"Priorities, such important things. They can make the difference between death and life after all. But man, do we never get them straight… Maybe that's what makes us human."—An observational Philosopher

A few hours before a scream pierced the air, and countless students lost their lives, a director of a certain academy rubs his eyes while walking back to his room.

'Its been a long day, I can deal with the rest of the issues tomorrow.'

Reynold opens the door and enters the familiarity of his room.

'I've only been here for a month or so, but this place really has become home.'

He smiles, and then takes a look at the towering stacks of paper on his desk, walks over to his bed, and plunges head-first onto it.

'I'm sorry tomorrow's me, but the me right now needs some rest.'

Reynold snuggles into the covers and closes his eyes. His figure, still fully clothed, peacefully lays on the bed for some time before a blaring alarm disturbs him.

'Is it already morning?'

He tries to ignore the alarm before noticing something odd.

'That's not my alarm clock, it's the alarm for a system failure. It's something I can't ignore then, isn't it.'

The director sits up and stretches, before going over to his desk and tapping it twice while mumbling. The center of the desk changes colors, and an interface starts scrolling.

Reynold's eyes widen as he sees the flashing warning.

'This… this could be a problem.'

Reynold runs over to his closet, opens it, and takes a cloak hanging on the rack, puts it on quickly, and takes the staff before closing the closet.

'According to the system, the forbidden sector has had a breach… was it Alex?'

Reynold thinks over what might have caused the containment failure.

'It doesn't really matter at the moment; if this gets out of hand, there could be some large issues.'

Reynold continues his speed walk out of his room and down the corridor.

'Well, if I have to be up this late, then I'm not going to be the only one!'

Reynold stands outside Bernhart's door and knocks loudly. Waiting a few moments yet not hearing anyone stir, he starts chanting.

"Domain of cold."

And starts lowering the temperature of the room. After only a few more moments, Reynold can hear some angry cursing and knocks on the door again.

"What's so important that you'd wake me up so soon after we had just been talking," Bernhart's voice slurs, clearly still in the process of waking up along with the rest of his body.

Reynold knocks again, knowing that it annoyed Bernhart while saying in an urgent voice, "Bernhart, you remember when you badgered the council into accepting the new energy program, as opposed to importing magic beast parts?"

Reynold can hear Bernhart stumble, and curse some more, before he responds, "It was the cheapest option, Reynold, the budget couldn't afford those imports anymore, and I'm proud that I was able to contribute to the school. What does that have to do with anything, though?"

"Well… We've been basing it in the forbidden research sector, and I just got an alarm at my office reporting a breach. So, get you're but out here and help me figure out what's going on, it is your project after all."

The cursing intensifies for a few moments, "I'll be right out, just wait a moment."

Bernhart, looking even more ragged than Reynold, exits his room.

"Well, let's get going then," Bernhart's expression portraying his annoyance with the situation.

Reynold nods and starts speed walking down the corridor.

'Should I get more professors… No, this should be good enough for a preliminary check.'

It would only be later that Reynold would regret his decision.

…

Leticia feels a familiar magic signature move beside her room.

Leticia yawns as she lifts herself up into a sitting position.

'I wonder what Reynold is doing up so early; he really treasures his sleep, so it's very odd.'

Leticia thinks for a few moments, before her eyes sparkle.

'If it even caused Reynold to get up, it must be something interesting.'

Leticia gets up and still dressed in her nightgown, leaves to follow Reynold from a distance.

Leticia had an abnormal childhood. She is the third princess to the western duchy yet had far more freedom than any of her peers. Some might think it was because of how far she was removed from succession, or possibly neglect, but in truth, neither of these assumptions are correct. Instead, her freedom in major part stemmed from her talent and constitution. It is said that in the past, all the families that served the emperor of old were given gifts fit to their station, and the current rulers of the western duchy trace their roots all the way back to one of those families. So do most of the other ruling classes of the now splintered kingdoms; that is where the contracts with the magic beasts are said to come from. A certain myth passed down in the family of the western duchy points at another gift, though, not to the main family but to the third brother of the ruling duke. Usually, in this position, one would have no chance of succeeding the title, but this man-made his worth in another way. He made a living as an assassin in service of the emperor, and that he was given the ability to intrinsically sense magic, though there is also some debate that it was only because of this ability that he was put in service of the emperor. On the suspicious death of his brother, this man was instituted as the new duke of the duchy. This myth is usually considered so by the family, though it did lead to some branch family members making a living as an assassin when asked they would sometimes reply that they had a natural affinity for the profession as if it were in their blood. Leticia, though, was proof that there might be more truth to the old story than meets the eye. This is not to say that Leticia is an assassin; far from it, her rambunctious personality wouldn't allow for such a thing. Her constitution and talent are what lends credence to the story, the same talent that her ancestor is supposed to have had, the ability to intrinsically sense magic. It is this ability that allowed her to evade punishment, her tutors, and all the faculty at the castle if she so-desired. By it, she escaped from the spartan and strict upbringing and education of her peers.

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Indeed, instead of assassination, she instead uses it to follow whatever fits her fancy.

Which, in this case, is Reynold.

'He looks kind of haggard, did he get any sleep at all?'

Leticia looks at her prey with gleaming eyes.

'Maybe I shouldn't interfere.'

Leticia considers it for a few moments.

'I'll just help him instead.'

Leticia smiles and remembers the first time she met him while sneaking along.

Leticia had first met Reynold when he was introduced to her as a tutor. Though she had hardly attended any of his lessons, the ones that she did make an impression on here. This, though, is not what sparked her current fascination with the man. That same fascination that currently annoys him incessantly. The same fascination that causes Reynold to look back on Leticia's scant presence before the event that changed their relationship with glee.

Leticia frowns.

'To be honest, it's a bit upsetting.'

Leticia looks around the corner she is using as her hiding place and continues her pursuit.

What had been a turning point in both Leticia's and Reynold's lives is something that is pretty commonplace within the court of the western duchy.

Assassination.

Maybe it's because of the myth of how that third brother probably came to power, but those same branch members that went into the assassin's trade tended to point their blades at the royal family.

This, of course, was routed out whenever possible, but some would make it through the cracks. These people always tended to make a ruckus, and there had been a few touch and go times when the magic beast had almost run wild but had been restrained by the contract. The reason for this is something that royal scholars had researched enthusiastically until they came up with a semi-satisfying answer.

If the assassin in question phrased their attack as a 'royal duel,' and was related to the royal family to a certain extent, then the magic beast, as per its contract, could do nothing. This is part of why the blood of the royal family is kept close, as is a practice seen in most families, in order to keep an eye on family members. Keep potential friends close, and potential enemies even closer, and potential assassins so close that they start to die of asphyxiation.

Perhaps it was because of how limited in freedom the branch members of the family were, but there would always be an attempt every couple of years, and the royal family stayed relatively the same size for it. A natural culling process of failed assassinations was made for the 'good' times, and a chaotic royal family for the bad.

It was when one of these assassins had heard of the talent that the third princess had, and felt threatened at it, and decided to take action that Leticia's life changed. It was a boring ceremony, rewarding Reynold for destroying some rogue magic beast or another when the bolt was fired and cut through the atmosphere aiming for the younger Leticia's head.

Reynold, almost on instinct, cast a barrier of earth, thereby saving Leticia's life, promoting the culling of another branch member, and adding to his already flowing accomplishments.

Needless to say, there was another award ceremony to award him for this deed as well.

'Though I'm pretty sure that if he knew how it would turn out, he wouldn't have protected me…'

Leticia frowns.

It was at the moment that the earth had blocked the arrow that Leticia had fallen for Reynold.

It was at the moment when she was told to recruit Reynold into the royal family that she started to pursue him.

It was at the moment when Reynold refused that she started to result to subterfuge.

Leticia smiles.

'Though I also have to admit that I probably have continued with this because it's fun to see his annoyed face.'

Reynold shivers and quickly turns around. Leticia, sensing this, ducks around a corner and stands still.

"I could have sworn…" Reynold says, confusion creeping into his tone.

"Well, I don't care if you could have sworn, don't we need to check on the containment failure ASAP?" Bernhart says, slightly worried at his friend's condition.

"Yes, yes. Let's get going then." The confusion does not leave Reynold's face, but he continues walking down the hallway, missing his pursuer by the nearest margin.

Leticia takes a deep breath in and then releases it slowly.

'That was close.'

She then continues her pursuit, with a bit more caution this time.

'I wonder what the next marriage plot should be…'

…

Reynold sneezes and makes to look behind himself again before shaking his head.

'I don't have any time to wasted on foolishness, even if I do feel like Leticia is just behind me, planning some plot again.'

Reynold shivers but continues walking.

Bernhart looks over to Reynold, a tinge of worry in his features, "Are you okay, Reynold? If you need some rest, I can get another teacher to look at the disturbance with me."

Reynold shakes his head, "I'm fine, Bernhart; besides, I have a duty to the students as a director. This is probably a simple system error after all, and if it isn't, I'm going to be needed there. Anyways, we're almost there."

A minute later, the pair, with one stalker in tow, come to their destination.

"Bernhart, didn't you say that your energy plan was completely safe," Reynold asks while pointing his staff in front of him.

"I did Reynold, and at the time, it was." Bernhart gets his staff at the ready.

Both of them then approach the door, which has been broken apart.

"At least now we know it's not a system error." Reynold chuckles darkly.

Bernhart nods, deciding to save his breath for whatever's ahead.

Reynold turns to the odd professor that he had been getting to know better and better over the past month, "Bernhart, although it would be quite comforting to have you come with me, something has clearly destroyed this door. One of us should check inside, and the other should gather the teachers for the worst-case scenario."

Bernhart nods his head again, "I believe I should be the one Reynold, I know the lab like the back of my hand."

Reynold ponders for a few moments.

"Okay then, I'll go gather the teachers." Reynold looks at Bernhart for a few moments, and then gives a firm nod, "Good luck."

"To you as well."

It is then that the two part ways, Bernhart into the belly of the beast of his own creation, and Reynold to gather the teachers.

…

Leticia pouts, seeing them go in different directions.

'I really wanted to see what's in there too…'

Leticia laments her situation, before following Reynold.

'Good luck in there, Bernhart, but I've got to follow Reynold, you'll never know what kind of trouble he'll get into.'

And with that, Reynold and his pursuer depart.