The meeting room of the Head Proctor's Inner Circle was not opulent; it was clinical. The polished black stone walls absorbed sound and light, giving the impression of absolute authority and cold isolation.
Three figures sat around a crescent table: Master Zai, thin and sharp-eyed; Proctor Lyra's Mother, a powerful, stern woman in full elemental robes; and Archivist Tremain, whose staff hand was bandaged beneath his sleeve, his face a tight mask of resentment.
Heuk-jae, as Lord Jae-eun, entered. His Facial was set to a perfect blend of tired deference and slight bewilderment—the look of a gifted student confused by unexpected success.
The Interrogation Begins
Proctor Lyra's Mother opened the questioning, her voice sharp and accusatory.
"Lord Jae-eun. You defeated a celebrated Rank 23 prodigy with a construct that should have required months of practice. We find your sudden display of genius... suspicious."
Heuk-jae bowed deeply, a gesture of respect that cost him nothing.
"Proctor, I assure you, I am as surprised as anyone," he drawled, pushing a thick, meaningless analysis report across the table. "I simply executed the synthesis method I dictated in this report: the Principle of Instantiated Aetheric Resonance. I believe my latent affinity, perhaps, simply aligned with the challenge's parameters."
He allowed his eyes to linger on her robes, a subtle nod to her Elemental domain. "I would be honored if your expertise could find the true cause of my anomalous success, as I am far too clumsy to understand it myself."
The Logical Test
Proctor Lyra's Mother accepted the flattery, but her scrutiny did not ease. She flipped through the analysis, finding nothing concrete to accuse him of.
Master Zai, however, slid a fresh piece of parchment across the table—a complex, logic-based scenario.
"Your synthesis was chaotic, Jae-eun. Let us test your discipline," Zai said, his eyes burning into Heuk-jae's. "Consider the Paradox of the Aegis Seal..."
The problem was a variation of the logic puzzle they had studied in the Archives—a complex trap designed to force the test-taker into a flawed, overly complex solution.
Heuk-jae recognized the pattern instantly from the stolen Treatise. He knew Zai was testing not his intelligence, but his allegiance to the noble school of thought.
Heuk-jae didn't answer the problem directly.
Instead, he met Zai's gaze and gave a cryptic response, using a phrase from the opening dedication of the Treatise.
"The Preservation of the Foundational Premise is always paramount, Master Zai.
The solution is thus derived from the immutable constant, not the variable flux."
Zai froze. The phrase was an obscure summary of Zai's life's work—a silent signal that Heuk-jae understood Zai's unique, intellectual pride. It was a subtle, almost sexual flattery of Zai's genius, entirely bypassing the logic problem itself.
Zai gave a slow, satisfied nod. The suspicion in his eyes was replaced by a look of intellectual kinship.
The Tremain Trap
With two Proctors neutralized—one flattered and one intrigued—only Tremain remained.
Tremain leaned forward, his eyes venomous, ignoring the academic pleasantries.
"I don't care about your synthesis, Jae-eun. I want to know where you were last Sunday at 2:15 AM."
The question was a direct accusation regarding the Archive raid. The temperature in the room dropped instantly.
Heuk-jae activated his Facial to its highest level of arrogant confidence. He adopted the persona of a noble utterly insulted by the lack of respect.
He sighed dramatically. "Archivist, must I truly account for my sleep cycle? I was in my bed, dreaming of a much less complicated synthesis method than the one Theron employed."
"The Archive seals were breached, and a valuable item was taken," Tremain hissed, slamming his injured hand on the table. "You appeared immediately afterward with anomalous skill."
Heuk-jae didn't deny it; he attacked the Accuser.
He leaned across the table, his eyes wide with feigned astonishment. "Are you implying, Archivist, that I, a student ranked outside your critical Top 50, bypassed three complex elemental seals—one of which is your own—and defeated your security measures? If so, sir, that speaks less to my skill and more to the pathetic state of the Archives' defense!"
The attack landed perfectly. Zai, who detested Tremain's administrative failures, frowned deeply. Proctor Lyra's Mother's eyes narrowed, not at Heuk-jae, but at the glaring structural weakness Tremain had just revealed.
"Archivist Tremain," Proctor Lyra's Mother stated coldly. "The issue of the security breach is being handled internally. Focus on the student's academic standing."
Tremain had been decisively overruled and humiliated. He slumped back, radiating defeat.
Tier 1 Unlocked
Proctor Lyra's Mother stood, ending the meeting.
"Lord Jae-eun, your presence here has established... your unique contribution to the Academy. You are hereby granted Tier 1 Status."
She looked at him with a mix of respect and profound distrust.
"This grants you access to the Head Proctor's Inner Circle Research Track and places you under our direct tutelage. Your actions are now our concern."
"I am honored to serve, Proctor," Heuk-jae replied, his face a mask of humble obedience.
Heuk-jae walked out, the triumphant feeling dampened by the chilling realization that he was no longer an unseen shadow. He was now a carefully monitored Viper residing directly in the nest.
[QUEST OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: A meeting with the Head Proctor's Inner Circle (Tier 1 Status Unlocked).]