Felice struggled her way to Flen's laboratory, her mind occupied entirely by thoughts of Alpha. Please, don't let him give anything away, she pleaded silently. Upon entering Flen's operating room, she found it empty, so she moved toward the resting room and knocked. A gentle female voice answered, "Come in."
Pushing the door open, Felice was surprised to see an additional person in the room—a tall, lean man in his thirties. He had jet-black hair, dark eyes, and a faint stubble on his chin. The man exuded an air of commanding presence, dressed in the spatial magic department's robes with a golden sash, signifying his rank as an eighth-level mage.
Although Felice had never interacted with him directly, there were so few eighth-level mages or higher in the entire academy that it wasn't hard for her to recognize him. This imposing figure had to be Cathis, one of the last combat-focused spatial mages in the academy and a former disciple of Enya, who was also her mentor Flen's teacher. Yet his appearance here, in Flen's resting room instead of Enya's office, was perplexing.
"Felice, you're finally back," Flen greeted warmly. "Let me introduce you. This is Cathis, our combat instructor in the spatial department. Master Cathis, this is Felice, the student you were looking for."
Flen's words carried layers of meaning. Felice immediately understood that Cathis was here specifically because of her. As Flen's enrolled student, anyone seeking her would naturally have to approach her mentor first.
"You were looking for me?" Felice asked cautiously.
"Yes, but it's nothing too serious," Cathis replied, his tone measured. "I noticed you've been absent from the academy for over a month without any formal leave. Although your coursework is commendable, prolonged absences set a bad example for others."
"You're right to reprimand me, sir. However, it was due to an unforeseen event during a practical task," Felice explained.
"Ah, yes, your mentor mentioned that you were completing a task for Lahar. But even with the distance involved, it shouldn't have taken so long, should it?" Cathis pressed.
"Um… the scroll… there was an accident…" Felice murmured. "I didn't realize it had expired…" She had to take responsibility, avoiding any insinuation that Lahar provided defective materials. Thus, her excuse painted her as careless rather than critical of Lahar's resources.
"That was indeed a grave mistake, young lady. Can you tell me where you ended up due to this mishap?" Cathis asked, his gaze sharp.
Felice noticed Flen subtly watching her as this question was posed. Taking the hint, she decided on honesty. "I was transported to a place called Warwick Village, near the edge of the Dusky Marshlands."
Felice's choice of truth paid off. Both Flen and Cathis relaxed visibly. She realized she had guessed correctly—this was an opportunity to clear her name rather than incriminate herself.
"You're honest, little one," Cathis said gravely. "But you should know that Warwick Village no longer exists."
"What?!" Felice was shocked. "How could that be? They were fine when I left!" The disappearance of the village was a double-edged sword. While it erased any evidence linking her to the black dragon scales, it also meant the innocent villagers, who had finally escaped the shadow of the dark dragon, were now gone forever. The weight of this realization crushed her, knowing their fate was indirectly tied to her actions.
"What happened to them?" she demanded.
"Lahar must've told you about the plane-summoning scapegoat array," Cathis replied.
Felice's heart sank. They had planned this from the start—keeping Alpha was likely part of their scheme too.
But she forced herself to stay calm. If Alpha were truly implicated, they wouldn't have approached her so gently.
"Yes, Lahar mentioned it," she said, her voice steady.
Cathis continued, "I personally went to investigate the Dusky Marshlands. The incident happened seven days after you arrived there."
"But I didn't see anything!" Felice exclaimed. "At that time, I was still in Warwick Village." Given the scapegoat array's nature, her ignorance of the incident was plausible.
"We encountered a self-destruct array left by the summoner. It was clear they didn't want to be discovered," Cathis revealed.
"Such a clever tactic!" Felice praised, hiding her own nervousness. They had evidently identified her self-destruct array.
Cathis nodded. "We stayed to investigate further and eventually found traces of abyssal demon blood. Despite the explosion, the residual magical energy was too potent to be fully eradicated. It confirmed that a high-level abyssal demon had been summoned—the first in twelve years. An S-rank alert has been issued."
Cold sweat ran down Felice's back. She forced herself to ask calmly, "Did you determine what kind of demon it was?"
Cathis shrugged. "Unfortunately, the trail went cold. We did, however, encounter the dark summoner Lysador. While I could've handled him alone, he had three forbidden abyssal demons and hundreds of lesser ones. With only fifty of us, we had no choice but to retreat. Afterward, he ransacked Warwick Village."
Felice leapt up, grabbing Cathis by the collar. "You were there! Why didn't you protect them? Those villagers had fought so hard to survive in the marsh!"
Cathis remained silent, and Felice caught a glimpse of bloodied bandages beneath his robes. Stunned, she realized the "retreat" had been far more costly than he let on.
"Enough, Felice," Flen intervened. "You're dismissed for now. Don't mention this to anyone. Also, retrieve your assistant from Lahar's lab. His assistant certification will be issued in a few days. And remember, avoid associating with people of unknown origins."
Felice nodded, though the last remark unsettled her—was it a veiled warning about Alpha?