As the group ventured deeper into the forest, Astrid slowed her pace and walked beside Charlotte, lowering her voice.
“Charlotte, does the professor dislike me?”
“Huh?” Charlotte blinked, caught off guard by the question. “Why would you think that?”
“I just get that feeling,” Astrid muttered. “It’s like he avoids me whenever he can.”
“But he came on this trip, didn’t he?”
“That’s because you’re here,” Astrid sighed. “I don’t think he would’ve come otherwise.”
Earlier, Astrid had tried several times to approach Vanitas—asking questions about his thesis or just trying to start small talk.
But each time, he responded briefly, and kept some sort of distance.
She understood why. It wasn’t surprising, given his personality.
However, what bothered her wasn’t his cold responses—it was the way he looked at her.
A look Astrid couldn’t quite put into words.
“….”
It truly puzzled her.
She was sure she hadn’t done anything wrong to him.
Sure, there were times when she had…. followed him using Becky. But that was only because he happened to be nearby while she was controlling the metal bird.
It wasn’t stalking. And it wasn’t as if she could hear anything through Becky.
No, could he have found out?
It should be impossible. Or maybe he was just keeping quiet about it?
‘I should stop….’
With that, Astrid dismantled Becky—who was on standby to watch the mansion, ready for Astrid to switch lenses with.
In any case, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that Professor Vanitas was deliberately avoiding her.
“Sigh.”
“If you’re troubled, why not go and ask him?” Charlotte suggested. “I know my brother isn’t the most approachable person, but he’s a good person once you get to know him.”
“I know that.”
Astrid was well aware.
Her curiosity about Professor Vanitas started when she met him up close at the auction. She had thought, ‘This guy seems really smart…. but the rumors say otherwise.’
The more Nicolas talked about him, the more Astrid became convinced that Vanitas might be a villain.
But as she observed him closely, all she saw was a misunderstood man—someone with a mind full of unconventional ideas, someone who could break down magic concepts in ways no other researcher, mage, scholar, or professor could.
In other words, he was exactly the kind of person Astrid was looking for.
A master.
If she could learn under him, perhaps she could even grasp the complexities of magic related to illnesses.
His habits, his way of thinking—they were traits she wanted to learn, even if his field wasn’t medicine.
Charlotte glanced at Astrid, noting the kind of expression on her face.
A thought crossed her mind.
“Wait, don’t tell me you—”
“We’re here, everyone!” Astrid interrupted before Charlotte could finish.
“Ah….”
Charlotte paused, eyeing her friend suspiciously.
“What’s wrong, Charlotte?” Astrid asked innocently, as if she hadn’t just cut her off.
“Nothing.”
It couldn’t be…. right?
* * *
Vanitas scanned the area. He had reached the restricted zone of the forest.
“….”
Looking around, several small daggers were embedded in the ground, each marking a spot where mana concentration was at its peak.
Snap—!
With a snap of his fingers, the connection was established.
This was an auxiliary-type magic, which utilized pure mana to link the threads of energy to himself. If any fluctuations occurred, like an alarm, he would be instantly alerted.
A spell he had created himself.
After a few hours, he had successfully covered a wide area, ensuring that even the slightest movement wouldn’t escape his perception.
“….!”
There.
A surge in mana.
Vanitas bolted toward the source, maneuvering through the dense foliage and navigating past the trees swiftly.
———!
And there it was.
“….”
A magic beast.
———!
Oddly, the beast didn’t seem to notice him, even though he stood directly in front of it. Instead, it rushed past him, completely ignoring his presence.
“….”
Vanitas turned, eyes narrowing.
Extending his hand forward, the gauntlet on his arm began to pulse with an amethyst glow, as it crackled with purple sparks.
Swoosh——!
The advanced spell—Wind Lock.
It took hold and froze the beast in place. It struggled, and its legs moved frantically—but it wasn’t trying to attack him.
It was trying to run.
Vanitas observed closely.
“Is it running away from me?’
Or was it…. running away from something else?
Without hesitation, he finished the beast off with a quick Earth Cannon, then turned his gaze toward the direction it had fled from.
Something was out there.
And it seemed to be enough to make the beast flee in terror.
Without wasting another second, Vanitas walked forward.
At regular intervals, he marked key locations with daggers.
Each his mana pulsed with an alarm, he sent a Windblade, charged with enough mana to match an advanced spell, toward the marked spots.
Using the daggers as extensions of his perception, he could sense whether the targets had been eliminated or not.
The deeper he ventured, the denser the mana became. It wasn’t the fluctuation the forest had been emitting until now.
It was suffocating.
“….”
Then, he saw it.
A lone figure, standing still, as if lost, searching for a way back.
Vanitas narrowed his eyes. Slowly, he opened his mouth, preparing to speak in a language he never thought he’d openly say in front of a third party.
“….”
Korean.
* * *
“So, we’re watching the comet from here?”
“Yes,” Astrid nodded. “This is the best spot in Mori Forest. The trees won’t block the sky, and the light pollution is at its lowest in this area. Plus, it’s safe.”
“Safe, huh?” Ezra muttered. “If there’s a safe area, that means there’s an unsafe one too?”
Astrid smirked. “Exactly.”
The two exchanged knowing looks.
Sophia pointed between them. “You two…. what are you planning?”
Ignoring her, Astrid turned to the group with a bright smile.
“Since we’re here, why not make the most of it? It’s not every day you get to visit Mori Forest.”
Charlotte hesitated. “Are we going to…?”
“Yes,” Astrid confirmed, her grin widening. “We’re going hunting.”
“Hunting?” Elysia blinked. “Like, actual hunting?”
“Of course,” Astrid said. “Mori Forest is home to a variety of magic beasts, and the Imperial Family uses this place for training. Don’t worry, we’ll stick to the safer areas.”
“Hmm. It should be fine as long as we stay within the designated areas,” Ethan chimed in.
“Exactly,” Astrid said, clapping her hands. “Besides, it’ll be fun! We’ll start with something easy, like catching a few wind rabbits.”
Arnold raised a hand. “Uh, aren’t wind rabbits fast?”
“Yup, but that’s the challenge,” Astrid grinned. “It’s a good test of agility and reflexes.”
Ezra stretched his arms. “Sounds good to me. It’s better than just sitting around waiting for the comet.”
The mana in the area was slowly fluctuating. Their muscles felt lighter, and there was an almost irresistible itch to let loose and just cast magic.
With that in mind, the group split into pairs. Astrid distributed small magic devices to each pair, ensuring no one would get lost.
By 3:00 P.M., everyone had returned to the camp.
“That was fun~” Sophia stretched, plopping onto a log. “I didn’t expect the forest to have such cute creatures.”
At first, she didn’t want to go hunting. But deep down, beneath her bratty noble-girl exterior, was someone who just wanted to watch the world burn.
“I had to clean up after you, bitch!” Arnold snapped, glaring at Sophia. “Do you have to burn everything you see?!”
Sophia pouted, twirling a lock of her hair. “Well, they were in the way, and fire is the most efficient solution.”
“Efficient?! You nearly set the whole forest on fire!” Arnold groaned, rubbing his temples. “I had to douse the flames every five minutes!”
“Relax. Didn’t Astrid mention it was impossible for the flames to spread too much in Mori Forest?”
“Even so! That doesn’t mean you should go around blasting everything in sight!”
Sophia waved him off with a smirk. “Details, details. The important thing is, we got results, didn’t we?”
Ezra chuckled, leaning back against a tree. “I have to admit, she did take down the most beasts….”
Elysia crossed her arms. “Yeah, but half of them were burnt to a crisp. We were supposed to bring some back intact, remember?”
Sophia shrugged. “You’re all focusing on the wrong details.”
Astrid, standing nearby, sighed. “Alright, enough. We’re here to have fun, not argue. Let’s just agree that Sophia’s…. methods were a bit much, and Arnold did a great job keeping things under control.”
By 5:00 P.M., they spent time playing various games—League of Spirits, Magic Chess, Go, so on and so forth.
“You’re really good at this, Charlotte,” Astrid said, drawing a card from the deck.
Charlotte placed down a unit. “My brother’s been teaching me.”
They played League of Spirits. Astrid wasn’t too bad at it, but compared to Charlotte, she felt a bit outmatched.
“That reminds me, why hasn’t the professor come out yet?” Astrid asked, placing a card on the table.
Charlotte eyed her for a moment before replying, “The servants said he’s resting.”
“Resting? I see.” Astrid nodded. “Makes sense. The professor’s had a lot on his plate these past few weeks.”
Charlotte observed her carefully. That thought from earlier still lingered in her mind. Now that everyone was focused on their own games, it seemed like the perfect time to ask.
“Astrid,” Charlotte began, lowering her voice. “This is just between us girls, but…. do you…. maybe…. like my brother?”
“Ah?!” Astrid jolted, her eyes widening as the cards slipped from her hands. She quickly scrambled to pick them up, her face turning red.
“That’s a pretty strong reaction.”
“N-No, it’s not like that!” Astrid stammered, her hands fumbling with the cards. “I just—Professor Vanitas is.… interesting, that’s all.”
“Interesting? Is that what we’re calling it these days?”
Astrid sighed, trying to collect herself. “I mean it! He’s different from other professors. He’s brilliant, and—”
“And mysterious?”
“Ugh.” Astrid groaned, covering her face with her hands. “Look, I admire him as a mentor, alright? There’s nothing more to it.”
“If you say so.”
Astrid peeked through her fingers. “Can we please change the topic? This is so embarrassing.”
* * *
Seated in the living room, with his body covered in wounds, Vanitas let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the chair.
“These are my findings,” he said steadily despite his condition. “That disturbance you were talking about in the forest….”
The room grew tense. The servants, who had hurried to treat his injuries the moment he returned, now waited for his next words.
“There’s an Archdemon lurking in Mori Forest.”
Silence.
“….An Archdemon?” one of the servants whispered in disbelief.
“That… that can’t be possible,”
Archdemons.
They were entities far beyond high-grade demons.
By rough estimation, it would take at least thirty well-trained knights to bring one down.
Even though mages were considered natural counters to demons, it would still require at least five skilled mages working in perfect coordination to defeat an Archdemon.
“Did you.… face off against this Archdemon, Sir Vanitas?”
Vanitas nodded. “Yes, and this,” he gestured to his wounds, “is the result.”
In truth, he knew he was lucky to have made it out alive.
The natural fluctuations in mana throughout the forest had provided him with a much-needed boost.
Without them, he might not have escaped. His casting speed had saved him, but he was well aware of how close he had been to death.
To the servants, the fact that he had survived an encounter with such a being only proved how skilled he truly was.
“How…. are we supposed to deal with something like that?” another servant asked nervously.
“Shouldn’t we request aid?” someone else suggested. “If it’s an Archdemon, the Imperial Family would surely dispatch a unit to handle it.”
Vanitas glanced at the floating interface in front of him, scanning the rewards it displayed.
——「Rewards:」
◆ Understanding: +25%
◆ Purification: +10%
◆ Mental Fortitude: +20
「Bonus Rewards for Maximum Difficulty:」
◆ Understanding: +25%
◆ Purification: +10%
◆ Mental Fortitude: +20
————————————
He studied the details for a moment, then shook his head.
“No,” he said. “I’ll deal with it.”
The room fell silent for a moment before one of the servants hesitantly spoke up.
“But.… Sir Vanitas, with all due respect, this isn’t something you should handle alone.”
“I have my methods,” he said calmly. “Tonight, when the comet passes and the mana fluctuations are at their peak, I’ll take care of it.”
“But, sir… you might—”
“Humans are naturally greedy,” Vanitas said, cutting him off. “I plan to make sure this event doesn’t go unnoticed. The world will see that I, Vanitas Astrea, took down an Archdemon alone.”
His amethyst eyes gleamed.
“And I’ll use that recognition to my advantage.”
To elevate his name, his status—everything—to a point where it would completely erase the reputation left by the original Vanitas.
With the system’s rewards on the line, this was an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
* * *
When night fell and the mana fluctuations grew even stronger, the group gathered to decide on their meal.
Sophia suggested they ask the servants to prepare something, but Astrid immediately rejected the idea under the pretense of, “To make the camping experience more authentic.”
“Authentic, my ass,” Sophia muttered under her breath. “We’re not even in the actual forest.”
They were within the mansion grounds.
The space was cleared of dense trees, replaced with well-maintained gardens, wooden gazebos, stone fire pits, and a small artificial pond where koi fishes thrived.
There were even carved wooden swings and a bonfire area surrounded by luxurious seating.
It was hardly the rough camping experience Sophia had in mind.
“Besides,” Astrid said, hands on her hips. “We have enough meat and ingredients to cook over the fire and enjoy it the way it’s meant to be.”
Despite Sophia burning a fair amount of their catch to a crisp, they had still managed to gather plenty during the hunt.
Magic beasts, as the name suggested, contained mana within their bodies. Their meat was highly nutritious, and promoted better circulation.
——I have a better suggestion.
A familiar voice cut through the conversation. Everyone turned to see Professor Vanitas approaching, carrying a metal barbecue grill.
“Let’s have a barbecue,” he said
…..
“Oh? So you wish to join the parliament?” Vanitas asked, flipping a piece of meat on the grill.
“Yes,” Ezra replied, watching as the meat sizzled.
As the others chatted nearby, Vanitas, who had taken it upon himself to cook, was assisted by Ezra.
The two had started a casual conversation that turned into some sort of counseling.
“Quite the aspiration,” Vanitas said, adjusting the flame. “Are you part of any student body government?”
“Not yet. There were some offers, but not from the organizations I wanted to join. It feels like a hassle and wouldn’t add much to my resume.”
Vanitas paused for a moment, glancing at Ezra before speaking. “That’s where you should start.”
“Huh?”
“Organizations, clubs, even the groups that don’t seem like they matter now. They’re your foundation. You think every great leader started at the top? No. They learned from the bottom, dealt with the small-scale decisions, and made their mistakes there.”
Ezra frowned, clearly mulling over Vanitas’s words. “I’ve had my fair share of experiences during highschool, professor.”
Vanitas nodded, flipping another piece of meat.
“And that’s good. But university is a different playing field. The stakes are higher, and the people around you are aiming for the same goals. If you stay idle, you’ll fall behind.”
“I get what you’re saying, but honestly, it feels like I’d just be repeating the same things I did in high school.”
“Then don’t repeat them. Take what you learned and refine it. Challenge yourself with bigger responsibilities and test your limits.”
Ezra looked down at the sizzling meat as he reflected. “So, you’re saying I should use university as my training ground?”
Vanitas flipped another piece of meat and nodded. “Treat it like a stepping stone. Use every opportunity to build your skills, especially your interpersonal ones.”
He glanced at Ezra with a knowing look.
“From what I can tell, you barely have any friends since starting university.”
Ezra frowned, slightly taken aback. “That’s…. not true.”
“Really?” Vanitas raised an eyebrow. “Aside from this group, who else do you regularly talk to?”
“….I just haven’t had the time.”
“That sleeping problem of yours?”
“That too,” Ezra admitted. “And it’s hard waking up with jumbled memories every day.”
“You’re taking a stigmata lecture, right?”
“Yeah,” Ezra said. “I’m trying to learn how to manage the backlash properly. I can remember more names now.”
Despite the constant confusion his condition brought—where even remembering someone’s name was challenging—Ezra had a surprising knack for academics.
“There’s Charlotte, Princess, Cassandra, Samantha—”
“Sophia,” Vanitas corrected.
“Right, Sophia, Elysia….” Ezra trailed off, nodding.
Vanitas glanced at him. “I can’t do much about your condition, but I can see you’re working hard.”
“Yeah. I have to.”
Vanitas tossed another piece of meat on the grill “Still, you should try engaging more. A politician who can’t remember names won’t get very far.”
“Noted, professor.”
As Vanitas and Ezra finished grilling, Sophia, with her mouth full of meat, looked toward him.
“Not eating, Professor?”
“Later. You guys go ahead,” he said, taking a seat next to Astrid.
Normally, she would have bombarded him with questions by now, but tonight, she was unusually quiet.
Vanitas didn’t mind the silence. It was better that way. However, there was something he needed to tell her.
“Astrid.”
She glanced away briefly—toward Charlotte—before turning back to him. Vanitas noticed the subtle exchange of looks between the two.
“….What is it, Professor?” she asked.
“Tonight, after the comet passes, head back to the mansion as soon as you’re done.”
“You’re not watching with us?”
“No,” Vanitas said. “I have some work to do.”
“Work? Professor, you should take a break for once.”
“I will. After it’s done. Promise me you’ll all head back after watching the comet.”
Astrid sighed. “I don’t see the big deal, but we’d probably go back anyway.”
“Good.”