Was it the kid at all? Did someone else put it there? Who could it be?
Unsurprisingly, a single name popped up in his mind.
Rodrick
Eryndor's eyes narrowed.
Why would you send us the sensor?
Eryndor examined the cut off rope attached to the sensor and realized it wasn't the one which professor Melissa had but one which was attached to the box containing the Mystical Artifact.
He had seen it in the memory of Jeremy. It was one of the few instances which he bothered to remember.
Eryndor couldn't make any head or tails of the situation.
Why give us this sensor in the night anyway? He could've waited a bit.
Eryndor couldn't help but think about that point.
After a few minutes he simply stood up and left the room with the anomaly sensor in hand.
On the way to the living room, he knocked on his teammate's doors.
One by one, each of them peaked out of their doors, and upon seeing Eryndor's serious expression, followed him after halting or completing whatever they were doing.
When all of them had gathered, he placed the anomaly sensor on the table before them.
"Can anyone recognise this?"
Contrary to his expectation, no one spoke. Not even Drakarion or Paulina who he thought were knowledgeable.
With a grave expression, Eryndor revealed.
"It's an anomaly sensor."
Paulina and Drakarion narrowed their eyes, before the former picked up the sensor and carefully examined it.
"This may be a recent model, since the anomaly sensor I know of looks different."
"Same."
Drakarion agreed with Paulina.
Eryndor hesitated, and went through his memory once again. A moment later he confirmed that it was indeed an anomaly sensor.
"How do you have it?"
Valentina asked.
Eryndor shot her a playful smile.
"Guess."
"I wouldn't know it no matter how many chances you give me."
She answered with exasperation.
Paulina, who sat beside her, chipped in with hesitation visible in her voice.
"Was it the thermometer?"
Eryndor raised his eyebrows at her.
Paulina really is observant as fuck. How did she guess it? Is it because she knew the kid had made the thermometer and I expressed intentions to meet that kid tomorrow?
His thoughts came and went within a moment, nothing visible on his face as he appreciated her.
"Wow, got it on the first try."
Despite guessing it herself, Paulina and the other two had surprised expressions on their faces when he actually confirmed it, before it transitioned into one of contemplation.
"Rodrick. It's him isn't he?"
Valentina mumbled.
"Who else?"
Drakarion replied with fists clenched.
Eryndor waved lightly to attract their attention before explaining to them how locked Mystical Artifacts attached with anomaly sensors worked and what had transpired in the meeting of professor Melissa's group.
He told them about Rodrick's suggestion regarding the Mystical Artifact assigned to them and how professor Melissa had allowed it.
He then began analyzing the situation.
"This sensor—" He held the sensor before continuing. "Was the one which was connected to the box containing the Mystical Artifact.
"And no, that first aid box is a normal one. Don't worry.
"So, Rodrick wants us to head towards the area where fake bears are located with this in our hands. I mean, we'll obviously carry a first aid box with us right?
"On second thought, I don't think it matters even if we don't carry it. I think he simply wanted us to have this in our possession."
"Sounds like he wants to set us up for something."
Paulina muttered with a frown.
"I have the same feeling."
Eryndor agreed.
"Does he want to run away with the Mystical Artifact? I mean, I know my doubt is completely without a base to refer to or derive from, but just a curious question."
Drakarion shrugged while he spoke.
Eryndor didn't try to find out the whys and whats about his doubt, but simply built another question on top of it.
They could always try a new point of view if previous ones reached a dead end.
"Professor Melissa will likely always be holding onto to the Mystical Artifact. No way she is letting anyone near it. How will Rodrick get it?"
"If professor Melissa is no more."
Paulina whispered.
Each of them fell into silence.
No matter how unlikely, this seemed to be the truth.
Rodrick only had a chance of getting the Mystical Artifact if something happened to professor Melissa.
"But how will anything even happen to professor Melissa?
"I am pretty sure professor Melissa is experienced enough as it is plus the Academy wouldn't allow students on a mission they weren't sure of succeeding."
Valentina reasoned.
Eryndor questioned back.
"What if there was an element they didn't consider?"
Eryndor reminded them about his guess of an Anomaly being the second mind controlled existence under Rodrick after Jeremy.
The gears in their mind turned as Paulina was the first to lay it out.
"Sooooo, they fight an anomaly, but another anomaly under Rodrick's command joins the fray.
"The situation goes south, due to Rodrick's targeted planning, something happens to professor Melissa and the rest of the group.
"Rodrick acquires the Mystical Artifact. Anddd done? What next?"
The group fell into silence, each of them thinking hard.
Something clicked in Eryndor's mind after a minute as he spoke.
"What if there was mutual destruction? The team and anomaly both destroy each other, of course, with Rodrick's Anomaly's intervention that is.
"Rodrick takes care of the remaining few people if at all some escape death by chance.
"He takes the Mystical Artifact and stores it in the original box which is made to deal with the majority of the influence of anomaly, which means it can also defend against external tracking to an extent.
"And then, he'll take another box which professor Melissa should likely have, which should be given to her by the Academy to contain the anomaly, and throw it at us when we reach that area.
"Do you realize what this implies?
"It means we are agents of the Eight Outer Domains who brought some one time use Mystical Artifact and tracked the other team through this sensor in our hand.
"Then we unleashed it as soon as we got near, causing the demise of the mission team.
"Rodrick gets the Mystical Artifact which he'll hide somewhere and also would have made an achievement by apprehending us."