Franz had arrived early and left soon after when nothing caught his interest.
By “left,” it meant retreating to the executive room to observe for a while.
The lower society was filled with a mix of nobles, most of whom Franz deemed unremarkable.
A bunch of fools openly exposing their identities, oblivious to the fact that this was precisely what the Council wanted.
These people wouldn’t receive an invitation to the next gathering.
They were deemed incompetent.
That was the true purpose of these gatherings—to weed out the unworthy and identify those with potential within the lower circle.
Eventually, creating the true Council of Owls.
“Oh, there was one.”
The man claiming to be a Baron.
Franz had introduced himself as a Viscount. At first, the man seemed ordinary.
But as the night progressed, Franz noticed how seamlessly he blended with the crowd, skillfully avoiding any conspicuous displays of pride or revealing too much about himself.
Just like Franz himself.
It was an essential trait the Council sought in its members.
Of course, others at the gathering had tried to present themselves similarly.
But as someone from the highest echelons of aristocracy, Franz could easily distinguish between genuine poise and poorly masked arrogance.
Flowery words, forced manners, and subtle missteps often was the dead giveaway.
But this man was different.
He did the exact opposite.
Claiming to be a Baron, he played the part perfectly. Yet, his speech, his approach, and his communication skills carried a grace and confidence that made him seem more noble than anyone else at the party.
He was no Baron.
Just like Franz, he was likely from the upper echelons of nobility. Perhaps, a Duke who had managed to infiltrate the gathering unnoticed.
“I’ll seek him out in the next gathering.”
Franz leaned back, taking in the moonlight spilling through the balcony as he swirled the wine in his goblet.
***
Vanitas still found himself perplexed.
In the game’s original narrative, Franz’s stigmata had been exposed, leading to an investigation that spanned five years and ultimately implicated Zia—leading to Irene.
Yet, it seemed that the Imperial Family’s official announcement never came.
It was as if the narrative had resolved itself.
“But how?”
There was no point dwelling on it now. The fact that the murder hadn’t occurred meant Irene was safe.
For now.
This, however, was only temporary.
In the original narrative, there were future attempts on Franz’s life orchestrated by Irene, but this particular event had been the most critical, considering it was a success in killing his puppet.
This triggered a chain reaction. Franz realizing there was someone on his tail, a rebellion against the Imperial Family, followed by Franz exploiting the chaos to turn on Irene, attempting to take her life as well.
However, with the murder never occurring, Franz had no immediate reason to act violently this early.
While he might be aware of Irene’s disdain for him, he remained oblivious to her plots and schemes.
In simpler terms, Franz would remain idle for the time being.
The next course of action would be to find Irene and prevent her from doing anything reckless.
However, finding Irene would prove difficult. She was a busy woman, who didn’t even have time for her own little sister.
To– Tok.
Someone suddenly knocked on the door.
“Enter,” Vanitas said, looking up from his desk.
The door creaked open, and a woman wearing glasses peeked inside.
It was Roselyn.
“Can I help you, Roselyn?” he asked.
She stepped in hesitantly, closing the door behind her.
“Professor…. I think I’ve completed the Mana Crystallization Formula.”
“Already?”
It had only taken her a month, though he had offered occasional guidance. Still, the credit belonged to Roselyn.
Her efforts, paired with her stigmata, 「Calculation」, made her progress remarkable.
“Yes, but….” Roselyn adjusted her glasses nervously. “I was wondering if you could double-check it. Just in case I missed something.”
“Let me see.”
Vanitas took the 28-page document and scanned it carefully.
Channeling mana into his Spectacle, he compared it to the Mana Crystallization Formula Roselyn had written in one of his playthroughs.
It was identical.
“I don’t see any errors,” Vanitas said, closing the document. “This is it, Roselyn.”
“Really?!” Roselyn’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Mhm. Now it’s time for you to prepare your presentation.”
“Yes! I’m already working on it with Karina. She’s helping me with the design.”
“Oh? I’m glad she’s been helpful,” Vanitas said with a nod.
Roselyn shifted nervously. Her eyes darted to the side. It was clear she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Finally, summoning her courage, she asked, “Will you be…. attending the conference too?”
“Yes.”
Roselyn’s face lit up with joy. “I’ll do my best, Professor!”
“I’m sure you will,” Vanitas said. “Focus on the content. You’ve done well so far.”
“Thank you!” Roselyn gave a quick bow and hurried out of the office.
Clank—
Vanitas sat back and pondered. Sure, Franz may remain idle, but not when it comes to pulling stunts behind the scenes.
Moreover, killing him wasn’t simple. His real body could be anywhere, and there was even a chance he wasn’t in the Empire at all.
The complexity of the situation made it difficult to create a clear strategy. Veteran players had written a simple guide to deal with Franz:
[∎ Always assume the Franz in front of you is a puppet.]
[∎ The more puppets you destroy, the harder it becomes to locate the real body.]
So on and so forth.
For now, the best solution wasn’t to focus on finding and killing Franz, but to weaken his influence by dismantling the organizations and companies he controlled.
Weakening his network was crucial to achieving a good ending.
Of course, it wasn’t the true ending.
But that was another matter.
Franz was just another obstacle for the player to overcome.
***
“It’s been a while since I last visited.”
Soliette had grown up with nothing. From the moment she could remember—three years old—her life began within these walls.
The orphanage wasn’t anything grand or luxurious. Back then, the paint was faded, the floors were creaky, and the small garden struggled to bloom.
But to Soliette, it was home.
Even now, with all the luxuries her current life offered, Soliette considered this home more than anything else.
She often invested 20% of her salary back into the orphanage. It wasn’t out of guilt or obligation. It was because she wanted the children growing up here to have more than she ever did.
——Miss Soliette!
A group of children ran out to greet her.
“You’re back!” a little girl exclaimed.
“I promised, didn’t I?” Soliette said, kneeling to their height.
They didn’t know she was the current Archmage. To them, she was just Miss Soliette, a kind older woman who often visited them.
The children crowded around her, sharing stories about their day. She listened with a warm and genuine smile.
As she stood, an older woman hurriedly approached.
“Ah, Soliette! You should’ve told us you were visiting. We could’ve prepared better for you.”
“It’s fine, Mother Elara,” Soliette said with a gentle shake of her head.
Ever since Soliette had achieved so much, the staff—including Mother Elara—had begun treating her differently. It bothered her quite a bit. She often reminded them to treat her as they always had, just like any other visitor.
“Really, there’s no need to fuss,” Soliette added. “I just wanted to see everyone.”
Mother Elara smiled warmly, though there was a hint of nervousness.
“Even so, we’re grateful for all you’ve done for us. The new garden tools arrived last week, and the children adore the books you sent.”
Soliette glanced toward the small garden, where a few children were carefully watering plants.
“I’m glad they’re useful,” she said, smiling warmly.
In the past, the garden had been nothing but a patch of dry dirt. Now, it was alive with colorful flowers and a few rows of vegetables.
“They’ve taken such good care of it,” Mother Elara said, following her gaze.
“It’s wonderful….”
One of the children ran over, holding a small flower pot. “Miss Soliette! Look! I grew this one all by myself!”
She knelt to examine it. The plant was tiny but healthy, with a single bright yellow flower.
“You did an amazing job,” she said, ruffling their hair. “Keep taking care of it, alright?”
The child beamed with joy before running off to join the others.
“Miss Soliette, look!”
Another child approached, a girl of about fourteen years old. It was Sarah, the oldest child in the orphanage. She held a large book in her arm.
Soliette knelt to Sarah’s height.
“Where did you get this?”
“From the new library!
“Library?” Soliette turned to Mother Elara.
Mother Elara nodded with a smile. “Yes, we recently received a generous donation. It allowed us to start constructing a library for the children. Some of the books have already arrived.”
“Is that so….?” Soliette glanced back at the book in Sarah’s arms.
She carefully opened it. The pages were filled with dense magic theory, diagrams of magic circuits, spellformulas, and incantations.
The kind of book that only mages or scholars could fully appreciate.
“I’ve been reading it every day!” Sarah said excitedly. “I don’t understand most of it, but it looks really interesting. Maybe I’ll figure it out if I keep trying.”
Soliette placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“That’s amazing, Sarah.”
Sarah nodded with a bright smile and hurried back inside the orphanage.
Soliette turned to Mother Elara. “Who made the donation?”
Mother Elara’s expression softened. “An aristocrat named Astrea. They didn’t give many details, but they seemed genuinely interested in helping the children.”
“Astrea….” Soliette murmured, the name lingering in her thoughts.
“Do you know them?”
“Ah, no….” Soliette mumbled, glancing away.
The name Astrea could only belong to one family. The Astrea family.
Vanitas Astrea.
Soliette’s background was no secret to the public, but the specific orphanage had never been revealed.
Was it just a coincidence?
***
Gambino Family.
“I’ve checked the amount, Boss,” Luca said. “10% of 112.5M Rend has already gone through. 11,250,000.”
“Good,” Vincenzo Gambino, the boss of the Gambino Family, nodded. “But still, disguised as a generous donation and yet actually a generous donation. Astrea’s practically paying double the amount.”
The money was being filtered gradually.
Vanitas’s donations to various orphanages would be spread over the next several months, while payments to the Gambino Family would be delayed strategically to avoid suspicion.
“I believe he’s planning to cut ties with the underworld, Boss,” Luca added.
Vincenzo leaned back in his chair. Luca was his consigliere, the trusted right-hand man who always had his ear.
“Is that so?” Vincenzo said, his tone calm. “Maybe it’s for the best. A frail man like Astrea doesn’t belong in a world like ours.”
He let out a soft sigh and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
“But he’s been good to us. Clean or not, we owe him for all he’s done.”
“Understood, Boss. Should I ensure everything runs smoothly on our end?” Luca asked.
“Yes. Do assist him if necessary. Let him step out clean. But make sure we don’t burn any bridges. Astrea may leave, but his value to us doesn’t disappear.”
Luca nodded. “I’ll handle it, Boss.”
***
“Are you ready, Princess?” a maid asked.
“Yes, I’m quite excited. It’s the first academic conference I’ll ever attend,” Astrid replied with a bright smile.
Academic conferences were open to all scholars who were members of the Scholars Institute.
Outsiders, however, could only attend under specific circumstances, such as being Tower University students or part of business conglomerates—and even then, they had to pay a hefty entrance fee.
The presentations would prove useful as an inspiration for Astrid and her club.
She had invited the other club members to join her, but they all turned her down, claiming they were busy for the weekend.
“Sigh.”
It didn’t matter. She’d take notes for the club anyway.
As she got into the car with her appointed knights, it started moving smoothly. Astrid leaned back, letting herself relax.
It was currently 8:37 AM. The first day of the conference was set for 7:00 PM, taking place in Estelle—a neutral land governed by neither the church nor the state.
Known as an independent region, Estelle was the home to some of the most skilled mages in the world and a preferred destination for University Tower graduates seeking to advance their careers.
The journey to Estelle would take about four hours by train.
“Have a safe trip, Princess.”
Astrid nodded, adjusting her cap and sunglasses before stepping out of the car. The train to Estelle was scheduled to arrive at 9:30.
She looked around and found a spot to sit, glancing occasionally at the entrance.
After waiting for a while, Astrid boarded the magitrain and took a seat in the VIP compartment. The train departed right on schedule.
Settling into her seat, Astrid opened a textbook.
[Spellcraft Fundamentals: Astrea Series]
It was Professor Vanitas’s first-ever published book, released about two years ago.
The book hadn’t sold well. Its content was overly technical and convoluted, almost as if he wasn’t sure what he was even writing.
Astrid had no particular reason to read it, except to better understand her professor.
As she flipped through the pages, her thoughts wandered. Plenty of professors were strict, but Vanitas Astrea stood out for one reason.
He was the only professor who had been under investigation four years ago.
Astrid had only recently learned about it. The case never reached the public eye, and the journalist who started it suddenly backed off.
That likely meant the claims were baseless.
Still, it was interesting to think about.
The train stopped at its first station. After passengers boarded and departed, it resumed its journey.
Astrid continued reading but soon felt drowsy. She placed the book on her lap and looked around.
The train was unusually quiet.
“….?”
The other passengers in the VIP compartment appeared to be asleep.
“….”
An unnatural silence filled the air. Astrid’s eyelids grew heavier, and her body felt weak.
Something was wrong.
“….”
She tried to fight it off. But her body wouldn’t respond.
The strength drained from her limbs.
“….”
And her eyes fluttered shut.