【Black Utopia】Consciousness Space Conference Room.
Beside the dark, circular table, three vague and distorted projections of consciousness hovered at this moment.
They represented, respectively, the Seventh Seat—a figure with indistinct features wearing a tall top hat in a shadowy outline; the leisurely-posed Adjutant; and Sefina’s “Ninth Seat” outline.
It was the Adjutant whose voice first sounded, neutral and low, distorted by the space:
“The item I asked you to watch for last time—I’ve confirmed it. It’s indeed inside Oselenka Academy. At present, it’s stored in the Academy’s Magical Artifact Storage Room.”
“Magical Artifact Storage Room?” The outline of the Seventh Seat quivered slightly, their surprised and uncertain voice tinged with gravity.
Sefina’s consciousness also fell silent, her mind quickly analyzing.
She’d heard of Oselenka’s Magical Artifact Storage Room before.
Not only was it tightly guarded, but it was also outfitted with intricate traps assembled from magical artifacts—its security level was extremely high.
Stealing something from there without a trace would be extraordinarily difficult.
The Adjutant’s next words drew the other two back from their thoughts:
“However, I’ve recently received word that Oselenka intends to transfer that artifact to royal custody soon. This might be your opportunity.”
Intercept midway? Sefina’s consciousness remained still, but her mind once again sped into overdrive.
It did seem much more feasible than forcibly breaking into the storage room.
Yet, since it was being sent to the royal family, the escort squad would certainly be large and formidable. It would require meticulous planning and powerful execution.
Moreover, the Adjutant had revealed little about the artifact itself—he seemed unclear about its exact effects, only that it was of ancient origin and might hold immense value or power.
“I’ll provide more detailed intel before the operation.”
The Adjutant’s voice held its usual indifference.
“Ninth Seat, Seventh Seat, you can preliminarily discuss possible directions for action. Remember, the primary objective is to acquire the artifact, and do so without exposing yourselves.”
“Understood,” the Seventh Seat responded in a low tone.
Sefina’s outline also shifted slightly, indicating acknowledgment.
Immediately, she turned toward the Seventh Seat, and, with a voice twisted by the spatial distortion, began to feign discussion—debating preliminary plans such as choosing an ambush site, allocating personnel, and planning retreat routes.
Her tone was cool and objective, as if wholly focused on completing the mission.
***
The next day, Sefina finished teaching her class of Elemental Faction students as usual. Hugging her lecture notes, she walked along the academy’s familiar corridors toward her office.
Sunlight streamed through stained glass windows, casting colorful patterns across the floor, but she had no leisure to appreciate them now.
Her mind was fixed on the mission she had received in the consciousness space last night.
According to the Adjutant’s information, the official escort for the artifact was scheduled for three days later.
But to be safe, she decided to scout out the Magical Artifact Storage Room’s vicinity tonight, to probe the situation firsthand.
Relying on her stealth skills and some magical artifacts Nona had tinkered together, Sefina was confident she could, at the very least, figure out the pattern of the guards’ shift changes and the possible range of magical wards, all without being discovered.
Although Nona’s experiments often resulted in mishaps, her finished products were actually quite reliable.
Thus, for Sefina, quietly sneaking into the Magical Artifact Storage Room might even be easier than intercepting the escort squad en route.
At the same time, she was sorting through clues about the Seventh Seat’s identity.
Yesterday, she had Lisika and the others secretly investigate—attempting to indirectly pin down the true identity of the Seventh Seat.
The Seventh Seat was proficient in both elemental magic and summoning. In theory, either Elemental Faction or Summoning Faction instructors at Oselenka could be suspects.
As for instructors of other disciplines…the scope was too broad, so she decided not to prioritize them for now.
That meant teachers who had joined the academy at the same time as her—such as Sharina, Clyde, and the like—all landed on the list of suspects.
“Bang—!”
“Ah!”
Lost in thought, Sefina rounded a corridor corner and collided headlong into someone coming the other way.
The stack of documents in the other person’s arms scattered everywhere, fluttering down like snowflakes.
Sefina snapped back to her senses and hurried forward to steady the person she’d bumped, who had staggered from the impact.
“Are you alright?” she asked, glancing down at the other person.
It was a quiet-looking black-haired girl with two braided pigtails and a flustered expression.
Sefina recognized her immediately—
Sharina’s teaching assistant, Filiel.
“Ah, I’m—I’m fine.”
Filiel quickly got to her feet, neglecting her skirt as she hurriedly bent down to pick up the scattered papers, her movements a bit frantic.
Sefina also crouched down at once to help gather the pages.
“You’re delivering materials to Teacher Sharina?” Sefina asked casually.
Filiel nodded, accepted the last few papers Sefina handed over, cradled them in her arms, and then hastily tossed out a line:
“Thank you, Teacher Sefina, I have to go!”
With that, Filiel lowered her head and hurried away.
Sefina watched Filiel’s almost-running retreat, feeling a bit puzzled:
Is this child…just too shy?
Yet this brief interlude, like a pebble dropped into a lake, sent ripples spreading in her mind.
A new idea quietly took shape—
Directly investigating the veteran teachers was difficult and risked alerting them.
Perhaps…she could start with those close to them? For example, their teaching assistants?
These students might unintentionally notice some unusual behaviors or details about their instructors…
***
Time passed quietly, and night blanketed Oselenka Academy.
A tall figure, blending with the shadows like a ghost, appeared near the ancient building at the heart of the academy—the location of the Magical Artifact Storage Room.
She had a mane of moonlit, snow-white hair, and ice-blue eyes sharp as a hawk’s in the darkness.
It was Sefina in her “Holmes” transformation.
She hid within the building’s shadows, observing patiently.
When she saw the two guards at the storage room entrance complete their shift change and the new guards grow a little lax, starting their routine patrol, she made her move.
Gliding like a specter through moonless corners, slipping through blind spots in the guards’ lines of sight, Sefina pressed herself against the door to the storage room—a door engraved with protective runes.
At some point, a metal plate engraved with intricate patterns had appeared in her hand. She pressed it lightly against an inconspicuous spot on the lock.
A faint glow flickered over the runes, and a nearly inaudible “click” came from the lock.
Carefully, she pushed open a gap just wide enough for a person to slip through, and in a flash, she vanished into the darkness beyond the door.
She immediately closed the door behind her, all without making a sound.
It looked like she had smoothly slipped inside, but the real challenge was only just beginning.
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