Resolution

Knock Knock Knock

The man was knocking on a wall as if he were knocking on a door.

If anyone had passed by, they would have called him insane.

It was Stromeddeger Vod, one of the professors at Zeneth Magic Academy. He stood in a long corridor, with nothing around—certainly no door.

"You may enter!!!"

It was the voice of the academy's headmistress, coming from nowhere. A circle began to form on the wall, followed by the sudden appearance of a door.

Without showing the slightest surprise at what had just happened, Stromeddeger opened the door. After all, there was no reason to be startled, considering he had been knocking on thin air.

Headmistress: "As always, you manage to find me!"

The headmistress was signing documents, passing the signed ones aside without even glancing at her visitor.

Stromeddeger: "I wouldn't have found this place if you hadn't willed it so. You led me here."

Indeed, it was impossible to locate the room where the headmistress resided. The entrance to her chamber could appear anywhere within the academy, wherever she desired. Moreover, even if one found its location, opening it was another challenge.

Headmistress: "Don't you see I was trying to give you some credit? It could have made up for the reason you're here, but so be it."

She paused her writing. Stromeddeger swallowed hard.

She picked up another document and began flipping through it. Until now, she had not once looked at him, as if she felt no need to.

Headmistress: "Stromeddeger Vod, you have truly put me in a difficult position."

Stromeddeger: "I understand, madam, I—"

He began speaking, perhaps intending to take the initiative to apologize for the trouble he had caused or to provide some justification for the previous situation. But he was unable to finish his sentence.

Headmistress: "Do not interrupt me. I wasn't finished. I despise being cut off."

Stromeddeger was about to apologize, but remembering her words, he shut his mouth just in time. She paid no mind, continuing to flip through the documents.

Headmistress: "I am quite busy as it is, yet your recent actions have added more work to my plate, which I do not appreciate. Not only did you have no reason to involve yourself in the nobles' affairs, but you also allowed yourself to be overwhelmed by events."

Headmistress: "Have you forgotten the mission for which you were placed in this academy?"

No, that wasn't exactly it. It was up to him to speak about it.

She began signing the document she had taken. On it, one could see the academy's crest as well as the title of the document. She had likely just approved a mission, but Stromeddeger had no way of knowing what it was about.

Headmistress: "You made me expend energy—though negligible—I sincerely hope this does not happen again. I am quite busy enough."

Stromeddeger: "Understood."

His response was brief, not wanting to make any further missteps now that things were proceeding smoothly.

Headmistress: "You may go. I will send your orders later."

Stromeddeger gave a slight bow as a farewell and made his way to the door to leave.

But just as he was about to open it, he felt a heavy pressure behind him.

Headmistress: "Now that I think about it, I hope you didn't allow yourself all these schemes simply because I haven't tampered with your memory and you hold a special status?"

Stromeddeger swallowed hard, nearly choking, but managed to hold it back and tried to give the most honest answer he could. Though he could not see behind him, for the first time since entering the room, the headmistress laid eyes on him.

Stromeddeger: "It was a mistake on my part, and I assure you, I harbor no such thoughts."

Everyone who had encountered the headmistress had their memories altered, to the point that they no longer knew who she was. Only a rare few had the privilege of remembering, Stromeddeger among them due to the nature of his mission.

She resumed writing, which slightly eased the pressure on Stromeddeger. He hurried to reach the door and leave.

Headmistress: "Wait!"

Upon hearing those words, Stromeddeger couldn't help but consider himself cursed.

Headmistress: "The girl—she is now under my responsibility. That means it is your duty to keep an eye on her."

In short, she was dumping the responsibility on him. Though he did have some involvement in the matter, what exactly did she mean by 'keeping an eye on her?' Stromeddeger wondered. The situation was becoming increasingly complicated for him.

Without asking any further questions, Stromeddeger Vod nodded and exited the room. Outside, the door had vanished as if it had never been there, leaving behind only a plain wall.

Stromeddeger began to cough. Not only was swallowing wrong an unpleasant experience, but the pressure he had endured the entire time had taken its toll.

In any case, he was not in an ideal position. He straightened his posture, adjusted his tie, and continued on his way.

"Perhaps I should have asked for more clarification about what she meant by keeping an eye on the girl."

"No, I don't think so!"

He resigned himself to this thought—he had no courage to go back.

After the events that had taken place during the ranking duel, Rina Vibe Doscheni had been injured. Although she could be healed, she still needed rest.

It had been three days since she had fallen into a deep sleep, but now she was on the verge of waking up in her dormitory room—a neatly arranged space without any unnecessary clutter.

The girl, still asleep in her bed, suddenly opened her eyes as if she had forgotten something important. She sat up, emerging from her deep slumber, her mind still hazy.

She stood up and looked around her room. Though she had spent so much time there, it felt foreign to her. She then made her way to the bathroom. Turning on the cold water, she let it run over her, hoping to clear her mind. But as she recalled what had happened, she began to cry.

In the end, she had failed. Her entire world had crumbled around her, and she had been powerless to stop it. She spent a long time in the bath.

Afterward, she decided not to attend classes or anything else. Instead, she retreated to her bed, wrapping herself tightly in her blanket.

"What's the point of going? I've lost my right to be here."

"How long have I been asleep? They must be letting me rest, and once I've recovered, they'll send me home."

She curled up, trying to imagine a way to escape what was coming. How would she explain to her father that she had been unable to complete her cycle? The more she thought about it, the more she withdrew into herself.