Panto did not consider himself as a foolish boy.
Indeed, he was timid and too careful to the point of being a coward. Still, the timid people survived longer than the brave ones. Also, the careful people noticed some things more specifically.
His father had taught him how to count the profit margins or negotiate the prices.
For him, his confidence did not come from the courage. It came from being the correct one. Unfortunately for few days, the past event had shaken the confidence.
He had always believed that the cult had brushed him by accident. After all, he did not have any importance with them.
The best he could think was it might be a consequence of his family's business. Such entanglements unknowingly disturbed the other people's ambitions.
He had thought himself as a secondary target. He might be accidentally became a disposable for the better purpose.
Baston knew something about the cult and he was thankful of his savior. However, the involvement of Alicia had changed everything.
Surely, a great noble lineage would not waste her attention on petty criminal organizations. She would not soil her hands with small threats.
If she acknowledged the cult's existence, then it meant the matter had already reached a level where the national stability could be endangered.
That meant he was no longer standing near the danger. He was already lurking inside its shadow.
As he walked back toward his dormitory, his steps slowed down without him noticing.
The students passed him in clusters. They were laughing and arguing about anything. Their expression was happy even though a great danger might befall into this place.
At the moment, he felt detached from them like a man who was watching a passerby from above the building.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend…"
The thinking surfaced inside his mind. Such words were perfect to be applied for his situation.
Both of Baston and Alicia were dangerous in their own way. Both of them were standing among the giants.
He couldn't fight the cult alone. While he had no ability to counter the danger, he had few people that he could get closer. Approaching them would ensure his survival longer.
After getting a new idea, he then started to process the cause of being the target.
Most likely, it was a deep grudge. Someone had reached through the cult to hurt him.
It sounded plausible on the surface but the longer he thought about it, the less sense it made. If someone wanted him to be gone, there were far easier methods. With just few assassins, it would be enough.
The accidents could be arranged and the lives of people could be expended with money. There was no need for the hidden organization to act unless there was a hidden meaning. This assumption left many possibilities.
The world of the merchants was polite on the surface but merciless underneath.
The contracts were signed with smiles and it could also be broken with the blood. The competition did not end when one side lost. It ended when the loser could no longer stand up.
If his father had stepped on someone important unknowingly, then it was no wonder he became the victim in this big picture. Falling on the hands of cult would be irredeemable. His hand clenched unconsciously.
"Too bad I can't go home right now," he muttered under his breath, "If I could just talk to my father…"
However, returning home might be exactly what his enemies wanted. The thought chilled him. At least for now, he needed to brace for the impact.
All he had to do now at present was getting closer to his savior. Baston's presence after all was oddly reassuring since he surely had the capability to fight.
He had always assumed the fat boy's passivity came from the weakness. Now, he knew better of him. There was intent behind every lowered gaze and there was reason behind every silent retreat.
A blade did not need to be visible to be sharp.
As for Alicia, the matter was complicated. Just thinking of her status made his back straightened.
A noble's daughter was not someone he should even be standing beside, let alone relying on. The fact that he could take advantage of her influence was kind of embarrassing.
He didn't dare to boast about it, not even to himself.
"I'm glad I took the initiative with Baston…" he murmured as he reached the door, "Looks like one dish won't be enough anymore..."
His thoughts drifted toward the numbers of the food. He might couldn't help him directly but he could support him from behind. After all, the money had been his anchor since the childhood.
When the emotions threatened to overwhelm him, he calmed down his sense. He began arranging for one main dish, one appetizer, and one dessert inside his head. The cost might be substantial but it could be called as an investment.
He didn't care about money. He only needed security and safety in the surrounding.
*****
While Panto hid behind his calculations, Alicia sat alone in her private dining room.
The sunlight was filtering through the arranged curtains.
She ate slowly and her posture was flawless with her serene expression. Any observer would see only a noble girl that was enjoying a quiet meal. None would suspect what she was thinking beneath her calm face.
Once again, Baston's words echoed in her mind.
"Don't just stand there… People are watching…"
At the time, she had taken it as the concern. Perhaps, it was also a suggestion that was disguised as a warning. Now, she understood for what it truly was.
It was an instruction for her alone. The cult was watching and she would be involved accidentally between the secret battle.
Unfortunately, she wasn't a kid. To threat her meant that the cult was clashing with her family.
Still, she must not hurry herself. Against such enemy, she had to reassess what she had. To know everyone better, she started collecting some information.
Her investigation into Panto had been enlightening.
The boy was just a merchant's son. His aptitude was average and his temperament was timid. There was nothing remarkable until she reached the next page.
Further information told her that he was bullying Baston. It was done sometimes between the weeks.
She had paused there but she then smiled because it was absurd.
On the surface, it was completely logical. The higher status bullied the lower status and it was normal. It was happening everywhere and it wasn't limited to this place.
Eventually, such treatment made the best camouflage.
Two boys positioned themselves on the opposite ends of the hierarchy. One was openly weak and one was quietly opportunistic. No one would ever imagine the cooperation between them was just a disguise in the end.
Everything truly was a fabricated dynamic and she could already predict the rest.
"They were very clever…" she murmured, lifting her teacup.
Thankfully, she already knew the truth.
If she didn't accidentally pass by him, she might still be in the dark. The relationship between him and Panto would just go by usual. She might never understand the drama between both of them.
She set her teacup down slowly. Her eyes were unfocused for a moment as she replayed their brief interactions.
Baston's posture toward her was changing recently. Sometimes, he wanted to approach her. At another time, he appeared reluctant as he could only stare at her from far.
His sight was different than the others. There was no love and romance, unlike the other boys.
The purpose had been vague, but somehow, it might feel like a guide for her. There should be a meaning behind such actions.
After all, the common poor people should not have any capability of doing that.
In her experience, the truly dangerous individuals rarely advertised themselves.
They observed and waited. They allowed the others to underestimate them while quietly arranging the board. Baston fit that image well.
He was not hiding because he was weak. He was hiding because he could not afford to be seen. Someone like him, burdened with the information he should not possess, would naturally choose the obscurity over the recognition.
The academy with its rigid hierarchy and shallow judgments was the perfect place to disappear in plain sight. As the cult took caution and spread its wings, he would also spread his plan silently.
"No wonder he keeps his strength hidden…" she thought.
The restraint now was amplified with how Panto treated him. Such perfect cooperation would only make the fat boy became a timid prey rather than a silent predator.
The merchant boy was a shield since he was just a misdirection. Somehow, she felt a faint triumph over her thinking.
If someone like Baston was already moving against the cult in his own quiet way, then perhaps, she could join the fun.
Rather than studying all day, she could use this experience to tamper herself. In such case, she might also be able to earn the merits.
Her trust in him strangely deepened, not because she knew him well, but because she believed that she understood him. Such belief was unexplainable that she herself hardly believed.
The reports continued and more information was revealed. Even though so, no one knew about the cult.
At least, she needed a name to track them. However, judging of their accidental meeting, it seemed it would be hard to utter such information. While she could force him with her status, the ending wouldn't end well.
For now, it was best to approach Baston.
By getting closer to him, she would have more information about it. She would then see what kind of entity named as the cult.
All she knew at the moment was he aligned with her goals. But when the goals changed, people also changed. She wondered how long such absurd relationship would last.
"Well…" she thought lightly, "That just makes things interesting…"
For now, she would play her role. She could act as an informant or an ally.
With enough influence, it would sustain the trust and with enough distance, it would be able to protect herself.
"He won't suspect me, won't he…?"
First impression was important. She already knew how to create it.
Since few noble boys had been careless and disrespectful, she would teach them a lesson.
Hopefully, he could see her good intention. By then, she could get a share of her own reward.
*****
Baston lay sprawled across his bed with his hands resting on his stomach. Today, he had eaten too much.
The meals were two full plates with quite rich in variation. It was usually just one, but now, there was two of them.
Perhaps, one of it was just another replacement of what had happened before.
Who would have thought the wasted meal would come back to him again?
When the drowsiness threatened to pull him on the bed, he reached for the old book.
Its surface still looked old like an artifact that was pretending to be mundane, even though it was just a book for studies.
He flipped through its limited pages, scanning the academy notices and the news. It was nothing of interest for him. Out of habit, he drifted to the last page.
Suddenly, he stopped since he was caught by surprise. The last page glowed faintly, and inside, the second quest he deemed to be impossible had already been completed.
It was perfect. Such evaluation on his performance made him baffled.
"What?"
He blinked, rubbing his eyes before he read it again. The result was still there and his performance was indeed perfect.
"I didn't even do anything…"
The book did not respond while his confusion deepened.
He had assumed it would take some time to be done by itself. That was why he left the book alone. After all, interacting with Alicia was truly impossible.
Even though he was quite pessimistic, the book unknowingly delivered a gift for him. The perfect result was glaring and he felt he was the luckiest person in this academy.
He soon confirmed and took out the reward. It was a small object that settled into his palm.
"A puppet?"
The information quickly surged into his mind. Its abilities were unfolded instantly including the transformation, the limitation, and the duration. It was an important tool rather than a weapon.
The puppet was kind of mysterious. It was quite subtle and perfect. He pondered for a while before he tested it cautiously.
The puppet slowly reshaped itself. The flesh and the form were flowing unnaturally until a familiar figure stood before him. Somehow, it turned into Alicia.
The puppet really looked like the noble girl. He tried to lift its arm. The stiffness was obvious.
When he ordered it to speak, the voice came out wrong. It was quite mechanical and fragmented. He winced since it didn't look good.
"I have to train myself…"
He dispelled his thought on the puppet at once. Using this as a substitute for human connection was a bad idea unless he became skilled.
Now, he needed to experiment further.
The puppet then transformed into a bird, a rat, and something else. It could be bigger and it could also be smaller.
When it flew beyond the academy's perimeter, the connection weakened immediately. He summoned it back in a panic with racing heart.
His control required practice. He must train his precision and mastery.
Since he had already acquired the tool, he must study by himself. Toward this kind of reward, even though it was kind of bizarre and creepy, he still had to learn about it.
*****
In the meantime, in a quiet maintenance chamber, the academy staff examined the broken instrument.
They found nothing wrong and the records showed fine consistency. The tool should display the exact and measured number.
However, Miss Pashan said herself that something was wrong with it.
"It might be a defect after all…" the man concluded, convincing himself with other's opinion, "Just need replacement in the end…"
The old device was then removed and its data was erased.
And with it, the last visible trace of Baston's abnormality vanished from the academy's awareness.