"Where would we even find something like that?"

Joanne pointed the pen at the floor.

"Here. The academy vault. It was mass-produced by Tower Mages during the Purification War to inflate our numbers — a squad of Three-Songs can feel like a battalion of Fives. Most of them were destroyed or lost after the war, but Navia kept one for the academy’s collection."

’Lady Navia! Oh you beautiful, beautiful woman!’

"It has limits, however. Its effectiveness depends on the distance between the wearer and observer. The soldiers and knights following close behind Linasia, for example, wouldn’t feel a difference."

Eli gave a wry smile.

"And that depends on whether the watchers get close or not."

Joanne nodded.

"One more thing. Julius will have to suppress his aura to match the ambient field. Well, that’s the easiest part."

"Aura suppression, isn’t it."

"Yes. At his level, he could fold his presence down to nothing for days if he had to."

Eli nodded lightly as he sighed.

"How long does the artifact last?"

Joanne picked up her cup of coffee that had become lukewarm and took a disappointing sip.

She set the cup down and said:

"As long as it’s worn. It draws from the user’s own aura to sustain the illusion, so Linasia will feel fatigued after prolonged use. A day’s ride, huh."

"They just need to pass through the critical point. We’ll have scouts communicate with our knights at all times."

Joanne set the pen down flat on the desk.

"Sounds good. I’ll have the artifact retrieved and delivered to the estate tonight."

She suddenly stood and moved toward the back wall of the office, where a narrow door sat hidden behind a bookshelf. Eli hadn’t even notice it.

’Woah, a secret room!? So freaking cool!’

Eli absolutely loved secret rooms. He used to watch a bunch of videos showcasing secret rooms like mancaves or arcades. It was just a childish quirk of his.

Joanne pulled the door open, and beyond it, a smaller room revealed itself. It was windowless, circular, and... surprisingly tidy — certainly much tidier than the office.

A round table occupied the center, surrounded by six chairs. The walls were lined with old maps and a single banner bearing the academy crest.

’Simple but awesome...’

But what caught Eli’s eye was the object sitting right in the middle of the table: a pale crystal orb, about the size of a small coconut.

’Wait a minute! Is that a communication orb!?’

A communication orb, a staple of fantasy worlds. It worked like a cellphone but just engineered with magic. Honestly, how cool was that? Could anything be cooler than this?

Moreover, in HOTA, these things were mostly reserved for military command or high-ranking nobles. The fact that Joanne had one just sitting in her back room was a testament to her prestige.

"This is the conference chamber. I reckon we discuss with Lady Irene right away."

Eli’s chest tightened.

’Irene...’

He hadn’t spoken to her since leaving for Sienne. Even though it had only been two days, he felt like weeks had gone by. Was this Elise being too attached? Or was it him?

The thought of hearing her voice again and telling her everything he had uncovered... made his stomach twist between relief and dread.

Joanne gestured to a chair.

"Come sit. I’ll establish the connection."

Eli stood and walked over to the chamber as Joanne placed her hand over the orb. The pale crystal began to glow in soft amber, pulsing in rhythm like a heartbeat.

He settled on one of the chairs and waited.

A few seconds passed, and then a few more.

The orb flickered once, twice, and on the third, a voice came through.

"Headmistress Morgenstern. I expected a call from you, and here you are."

Irene’s voice was calm and eternally elegant, carrying the quiet authority she always wore like a second skin. Even through the orb’s faint distortion, it was unmistakably Irene.

Joanne settled into her chair across from Eli.

"Lady Irene. I trust you and the estate are well."

"As well as it can be with my Housekeeper gallivanting through Florentine."

’Gallivanting!? I’ve been working my ass off!’

Eli chuckled. He could practically hear the smile behind those words.

He leaned towards the orb.

"My Lady, it’s me."

A brief silence followed, before the orb spoke again.

"Elise."

Irene’s tone softened ever so slightly, just enough for no one but Eli to notice.

"You sound tired."

"I’m fine, my Lady. I promise."

"When have you ever not said that?"

Eli huffed a small laugh.

Joanne cut in before the two of them could say another word. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Lady Irene, your Housekeeper has brought something to my attention that requires your immediate involvement. I’ll let her explain."

Eli straightened in his chair.

This was the hardest part of it all: telling Irene that her life was in danger and asking her to sit on the sidelines while everyone else fought around her.

He knew her sense of responsibility for Sienne and Navia’s legacy burned brighter than anyone, and he understood that asking her to stay put while the Red Moon wreaked havoc would feel like a leash around her neck.

But it had to be done.

He took in a deep breath and just went for it.

"My Lady, I’ll keep this brief. There is going to be an attack on both academies, orchestrated by the Church of the Red Moon."

Eli paused for a moment. Nothing but silence on the other end.

He continued.

"It will happen after Headmistress Morgenstern departs for the capital. We believe the Church has been laying groundwork for months."

"...The Church of the Red Moon."

Irene repeated the name slowly.

"So they target us first for their grand return, huh."

Eli didn’t sugarcoat the rest. He laid out the Devil Star, incorporating knowledge from Joanne. Then the anchor points that formed the two stars, Joanne’s departure as the trigger, and most importantly...

"The assassination attempt on your life, my Lady."

The orb went silent.