Hearing the bell toll, Peony huffed, "Looks like it's done."
Trein sighed in relief. "Yes."
Peony paused, watching the fairies and townsfolk cheer. She took a deep breath and began,
"A long time ago, the righteous judge was on a mission to protect the city from illegal goods trafficking. However, despite always being correct in his judgments, he once mistakenly took the life of someone he thought was involved in a crime. The victim was a new mother. He took her life and left her newborn orphaned in front of the church."
She continued, voice steady, "The church disapproved and decreed that the judge must raise the child as his own. That was his punishment."
Trein looked surprised, but Peony kept going.
"That child grew up to become the kindly bell ringer. Though he was born handicapped, the judge still raised him as his son, personally educating him. In an era with no child protection laws, this was considered the duty of a father figure. Still, the judge feared his son would be persecuted for his deformities. So, he warned him never to leave the bell tower, lest he be hunted like a monster."
She exhaled. "So he lived there, ringing the bell every day and night. But one day, the righteous judge made another mistake. He harmed many of the people he was meant to protect. Then came catastrophe. Though reluctant, the bell ringer stepped up and rang the bell in his stead."
Peony's gaze turned distant. "The judge—who had caused the disaster—didn't survive. He fell to his death. His body was burned to ashes, the flames so intense that no remains could be found. Whatever the source of the catastrophe was, it ended with the bell. And so, the bell ringer became the next judge of the city."
She smiled bitterly. "This was the tale my master told me. Everyone remembers the judge as a teacher. But he was also a father… and just a man. His greatest flaw was his obsession with purity. Like a blank sheet of paper, he could not tolerate even a single stain. If it wasn't perfect, it was discarded."
She sighed.
"According to our predecessors, the judge also endured a harsh childhood. So in the end, both tragedies are... just that—tragedies. Thankfully, Rollo is still only a child."
Her grumbling after that made no sense, so Trein asked, "Where are Mister Flamme's files?"
"So you'll accept?" She raised a brow. "I thought it might be too much trouble. Good thing I was wrong. However..."
"I do require time to review his case," Trein replied calmly.
"Very well." She nodded and patted a stack of papers on the table. "I'll have this delivered to you tomorrow."
Seeing the thick file, Trein was surprised. How complicated was this case?
Noticing he had no questions, she said, "If there's nothing else, I—"
"Master."
Peony paused and pulled out her mother-and-son stone. "Did it happen?"
"Yes," Zhang Li replied. "Unfortunately, due to my misjudgment, some escaped."
The mayor froze at the news. Peony thought to herself. If they failed to take out Rollo, could their next target be the one thing that saved them from the bell? Best to stay cautious. Still… they never learn.
She shook her head. "Gather the evidence. Make sure the kids get back safely. Don't worry about the ones who escaped—they'll slink back with their tails between their legs. We'll stay in the city until they reappear. Have Lotus handle the smaller details along the waterways."
"Understood," Zhang Li replied bluntly.
The mayor hesitated. "They..."
Peony cut in, "Right now, their focus is on us. You don't know the full secret of the city, which means they already consider you useless. So you'll be working under my attendant's supervision—digging up more information. It's not your field, but I need you to play detective for now."
She frowned. "As for the rest, I'll discuss things with the president of the Council of Magic and my master."
"They won't target City Hall anymore?" Trein asked with a frown. "That doesn't mean they won't cause more trouble."
Peony yawned and leaned back against the table. "Did you forget? I already said it—the moment I stepped foot in this city, their fate was sealed."
"Is that... the power of a seer?" the mayor asked uncertainly.
Peony raised a brow. "You want to know?"
The mayor hesitated, unsure if he misspoke. She shook her head. "It's confidential. If you're curious, ask the head of the Council of Magic. I had to get his approval, after all. For now, we need to escort and calm the crowd. At the moment, the only one suited for that is..."
"I will take on this task," the mayor said firmly.
Peony handed him a silver bracelet. "Fine. But you'll need protection. Sylph."
A breeze blew in as a small fairy appeared. She had the fairy escort the teacher away while she joined the mayor in guiding people back to their homes, checking thoroughly for any remaining firelotuses.
When she returned, she spotted Rollo still walking with Malleus and the others. She raised a brow and approached them.
"Looks like you had everything under control in the end."
Seeing how calm they were, she sighed. "So… his ego was his downfall."
"You're..." Rollo looked at her, confused.
Malleus sighed. "She's..."
"A guest." Peony smiled coldly at the human.
"Ah, I forgot..." Azul muttered.
"Same..." Idia added nervously. "He's so dead..."
"So what?" Peony said with a sigh. "You let him take credit for saving the city, just to make him wrestle with his own sense of justice."
"Do you still intend to torment him?" Malleus asked with a raised brow.
Rollo looked shocked. Peony smiled brightly. "Of course."
"Huh?!" Rollo stared at him in disbelief.
She added, "Though that can wait. Let's just say I'll be taking him for a stroll later."
"Won't the headmaster need to know about this?" Azul asked, raising a brow.
Peony smirked. "Oh, don't worry. He'll be busy."
"Huh?" Rollo glanced between them. "What's going on? Who is she?"
"Lotus's boss..." Idia grumbled. "You really pissed off the wrong person."
She turned back to the group. "So?"
"Hm?" Silver tilted his head.
"How did the slap go?" she asked, glancing at Idia.
"Huh? Me?!" Idia pointed at himself.
"Was there a reason you specifically made sure Idia came along?" Malleus asked, realizing Peony had been keeping tabs on him even before departure.
Peony sighed. "Of course. I needed permission for a therapist, but I heard a mental shock is more effective than a knock to the head. Still..."
She looked at the blue-haired gamer and sighed again. "Seems my message didn't get through. My apologies."
Idia paused in surprise. "Oh? A genuine apology?"
"Am I really that heartless?" she scowled. "We may have power, but adults always say, when you make a mistake, you apologize. I might be strong, but I still lack awareness of boundaries—and that's a flaw."
"Didn't the Shroud family owe you a favor?" he asked, frowning.
"That was the Shroud family. Not Idia Shroud." She crossed her arms. "By the time I realized the error, I was told you'd already entered the tower."
"So you knew everything from the start," Azul muttered. "That would've been nice to know."
"And then what?" She gestured to the school. "Let others voice their opinions and make things worse? In similar past cases, that's exactly what happened."
"That's why you needed his help," Malleus said. "You could have pretended not to know."
"Are you serious? Even if his family never found out, he would. After graduation, he'd figure it out. You think just because something goes unsaid, it won't weigh on the mind?"
She shook her head. "Besides, one memory chip isn't enough to cover this mess."
Memory chip? Idia raised a brow.
Then realization hit. "The memory chip... Ortho's..."
"I hid it in his ribbon, but I didn't expect him to try and eat it..." she muttered. "Nearly lost two souls in one day. Did the protective magic work?"
Idia was silent for a moment, then nodded grumpily. "Yeah... it did."
"You don't sound thrilled, Shroud," Malleus noted.
"That memory chip is the newborn soul," Peony explained with a huff. "Think of it like this—if I put Sebek's soul into a chip, unless it's inserted into the right vessel, he wouldn't be with us. Ortho isn't made of flesh and bone. His whole being is on that chip. If it's damaged, he's gone. That's why I cast protective magic on it."
"And why give it to Grim?" Azul asked.
"Better to ask the guardians," Peony replied.
Idia was quiet, then shook his head. "Fine. I'll get my answers from them."
Ignoring the tension, Rollo turned to her. "So, you're the guest. Shall we find the headmaster?"
She shook her head. "Actually, could you deliver this letter to him? It would save me the trouble."
Rollo took the letter and raised a brow. "Understood."
Peony smiled. "Also..."
Rollo looked to her, confused, as she leaned in.
"I have a favor to ask," she whispered. "For the next day and a half, stay out of the headmaster's line of sight after delivering this. Maybe help prepare the masquerade venue or something? Otherwise..."
She leaned back as he blinked in confusion. Her smile widened.
"It's better to keep busy. I've already explained everything to Mister Trein from Night Raven College. If anything happens, go to him."
Then she turned back to Idia. "Once you've decided what you want, you'll find me at City Hall."
"Is it safe?" Malleus asked, frowning.