The academy had shifted.
Not in sound—
but in weight.
Festival preparations filled every corridor.
Schedules posted. Assignments revised. Movements tightened.
Everything was leading somewhere.
Lunivara walked through it without pause.
Steady.
Composed.
[Everything is aligning too quickly.]
When she entered the club office, Jude was already there.
Papers spread across the table in uneven stacks.
"…This is getting out of hand," he muttered, flipping through a document.
"…It's only going to get heavier," Lunivara said.
Jude glanced at her.
"…You say that like it's supposed to comfort me."
"…It's not."
A small pause.
Leontius stood near the center table.
Calm.
Unaffected by the visible pressure.
He placed a document down.
"…Update."
Jude sighed.
"…Alright, what now?"
"…The royal family will be attending the arena events,"
Leontius said.
A brief pause.
Jude leaned back slightly.
"…Well… that's expected."
He tapped the paper lightly.
"…It's their festival anyway."
"…And their money," he added.
"…Which means everything becomes more visible," Leontius replied.
"…So we just don't mess up," Jude said.
"…Yes."
Simple.
Clear.
Lunivara remained quiet.
Her gaze rested on the paper for a moment—
just a moment—
before shifting away.
A short silence followed.
Leontius spoke again.
"…During the arena events—"
He paused.
Just slightly.
"…you won't be here."
Jude blinked.
"…Wait—what do you mean?"
Lunivara answered calmly.
"…I might be needed somewhere else during that time."
Jude frowned.
"…So you're getting reassigned?"
"…Maybe."
A small pause.
"…It happens."
Jude leaned back with a sigh.
"…That's annoying. You're basically keeping half this organized."
"…It'll still run," Lunivara said.
Leontius's gaze stayed on her a second longer than usual.
"…Even so," he said quietly,
"…removing you would be inefficient."
A faint pause.
Lunivara met his gaze briefly.
"…It's not always about efficiency."
Jude looked between them.
"…Okay… now I definitely feel like I missed something."
"…You didn't," Lunivara said.
"…You always say that."
Elsewhere—
Cedric stood in a quieter corridor.
Away from the noise.
But not removed from it.
A sword club member stood in front of him.
"…Confirm again," Cedric said.
"…Lunivara is assisting the club."
"…Yes, Your Highness."
"…Handling documents and coordination?"
"…Yes."
A pause.
"…I see."
His tone remained cold.
Measured.
"…Continue as you are."
"…Understood."
The member left quickly.
Cedric remained still.
[Still within limits.]
His gaze shifted slightly.
Not toward people.
But toward something less visible.
Something that didn't fully align.
Back in the club room—
Jude stretched, exhaling.
"…So—more work, less room for mistakes, and you might disappear during the main event."
He looked at Lunivara.
"…Anything else I should mentally prepare for?"
"…The dock incident still isn't resolved," she said.
Silence.
Leontius spoke, quieter this time.
"…It hasn't ended."
Jude groaned.
"…Right. That too."
He leaned back in his chair.
"…Everything just keeps stacking, doesn't it?"
"…Yeah," Lunivara said softly.
A small pause.
"…It does."
The room fell quiet again.
Not empty.
Just… steady.
Because now everything was lining up at once:
the festival
royal presence
shifting roles
the unresolved disturbance
and something still unseen
And none of it had revealed itself yet.
End of Chapter 25