Reborn Financier-Chapter 59: Missing 2

The strategy room was cold.

Not because of the temperature, but because of the eyes—so many of them, watching, judging, calculating. Faint runes shimmered along the stone walls, humming with containment wards and surveillance enchantments. A floating crystal pulsed in the center, gently rotating as lines of blue mana flickered across its surface, displaying names and shifting team rosters.

Kaidën stood near the back, arms loosely crossed, posture casual. But his eyes—half-lidded and bored—missed nothing.

Student Council president, Leonhart stepped forward.

"Team placements will now be finalized. Any objections..." He paused, gaze sweeping the room. "...will be noted and ignored."

His tone left no room for argument.

The crystal brightened as names rearranged themselves with soft chimes. One group at a time. Most students waited in silence—some hopeful, others already frustrated.

Then—

"Group Four: Kaidën Everwood, Seren Aulden, Bran Thorne."

A short, sharp silence followed.

Then a voice sliced through it, crisp and venom-laced.

"You can’t be serious."

All heads turned.

Seren Aulden stood rigid, arms at her sides, her silver Class A mantle gleaming under the mana-light. Her long platinum braid hung behind her like a blade unsheathed, and her eyes—pale violet and disdainful—were fixed on the Council president.

"I won’t work with him," she said flatly, raising a hand. "You’ve read the reports. He’s unstable. Dangerous."

Murmurs broke out across the room.

Kaidën didn’t move. He leaned back against the stone wall, letting the noise wash over him.

He exhaled softly.

Here we go again.

He tilted his head toward her, lips curling into a lazy, mocking grin.

"I bite," he said, "but only if you ask nicely."

A few scattered laughs. Someone coughed. Bran, the big muscles male with messy brown hair and twitching canine ears, gave a lopsided grin.

"I dunno," he said. "Seems like a fun group to me. I’ve always wanted front-row seats to a meltdown."

Seren’s glare turned ice-cold. She looked ready to summon a fire spell and lob it straight at Kaidën’s face.

He didn’t care.

But his mind wasn’t idle.

She’s noble. Class A. High-born, high-magic, from the elegant Elf tribe, A pure blood. Probably trained in etiquette before she learned to talk. She’ll follow orders, but she’ll hate every second of it.

Perfect. I needed someone to blame when this goes sideways.

"I request reassignment," Seren snapped, stepping forward. "I won’t work with someone who nearly killed another student in public."

Leonhart raised a brow.

"And yet," he said calmly, "the council allowed him to remain. Which suggests there’s more to that event than gossip would tell."

Seren’s jaw clenched.

Kaidën rolled his eyes. "Can we get this over with? I didn’t come here to babysit noble children afraid of their own shadows."

Bran snorted.

Leonhart stepped forward, his presence filling the room like a spell without words.

"Enough," he said. The single word silenced even the murmurs in the corners. "This mission isn’t a playground. You’ve been assigned based on complementary strengths. Class, heritage, and personal opinions are irrelevant."

His eyes swept over Seren, Bran, and finally—longest—over Kaidën.

"You will patrol the Eastern Courtyard ruins. Focus on the old alchemy garden. It was the last location Meng Ji was seen before she vanished. We’ve searched it twice already. This time, you’re going deeper."

He let that hang in the air.

"If you find anything, report it. If you encounter resistance, you do not engage alone. Understood?"

Seren’s nostrils flared. "Understood."

Bran saluted with a grin. "Loud and clear."

Kaidën shrugged. "Sure."

Leonhart turned to leave, but paused.

His voice dropped a note lower, addressing no one in particular—yet everyone knew who he meant.

"There are eyes in places you won’t expect. Don’t lose yourself in the dark."

He exited the chamber. The heavy stone door sealed with a dull thunk, leaving the trio alone with thick silence and flickering torchlight.

Seren didn’t move for a long time.

Then she turned to Kaidën.

"If you screw this up, I’ll fry your spine."

Kaidën stared at her for a beat.

Then he smiled—cold and humorless.

"Only if you catch me first."

Bran clapped his hands. "Ooooh, I feel so safe right now. Yep. Nothing could possibly go wrong."

Kaidën walked past them both, already moving toward the outer hall that led to the ruins.

Let them talk.

I’m not here to make friends.

I’m here to find out what the hell is twisting this academy from the inside out.

And if I have to walk through the garden of corpses to do it... so be it.

Behind him, Seren followed reluctantly. Bran trailed after, humming a cheerful tune.

As the trio left the strategy room, a faint crack echoed in the crystal near the roster board. No one saw it.

Not yet.

***********************************************

The afternoon sun draped the Eastern Courtyard in amber light, but the warmth in the air couldn’t thaw the tension between the trio assigned to investigate it. Kaidën stood silently, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the flower beds, the fountains, the cobbled pathways. His presence wasn’t welcomed — not by everyone.

"Why him?" Seren muttered under her breath, arms crossed. The prideful elven girl, with her cascading silver-blonde hair and emerald eyes sharp enough to slice stone, didn’t even bother to hide her displeasure. "This was supposed to be a serious investigation. Not a babysitting chore."

"I’m standing right here," Kaidën said flatly.

She rolled her eyes. "Then disappear."

A soft chuckle came from Elric, the other elf in their group. He had long, dark hair that veiled his eyes, and a voice so quiet it seemed to drift rather than speak. "He does have that talent, actually."

Kaidën’s lips quirked slightly. Elric had remained neutral — observant, withdrawn, and oddly inclined toward Kaidën rather than against him. It wasn’t friendship, not yet. But it wasn’t hostility either.

The courtyard stretched wide, lined with statues and trees whose shadows felt a touch too long for the time of day. Despite the visible calm, something about the place itched at Kaidën’s senses.

They began their search.

To be continued...