Chương 76: Chapter 55: “Search and Rescue (1)”

Anna's disappearance took less than an hour to become one of the most popular gossips around the academy. Celestia von Reingarde had been seen walking across campus that morning without her commoner-servant. Given the recent string of disappearances, the absence was noticed immediately. And people, as they tended to do, came to their own conclusions. What it boiled down to, however, was… [Celestia is involved with the murders!] This passed through the corridors and courtyards faster than any other topic would have. Students talked about it in low voices between classes, in dormitory hallways, and across cafeteria tables. The logic, if it could be called that, was simple: commoners had been going missing, and now the most infamous noble in the academy had lost her commoner servant. For people who had already decided what kind of person Celestia was, there was only one explanation.

Celestia had spent a small part of the morning at the staff office. She'd gone to request information. When she stepped out of the staff office and back into the main corridor, she felt that the eyes surrounding her had changed.

'Tch.' However, Celestia walked forward. She didn't slow down to look at any of them. Time was more important than whatever they'd already decided on about her. But then, someone stepped into her path. * Beatrice Hill had not been herself for weeks. Ever since that day in combat class, the one where she foolishly had surrendered in her spar against Celestia von Reingarde in front of everyone, Beatrice had been unable to recover.

For someone who had built her entire identity on being above others, the loss had taken a hit on her pride. Beatrice stopped attending most of her classes, and only showed up to the mandatory class and the ones she needed to keep her grades up, but only because skipping would eventually signal to her family that something was wrong. Everything else, such as the social gatherings and the noble circles, she avoided. Her friends had been supporting her throughout this entire time.

They brought her meals when she refused to eat in the cafeteria. They copied notes for the lectures she simply sat through without actively participating or listening. And they walked with her between buildings so she wouldn't have to cross campus alone. They tried to cheer her up, even going so far as to insult the heiress of a ducal home. What her classmates thought didn't matter. What mattered was what her family would think. By now, her siblings had almost certainly heard.

Her older brother, who looked for every opportunity to push her down, her younger sister, who wanted to see her fail. And there were her cousins and the branch family members, who treated her every failure as an opportunity to find a better position for themselves. Beatrice could imagine their faces clearly. And she couldn't bear it. This was why she kept her head down and survived the semester without drawing further attention. And whenever Celestia von Reingarde was anywhere nearby, Beatrice made herself scarce.

She'd duck into an empty classroom, take a longer route around a building, or simply turn around and walk the other way. How could she, Beatrice Hill, bear to be in the same room as that person? What if Celestia, heavens forbid, sneered at her? Her friends pretended not to notice when she did this. Beatrice appreciated that more than she could say. She'd wanted to keep staying in her dormitory room and not come out at all.

But her friends pulled her out, saying that attending the tea club would be a good change of pace. It was one of the many social clubs that nobles at Summit Academy had set up for themselves. The club met in a parlor room on the second floor of one of the main buildings, furnished with upholstered chairs, artisan tables, and a selection of imported tea sets that the founding members had donated from their own households.

Membership was exclusively noble, and the only purpose of this club was to socialize and converse with one another. Since she came here in the morning, the parlor was mostly empty with only two of her friends present. Beatrice had taken a chair beside them and accepted a cup from a staff member, and was in the middle of her first sip when the parlor door opened. Celestia von Reingarde walked in. Beatrice's cup stopped halfway to her lips.

Her eyes went wide, and the blood left her face so quickly that her friend quickly leaned her body to shield her from sight. However, much to her surprise, Celestia's crimson gaze swept the room and landed directly on Beatrice. It almost seemed like she had come here looking for her. Celestia crossed the parlor in a straight line toward Beatrice's table.

'Why? Why is she coming over here?' Beatrice's hands tightened around her teacup. Her mind went blank, then filled with every possible reason Celestia might seek her out, each one worse than the last. But before Celestia could reach her, two chairs scraped back. Milli and Cordelia were on their feet, positioning themselves between Celestia and Beatrice. They were daughters of baron houses, and under normal circumstances, standing in the path of a duke's daughter would have been unthinkable. But they did it anyway.

Milli spoke first. She was blonde with a round face, and her voice was steady, though her hands were balled at her sides.

"Lady Reingarde. What business do you have here?" Cordelia stood beside her, arms crossed. She was a redhead with freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks.

"This is a private club gathering. If you're here to cause trouble, we'd like to ask you to leave." Celestia looked past them, her eyes on Beatrice.

"I've come here to speak with Lady Hill." Behind her friends, Beatrice's face crumpled. Her lips were pressed together and her eyes started to water. She looked like she wanted to disappear into the background. Milli's snapped back, "So you can humiliate her again? Haven't you done enough?"

"What more could you possibly want from her?" Cordelia added. Her tone was sharp, but her eyes kept flicking back toward Beatrice. Celestia didn't look at either of them. Her gaze stayed fixed on the girl behind them.

"Lady Hill. A private moment, if you will." Beatrice stared at Celestia from between her friends' shoulders. Every part of her wanted to refuse, to let Milli and Cordelia handle this. But Celestia had addressed her directly, by name and title. She couldn't just ignore that, and Beatrice, for all her current misery, still understood the difference in their peerage. She set her cup down slowly.

"Milli. Cordelia." Her voice was nearly a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"Would you give us a moment, please?" Both of them turned to look at her. Milli opened her mouth, about to protest, but Beatrice shook her head once.

"Please." With Beatrice's insistence, they stepped aside. Milli reluctantly stepped away, and Cordelia followed her. Neither of them went far. They took seats at the next table over, close enough to intervene if needed, but not close enough to hear their conversation. The glares they directed at Celestia were open and undisguised. Celestia sat down in the chair across from Beatrice. A staff member approached from the side, holding a fresh cup of tea.

However, Celestia raised a hand and waved them off without looking. Beatrice blinked. That small gesture had caught her off guard more than anything else so far. In noble society, accepting tea when offered was standard courtesy. Declining it, especially in a setting such as this, was a deliberate break from the norms. It meant Celestia hadn't come here to socialize or act as such. Beatrice straightened in her chair. Her hands were still unsteady, but she held a napkin to try and cover her fidgeting.

"W-what can I do for you, Lady Reingarde?" She paused, then added quickly, "If this is regarding the spar from several weeks ago, I would like to duly apologize for my impertinent actions toward—" Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"I want to use your eyes." Beatrice nearly dropped her napkin. And for a moment, she just stared at Celestia. The Hill family was, technically, royalty. They ruled a small territory outside the borders of the Empire, an independent domain that had maintained its sovereignty through careful diplomacy and one thing: their bloodline magic. If they were ever absorbed into the Imperial Empire, their territory would likely earn them a baron's title at best. What they were known for, however, was their magic.

The Hills were a mage family, and more specifically, a family whose rare magic was inherited through blood. Every member of the Hill lineage possessed some form of ocular ability, though the specifics varied from person to person. Beatrice's eyes were well-known among those who had read about the Hill Royal Family, or at least those who paid attention to the politics of the smaller sovereign states. She had roughly two known abilities.

The first was the standard of every Hill family member, she could see the flow of mana. However, the second was what made her special and would've placed her next in line of the throne if she weren't a female. Every person Beatrice had laid her eyes on was marked, and for a limited time, she could see what they saw. It was clear that Celestia knew this. But for what reason she wanted it was another mystery altogether.

"What are you willing to pay for it?" Beatrice asked back. Using her eyes came at a cost. When Beatrice was younger, she had treated it like a toy. She would use the servants in the estate and watch through their eyes while they went about their chores, giggling at the strange sensation of seeing two things at once. Then, one afternoon, she had pushed too far. Her vision had suddenly gone black and her eyes had hurt so much to the point it rendered her unconscious.

She woke up three days later in the royal doctor's quarters, still unable to see. She had nearly blinded herself; The recovery alone took several months, and it seemed like permanent damage had been avoided by a narrow margin, that if she had pushed even further, the result would have been irreversible. Now that she had trained properly and was a proper mage, albeit still a low-tiered one, the backlash was now somewhat manageable but still significant.

Every use left her drained and she would be unable to properly control mana for several days. In addition, her vision would blur for hours afterward, and depending what she saw, the headaches could last for days. This was why her eyes were reserved for matters of political importance. Back home, Beatrice's ability was an asset used sparingly and at a steep price. Foreign dignitaries paid handsomely for the intelligence her sight could provide. And her family used it to leverage negotiations.

Here at Summit, she was technically supposed to be focused on her studies and building her standing at the academy. The final exam was approaching, and any unnecessary strain on her eyes could compromise her performance. Under normal circumstances, and even now, using her ability now was a poor decision. Which was why, regardless of what Celestia offered, Beatrice had already decided to refuse. No payment would be worth the risk. She would hear Celestia out and decline politely.

That was, until she heard what Celestia said as payment.

"I'll owe you a favor," Celestia said. Beatrice forgot every word she had prepared. A favor. From anyone else, that word meant nothing. People traded favors like loose coins, promising things they had no intention of delivering and forgetting the debt the moment it became inconvenient. But from Celestia von Reingarde? House Reingarde was a ducal family whose influence rivaled the Imperial Family's own. A favor from them could open doors that Beatrice's family had been knocking on for generations.

They were the type known to honor their word. But even beyond the house, there was the person sitting across from her. Celestia von Reingarde. The woman who had disgraced Beatrice so thoroughly that she'd spent weeks ducking around corners to avoid her. The woman whose reputation, deserved or otherwise, made grown nobles watch their words. That woman was asking Beatrice for help, and even offering to owe her for it. Beatrice's back straightened. Her chin lifted.

The hand that had been clutching the napkin in her lap relaxed, and she placed it delicately beside her cheek.

"Ohohoho!" The laugh came out before she could stop it, high and theatrical. Milli and Cordelia both snapped their heads toward her from the next table." The Lady Celestia von Reingarde is asking for my help? Well! How could I possibly refuse such an honor?" Celestia's eye twitched with annoyance. Beatrice leaned forward, her blue eyes was bright again with a confidence that had been absent for weeks.

"So then, Lady Reingarde, who is it you'd like me to look at? And when shall I do it?"

"The girl who was always with me," Celestia said.

"And now." Beatrice tilted her head.

"Your commoner-servant? The purple-haired one?" She paused.

"Are you certain? I assumed this would be something more—""Now." Beatrice blinked at the sharpness in Celestia's voice. Her grin faded. She straightened up, gave a short "Hmph," and folded her arms.

"Fine. Give me a moment." She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, mana was flowing through them visibly. Her irises, a pale blue under normal circumstances, brightened as the magic took hold. They sparkled with a brief, sharp glint, and then the light dimmed. Beatrice's gaze went distant as she peered into someone else's eyes. * The person who had stepped into Celestia's path was Liana. She had seen Celestia enter the academy office, and she had been waiting for the past few minutes.

She'd rehearsed what she wanted to say at least a dozen times. Each version sounded worse than the last, but as she had already committed to doing this, here she was. When the rumors had reached her not even 30 minutes ago, she didn't believe it. Celestia von Reingarde was involved with the murders? And that Celestia von Reingarde had killed her own servant, that commoner who was always following her? The details changed slightly depending on who was telling the story, but the main point was there.

It wasn't as if she knew Celestia personally. After all, their only real interaction had been during that medic hall months ago, and then she saw her a few times during electives and mandatory classes. Then there was that hallway incident a few weeks ago, when Arthur had jumped to conclusions and Celestia had made him look like a fool for it. Liana had watched that entire exchange, and what she'd seen was a woman who had been falsely accused and responded with cold, controlled anger. Maybe Celestia was just shy?

Liana had entertained that thought briefly. Maybe behind the glares and the fan and the reputation, there was someone who simply didn't know how to deal with people. That hope lasted until Celestia walked out of the staff office and looked at her.

"Move." The word came out sharp, and the glare that accompanied it made Liana's stomach twist. Celestia's crimson eyes were narrow and her expression was openly hostile. There was nothing shy about it. But Liana didn't move. She wanted to. Her legs were telling her to step aside, and every reasonable part of her brain agreed. But her feet stayed planted.

'Why?' The question rattled around in her head. Why let all of these rumors spread and not say a word against them? Celestia had the truth on her side, and yet she was walking through the academy letting people call her a murderer without correcting a single one of them. Liana tried opening her mouth, but nothing came out. It had taken everything she had just to stand here.

The last scraps of courage she'd gathered had been spent on walking up and planting herself in front of a duke's daughter, and now that the moment had arrived, she couldn't speak. Clearly growing impatient, Celestia stepped to the side to walk around Liana. However, Liana's hand moved before she even realized what she had done. She reached out and grabbed Celestia's hand. Liana's fingers were wrapped around Celestia's wrist, and she was holding on with a grip that surprised even herself.

'Ah…' She closed her eyes, bracing for the slap that was clearly coming. Though she trusted her own instincts, there was still that bias that came from hearing about all the bad rumors. Then, after a few seconds, she opened her eyes, realizing that the slap hadn't come at all. Celestia looked down at Liana's hand on hers. Then she looked at Liana's face. Whatever she saw there made her click her tongue." Tsk. Fine. This'll do." Before Liana could process what that meant, Celestia's grip reversed.

Her fingers closed around Liana's wrist, and she pulled. Liana stumbled forward, caught her balance, and then was being dragged down the corridor at Celestia's pace. Her bag bounced against her hip. Her shoes scuffed against the floor as she tried to keep up. Students pressed themselves against the walls as Celestia walked past, pulling the silver-haired commoner girl behind her without a second glance. Liana tried to speak.

"I-I wanted to ask you about—""Don't say a word." Celestia's voice cut through without her turning around.

"I'm tolerating your existence right now." Liana shut her mouth. They walked in silence. Celestia's grip on her wrist was firm but not painful, and her stride didn't slow. Liana followed, half-walking and half-stumbling, too afraid to speak and too confused to resist. She didn't know where they were going. Celestia led her across campus and into one of the main academic buildings. They climbed a staircase to the second floor and turned down a corridor that Liana had never visited before.

The hallway was carpeted, and the doors along it were fancier than the ones in the regular classrooms. The air had even smelled faintly of tea. Celestia stopped in front of a set of double doors. She let go of Liana's wrist.

"Stay here and don't move." Liana rubbed her wrist and nodded once. Celestia pushed the door open and walked inside without looking back. Liana stood alone in the corridor. Through the doors, she could hear the muffled sound of voices. Then more voices, sharper this time. After a moment of silence, she leaned against the wall and waited. Then, from inside the room, a laugh rang out. It was a high, theatrical, "Ohohoho!" Liana blinked at the closed doors.