"Lady Witch, we need to monitor these archbishops in secret," Ansu immediately suggested. "Regardless of whether this is a trap or not, we must be fully prepared."
"I was thinking the same," Celia nodded slightly.
"But we cannot tell anyone else in the Church; the surveillance and investigation must be carried out in secret," Ansu continued.
"But there are only two of us," Celia frowned. "How can we track three people at once? Should I send out the puppet maids from my manor?"
"Absolutely not!" Ansu immediately vetoed the idea. "Puppets are fine as eyes, but their ability to adapt is too poor. What we need is a more in-depth investigation, and we might even need to lurk very close to these three powerhouses..."
"Then what do you mean..." Celia watched Ansu quietly. Unknowingly, she had become very patient in listening to Ansu's suggestions.
"Exclude Archbishop Paul. With the two of us, we only need to monitor the remaining two archbishops."
Ansu's idea was to have Celia monitor Archbishop Leonard, who always had a low presence, while he and Freya would continue to keep an eye on Terry.
"Oh?" Celia was slightly surprised. "Why are you so certain the mastermind won't be Paul?"
"Intuition." Ansu gave a confident smile. "You have your intuition, My Lady, and I have mine."
In reality, the reason was... he didn't dare tell Celia the clues he had discovered in the simulation.
Celia stared fixedly at Ansu for a moment before nodding.
"Fine, I believe you."
After all, he had always brought her surprises; Celia highly recognized Ansu's abilities.
After discussing the details of the plan for a while longer, Celia prepared to leave.
"If there's nothing else, I'll head back first."
She stood up, but as she walked toward the door, she suddenly stopped.
Celia gazed at the door, seemingly sensing what was happening outside. "Your sister is pressed against the door eavesdropping."
"Uh..." Ansu let out a sheepish laugh. To Vera, the succession of uninvited guests today indeed seemed very strange.
Crucially, every one of them had to go into the room with him and lock the door, which made it even weirder...
"Fortunately, I applied a layer of magic barrier, so she can't hear anything." Celia glanced at Ansu. "But this sister of yours..."
"What?" Ansu looked at her.
Celia's expression was a bit strange, but she didn't continue.
She felt that Ansu's sister really didn't seem like a sister at all...
After Celia finally left, Ansu and Vera stared at each other in the living room for a good while...
Sensing the atmosphere growing increasingly awkward, Ansu could only explain helplessly, "My boss and I were discussing some work matters. Um... it's about a secret mission in the near future."
"Oh..." Vera lowered her head dejectedly and continued her schoolwork.
Ansu saw that she had been looking at the same page for a long time without moving her pen. Knowing the child was sulking, he smiled and walked over, sitting beside her.
"Vera, I really can't talk about the specific details. It's for your own good."
"I know..." Vera propped her face up with her hand and looked the other way, acting as if she didn't want to talk to him.
"Brother has more and more secrets now, but in your eyes, I'm just a child. It's normal that you don't want to tell me. I'll just be obedient."
Although his sister sounded sensible, Ansu knew she was being stubborn. This was how she always acted when they were in a cold war when they were younger...
But Ansu really couldn't reveal too much to her, at least not now. He didn't want to drag Vera into this.
With a silent sigh, Ansu didn't mention it again and headed to the kitchen.
"Take a break if you're tired of studying. I'll cook lunch today to reward you."
The smell of cooking oil and smoke gradually filled the kitchen.
Vera quietly looked up, watching Ansu busy himself in the kitchen.
She sighed softly, feeling guilty for her earlier tantrum.
Her brother was working so hard for this family. Over the past few days, she could clearly sense Ansu's anxiety. He seemed worried about something in the future...
Vera didn't know what her brother was anxious about, but she really wanted to help him.
"I want to grow up quickly..."
"Maybe then I could help Brother."
...
The following night.
Under the cover of the thick night, Ansu and Freya waited in secret not far from the cathedral.
"I wonder if Archbishop Terry will sneak out again today..."
Freya muttered to herself uncertainly, looking up at Ansu beside her.
"Lord Ansu, what are you thinking about?" Freya noticed that Ansu was exceptionally silent tonight. Although she couldn't see his face clearly, she could feel that he was deep in thought.
"I am... waiting for time."
"Time?"
Ansu nodded slightly. He glanced at the time in the system. There were less than twelve hours left until the Academy Open Day.
For the past two nights, Ansu and Freya had been secretly monitoring Archbishop Terry, but he hadn't snuck out to contact anyone like he had the night before last.
Celia hadn't found any issues on her end either. These archbishops showed no abnormal activity whatsoever.
This couldn't go on...
In twelve hours, the campus tragedy from the plot would occur. He had to find the mastermind.
Ansu had only one method left.
That was to use the system simulation to go into the Royal Academy ten hours later and see what exactly would happen tomorrow.
Ansu stared at the system panel, waiting silently in the darkness...
Finally, the time reached eleven o'clock at night.
【The following times can be simulated】
【Future】
【In 10 minutes (April 23, 23:10), consumes 10 points】
【In 10 hours (April 24, 09:00), consumes 50 points】
【Start simulation?】
Ten hours later, at 9:00 tomorrow morning, was the official time the school gates would open.
Ansu pulled out his 《Future Diary》 and kept imposing psychological suggestions on himself in his mind...
No matter what abnormality occurs, I must record it in the notebook.
I must record it...
In fact, Ansu had already developed a good habit of keeping a diary whenever something happened. This psychological suggestion shouldn't be a problem.
And so...
【Radiant Calendar 625, April 24, 09:00】
【Starting simulation...】
Darkness rapidly invaded Ansu's vision. When he opened his eyes, the sight before him made him freeze.
There were corpses everywhere...
Ansu walked down a shaded path in shock.
This was the only way to the academy auditorium, but now, the path was littered with the bodies of many students. Most of them had died gruesome deaths, their terrified expressions frozen in their final moments.
It seemed the tragedy had still occurred...
Ansu quickly stepped forward to examine a student's corpse.
The skin all over the body had ulcerated, and black, foul blood flowed from the eyes and nostrils. Furthermore... the corpse emitted a thick aura of filthy magic...
Ansu instinctively thought of Celia's Black Flame.
But after double-checking, he felt it shouldn't be. Celia's Black Flame would burn people to ashes. These corpses likely died instantly from a wide-range, unknown forbidden black magic.
Ansu looked toward the academy auditorium in the distance. The magical power was densest there; even the sky was faintly black, exuding a sinister and eerie atmosphere.
He immediately set off for the auditorium. As he walked, he also noticed the bodies of some clergymen. It seemed a great battle had taken place between the two sides.
Just as he was about to arrive at the auditorium...
Among those corpses, Ansu noticed a small figure wearing a floral dress.
This dead girl also had a blonde ponytail that looked very familiar to him...
Ansu's pupils shrank instantly, a terrible premonition rising in his heart.
No way...
It shouldn't be her... How could she have come to my school?
Ansu rushed to the girl's corpse, knelt down, and lifted her face, which was pressed against the ground and already filthy.
The girl's originally lively deep blue eyes were now devoid of light, becoming dull and lifeless.
Her body was covered in ulcerated black wounds, and her expression at the moment of death still carried fear and pain.
It was Vera...
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