The Clodia residence was fancy. And bustling but quiet at the same time, with those who appeared to be the hired servants moving back and forth.
The front entrance was just as grand as its building. The ground floor windows were open, but at the same time, gave nothing away except for the staff visible beyond.
He counted the windows. Three floors. The ground floor's layout suggested a receiving area and staff quarters.
The number of workers…
In other words, the voluntary watchers. He didn't know whether they were aware of Serik Clodia's dual identity—he hoped they weren't.
Either way, breaking into the residence in a way that won't raise suspicion was impossible.
It didn't take long before Isaac concluded that he needed a different approach.
He turned and began walking back toward the Academy.
The walk back took him through the northern residential area's quieter streets and then into the festival zone's transition—the point where the wealthy neighborhood's maintained calm yielded to the lantern-lit noise of the Free Ground's celebration.
He was moving through the transition zone before he, through the enhanced perception via [The Prism], registered a familiar profile thirty meters ahead.
Small build. Eight years old, approximately. It was someone whom he recognized.
Axen.
He was moving like someone who belonged in this part of the district—not with the careful navigation of a child trying not to be seen, but with the practiced movement of someone who had been moving through these streets regularly.
He was carrying something: a small package. It appeared that he was on an errand for someone.
Isaac stepped sideways into the gap between a vendor stall and the adjacent building's wall. He couldn't afford to be seen by the child who would recognize him and may initiate a conversation. Doing so may get him into the trouble as well, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen to the child.
He pressed himself against the building's wall and waited.
Axen passed thirty meters away without looking in his direction. The package under his arm had the hand-written receipt attached. He read the name "Clodia" amidst it.
Grimacing, Isaac watched him pass.
The arm that had been held against the chest for three days in a drainage channel three weeks ago swung freely. The gait had none of the careful protective quality it had carried then. Whatever the C-rank: [Healing Touch] had done, it had held. That was good news.
The fact that Axen was affiliated with House Clodia, however, was concerning given the information he had at hands.
Isaac remained in the gap between the stall and the wall until Axen had turned the corner and was gone.
For now, he filed it.
Something did get in his mind, however.
Why Axen of all children?
He wasn't the only one suffering from poverty. There were a couple more who were in similar situations as him.
They witnessed my interaction with him. They are seeing… a potential value of Axen as a hostage?
Isaac then shook his head, ridding himself of this thought. For now, he could only hope that that wasn't the case.
He waited another thirty seconds. Then, he stepped back into the foot traffic and continued walking toward the Academy.
…
Isaac, after having returned to his room post-dinner, waited until the sun decided to set.
The night has arrived.
The teleportation device was in his pocket.
Without hesitation, he pressed it.
The portal opened.
Henrick came through with the alert quality of someone who had been ready and was determining from the situation's register what kind of ready he needed to be. He scanned the room. Found no immediate threat. Looked at Isaac.
"No attack," Isaac said.
Henrick's posture adjusted from field-ready to assessment. "Then what."
"Information," Isaac said. "Urgent."
Without asking, Henrick sat on the only chair in the room. Faced Isaac, who remained standing.
"Then speak," Henrick said.
Isaac had memorized Serik Clodia's face. He had the librarian's information about the family's background. He had the surveillance thread's operation across three days of festival movement.
"Today, I was being monitored the entire day."
"…What?" Henrick paused. Then frowned, "even during our meet?"
Isaac nodded.
"The fact that I haven't noticed…" Henrick clicked his tongue. Pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned forward, "It must've been a high-rank skill." He then looked up. "How did you manage to notice this?"
Isaac gave some thought to the inquiry, to respond without revealing [The Prism].
"Mana sensitivity is said to be directly associated with mana output, according to numerous researches conducted in the past." He explained, "My Total Reserve and Mana Efficiency are F-rank at best. However, my mana output is starkly different—which you may have realized during my performance yesterday night."
"…It was something that a mere [Condensation] shouldn't be able to produce."
"I established means to minimize the friction. Minimal resistance equates to greater amplitude of acceleration. Think of the generic mana output as 1. Output of 1 into a F-rank skill generates the outcome of 0.01. 0.1 for E-rank, 1 for D-rank, and hence on."
Technically, what he was saying wasn't entirely wrong. It was, he supposed, a half-truth; it was just that the existence of [The Prism] made the degree of his mana sensitivity rather negligible.
"Think of it as me having discovered my own method to generate the mana output of above 100."
"I get what you mean, but it just sounds ridiculous—but I did see you do that yesterday—" Henrick, growling in frustration, scratched his head. "Fine, just continue."
"Serik Clodia." Isaac mentioned the name. "Does it sound familiar to you?"
Henrick muttered, "no, but I do know Lord Erik Clodia, the current financial secretary of the kingdom."
"That's his son," Isaac said. "That's also the one who was monitoring me, with that 'high-rank' skill you mentioned."
"Are you certain?" Henrick asked, quite reluctant. "He wouldn't have—"
Henrick couldn't continue as a portal suddenly opened in front of him. He stared at it for a brief moment.
He turned to look at Isaac and said, "count ten minutes. Then, press the button on your device."
He walked into the portal. The portal proceeded to disappear after, leaving Isaac by himself.
A portal. Isaac supposed that just as how there was a pair of devices that allowed portals between Henrick and him, there was another pair established between Henrick and someone else.
This also meant that there was a third person who was listening to this conversation—perhaps every conversation the two of them had throughout the week.
"It isn't just the princess. Prince himself is watching us as well, if that motivates you." That's what Henrick said back then.
It looked like when he said "watching," he meant it literally.
It wasn't that much of a shock. Parting with that thought, Isaac instead decided to focus on the idea that Henrick was abruptly called back mid-conversation. This meant that they found a matching information on their side that complemented what he just relayed to them.
Now, it was about waiting and seeing how much they will disclose to him.
After ten minutes, Isaac pressed the button. From the portal that sprang into the existence, Henrick walked out.
"How convenient," Isaac remarked as he gazed at the device in his hand.
"Yes, it was made by the combination of best skills this kingdom has to offer." Henrick rushed to the table and placed a paper down. "Come and take a look."
Isaac walked from the bed to the table. Looked down to the drawing as he stood next to Henrick's huge figure.
It was a map of the entire capital, one that includes not only the Free Ground but also the academy and the royal castle. Isaac paused, knowing that what was unveiled in front of him was quite significant.
That wasn't the end. On top of the map, there were numerous lines drawn on top—all being either red or green in color.
"You aren't color-blind, are you?"
"No."
"Good. Then look thoroughly. These lines retrace the paths of two individuals."
"Who may they be?"
"One is Lord Clodia. The other…" Henrick's face darkened, "Lord Hedron."
"…Lord Hedron." Isaac froze as Camilla's face surfaced in his mind.
"The war against Solari Empire has been ongoing for ages." Henrick sighed. "Naturally, there is more going on under the surface. Just as how gruesome the eastern battlefield is, so is here, the capital—we are undergoing the war of our own." He paused. "Everyone who enters the royal castle is subjected to surveillance, no matter the status. Lord Hedron… was someone who was concluded as a traitor quite some time ago. Lord Clodia—we have a separate report that confirms the credibility of your words."
His eyes landed on the map, looking at the very work that he was presenting to Isaac.
"What I am trying to show you here, is this particular point where their paths overlap—not once, but many times."
Henrick's finger pointed at the singular intersection of numerous red and green lines. The representative location of this intersection… was the very public library that Isaac found Serik Clodia within.
"Public library."
"Yes. They must be meeting here. Pattern suggests it."
"This is also where I found Serik Clodia," Isaac immediately mentioned.
Henrick's eyes narrowed. "I suppose that makes it even more likely then."
"But really, what's with this disclosure all of a sudden?" Isaac then asked, turning to look at Henrick. "What you are revealing to me is certain a classified information."
"You demonstrated your ability to detect something that I couldn't. Then generated something without any input from us." Henrick, without looking at him, said flatly. Compared to how he viewed Isaac just two days ago, he seemed to have acknowledged Isaac's capability. "In addition, the fact that the enemies have tried twice by now to assassinate you shows that you are an important asset to the kingdom."
"I see." Isaac acknowledged just as flatly. Then moved back to the topic, "and so, what would be the plan now."
"We move on the library. It will be a full-on restriction that prevents anyone's entry under the reasoning of a 'dangerous device having been detected.'" Henrick said. "Or, to be more specific, the royal family will be the one who acts on this step." He peeked at Isaac. "Your involvement ends here for now. My identity hasn't been revealed. It means that your connection with the royal family isn't known yet. Should your connection be revealed, we have already set up the façade that you were, unknowing to yourself, being used by us—that you are innocent."
Isaac nodded. Then asked, "I have a concern, however."
"Which is?"
"Pattern indeed suggests a suspicion regarding this library, but it appears to be… a little too vulgar in my personal point of view."
"Or," Henrick spoke with certainty in his tone, "we managed to secure their weakness. A big one."
Isaac saw that Henrick wasn't going to give a second thought. It looked like the royal family already made a decision.
"I suppose so." In the end, Isaac yielded, knowing that Henrick won't listen.
"Tomorrow," Henrick spoke, "fourth bell. Hearthstone. We maintain that daily meet until the festival ends and I go back to Caldwin Pass."
He picked up the map, folded it, and placed it inside his coat.
"Keep the device with you at all times," he said. "Press it if something develops tonight."
The portal then appeared at the perfect timing, once again telling Isaac that there is a third person listening onto the conversation.
Henrick stepped back toward the portal. Without leaving any further words, he left as a busy person would in front of the heavy work load.
As the portal vanished, Isaac's blank expression broke.
Hedron… Hedron, huh.
Isaac closed his eyes and sighed.
Are you aware of your father's betrayal, Camilla?
The night was deep.