After Marcus had spoken, a few agents of the organization escorted him out of the Academy. Aldrin emphasized that no student or teacher of the Academy should learn that Marcus had been sent to prison.
This way, the little credibility the Royal Academy still had would be preserved—at least until Yutab was found.
Aldrin ordered several special rank-2 agents of the organization to search everywhere possible for Yutab's whereabouts. Meanwhile, Vantias and Aldrin began searching the headmaster's office for any kind of clue that might reveal Yutab's current location.
The room looked like a snowy field—papers scattered everywhere on the ground, books and objects thrown all around. After hours of searching, they had found nothing useful.
Exhausted, Aldrin leaned against the desk, while Vantias sat on the floor with his back to the wall. Both stared into the distance, their faces weary and hopeless.
Vantias glanced at Aldrin. He knew this was not the right time to speak, but he couldn't stop thinking about what he wanted to ask.
After minutes of inner struggle, Vantias finally broke the silence and said:
"Can I ask you a question? If it's alright."
"Yes, you can,"Aldrin replied.
Vantias hesitated briefly, then spoke:
"Ever since I learned that you could speak with the stars and draw knowledge from them… something has been bothering me."
Aldrin gave him a suspicious, curious look, narrowing his eyes:
"Does this have to do with Yutab?"
Vantias shook his head.
"No… it's about the time you accepted me as an agent in the organization. You agreed to it so easily… almost as if you already knew me. I've always wondered—did the stars tell you something about me?"
Sweat trickled down Vantias's forehead as he thought:
"Even the smallest piece of information about my past could make things worse for me…"
Aldrin took a deep breath, deciding this time to be honest.
"Yes… the stars sent me a revelation. And what they said could have several different meanings:
'One shall rise from among the dead,
The one who brings freedom to the world,
And who takes it away.
Truly, a prophet sent by the Creator.'"
Vantias's eyes widened. He rose to his feet, his hands trembling slightly. Aldrin remained calm as he continued:
"This revelation was given to me a year before I ever saw you."
Vantias stepped back, his thoughts racing:
"A year before… that means before my suicide, before I entered this world? Maybe time flows differently between worlds? But if that's true, then…"
Aldrin smiled softly.
"At first, I thought the revelation was mistaken, because normally visions came true within a month. But after a year had passed, I had almost lost hope—until…"
Vantias already knew what Aldrin was about to say. He stared at him, stunned, as Aldrin continued with calm conviction:
"Until the day I saw a group of adventurers… weary and broken, carrying the bodies of their fallen comrades into the church. At first, I had no intention of interfering—death is part of God's order. But then I heard an elf calling out your name, again and again: 'Please, Vantias, stay alive…' And in that moment, I understood the true meaning of the revelation: 'One shall rise from among the dead.'"
Aldrin lowered his head.
"And when you came to the church and showed me your awakened mark… that was when I knew for certain—you were the one."
Vantias frowned for a moment, as if realizing something, and said:
"Wait, that means you could have—"
Just then, an agent burst into the room, his face anxious yet somewhat relieved.
"Sir! We think we may have found Inspector Yutab's probable location!"
Aldrin immediately rose to his feet and hurried toward the agent, speaking quickly. Vantias followed close behind.
The agent, with black hair and eyes, thin hands, handed Aldrin a sheet of paper. Vantias allowed himself a faint smile as Aldrin began reading the letter. After a few minutes, Aldrin froze for a moment, deep in thought.
The letter read:
"According to my habit, I have returned to my birthplace… the place where a part of my memories forever remains. In that cursed mansion, there is no such thing as white life, only pain—and the comfort found within pain. – Marcus"
Vantias thought to himself:
"This is the letter I forged. I made sure to place it somewhere the agents would think they'd struggled to find it. It was a little difficult to copy Marcus's handwriting and plant it among his belongings, but now it's no problem."
Stepping forward, Vantias asked Aldrin with a tone of doubt and curiosity:
"Do you know where that could be? By 'birthplace,' does he mean the mansion where Marcus grew up?"
Aldrin slowly lowered the letter, still in shock but lost in thought. He finally whispered, repeating softly:
"Yes… yes, I know exactly where it is."
Aldrin and Vantias rushed out of the Academy. Aldrin said nothing further, only pressed forward. Some of the students glanced at them suspiciously as they hurried past.
Outside the Academy, a carriage awaited them. Built from dark-brown polished wood, it looked new—one of the kind used by nobles.
After they boarded, the carriage began moving out of the capital. Aldrin was still lost in thought, while Vantias noticed the worry on his face. With caution, he asked:
"You seem troubled after realizing Yutab might be in that mansion… Is there something about it that unsettles you?"
Aldrin emerged from his thoughts, lowered his head, and replied:
"That mansion… no. It's the Marcus family itself. In the past, some of them… they would take peasants inside, perform psychological experiments on them… even test medicines on their bodies."
Then Aldrin buried his head in his hands, overwhelmed, and said:
"Marcus… he never wanted to return to that place. But if the letter says he always went back there… it can only mean one thing…"