Given the circumstances, where all the assigned escorts were killed, along with several men from the opposing side, Vanitas had a strong suspicion about what had transpired.
Even if his guess was off, they would never guess the destination he was heading to.
Still, he felt confident in his deduction, especially considering Anastasia’s character.
She was a cunning, snake-like woman with a knack for planning. Her schemes had elevated the Gambino Family’s status far beyond anything her father had achieved.
Even at her current age, carelessness wasn’t in her nature.
For the most part.
“Still, is she actually here?”
Ophelia City.
It was the closest city to the site of the incident. Though considering Anastasia’s personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if she’d gone further to the next city.
Still, Vanitas was betting on her being in Ophelia. Mages often lacked stamina, and traveling to another city would put her even closer to Valenora. It was a risky move.
Though even the idea of walking eight hours to reach Ophelia was absurd in itself.
Vanitas strolled through the bustling streets of Ophelia. Mages in robes passed by.
Fortunately, he had come prepared, donning a simple robe with a hood to avoid drawing attention.
“So, where do I start?”
Ophelia was a large city. Finding Anastasia here wouldn’t be easy, especially when the odds of her actually being here were only fifty-fifty.
“Tourist spots?”
No, that wouldn’t be the case.
Considering Anastasia’s situation, she would avoid using her card at all costs. That meant she’d likely be saving as much money as possible, staying somewhere cheap and low-profile.
‘I’m not sure how long she plans to stay here,’ he thought. ‘But two weeks seems reasonable given her circumstances.’
“I’m not gonna find her within twenty-four hours, am I?”
So much for the timeline he gave himself.
“I’m counting on you, Karina,” he said quietly.
As long as Charlotte remained on University grounds, even the Gambino Family wouldn’t be able to touch her there.
With that reassurance, Vanitas began his search for Anastasia.
“First, her living situation.”
From the direction of the Feramon passage, a normal, exhausted person would head to the nearest, cheapest inn they could find.
But if Anastasia had her wits about her, she’d know that would be too obvious.
“No, wait…. that’s overthinking it,” Vanitas sighed, rubbing his temples. “Someone with her deduction skills would probably pick an inn farther from the entrance.”
Vanitas walked, then paused.
“Ah, fuck,” he groaned.
He was overthinking again.
“Alright, let’s focus. Anastasia would go for a cheaper inn, sure. But would she? She’s saving money, but her life’s at stake too.”
He stopped walking for a moment, staring into the distance.
“No…. her life isn’t really at stake,” he muttered. “If my hunch is right, she’s just….”
Waiting.
“This shitty brat is probably treating this like a vacation.”
For the rest of the day, Vanitas continued his search for Anastasia. It wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be.
In fact, it was easy.
Too easy.
“Where the hell could she be….?”
He thought about moving on to the next city already.
But the next day, something changed.
While making his 17th trip to the market, something caught his attention.
“Found you.”
He finally found her.
***
Twelve hours inside the Fractal Veil.
The hotel had been breached. Monsters now roamed the hallways, and the once-safe refuge was no longer secure.
The number of students had thinned significantly. Of the original 48, only 28 remained.
Desperation began to take hold. Students scattered throughout the hotel, forming small groups and bases wherever they could. Some even started forming factions with whoever they encountered.
But things only got worse.
“Haaa…! Damn it, I’m done!”
“Wait! Don’t—” another student called out, but it was too late.
The first student bolted out of their makeshift base and rushed toward the monsters, throwing themselves recklessly into the fray.
“Stop! Come back!” the others shouted.
But the reckless act ended as expected. The monsters swarmed him, and in moments, he was gone.
Many had begun to think their efforts were enough. After all the time they had spent in the Fractal Veil, surely they had done enough to pass.
It was too stressful to keep going. Some were fine with settling for an average grade.
Anything to end the nightmare.
Astrid, however, was different. She had formed her own base and faction, rallying a group of students under her banner like the royal bloodline she was.
To her, anything less than the top would be a failure.
“No.”
It wasn’t just about her pride.
She didn’t want to disappoint the professor. That thought alone kept her moving forward.
The same could be said for the students under her banner—Charlotte, Ezra, Cassandra, Sophia, and a handful of others.
Well, maybe not Sophia.
“Just let me die!” Sophia flailed as Astrid firmly held her back by the collar of her jacket.
“You’re not dying, Sophia!” Astrid snapped, dragging her back inside the makeshift base they had set up.
“What’s the point?! I haven’t eaten in five hours! Five hours, Astrid! That’s basically starvation!”
“You had a sandwich two hours ago!” Astrid countered.
“I need a proper meal to keep going! Real food, Astrid. Not survival scraps!” Sophia thrashed weakly.
Charlotte chimed in. “We’re all hungry, Sophia.”
“Sigh.” Astrid sighed, rubbing her temple.
The current wave was still ongoing, leaving them no time for proper rest and freedom during an interval.
Moments later, Ezra stood up, stretching his arms. “Alright, everyone. Have you recovered your energy?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah.”
“I think so.”
“Hell no—” Sophia began, only for Astrid to clamp her mouth shut.
“Good enough,” Ezra said, ignoring the muffled complaints. He turned toward the barricaded door. “Alright, let’s leave Samantha here and go.”
“Hey—”
***
In a modest hotel room—affordable enough for a girl on the run—Vanitas leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed.
Anastasia, meanwhile, sat nervously on the bed, fidgeting with her fingers.
“Uhm… long time no see, Professor?” she said, forcing an awkward smile.
Vanitas stared at her blankly before letting out a long sigh.
He understood their connection well enough.
In the original narrative, Anastasia had been a popular character among players. She also had a unique dynamic with “Vanitas,” at least to a certain degree.
Unlike most others, she was one of the few who didn’t openly despise him.
It made sense, though, considering Vanitas’s ties to the Gambino Family.
That connection was exactly why Vanitas had been confident in looking for her.
Vanitas leaned back, crossing his arms. “So, why are you here?”
Anastasia fidgeted nervously. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know you’d get dragged into this mess.”
“I’d like to say it’s fine,” Vanitas said dryly, “but your family is probably tearing apart my home as we speak. Now, tell me. What’s your plan?”
Anastasia hesitated before answering.
“I’m going to pretend like I’ve been kidnapped. Then, as days pass and they can’t find me, my family will assume I’m dead. That’ll spark a war between the Gambino Family and the Cassano Family.”
Vanitas raised an eyebrow. “The Cassano Family? You’re sure they’re behind this?”
“Yes,” Anastasia confirmed. “I’ve looked into it myself.”
Vanitas exhaled, rubbing his temples. “You know, there’s a simpler solution. Why not just ask your father to wipe out the Cassano Family?”
“It’s not that simple,” Anastasia said with a sigh. “There are rules between mafia families. This kind of thing has happened before. I’ve been kidnapped for ransom before, and every time, it ends the same way. The families fight for a bit, then reach an understanding with compensation.”
“But this time, you’re tired of it.”
Anastasia nodded. “Exactly. I’m tired of these cycles. I want the Cassano Family gone for good. And if my ‘death’ is what it takes to push my father over the edge, then so be it.”
“And in the meantime?” Vanitas asked.
“I’m taking a vacation,” Anastasia replied with a grin, leaning back as if her plan wasn’t completely insane. “Ophelia’s nice this time of year.”
“….”
As expected.
Crazy woman.
Vanitas sighed. Thankfully, he had already evacuated all the servants from the Astrea Estate.
Once the misunderstanding was cleared, he could demand significant compensation from the Gambino Family.
“Maybe this isn’t so bad,” Vanitas said. “I’ll extort your family for a better estate.”
“Huh? Sure. I’ll convince my father after this. It’s a win-win, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. The current estate holds bad memories for my sister anyway. If we get a new place, maybe she’ll actually come home.”
“Never thought you were the clingy type, Professor.”
“I’m not,” Vanitas said, frowning. “My sister’s been learning to manage as an Astrea. It’s better if she lives at home.”
“So, you just miss your sister?”
“Please, stop talking.”
“….”
Anastasia’s eyes, nearly as red as ruby, suddenly sparkled as if she had a brilliant idea.
“Professor….”
Vanitas instantly felt a sense of dread. “What now?”
“If we really want this plan to work…. well, I can’t use my card, and honestly, I’m in a bit of a financial crisis right now….”
“You want to leech off my money?”
“Leech?! Absolutely not! It’s an investment, Professor. An investment!”
Vanitas stared at her for a long moment, mulling over her words. He let out a sigh and leaned back.
When he finally spoke, his tone was flat.
“Before we talk about that, Anastasia, do you remember Arwen Ainsley?”
“Hm? That senior who took her own life? What about her?”
Vanitas ignored her tone and continued. “Were you two close?”
“No.” Anastasia flopped onto her back, her dark onyx hair spreading across the bed. “But why are you asking me? You were the one who was close to her.”
“….”
That was new information.
“Yeah, I guess so. I was just curious.”
“Oh? Feeling sentimental, Professor?” Anastasia smirked. “Makes sense. She was your assistant, wasn’t she?”
“Maybe.”
Another piece of information he hadn’t known.
Though he had an idea. It sounded like something related to the concept of student assistants—a system where second-year students could apply to assist professors.
It wasn’t official, but it was common practice for students aspiring to become professors.
“So, Professor, what do you say? Will you be my sugar daddy for a while?” Anastasia asked with a sly grin.
“….”
Vanitas sighed. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice.
Besides, he knew Anastasia well enough—she wasn’t the type to leave debts unpaid. Her pride wouldn’t allow it. She would undoubtedly find a way to repay him, one way or another.
“Fine. But in exchange, let me stay here,” Vanitas said.
“Eh?!” Anastasia’s eyes widened in shock. “Why? Have you fallen for my charms? Are you planning something? Professor, I’m six years younger than you. Is that really okay?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Vanitas replied, pulling out his revolver and pointing it at her. “I can see you already looking for an escape route.”
“….”
Anastasia froze for a moment before giving a sheepish grin.
“Caught me, huh?” she muttered, raising her hands in mock surrender.
Despite the banter, Vanitas was certain of one thing. From her subtle gestures and the quick flick of her eyes, Anastasia was already plotting her escape someday.
“You’re not ditching me,” Vanitas said flatly. “Not while I’m here.”
***
“They’ve all left.”
Luca, leading his men through the empty Astrea Estate, walked around the halls.
For the sake of decency, most of the property remained untouched, but every room had been thoroughly searched for clues about Vanitas Astrea’s whereabouts.
When they reached the Family Head’s office, Luca prepared to dismantle the expected magical barrier.
“….?”
But there was no barrier.
“Uh-huh?”
“It seems like they’ve truly abandoned this place, consigliere,” one of his men said.
Even when they searched, there were no personal belongings in any of the rooms.
“Yeah, still. With the lack of time he had, Astrea must’ve left something behind.”
Bang—!
Kicking the door open, Luca led his men into the Family Head’s office.
“Check everything,” he ordered. “Bookshelves, drawers, walls. If they left in a hurry, there’s bound to be something.”
The men immediately got to work as they combed through every corner of the room.
They searched the desk, shelves, and hidden compartments, piling their findings on the floor.
After several minutes, one of them called out, “Consigliere! Over here.”
Luca strode over, his gaze falling on the paper in the man’s hand. He snatched it up and examined it.
“A receipt?”
“It seems so,” the man replied.
Luca frowned and scanned the document. It was a receipt for a magitrain ticket bound for Raelina City. The date imprinted on it was today.
“Vanitas Astrea left at exactly 12:00 P.M,” Luca murmured. “To think someone as thorough as him would leave behind something so careless….”
He trailed off, his eyes narrowing.
“Do you think it’s real, sir?” one of the men asked.
“It could be a trick. Or it could be a lead. Either way, we don’t ignore it.”
“Should we send a crew to Raelina?”
“Yes,” Luca said. “And double-check this estate before we go.”
“Understood, consigliere.”
***
“Haaa…. I give up.”
Resigning himself to his fate, Silas charged straight into the monsters. Moments later, he opened his eyes to find himself back on the University Tower’s rooftop.
Around him were other students who had also been overwhelmed and “killed” in the Fractal Veil. Indeed—they were immediately ejected from the veil upon defeat.
——Kevin Baecon. Survived, 16 hours. Contribution, excellent. Grade: B–.
A calm voice resounded nearby. Silas turned to see Assistant Professor Karina, with a clipboard in hand, evaluating the students who had been expelled from the veil.
——Emily Lang. Survived, 16 hours. Contribution, excellent. Grade: B–.
——Marcus Vayne. Survived, 16 hours. Contribution, satisfactory. Grade: C.”
One by one, Karina listed the students, their performance, and their grades. Finally, her eyes landed on Silas.
“Silas Ainsley. Survived, 16 hours. Contribution, poor. Grade: C–.”
“Ha.”
Silas leaned back, seated on the ground with a sly smile.
C–.
It was good enough to pass.
“….?”
But Karina didn’t move on. She stood there, still looking at him.
“Anything else, Assistant Professor?” he asked.
“No, it’s just…. you’re peculiar.”
“Peculiar?” Silas tilted his head. “How so?”
“Your grades. They’re all C–. From theoretical tests to practicals, they’re all borderline passes. Is this intentional?”
“Who knows?” Silas shrugged. “Maybe I’m just unlucky.”
Karina raised an eyebrow but didn’t push further. “Unlucky or not, you’ve passed. Don’t waste the opportunity. Please try to perform better in the future.”
“Understood, Assistant Professor.”
Silas stood up and dusted off his uniform Without another word, he turned and left the University Tower.