Ren immediately perceived the subtle interrogation hidden behind the seemingly innocuous comment. The careful emphasis Julius had placed on "remarkably" hadn't escaped his notice. "High-quality anti-mana medicine works wonders," he responded, maintaining a casual tone. "Besides, now that I'm a double tamer, my hydra seems to be a very resilient creature." Julius nodded, as if the answer confirmed something he already suspected. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚 Ren repeated the same account he had told Lin moments ago. The words flowed naturally, each detail consistent with his previous telling. ♢♢♢♢ "Your perspective of the events. I must admit it is... extraordinary." Julius's voice carried the weight of careful analysis, his eyes studying Ren's face for any sign of inconsistency. "I would say impossible," Zhao intervened, though without accusation in his voice, rather with genuine scientific curiosity. "A creature with the ability to absorb such disparate abilities from multiple species defies everything we know about abyssals." "And yet," added Julius, rubbing his thumb against his forefinger thoughtfully, "the remains I found in the chamber match your description perfectly." This caught Ren's attention. His mushrooms pulsed with heightened interest. "You found remains?" "Of the segments you destroyed," Julius confirmed with a single nod. "Some were still showing clear influence of abyssal energy. Sufficient to confirm your account, although many questions remain unanswered." The prince's gaze was penetrating, as if trying to see beyond Ren's words to the truth that might lie beneath. Zhao leaned slightly forward, his posture shifting from casual to focused in an instant. "Which brings us to the purpose of this conversation. We need to understand exactly how you survived an encounter with such a creature, how you made it flee, Ren." The implicit message was clear: something didn't add up in the story. If Ren had lost consciousness, how had he defeated or driven away the creature? The suspicions of the ring's whereabouts and the last abyssal energy Zhao felt still not fully resolved or explained. Han tensed again, his pretense of unconsciousness becoming increasingly difficult to maintain amid the growing tension. "I..." Ren began, his mind racing through possibilities. "I'm not sure," he finally admitted, his voice softening with what appeared to be genuine confusion. "My last clear memory is launching that attack with all the energy I could channel. After that... nothing certain, until waking up here." Julius and Zhao exchanged a brief look, some silent communication passing between them. ♢♢♢♢ The canvas of the small medical tent rustled when Julius and Zhao emerged outside. The morning sunlight cast long shadows across the camp. The morning light illuminated the camp, where the remaining students prepared with renewed enthusiasm for their third day of gathering. Backpacks were being checked, tools sharpened, and plans discussed in small groups scattered throughout the area. Zhao observed the scene with a slightly envious expression. His explorer's instinct, never completely tamed by years of teaching, yearned to follow Ren's group, to document their methods, to learn their secrets. The opportunity to witness such a remarkable first-year student in action was a rare privilege that called to his scholarly heart. "You can go with them," Julius commented, correctly interpreting his gaze. "There's no longer any need for both of us to remain here." The prince's voice was low, almost casual, but his eyes remained alert, scanning the bustling activity around them. Zhao looked at him with surprise. "Are you sure? After what happened..." Julius led Zhao away from curious ears, to a small clearing near the camp boundary. His earth wolverine partially manifested, creating a subtle vibration in the ground that would interfere with any attempt to eavesdrop. "The spider boy didn't do much more than send that letter with irrelevant details," Julius commented, his voice barely audible even to Zhao. "As always." Zhao nodded slowly, remembering the reports he had periodically received during the past few days. Since the seed incident, new intelligence groups had been following Han with particular interest. He wasn't the only student under surveillance, of course; security teams kept a watchful eye on Ren during his incursions into the depths, and Julius received secondary information through Larissa, although the young noble was unaware she was indirectly providing data about Han. "You were certain from that day, weren't you?" Zhao asked, keeping his voice low. "That Han was a spy." "There were too many indicators," Julius confirmed. "Mainly his excessively perfect behavior. Young infiltrators often fall into that pattern: they fear standing out for doing something wrong, so they end up standing out for doing everything right." "Why allow him to continue at the academy?" Julius smiled slightly, though the expression didn't reach his eyes. There was a coldness to it, the calculated measure of a man long accustomed to the chess game of politics and security. "A known spy has certain uses. We decided to let him believe he was going unnoticed to monitor his communications with Yino, and eventually confront him with evidence to try to extract extra information." According to Julius's explanation, the plan had been reasonable. Han's letters, carefully intercepted and copied before allowing their delivery, always followed the same pattern: seemingly innocent messages to a sister in Yino, with small coded details interwoven in the text. Class schedules, excursion dates, basic mappings of certain areas of the campus. "Hardly relevant information," Zhao murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Barely the minimum to justify his role as a spy." "Exactly," Julius nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Data that Yino probably already possesses through more established sources, such as the Goldcrests and other known traitors. Information that would hardly change the balance of power. But..." Han's apparent harmlessness had led them to maintain discrete surveillance, using him as a window to understand what kind of basic information Yino handled. But recent events had cast momentary doubts on that strategy. "You feared he had shown his true capabilities during the incident," Zhao understood. Julius nodded gravely. "A vulnerable moment, an extreme situation... the perfect circumstances for a dormant agent to activate. He's just a child, but like Harold he could..." "An abyssal beast?" Zhao could barely believe the possibility, despite the residual energy he had sensed during his descent. "Is it really possible, weren't they thoroughly checked? Harold was a very recent addition by the Goldcrests, wasn't he?" "Although Han has much older records, we can't be certain they aren't false or that he doesn't have one... Our mechanisms for internal mana perception wouldn't detect it," Julius explained, his brow furrowing slightly. "Not like they detect the core of a common second beast. It could have been hidden all this time. Even now." Zhao considered the implications. A Yino agent with an abyssal beast, infiltrated into the heart of the academy, with access to the kingdom's future elite... it was an alarming scenario. The constant supervision and even the company of a professor in each group on this excursion made more sense in terms of resource expenditure. "Lin's presence in the group should be sufficient safeguard," Julius continued, his tone measured. "And his last communication, sent during one of his 'bathroom trips,' followed the same harmless pattern as always." "But everything changed too quickly," Zhao completed, understanding dawning in his eyes. "And for a moment you worried you had underestimated the boy." "Ren's account seems to dispel those doubts," Julius placed a hand on his chin, his expression thoughtful. "But we need to be certain. Interrogate him directly when this is over." Zhao nodded, understanding the gravity of the matter. "Meanwhile, I can follow the group closely during their last excursion. Even if he turns out to be as dangerous as you think he might be, he wouldn't stand a chance against a beast like mine." Zhao would finally be able to gather with Ren... Julius seemed about to confirm his approval when a flash cut through the morning sky. A swift hawk descended directly to perch on the prince's extended forearm. The bird carried a small cylinder attached to its leg. Julius unscrewed it with precise movements and extracted a tiny scroll. His expression remained inscrutable as he read the message, but Zhao, who had known him for years, could detect the tension accumulating in his shoulders. "Bad news?" Zhao asked, though he already knew the answer. "There was an attack," Julius responded, his voice controlled but laden with gravity. "We must return immediately."