Chapter : 1441

  "It's circumstantial," Lloyd said. "We can't arrest him on 'maybe'. We need a confession. Or we need to catch him holding the smoking gun."

  "Then let's confront him," Rubaiya said. "Put pressure on him. See if he cracks."

  "Fine," Lloyd agreed. "But we do it my way. No accusations. Just questions. We rattle the cage and see if the bird sings."

  They found Daniel in his workshop behind the armory. It was hot. The furnace was roaring. Daniel was hammering a piece of red-hot steel on an anvil. Clang. Clang. Clang.

  He didn't hear them enter. He was focused. Intense.

  Lloyd walked up to him. He waited until Daniel stopped hammering.

  "Daniel," Lloyd said.

  Daniel jumped. He turned around, holding the hammer. "Professor Ferrum. Professor Rubaiya. You startled me."

  "Sorry," Lloyd said. "We need to ask you about the inventory."

  "Inventory?" Daniel wiped sweat from his brow. "Is something missing?"

  "No," Lloyd said. "Something was added. The sword Tom used. The locket Sarah wore. Did you make them?"

  Daniel froze. His face went pale. "Make them? No. Those were... those were student items. Personal items."

  "The sword was from the rack," Rubaiya said sharply. "Jamie confirmed it. You stock the rack."

  "I..." Daniel stammered. He looked terrified. "I check the swords. I check them for cracks. For balance. I didn't check for... curses."

  "But you modified it," Lloyd pressed. "The balance was off. It had a core inserted. Only someone with your spirit, Forge, could do that without leaving a weld mark."

  Daniel dropped the hammer. It hit the floor with a heavy thud. He backed away, his hands raised.

  "I didn't!" he cried. "I swear! I would never hurt the students! They are my charges! My duty!"

  "Then explain it!" Rubaiya shouted. "Explain how a cursed weapon got into your armory! Explain why you need extra money! Explain the private commissions!"

  Daniel looked like a trapped animal. He looked at the door. He looked at Lloyd.

  "The money..." Daniel whispered. "The money was for... her."

  "Her?" Lloyd asked. "Who is her?"

  "The woman," Daniel said. "The woman in the market. She... she sold me the materials. Rare metals. Spirit dust. Things I needed to fix the old suits of armor in the trophy hall. I wanted to surprise the Headmaster. To restore the glory of the Academy."

  "A woman in the market," Lloyd repeated. "What did she look like?"

  "She wore a hood," Daniel said. "She had a silver pin. A snake eating its tail."

  Lloyd's blood ran cold. The Ouroboros. The symbol of the Intelligence Division. Or the Seventh Circle.

  "Did she give you anything else?" Lloyd asked urgently. "Besides materials?"

  "She gave me... samples," Daniel admitted. "She said they were practice weapons. enchanted to help students learn faster. She said they would correct their form. I... I tested them. They seemed fine. They just... glowed a little."

  "And you put them in the rack?" Rubaiya asked, horrified.

  "I thought I was helping!" Daniel sobbed. "I thought I was giving them an advantage! I didn't know they were evil! I'm just a smith! I don't know dark magic!"

  Lloyd looked at him. He saw the fear. The guilt. The stupidity.

  Daniel wasn't the traitor. He was the patsy. He was the useful idiot.

  "He's telling the truth," Lloyd said. "He didn't make them. He bought them. He distributed them. But he didn't know."

  "Ignorance is not an excuse," Rubaiya said coldly. "His negligence almost killed the Princess."

  "I know," Lloyd said. "But he's not the mastermind. He's just another victim."

  He walked over to Daniel. He put a hand on the big man's shoulder.

  "Daniel," Lloyd said. "Listen to me. Where is this woman? Where did you meet her?"

  "The Midnight Market," Daniel sniffled. "Near the docks. She has a stall. Behind the fishmonger."

  "Okay," Lloyd said. "You're going to stay here. You're going to lock the door. You're not going to make anything. You're not going to touch anything. Understand?"

  "Yes, sir," Daniel nodded frantically.

  Lloyd turned to Rubaiya. "We have a lead. A woman with a snake pin. A dealer."

  "We go to the market?" Rubaiya asked.

  "Tomorrow," Lloyd said. "We go hunting."

  He felt a mix of relief and frustration. Daniel was innocent, mostly. But the real enemy was still out there. And they were selling cursed weapons like candy.

  "The profile is complete," Lloyd thought. "Jamie is a glory-hound. Daniel is a gullible fool. They aren't the threats."

  Chapter : 1442

  He looked at Rubaiya. She was calm. Calculated. She had pushed hard for Daniel's guilt. Was it zeal? Or was it deflection?

  "Keep your eyes open, Lloyd," he told himself. "The web is big. And the spider is still hungry."

  He walked out of the workshop, into the gathering dusk. The hunt continued.

  The investigation had hit a wall, or rather, it had hit a very large, crying blacksmith. Daniel was innocent of malice, guilty of stupidity. That left Lloyd with a puzzle that had too many pieces and no picture.

  He sat in the library with Isabella and Rubaiya. It was late. The library was empty, shadows stretching long across the floor. They were huddled around a table covered in notes.

  "So," Isabella said, crossing her arms. "The blacksmith is a fool. The fencer is a peacock. And the curse is still out there. This is... unsatisfactory."

  "We have a lead," Lloyd said. "The woman in the market. The dealer."

  "A ghost," Rubaiya dismissed. "She will be gone by now. If she is a professional, she won't stay in one place."

  "We have to check," Lloyd insisted. "Ken is already scouting the docks."

  Rubaiya stood up. She paced around the table. She looked agitated. "We are missing something. We are looking at the pawns. We need to look at the board."

  She stopped and looked at Lloyd. Her eyes were sharp. "Daniel brought the items in. But who authorized the budget? Who signed the requisition forms?"

  "Headmaster Valerius handles the budget," Lloyd said.

  "Valerius signs the big checks," Rubaiya corrected. "But the day-to-day? The small discretionary funds? That is handled by the department heads."

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  "So?" Isabella asked.

  "So," Rubaiya said. "Daniel said he used his own money. But metal is expensive. Spirit dust is expensive. A teacher's salary is not enough for what he bought. Someone must have supplemented him. Someone must have given him the gold to buy the 'samples'."

  "A sponsor," Lloyd realized.

  "Exactly," Rubaiya said. "And who has the money? Who has the connection to the armory? Who has been pushing for 'modernization' of the Academy's equipment for months?"

  She paused for dramatic effect.

  "Who?" Isabella demanded.

  "Jamie," Rubaiya said.

  Lloyd blinked. "Jamie? The guy in the dungeon? We just established he's an idiot."

  "Is he?" Rubaiya countered. "Or is that the perfect cover? Think about it. He is from a fallen noble house. He is desperate for money and glory. What if he made a deal? He funds the weapons. He gives them to Daniel, the useful fool. Daniel distributes them. Chaos ensues. And who steps in to save the day? Jamie."

  "He tried to stop Tom," Isabella argued.

  "He tried to look like he was stopping Tom," Rubaiya said. "But he failed. Conveniently. He deflected the blade toward you. Was it an accident? Or was it a message?"

  "A message?" Lloyd asked.

  "A threat," Rubaiya said. "Maybe his backers wanted to scare the Royal Family. Maybe they wanted to show that even the Princess is not safe. Jamie gets arrested, yes. But he is alive. He is a martyr. Or a victim of circumstance. And while we focus on him, the real plan moves forward."

  "It fits," Isabella murmured. "He was always... ambitious. Too ambitious."

  Lloyd looked at Rubaiya. Her logic was sound. It was persuasive. It tied up the loose ends.

  But something felt wrong.

  "Jamie loves you, Isabella," Lloyd said. "He has a shrine to you in his locker. I saw it. It's creepy, but it's sincere. He wouldn't hurt you."

  "Love can turn to hate," Rubaiya said darkly. "If he felt rejected. If he felt ignored. You embarrassed him in the library, Lloyd. Maybe he wanted to prove he was better than you. By creating a crisis only he could solve."

  "It's a theory," Lloyd said cautiously. "But we need proof. We can't just accuse him based on 'maybe'."

  "I will get proof," Rubaiya said. "I will search his quarters. I will check his financial records. If there is a connection to the Devil Race, I will find it."

  She looked at them both. "Trust me. Jamie is not the clown he pretends to be. He is the actor."

  She turned and walked away, heading towards the faculty dorms.

  Lloyd watched her go.

  "She is very convincing," Isabella said. "And very intense."

  "Yeah," Lloyd said. "She is."

  He looked at the map on the table. Rubaiya was pushing hard. She was directing the investigation. She was pointing fingers.

  "Is she right?" Isabella asked.

  "I don't know," Lloyd lied.

  Chapter : 1443

  In his head, a voice was screaming. Misdirection.

  Rubaiya was smart. Too smart. She was a strategist. Would a strategist really believe Jamie was the mastermind? Jamie, who once got his head stuck in a helmet?

  "Or maybe," Lloyd thought, a chill running down his spine, "she is pointing at Jamie so we don't look at her."

  He didn't say it. He couldn't. Not yet.

  "I need to talk to Jamie again," Lloyd said. "I need to look him in the eye."

  "I will come with you," Isabella said.

  "No," Lloyd said. "He's scared of you. You put him in jail. I need him relaxed. I need him to talk."

  "Fine," Isabella huffed. "But if he confesses, I want to be the one to execute him."

  "We don't execute people without a trial, Princess," Lloyd reminded her.

  "A trial is just a slow execution," Isabella muttered.

  Lloyd left the library. He walked back to the dungeon. The path was becoming familiar.

  "Accusations are easy," Lloyd thought. "Truth is hard. And Rubaiya just made it a lot harder."

  Lloyd stood outside Jamie's cell. The fencing instructor was asleep, curled up on the cot. He looked small. Vulnerable.

  "Jamie," Lloyd whispered.

  Jamie woke up with a start. He scrambled back against the wall. "Don't kill me! I have excellent hygiene!"

  "Relax," Lloyd said. "It's just me. Lloyd."

  Jamie let out a breath. "Lloyd. Did you bring a comb?"

  "No," Lloyd said. "I brought a question. A serious question."

  He unlocked the door with the master key Valerius had given him. He stepped inside.

  "Rubaiya thinks you're the traitor," Lloyd said bluntly.

  Jamie's jaw dropped. "Me? Why? I am beautiful! Traitors are ugly!"

  "She thinks you funded Daniel. She thinks you bought the cursed weapons to create chaos so you could play the hero."

  "That is insane!" Jamie shouted. "I have no money! My family is broke! I spend my entire salary on hair oil and polishes!"

  "She says you might have a sponsor," Lloyd said. "Someone giving you gold."

  "I wish!" Jamie cried. "I have been trying to find a sponsor for years! I tried to get a sponsorship from the 'Royal Shampoo Company'. They rejected me! They said my hair was 'too voluminous'!"

  Lloyd looked at him. Jamie was indignant. He was offended. But he wasn't guilty.

  "Jamie," Lloyd said. "Look at me. Did you want to hurt Isabella?"

  Jamie's face crumpled. Tears filled his eyes. "Hurt her? I would die for her. I love her, Lloyd. I know she thinks I am a joke. I know I am... a bit much. But she is the sun. You don't hurt the sun."

  It was pathetic. It was raw. And it was absolutely true.

  "Okay," Lloyd said. "I believe you."

  "You do?" Jamie sniffled.

  "Yes. You're too in love to be a killer. And honestly, you're not smart enough to be a mastermind."

  "Hey!" Jamie protested. "I am smart! I know all the fencing terms in three languages!"

  "That's vocabulary, not strategy," Lloyd said.

  He sat down on the cot next to Jamie. "Listen. Someone framed you. Someone pushed your arm. Someone wants us to think it's you. Why?"

  "Because I am an easy target?" Jamie suggested.

  "Yes. And because if we are looking at you, we aren't looking at them."

  "Who is 'them'?"

  "I don't know yet," Lloyd said. "But Rubaiya... she was very quick to accuse you. Very quick to point the finger at Daniel, then you."

  "Rubaiya is scary," Jamie whispered. "She looks at people like they are math problems she wants to solve by subtraction."

  "Yeah," Lloyd agreed. "She does."

  He stood up. "Stay here, Jamie. Stay safe. I'm going to get you out. I promise."

  "Can you bring the comb next time?" Jamie asked. "Please. My bangs are a tragedy."

  "I'll bring the comb," Lloyd smiled.

  He left the cell. He locked the door.

  He walked back up the stairs. His mind was working overtime.

  Rubaiya was the strategist. She was the one mapping the mana flows. She was the one who "found" the pattern.

  What if she was creating the pattern?

  What if she was the traitor?

  "She has the brain," Lloyd thought. "She has the cat spirit that can pierce defenses. She fits the profile of a sleeper agent. Adopted. Orphan. Grudge against the system."

  It was a terrifying thought. The woman helping him hunt the ghost might be the ghost herself.

  "I need to verify," Lloyd decided. "I need to check her alibis. I need to see what she's really doing in the archives."

  Chapter : 1444

  He walked out into the night. The Academy was sleeping. But the shadows were awake.

  And Lloyd Ferrum was done playing detective. It was time to start playing soldier.

  "Game on, Rubaiya," he whispered. "Let's see who's smarter."

  The next morning, Lloyd convened a meeting of the "Alliance" in the Old Tower. He wanted to see their faces. He wanted to see them react.

  Rubaiya was there, looking smug. Daniel was there, looking terrified. Tulip was there, looking worried.

  "We have a suspect," Lloyd announced. "Rubaiya believes it is Jamie. Daniel believes it is a mysterious woman in the market. I believe we need to be sure."

  "I am sure," Rubaiya said. "I checked Jamie's room. I found a bag of gold. Unmarked coins."

  "You broke into his room?" Tulip asked, shocked.

  "Necessary measures," Rubaiya said. "The gold proves he had funding."

  "Or," Lloyd said calmly, "it proves someone planted gold in his room. Jamie leaves his door unlocked because he 'welcomes fans'."

  "It is evidence," Rubaiya insisted.

  "It is convenient," Lloyd countered.

  He turned to Daniel. "Daniel. You said you met the woman in the Midnight Market. Can you take us there?"

  Daniel nodded frantically. "Yes. Yes, I can show you the stall."

  "Good," Lloyd said. "Tonight. We go to the market. All of us. If this woman exists, we find her. If she doesn't..."

  He looked at Rubaiya. "Then we rethink our theories."

  Rubaiya didn't flinch. "Fine. But if it is a trap, do not blame me."

  "I never blame the strategist," Lloyd said. "I blame the intel."

  That night, they slipped out of the Academy. They wore cloaks. They looked like a group of very suspicious wizards going to a very suspicious party.

  The Midnight Market was a labyrinth of tents and shadows near the docks. It smelled of fish and illicit magic. People were selling potions, cursed items, and questionable meat on sticks.

  "Where is it?" Lloyd asked Daniel.

  "This way," Daniel whispered. He led them through the crowd. He was shaking. He was clearly out of his element.

  They reached a small, dark stall tucked between a crate of eels and a wall. It was empty. Just a wooden table and a tattered canopy.

  "She was here," Daniel said. "Right here."

  "It is empty," Rubaiya said flatly. "Convenient."

  "She moves," Daniel pleaded. "She said she moves!"

  Lloyd walked up to the table. He activated his [All-Seeing Eye]. He scanned the wood.

  There was a residue. Faint. Black. The same corruption signature as the sword.

  "He's telling the truth," Lloyd said. "She was here. Recently."

  He looked at the dust on the table. There was a shape in the dust. A circle. Where a jar had been sitting.

  "She packed up in a hurry," Lloyd noted. "She knew we were coming."

  "How?" Tulip asked.

  "Because we talked about it," Lloyd said. "In the tower."

  He turned to the group. "Someone told her."

  The silence was heavy. Suspicion hung in the air like fog.

  "Are you accusing us?" Rubaiya asked, her voice dangerous.

  "I am stating a fact," Lloyd said. "The leak is in the team."

  "Or," Tulip said gently, "the enemy has listening spells. We are dealing with powerful magic."

  "Maybe," Lloyd allowed.

  He looked at Daniel. The big man was sweating. "Daniel, did she say anything else? Anything about her boss? Her plans?"

  "She... she mentioned a 'harvest'," Daniel said. "She said the harvest was coming soon. And that the 'seeds' were planted."

  "Seeds," Lloyd muttered. "The cursed items. They are seeds. Waiting to bloom."

  "We need to find the other seeds," Lloyd said. "Before they grow."

  "We need to find Jamie," Rubaiya said. "He is the key."

  "Jamie is in a cell," Lloyd reminded her. "He is safe."

  "Is he?" Rubaiya asked. "Or is he waiting for the harvest to break him out?"

  Lloyd looked at her. She was relentless. She was pushing the Jamie narrative hard. Why?

  "Let's go back," Lloyd said. "There's nothing here but fish smells and bad memories."

  They walked back to the Academy. The mood was grim. They had confirmed Daniel's story, which meant there was a dealer. But they had missed her.

  As they walked, Lloyd fell into step beside Daniel.

  "You did good, Daniel," Lloyd whispered. "You told the truth."

  "I am sorry, Professor," Daniel said. "I am so sorry."

  "It's okay," Lloyd said. "We'll fix it. But Daniel... keep your hammer close. I think we're going to need it."

  Back at the Old Tower, Lloyd dismissed the team. He said he needed to sleep.