without magical lines, these stones had no connection, and I needed Kurone's help.
The inquisitors had already interrogated more than fifty students, including Algo and Vivien, but they released them after thoroughly examining their weapons. Surely they just needed a pretext to study the symbols I placed on Vivien's spear.
"So, is everything ready?" Katrina and Kurone appeared in my room, where I had arranged four crystals at equal distances.
"Almost, I just need to establish the connection. Aileen's communication crystal wasn't large without reason. To contact over such a great distance requires an enormous amount of magic. And that's where you come in handy for me."
"What?" Kat raised an eyebrow with displeasure.
"You'll be my charging device while Kurone tries to establish a connection with that stone. I hope they are not sleeping right now, and someone will hear us."
"I've never tried anything like this before, but I'll do my best," Kurone hesitantly stepped into the circle, and we positioned ourselves at opposite ends of the room.
Following my instructions, the princess created a closed chain of electrical discharges connecting the crystals. I embedded blades on the other side to contain the discharges at that level.
Kurone closed her eyes and slowly sank to the floor, distant lands flashing before her eyes. She soared over the Academy and the eastern islands, her consciousness traveling further. First, she glimpsed the lifeless desert of the scorched continent, devastated centuries ago in a great battle. Her consciousness then flew beyond the boundless sea. Finally, black cliffs of the Empire appeared on the horizon, but at that moment, the magic was severed.
Kurone lay unconscious inside the magical circle, and Katrina rubbed her hands, still feeling the surge from her own lightning. It seemed that someone had interrupted us from completing the spell, and it brought unsettling thoughts.
All morning, I tried to figure out why the connection was severed. Everything was supposed to work according to plan, and there was no damage to the crystals. I could control Katrina's magic, so there were unlikely to be problems there. I didn't fully understand the extent of Kurone's power, but it probably wasn't the reason either. Suddenly, the lightning-supported magical circle was interrupted, and the crystals went offline. My musings were interrupted by Katrina, rushing into the room.
"Krito, they... they took Kurone!"
We ran to the Rector as soon as we could, where Alfred and William were already present.
"You had no right to do that. I still run this Academy, and until the war begins, you can't take my students based on unfounded suspicions."
"But these are not so unfounded accusations," William pulled out a small octagonal crystal from his pocket. "We have long suspected this girl of using forbidden magic and have been gathering evidence on this matter. We believe she also had influence over the princess and other high-ranking nobles, and we still don't know whose interests she was serving."
The inquisitor directed some magic into the crystal, and it began projecting images from our guild's past. On it, there was a battle with some monsters, where Kurone freely moved among them, remaining unnoticed.
"Mind control over monsters, and possibly even people. Such power is dangerous if misused, so we must verify everything."
"But Kurone has been with us for a long time, and she has never used her power to harm people!" Katrina shouted at the mage, but he remained unfazed.
"Oh, really? We have information that she actively delved into the minds of nobles present at the recent court hearing. Dizziness and headaches are just external signs; the victims of her interference reported that someone pushed them towards disputes and possibly even implanted thoughts of conflict in their minds."
"I and the Dragon Queen did it to expose criminals, and that's not a reason to suspect my students!" The rector nervously tapped his fingers on the table.
"Oh no, I'm not talking about your pathetic provocations. There was something more significant there, and that's precisely why we detained Kurone Venres. We need to study her power to know how to defend ourselves from it if necessary."
"What will happen to her then?"
"Hmm? She'll be in our prison in Belenore for now, and then we'll see."
"Oh, you..." I reached for my sword, but the inquisitor already conjured a fireball in his hand.
"You can try to obstruct me, but then I may suspect you of treason."
"Release her! I command you!" Katrina stopped me and tried to reason with the mage, but it was all in vain.
"I only follow the will of his majesty King Henry and his holiness Archbishop Vittorio. You can't order me around."
"But can my father order you to release her?"
"He can, but only if you manage to convince him. And after your presentation at the court, he was quite offended with you," I even thought I saw a smile, cold and malicious, flash on the inquisitor's face for a second, mirroring his true self.
"We'll see about that."
Slamming the door loudly, the princess rushed out. Abandoning thoughts of attacking the mage, I followed her, but the cold gaze of the executioner haunted me until I reached the exit.