Solomon walked past the entryway and took in the living space. Much to his surprise, the dormitory proved highly decent and genuinely comfortable.

A glowing mana line divided the spacious room directly down the middle. This magical boundary allowed each student to entirely customize their personal half with different enchantments and furniture. And a polished oak door on the far wall led to a shared bathroom.

Solomon wandered around his designated side of the room to inspect the enchanted windowpanes.

A knock suddenly rattled the front door. He ignored the sound entirely as he could not be bothered to deal with any more visitors today. Arthur adjusted his glasses and walked over to answer the door.

A second later, Arthur turned away from the entrance. The boy looked visibly nervous compared to his previous cheerful demeanor.

"Someone is here for you," Arthur said.

’Who could that possibly be?’ Solomon wondered.

He walked over to the entrance and peered into the corridor. A tall, clean-shaven man dressed in a pristine white robe stood outside. A bright smile was plastered across the man’s face.

"Greetings. I am Priest Lonard," the man introduced himself. He bowed slightly and looked up. "Solomon."

Solomon stared at the priest. Balzac’s warning about the Church sending inquisitors immediately flashed in his mind.

"There is no Solomon here," Solomon replied.

He grabbed the metal handle and tried to push the door shut. Lonard wedged his leather boot directly into the doorframe. The priest smiled brighter and simply pointed a finger at the engraved plaque mounted on the stone wall.

"Is this a good time to talk?" Lonard asked.

"No," Solomon answered. "You should come back again." Solomon paused for a second and tilted his head. "Actually, make that never."

He shoved his weight against the wood to force the door closed. Lonard slipped his hand right into the gap. The priest gripped the edge of the door and effortlessly stopped Solomon from shutting it.

Lonard casually pushed the door open and invited himself into the room.

Solomon quickly pointed a finger directly at Arthur. "That is Solomon."

Arthur blinked behind his thick glasses and stared at Solomon in pure confusion.

Lonard chuckled and folded his hands in front of his white robes. "I have seen the viral clips of your broadcast, kid. I know exactly what you look like."

"Right." Solomon sighed and walked past the priest toward the shared bathroom. "You can just wait out here for me. I need to take a shit."

"Why are you so eager to avoid me?" Lonard asked, his bright smile finally fading. "Are you scared of me?"

Solomon stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned around, pure anger visibly rolling off his expression. He absolutely despised being taunted in his own living space.

Before Solomon could snap back, he noticed Lonard’s gaze drift away from him. The priest was staring intently at Eden’s Penance. The massive, dark executioner sword rested innocently against the wall right beside Solomon’s bed.

"So," Lonard murmured, taking a slow step toward the weapon. "This is the legendary artifact used by the ancient Paladin of the Eden Kingdom."

Lonard reached his hand out to grab the hilt. Solomon instantly shifted his stance. He gathered the explosive strength in his legs, fully prepared to lunge forward and strike the priest before those fingers could even touch his property.

"A priest of the Church has absolutely no business inside a student dormitory," a lazy voice suddenly called out.

Someone knocked loudly on the open doorframe. "Wandering around unchaperoned might cause some serious misunderstandings with the administration."

Lonard stopped reaching for the greatsword. Solomon immediately halted his attack. Both men turned toward the doorway.

Professor Balzac leaned casually against the wooden frame. Unlike his usual demeanor, Balzac’s eyes were completely wide open and sharp. The chronic exhaustion that normally made him look ready to doze off during class was entirely gone.

"I am simply here to check up on the boy," Lonard said while keeping his hand firmly wrapped around his back.

Balzac stepped directly into the entryway to block the path. "The Grandmaster explicitly told you that Solomon needs rest. He informed you that he would send for you when Solomon was completely ready. You ignored those instructions and came here anyway."

Lonard stared at Balzac for a few seconds. A bright smile returned to his face as he stepped back into the corridor and offered a polite nod.

"I apologize for the intrusion," Lonard said. He shifted his gaze back to Solomon. "We will definitely meet again very soon."

Balzac and Lonard turned away from the dormitory room and walked side-by-side through the sprawling facility. They navigated the gothic corridors with entirely blank expressions as they smoothly bypassed the loud crowds of students.

Neither of them spoke a single word during the initial trek.

"Are you trying to save Solomon from something he did?" Lonard asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I am just looking out for my student," Balzac responded, keeping his eyes fixed on the stone path ahead. He adjusted his posture to deliver a direct warning. "Do not overthink this situation. Drop this case right now."

Lonard smoothed the white fabric of his sleeves. "Why should I stop? I am on official duty for this investigation and possess full authority to question him. If anyone interferes with my work, the Church will get fully involved."

Balzac let out a laugh. "The Church sends Inquisitors to investigate any matters involving angels, gods, and holy empires. Lonard, you coming here for an anomaly of this magnitude means you bypassed the official chain of command. You came here on your own request."

Balzac glanced sideways as they continued down the hall. "Why did you come instead of letting the Church send an actual Inquisitor?" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Lonard kept his smile perfectly intact. "I simply came to meet a friend."

They exited the main corridor and stepped onto an open architectural bridge connecting two separate dormitory wings. A rushing river flowed violently through the deep mountain ravine far below the stone structure.

Balzac turned to face Lonard. "I am asking you one more time to drop the case. Do not get involved with Solomon. This is absolutely nothing the Church should care about."

Lonard slowed his walking pace and drifted toward the carved stone railing. He looked over the edge to watch the roaring water crash against the rocks below.

"What kind of man would I be if I refused to listen to a friend’s request?" Lonard mused. He turned his head and looked directly into Balzac’s eyes. "Especially a priest turned Inquisitor, who is currently serving a punishment as an academy professor."