It was the day after Haina snagged a headline, and it happened to be a Sunday.
Haina, after a long absence, went to Royal Law University.
Although it was Sunday, there were quite a few people at the university. After all, final exams were only a month away, so even last-minute cramming was necessary.
Haina, however, was not nervous at all.
She even put on her armor and her Inspector-exclusive short sword, standing downstairs at the female dormitory, smiling as she watched junior and senior students come and go.
"Hello, Senior!"
"Senior Haina."
"Good morning, Senior Haina."
"By the Silver Crown Dragon… may you be well, Miss Haina."
The junior and senior students passing by, and even students in Haina's own year, all came over to greet her politely when they saw her. Looking at the very leisurely Haina, the busy students showed envious gazes.
They were still diligently preparing for their final exams, but Haina had already graduated early!
But they would never have guessed that Haina was doing this on purpose.
She didn't come back because she had something to do.
She simply wanted to see her junior and senior students busy with exams while she could leisurely stroll around the university.
So satisfying. Ah, so satisfying.
It was as if all the fatigue and pressure accumulated from staying up late to prepare for her early graduation exam had been purified...
Royal Law University was not a purely Transcendents university.
It had 140 teaching buildings and six faculties. Only two of these faculties taught students how to become Transcendents, and another two faculties prioritized teaching mystic arts of other Paths.
These were "forbidden arts" that began to be taught twenty years ago, under the Queen's special permission, for the prosperity and development of the Kingdom—such as Alchemy, art, and Preservation.
The remaining two faculties were for producing high-quality civil servants for Avalon. They had the largest number of students, all of whom were ordinary people.
The crisscrossing teaching buildings could almost be called a small town. Divided into six large areas by crisscrossing streets, each area had various vendors and residents. One could even buy most of what they wanted without leaving the "university" territory.
The layout of Royal Law University occupied a considerable portion of the Red Queen District. The Red Queen District was therefore also known as the "University District."
Housing prices here were extremely high. So high that Haina couldn't even imagine it.
The reason why the Red and White Queen core areas of Glass Island were noble was because they offered a direct view of the "Lake within the Island"—from the top floor of the teaching building, one could even see the Silver and Tin Palace shimmering under the sunlight with the naked eye.
Here, one could encounter Sir Knights almost every day upon leaving the house.
Haina's faculty belonged to the [Individual Tactics] department. Although they were Transcendents, they also had to study cultural subjects.
—This was a policy proposed by Her Majesty the Queen to improve the quality of Transcendents talents.
To make Transcendents into state-governing talents with extraordinary power, rather than sources of chaos—there was no need to worry about how much to concede to Transcendents to appease them, because they were the pillars of the Kingdom.
Because of this, the academic pressure at Royal Law University was immense.
iris language, Stibium language, Elf language, Advanced Mathematics, Basic Theology, Modern History, and Document Writing were general education courses that all faculties had to master.
Specifically for Haina, she also had seven specialized courses: "Law," "Legal Tactics," "Swordsmanship," "Aerial Horsemanship," "Battlefield Command," "Path Identification," and "Equipment Maintenance and Battlefield Medicine."
In addition, she had to choose four elective courses.
She chose "Applied Emerald Gemology," "Anesthesiology," "Wine Brewing Production Management," and "Common Animal Disease Prevention and Control."
It seemed like she studied a wide variety of subjects... but in reality, her motivation was very clear and traceable.
—Haina flexibly utilized Royal Law University's excellent teaching resources and the vast number of professional books freely available in the library. Based on the consideration that she might be severely injured, or even disabled and unemployed in the future, she proactively studied four courses that would make it easier to support herself.
But at the same time, she didn't know what would be profitable in the future. So she haphazardly studied four completely unrelated fields.
Once she had a foundation, it would be much simpler to catch up later.
Just then, Haina suddenly shivered.
She instinctively sensed that someone had appeared silently behind her.
An extremely strong sense of fear gripped her heart, and her eyes instantly widened. Like facing a gust of wind blowing against her, she gasped heavily, but couldn't draw in any oxygen.
Under extreme nervous tension, she subconsciously gripped the short sword in its sheath—
"—Morning, Haina."
A clear, powerful female voice rang out: "Hey, don't be scared. [Put it back]."
With a clang, the short sword, which she had slightly unsheathed, slipped from her hand and slid back in on its own. It was as if her weapon refused to be drawn in front of this person.
And upon hearing her voice, Haina finally sighed in relief and slowly released her grip.
"Dean Meg..."
How could such an important person suddenly appear without a sound? She really startled me...
She complained softly in her heart, then turned around, placed her right hand over her chest, bowed her head, and respectfully saluted her: "Good morning, Dean Meg."
Before Haina's eyes was a middle-aged to elderly woman with silver hair, high cheekbones, and clear wrinkles on her face.
Judging solely from her skin and appearance, she looked at least fifty or sixty years old. But her bright, spirited eyes, strong physique, and loud voice made her look at least twenty years younger.
Dean Meg's most striking feature was her prominently bulging, strong shoulders. These were powerful muscles that even young men dedicated to fitness would find hard to acquire, causing her loose clothes to show distinct bulges.
"Ah hahahahaha!"
Meg laughed heartily.
Her laughter was hearty and clear; her voice could be heard distinctly even from tens of meters away: "I knew it—you were startled, weren't you?
"But well done, Haina! A few months ago, you wouldn't have noticed my presence even if I had put my hand on your shoulder. Now, I just approach your back, and you can feel it—this means that the past few months of experience have indeed led to progress!"
This incident could be considered Haina's humiliation.
A few months ago, she applied for early graduation—because of her exceptionally outstanding grades, she was once full of confidence. And her early graduation even alarmed Dean Meg, who personally came to witness Haina's graduation assessment.
At that time, she appeared silently behind Haina, just as she did now. But Haina was completely unaware.
She didn't even notice when Dean Meg slowly untied her tie.
It wasn't that Meg entered Stealth, but rather that she made Haina's brain "dare not perceive her existence."
It was like calling a deer a horse, a power of Authority that forcibly altered perception.
And now, at least Haina could sense danger—
Although Dean Meg certainly wasn't serious, it also showed that she had indeed grown.
After Dean Meg appeared, the surrounding students decreased at a visible rate.
Originally, there were quite a few people around Haina, but now a huge empty space had been created around her.
This was not just out of reverence for the university leadership.
It was also because the aura of the Authority Path emanating from Dean Meg was strong and obvious. Those of lower Path in the same Path did not dare to approach her.
This energetic-looking elder was one of the strongest individuals in the world today.
—The Grand Arbitrator, Meg. The Deputy Director of the Arbitration Hall.
She possessed the supreme privilege to execute direct royal bloodlines.
The reason she was a "Deputy" Director... was because in Avalon, a deputy position was, in some sense, stronger than the primary position—because the primary position had a maximum term limit, but the deputy position did not.
Since twenty years ago, Meg had been the Deputy Director of the Arbitration Hall. The Director, who served a three-year term, had already changed seven times, and each one was her student.
Even during the succession to the throne, Meg was required to be present as a witness.
After the new king ascended the throne, she would be the third to pledge allegiance to the new king—the first was the Minister of Military and Political Affairs, who controlled the army and foreign intelligence agencies; the second was the Knight Commander of the Round Table Hall, who also served as the Minister of the Council of Ministers. And the third was her.
Other members of the royal family had to be ranked sixth or later.
Just standing next to Old Meg made Haina's heart palpitate.
It was as if the person standing before her was not a kind and forthright old lady, but a full-grown lion within arm's reach.
—If she turned to run, she would probably trip. Her legs would stiffen from fear.
She had once interfered in a war by herself.
That was the "Ten Day War," a brief conflict between the Avalon Kingdom and the Iris Kingdom twenty years ago, caused by border friction.
When Meg arrived on the battlefield, she only needed one sentence to make the soldiers on both sides sheathe their swords and point their guns at the ground.
She carved a "Peace Boundary" in the border region—anyone who considered themselves a "soldier" could not cross it. Approaching the boundary would induce extreme fear, paralyzing them.
That boundary existed for four years before gradually fading. Now that relations between the two countries have improved, it has become a famous landmark, commemorating the brief war that lasted only ten days.
Haina was certainly not a student of the old lady, because she was not yet qualified.
Sherlock had been invited to become her last disciple—but he refused.
And the old lady did not insist. But from then on, she no longer took on new students.
It is said that she has recently begun preparing to step down from her position as Vice Director of the Arbitration Hall. This is a well-known secret at Royal Law University—because the new Vice Director will be their young principal.
And this principal was also a student of Dean Meg.
"It made the newspapers, didn't it?"
Old Meg scrutinized her, raised her eyebrows, and asked in a tone of unknown meaning.
Haina was extremely nervous, head bowed, not daring to look up: "Yes, I was very lucky… I actually didn't do much, mainly Mr. Aiwass…"
"—Oh, 'Mr.'."
The old lady repeated with a smile: "You respect him very much."
Haina jumped in fright and held her breath, unsure how to respond.
"No need to be ashamed, you did well. I heard Agnes talk about him."
Meg's voice was strong and resonant, like tightly gripped steel: "The stronger one's correctness is more correct." Regardless of whether you are his Senior Haiyina or his elder, you are inferior to him in this matter. Then you obey his command—this perfectly aligns with the concept of the Authority Path."
Hearing this, she finally relaxed.
Being recognized and encouraged by a highly respected mentor greatly boosted Haina's spirits. It was as if the world before her lit up, and her body felt much lighter.
This even gave her the courage to ask proactively: "Excuse me, Dean Meg… Are you here to see me?"
"Yes."
Meg laughed heartily: "Isn't that obvious?
"You are a good child, diligent and serious. But still a little foolish."
Despite Haina graduating a year early with perfect scores in all subjects, Meg gave her the evaluation of being "a little foolish."
This made Haina a little disheartened.
She knew she was far behind Sherlock… but she didn't know how exceptionally talented Sherlock was in a longitudinal sense.
What kind of talents were the Seniors from Sherlock's class and earlier—Haina didn't know any of it. Because they had all become mid-to-high-level officials, and their past identity information was kept confidential.
But looking at her expression, Meg's lips curved slightly upward, and she uncharacteristically offered affirmation: "However, we, the royal blades who walk The Path of Authority, don't need to be too clever.
"I ask you—you know the Pelican Bar has closed, right."
"…Yes."
It's normal for it to close, Haina thought to herself.
After all, that was the gathering place for the Noble Red Society, a group of illegal Transcendents—they couldn't possibly gather there to discuss Iris literature and Elf poetry, could they?
"Then do you know that your roommates often went to the Pelican Bar?"
Dean Meg saw Haina's sudden surprise, raised an eyebrow, and added: "Tell the truth."
"—Not often," Haina blurted out, "but they did go."
She almost immediately realized she had leaked a secret.
But in front of a superior on the Authority Path, she had no secrets to speak of.
"Did they invite you?"
"They invited me once, but I refused. After that, they didn't invite me anymore."
"Oh."
Meg said meaningfully: "No wonder you didn't know."
Didn't know… what?
"Do you know what they went to the Pelican Bar to buy?"
"Buy what…?"
Haina was a little confused.
"They went to buy cosmetics."
Meg directly stated the answer: "Potent cosmetics manufactured by Alchemists of the Stibium Kingdom. They can make the skin of a thirty or forty-year-old look as supple as a teenager's—though if you ask me, they are far from the age to need such Water Icosahedron. But it's normal for girls to be interested in this Water Icosahedron.
"Stibium's youth-preserving potions also sell very well. Although the side effects of youth-preserving potions can lead to physical weakness and noticeable muscle atrophy—even after my repeated warnings, some of my students still use them."
…Ah.
Haina suddenly understood.
—She just knew something was off!
She had always felt that the skin of those young ladies in the capital was incredibly supple and fair, as if one could pinch water from it. Even though they were all in the "Individual Tactics Department" and practiced sword fighting and horsemanship extensively, their hands had no calluses, and the skin on their thighs showed no signs of abrasion. Their waists were slender and soft, with no trace of muscle.
Haina had previously thought it was due to their natural talent and had felt a wave of inferiority—thinking she was too rustic, her body looking like someone who did farm work, too prone to building muscle.
Now she finally knew.
So, they were taking medicine!
"—Do you have anything to say?"
Just then, Dean Meg looked over with deep eyes, interrupting Haina's thoughts.
Her mind suddenly went blank.
I… what was I just going to say?
But the next moment, she vaguely caught onto something.
"Stibium Kingdom's Alchemy products should be illegal, right?"
She murmured: "Then they are smuggled goods… I understand, that's why they didn't invite me again. Because they knew I didn't have money.
"…No, isn't the Pelican Bar the gathering place for the Noble Red Society? Why can the Pelican Bar sell smuggled Alchemy products?"
She suddenly shivered, realizing: "Is the Noble Red Society involved in the smuggling case?
"No, that's not right—are they connected to the Stibium authorities?"
"Not too foolish after all."
Old Meg nodded in satisfaction.
Finally, she got to the point: "Our spy in Stibium has sent back important intelligence—"
"Wait, wait, am I qualified to know this…?"
Haina acutely sensed a strong feeling of crisis, muttering hesitantly in a voice only she could hear.
Meg completely ignored Haina, who had suddenly become timid again, and continued on her own: "A batch of high-power, small-sized portable Alchemy bombs has been transported to Avalon. The target should be Glass Island.
"The power of this batch of bombs is enough to blow up the entire Red Queen District. We had previously been unable to trace the influx of these bombs. But starting the day before yesterday, when investigating the Pelican Bar… the Inspectorate discovered that these bombs were transported through the Pelican Bar.
"The achievement you have achieved is much greater than you imagine."
Meg's gaze was as sharp as a hawk.
She laughed heartily, patting Haina's shoulder: "So, I'll give you a chance.
"This matter is being investigated by both the Inspectorate and the Arbitration Hall. Originally, your Supervisory Bureau wouldn't have access to such matters. But whether it's you, Sherlock, or that Aiwass, you all interest me greatly.
"I'll give you temporary authorization to investigate—if your Director has anything to say, tell him to come find me. Bring any Consultant you want to invite, give him whatever he wants, I'll reimburse; it's okay if you can't find anything, I'll cover it.
"I want to see if I misjudged you a few months ago. If you investigate important intelligence before we solve the matter…"
Meg said meaningfully: "I still have one last disciple position… I can save it for you."