“The puppeteer… Could they also be inside the academy?”
Euphyllia nodded. “Most likely. Since even my simple spatial confinement severed their connection to the puppeteer, the academy’s Grand Barrier should do the same. That means the puppeteer must be inside the barrier to manipulate them.”
Belene asked, “Should we take action, then?”
“I’ve ordered the guard teams to increase patrol frequency, but this will mostly just stop the other party. The chances of them actually finding someone is slim.”
Euphyllia glanced at the five captives. “In the end, we’ll have to handle this ourselves.”
After a while, the five gradually regained consciousness.
Interrogations revealed that the latter two remembered nothing, not even large portions of their original memories. The first three, however, recalled fragments of what had happened.
“When were you controlled? When did your memories start fading?”
The three struggled to recall.
Euphyllia pressed further. “Was it inside St. Ferris Academy?”
“Hiss… I think so.”
“Yes! It’s definitely inside the academy!”
Human memory was fickle. When details were hazy, asking precise questions with clear prompts made recollection easier.
It was like taking an exam. Facing a fill-in-the-blank question, one might draw a complete blank. But with multiple-choice questions, seeing the options often triggered the answer.
Guiding them carefully, Euphyllia eventually confirmed the location. It was on the outskirts of the student activity zone, near the border of the teaching zone.
Cross-referencing the map, she pondered.
First, she needed to gauge the enemy’s strength.
If they were Legendary Rank, it might be best to let them leave undisturbed.
Dealing with a hidden Legendary Rank was too risky. If cornered, the damage they could inflict would be immeasurable.
Moreover, St. Ferris Academy was currently hosting its anniversary celebration, drawing attention from all sides. If mishandled, it could severely damage the academy’s reputation.
But if they weren’t Legendary Rank, then letting them escape was out of the question.
A Jade Rank wouldn’t cause too much chaos. The moment they made a move, Euphyllia could arrive instantly upon the alarm’s signal and subdue them in seconds.
Capturing the culprit would also boost the academy’s reputation.
Sometimes, even Euphyllia had to consider politics, just like Mythina.
That said, if truly provoked, she wouldn’t hesitate to disregard the academy’s image and eliminate the threat outright.
After careful consideration, she concluded that the intruder was likely not a Legendary Rank.
First of all, the Ninth Saint himself was Legendary Rank, and it was impossible for him to come in person.
Creating a Legendary puppet or refining a Legendary individual into one would demand an exorbitant price.
If he possessed such a puppet, he’d guard it as fiercely as his life. Sending it on a high-risk mission to St. Ferris Academy was highly unlikely.
Back at the battlefield ruins, he hadn’t even risked leaving a Jade Rank puppet behind to observe Mythina.
Second, these five puppets were only Gold Rank. Moreover, Mythina had noted that while the control method was intricate, its execution was crude.
This suggested that the Ninth Saint was using his own puppets to conduct secondary control.
Choosing only Gold Rank targets likely meant that the puppeteer was Jade Rank.
If that were the case, things would be much simpler.
A faint smile curled on Euphyllia’s lips.
Seeing her expression, Mythina chuckled. “Looks like you have a plan?”
“Yes.”
“Where do you think the puppeteer is hiding?”
Euphyllia summoned the academy map.
“First, I believe that the enemy is Jade Rank. The chances of a Legendary coming in person are slim.”
Though Mythina still had doubts, she trusted Euphyllia’s judgment. “Mm. And then?”
“Next, we can rule out the student dormitories. It’s unlikely that they’d hide at the crime scene. I’ve also checked, and only these five were affected.”
“The administrative zone is also out. Because you’re there, Mythina.”
“The main gate reception area is excluded. Only distinguished guests stay there, and all are documented. Plus, many Legendary Rank figures are present. Hiding there would risk exposure.”
“The research zones of each department are also a no. There are too many powerful figures, and any suspicious activity would be noticed.”
“That leaves the teaching zone, student activity zone, general public area, and some smaller areas.”
Mythina nodded in agreement. “Right. What about the remaining locations?”
“We’ll search them one by one.”
“Oh, one by—Wait, what? That’s still a huge area!”
“Compared to the entire academy, it’s only a quarter of it. And the smaller zones are too empty to hide in. So, realistically, it’s only about one-fifth.”
Mythina: “…”
She fell silent.
“What? Isn’t that logical?”
“Uh…” Belene hesitated but spoke up. “I thought you’d do another round of analysis and deduce the puppeteer’s exact location like before…”
The others nodded vigorously.
“Yeah, yeah!”
“Why the sudden brute-force approach?”
Euphyllia rolled her eyes. “Brute force is often the most efficient method. Don’t overcomplicate things. Without clues, racking your brain won’t help.”
“Oh…”
“That does sound like Dean Euphyllia’s style.”
“True, how did we overlook the simplest solution…”
Euphyllia shook her head with a smile. “Besides, thinking is exhausting. Sometimes it’s good to take the easy way out and relax.”
“But isn’t searching even more tiring?” Mythina asked.
“That’s tiring for the searcher, not me.”
“Huh? What do you mean?” Mythina sensed something amiss.
Euphyllia smiled sweetly. “The search is your task, Mythina.”
“Why me?”
“The enemy is Jade Rank, so a Legendary should handle the search. If you find the target, you can suppress them instantly. Sending a Jade Rank will only cause trouble.”
Mythina glanced at the present professors. All were Jade Rank.
So she turned to Euphyllia. “Then you should go too.”
“Sorry, I can’t. I need to oversee the barrier’s command center and coordinate your movements.”
“They can coordinate too!”
“No, they can’t.” Euphyllia’s smile didn’t waver.
“They—”
“Can’t!”
Mythina covered her face with her palm. “Fine. You win.”
Taking the crystal Euphyllia handed to her, she strode out of the door.
The others collectively sucked in a breath.
Why did Dean Euphyllia feel much more domineering than Headmaster Mythina today?!
Had the tables turned?