Watching the two figures clinging tightly to each other, Seluvis felt an uncontrollable surge of irritation rise in his chest. It was like a child watching someone snatch away a treasured toy.
His expression darkened as he stepped forward. The raucous laughter that had filled the room stopped dead.
Seluvis walked straight to the bedside and cast Nolan a look filled with undisguised disgust.
The humiliating words he had spat out earlier left Dhurke standing nearby, teeth clenched and eyes blazing. His iron fists tightened instinctively with rage.
Seeing that the two were on the verge of coming to blows, the surrounding battle sorcerers hurried forward to intervene.
But an insult to Oled was an insult to the Haima Conspectus. The instructors clearly had no intention of letting it slide, and someone immediately spoke up:
"They haven't even taken off their hoods, and they're not wearing nameplates. On what basis can Preceptor Seluvis be so certain of their identities?"
Seluvis snorted, replying in an openly contemptuous tone.
"You can tell from their bearing alone, you idiots. Half the academy walks around wearing hoods. What, you can't recognize anyone without a nameplate?"
He snorted again. Even if he failed to recognize anyone else, he would never forget Sellen.
The instant he saw her, he knew what he wanted had arrived.
Unable to argue further, the Haima instructors could only turn their attention to Nolan and Sellen.
"How did you enter Gatefront Town?"
"We found a merchant caravan, paid them with some valuables, and came along on an East Coast merchant ship."
"Why didn't you report directly to the guards?"
"With the battlefield situation being so tense, we were afraid of being mistaken for spies. That's why we wanted to find a preceptor first."
Dhurke froze for a moment, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, before quickly recovering and giving a slight nod. It was a reasonable explanation.
A war was never limited to the bloody slaughter on the front lines. Beneath the surface were countless hidden struggles.
Sometimes, a single piece of intelligence could decide the outcome of an entire war. In moments like that, spies and scouts became indispensable.
And those greedy Cuckoos, under the pretense of investigation, had committed no small number of atrocities just to claim merit for themselves.
The mages all knew this well, but in most cases chose to turn a blind eye.
Dhurke leaned forward, his gaze sharp and unyielding as he stared at the two of them.
"Take off your hoods."
Nolan and Sellen obediently removed their head coverings.
Standing to the side, Seluvis fell silent, his thoughts twisting in fierce inner conflict.
Before him were two faces that felt both familiar and strangely unfamiliar. Their hair color and features differed slightly from what he remembered.
It looked like a simple disguise, small alterations made to their original features. But it was enough.
There were countless mages in the academy, all wandering about with hoods on day in and day out. Unless someone interacted with them constantly, who could possibly recognize them?
The Haima mages clearly hadn't recognized them either. One after another, they turned to Seluvis and asked:
"Preceptor Seluvis, take a look. There shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Seluvis frowned, nodding impatiently.
"No problem. It's him. Is that all? If there's nothing else, I'm taking them with me."
"Preceptor Seluvis, their identities still need to be verified with the academy. Until then, they must remain in Gatefront Town."
Dhurke spoke decisively. Several other battle sorcerers stepped forward as well, clearly backing him.
"I understand."
Seluvis's gaze sharpened as he shoved the blocking vice-preceptor aside.
"Do whatever you want. I'm leaving now."
Nolan said nothing. He simply tightened his grip on Sellen's hand and followed behind Seluvis, not sparing the surrounding mages a single glance.
That was only natural. From the academy's point of view, no sorcerer from Caria was worthy of trust. With that being the case, there was nothing left to discuss.
Seluvis didn't say another word. He turned and strode out of the room without hesitation.
The other mages cast deep, unreadable looks at Nolan and Sellen before gathering around Dhurke.
And so, the group slowly left the lounge. Each carried their own thoughts, and in the end, they scattered in different directions.
After a long wait, Seluvis finally received a reply from Caria. With the battle sorcerers watching him too closely, he deliberately brought the two of them into his office.
The magic array sealing the door was completely intact, a clear sign that no one had entered. Through the light screen bearing the academy's crest, Nolan could make out several puppet guards standing inside.
"You really are revolting," Sellen said coldly. "Spending so much time with these things."
She had worn the hood the entire time and had not once shown Seluvis a pleasant expression.
To be honest, this teacher's acting was hard to praise. He had been uncharacteristically quiet since earlier, barely saying a word.
Thankfully, there was no clairvoyance magic in this academy. That at least allowed her to look down on him without restraint.
"Hmph. That's only because you don't understand the beauty of puppets."
Seluvis snorted.
"Of course, if you're interested, this preceptor would be more than happy to show you their finer points."
He narrowed his eyes slightly. When his gaze fell on Sellen, an unmistakable greed surfaced within them.
Then he suddenly sensed a pair of blue eyes locking onto him. That cold stare felt sharp enough to pierce straight through his spine, making his skin crawl.
That once insignificant apprentice dared to look at him like this now?
Seluvis did not lash out. But as he met those blue-green eyes, the hands clasped behind his back clenched into tight fists.
If this wretch hadn't brought him the news he wanted, neither of them would be leaving this room.
He had been bottling up his frustration for days with nowhere to vent it. No matter what, something had to go his way today.
"We can take you to Caria," Nolan said. "We'll deliver you directly to the Lunar Princess."
He walked over to one of the puppets. Aside from the lifeless dullness in its face, everything else looked eerily real, almost indistinguishable from a living person.
"And the conditions?" Seluvis asked.
"Gatefront Town."
...
On the other side of the barracks, the battle sorcerers were gathered in a tight cluster, heads close together as arguments buzzed through the crowd.
Dhurke sat at the center, like a pillar holding them together, naturally drawing everyone's attention.
"In my opinion, that Seluvis is absolutely suspicious," a burly sorcerer shouted. "I've never heard of him having any relatives."
"Has that guy ever had contact with Caria?" someone else asked.
Dhurke looked around at the silent faces and already had his answer. He let out a quiet sigh.
They were battle sorcerers, not those insidious magical assassins from Sellia. These rough men had no talent for stealth or tracking at all.