"There's more of the elixir?"
"Yes."
"What kind, and where?"
"The elixir itself wasn't anything remarkable. It was made from the fruit of the Berilin tree."
The Berilin fruit indeed contained mana, but only in minute quantities.
By grade, it was considered the lowest tier.
Still, since it was technically an elixir, it held some value—and it wasn't something easily obtained.
But that wasn't the important part.
The key issue was that someone kept obtaining elixirs from somewhere. Even Fernand, who had his own private intelligence network known as the Golden Pillar, couldn't manage that.
"How did he get it?"
"It's presumed he acquired it during the Field Survival Training three days ago."
"Presumed?"
"No matter how skilled I am, it's impossible to stay completely hidden in a place swarming with professors and assistants."
Hyde shook his head.
This was the Academy—a place filled with powerful individuals and protective magic circles designed to maintain tight security.
Devices could be bypassed somewhat with the master key Fernand had given him, but avoiding professors was another matter entirely.
"What else?"
"Nothing at all."
"Not even a speck of dust?"
"No, sir. Completely ordinary. I brought the report with me as well."
At last, the thing he had been waiting for appeared.
Fernand opened the first page of the report. There wasn't anything particularly special in it.
Gismond Elt.
Born into House Elt, he was called a prodigy growing up—but upon entering the Academy, he hit the wall of what true geniuses looked like.
During his first semester as a freshman, he was just one among a hundred average students…
"But he started standing out in the second semester."
Fernand already knew that. What he wanted to know was where Gismond had gone during the vacation in between.
"As you can see in the report, Gismond traveled to several places. One of them is the southern region of Frajia, as I've mentioned before. Specifically…"
"…Faius?"
Fernand's eyes widened.
"A fortress with walls over 20 meters high and a vast plain before it. What did you call it again?"
"Fort Faius."
"..."
Could that really be a coincidence?
And that wasn't all.
"This vacation, he's been to Altriarch?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Immediately, Itarium came to mind—the Itarium Gismond had consumed, and the Itarium that had gone missing from where it was supposed to be.
Could those two possibly be unrelated?
No way…
A chilling thought crossed Fernand's mind, and a sticky cold sweat trickled down his back.
"Sir?"
"There's one more thing. One last thing I need you to find out."
"What is it?"
"Has Gismond Elt ever been… struck by lightning?"
He didn't want to believe it.
He hoped it wasn't true.
"Struck by lightning…"
Even after Hyde left, Fernand's heart wouldn't calm down.
The emotional shock was as great as—no, greater than—when he himself had been struck by lightning and learned of the future.
It must not be true.
It couldn't be true.
Knowing the future alone was one thing—but someone else knowing it too was something entirely different.
Limited resources.
More people who wanted them—meaning more competitors.
And if that person's actions began to change the future in major ways?
Then all of Fernand's cautious efforts would be rendered meaningless.
The prophecy book's value would collapse into nothing but trash.
That outcome could never be allowed.
"I suppose I've missed today's lectures."
Fernand decided to cancel his classes for the day and opened the morning newspaper.
[House of Count Altriarch delivers all shards of the Broken Bell of Pasa to the Dragon Cult.]
[Dragon Cult declares full-scale restoration of the Bell of Pasa…!]
[Monsters stir in the Taklakan Desert, and the evil breed that shattered the Bell awakens. After a thousand years of silence, they bare their fangs once more.]
[Are the movements of the evil breed truly over?]
[A continent in turmoil—now more than ever, we must cling to our daily lives…]
[The 198th Continental Academic Conference to be held on the 10th…!]
Even though it was an Academy paper, most of the content was related to Taklakan and Altriarch.
It made sense—the movements of the evil breed were not just Altriarch's problem, but the entire continent's.
Aside from that, the only other notable article was about the upcoming academic conference, to be held in two weeks.
An academic conference, huh…
Held every five years, the conference was an important event for the Pellenberg family.
It was where countless inventions were unveiled—and there was always at least one worth investing in.
Where there was profit, there was always Pellenberg. Many of the mages attending the conference were sponsored by them.
I should attend.
It was a high-level gathering and an excellent place to learn new things.
For mages especially, its value was exceptional—so much so that the Academy itself encouraged participation.
To that end, the Academy even declared a three-week "autumn break" for students to attend.
This year's conference is in Vienderk, huh.
The academic conference traditionally rotated among the seven Elector territories—a means to reinforce their authority.
After Armian lost his throne and refused to host, seven became six, but the tradition continued.
…Maybe I should visit the professor.
Among the professors sponsored by House Pellenberg was one who was preparing a presentation for the conference.
With time to spare, Fernand got ready and headed to the faculty building.
"I'd like to see Professor Rosalia."
"The professor is currently busy and isn't accepting students."
"I'm not here as a student."
Fernand subtly presented a small plaque—the sponsorship token given by the Academy to those who funded its professors.
"Ah. Please wait a moment."
The assistant returned five minutes later.
"The professor asks that you wait thirty minutes."
"I'll wait inside."
Without waiting for permission, Fernand entered Professor Rosalia's office.
She was buried in a mountain of paperwork, diligently processing it.
In the quiet office, only the soft rustling of papers and the scratch of a fountain pen echoed faintly.
Lost deeply in concentration, Professor Rosalia didn't even notice Fernand's arrival.
Rather than interrupting her, Fernand decided to wait patiently. He sat on the guest sofa and poured himself a cup of coffee.
Time passed quickly.
A gentle breeze drifted in through the half-open window. A few sheets of paper fluttered to the floor, and Rosalia frowned as she bent down to pick them up.
She placed a black cigarette between her lips but couldn't find a light.
"Here," Fernand said.
A small flame danced at the tip of his finger. Rosalia accepted it naturally and exhaled a stream of smoke.
Her unfocused eyes sharpened once more. After stretching lightly, she finally noticed Fernand's presence.
"Fernand? When did you get here?"
"It's been a while."
"I thought I said I wasn't receiving students today."
"I'm not here as a student," he replied. "I'm here as a sponsor."
At that word, she took another drag of her cigarette.
"Don't you have a lecture today? I was under the impression you did."
"I canceled it myself."
"You have the nerve to say that in front of a professor?"
Rosalia gave a short laugh but didn't pursue the matter further.
"Did you come to scold me? To ask about my research progress?"
"Just checking in," Fernand said lightly. "The Continental Academic Conference is in two weeks, after all."
"Of course I haven't forgotten," she replied. "It's the moment I've been waiting for every day."
"I hope the results live up to your anticipation."
Fernand smiled faintly and changed the subject.
"I see you've taken quite a liking to the cigarettes."
"They're not bad. Just one puff clears my mind. Then again, they are from Pellenberg—it figures. Either way, I need more."
"As long as you request them, it's my job to make sure they're delivered," Fernand said. "But try not to overuse them. They aren't particularly dangerous, but they're still stimulants. Overindulgence isn't healthy."
"Drop the act. You don't need to pretend you care."
"It's not an act—but noted."
"Come with me."
Rosalia stood up.
"Where to, Professor?"
"Isn't it obvious? My sponsor wants to see the results."
"It's finished?"
"Almost. I'll have the final review completed perfectly before the conference."
"Impressive."
Fernand's admiration was genuine.
He knew how difficult her research was. Even as her sponsor, he hadn't expected her to achieve results in just five years.
He had anticipated ten at least. Even for a genius, she must have pushed herself to the limit to get this far.
Those specially crafted mana cigarettes she'd requested from him must have done their job well.
Following her, Fernand arrived at her laboratory.
It was large and spacious—one of the biggest in the entire Academy. That size reflected not only her ability and reputation but also the support of the Pellenberg family.
As soon as they stepped inside, a chill filled the air.
"The ice crystal has grown larger," Fernand observed.
"Yes, it has," she said.
At the center of the room stood a massive sphere of ice, nearly five meters in diameter. Every inch of its surface was covered in intricate magic runes and sigils.
Around it, assistants were busily working.
"Professor!"
The assistants noticed Rosalia and Fernand. Most of them simply greeted them and returned to work, but one hurried over.
"You're here! And Fernand too."
"He's not here as a student," Rosalia said. "He's the sponsor."
"Oh, I see—you're here as the sponsor today."
The assistant nodded respectfully.
"I'm Aron Frein, Professor Rosalia's assistant. It's an honor to meet you, sir."
"I'm Fernand," he replied. "You're always so formal."
"You're the sponsor. Formality is a must."
"The sponsor wants to see results," Rosalia said. "Explain everything properly."
"You won't do it yourself?"
"I'm behind on paperwork," she said curtly, walking off without looking back.
"Right this way, please," Aron said.
"Lead the way."
Fernand listened to Aron's detailed explanations for about an hour before leaving.
"Take care, sir," Aron said, bowing deeply.
Once Fernand disappeared from sight, Aron's polite expression shifted.
"So it's true… it really was Pellenberg, not the Vienderk family, sponsoring her?"
He had heard rumors, but it hadn't made sense. Why would a direct heir of Vienderk need Pellenberg's sponsorship? He'd assumed it was nonsense.
"But that pairing's… interesting."
Rosalia Vienderk and Fernand Pellenberg.
Vienderk and Pellenberg.
A professor sponsored by a student.
"Two of them together… This is going to be fun. The Academic Conference is going to be very interesting."
It would likely be the most talked-about conference in recent history.
Aron smiled brightly and returned to the lab—
completely unaware…
"…Kh—"
That the esteemed sponsor, Fernand Pellenberg, had just collapsed onto a bench outside, clutching his head as a sudden, piercing headache struck him.
READ MORE CHAPTERS HERE-https://payhip.com/Beastnovels