The academy was always shrouded in deep silence in the mornings. She loved this peaceful, chilly atmosphere where no one could disturb her.
But today, that familiar peace was being subtly disrupted.
Why are those people making such a fuss this early in the morning?
The student council, especially the man at its center—the president—always seemed to find unexpected ways to disturb her peace.
Just as she was about to hurry away, her eyes met a pair of golden eyes watching her through the window of the student council building.
Damn it. We made eye contact.
Samuel, the owner of those golden eyes, blinked when he spotted Viola. Then the corners of his lips curved into a gentle smile.
Most other students would probably have blushed and felt their hearts flutter at such a smile, but to Viola, that expression was nothing more than a warning signal. Whenever she got involved with Samuel in that mood, nothing good ever came of it.
She instinctively turned around and tried to get away, but his low, gentle voice reached her first.
“Hello, Viola.”
Samuel had already approached her. His silver hair and relaxed smile made him look annoyingly elegant.
“Why are you stopping me first thing in the morning, President?”
Viola tried to sound as polite as possible, but her voice was edged with sharpness. Samuel, however, didn’t seem bothered and answered with a light laugh.
“It’s nice to see you this early. But is something wrong? You don’t look well.”
“‘This early’? To be precise, I started feeling unwell just now.”
Despite Viola’s biting response, Samuel’s smile only deepened.
“Talking to you really is always fun.”
“I’m glad. I don’t feel the same way.”
Viola let out a short sigh and glanced at him.
“So, what do you want?”
At her direct question, Samuel briefly looked around before lowering his voice and speaking seriously.
“Actually, a valuable magic book has disappeared from the library.”
His tone was as casual as usual, but the smile had vanished from his face, leaving him completely serious. Viola carefully studied his expression before casually shrugging.
“That’s the student council’s business, isn’t it? I don’t see what it has to do with me.”
“Normally, it wouldn’t. But this time, things are a little different.”
“How?”
“The stolen book is one of the most valuable magic books in the entire empire. And the problem is that people from the Imperial Palace are coming soon to inspect it…”
He let out a brief sigh.
“Simply put, if we don’t handle this properly, both the imperial family and the academy are going to be in a difficult position.”
The moment Viola heard that, a chill ran down her spine. She instinctively stepped backward and became defensive.
“I don’t know why you’re trying to drag me into something like that. There are plenty of capable people in the student council.”
“That’s true. Unfortunately, all those capable people are currently searching in completely the wrong places. That’s why I need you.”
Viola frowned and sighed as though she were genuinely annoyed.
“I’m terribly sorry, but I’m busy, so I’ll be going now.”
Just as she turned around, Samuel took something small from his pocket and held it out in front of her.
“How about thirty gold?”
Viola’s footsteps froze.
She occasionally earned silver coins from students while working at the academy and used them to help cover her living expenses, but she had never received anything close to that amount.
“…Is that the payment for the job?”
Viola tried to sound indifferent, but the greed she couldn’t completely hide had crept into her voice. Samuel seemed to notice immediately, and the corners of his lips rose a little higher.
“It’s an official request, so of course you’ll be paid.”
“But if it’s such an important magic book, isn’t that a little low?”
Viola spoke calmly, but her eyes already held the fierce determination of a merchant trying to close a deal. Samuel bit his lip for a moment as though he couldn’t believe her, then finally burst out laughing.
“You really are something, Viola. You’re a perfect negotiator.”
“So, can you pay more? If not, I’ll pass.”
At her provocative remark, Samuel closed his eyes for a moment and let out a short breath.
“Fine. Forty. That’s absolutely the maximum.”
“How about fifty?”
Samuel narrowed his eyes at her for a moment before reluctantly giving in.
“All right. I’ll give you fifty gold.”
Viola smiled with the satisfaction of a merchant who had successfully completed a deal.
“Deal. Now tell me exactly where the book disappeared from and explain everything in detail.”
At her confident attitude, Samuel smiled again and stepped closer to her. His face suddenly being so near made Viola flinch.
“You don’t need to stand that close. I can hear you perfectly well from here, so please keep a reasonable distance.”
“Sorry. I didn’t realize I was doing it.”
Viola glared sharply at him before sighing once more.
“Let’s go to the scene first.”
She had a sinking feeling that this was going to be a troublesome day, but thinking about the heavy pouch of gold made the job worthwhile.
Besides, since she was working alongside the student council president, there was little chance that she would be held entirely responsible if something went wrong.
When Viola entered the library with Samuel, she frowned at the chaotic scene before her.
The bookshelves, which were normally neatly arranged, were tilted at odd angles, while books and documents were scattered across the floor so thickly that there was barely anywhere to step.
Members of the student council were already moving busily around the scene, investigating. Samuel called one of them over and quietly asked a question. The student shook his head with a troubled expression.
“We haven’t found anything particularly suspicious so far. Both the windows and doors were locked from the inside, and according to the entry records, no one entered the library during the early morning hours.”
Meanwhile, Viola stood a little distance away and calmly examined the surroundings, one detail at a time.
Through her experience handling countless incidents at the academy, she instinctively considered another possibility.
Her sharp gaze swept around the room before finally turning toward the ceiling.
The ventilation grate installed in the library ceiling wasn’t particularly large. It was normally inconspicuous and high enough that people rarely paid attention to it.
Viola quietly dragged over a nearby chair, climbed onto it, and carefully examined the area around the vent.
As expected, the edge of the metal grate was slightly bent.
It looked as though someone had forced it open in a hurry.
Samuel watched Viola’s actions with interest before slowly approaching her.
“What did you find?”
Viola calmly raised a finger and pointed toward the bent section of the ventilation grate.
“The culprit came in through this vent. If they used this route, it’s obvious why they wouldn’t appear in the entry records.”
Samuel’s eyes gleamed at her concise explanation, and a subtle smile appeared on his face.
Viola immediately climbed back down and walked toward the windows.
There were tiny, irregular marks in the thin layer of dust covering the windowsill and the nearby desk.
“And judging from these traces, the culprit was either much smaller than an ordinary adult or possibly a small animal. They would have to be small enough to move between the ventilation shaft and the window.”
Samuel listened to her reasoning with a serious expression before raising a question.
“It’s true that a person wouldn’t have much reason to use the ventilation shaft. But wouldn’t it be difficult for a small animal to carry a book out by itself?”
Viola nodded lightly.
“Exactly. But that’s precisely why it’s more plausible. If the culprit couldn’t carry the book out, there’s a good chance they hid it somewhere inside the library—or that they couldn’t escape and are still hiding somewhere in here.”
Impressed by Viola’s accurate deduction and judgment, Samuel let out a small laugh.
“Looks like those fifty gold coins were worth it. You’re impressive.”
“That’s all thanks to the students in the Department of Magic who keep giving me bizarre jobs and helping me gain experience.”
At Viola’s deadpan remark, Samuel laughed lightly before turning toward the student council members and giving them instructions.
“Everyone, search the areas around the ventilation shaft and the narrow gaps between the bookshelves again. There’s a good chance the culprit is still hiding somewhere inside. They could use the confusion to escape, so move as carefully as possible.”
The student council members immediately became busy again and resumed their investigation.
Meanwhile, Viola stepped back a few paces and fell into deep thought.
Several unanswered questions continued to circle through her mind.
Why had someone targeted that particular valuable book? And if the culprit really was a small animal, how had it gotten into the library in the first place?
At that exact moment, one possibility flashed through Viola’s mind.
“…An experimental subject.”
