Clatter.
The teacup on the table was sent flying by the furious young man.
"...You said you were spotted?"
The girl-shaped doll before him replied softly, "It was a type of magecraft I haven't seen before. Birds formed from chocolate."
"Are you kidding me? At a time like this?"
Felix's face emerged from the dim light. His features, usually graced with a sunny smile, were now twisted into a grimace.
The plan was so close to completion... and now this.
A vein throbbed on his forehead as his fingers drummed an impatient tap, tap, tap on the table. "You weren't followed back, were you?"
"No. There wasn't a living soul on the road."
"Good."
No sooner had the word left his mouth than Felix sprang to his feet and strode towards the telephone in the corner. The click-clack-whirr of the rotating dial broke the silence as the bulky machine whirred to life.
A few seconds later, a lazy young voice sounded from the receiver. "...Felix?"
"It's me."
"Yawn... What's up so late?" The voice was drowsy, punctuated by an audible yawn.
That languid tone only stoked the flames of Felix's anger higher.
"You have to help me. My movements have been discovered."
"Oh?" The voice on the other end perked up, suddenly sounding interested. "By whom?"
"I don't know. The other party used birds made of chocolate for reconnaissance."
"...Chocolate." The other boy muttered, his voice trailing off into silence.
The quiet stretched, pressing down on Felix. In the hush, the initial fury began to curdle, giving way to a trickle of panic rising in his chest.
If this got out... his family would...
After a long moment, a faint, thoughtful murmur came through the receiver. "...Birds of chocolate... how very fairy tale."
Felix's sharp ears caught the incredibly soft whisper. "Do you know who it is?!" he demanded urgently.
"No."
Liar.
His hand clenched tightly around the receiver, the sound of his gritted teeth clearly transmitted down the line. "You will help me. The Granville and Kingsfort families are allies."
"Fine, fine. If any related rumors pop up later, I'll help you suppress them," the boy's voice slid back into laziness.
"The identity of the other party..."
"I said I don't know, so I don't know."
"...I expect to hear no rumors about this later, Cedric Granville."
"Understood."
Click.
The call ended.
The hand holding the receiver jerked upwards, freezing mid-air.
This was a public phone. Smashing it would make far too much noise.
His suspended arm slowly lowered. Felix gripped the handset tightly, his expression darkening further.
That bastard Cedric clearly knew the identity of the other party but refused to say...
Had he already been discarded? If this act of attacking student dolls came to light, everything he'd done up to now would become worthless.
The Academy would never allow someone with a stain like that to become the Wiseman.
His family would disown him for the disgrace... No, more likely, they'd clean house.
The panic in his heart now completely overshadowed his anger. Felix bowed his head, hands gripping his hair tightly.
Wait. He just needed to silence them.
It was as if he'd found a glimmer of hope. His head snapped up.
With Cedric, head of the Night Party Executive Committee, and himself, chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, working together, any rumors could be stifled before they spread. He just needed to find the person who knew.
He'd never seen magecraft like that in all his past semesters. In his search for better 'prey,' he'd investigated the entire student body.
Which meant... it was highly likely this magecraft belonged to a new student...
Felix's eyes narrowed gradually. The image of a girl with short black hair surfaced in his mind.
That new student who's always following Charlotte around...
'Don't blame me...' he murmured tonelessly, rising to his feet.
The plan would have to be implemented ahead of schedule.
"Let's go."
Felix turned and walked out of the Discipline Committee office, his doll following silently behind him.
The room plunged back into darkness, the air thick with the spreading scent of conspiracy.
--+--
Yawn...
Charlotte, or 'Charl,' slumped drowsily over her desk, her delicate profile resting on her arm.
"Are you alright, Charl?"
The young dragon crouched before her, lightly poking her shoulder with the tip of his tail.
Last night's commotion had been truly startling; his old bones nearly rattled apart.
Suigintou had appeared suddenly in their room, seemingly from nowhere.
Her black wings blotted out their view, just like the Grim Reaper come to harvest lives.
Without a single word, the black-winged reaper dragged them both from their beds and demanded they bring out all their Magic Circuits.
Charl lay sprawled on the floor, her brain still foggy with sleep, only vaguely catching the words '...bring out your Magic Circuits.'
Her bleary eyes suddenly sharpened with determination.
That petite frame erupted with surprising strength as she flung herself in front of the cabinet.
She spread her arms wide, shielding the family behind her protectively.
'I won't give them to you!' she declared firmly, her voice resolute.
In that moment, the girl in her nightgown and sleeping cap seemed to emit a dazzling light, like a knight of the holy land guarding her former family.
Perhaps because she wasn't fully awake, she even forgot to use her magical energy, relying solely on her fierce glare to search out the intruder.
And then, she caught sight of Suigintou.
In a flash, she was back under the covers.
And no amount of calling could coax her out.
Left with no choice, Suigintou enlisted Sigmund's help to move the Magic Circuits.
The two dolls bustled about deep into the night, going in and out of the N-Field.
They moved all the Magic Circuits to the room Charl used to occupy in the mansion.
Sigmund's back still ached a little; unable to use much of his power, he'd been stuck hauling things in his juvenile dragon form.
Suigintou, seemingly venting her anger at being woken in the middle of the night, hadn't lifted a finger to help him.
"Ugh..." As if recalling the embarrassing scene from last night, Charl buried her face deeper into the crook of her arm.
She let out a small, pained whimper, her earlobes turning bright red.
"Charlotte."
Professor Kimberley's voice sounded near her ear. The blush on Charl's face vanished instantly.
The professor with fiery red hair stood in the doorway, beckoning to her.
Puzzled, Charl got up and walked over. As she drew closer, several students wearing armbands came into view outside the door.
Disciplinary Committee members.
So soon. It seemed they'd really struck a nerve with the culprit.
She sauntered forward with an air of nonchalance, her relaxed demeanor raising a questioning eyebrow from Kimberley.
Thanks to Alice's prior instructions, she felt no nervousness facing this sudden development.
"They're here on business concerning you. It seems related to the 'Cannibal,'" Kimberley explained, stepping aside after introducing them.
Charl nodded, her gaze settling on a bespectacled young woman at the head of the group.
Lisette Norton. The aide to the Disciplinary Committee chairman, Felix, and the same woman who had delivered the report to him at the scene.
"Miss Charlotte, we've received a report suggesting you have a significant number of Magic Circuits in your room," Lisette stepped forward calmly, raising her arm to point towards the dormitories.
She wore the gloves symbolizing her participation in the Night Party.
"And since the Magic Circuits from the dolls attacked by the Cannibal have all disappeared, would you—"
"Of course."
Before Lisette could even finish her sentence, Charl's straightforward agreement cut her off.
...Just like that?
Lisette froze on the spot. She had expected at least some questioning in return.
Charl gave a nod to Kimberley, then started walking towards the dormitories.
A necklace set with a purple gem twirled in her hand. After a few steps, she glanced back over her shoulder at Lisette, who was still rooted to the spot. "Aren't you coming?"
"..."
Lisette narrowed her eyes slightly, then motioned for the other Disciplinary Committee members to follow as she fell in step behind Charl.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.