"Sire..."

Only one person addressed me in this manner. A man who could easily crush Koenig von Raun without breaking a sweat. How could I have forgotten about him? Was it because I'd been told he went to Europe? But he could have returned at any point.

And it seemed that he had.

Not only had he returned, but he was also observing me without detection. The realization sent shivers down my spine, each one as big as a quail egg. There were many dangers in this world, with Breakthroughs alone being extremely perilous. But the intense anxiety, bordering on primal fear, was stirred only by him.

A man who had lived for over two centuries. The Legate of the Holy See. A dark adept beyond any rank.

Abel de Diaz.

The same man who believed I was the reincarnation of his distant ancestor.

His psyche was an enigma, not only to me but also to the experts at the House on the Hill. Even Zanh Kiem threw in the towel when it came to understanding him. The one consolation was that Abel did not consider me an enemy. A small comfort, given the unpredictability of his actions, even if he considered you a friend.

The assassination of Koenig von Raun made it clear that the Legate had no inhibitions. What if he decided to kill Christian or Claire tomorrow, interpreting their jokes as insults to "his king"? Still, I found that difficult to believe. Abel de Diaz's thought process was a mystery to me, but he wasn't a senseless madman. Even von Raun's elimination had its own logic - brutal, assertive, but decipherable.

Should I try to signal him and arrange a meeting? Have a talk? Clear up any misunderstandings? No, I wasn't prepared for such a conversation. I didn't know what to say or how to reach him.

Damn! I thought this morning couldn't get any worse, and now...

Enough! Enough with the panic.

Even if the Legate was watching me, what would it change? Virtually nothing; I always acted as if under constant surveillance. The fact that it wasn't mere paranoia didn't change much. However, I knew that eventually, I would have to meet Abel de Diaz and have an honest conversation with him. Not now, but when I was fully prepared for it.

After lingering on the bench a bit longer, I slowly rose and began to aimlessly wander. In truth, I yearned to shift into the Break, retreat to a hidden cave on the coast, and stay there until sunset. But giving into that desire would be weak and cowardly, so I did the opposite. If the Legate was watching me, let him see that it didn't bother me much. I sincerely hoped my stride reflected that of a confident man with nothing to worry about.

I was grateful that Gabriel had granted me the day off - I doubted I would have been able to sit through lectures patiently and attentively. On the other hand, wandering the scenic paths of the university island felt almost second nature to me.

Having somewhat calmed down, I shot a text to Christian and Claire, informing them of my discharge and day off, assuring them not to worry about me, and that we would catch up at lectures tomorrow.

As I walked past the cafeteria, I casually glanced at my neck in the mirror. A faint trace of the Count's handprint remained and wouldn't fade until tomorrow. This meant that I couldn't enter the Break today, as those markings would vanish. Gabriel would undoubtedly notice the change, possibly leading his thoughts in a direction that would be inconvenient for me. As a result, my visit to the Abode of Knowledge had to be postponed again.

That was disappointing.

I'd genuinely wanted to talk to Zanh Kiem, not as a Maker, but as a friend.

With gritted teeth, I stepped away from the mirror, adjusting my hair. Alright, it wasn't the first time I'd had to figure things out alone; I could manage.

I continued to wander until late evening, not halting anywhere. By that time, I'd completely calmed down and organized my thoughts. I must concede, as much as the Legate's sudden intervention frustrated or scared me, it allowed me to navigate the situation with minimal losses. Yes, a man had died, but I would have killed him in a duel anyway. So, Koenig von Raun wasn't destined to survive the day either way.

In reality, the only setback was that a few people discovered that I was a new, extremely weak sensum. Was that a problem? A minor one, easily rectifiable. A sensum of the lowest level, or a Feeler as they are referred to here, can hardly do anything; their abilities are minimal. Actually, my powers are of the next rank, but due to the nature of my Spark, it's nearly impossible to discern. I might even be able to turn the revelation of this secret to my advantage. After all, it's commonly believed that a person can only possess one gift, and that they can't be combined. Meaning, a sensum can neither be a shapeshifter nor a raig. Therefore, if anyone outside suspects me of being a Break Knight, then upon learning about my sensum abilities, they'd be compelled to dismiss their suspicions.

It seemed that if I put in the effort, I could spin this situation to my advantage. Perhaps it would even be wise to heed the advice of the head doctor and officially certify myself as a sensum. A large attestation happens only once a year in August, but smaller committees convene quarterly. It would be worthwhile to seriously consider signing up for one of these tests.

After my lengthy stroll, I headed back to the dormitory. I hoped to chat with the superintendent and inconspicuously inquire about Gabriel's probing into my matters. Unfortunately, this conversation didn't occur, as his substitute was on duty that night. No matter, I could always speak with him another time; it wasn't that crucial. I was merely curious.

Once I reached my room, I tidied up the clutter that had accumulated over the days. After taking a shower, I headed for bed. It was still relatively early, but I felt overwhelmingly tired. Perhaps it was due to the stress, or possibly the effects of the Seer's healing, I wasn't sure. However, my eyes were shutting involuntarily. I didn't resist this urge, wrapping myself in a thin blanket, and drifted into a dreamless light sleep.

My slumber was so deep that I ended up sleeping for almost twelve hours. Even the escalating sound of my alarm managed to rouse me only after a minute. After getting dressed, I made sure to wrap the count's scarf around my neck. I had to admit, he had quite a knack for taste. This accessory, gifted by him, paired well with nearly any outfit. Satisfied with my appearance, I adjusted the scarf to completely conceal the bruising, packed up swiftly, and headed down to the central hall.

Mr. Redtliff had already taken over the desk but was occupied with reprimanding the cleaner. I waited patiently, pretending to sort through my study folder. When the superintendent finally had a moment, I gathered my papers and was about to approach him when someone called for him. With a wave of his arms, he disappeared into the back room. No luck yet again. But that didn't mean I would give up that easily. If not now, then later, but it was crucial to speak with him. With that determination in mind, I set off for class.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Sh-h-h-h!" I hadn't even reached the academic building when Christian called out from the bushes.

Veering off the path, I peered behind the shrubbery. Not only was the dark-haired guy hiding there, Claire was with him too.

"What are you two up to?" I couldn't resist asking.

"Have you seen the latest news?" Christian replied, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"No." It was the truth; I hadn't perused any news sites that day.

"Catch!" Claire thrust her phone into my hand.

The university's website was displayed on the screen, specifically, a news article. The headline read, "Third-year military department student, Koenig von Raun, dies in accident." What followed were words of condolences and a statement assuring that this case will be thoroughly investigated. It promised that the university administration would prevent a recurrence of such incidents, followed by the usual formalities. After reading, I handed back the phone. Just as I did so, Christian leaned in to whisper loudly in my ear.

"Do you understand what that means? Do you understand?!!"

"The military department, they sometimes spar there with real weapons, and that can be dangerous," I reply, maintaining utter seriousness.

"What?" The black-haired lad recoiled from me.

"Oh... He's just teasing you," Claire nudged the dark-haired guy with her elbow. "Of course, Izao understands."

"So?" I look at them blankly. "We are under the count's patronage; we were publicly insulted and humiliated. Then the one who committed such an unforgivable error suddenly died." I shrug. "Are you really surprised by this outcome?"

"But..." Christian started to say something, but he stopped himself abruptly and scratched his head furiously.

"Exactly!" The redhead patted him on the shoulder. "Take Izao as an example. No need to panic."

"Aren't you scared now?" Having ceased scratching, the black-haired lad spoke. "I always thought of Gabriel Mustiel as a progressive aristocrat, a liberal, and now... cold-blooded murder!"

"What's so scary?" I began to soothe Christian. "The fact that the count is dangerous, I think we all knew that. That he shouldn't be deceived, betrayed, or simply made an enemy was also clear. Nothing has changed for us; we've even become more protected from other nobles' abuses. Am I wrong?"

"But to kill so easily, over such a minor incident..." The black-haired lad drawled in doubt; he simply didn't see the whole picture and was unconscious while everything was happening.

"That Koenig von Raun," I gritted my teeth, "hit a girl twice." Holding back the wave of anger, I added more calmly: "He hit Claire twice. Hit her just because he felt like it. And now he's dead. Now, ask me if I truly care about this."

"Um-m-m..." Once again, Christian found himself at a loss for words, correctly guessing my answer.

"I'm fine," Claire dismissed. "I've always been mouthy, and I'm used to it sometimes landing me in trouble." Despite this, I could tell she was a bit pleased that I had tried to defend her. Just a bit. "Christian, get a grip!" she continued. "We can't show that any of us are unhappy about something. We were wronged. The wrongdoer met an unfortunate end. That's all! The incident is closed."

"I agree." I gave Claire a thumbs-up when the black-haired lad wasn't looking.

"Okay." The boy waved his hand. "You've convinced me. Nothing unusual happened; I was just imagining things."

"That's the spirit! Now come on, we're late for class!" With that, Claire ushered us out of the bushes.

Today's first lecture was in advanced mathematics, and it was so intense that we hardly had time to think about anything else. However, the conversation behind the bushes with my classmates made it clear that neither Claire nor Christian knew many of the details about yesterday's incident. This didn't exactly please me, but it did offer some relief because it was much easier than if they knew everything.

Our subsequent lecture was led by the Count, and I must admit, I approached it with a hint of trepidation. However, Gabriel proceeded with the class as if the incident had never occurred, concisely imparting the curriculum to us. Afterwards, he refrained from any reprimands and promptly bid us farewell before making his exit. Claire interpreted the Count's demeanor as a clear indication that he was leaving the incident behind, with no desire to revisit the matter. Christian cautiously expressed hope that this was indeed the case. I was sure the situation wasn't quite as straightforward, but I chose to keep my thoughts to myself, not wanting to unsettle my classmates.

Post lecture, we had a leisurely hour break and Claire suggested we grab a bite at one of the local cafes instead of the canteen, as a mini celebration for having escaped lightly. I was all for it, but Christian claimed he was swamped and quickly disappeared.

"If things keep going this way..." Claire muttered, her gaze trailing after the retreating figure of our black-haired friend. "Mary will have him wrapped around her finger in no time."

"Do you reckon he's off to a date?" I asked for clarification.

"Nah," Claire shook her head, "More like he's hoping to run into her post-lecture and charm her into a stroll." She clicked her tongue then added, "Our poor little crow is utterly smitten."

As I wasn't particularly invested or interested in tracking Christian's love life, I couldn't offer any counterarguments or affirmations.

"Whatever happens, we'll have his back," I shrugged. I've had to aid friends through heartbreak more times than I can count in my past life.

"We'll back Christian and give that chick a piece of our mind, yes!" The redhead nodded emphatically.

"Chick?"

"If she gives our little crow the cold shoulder, she's a chick," she added with a knowing wink, "and if things go smoothly, then she's sweet Mary."

"I see, quite the master of double standards, aren't you?" I couldn't resist the comment.

"Oh, I'm full of surprises!" Her smile then seemed somewhat savage.

"No doubt."

Responding in as neutral a tone as I could muster, I attempted to distance myself from the girl, but she suddenly latched onto my elbow with her left hand, raising her right fist in the air.

"Uru-ru-ru!" She cheered, "Let's go, yum yum! Greek salad, here I come!"

The cafe Claire picked was among the priciest on the island, but I didn't mind as the food was on par with respectable city restaurants. The few fellow patrons, all shapeshifters, initially cast curious glances our way, but upon spotting our badges, accepted our presence as a norm in such an elite setting. It was a clear display of class segregation. Most ordinary folks live in a way that they barely notice it. It's always been this way, and over time, people have learned to instinctively steer clear of places and situations where such segregation is evident. These nuances are glaringly obvious to me, someone from another world. Yet, if the books Izao read are to be believed, conditions were far worse half a century ago. The world is evolving, even in the absence of any cataclysms, and I can perceive this transformation more lucidly than the locals.

The main issue with the Treaty was whether to extend it or sever it. On one hand, I was acutely aware of the vast gap between our world and even formal equality. However, on the other hand, it was evident that civilization was inching in the right direction. Although the pace was sluggish, the direction was unmistakably progressive. Should I risk disrupting this by terminating the Treaty? Moreover, I knew that true equality was a myth, even in a world devoid of shapeshifters and sensums. If I merely prolonged the Treaty, the status quo would persist, and blood-based segregation could endure for several more decades. Yet, breaching the Treaty might ignite a global civil war with an unpredictable death toll. Plus, there's no guarantee that a fairer world order would emerge post-war.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," I mused aloud.

"Eh?" Claire, who was busy devouring a generous serving of ice cream, looked puzzled.

"How accurate do you think that adage is?"

"One hundred percent!" The redhead confidently responded, scooping a spoonful and raising it above the table. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Breaking things can be fun sometimes!" Claire licked her lips, her gaze lingering on the dwindling dessert.

One thing was certain - if I initiated the "breaking," it would be anything but fun. As I contemplated this, Claire polished off her ice cream, savoring the last bits with her spoon. Watching her indulge seemed to tap into some primal instinct within me, sweeping away all thoughts as if whisked away by a skilled janitor's broom.

"Why are you suddenly curious about this?" The girl inquired, setting her spoon aside.

"Would you like more ice cream? It's on me," I deflected, changing the subject.

"No-o-o-o!" Claire theatrically clasped her hands around her waist. "That's dangerous!"

What a shame...