(Arin's POV)
The morning sun penetrated the high stained-glass windows, refracting colorful light onto the dusty old oak floor.
The Secret Archive Room in the Third Floor Library had a very distinct aroma. It was a mix of decaying paper, dried ink, and expensive silence that could only be bought by a handful of people. This was a place where time seemed to move slower, isolated from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.
I sat in a plush leather chair, an Academy Daily newspaper spread out before me.
Thick black ink on the front page shouted loudly:
[SECTOR 9 SCANDAL: VESPER DISHONORABLY EXPELLED!]
[Duke's Son Karl Benzzi Takes Sick Leave Due to 'Post-Incident Emotional Trauma'.]
"Emotional trauma..." I muttered cynically, folding the newspaper slowly. "Very polite language for 'acute mental breakdown from being betrayed by his own brother'."
I placed the newspaper on the table. I should have been happy. My lips should have been smiling widely and celebrating this victory. Vesper, the brain behind all those murder plans, was now on his way to military prison with iron chains wrapped around his legs. Karl, the main antagonist, was curling up in his room, losing face and power.
We won. Technically.
However, my heart could not be calm. The shadow of the events in the courtroom yesterday still haunted me like a hungry ghost.
Elian Delphine's sarcastic applause still rang in my ears. His thin smile as he took out the oxygen capsule, and his deadly argument about Entrapment, kept spinning in my head.
If Prince Albert hadn't broken in with the sledgehammer of authority, I was sure Elian would have succeeded in turning the tables. He didn't lose the debate against me. He lost due to force majeure, due to the absolute power of the kingdom that didn't care about logic.
Intellectually, I lost completely to him.
"You are frowning again, Arin. Your face looks like a grandfather who lost his dentures."
Rose Carlos's lazy voice pulled me back to reality.
I turned. The scene in this archive room was truly absurd if thought about. At a large round table, sat a group of humans who should never have united in one frame.
On my left, Erika was burying her face among thick books titled Advanced Mana Theory: Double Circuits. Her black hair was messy, and two wads of tissue stuffed her nostrils. It was a preventive measure because she was afraid of getting a nosebleed again from forcing her brain. Thanks to VIP access from Elena, Erika could now touch books she could only dream of before.
Across the table, Elena Rhyms sat with perfect upright posture. She held a porcelain teacup gracefully, sipping it soundlessly. However, the aura around her was very cold. Her golden eyes stared blankly at the bookshelf, but I knew she wasn't looking at books. She was replaying the events in court, angry at herself for being cornered by Elian's argument.
And in the corner of the room, on a red velvet sofa... were Rose and Tom.
Rose was sitting casually with legs crossed on a small table. In her hand, she held a small dagger, peeling an apple skin with terrifying yet artistic movements.
While Tom Garius... he sat on the floor, near Rose's feet.
"Thinner, Tom. You are peeling grape skin, not skinning a monster," ordered Rose while kicking Tom's shoulder gently with the tip of her shoe. "Do not waste the fruit flesh."
"Y-Yes, Lady Rose..." answered Tom resignedly. He was holding a grape with trembling hands, trying to peel its thin skin using a fruit knife, according to his "mistress's" orders.
"Rose, stop torturing the prisoner of war," I scolded wearily. "He is not your slave."
"I am not torturing him," refuted Rose while biting her apple. "I am training his fine motor skills. Besides, he owes you his life, right? Being our servant is a cheap price compared to dying in a gas cave."
Tom only smiled wryly at me. His eyes seemed to say: Let it be, Arin. At least here I am safe from Karl.
I sighed deeply. This was my team now. The Cripple, the Nosebleeding Village Mage, the Vengeful Ice Princess, the Sadistic Sword Maniac, and... the Cowardly Spy.
BANG!
The archive room door opened roughly, hitting the stone wall.
The sound of heavy and hurried footsteps entered, breaking the library's tranquility.
All heads turned.
Kars Benzzi entered.
However, he did not look like the "New Benzzi Family Heir" who successfully staged a coup. He looked like someone who had just wrestled in mud with a wild boar, and lost badly.
His usually neat brown hair was messy. His tie askew to the left. His top shirt button missing who knows where. Under his eyes, there were dark circles so deep as if he hadn't slept for three days. His breath was ragged, as if he had just run a marathon from the boys' dormitory to here.
He carried a pile of large black leather-bound ledgers in his hands, underground accounting books.
Kars walked haltingly toward our table, then slammed the books in front of Elena.
THUD!
Dust flew from between the books.
Without permission, Kars snatched Elena's teapot, poured it directly into his mouth from the spout, and drank greedily like someone just out of the desert.
"Woah, easy, Kars," Rose lowered her legs, her eyes widening in surprise. "You look terrible. Was your victory party too wild last night? Or are you being chased by ghosts?"
Elena stared at Kars with raised eyebrows, slightly disgusted seeing her teapot defiled, but more curious about her new ally's condition.
"You should control the 'Underground' by now," said Elena coldly. "Why do you look like a robbery victim?"
Kars put down the empty teapot roughly. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then looked at us with tired red eyes.
"Party? Do not be ridiculous," hissed Kars, his voice hoarse. "There is no party out there, but a one-sided slaughter."
Kars pulled an empty chair and dropped himself there. He opened one of the ledgers roughly.
"I moved right after the trial ended," began Kars, his breathing still irregular. "According to our plan. As soon as news of Vesper's arrest spread, I immediately took the Benzzi Family badge to the warehouses, gambling headquarters, and loan shark offices in the lower academy district. My intention was to claim those assets before anyone looted them."
"And then?" I asked, feeling a bad premonition.
"Too late," answered Kars bitterly. "I was one step too late."
Kars pointed to a book page full of red ink scribbles.
"When I arrived at the main logistics warehouse... the place was already empty. The locks had been changed. And the flag flying there was no longer the Benzzi flag."
"Whose flag?" asked Erika curiously, lifting her head from her book with tissues still stuffing her nose.
Kars looked at me straight.
"Flag with the Silver Snake emblem. The Delphine Faction."
Silence.
Rose stopped chewing her apple. Elena narrowed her eyes.
"Elian..." I whispered.
"That bastard moves faster than a shadow," grumbled Kars, massaging his temples. "He didn't sleep. While we were busy celebrating victory in court... Elian mobilized his troops. He took over the Black Market Logistics Warehouse, Student Loan Shark Office, and Illegal Potion Distribution Route."
Kars opened another page, showing a pie chart he drew roughly.
"I managed to secure the Casino and Underground Gambling Arena because they are located in Benzzi dormitory territory," explained Kars. "That is about forty percent of Vesper's total assets."
"The rest?" asked Elena sharply.
"Sixty percent," answered Kars grimly. "Black Market and Loan Sharks. Everything fell into Elian Delphine's hands."
Rose chuckled, but her laugh didn't sound happy. "So... we cut off Vesper's head, but Elian ate the body? Very clever."
I stared at the diagram in the book. My brain spun fast, analyzing the implications.
"This is not about numbers sixty to forty," I muttered, pulling the book closer. "This is about asset type."
I pointed to the 'Casino' section Kars got.
"Kars, you got the Casino. That means you get Cash Flow or liquid cash. Profits are big and fast. That is good for financing lifestyle or bribing people."
Then I pointed to the 'Black Market' and 'Loan Shark' sections taken by Elian.
"But Elian... he didn't take the money. He took Logistics and People."
"You mean?" asked Tom from the floor, stopping peeling grapes.
"The Black Market controls goods entering and exiting the academy. Weapons, medicine, information," I explained coldly. "And Loan Sharks? That is not about interest money. That is about holding the necks of students in debt. Elian now holds control over hundreds of students indebted to Vesper. He can order them to do anything in exchange for debt repayment."
Elena's face hardened. "He is gathering an army."
"Correct," I said. "Kars got the gold, but Elian got the power. He let Kars feel victorious by taking cash, while he built a foundation for something bigger."
Kars banged his head on the table. Thud.
"Damn it..." groaned Kars. "I feel played. My father might be happy seeing this casino financial report, but I know... I just gave a knife to the enemy sleeping next to me."
Kars lifted his head, looking at us all with a desperate yet determined gaze.
"I need help," said Kars firmly. "I cannot hold this forty percent alone. Elian will surely try to annex the casino too sooner or later. Karl is still in the dorm, he is drunk and crazy, but he still has fanatical followers. My position as heir is still fragile."
Kars looked at Elena, then me.
"We need a formal alliance. Not just behind-the-scenes cooperation. I need Rhyms' support openly to stabilize the Benzzi Faction under my control."
Elena put down her cup slowly. She exchanged glances with me and Rose.
This was a big moment. Turning the Benzzi Faction, the Rhyms Family's arch-enemy for ten years, into an ally was the biggest political victory Elena could imagine.
"Proposal accepted," answered Elena with a thin authoritative smile. "The Rhyms Family will recognize your legitimacy as the prospective leader of the Benzzi Faction. We will provide funding support and... physical protection if Karl tries anything funny."
"And in exchange?" asked Kars warily.
"In exchange, the Benzzi Faction will support Rhyms policies in the Student Council. And..." Elena glanced at me. "...you will open access to the remaining black market for Arin's Antibiotic distribution."
Kars sighed, then nodded. He extended his hand over the table.
"Deal."
Elena shook his hand. Then Rose piled her hand on top of theirs. "I'm in. Carlos needs a safe gambling place."
"Me too!" Erika joined piling hands, though she looked confused. "As long as Arin is safe, I'm in!"
Tom hesitated for a moment, then stood up and piled his grape-juice-sticky hand on top. "I... I do not want to be on the losing side again."
They all looked at me. Waiting for the last hand.
I looked at those hands.
Duke's Daughter. Marquis's Daughter. Benzzi Heir. Talented Mage. And noble spy.
This was a strange Hexagon Alliance. A combination of outcasts, lunatics, and geniuses.
I placed my hand on top of the pile.
"Deal," I said. "A ship that might leak, but at least we hold the helm."
The atmosphere became slightly more fluid. Kars called a library servant who trembled in fear seeing this collection of 'monsters' to bring new tea. Rose returned to peeling apples, this time giving the pieces to the hungry Kars.
They began discussing technical details: how to divide guard shifts at the casino, how to corner Karl so he voluntarily resigns from the academy, and how Erika could use casino money for her magic research.
They felt strong and able to win.
But I...
I pulled my hand back, picking up the daily newspaper again. My eyes stared at the headline about "Victory in the East District."
My heart still felt heavy.
Elian moved too fast. Too efficiently.
Taking over logistics and student debts overnight was not an impulsive act. It was a war preparation step.
He was not preparing for next semester's exam. He was not preparing for the Student Council President election. Elian was preparing for something far bigger.
"Elena," I called suddenly, cutting off Rose's laughter telling a joke about drunk Karl.
My serious voice made them all silent. Elena turned, her silver eyebrows raised.
"What is it, Arin? Are you not happy? We just controlled nearly half the Academy's economy."
I pushed the newspaper aside, then looked at Elena straight on.
"This alliance is good for school scale, Elena. We are strong here," I said softly. "But Elian... he moves like someone who knows a storm is coming. He hoards logistics and gathers troops through debt."
My index finger pointed to the window, toward the cloudy capital sky in the distance.
"Your information about dorm politics is indeed great. But I feel we are playing in a sandbox while Elian looks at a world map."
I leaned forward.
"Stop talking about Karl. Tell me, Elena. What is actually happening in the Lion Kingdom now? Outside these school walls."
Elena's face changed. Her smile of victory faded slowly.
"Why do you ask that?"
"Because Elian is not afraid of us," I answered sharply. "He was not even afraid of Prince Albert in court. He was just... entertained. A person like that must hold far bigger cards."
I looked deep into Elena's golden eyes.
"Who is fighting whom in the Palace, Elena? And where is our position on the real chessboard?"
Kars stopped drinking tea. Rose put down her knife. Erika held her breath.
Elena was silent for a long time. She looked at her teacup, seeing her own reflection trembling on the water surface.
Slowly, she lifted her face. Her expression was no longer that of an academy student, but the expression of a Duke's Daughter who knew too many dark secrets.
"You are very sharp, Arin," whispered Elena, her voice containing real fear. "I hoped you wouldn't ask that now. Because the answer... might make you wish we had stayed in that gas cave."