The flight performance of the glider depended heavily on the natural wind.
If the wind was too weak, there wouldn’t be enough lift to take off. If the wind was too strong, the glider could easily spiral out of control—or even suffer structural damage, the consequences of which were unimaginable.
However, Sefina had taken this into account. In situations with no wind or insufficient wind, she could briefly cast a low-level wind spell, generating an updraft or thrust in front of or beneath the glider to bypass the limitations of natural wind.
While this would continuously consume her mana, as an emergency escape tool, it was more than sufficient.
The night wind brushed Sefina’s cheeks, bringing a cool sensation. She glanced back at the mountain peak, now blurred in the distance, making sure that Rofilia was not pursuing her. Only then did she finally breathe a little easier.
Though this was a risky attempt, she’d managed to escape, and even further confirmed just how troublesome Rofilia truly was.
Sefina adjusted her direction, guiding the glider toward a more secluded and safe area. Her white figure gradually merged into the boundless night.
***
[Black Utopia] Consciousness Space
It was the day after Sefina’s narrow escape from Rofilia.
By the round table, three indistinct figures stood quietly—those who had taken part in the failed operation the night before: the Seventh Seat, the Deputy, and Sefina.
The atmosphere was noticeably heavier than usual. The theme of this meeting was obvious: it was a summary of last night’s failed attempt to seize the magic artifact.
With a bit less luck, they might even have faced repercussions from the organization.
Especially for Sefina—on the surface, her assigned role had been to provide support from the outskirts during the operation.
But Sefina had almost entirely observed from the sidelines, outwardly contributing nothing, which undoubtedly increased her risk of being questioned.
The Deputy’s voice, distorted by spatial magic, was the first to break the silence.
His tone remained as calm as ever, betraying neither anger nor disappointment over the operation’s failure: “The operation failed. The target magic artifact had already been moved by Rofilia in advance. The escort last night was a trap from start to finish.”
“My apologies, Deputy. It was my negligence for failing to see through their preparations beforehand, causing the organization’s loss and costing us some manpower,” the Seventh Seat said.
The blurry outline of their figure quivered slightly, their voice carrying a hint of heaviness as they took primary responsibility.
The loss they referred to, of course, was the lower-level members captured by the Patrol.
Sefina followed suit, echoing in her own spatially-distorted voice with a formulaic apology: “I regret not being able to provide effective assistance, Deputy.”
Yet, to Sefina’s surprise, the Deputy neither rebuked nor pressed the matter as she’d anticipated.
The shadowy outline beneath the high top hat shifted slightly, his voice still calm: “It’s all right. Since it was Rofilia herself who orchestrated this, given her cunning and strength, successfully stealing the magic artifact was nigh impossible. This failure is understandable.”
He paused, then emphasized: “What matters most is that neither of your identities was exposed. As long as our foundation remains secure, there will be another opportunity.”
Sefina’s consciousness, concealed beneath her blurry form, secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, the Deputy seemed to value long-term infiltration more, and didn’t dwell on this setback—saving her considerable trouble.
The Deputy continued, “For a while, I’ll need to head to the Western Continent to deal with some matters and assign tasks to the other cadres. During this period, I won’t be in the Erian Empire.”
This news caused a subtle stir in Sefina’s heart.
With the Deputy gone, the organization’s direct oversight inside the Empire would be greatly reduced.
“In addition,” the Deputy gave another order, “after last night’s operation, Oselenka and even the capital will surely raise their vigilance to a new level. The grass has already been startled, and the snakes are wary.
“Seventh Seat, Ninth Seat—your next mission is to completely lay low. Continue your disguises and infiltration within Oselenka. Unless new orders are issued, do not take any action that could arouse suspicion. Accumulate your strength and await the next opportunity.”
“Understood,” the Seventh Seat replied, voice low.
“As you command, Deputy,” Sefina immediately acknowledged. Lying low was precisely what she wanted.
The meeting in the consciousness space ended quickly, and the three blurry figures faded away one after another.
Withdrawing from the consciousness space, Sefina’s mind returned to her body. She slowly opened her eyes. Night still hung heavy outside the window; it was a deep, silent midnight.
She sat up from the soft, large bed, stretching lazily as her joints made faint, crisp sounds.
“Hoo—” Sefina let out a long sigh.
The incident over the magic artifact was finally at a temporary close.
All in all, though the process had been rather dangerous—especially that final encounter with Rofilia, where she’d nearly lost everything—the result was still satisfactory.
She had not only successfully misled the organization and weakened part of its strength, but also managed to preserve her own identity.
“Luckily I was well prepared, with enough escape tools…”
Sefina muttered to herself. Recalling the thrilling scene from last night, she still felt a lingering sense of dread.
Rofilia’s strength was even greater than she’d estimated. Next time, she’d have to ask Nona to prepare a few more smoke bombs or other similar alchemical tools—just in case.
After getting out of bed, Sefina walked over and sat down at her desk. She picked up her familiar quill, dipped it in ink, and began writing a letter to her dear friend Theresa far away.
[To Theresa: I hope this letter finds you well. Is the southern sunshine still as warm as I remember?
There’s been a bit of… let’s say, ‘excitement’ here lately. Things have been rather unsettled outside the academy, and there was a small commotion the other night.
The news made its way into the academy and stirred up some minor discussions, but it hasn’t affected daily classes. The students were quickly distracted by new lessons and upcoming activities.
Speaking of students, the new assistants I’ve recruited have been quite capable.
Mia is still as energetic as ever. She sometimes does things that are equal parts amusing and exasperating, but she handles her work efficiently.
Kefi is diligent and meticulous, keeping all the paperwork perfectly organized.
Ellaria… mm, her Highness the princess has become much steadier lately. At the very least, she no longer panics and runs away at the sight of me as she once did.
Sefina]
Finishing the last word, Sefina gently blew the ink dry, folded the letter with care, and slid it into an envelope.
After this daily ritual, she unconsciously raised her head, her gaze drifting past the desk to rest on the calendar hanging near the wall clock.
Seeing the circled date, she froze for a moment, then realized—
“Judging by the date, it seems… the Magic Festival is coming soon.”