Walking through the door to his dorm room, Magnus headed straight to Eveline's library, entering the Research Station. Unlike last time, he didn't spot Eveline immediately and called out for her, his voice echoing through the maze of seemingly endless bookshelves.
"Eveline! Eveline, where are you?" As if summoned by the sound of her name, Magnus felt a shift behind him. He turned to see Eveline suddenly materialize out of thin air.
"No need to call me twice; I was just checking on the artificial intelligence within the Accelerated Temporal Zone I set up. It's been improving itself faster than I expected—should be ready for our project soon. By the way, where's Celia? She hasn't been around lately, and I have a few things I need to go over with her." At the mention of Celia, Magnus's expression grew even grimmer than it had been mere seconds ago.
"Oh? That's a new look for you," Eveline observed, her voice laced with a teasing tone. She smiled to herself, but Magnus cut straight to the point, uninterested in indulging her or her sadist-like curiosity.
"Celia might have been kidnapped; I need your help finding her. Now."
Eveline's smile faded slightly, her eyes narrowing as she processed the news.
"Oh, I see. That would explain her absence," she muttered, more to herself than Magnus.
"Can you find her?" Magnus asked, impatience edging his voice.
"Of course, I can," Eveline replied, sounding almost insulted as she extended out her hand as mana began to flow from her core, channeling through the mana formation in her mind in order to cast a unique spell.
"Anyone permitted to cross the academy's barrier is marked. For students like you, it's your Sigilbrands. For servants like Celia, there's a similar but more restrictive mark, controlling access to where she is and isn't allowed. Still, both can be used for tracking," Eveline explained, clenching her hand around the mana that had turned into light and gathered in her palm.
When she opened her hand, the light expanded, forming a fully three-dimensional projection. The image was so clear that it could easily be mistaken for a view through a portal or a hole in space, if not for the faintly glowing edges around the image. Magnus didn't immediately recognize the location, but the familiar architecture told him it was somewhere in Arlcliff City.
"Looks like you were right; she's in that building. If I recall correctly, that's one of the old industrial districts in the Lower City," Eveline stated.
Originally, the City Council had planned to construct multiple industrial zones in Arlcliff to help boost trade. However, with the ongoing war and trade routes blocked, they began running low on materials in the midst of construction. In response, the Council made the decision to halt construction and conserve the remaining materials they had left in the city's warehouses. Now, the half-finished structures were simply relics of abandoned plans, and they also acted as the perfect place for any criminal activity.
"Perfect, let's go then," Magnus said as he turned to Eveline. With her teleportation and spatial doors, they could be there in seconds, grab Celia, and get out—just like that. At least, that's what Magnus had thought.
"I can't," Eveline replied, causing Magnus to frown.
"What? What do you mean you can't? We know where she is, so just teleport us there!" Magnus's irritation grew with each passing second; every moment wasted was another in which something could happen to Celia.
"You're not the only person I'm bound to, Magnus. Remember what I said when you asked why I didn't just take your ability away?" With his sharp memory, it took Magnus only a moment to recall as he muttered the answer aloud.
"You're not allowed to break academy rules?"
"Exactly, though it's a bit more complicated than that. The point is, I'm not allowed to leave Takerth Academy—at least not without a valid reason." Magnus suddenly realized that this was likely another reason Eveline had been so quick to accept his offer to soul-bind. She was already under a contract, or maybe even multiple ones; of course, she didn't mind one more.
As for whose contract she was under, considering they forced her to follow the academy rules, Magnus had a pretty good guess.
"Shit!" Magnus cursed, frustration clear on his face. Even if he knew what the building looked like and which district it was in, there was no guarantee he'd be able to find it in time. Arlcliff City was just too big, and without Eveline's projection or direct teleportation, who knew how long it would take him?
"Relax; even though I'm pretty chained down, there are always ways to loosen a shackle. Academy staff are responsible for protecting students on academy grounds, but not so much when they are in the outside world." What this meant was that the safety of any students outside Takerth Academy and not in the immediate vicinity of academy staff members wasn't their concern.
"But you're my disciple, which changes things. According to academy rules, I'm your guardian as long as you're under my tutelage, meaning I'm allowed to act if you're in danger." This specific rule was what made the status of being a disciple at Takerth Academy so vital to noble families. It was also one of the reasons Eveline wanted Magnus as her disciple. It gave her a perfect way to gain some freedom from her bindings. The Headmistress knew that too, which is why she pressed Eveline during the Live Examination when she agreed to take Magnus on.
"Yeah, but even if you can help me outside the academy, it doesn't help me find Celia any faster," Magnus stated, to which Eveline smirked.
"Who said that?" Reaching out, the three-dimensional projection Eveline had created shrank down into her hand before she tossed it to Magnus. Almost seamlessly, the projection melded into Magnus's forearm on contact, disappearing from sight.
"There, now all you have to do is focus on that spot on your arm, and the projection will appear. It'll give you a full aerial view of Arlcliff City and highlight your current position relative to the building where Celia is being held. It's a bit crude, but like I said," Eveline shrugged, annoyed mid-explanation. As an Archmage, if she wasn't bound by a contract, she could easily just use sensory magic to scan the entire city for Celia. Then once she found her and locked onto her coordinates, she could teleport her directly here, all without taking a single step outside the academy. But in her current situation, she had to rely on this method instead.
"This..." Looking down at the arm where the projection had seemingly vanished, it was just as Eveline said—it became visible again. Unlike the large projection, this one was zoomed in, giving Magnus a bird's-eye view of Arlcliff City. From above, he could see a small, glowing blue dot representing his location in Takerth Academy, with a darker red spot marking the building Celia was in.
"It'll only last for a few hours, and it's not live, so you should hurry if you're in a rush," Eveline warned. Magnus nodded, taking his focus away from the display on his arm.
"Right." Without wasting any more time, he made his way to the spatial door that led back to his dorm room, hearing Eveline's final words before he went through.
"Remember, the moment you're in danger, I'll step in." There seemed to be more to what she was alluding to, but Magnus didn't dwell on it. His mind was focused on his plan. As worried as he was about Celia and as eager as he was to get to her, he couldn't help but wonder who had taken her in the first place.
Well, whatever, I'll get a chance to ask all the questions I want once I get my hands on the people responsible.
It didn't take Magnus long to reach the academy entrance, and as he stepped out from the barrier, the first person he saw was Tola, pacing anxiously back and forth. She, along with the guards, spotted Magnus immediately since he wasn't using his Cain disguise.
"I know where she is." Magnus's words caused Tola to rush over, relief mixed with lingering worry on her face.
"Really? Where?" she inquired eagerly.
"Someplace that might be dangerous. You should wait here while I go get her." Tola looked like she wanted to protest, but Magnus was already preparing to leave. But, before he could go, Grial and the other guards, who had been listening in on their conversation, spoke up.
"Hey, kid, what's going on? Did something happen to Celia?" They all wore serious expressions, their concern evident. Magnus hesitated for a moment, debating whether to reveal the situation.
"Celia might have been taken by human traffickers. I know where she is, so I need to move fast," Magnus explained, his tone firm. Grial and the other guards' faces darkened as the gravity of the situation sank in.
"What?" one of them shouted.
"They took Celia?"
"Then what the hell are we standing around for!? If you know the way, we're coming with you," Grial declared without hesitation, and the others nodded in solidarity. Magnus, taken aback, raised a hand to stop them.
"Hold on, you can't come with me. It'll be dangerous, plus you need to stay at your posts, right?" His words prompted Grial to chuckle, disbelief lacing his tone.
"Dangerous? Kid, we're guards—handling situations like this is our job! We're all about to switch rotations anyway; at worst, we'll catch some flak for leaving early." Magnus paused, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. He wasn't entirely sure what they were up against or who had taken Celia, but he trusted in his own capabilities. And if things went south, he had Eveline as backup.
Seeing their resolve, Magnus sighed, relenting.
"Alright, let's go." Hearing that from him, Grial and the guards grinned in response. At the same moment, Tola, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.
"Wait, I want to come too! Please…" Her voice was tinged with desperation.
Magnus didn't argue, instead replying, "Fine, but we've already wasted enough time. Just make sure you stick close to these guys and stay out of the way."
Tola nodded, and they quickly set off. Magnus activated [Self Body Puppetry], boosting his speed, and to his surprise, Grial, and the other guards kept pace fairly well. The only one struggling to keep up was Tola, but with Celia possibly in danger, she didn't ask them to slow down.
"Clear the way! Move aside, now!" Grial and the guards shouted, urging citizens to step aside as Magnus led the way, eyes fixed on the projection on his arm. Even though they weren't official city guards, their armor made them look like it, and that was enough to make people clear a path, speeding things up.
Pushing forward at this pace, it took them just over half an hour to reach the old abandoned industrial district. As Magnus had seen through the projection, the area was filled with half-finished buildings, or ones that had barely been started, all of them worn down and crumbling due to neglect and the elements. Magnus glanced at his arm, confirming their location and the building where Celia was being held.
Magnus, Grial, Tola, and the seven other guards finally came to a halt at the far end of a street, hidden in the shadows of an alleyway.
"I think that's the place," Magnus noted, glancing up from his arm and pointing toward the building halfway down the street. Unlike most of the other structures, the one he pointed at—and the buildings around it—seemed almost fully built. Not only that, but they appeared surprisingly lively. People could be seen seated at wooden tables and chairs outside, drinking and eating as if it were just another ordinary day.
Every so often, someone could be seen entering or leaving the building. The surrounding buildings looked fairly normal as well, though a bit run-down.
"It looks like a bar," Grial observed, his brows furrowed.
"A bar? What's a bar doing out here in a place like this? And that building next to it looks like an inn," Tola added, her confusion mirroring Magnus's. The display on his arm wasn't live, so Magnus hadn't anticipated finding so many people here.
"That's because it's a front for the Jackals," an unfamiliar voice suddenly chimed in, causing everyone to whirl around. Grial and the guards swiftly drew their weapons, positioning themselves between the newcomers and Magnus and Tola. But when Magnus recognized who it was—or rather, who they were—he quickly motioned for Grial and the others to stand down.
"Alwen, Kolten?" Magnus was slightly taken aback by their sudden appearance, though he supposed he should have expected it.
These were the two knights the Major General had assigned to follow, watch, and, if necessary, protect Magnus in case anything happened. Since Magnus hadn't left the academy in a while, they had been caught off guard when he suddenly came running outside and left for the Lower City, joined by the academy's guards.
"Magnus, what are you doing here of all places, and with Takerth Academy's guards?" Alwen asked, trying to assess the situation.
"Who are you two?" Grial demanded, still on edge, with the guards sharing his unease.
"Look, I don't have time for proper introductions. Grial, think of them as my bodyguards; they were assigned to me," Magnus explained before turning his attention back to Alwen.
"As for what I'm doing here, I'm not entirely sure myself. My maid, Celia, we think she was kidnapped by traffickers and brought here," Magnus elaborated briefly before honing in on what Alwen had mentioned earlier.
"You said this was a front for the Jackals, right? Who are they?" Magnus inquired; his curiosity piqued.
Kolten, standing behind Alwen, couldn't help but sigh.
"Well, this just got complicated," he muttered.
Alwen shared his sentiment but responded to Magnus's question.
"Well, the Jackals are a human trafficking group, just as you suspected. In fact, they're part of the same syndicate that Zeth's involved with."
Magnus's eyes widened slightly at the revelation, not noticing Tola's reaction, which was for some reason even more intense than his, though she remained silent.
They're part of the same organization as Zeth? Does that mean…
An unsettling thought crept into Magnus's mind, making him grit his teeth. He had been prepared for Zeth and his men to come after him whenever he left the academy, but the possibility that they might target Celia had never crossed his mind. But if what he was thinking was correct, then Celia might have been kidnapped as part of Zeth's plan to get to him.
As Magnus's mind raced with the implications, it was clear he wasn't the only one drawing a conclusion. Alwen spoke up with the same thought process, "Look, Magnus, we can handle this from here. We already had eyes on this place, and if we talk to the Major General, we can set up a raid and have this place surrounded in a few days."
Magnus frowned, staying silent for a moment before shaking his head.
"No. Celia's already been in there for two days; who knows what state she's in? I'm not wasting any more time." His voice was resolute. Kolten, seeing how determined Magnus was, stepped forward to reason with him.
"Magnus, we understand, but if this really is Zeth, it could be a trap-" Magnus cut him off, already knowing why they were concerned.
"I took first place in the Live Examination," Magnus stated plainly. Those words made both Alwen and Kolten freeze, their eyes widening as the weight of what he had just said hit them.
"W-What did you just say?" Alwen mumbled, staring at Magnus in disbelief. Magnus returned his gaze with a sharp look.
"As it stands right now, I could take on a group of Adept-level mages or knights if I had to. So there's no need for you two to worry about me getting hurt." Just based on his tone, it didn't sound as if he were lying, and although his words sounded unbelievable, both Alwen and Kolten had witnessed Magnus's capabilities before. Perhaps that's why Alwen didn't dismiss the claim outright but instead sought clarification.
"Magnus, are you serious?" Doubt lingered in Alwen's mind, but as he looked into Magnus's eyes and saw the certainty there, that doubt quickly vanished.
"Do I look like I'm lying?"
Neither Tola, Grial, nor any of the other guards fully understood what was happening, but after a few moments of tense silence, Alwen exhaled deeply.
"Alright… Fine. If we can't convince you to wait, then we're going in with you." Hearing his partner's decision, Kolten gave Alwen a look that clearly asked, Are you serious? But Alwen ignored him, keeping his focus on Magnus.
"Are you sure about this? Won't you get in trouble for operating without permission or something?" Magnus questioned.
Alwen nodded as he drew his sword, responding in a slightly exasperated tone.
"Yeah, probably. But we'll be in even more trouble if the Major General finds out we let you go in there alone. Just promise me that after we find your maid, we'll leave immediately."
Magnus considered it for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Sure, that was the plan anyway."