[Vol. 7] Chapter 129: Hidden Undercurrents
By the time Violet and Yulia finished sorting through the items in Ismael’s office, it was almost noon.
The uniforms, materials, and identification documents that Sainz Academy had prepared for Violet and the two little ones were all conveniently stored in her “Backpack”.
She had never bothered to hide this ability too much, and while it was far more convenient than the local storage artifacts of this world, the way it functioned appeared similar enough. Unless someone had in-depth knowledge or Sethlin’s level of perception, most people wouldn’t notice the key differences.
Since he had other work to handle, Ismael didn’t keep the two women for long. Before they left, Violet casually asked him about the reason behind Prince Xiluo’s outburst earlier. Apparently, Xiluo had been trying to secure a batch of magic potions to support a club activity. However, due to supply chain issues and the sheer urgency and volume of his request, it wasn’t possible to fulfill his order completely.
Despite multiple attempts to push his request through, Xiluo kept getting denied, which made him suspect that Ismael, who oversaw resource distribution and belonged to the Lucine’s faction, was deliberately blocking him. Fueled by anger, the prince had stormed into the office with his guards, demanding an explanation and even issuing those over-the-top threats.
But in reality, Xiluo didn’t have the authority to remove Ismael from his position.
Even though his status as an Imperial Prince carried weight, Sainz Academy wasn’t under Austre’s jurisdiction. It was an independent nation within a nation. Having a voice in the council didn’t mean he could manipulate decisions at will. In fact, even if the Emperor himself were to show up, he wouldn’t have the power to casually dismiss a high-ranking academy official with real authority.
Ismael wasn’t particularly worried about Xiluo taking any direct action against him. However, if this matter wasn’t handled properly, it could further escalate the tension between the reformist faction and the imperial faction at the academy. Worse, if Xiluo decided to take out his frustration on weaker students, things could get ugly.
For this reason, Ismael decided to report the situation to Lucine, the academy headmaster, along with the earlier conflict between Xiluo and Violet, so that she could make the final decision on how to proceed.
With that, the day’s official business was mostly wrapped up. Originally, Yulia had planned to invite Violet and the others to lunch to strengthen their relationship, but with everything that had just happened, she had no choice but to excuse herself. She hurried back to First District, where Lucine and the academy’s council were located, to report everything in detail.
At Sainz Academy, classroom lectures were mainly held in the mornings, while afternoons and evenings were typically reserved for free activities, practical training, or field exercises. On her way back to the [Experimental Class] floor, Violet picked up the two little ones, who had just finished their morning lessons, and headed straight back to the villa.
The new uniforms and other items needed to be checked for size, and once everything was settled, Mia or Selna would take over the responsibility of dropping them off and picking them up from school.
That way, the children could properly enjoy a carefree school life, while Violet would finally have some free time to pursue the interests and research she had long planned but never had the chance to start.
The World Academy Joint Exchange Conference was scheduled to begin in a little over a month. Not too long, yet not too short either. It provided a buffer period for adjustments and preparation. If anyone had plans to stir up trouble, they wouldn’t likely act during this phase. A better opportunity would be after the conference began, when people from all over gathered, and order became harder to maintain.
Of course, it was always wise to be prepared.
After returning home, Violet instructed the two maids to help the children try on their new clothes. Then, taking advantage of a moment of solitude and security, she returned to the living room, sat down on the sofa, and spoke casually into the air.
"[Shadow]."
"Yes, Your Highness. What are your orders?"
From the shadows under the lamp, a dark figure silently emerged, taking the form of a young woman carrying two slender swords, one long and one short, on her back. Her appearance never changed, as if frozen in time.
This legendary elite shadow guard, personally dispatched from afar by a Queen of the Human United Kingdom, had been secretly following Violet all along, moving unseen just like her name implied, [Shadow].
Back at the "Church of Truth" headquarters, Violet had left [Shadow] outside to monitor a suspected traitor known as [Tree Branch]. While she had given a valid reason for leaving Qionghua behind, part of the decision was also deliberately baiting [Tree Branch].
If he had lost patience and revealed his true intentions by attempting to capture or harm Qionghua, [Shadow] would have confirmed his betrayal and eliminated him without hesitation.
However, for some reason, he never made a move.
Because of that, the blade lurking in the shadows never had a chance to strike.
Even so, [Shadow] had clearly witnessed the conversation between "Tree Branch" and the leader of the Church of Truth, known as the "Immortal Magician." Although she sensed that the latter was extremely powerful and chose not to get too close or attempt to track him, just to be safe, what she observed was already enough to provide Violet with valuable information later.
The Immortal Magician, Timos Young, was the mastermind behind the large-scale disappearances in the Austre Empire and the leader of the Church of Truth. But at the same time, he held another identity. One that Violet had long been aware of.
He was the First Throne of the underground secret society, "Eternal Throne."
And the Eternal Throne had already been confirmed to have deep ties to the "Twilight Council." There was a strong possibility that the Immortal Magician was acting as one of its envoys, meaning this encounter was likely not just a one-time coincidence.
Violet had heard of Timos Young a long time ago. Prakaka and Cromancia, two former members of the Eternal Throne who had changed sides, had each given their own assessment of him. They described him as elusive, unpredictable, and unimaginably powerful. They even admitted that they stood no chance against him, not even escaping would be easy.
And that was saying something. Prakaka and Cromancia were both legendary-level individuals, some of the best survivalists within the Eternal Throne. If Timos Young were just an ordinary Transcendent-level powerhouse, they wouldn’t have spoken about him in such an absolute manner.
In fact, Cromancia had once joked:
"No way, if that monster actually got serious, he’d probably wipe me out in a single move. Even if all the other Thrones, including the Second and Third Thrones, ganged up on him, I doubt we could take him down. That guy doesn’t play by normal rules. Honestly, I think creating the 'Eternal Throne' was just a hobby of his..."
That was the kind of terrifying existence the Immortal Magician was.
Violet couldn’t shake the feeling that he was far more dangerous than any enemy she had faced before. Even those who had touched the power of pseudo gods or demigods. It wasn’t just about raw strength. What made him even more threatening was how little anyone truly knew about him.
If Timos Young had already taken notice of Xiao Guang, he might have secretly begun making dangerous moves in the shadows. That was the real threat, something that needed to be monitored and countered in advance. Compared to this, that so-called Prince Xiluo Frederick was barely worth worrying about.
After a brief moment of silence, Violet spoke without looking back, giving her kneeling shadow guard a command.
"Listen carefully. I have two tasks for you…"