The sun was shining brightly from the ornate windows.

It was a beautiful day. A relief for my aching back. And a bigger relief to all of Humanity.

The Demon Lord had been defeated! Blackfist’s operation had bore fruit despite my impression of the contrary. May his soul return to the Great Flow.

That accursed demon had never set foot on the battlefield, unlike his predecessors, and yet he had proved himself to be the most devious and talented foe Humanity had ever faced. Poisoning wells or food, striking at the moment of weakness, corrupting key figures, allying with our foes… No lowness had been beneath him.

The spirits themselves had been quite excited about the news. There had been no chance of keeping the death of such a pivotal figure under wraps. In just two days, the ones who communed with spirits had confirmed the rumor.

What had looked like an uncertain failure turned out to be a great success.

This fortuitous event was cause for celebration. Unfortunately, today my mind was too overwhelmed by dark thoughts to rejoice.

I’m done for, I thought.

“Why so gloomy, Amadeus?” Asked Jalatine, reading my expression. “Aren’t you happy that Demon Lord Iktarioss passed away?” The Illusion magic instructor peered at me, raising her eyebrows in askance.

I returned my attention to the teacher’s meeting I was attending—in body but not in spirit. Everyone was too busy gossiping to talk about real work, anyway.

How long before Violet came back? Maybe I had still time to hide somewhere. I cast a quick glance at the door to the corridor. I just needed to find an excuse.

“I am, but…” I cleared my throat. “I… learned that I’ve sent one of our promising students to their death,” I revealed with gloom in my voice.

That drew a few stares in my direction. Why did it have to be him? I had even given him warning to be careful!

Why does nobody ever listens to warnings from more experienced mages with centuries under their belt.

“Anyways, isn’t it concerning that Demons haven’t deployed their abominations yet?” I added, to change the topic. “And the timing… it’s like something forced their hand to attack before they were ready.”

“One of our students?” Jalatine inquired, furrowing her eyebrows. “Who were they?”

Alas, I had failed to change topic. I let out a heavy sigh.

“Allen… Smith,” I said, recalling the man with light-brown hair and his deceptively serene expression.

“Ah! That guy!” The Healing instructor exclaimed, slapping a palm on the oaken table, a scowl stamped on his face. “A raving lunatic! Remember? The one who broke his own finger without batting an eyelid, just to ask me a practical demonstration?” He shook his head. " I shouldn’t have mentioned how it was easier to learn magical bone-setting by experiencing it oneself…" He grimaced, remembering something unpleasant. “He also had unnecessary opinions about first aid procedures. A disruptive presence.”

I stared at him for a moment. I hadn’t heard about the bone-breaking gossip yet. But I wasn’t surprised. My friend Vallachio had a tendency to favor talented yet abnormal students. But it wasn’t Vallachio’s reaction I was concerned about…

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“Allen? I remember that one,” Jalatine said. “He made quite a realistic impression of Vallachio during the illusory exam. Even with proper application of light absorption. How regrettable, he seemed promising… How did he die, Amadeus?”

Everyone’s gazes were boring a hole on me. I swallowed uncomfortably. I never liked being at the center of attention.

“Well,” I said fishing for words. “He was part of the support unit that joined the Black Guard in the attack two days ago. He wasn’t among the survivors when I reopened the portal. I know nothing more.”

Silence ensued.

“I heard from the Alchemist Guild that he had recently started an apprenticeship with Old Zavir,” said Lopu, the alchemy teacher. “Wasn’t he also the one working with Grohm? Did anyone tell him?” Lopu looked left and right in askance.

A that someone cleared his throat to catch our attention.

“Oh, I think he heard alright,” Ahnelm intervened. “I heard Grohm yelling from across the corridor… something like ‘What do you mean he’s gone?!’. I doubt he was complaining about the Demon Lord’s death.”

The angry-faced mage of fire and ice scratched, his beard. “He’s been locked inside his office ever since, and canceled all of his lectures.”

Grohm Khalkear, the renowned enchanter. Being an illustrious guest and temporary teacher, he wasn’t required to attend these meetings.

“I still don’t understand what the deal is with Student Allen,” Ahnelm wondered. “How did he catch the fancy of Vallachio and Violet so quickly while having barely walked beyond the first Step? And I’ve seen him frequently walking in and out of Grohm’s office…”

“Perhaps he’s privy to some secret knowledge…” Jalatine shot me a look. “Amadeus, you say you didn’t see him coming back,” She said, then looked away with a troubled expression. “Please tell me we didn’t consign someone with dangerous knowledge in the hands of Demons.”

My eyes grew wider. I had been so preoccupied about the other trouble, that I hadn’t even considered he could’ve been captured alive.

But what were the chances? Very slim, given how many had returned from that incursion.

“Are we talking about the student who had been granted the special dispensation?” Someone asked out loud.

“Ah! The loner student who doesn’t mingle with the others?”

“I know him! The suspicious foreigner! Who would believe he’s learning magic for the first time at his age? I bet he’s a spy.”

“First time? I thought he was merely obtaining the certifications to advance his studies.”

“Wasn’t he a Reincarnator?”

“His power and talents were lacking at that age, but he was a quick learn.”

I lowered my gaze to my fretful hands and tuned out the chatter. Violet was going to find out I had sent her latest toy to the slaughter. And perhaps a toy with dangerous knowledge to boot! Demons had ways to extract secrets from even the tightest lips.

Whether he was dead, or alive, my prospects looked rather grim. I should have refused to send him off.

As I would have done had I known what Blackfist was planning!

But nobody ever tells me anything! I scowled to myself, once again oblivious to my surroundings.

Perhaps she would be reasonable and understanding…

“By the way, what happened to Violet’s office?” Ahnelm asked. “I saw nothing amiss when I left yesterday, but I passed by this morning and there was a hole in the wall being inspected for repairs.”

My head shot up at that. She had already arrived. She had already found out. I felt my heart sinking.

I stood up. My instinct of self-preservation was telling me I had to leave, now!

“I, ah…” I muttered. “Have to check on something… urgently,” I said, hastily excusing myself and heading toward the doors.

The doors blew open all of a sudden. A woman with black hair in a bob cut walked in without knocking.

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My old weary heart skipped another beat. There she was. Violet Val Mariannet. She instantly fixed her pale blue eyes on mine. I could but stare back with my mouth agape, unable to move.

It’s over.

An endless breath passed as we both remained frozen in that stare.

“U-Uhm…” I said at last, breaking the silence and pointing at my right cheek. “You have something… on your cheek?” It looked like… blood?

She froze the smear, brushed it away, and incinerated the residuals mid-air. All in one swift motion.

“Amadeus,” She said with a voice colder than usual. “With me.”

Before I could complain, her hand clamped on my arm and she dragged me away.

Everyone in the room stared at us in silence as we left the room.

This was not how I had pictured my retirement.