Because of the distance, Lynn's link with Lucky was faint, and the information that came through was somewhat blurred.
All he could gather was that Wilfer seemed to be acting strangely.
After a brief pause, Lynn turned and began heading toward Lucky's location.
Though he had a hunch, an instinct deep down that Wilfer wasn't truly the one pulling the strings in the dark, instinct was still just instinct. Logically, Wilfer remained the most suspicious candidate, and Lynn couldn't afford to ignore that possibility.
As the distance between him and Lucky closed, the stream of information grew clearer.
It seemed Wilfer had changed into a nondescript set of clothes and hurried out of his home, heading somewhere in secret.
Lucky was quietly tailing him.
Wilfer moved quickly. To keep up and maintain his link with Lucky, Lynn instinctively picked up his pace.
"Careful, you're walking too fast!" someone on the street called.
Startled, Lynn slowed immediately, glanced around, and diverted to a nearby public skimmer platform just as one pulled in. Its destination display happened to match Wilfer's direction.
Wilfer remained on foot, perhaps to conceal his movements. With the skimmer's speed, Lynn soon closed the gap between them.
At one stop, Lynn disembarked. He focused briefly on Lucky's position and moved onto a worn street leading toward the city's fringe.
This was the edge of the middle district, where the lower district began. Streets grew narrower and more crowded, tempers ran hotter, and brawls threatened to erupt. A squad of enforcers flew overhead in their patrol skimmer but didn't so much as glance down.
Here, law and order were thin. Petty thefts and street fights were too common to draw attention.
Lynn tensed, heightening his vigilance, and pressed forward.
Ten minutes later, in a narrow alley, he spotted Lucky and, just ahead of it, Wilfer, cloaked in a gray-black robe, hood pulled low, his figure wrapped tightly.
Lynn slowed, let Wilfer slip from sight, and then resumed a steady pace, trailing behind through Lucky's eyes.
He didn't need to see Wilfer directly; that would be too risky.
At such close range, Lynn could share Lucky's vision. Letting Lucky shadow Wilfer while he followed from farther back was the safest approach.
Soon, through Lucky's gaze, he saw Wilfer enter a residential block and stop before a tower.
Moments later, a woman stepped out of the front door, face alight with joy, rushing to greet him.
Lynn had Lucky creep closer, just enough to hear her voice as she half-chided, half-laughed:
"Why didn't you contact me for so long? I thought you'd forgotten me."
"How could I, Windsor? I just had rotten luck. I got caught up in an incident at Emeraldwood City, and the Academy punished me. I wasn't allowed to communicate with anyone outside. Only in the past two days have I been free again."
Wilfer explained, stepping forward to embrace her, planting a kiss on her lips.
"Really couldn't contact me, or just didn't want to?" she teased, though her eyes were smiling.
"I knew you'd say that. Look, here's the Academy's official punishment notice. It clearly states my magic was sealed, no arcane tools allowed, absolutely no contact with the outside."
He handed her his Silver Ring badge with a wounded look.
"I came straight to you as soon as I could."
"…Alright, I wronged you," Windsor relented, her lips curving as she glanced over the badge. Then she added happily, "I earned another thousand magic stones while you were gone. They're all yours. But this time, at the Saint Mihring Assembly, you'd better give it your all.
"If you become a First-Rank Wizard, we won't have to live like this anymore."
"…Thank you, Windsor."
Wilfer held her close, and together they disappeared into the tower as the doors closed.
Lucky reappeared on a rooftop, dropping lightly to the street below. Lynn stepped out from the corner, watching the tower in silence, his eyes flickering.
He had thought Wilfer's secretive outing might mean plotting some new scheme.
But it turned out… he had only come to see a woman.
And… unable to contact the outside world…
If Wilfer wasn't lying, then indeed he hadn't been the one who hired the assassin.
Lynn reflected quietly for a moment, then turned away.
This investigation cleared most of the suspicion from Wilfer, but it left his doubts all the heavier.
He continued walking slowly toward the nearest skimmer platform.
But as he passed through a side alley, several masked apprentice wizards stepped out to block his path.
"Five hundred magic stones. Pay, and you pass unharmed," their leader said coldly.
Lynn halted, frowning, and with restrained patience raised his Silver Ring badge. His voice was flat:
"Scram."
The masked apprentices didn't even wait for him to finish the word. The instant they saw the badge, they scattered like smoke.
In the lower district, Silver Ring apprentices weren't untouchable, but they were well beyond the reach of small-time street robbers.
Lynn moved on.
Then, from behind him, a familiar voice drifted out:
"Long time no see, Lynn."
From a side street emerged Daphne, smiling.
"You're not easy to find."
Lynn turned, brow furrowed. "What business does Lady Daphne have with me?"
She didn't answer. Her gaze lingered on the tower Wilfer and Windsor had entered, and she said softly:
"To think you traced things back to Wilfer… You really are clever, Lynn."
Realization struck him. His face darkened.
"It was you who hired the assassin?"
The one who had done so clearly knew about his stealth abilities. That narrowed it down to only three people present during the rune-installation mission: Wilfer, Clifford, and… Daphne.
"It was me, and it wasn't me."
Daphne's smile remained unchanged as she gave an answer that left Lynn momentarily at a loss.
Lynn's gaze lingered briefly on Daphne, then on the wizard's robe draped over her.
He remembered vividly just how powerful her equipment was.
And in terms of raw strength, at least for now, he was still no match for Daphne, especially armed as she was.
What's more, this was the lower district, where law enforcement was weak. The tension between them thickened.
Daphne seemed oblivious. She casually wove a soundproofing spell around them, then continued:
"That was merely a trial arranged by the Association according to its traditions. I only provided the information."
"Association… what association?"
"The Black Moon Academy Exploration Association."
The words made Lynn's pupils contract.
The Black Moon Academy Exploration Association… Black Moon Academy?
His heart churned. At his side, Lucky bared its sharp teeth, sensing his unease.
"No need to be nervous," Daphne said smoothly. "Since you've passed the test, you're already one of us. I won't raise my hand against you again, Lynn."
She gave him a sidelong glance, then added with a meaningful smile:
"Of course, provided you're willing to join the Association."
Her robe stirred faintly, though she hadn't moved, her smile widening.
"But I believe you won't reject the offer. Joining us will only benefit you, never harm you.
"And don't worry, the Black Moon relic you carry won't be confiscated. The Association doesn't demand its members surrender such things."
Black Moon relic? I don't have anything like that on me…
Lynn thought grimly, beginning to suspect that Daphne and the Association behind her had mistaken something about him.
"How did you discover me?" Lynn asked quietly after a moment.
"Through your relic, of course," Daphne replied without hesitation. "The resonance was faint, but when you used it, you weren't careful.
"On July 21st, just before I was to return to the Silver Ring Academy, I stopped by intending to visit you, and I sensed the Black Moon's aura radiating from your dwelling."
July 21st… that was the day after I entered the Black Moon Spirit Body…
At last, the pieces fell into place.
Though he didn't yet understand the mechanism, it was obvious: when he advanced into the Black Moon Spirit Body, it must have released a wave indistinguishable from what Daphne called a relic's resonance.
She had mistaken that for him possessing some Black Moon artifact. From there came the assassin, and now, her approach.
"I had planned to find you as soon as you arrived in Silver Ring City," Daphne went on.
"But your group's reception was delayed that day because of the death of the apprentice assigned to you. By the time you were settled, it was late, and I was caught up with other matters. So I decided to approach you the next day… only you immediately took on a task, and stayed holed up in Felicity's villa ever since."
Daphne stepped closer, smiling faintly.
"But finding you now is not too late."
She lifted her head, eyes meeting his, her beautiful face framed by a smile.
"I imagine you're quite curious about what that Black Moon resonance really is?"
Lynn remained silent, merely stepping back two paces to keep a safe distance.
Everything she said so far was one-sided; there was no way of knowing what was true.
"I like your caution," Daphne said approvingly. "Now, since you carry a Black Moon relic, you must know something of the Black Moon Academy.
"The Black Moon Academy was vast beyond imagination. At its peak, it ranked among the foremost powers of the wizard world.
"Even its smallest branch rivaled the Silver Ring Academy in strength."
Her expression turned wistful, almost fanatical.
"And beyond sheer size, the Black Moon Academy was fiercely insular. They mastered a unique script imbued with magic. Unless recognized by the Academy itself, no one could learn those characters.
"At least, to my knowledge, not a single wizard in the entire Aurora Domain has ever succeeded in deciphering Black Moon script to this day."
"Is that so?" Lynn murmured evenly, giving nothing away.
The name Aurora Domain stirred another memory; Felicity had mentioned it, too.
It was the greater region in which the Silver Ring Academy was situated. Its southwestern border brushed against the Emeraldshadow Forest, but the northeast stretched far beyond Silver Ring's reach.
And elsewhere in the east, the west, even the far north, there were powers equal to or far stronger than Silver Ring Academy.
Daphne, oblivious to his inner thoughts, nodded and continued:
"That is why relics from the Black Moon Academy, items inscribed with true Black Moon script, emit a distinctive resonance.
"We call such things Black Moon relics."
"So the resonance you sensed," Lynn clarified, "was actually the resonance of the Black Moon script?"
"You could put it that way," she admitted. "But not every inscription creates resonance. Only certain rare items, engraved with those ancient characters, give off the aura."
Lynn's face remained stern. He knew with certainty he carried no Black Moon script.
That left only one explanation.
The Black Moon Spirit Body itself could generate a resonance akin to Black Moon script!
So this secret art of the Black Moon Academy is tightly bound to those strange characters…
He still had many questions.
How exactly had Daphne detected the resonance? Did he still give it off? And if so, was there a way to conceal it?
Perhaps reading his thoughts, Daphne smiled knowingly.
"Join the Association, and you'll learn more.
"For instance, how to sense Black Moon resonance… and how to mask it."
Lynn was silent for a long moment before asking:
"And if I hadn't been able to resist the assassin?"
"Then you would have died, of course," Daphne answered matter-of-factly. "Not just anyone is worthy of carrying a Black Moon relic."
Lynn fell quiet. Now he understood why she had called the assassination attempt a trial.
"And what is the purpose of this Association? Why do you want me to join?" he pressed, though inwardly his resolve was already wavering.
If Daphne truly had a powerful organization behind her, he might have no choice.
"The purpose is simple," she said. "To collectively uncover and explore everything about the Black Moon Academy. To share what we find."
Her words rang reasonable, but Lynn couldn't help doubting. If it were only that simple, why such a brutal initiation test?
Calling it tradition might be plausible, yes, but he still sensed something more.
"As for why you, specifically?" she continued with a small smile. "Partly because I was impressed with you and recommended your candidacy. And partly because the Emeraldshadow Forest harbors an interworld stronghold belonging to the Black Moon Academy.
"If I'm not mistaken, that's where you stumbled upon your relic."
Lynn gave a slow nod, feigning surprise.
Daphne chuckled.
"Don't be so shocked. You're not the only lucky one. There's another in the Association who also picked up a relic by chance in the Emeraldshadow Forest.
"Most likely, both of your relics trickled out from the Blood-Red World sometime over the past millennia. That's the very reason I went to Emeraldwood in the first place."
Lynn studied Daphne carefully, realizing she hadn't considered the possibility that he was actually a survivor of the Blood-Red World.
Or rather, perhaps she had thought of it, but dismissed the idea.
After all, what happened during that war was no secret in Emerald City. Every apprentice who had been sent through the teleportation had perished. That was the conclusion of the higher-ranked wizards who investigated, and it had long since become common knowledge.
"If this Association is nothing more than a society for exploration, then I see no reason not to join."
Lynn had made up his mind.
Even if he were to kill Daphne here, or somehow escape from her, it would be meaningless. There would always be others who believed he carried a Black Moon relic.
And once they discovered he actually didn't, he would be in even greater danger.
Besides, he truly did want to learn how to conceal his own Black Moon resonance.
"A wise choice," Daphne said with a smile, stepping closer.
This time, Lynn didn't retreat. Instead, he asked,
"Then, can you tell me how to conceal the resonance of a Black Moon relic?"
Daphne suddenly beamed.
"There are two ways. One is to deactivate the relic entirely. The other is, once you've activated it, to brand it with a spiritual seal and take full control. Do that, and its resonance won't leak out.
"In fact, you've already done this, haven't you? After all, the resonance I sensed from you only flared briefly that morning, and then vanished."
Lynn blinked.
"So you're saying I've already hidden my resonance?"
"That's right," Daphne said, soothingly. "And don't think I'm lying to you. Joining the Association truly comes with no downsides. I went through the same thing myself."
Lynn gave a small, neutral nod, but inwardly he understood.
That night when he first succeeded in entering the Black Moon Spirit Body, he had felt a strange connection, an unseen signal tugging at him. It wasn't until the next afternoon that he finally figured out how to shut it off.
The timing matched perfectly with when Daphne had sensed his resonance.
In other words, the so-called "resonance" had been triggered by his opening the Black Moon Spirit Body's innate perception.
"As for how I detected you…" Daphne extended a hand toward him.
"Feel this frequency of spiritual fluctuation. If you align your spirit with it, you can project it into your relic. That way, you'll be able to sense other Black Moon relics in the area.
"It seems simple, but this technique is one of the Association's greatest achievements. Passing it to you is a privilege of membership."
Lynn nodded, carefully attuning himself to the rhythm she projected.
"Keep in mind," she added, "that while you're in this state, your own relic will also emit resonance. We call this the 'sensing state.'
"Oh, and your sensing range and accuracy depend on the grade of your relic."
"Grade?" Lynn asked, feigning confusion. "I can understand range, but what do you mean by grade?"
"Black Moon relics are ranked by tiers," Daphne explained. "Lower-grade relics cannot perceive higher-grade ones.
"From what I sensed that day, my relic is of a higher grade than yours. You probably couldn't feel mine.
"But I also carry a lesser-grade relic. Try and see if you can detect it."
She smiled faintly.
"And don't worry, you don't need to show me your relic. Nor will I show you mine. That's an unspoken rule within the Association."
Lynn's eyes flickered as he imitated the frequency she'd taught him, then quietly opened the perception of his Black Moon Spirit Body.
In that instant, something shifted.
His perception sharpened, became clearer, more precise, more responsive. It felt like an upgrade.
"I don't sense your resonance," Daphne said after a pause. "Which means the relic you carry must be a higher grade than this lesser one of mine.
"But you should be able to sense me, though only as a faint presence."
"I can feel it," Lynn answered evenly, his face calm. But inside, his heart pounded.
Because what he perceived was not faint at all, it was crystal clear.
He could see that Daphne's "lesser" relic was a soft scale-plate, sewn directly into the center of her robe at her chest.
And more than that, Lynn realized that in this state, he could forcibly control that scale-plate!
The frequency Daphne had taught him wasn't just a sensing technique. It was a key. A key that unlocked the hidden side of his Black Moon Spirit Body.
"You've already left the sensing state?" Daphne asked suddenly.
At that moment, Lynn noticed the connection to her chestplate fading. Instead, a new presence surfaced, a cracked pendant, buried deep against her collarbone.
"Yes, I just withdrew," Lynn replied smoothly, forcing a smile under her suspicious gaze. He quickly shut down the perception entirely, leaving only the Spirit Body's base sense active.
"And now, Lady Daphne?"
"Mm… yes. I can sense you again."
Lynn's eyes gleamed. Now he understood.
The Black Moon Spirit Body didn't just grant perception; it granted a higher-level authority.
Before, he simply hadn't known the key. So his sense had remained crude, limited only to detecting the Silver Ring City beneath his feet.
But Daphne's frequency had unlocked it.
Now, not only could he sense Black Moon relics, he could potentially seize them.
And without his consent, others couldn't use their relics' resonance to find him.
At least, Daphne's two relics couldn't.
Only when he voluntarily reverted to the most primitive sensing mode would he once again reveal himself.
Daphne, too, released her sensing state and said, "That's enough. Exit the sensing state and follow me, we have much to do."
She dispelled the barrier spell around them and strode forward.
Suppressing the storm in his heart, Lynn quickly followed.
But deep down, his mind still swirled with unanswered questions.
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