Belle walked at a leisurely pace, and Caius followed unhurriedly from the rooftop of a nearby teaching building.
Since the buildings were interconnected, Caius could easily leap from one to another.
Fortunately, apart from Wind-element mages, most mages did not possess the ability to fly in their early stages, so the Ocean City Academy was not filled with mages soaring through the sky. Otherwise, with spellcasters flying overhead, he would be discovered in an instant.
After all, the effect of the magic stone was Concealment, not Invisibility.
Rumor had it that there existed magic stones with true invisibility effects. Caius felt that he needed to get his hands on one.
Following Belle into one of the teaching buildings, Caius surveyed his surroundings before leaping lightly onto a large tree. The tree was sizable enough to hide him completely.
Thanks to the magic stone’s effect, he blended almost seamlessly with the shadows of the tree canopy. Unless someone had a bizarre urge to climb the tree, he was practically undetectable.
Crouching on a sturdy branch, Caius peered through the gaps in the foliage, observing the classroom inside the building.
The transparent crystal windows resembled glass, allowing Caius to see Belle walk up to the second floor. She carried her bag into a classroom.
Caius then leaped back onto the rooftop, moving to the other side where he found another large tree to conceal himself. The reason for switching sides was that one side had a corridor, while the other had windows directly facing the classroom, allowing for a clearer view.
At this moment, Belle was the only person in the classroom.
It was just past seven o’clock. Class would begin at eight, meaning Belle would remain in the classroom for an hour.
After sitting down, she took a few books from her bag and placed them on the desk. Then she pulled out a water cup, took a sip, and set it aside.
Next… she simply started reading.
Caius waited for two minutes. She remained motionless, absorbed in her book. Another minute passed before she turned a single page.
Caius smirked and snapped off a small twig, about the length of a finger. He flicked it gently, sending it tapping against the window with a soft “pop.”
Belle flinched and immediately turned toward the window.
Caius parted the foliage and waved at her with a grin.
Belle: “?”
She appeared startled. After recognizing Caius, she glanced around nervously, confirming that she was alone in the classroom. Only then did she seem somewhat relieved.
After that, she seemed unsure whether to continue reading or to keep watching Caius.
Caius found it amusing. She was really quite clueless.
A glance at the time—7:10 AM.
Students were starting to enter the teaching building.
Each class lasted about an hour, meaning Belle wouldn’t be free until nine. That left two hours.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Caius didn’t hesitate. He jumped down from the tree and casually made his way toward the library.
He couldn’t enter the teaching buildings, but this was the academy’s open grounds, so he could walk around freely.
Seeing Caius leave, Belle finally exhaled and patted her chest as if relieved.
She didn’t know why Caius had been there, but she knew it wasn’t good. If he was discovered, he would definitely be kicked out.
Luckily, nothing had happened.
Back at the library, Kiki had already pushed out a small cart stacked with books.
There were at least 150 volumes—quite heavy. Caius’s task was to transport them to the Goathorn City Library, sixty miles away.
It was merely a Brass-level mission, not worth much. However, Caius only took it as an excuse to infiltrate Ocean City Academy and gather intelligence.
Now that he had confirmed Belle’s location, as well as the surrounding terrain, routes, and distribution of greenery, all he had to do was return before her class ended to continue his observations.
Without delay, Caius took Kiki and the stack of books and headed out.
Why not send Kiki ahead while he stayed behind?
Because Caius planned to take action inside the academy and needed a solid alibi.
His plan was to drop Kiki ten miles from Goathorn City and have her wait for him there.
Then, he would double back, sneak into the academy, and carry out his retribution.
Afterward, he needed to rush back, retrieve Kiki, and enter Goathorn City together.
This way, even if Manasa’s father investigated, he would have a watertight alibi.
What? Your daughter got beaten up? My sincerest sympathies, but I was in Goathorn City at the time. The library staff there can vouch for me~
As for gate records… Caius had already looked into it. Unless under special circumstances, the outer gates of Ocean City weren’t checked or recorded. As long as one paid the toll, they were allowed in.
When Caius entered, he had simply paid a ten-silver entry fee. The guards hadn’t even looked up, let alone recorded anything.
The plan was airtight. Time to execute.
After walking two miles outside the city, Caius activated his sprinting mode and bolted toward Goathorn City.
It took him less than fifteen minutes to reach a forested area ten miles from Goathorn City. This was part of the city’s protected zone, surrounded by farmland and orchards, making it relatively safe.
“Kiki, wait here. I’ll return as soon as I finish my task,” Caius instructed, having already explained his plan to Kiki.
Kiki nodded obediently. “Alright, Meow~”
Caius chuckled, ruffling her hair before dashing back toward Ocean City.
By the time he returned, barely half an hour had passed.
Technically, this journey should have taken most of the day, so Caius was relying on this time discrepancy.
Avoiding crowds, Caius, with his heavy hammer on his back, reached a secluded corner of Ocean City Academy.
Few people were around here, and scaling the academy’s outer wall would get him inside.
If he was going to do something illicit, entering through the main gate and registering was obviously out of the question.
Otherwise, he’d be caught instantly.
Gazing at the over-three-meter-high wall, Caius took his hammer off his back. “Alright, baby, it’s your turn.”
With that, he leaped while gripping his hammer, effortlessly clearing the wall.
The reason for this elaborate maneuver was that the walls were enchanted with magical runes that detected movement. If someone climbed over, an alarm would trigger, alerting the guards.
However, Caius’s hammer, Angel, possessed an Anti-Magic effect.
As long as he held it, the hammer generated an Anti-Magic field spanning three meters, neutralizing the wall’s detection runes.
Landing soundlessly, Caius waited for three seconds.
No alarms. Perfect.
Shouldering his hammer, he activated his magic stone.
It was class time, but there were still students on the training grounds.
Weaving through the academy’s greenery, using the dense foliage for cover, he made his way back to the large tree.
He could see that the classroom was now full.
A lecturer stood at the front, conjuring a Magic Circle from time to time to explain spell formations and Magic Array structures.
Caius’s gaze landed on Belle. She was diligently taking notes.
But then, for some reason, she suddenly turned her head toward the window.
Her short hair partially covered her eyes, yet Caius was certain—she was looking right at him.
How did she notice him?
Caius had his doubts. Could she be perceiving the world in a different way?
It was said that powerful mages possessed extraordinary magic senses.
But he was carrying Angel. The Anti-Magic field should prevent her from detecting him through magical perception.
Maybe… this was what they called a telepathic connection?
Belle was visibly startled to see him again, but she quickly turned back, pretending to focus on the lesson.
Yet, it was clear she was now distracted. Her pen, which had been moving continuously, had come to a complete stop.
It was amusing, but Caius had bigger concerns.
Because he had spotted his target—sitting right behind Belle.
