Sellen naturally had no idea that Nolan already had his answer. She waved her hand with easy grace, then pinched her rounded chin and murmured softly to herself:
"One day, I will leave this place as well. But first, I must obtain my teacher's research notes."
"They must contain the method for creating Primeval Currents. My research is only missing this final step."
"But those Preceptors have been guarding against me all this time. Right now, there's simply no chance."
"Even if we meet again, I'm afraid you'll have to wait for quite a while."
These words were meant to comfort both her disciple and herself. The gentle teacher was always like this, never hiding anything, never speaking in half-truths.
Still, Sellen's research into the Primeval Current was bound to be exposed sooner or later. Fully aware of that outcome, Nolan raised an eyebrow slightly.
So she still didn't know how to create Primeval Currents yet.
The question was, should he stop his teacher from becoming a Magic Sphere?
Nolan felt torn. Exploring the Primeval Current was her lifelong pursuit.
But then again, uncovering the mysteries of the stars didn't necessarily require turning into a sphere, did it?
"Teacher, if that's the case, then as long as you obtain the Master's notes, you'll be willing to leave?"
A sudden spark of inspiration struck Nolan. A bold idea took shape, and he spoke without hesitation.
Helping Sellen at this moment would undoubtedly place him in direct opposition to the academy.
However, the Lunar Princess and his own Saintess were allies. If war were to break out, he would inevitably join Caria Manor as a guest commander.
A war between the academy and Caria Manor was destined to happen. It was a reality Nolan couldn't change, only something whose timing remained uncertain.
"What are you planning to do?"
Sellen looked at him, confusion flickering across her face at first, but she quickly grasped the meaning behind her disciple's words.
She had long noticed that this student treated her especially well.
No, it could even be said that he treated her far too well.
She simply hadn't expected that Nolan would be willing to go as far as this.
Yet when she thought about it carefully, this student truly was the most suitable choice.
His reputation within the academy was impeccable. No one would ever suspect him.
And with her drawing the Preceptors' attention from the front, they would be even less likely to be wary of an apprentice who had always performed flawlessly.
Even so, Sellen did not agree right away.
"You must think this through carefully. Even I don't have complete confidence. Getting involved in this carries enormous risk."
"If you're doing this solely out of respect for our bond as master and disciple, there's no need to go this far. I still have time."
Her expression was unusually solemn, her tone firm, without the slightest hint of levity.
In truth, Nolan also wondered what his teacher gained by treating her disciple so generously.
As expected of a true teacher, she never questioned his motives. What concerned her was only his safety.
"Don't worry, Teacher," Nolan said with a smile. The glintstone lamp illuminated his face, lending him an air of remarkable calm.
"I've already made my decision. But before we act, there's one more thing I need your help with."
"…What is it?" Sellen asked, her expression serious.
"Do you have any runes on you?"
Sellen stared at Nolan's smiling face and froze for a moment.
If this disciple ever learned how to sweet-talk people, he could probably swindle noble young lords and ladies out of everything they owned.
But did she really look like someone with money?
...
A full moon hung high in the sky, spilling cold, silvery light across a colossal clock tower-like structure.
The building stood there in utter silence, like a slumbering giant beast, its massive form blending almost seamlessly into the surrounding darkness.
Sorcerers were not soldiers. Aside from a handful of apprentices assigned to rotating night watch duties, most were already deep asleep, savoring a rare moment of rest.
The workload during the day was brutal. Though the pursuit of knowledge kept them driven, the human body still had its limits.
Night was precious, the only time to recover one's strength. No one was willing to give that up lightly, much less wander around after dark for no reason.
And yet, beneath the quiet moonlight, something subtle seemed to stir within the corridors of that imposing structure.
A violent night wind howled past the windows. A patrolling Sorcerer stood alert before a tightly sealed iron door, its surface glowing with deep blue magical sigils.
Something followed closely behind him, but he sensed nothing at all. It was as if there truly was nothing behind him.
No shadow could be seen. No sound could be heard.
Nolan moved carefully behind the Haima apprentice.
Hidden Body.
Spook.
With both spells active at once, he was practically the perfect assassin, gliding soundlessly through the shadows.
The defenses here were airtight, leaving almost no openings. Nolan could only take advantage of the brief moments during guard rotations to continue slipping deeper inside.
He scanned his surroundings with care. Only after confirming there was no immediate danger did he turn his attention to the final door ahead.
Gone was the apprentice robe he wore by day. In its place was a suit of Banished Knight armor he had picked up in Castle Sol.
He was here to do something shady. Exposing his identity was the last thing he wanted.
Wearing Golden Needle Knight armor would be tantamount to smearing filth on the Haligtree.
Banished Knights could be found all across the Lands Between. Using that identity was as fitting as it got.
If the infiltration failed and he was forced into outright assassination, it would also keep the risk of exposure to a minimum.
He hadn't forgotten his true purpose for coming to Liurnia of the Lakes. But Godwyn was still very much alive. Obtaining his body would take time, and success wasn't even guaranteed.
Before that, he wanted to try everything he could.
The moment he stepped through the door, Nolan dropped flat to the ground, rolling with practiced precision to avoid any traps that might be lying in wait.
He sprang up lightly and slipped fully inside, then reached up through his helmet and wiped away sweat that wasn't actually there.
"Good thing I've played stealth builds before," he muttered. "Otherwise, this wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly."
Knights weren't built for sneaking around, but sometimes navigating terrain could be far more punishing than fighting. To avoid unnecessary trouble, special measures were needed.
Even if he were discovered, it wouldn't be a real problem. He'd simply kill anyone who saw him, then go right back to sneaking around.
Still, even low-tier Sorceries were draining if maintained for too long.
Nolan lowered into a half-crouch, pulled out the blue Dewdrop Holy Grail Flask from his chest, and took a long drink. Then he carefully reconstructed the layout of this floor in his mind.
He was positioned on the southern side of the building. First came a long corridor, then an open courtyard. Beyond that lay the entrance to the library.
"There's a patrol of Sorcerers moving through," Nolan murmured to himself. "Getting past this stretch won't be hard. It's the library that'll be troublesome."
He frowned, thinking it over.
The library itself was normally open. Nolan had been there countless times and borrowed plenty of books.
But hidden within it was a smaller room, where all the confidential documents were kept.
That place was off-limits to both apprentices and lecturers alike.