Magister Insanity

Shocked beyond measure, Lancer abruptly rose, inadvertently knocking his chair back with a loud scrape.

"Missing?! Kael has gone missing too?! How could this happen?! Explain yourself!"

The boy recoiled under the intensity of Lancer's gaze.

"I… I… I don't know," he stammered. "I-I don't have all the details. Kael… he suddenly disappeared from his room. No one saw him leave the dormitory, and only his communicator was left behind. Calling him… was useless. It was unusual, so someone reported it, and the instructors took over the investigation. The only person who saw him last was Xyler."

Lancer's eyes narrowed, a deadly glint flashing within them.

"What do you mean by that?"

Clearly stressed, the boy raised both hands in surrender.

"I really don't know! It's just that… for some reason, the instructors detained Xyler for questioning and then placed him under house arrest in his dorm room until further notice."

His fear was palpable — every word betrayed his unease — so there was little doubt he wasn't telling the full story. Still, Lancer's gaze remained skeptical.

"Something doesn't add up. If he was the last person to see Kael, I could understand questioning him. But house arrest? That's far too extreme."

I was wondering that as well. Sonny thought with a frown.

According to Earth civil laws, placing someone under house arrest without sufficient evidence or due process would be considered an overreach, even a violation of basic rights. It would raise questions about who had the authority to impose such a measure and why they deemed it necessary so quickly.

Unless...

I see how it is. They must have detained him because they had found substantial evidence connecting him to the crime scene. But how could that be? I'm sure I left no traces behind.

On perfect timing, Gundric glanced at the boy and asked,

"Is it possible that they found any incriminating evidence against him?"

The boy hesitated, clenching his fists beside him. Lowering his head slightly, he gritted his teeth.

"During the investigation, a scent of poison was discovered. The instructors suspect that Xyler poisoned Kael and, after killing him, disposed of the body elsewhere."

Sonny's brow furrowed in confusion.

"How could they determine poison was involved if there's no body?"

Gundric folded his arms, his expression thoughtful.

"Well, there is a simple answer to it. Even without a body, traces of toxins can linger in the surroundings such as on objects, in residue, or even absorbed into the floor and air. Skilled investigators can detect the presence of certain poisons through these traces alone."

With a thoughtful expression, Sonny posed a question.

"What if there are no traces?"

Gundric frowned, puzzled.

"Huh? What do you mean by no traces?"

Sonny elaborated.

"Think about it logically. If Xyler had actually killed Kael, why would he leave any evidence? He could have cleared the room of anything that might link him to the crime, even masked his presence with perfume. And even then, it wouldn't conclusively prove he was the culprit. It doesn't make sense why the instructors would detain him under those circumstances."

Gundric's expression darkened as he spoke, his voice low and somber.

"…Actually, there is a good reason to detain him."

"Eh? What do you mean?" Sonny asked, furrowing his brows.

Noticing Sonny's confusion, Gundric continued.

"Like you said, if Xyler truly committed the act, leaving no trace would be easy. But there are ways to discern the truth even without a body or evidence. One method is Sequence Ability, the other is Sorcery; more specifically, the Divination branch. While it's not my area of expertise, by making use of certain runes, information could be extracted from the surrounding or environment."

"How does that work? Does it make use of Idol Theory?"

He sighed.

"As previously stated, this isn't my area of expertise, so I can't say for certain. From what I know, Instructor Irene is an exceptional sorcerer, highly skilled in both the Path of Runes and the Path of Spells, even for someone classified merely as a Sleepless Blasphemer. Using the room as a sort of temple to commune with the environment and extract information would certainly fall within her capabilities."

Something like that was possible? Sonny's face did not betray his surprise but his heart was, nevertheless, troubled.

It was genuinely terrifying.

Just imagine the chaos that would grip the entire police department. All of this, without the need for any physical evidence, the culprit would be easily apprehended. Normal tracking methods and devices would be put to shame.

However,

Wait a minute... If that was the case, why had they detained him instead of me?

The moment that thought surfaced, suspicion began to take root.

Certainly, there was no such thing as an omnipotent power. Just because information could be drawn from the environment didn't mean it was infallible. For example, the extracted data might reveal that someone had been poisoned, yet offer no indication of "who" had done the poisoning.

The very fact that the instructors targeted Xyler — the last known person to enter Kael's room — rather than Sonny, the real perpetrator, only confirmed this line of reasoning.

I see. Does this mean it's possible to manipulate the amount of information that can be extracted from the environment? Speaking of which, how had I been protected from the effects of Divination? Was it because of that?

Sonny's eyes lit up with realization and in the next instant, he mentally recalled the runes of the Philosopher's Mask.

Echo: [Philosopher's Mask]

Echo Tier: ???

Echo Type: Armor

Echo Description: [An ancient philosopher forged this helm in pursuit of the "truth" of the gods. His endeavor ended in failure, driving him into despair and insanity. Yet from that failure, something strange and powerful was born in its place.]

Enchantments: [Veil of Masquerade], [Voiceless], [Trickster]

†

Rune: [Veil of Masquerade]

Hides the wearer's true identity.

Rune: [Voiceless]

Prevents speech. Any attempt emerges only as static.

Rune: [Trickster]

Distorts appearance, allowing the wearer to appear as another person.

Veil of Masquerade, was it? So that's what it meant by protecting the wearer's identity. How quaint indeed! And there's also Trickster too. Could it be the combination of both enchantments?

What was the proper reaction to a revelation like this; excitement or seriousness? Without this strange Echo, his identity would have been exposed in an instant, and Sonny might never have realized just how close he had come to being caught.

He had been this close! This close!

On the bright side, though, Sonny had gained a valuable insight into the Philosopher's Mask. The Echo appeared to completely nullify any attempts at extracting information. Instructor Irene may not have been a visionary, but she was still a formidable sorcerer. Sonny doubted he could stand against her in a direct confrontation if she were fully prepared. Yet, despite her expertise, the Silver Helm had successfully blocked the Divination of a masterful Blasphemer.

Discovering this Echo turned out to be a boon in disguise!

Though Sonny couldn't help but wonder why it had no rank.

Was it… an incomplete Echo? This was the first time he was hearing about something like this.

In the end, it was yet another mystery he needed to solve! Whether or not he would be able to crack it depended on one single quality:

Time.