Magicapita

Headmistress Lenolia heaved a sigh. "Well, you won't have to suffer it for too long, not for the entire criminal case. Not unless your testimony allows them for many vectors of attacks."

Cæ understood what she meant with a knowing expression. "The reason they want me killed is to stop me from giving the testimony that the force that Miranda used was lethal, right? Once I give that testimony, there is nothing to be gained by killing me, and it will only work against them from that point on."

She nodded with a serious expression. "Thankfully, we can get that over with within a month. With the power and influence of the Vritra Family, they will likely be able to push for an expedited trial so that they can resolve this issue as soon as possible. They will likely put you on the stand as their very first witness, ask you to describe exactly what happened with scrupulous detail, and testify that Miranda used lethal force and make it absolutely clear to the judge that Miranda was trying to kill Serulia."

Cæ nodded. "Once that's done, I will finally be free from any threat to my life. Since killing me from that point will yield no gains since the judge will make use of that testimony whether I'm alive or dead thereafter."

"Of course, Miranda's lawyers will interrogate you aggressively and visciously once the Vritra lawyers are done," she informed him with a calm expression. "If you consume alcohol or drugs, or if it can be asserted that you do, then it can be used to make your testimony mean less. If you have a history of lying, then that can be used against you as well."

"I do not have a history of either," Cæ snorted. "There is absolutely nothing they can say that can be used to discredit my testimony that Miranda was trying to kill Serulia."

"That is why they are likely to try and kill you personally," Headmistress Lenolia explained. "Or, they might try to engage in witness intimidation through blackmail. Unfortunately, you are not without weaknesses."

Cæ's expression darkened as he thought about his companies, his business partners, and the Selvigs.

He made his visits to the Selvigs extremely discreet, trying to avoid making it too obvious that he cared a lot about these people. But anybody digging hard enough would find the Selvigs nonetheless.

What would Cæ do if people threatened to kill the Selvigs to lie about Miranda trying to kill Serulia?

His expression darkened.

That was a no-brainer.

"We will ensure that nothing happens to your family," Headmistress Lenolia remarked with a knowing tone. "I can assure you that the Vritra Family will take the same measures. Your testimony is very valuable to them. They will not allow the Walyn Family to do anything to people important to you. They need your testimony to be as real as possible."

He heaved a sigh of relief. "That should be good enough since the risk of being caught rises drastically with such protection."

Headmistress Lenolia nodded with a serious expression. "Mr. Cæ, I would recommend that you heed my advice about remaining within the magicademy to at least some extent. Do not leave the magicademy unless necessary. And when doing so, travel with bodyguards. We can equip you with powerful security artifacts that will powerfully ensure your protection."

"…I will try to compromise to a little extent, but I cannot stop what is most important to me," Cæ remarked. "That is my final decision on the matter. We can discuss the details at a later time."

She heaved a sigh, shaking her head. "I hope you don't come to regret that decision, Cæ."

"I won't," he huffed. "If that's all. I'd like to go back to Serulia."

He still needed to speak with her and make sure that she hadn't remembered or identified that he was casting pure magic, not conventional magic. He also needed to inform Feidin and Seliphaz of this development and inform them that he might hear to change some of his stuff.

While he didn't intend to allow the threat to stop him from going outside if necessary, even he had to admit that there were things that he could do to minimize what counted as going outside if necessary. Perhaps he could reduce the amount of time he had spent outside in the headquarters of Trinity Housings by having video calls more frequently for discussions. But he still needed to show up often enough to ensure that people didn't stop disassociating him as the CEO of the company that he created and conceived of.

"Return to Serulia?" Headmistress Lenolia raised an eyebrow. "She just woke up from a traumatic injury and has gone back to sleep. Let her get some rest. I'm aware that the two of you seem to have a… special relationship, but she needs some rest at the moment."

Cæ didn't even bother trying to correct the Headmistress; anything that allowed him to speak to her sooner than later, even if it was a misunderstanding, was good as far as he was concerned.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

He had already gotten the chance to speak with her once, but hadn't been able to confirm the matter about whether she had learned of her pure magic or not. She said she remembered everything, but when Cæ asked her whether she noticed something unusual or significant, she didn't point out his pure magic.

That was, well, confusing.

He didn't know what to believe.

He suspected that the raw memory of him using pure magic was still buried in her mind, somewhere, perfectly intact. Most likely, because of the injury, it might have blurred her memory a little, making it difficult for her to recall that he had used pure magic.

However, it was highly unlikely that she had utterly forgotten it because it appeared to have become an emotionally charged memory, the kind that people didn't forget.

Somewhere within her mind, Cæ's secret remained hidden.

Dormant.

He didn't know what to do about it.

But he needed to keep an eye out for her, to see if she ever remembered the truth about what had happened in that moment. The miracle of magic that she had witnessed right before her very eyes.

"Huff…" Cæ heaved a deep breath, directing a nod towards the Headmistress. "I will be sure not to burden her with my presence and let her get the rest she needs."

"Her family is already on their way from the Durmen Principality," Headmistress Lenolia remarked, "they will want some private time with their daughter, and of course, you. Be sure to avail yourself for the day."

"Understood, Headmistress."

"Now, go quickly. I have an appointment with the Walyn Family in about an hour, and it would not do you any good to be there—"

KNOCK KNOCK

Her expression stiffened as knocks on the door interrupted her words. Her eyes sharpened with a hint of grim severity as her tone grew regretful. "They're here early... they must want to speak with me right away to ascertain which way I lean in this conflict."

The air darkened despite the bright light of the morning Sun beaming through the windows in her office, illuminating her study. Cæ shifted as he gazed at the door from the corner of his sharpened eyes.

"Cæ," the Headmistress began with a more urgent tone. "Quickly exit through the window—"

"It's fine," Cæ's steely tone cut her off. "I want to see them before I leave."

"…" she simply gazed at him with serious eyes, before heaving a resigned sigh. "Very well then."

KNOCK KNOCK

She waved her hand, causing the doors to unlock and swing open, revealing a single woman.

"Ah…" A chilling voice emerged from her, one as soft as that of a little bell and yet as sharp as a dagger, cutting against the ears of those it reached. "Lenolia, it has truly been a long time, has it not?"

An icy smile emerged on her pale face as if a corpse attempted to smile. It sent chills across Cæ's skin just gazing at her and her eerie mannerisms. Her violet eyes were devoid of mirth and warmth alike, while her expression was otherwise inscrutable.

She had donned a rather ostentatious black formal sleeveless gown, while black gloves crawled all the way up her arm to her elbows. The little hat atop her short, curly violet hair matched the black theme that the rest of her clothes were dyed in, with the feather of a crow plastered along its rim.

Her neck was adorned with a single pendant with the crest of the Walyn Family adorned atop it, the crest of a staff with two snakes curling around it. Her mature, middle-aged appearance contained the grace of acceptance in the cold beauty she had about her.

What stood out the most was how powerful her presence was. He could distinctly feel immense danger emerging from her, so much so that he didn't think he would be able to protect himself from the woman if she chose to attack him.

She was strong.

She gave him the safe vibe of power as Headmistress Lenolia did behind him.

His stormy, gray eyes widened with realization.

This woman was a master mage.

Just like the Headmistress.

This was the head of the Walyn Family.

This was who wanted him dead.

It inadvertently sent shivers down his spine.

"You've come an hour earlier, Leonora," Headmistress Lenolia replied to the woman with a composed tone. "It is rather inconvenient to me if you disrupt my schedule in this manner."

The woman simply gazed at Headmistress Lenolia with chilling violet eyes that bore deep into her elderly eyes for several moments before smiling even more deeply. "Come now, dear Lenolia. We have known each other for twenty years…"

She stepped forward, nonchalantly walking through her office, "…have we not? More importantly, who do we have here…?"

Her chilling gaze shifted away from the Headmistress to Cæ with a predatory glint that lingered deep within the depths of her eyes.

A momentary flicker of hostility.

Malice.

The kind that would leave any ordinary student of the magicademy in a mental breakdown from the horror of it all.

And yet, Cæ remained unperturbed.

His stormy, gray eyes met her venomous gaze with a calm intensity.

"Cæ." His tone was composed. "Just Cæ."

"Ah…" her voice was almost reduced to a whisper as her smile deepened, making his hair stand on edge. "You must be the one…"

Her hand reached out for his shoulder, patting him gently with a strange expression.

"You must be the one who took Miranda's prank a little too seriously."

Cæ's expression hardened as the scars running across his face and neck intensified in their contrast with the rest of his skin, giving his face a menacing visage while the light gray of the iris of his left eye seemed to melt into the white sclera, giving him an inhuman edge to his peril.

"What was that, Master Walyn?"

"You can just call me Leonora, dear young man," she smiled at him, speaking to him with a smooth tone. "And it is exactly what I said…"

Her eerie smile grew colder.

"A prank. A simple game between young adults in magicademy. No more. No less," the words smoothly emerged from her tongue in rapid succession. "No need to make a mountain out of a molehill, isn't that right?"

The smile glinted with peril.

"…Funny, my memory might be failing me, but I don't recall you being there when it happened, so how about you let me decide what is a mountain and what is a molehill, 'Leonora?'"

The air tingled with a chilling peril as Cæ's sharp eyes bore deep into hers, and the atmosphere darkened despite the bright light of the overhead Sun illuminating the entire room.

Master Leonora simply smiled at him. "Of course, you are indeed the one who must decide."

Her eyes sharpened a little.

"I hope you'll make the right decision."